DL Resorts vs offsite

[LindaBabe]

Could you put a monitary value on how much more you would be willing to pay to stay in one of the Disney Hotels as opposed to say - the Candy Cane Inn?

At Disney World, staying on property has much greater value than off - in terms of extra magic hours and transportation besides being immersed in the "Magic" - I'd say at least $100 a night more.

Is the same true for the Disneyland hotels?

 

[raftislander]

Boy, that is a hard one to quantify. Unlike WDW, you get no transportation benefit. This is huge difference as you do not need to rent a car in WDW. On site at DLR, you do get to take advantage of every extra magic morning (MM) during your stay on -property. These occur every Tue, Thur, Sat and Sun. The more that your stay encompasses these days, the bigger the benefit. I have an annual pass so, I do not get MM unless I stay on-site. But anyone buying a park pass of 3+ days will get one MM entry. If your trip covers only a single MM day, and you are buying a 3+ day pass then you are not getting any additional benefit than what your park ticket offers. If you are there for multiple MM and like Fantasyland & Tomorrowland rides, this is a huge advantage as you can get a lot done with little to no wait during this hour and the Fantasyland lines are slow and get long during the day with no FP opportunity. If you have young children who want to ride these rides multiple times, this is a significant value - ASSUMING that you can be up and at the gate so that you can use the entire hour. Depending on when you visit, this hour may occur as early as 7:00 am. If your family sleeps in and you cant be there for MM rope drop- it is of no value. Proximity? This is the subject of entire threads with people measuring out the distance from various rooms both on and off property to the front gates. Off-site rooms can be as close or closer than some on site rooms. It just depends. Staying in the bubble - it helps to be on site. I cannot measure how important this factor is to you. I like to stay on property, but if staying off site means I will get two trips to DL in a year as opposed to one? I will take two trips and off property everytime. Generally - the DL resorts are nicer and have better pools than the surrounding hotels/motels and rightfully command a higher price tag. So you can see that putting a monetary value on this is difficult as it can depend on the trip. It might come down to what I would be paying offsite versus on site. If I can get the HOJO annual pass rate of $59/night, I would only go on-site if I could get a room for under $150/night. If I were paying $100-$125 off-site, I would probably go up to $200 a night. If I were going for a special occasion and wanted to splurge on the celebration, then I would keep my fingers crossed for a pin code, a special, or a great AP rate, but book on-site anyway.

Hope this helps in your decisionmaking

 

[KCmike]

For me its better to stay on property. I don't like being on Harbor Blvd even though it is cheaper. I don't like seeing the traffic, homeless, McDonalds, etc when I'm on vacation. Take into account I flying half way across the country to see Disneyland. I like being immersed inside the DL Resort. So the average stay outside is probably around $100-$140 year round. Inside the avg price is probably $200-$300. I guessing on these figures. So is it worth an extra $100 to stay onsite?

Here is whats better in my opinion:
Pools, hot tubs, recreation areas
Restaurants (Downtown Disney, DL Hotel options, White Water Snacks)
Rooms - I've stayed at Fairfield Inn and Hojo and I much prefer the DL rooms
Disney Hospitality - I do have to say its better onsite (have had great help at GC hotel with plane tickets, booking a car rental for a day and last minute, and getting special extras)
Perks - GC has special entrance and early entry into DCA
Proximity - GC rocks for closeness...and I much rather being walking in downtown disney than on Harbor Blvd at night.

 

[Capt Silly]

Could you put a monitary value on how much more you would be willing to pay to stay in one of the Disney Hotels as opposed to say - the Candy Cane Inn?

At Disney World, staying on property has much greater value than off - in terms of extra magic hours and transportation besides being immersed in the "Magic" - I'd say at least $100 a night more.

Is the same true for the Disneyland hotels?

There are some of the same advantages at DLR. Four days a week (usually Sun, Tue, Thr, and Sat) Fantasyland and Tomorrowland open one hour early for Disney hotel guests and people who have Magic Morning tickets (usually they get 1 morning on a park hopper). You are also allowed into DCA an hour early to get fastpasses for WoC, assuring you get a blue viewing area and wont have to wait in line. I don't know if you can put a value on that, but both are nice perks that we take full advantage of when we stay on site.

You are also immersed in the Disney experience, maybe not as much as at WDW, but much more than if you stay off site. You can stay at Candy Cane, or other hotels on Harbor, but when you walk to DL you are walking on an ordinary sidewalk, with cars on one side and stores on the other. When you walk from one of the Disney Hotels (even PPH) you are walking through manicured grounds, a walking mall, or a fancy hotel. Again, I don't think you can put a price on that either.

Other benefits are smaller, but we also use them. You can use your room key at any park restaurant or cart, or World of Disney. The rooms are always nice, and the hotel staff go out of their way to make you feel the magic. None of these things can you really put a price on, but it makes the overall experience more Disney.

 

[skiingfast]

Could you put a monitary value on how much more you would be willing to pay to stay in one of the Disney Hotels as opposed to say - the Candy Cane Inn?

At Disney World, staying on property has much greater value than off - in terms of extra magic hours and transportation besides being immersed in the "Magic" - I'd say at least $100 a night more.

Is the same true for the Disneyland hotels?

Do you know the prices of the DLR hotels? The 3 are more than values and moderates and closer to deluxes at WDW. Lows of 200 and highs of 500.

But Just around the resort there are many places sub 100, and 150 tends to be an upper limit.

I find the worst thing about the onsite places to be the lack of convinience. The GCH is very close but most of harbor is closer than the DLH and allmost all of it is closer than PPH. Plus most provide some sort of breakfast.

In this sense they beat eating a poptart while you wait for the bus from POP to DHS.

 

[CrazyDuck]

$20,000......

That's how much I paid so I never have to stay in a hotel on Harbor (or Katella) again!

 

[JH87]

When I go to DLR I am never in my hotel room. I only use it to sleep and get ready in. So I prefer to spend the least amount as possible by still being within a 10 min walk to DLR.
If i were to spend more than 3 days there then I would probably be spending more to be at a nicer place.
But honestly, there are so many excellent good neighbor hotels for a much lower price than any DLR ones. & many are right across the street from DLR, so you aren't that far away from the magic, many rooms have views of the park....my hotel was a 10 min walk from the park and we still had a great view of the fireworks from our room. So even that far away there was still some Disney magic :
I would LOVE to stay in a DLR hotel obviously, but I would much rather prefer to spend that money on food, souvenirs, etc.

 

[LindaBabe]

Wow! You ALL have given thoughtful and helpful commentary! I was convinced . . . until I got down to skingfast and jh87. Now, I'm back to dithering again, lol.

I will be there on Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday in late January. My current ressie at Candy Cane Inn is costing around $140, I think with tax. I've stayed there before, it's charming,with Roses dripping from the second floor railings, the staff are wonderful, and it has a nice pool, hot tub, laundry and breakfast. I'll have an ecv, so it's within easy rolling distance of the parks.

BUT, there's a military discount, and it may provide the only opportunity I ever have to get the price of "on property" within my reach . . . obviously, I can't lose with either choice. But my frugality is battling with my desire Thank you all for your help!

 

[HydroGuy]

You can take a cue from many folks who go to both WDW and DLR. It is common to find people who only stay onsite at WDW but at DLR stay off-site more often. At DLR it seems the price difference between the DLR hotels and good neighbors is much steeper. The answer depends a bit on what time of year you go and the discounts they may or may not have at the DLR hotels. Last summer we were planning for another Harbor Good Neighbor hotel when Disney dropped the summer prices to 40% discounts - something I have never seen in summer. So we jumped at it. Otherwise it is tough paying $500+ a night for the GCH.

Understand that the Harbor good neighbor hotels are not dives. The whole area along Harbor is a bright, fun corridor to DLR. There are occasional homeless people (we have only ever encountered one) but overall it is not a bad place to stay at all.

At DLR we have tended to use the hotels only for sleeping and quick swim, so it was n ot worht it to pay so much for a Disney hotel. At DLR it is more common to spend a higher percentage of your day inside the parks as opposed to leisurely enjoying the hotel, DTD, etc. So the extra cost of a nice hotel is worth even less at DLR than at WDW.

Many people grasp the above and decide the marginal benefit to a Disney hotel is not worth it unless money is just not an issue.

 

[Aladdin + Abu]

There are so many non Disney hotels near DL and DCA, so it's hardly worthwhile spending the extra money on the Paradise Pier hotel or the DL hotel. And especially now, with all the construction in and around the DL hotel, so many of the benefits of staying there aren't available right now. If you have money to burn, the grand californian is nice, however the rooms are small compared to most of the other hotels in the area.

Oh, some of the non Disney hotels are closer to DL than the Paradise Pier hotel.

 

[Cartcanuck]

I had the unique experience of staying in both a partner hotel (Camelot Inn and Suites) and a resort hotel in the same visit just a week ago (Paradise Pier).

here are some thoughts....
...the PPH was paid for by my wife's boss, otherwise we were staying in a partner hotel due to cost and location
...the Camelot was closer to the entrance to the parks than the PPH is
...the PPH hotel was very cool in the little touches that made you feel special - Disney chocolates on your pillow, Mickey Mouse shaped rice krispie cakes delivered on our first night, incredible customer service
...there is a "cool" factor to staying in a DLR hotel
...the PPH had a character breakfast and was so close to the other hotels that also had character breakfasts. This is very convenient with a 4 year old in tow.
...PPH is nice and close to Downtown Disney if you want some nightlife (if you have any energy left)
...at PPH we had a great view of California Adventure and of the fireworks
...at Camelot we had a great view of the fireworks from the swimming pool
...Camelot was a fraction of the cost of PPH, but the class of the room and accomodations was entire different. The PPH was a major step up in facilities, size of room, and even comfort of the bed.
...We did little more than sleep and bathe in the room. We were gone by 9am and didn't get back to the room until between 9 and 10pm each night. Factor in how much comfort you want for what price for the hours you'll be sleeping.
...the walk from PPH wasn't all that bad if you went through the GCH. Staying in the GCH would be the perfect mix of luxury and location, but at a very high premium.
...we had no time or energy to use the pools in the 4 days we were there

To summarize, I loved being able to stay immersed in "Disney" by staying onsite. But with our limited budget (who doesn't have a limited budget these days??!?!) if we had to pay with our own money, we were going to stay offsite at the Carousel, Camelot, or Fairfield (?). If budget wasn't a concern, we would be in the GCH.

 

[Hound 109]

Wow! You ALL have given thoughtful and helpful commentary! I was convinced . . . until I got down to skingfast and jh87. Now, I'm back to dithering again, lol.

I will be there on Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday in late January. My current ressie at Candy Cane Inn is costing around $140, I think with tax. I've stayed there before, it's charming,with Roses dripping from the second floor railings, the staff are wonderful, and it has a nice pool, hot tub, laundry and breakfast. I'll have an ecv, so it's within easy rolling distance of the parks.

BUT, there's a military discount, and it may provide the only opportunity I ever have to get the price of "on property" within my reach . . . obviously, I can't lose with either choice. But my frugality is battling with my desire Thank you all for your help!

I've stayed at the CCI & at the PPH multiple times. I like them both & i agree that you can't lose with either choice. (I've never stayed at the GCH or DLH....but would LOVE to stay at the GCH).

Given your trip description (assuming you'd get the 3 day parkhopper which gives you one MM), you'll get ONE extra MM staying onsite. (To me a $15 - $20 value per person.....but we ALWAYS get the most out of MM).

On top of that....

PP vs. CCI - I'd pay $20 - $30 per night higher at PP. (for some of the reasons outlined above, but also because of it's location a few steps from Griz Rapids.....which is typically my final stop prior to my mid day break).

GCH vs. CCI - I'd pay $50 - $75 more per night for the reasons mentioned above.......& just because.

(The breakfast at CCI is worth maybe $3 - $5 per person fwiw).


That's my math.....But I'd be happy at either of the choices.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

All we do is sleep, get ready and occasionally swim at our hotel so as long as it's safe, clean and close the less I pay the better *that means longer trips or just being able to go* When we stay onsite it's mostly for the MM benefit ~ we've had APs in the past *currently do not* so we start or end our visit, making sure our check out day is a MM day *so we can take advantage of it - but our other nights are spent off site.

 

[nana50]

If I can afford it I always stay onsite. It is more fun, adds to the magic, and all the little touches make it more special. If I can't afford it I stay at the Sheraton. They are a really nice hotel also. I'm a hotel snob and part of the trip is the hotel. I love room service and luxurious surroundings when I'm on holiday. HOWEVER, this is an individual thing. I totally get that some people just want a clean place to sleep. It is what it is worth to you, not me.

 

[sierranevada]

I agree with all the previous posts but am definitely in the onsite camp! I really love to be immersed in all things Disney and the few times I have stayed offsite, really missed walking down DTD on my way to the parks.

You said in your last post that this may be your only time to stay onsite and take advantage of a military discount. Since you have a discount (hopefully it is a good one), I would say go for it!! Enjoy the stay and make some wonderful memories.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

When we go to WDW we stay onsite and would never consider staying outside the resort. In Disneyland, we stayed at the DL Hotel about 3 years ago just to say we did it, but every other time (about 40) we have stayed off-site. Most recently at HOJOs. Like others have said, we use the room to change and sleep. While the DL Hotel was a nice experience and we got a couple nice gifts because we celebrated our nniversay, it's not worth the extra dollars for us.

 

[Goofy_Mom]

I'm another off-siter. I can't justify the cost for a place where we are only there at night while we are sleeping. I have eaten at Goofy's Kitchen so I have made the walk from the parks to DH. The DH is further from the gates than the hotels we stay at on Harbor (BWPPI, Carosel, and Camelot). If you stay on site, you do get the privilage of having whatever you but sent to your hotel so you don't have to haul it all over the parks, but we have a stoller and the stuff we buy is light and easily stored in the stroller basket or on the stroller clips.

 

[tdashgirl]

I like the GCH and DLH (never stayed at PPH). But only when we've gotten a good deal. The DLH was an AP rate of 139/night and the GCH was 2 nights free.

In other words, I'll pay a bit extra, but not double or triple or more ... which the DLR hotels can be compared to the HOJO, which I can consistently get for under $100/night. I like the HOJO just fine, the beds are comfy, rooms clean, and they have 2 pool areas

 

[LisainCalifornia]

I have stayed both on property (more common for us) and off. For us it is always worth it to pay the extra money to stay on property. We have stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian many times--and hands down like the Disneyland Hotel better. It has bigger rooms (we have 3 kids), better views and just feels more like a vacation to us. Grand Californian has a pretty lobby, but the rooms are dark and small--and I hate that you have to wind around and around down long hallways to get to your room.

They are both very close to the parks--and to me 2 minutes of walking (the difference between staying in Dreams Tower at DLH vs. the Grand California) isn't enough to quibble over.

We stayed off property twice. Once at Howard Johnsons, and once at Best Western Park Place Inn. Howard Johnsons was clean, spacious and comfortable--but seemed like such a long walk to us. Much longer than the walk to Disneyland Hotel. And you have to walk down Harbor Blvd--which is just a death march after a long day at the parks. Bus exhaust, homeless people, people trying to hand you flyers you don't want for their timeshares, McDonalds, stoplights and all manner of unpleasantry. I am not a picky princess either--I have lived in a major city (we lived in S.F. for 15 years), so I have seen it all before--but it isn't what I want smacking me in the face when I am on our vacation.

Best Western Park Place Inn was a depressing dive. There was a drunk couple arguing outside our room at 3:00 am---which scared my kids. The room was dirty and broken down. The air conditioner was loud and blew stale air all night right at my daughter. Her bed was so lumpy that she couldn't sleep the whole night. Luckily we only stayed there one night--and checked into the Disneyland Hotel the next night. The difference between the two places was driven home at that point.

 

[LindaBabe]

Thanks everyone! I've decided to stay at CCI. The price difference was just too much, even with the military discount.