DLR Newbie hotel question

[mgc]

Hi All, I've done WDW several times but never DLR. I just booked a trip for next weekend on a whim and I have no idea what I am doing! Will be there 10/12-10/15. I was able to rent DVC points from a friend to stay at Disneyland Hotel for the night of the 14th. Looking for a relatively affordable hotel that is walking distance (approx 1/2 mile or less) to the park entrance AND Disneyland Hotel (I imagine we will just walk over the morning of the 14th, check in and then head over to the park). I also am hoping to stay somewhere with interior hallways (it will just be me and my young son, I prefer not to have room door opening to outside for safety reasons). Any recommendations are appreciated!
ETA: The Holiday Inn & Suites is the only one that seems to meet my wishlist...any thoughts on that hotel or have I missed any? Thanks!

 

[LAS2AMS]

A lot of properties meeting your criteria are sold out - it can be challenging booking a nearby hotel for a last minute weekend trip. There are a few directly across Harbor, but they’re pricing out over $400 per night. Is that within your budget?

Alternatively, you can book the Hilton through Priceline for about $450 total, including taxes and fees. That’s the best deal - the Hilton is a short walk from the Toy Story Lot. You can take the bus (free) into Disneyland’s main gate.

Holiday Inn is a good choice and fair price. Because most of the hotels are on the Harbor side, and everything around the DLH has been knocked down, there’s no easy transfer from the DLH to alternate property.

 

[Pluto468]

There are less options if you're looking for interior corridors and walking distance. I'd check:

Westin
Courtyard Marriott
Howard Johnson
Hyatt House
Residence Inn

 

[PiratesOfTheSea]

If you are going to be lugging your bags over to DLH then I would recommend against staying on Harbor. You won't want to have to go through DTD security in the morning.

For hotels your closest options are either the Holiday Inn or the Westin. Next closest would be the Springhill Suites on Ball Rd.

 

[mgc]

If you are going to be lugging your bags over to DLH then I would recommend against staying on Harbor. You won't want to have to go through DTD security in the morning.

For hotels your closest options are either the Holiday Inn or the Westin. Next closest would be the Springhill Suites on Ball Rd.

Thank you- this is what I was thinking too. Not sure I can swing the Westin but it does look nice. One more question- assuming we will be walking back to our hotel after dark. Is it safe to walk along Disney Land Drive(to Westin) or South Walnut (To Holiday Inn) at night?

 

[mgc]

A lot of properties meeting your criteria are sold out - it can be challenging booking a nearby hotel for a last minute weekend trip. There are a few directly across Harbor, but they’re pricing out over $400 per night. Is that within your budget?

Alternatively, you can book the Hilton through Priceline for about $450 total, including taxes and fees. That’s the best deal - the Hilton is a short walk from the Toy Story Lot. You can take the bus (free) into Disneyland’s main gate.

Holiday Inn is a good choice and fair price. Because most of the hotels are on the Harbor side, and everything around the DLH has been knocked down, there’s no easy transfer from the DLH to alternate property.

Thanks so much for your answer! Hilton looks good, I am just concerned about the walk with our luggage over to DLH, though I suppose I could Uber? I booked the Holiday Inn but wondering if it is safe to walk there from the parks at night?

 

[mgc]

There are less options if you're looking for interior corridors and walking distance. I'd check:

Westin
Courtyard Marriott
Howard Johnson
Hyatt House
Residence Inn

Thank you for this list- will look at all of them!

 

[Pluto468]

Thank you for this list- will look at all of them!

One more thing...keep an eye on the resort hotels, a room might open up there.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Thanks so much for your answer! Hilton looks good, I am just concerned about the walk with our luggage over to DLH, though I suppose I could Uber? I booked the Holiday Inn but wondering if it is safe to walk there from the parks at night?

Anaheim is a very safe area. Be weary of this forum Because the term “offsite” (outside the Disney Bubble) is a trigger work for some.

The walk between the Holiday Inn and Disneyland main gate is about 45 minutes - a good portion of it is through Downtown Disney but some of it is through a largely residential area. There aren’t many hotels in that area (again, it’s residential) so there won’t be many people walking. When I last stayed at the HI (in 2004, twenty years ago) you could make a short walk from the hotel into the Disney parking garage and take the tram into the park but that option appears to no longer be available.

If it were me, I’d take the Hilton. The Hikton is about the same distance from Disneyland’s main gate, although it’s entirely up Harbor. However, tons of people will be making the walk with you all day long. Alternatively you can use the Toy Story Lot bus if if you get too tired. You could take an Uber to the DLH and you’d still save over $150 vs. the HI.

 

[LAS2AMS]

One more thing...keep an eye on the resort hotels, a room might open up there.

The least expensive option (Pixar Place) will top $600/night (including taxes and fees). Most likely behind OP’s budget.

 

[mgc]

Anaheim is a very safe area. Be weary of this forum Because the term “offsite” (outside the Disney Bubble) is a trigger work for some.

The walk between the Holiday Inn and Disneyland main gate is about 45 minutes - a good portion of it is through Downtown Disney but some of it is through a largely residential area. There aren’t many hotels in that area (again, it’s residential) so there won’t be many people walking. When I last stayed at the HI (in 2004, twenty years ago) you could make a short walk from the hotel into the Disney parking garage and take the tram into the park but that option appears to no longer be available.

If it were me, I’d take the Hilton. The Hikton is about the same distance from Disneyland’s main gate, although it’s entirely up Harbor. However, tons of people will be making the walk with you all day long. Alternatively you can use the Toy Story Lot bus if if you get too tired. You could take an Uber to the DLH and you’d still save over $150 vs. the HI.

This is super helpful- thank you. I will take your advice and the bus at the Toy Story lot is a great tip! I hadn't considered the time to the main gate from the Holiday Inn, I just figured the entrance through Downtown Disney put you in the park. That is good to know. I assume I can get an uber fairly easily from the Hilton to DLH if we dont want to walk?

 

[LAS2AMS]

This is super helpful- thank you. I will take your advice and the bus at the Toy Story lot is a great tip! I hadn't considered the time to the main gate from the Holiday Inn, I just figured the entrance through Downtown Disney put you in the park. That is good to know. I assume I can get an uber fairly easily from the Hilton to DLH if we dont want to walk?

Uber/Lyft are fairly abundant in the Disneyland area. Should cost between $10-$15 to make rhe trek from the Hilton to DLH.

 

[AndrewC]

The Westin is $451/ night after tax. It’s an amazing property.

 

[sky13]

Thank you- this is what I was thinking too. Not sure I can swing the Westin but it does look nice. One more question- assuming we will be walking back to our hotel after dark. Is it safe to walk along Disney Land Drive(to Westin) or South Walnut (To Holiday Inn) at night?

I'm currently staying at the Westin and left the park at midnight last night. The walk back to the Westin (via DTD) felt fairly safe - well lit, and a few other people were also making the same walk at that time.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Orange County, including Anaheim, is very safe. Random violent crime is very rare. When I was young and Disneyland closed at 1AM, I would ride my bike the 20 miles to my home in Southern Orange County. That required crossing the heart of Santa Ana… in the middle of the night. Nobody ever bother me. Police are everywhere in this part of the country…

That said, there will be hundreds of people walking down Harbor after park closing. There are tons of hotels stretching about a mile past the convention hotels/ Toy Stroy lot and the area is very well lit. Even the side streets are well lit by motion triggered lights. There’s also numerous boxes (generally near bus stops) that will provide high powered light and summon emergency services if requested.

 

[AndrewC]

The Westin is beautiful, honestly nicer than the Disneyland Hotel, and at 2/3 the price it’s a steal. Most of the walk can actually be on Disney property, down to Pixar Place. The rest, in my experience, is fairly safe. I did see a homeless person sleep DIRECTLY in front of the Westin. It drives me insane that local PD doesn’t do more to clean up the area immediately around Disneyland. Guests to the area, spending money on that oh so glorious hotel tax, love staying at a brand new $250 million hotel and walking by that. I mean Anaheim is only collecting over $160 million a year from hotel stays…

Though I guess that’s why Disneyland Hotel is $650-$1000 a night, I never see any of this when staying at the DLH (obviously).

 

[LAS2AMS]

The Westin is beautiful, honestly nicer than the Disneyland Hotel, and at 2/3 the price it’s a steal. Most of the walk can actually be on Disney property, down to Pixar Place. The rest, in my experience, is fairly safe. I did see a homeless person sleep DIRECTLY in front of the Westin. It drives me insane that local PD doesn’t do more to clean up the area immediately around Disneyland. Guests to the area, spending money on that oh so glorious hotel tax, love staying at a brand new $250 million hotel and walking by that. I mean Anaheim is only collecting over $160 million a year from hotel stays…

Though I guess that’s why Disneyland Hotel is $650-$1000 a night, I never see any of this when staying at the DLH (obviously).

Anaheim/ Orange County is very aggressive in removing homeless. It’s very difficult because homeless are naturally attracted to the area due to the large number of pedestrians that provide handouts.

The reason it’s less of an issue on Disney property is because Disney provides funding to staff a number of Anaheim police officers on site full time, in addition to a large number of Disney-employed security + private contracted security.

As with anything in life, if you toss enough money at a problem, you can make it go away…

 

[lalasmama]

I'm currently staying at the Westin and left the park at midnight last night. The walk back to the Westin (via DTD) felt fairly safe - well lit, and a few other people were also making the same walk at that time.

I used to stay at Stovall's (at the same intersection as Westin) when my health was better. Hubs questioned if it was safe since it was "so far away" from the main turnstiles. I pointed out that the walk is all Disneyland property until the intersection, and you know Disney has to have that whole area on security surveillance and if I sneezed wrong, someone is bound to see it on one camera or another. He saw my point and wasn't concerned after that.

There was only once that I recall being a little concerned. I'm a solo traveler, and a rather petite female, so I try to be really aware of the people around me, especially when they are bigger than me. So, heading back to the hotel, there weren't many people around (like maybe a couple who were far enough way that they wouldn't hear me scream), and there was a tall gentleman walking close enough behind me that I could hear his footsteps since the PPH/DTD parking lot. At the entrance of the CM parking lot (I think that's what it is), figuring that would get me on clear security camera, I stepped aside to let him pass. Problem solved. And if that's the only thing that's made me minorly concerned, that's pretty good in my opinion!

 

[TinkAgainU]

Definitely use Uber or Lyft to transfer hotels - not expensive and beats walking the street with a suitcase. I've walked solo from the parks to the Westin many times at night and early morning - it's a very pretty walkway (you can take the shortcut and exit thru the Grand Californian when leaving as the gates will let you Out, just not In without a hotel key) with lots of greenery and little white lights, and feels very Disney bubble to me. The walk after closing is a perfect way to wind down after all the noise in the Park. Yes, you may see a homeless person at the bus stop early am/ late pm, as they let them spend the night on the bench and sorta move them along first thing in the morning. I don't give it a lot of thought as the homeless people are typically more polite than the Gospel Guys with microphones at the other entrance on Harbor lol. Consider it harmless entertainment and I promise neither will burst any Disney Bubble

 

[Pluto468]

Definitely use Uber or Lyft to transfer hotels - not expensive and beats walking the street with a suitcase. I've walked solo from the parks to the Westin many times at night and early morning - it's a very pretty walkway (you can take the shortcut and exit thru the Grand Californian when leaving as the gates will let you Out, just not In without a hotel key) with lots of greenery and little white lights, and feels very Disney bubble to me. The walk after closing is a perfect way to wind down after all the noise in the Park. Yes, you may see a homeless person at the bus stop early am/ late pm, as they let them spend the night on the bench and sorta move them along first thing in the morning. I don't give it a lot of thought as the homeless people are typically more polite than the Gospel Guys with microphones at the other entrance on Harbor lol. Consider it harmless entertainment and I promise neither will burst any Disney Bubble

Is there a map of this walk? I feel like someone posted one at some point but I forget where.