Driving to Disneyland: Time Versus Money (Only Applies to Off Peak)

[jeffersonkim]

Hello all,

I was wondering if perhaps you guys could look at my case for staying at a hotel that is not within walking distance to Disneyland during Off-Peak times.

I read HydroGuy's Hotel rule (which happens to hurt our non-walking distance hotel ), so I wanted to check it out to see how it adds up. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862
After researching it, I came up with my own Hotel rule and was wondering what you guys think.

Do you see holes, problems, etc? I try to be as narrow and conditional as I could be knowing that my rule only applies to a very specific tourist group and does not apply to all times and all people.


Off-Peak Hotel Rule
It makes more economic & quality sense to stay at a hotel further away from Disneyland and drive rather than staying at a hotel within walking distance.

These conditions must apply in order for this to make sense:
1. Must be traveling during off-peak or medium-peak days.
2. Must have a car that you don't pay extra exclusively for Disneyland. (Such as doing a road trip to Disneyland from one's hometown, or flying in and renting a car to drive to multiple locations in the SoCal region.)
3. Must not need to take a break from Disneyland more than once per day.


Case Study
We had 6 people in our party, four adults, and a 7th grade son and 12th grade daughter. Here's my time schedule of parking at Timon from my visit yesterday (Tuesday, before the Thursday Thanksgiving)

11:11 AM - Left hotel located on Harbor Blvd & Orangewood Ave.

11:14 - Arrived at Timon parking entrance with no wait. $11 parking fee.
Parking was extremely organized and quick.

11:20 - We get on the tram and head for the park main entrance.

11:23 - Tram arrives at drop-off.

11:25 - We get to Security Tent and walk through with basically no line.

Time Savings - We already had tickets pre-bought from the hotel so we didn't have to wait for the tickets

11:27 - We reached the California Adventure entrance, with basically no line and got in.


So in essence, during off-peak times, we left the hotel and got to the security check point in 14 minutes with less walking than a lot of people who are within a "walking distance" hotel.

But then the point comes up regarding if you want to leave the park in the middle of the day, which is what we did to eat dinner.

5:47 PM - Left Disneyland's Main Entrance, getting our hands stamped on our way out.

5:50 - Boarded the Lion King Tram to the Timon parking lot.

5:57 - Arrived at Timon parking lot.

6:00 - We got to our car and drive back to the hotel, cramming six people in a standard sedan!

6:04 - We get back to the hotel and have some hot chocolate before we drive to In-N-Out Burger (a Tourist adventure within itself , and 12 minute drive from the hotel.) in two cars so we can all have seat belts.

6:21 - We arrive at In-N-Out and everyone pretty much pays $2.95 for a Double Decker hamburger, and $1.65 for fries. Essentially a $5 meal. Very yummy and worth the trip considering the cost savings on food and increased quality compared to Amusement Park food.

7:24 - Arrive back at hotel.

7:25 - Cram all six back into one car and drive back to Disneyland.

7:29 - Re-Entry is Free into Timon

7:31 - We park closer to the tram station than when we parked there earlier.

7:34 - We get to the tram stop and wait.

7:39 - Tram arrives and we get on.

7:41 - Tram actually leaves.

7:43 - Tram stops again for the handicapped loading.

7:44 - Tram starts again.

7:47 - We arrive at the tram drop off and head for the security check point.


It took us 14 minutes to get from the moment we waited for the tram at the security tent to get to the hotel by car. For the return from the hotel back to the security tent, it took us longer at 22 minutes, and that was mainly because of the extra stop at the handicap loading zone.

So now, let's look at when we tried to leave the park right after the fireworks show at 9:25 PM.

9:52 PM - We get to the tram stop and wait. The previous tram was full, so we couldn't get on.

9:55 - New tram arrives and we hop on.

9:58 - The tram leaves for Timon.

10:00 - Arrive at Timon and we get off.

10:02 - We get to the car and cram in!

10:06 - We get out past the parking gates and get to Harbor Blvd and head for the hotel.

10:09 - We reached the hotel.

So leaving Disneyland to the hotel, it took us 17 minutes total with minimal walking.


Time Usage Summary:
Hotel to Disneyland 11:14 AM: 14 Minute Travel Time
Disneyland to hotel 5:50 PM: 14 Minute Travel Time
Hotel to Disneyland 7:25 PM: 22 Minute Travel Time
Disneyland to hotel 9:52 PM: 17 Minute Travel Time

Total Time Traveling Between Hotel & Disneyland:
67 Minutes

Total Time Walking from a Closer Hotel (est. 10 minute walking time each way):
40 Minutes

Walking vs Driving Time Savings:
27 Minutes


Cost Savings & Quality Summary
Our rates for last Monday and Tuesday night were $80/night for Two Queens. One of our competitors within walking distance to Disneyland cost $109/night for Two Double Beds. Our breakfast includes freshly made Belgian waffles, cereal, eggs, fruit, etc. Their breakfast has oatmeal, bagel & cream cheese, cereal, eggs, fruit, etc. You can't get waffles with them, but you get bagels with cream cheese.

So in essence you end up paying $34.50/night extra (don't forget the 15% Transient Occupancy Tax Anaheim charges!) to be closer, but you get less for your money, including smaller room & beds, and less quality breakfast should you happen to be a lover of Belgian waffles like me


Time Versus Money Driving to Disneyland Summary
Each night, you'll save approximately $22 (considering gas, and vehicle maintenance, and the $11 Disney parking fees) for "wasting" 27 more minutes in travel time by driving rather than walking.

Something more to consider but not essential to the "Rule:"
If you consider the savings for getting to drive anywhere you want to eat if a typical meal at Disneyland is $10 and you have 4 people to go and experience In-N-Out Burger, it'll be about a $20 savings total. This is all considering you were going to go back to the hotel anyway about dinner time to relax a little before going back. Time wasted here would be negligible should you had already planned to leave Disneyland anyway.


Your Time Worth @ Disneyland
Considering two adults ($120/each) and two children ($100/each) at the ticket prices our hotel charges for a two day park hopper ticket, you're looking at $440 total. That ends up being $220/day and divided by about 12 hour potential hours on off-peak days, you're looking at each theme park hour being worth approximately $18.33.

Take the $18.33/hour "value" and each minute of your potential time at Disneyland is approximately $.30 and 55/100 cents or $.3055.

It's a very valid to point out that some people can value Disneyland time differently considering taking time off work, emotional value, travel time, etc. But just for simplicity's sake, I'm just looking at it from a strictly numbers point of view.


Time Worth @ Disneyland Versus Savings
If you can save $22 for staying at a higher quality hotel that you drive from in exchange for "wasting" 27 minutes in comparison to a hotel within walking distance, then you're saving about $13.75 overall (27 minutes * $.3055/minute = $8.25, subtract that from the $22 you saved from your hotel savings by staying further away and driving in) during off peak days.


Overall Summary
This rule ultimately is dependent on how much you value your time at Disneyland. If you consider 27 minutes of travel time wasted of your 12 hour visit to be too much of a sacrifice for the $22 savings/night, then you're probably better suited to stay at a hotel within walking distance to Disneyland.

If you want the best bang-for-your-buck with your Disneyland experience, however, the numbers and quality point toward paying less per night and driving to Disneyland

For good location, you're often paying a premium compared to another location and depending on your situation, the better location doesn't always justify the increased cost.

 

[spacemouseneer]

Wow...no offense, but you have WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY too much time on your hands. LOL



Spacemouseneer

 

[farmfresh]

I think the problem is the impression people have of the time taken. As you have shown, it's not that different, but it just seems more of a hassle. We stay on and off site, but wouldn't consider driving from offsite. However, we would consider taking a shuttle, if we knew it was non-stop and went at the scheduled times. We had a car on our last trip and it never left the lot!

You could even consider a (small) shuttle fee - that plus your better perks might help.

 

[jeffersonkim]

You could even consider a (small) shuttle fee - that plus your better perks might help.

I looked into it, and it ended up not being feasible because the city basically forces the hotels to use their system within the Anaheim Resort Area.

The hotels who have shuttles in the Anaheim Resort Area were grandfathered in before the city ordinances were signed in 1994.

 

[jeffersonkim]

Wow...no offense, but you have WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY too much time on your hands. LOL

I'm kind of nerdy like that.

 

[DangerMouse]

Jefferson, I tried to read that whole thing, really I did, but you lost me about half-way. It made my head hurt.

I honestly think you are going to have an impossible time convincing this particular audience that staying outside of walking distance is a good thing. Many of us here are seasoned DLR veterans and we know full well from multiple trips to Walt's park that the best way to get to there is to walk in from a conveniently located hotel right across the street. This seasoned vet will continue to advise newbies on this board that staying w/in walking distance is the best thing they can do to make the most of their time at the parks.

However, if those hotels are full or overpriced, and a very affordable kids' suite is what they're looking for, I will be happy to point them your way.

 

[BillyFan]

Another issue with driving in, rather than walking, is that the parking structure tends to not open until 30 minutes proir to park opening. This is a real issue if you want to get into the park as early as possible.

 

[HydroGuy]

Another issue with driving in, rather than walking, is that the parking structure tends to not open until 30 minutes proir to park opening. This is a real issue if you want to get into the park as early as possible.

I was surpised yesterday when I arrived at Mickey & Friends and it was open at 7AM rather 7:30. It made my morning arrival and parking much more tolerable. I arrive at 7:15AM and there was no line for parking and was prepared to wait until 7:30 to get in to park. I asked the attendant and he said "we open 60 minutes early on non-EE mornings and 30 minutes early on EE mornings". FWIW.

 

[HydroGuy]

Jefferson, I tried to read that whole thing, really I did, but you lost me about half-way. It made my head hurt.

I honestly think you are going to have an impossible time convincing this particular audience that staying outside of walking distance is a good thing. Many of us here are seasoned DLR veterans and we know full well from multiple trips to Walt's park that the best way to get to there is to walk in from a conveniently located hotel right across the street. This seasoned vet will continue to advise newbies on this board that staying w/in walking distance is the best thing they can do to make the most of their time at the parks.

However, if those hotels are full or overpriced, and a very affordable kids' suite is what they're looking for, I will be happy to point them your way.

I would also add it is not the comparison in transport times when everything works as planned that is a primary consideration for many of us. It is when unplanned things happen. When you can walk then, aside from an unexpected injury, you know almost exactly how long your transport will be. When you depend on your car, a bus, or a shuttle, then unplanned things can derail your precision transportation plans. A late bus or shuttle, or an extra long line at the trams which means several shuttle cycles to wait, etc., etc. It is the uncertainty which bothers me more than anything.

For example, yesterday we had a day trip and we drove and parked in Mickey & Friends. After dropping off my family, I drove over to the parking structure and missed the turn. I had to circle all the way around DLR again and started to freak out I was not going to find Mickey & Friends at that point in the morning Anaheim traffic. A 15 minute delay at that point could throw off our entire day at DLR. Fortunately I found the structure after a 5 minute delay and we arrived early enough at DLR that the delay had no effect on the day.

I like walking because I know how long it will take.

 

[jeffersonkim]

Jefferson, I tried to read that whole thing, really I did, but you lost me about half-way. It made my head hurt.

Yeah. . . my head hurt typing it too.

 

[tinkerbelt]

I think it could work - it just depends what you want to get out of your trip. I personally would have no problem staying further away, but I go to DL often, so I am not as rushed as the average person when I am visiting the parks. If I have to miss out on a ride or a show, I know that I can just come back and see it again.

IME, it is almost always faster to walk from the parking lot/structure to the main entrance, unless the trams are running at full capacity and there is no line. We never ever take the tram when we park in Timon. It is always much faster to walk, because they hardly run trams through there, and you spend far more time waiting than you do walking.

I think it all boils down to what you really want out of your stay. A lot of people simply can't afford the extra money that it costs to stay onsite or near the parks. And some people can't afford the rates at DLR, but want something nicer than the cheaper hotels that are in walking distance.

I think that the "seasoned vets" do need to take into consideration that a lot of people who visit DL are not trying to do everything at a frantic pace. Whenever we have friends or family visiting from out of town and we take them to the parks, most of them stay offsite and drive in and will even leave the parks for a couple of hours to eat/rest. For them, staying onsite and cramming everything in isn't really a necessity. Most of the people that I know would rather take things at a leisurely pace, even if that means that they miss things. So for them, there's a lot of value in saving money over time.

Also, on some nights, I think that it's more time and money friendly to leave the park to eat than it is to stay on site - especially when you take cost, wait times, and lack of seating into account. On a crowded evening, I could make it to In-N-Out and back into the park before I could wait in line for food and a table at most of the restaurants in DL and DTD, not to mention I'd get more food for about half the price (and the food probably tastes better). During a non-crowded, off peak evening, though, it's much more convenient to stay in the park and pay a bit extra for food.


I'm looking at the timelines posted - there's no way it would take me 2 hours to get to In-N-Out and back. That could easily be done in an hour, especially if there was no car switching and not parking lot tram involved.

14 minutes from hotel to security gate is pretty good - it took us longer than that when we stayed at the Candy Cane Inn, both walking and taking the free shuttle. Depending on your pace, it could take that long to walk from the DLH or PPH to the main entrance security gate.

 

[kiwitravel]

Some problems with this......

1. What if the party wants to split up? With a car that would be a real hassle.
2. Only works if you have brought your own car, to hire a car to do this is cost prohibitive
3. We did not find a big difference between the walking distance hotels and the one further away, we paid $69pn for the Carousel, $71 for Tropicanna. Others have paid as little as $54 for Hojos at the entertainment book rate.
4.The $11 parking fee when shared by 5 people is not much, but will make a significant impact on a family staying in a single room.
5. We tend to stay at hotels only 5 min away, not 10, on that basis using your model it will be 45 minutes per day of extra travelling compared to walking.
6. You travelled in non rush hour traffic.
7.Because of the extra travelling and hassle you will be less likely to have lunch or dinner in your hotel (saving money)

All in all I think driving and staying further will work out dearer.... Peak or non-peak

 

[HydroGuy]

Some problems with this......

1. What if the party wants to split up? With a car that would be a real hassle.

This is a really good point. My kids are teens and last June we had family members going back and forth to the hotel all day long. One day the three oldest wanted to sleep in. So I headed out with the youngest and they came over mid-day. Further, the oldest wanted to leave earlier in the evening than the rest of us and just walked back. The walking distance hotels give you complete flexibility, while other modes of transportation will limit you in some way.

 

[todzwife]

Also, something to take into consideration is the pain in the butt-edness (not a word but stay with me here) of parking in the structure when you have small children.

Even with your "take a break no more than once a day" rule, if you consider what is involved when taking small children and parking in the structure:

Park and unload the stroller and all the other "stuff"
Walk from your car to the elevators (can't go down the escalators w/ strollers)
Sometimes waiting for an elevator
Unloading your kids to fold up the stroller and get on the tram
Jumping off the tram, opening up the stroller, throwing your kid in while trying NOT to get trampled by the other people on the tram and making a mad dash to the park while still trying not to get run over by the sea of people behind you who have also exited the tram at the same time. Oh what fun.

And you get to do it all over again when you head back. And if you need to go back to take a nap you get to do it all again!! We did this in February and it was a TOTAL pain in the rear, which is why I am researching walking-distance ONLY hotel/motels for our next trip.