Favorite Disneyland good neighbor hotels?

[ghoweywilson]

I'm planning my first trip to Disneyland with my boyfriend in May and though we have all the knowledge in the world when it comes to WDW we're lost when it comes to Disneyland.

We've been looking into Disney's 'moderate' hotels and have narrowed it down to three. What are everyones experiences with these various hotels?

1: Best Western Inn
2: Fairfield Inn by Marriott
3: Candycane Inn

Any input would be helpful!

 

[DopeyLisa]

My opinion might not be with the majority, but we just returned from a stay at the Fairfield and I am calling it the "Never-Again hotel". They had absolutely no customer service skills, were very rude at check-in, goofed up reservations for our 3 rooms even though I called and confirmed the day prior to arrival, refused to TRY to make it better until the next day even though we arrived at noon on Wednesday claiming they were full, then didn't do anything at all, and the room wasn't very clean or well-kept, with a half-inch gap under the door causing a whistling sound all night, 2 of the 3 showers we had wouldn't drain, and water was leaking from all balconies above to the ground in front of the rooms, and on you as you walked out!. The sink outside the shower area and the location were great though...

 

[yoyoyo]

We've stayed at the HOJO a few times and loved it. The BWPPI is a good one too (for distance, HOJO is better room wise). We haven't stayed at any of the other ones. From what I've read on these boards, CCI is a really good one as well.

 

[smiles33]

Just to chime in, I've read here that the Good Neighbor designation is really just a marketing tool. Better criteria is to go by walking distance, price, and reputation (as cleanliness/service/facilities are hard to gauge on websites as opposed to DISBoards reputation based on comments from recent guests).

CCI and HoJo are/were the popular ones. HoJo less so now as they're amazing Entertainment Club rates are less common. Last Sept. 2011, we got the 2 bed/2 bath Kids' Suite for the unbelievable $99 rate. Yes, it was a STEAL and folks are so disappointed those days are gone. Yet the $180 price in 2013 (I've already booked!) is still a decent rate in my opinion. It's a couple minutes farther from the Esplanade from other motels on Harbor, but I prefer indoor corridors and not rooms that open right into a parking lot.

Good luck finding the right place for you!

 

[23bw]

I'm with Lisa on the FFI. Never will I stay there again.

Check out the Sheraton Anaheim. Their rates are on par with the S. Harbor Motels but a much nicer property. It's further away but they shuttle you to/from the parks every 30 min.

 

[OnTheRoadAgain]

Except for the previous posts negatives about Fairfield (I guess customer service is in decline there), I would say you have three good choices. Only you know your personal preferences and budget. Here is a summary from my good 'ol walking-distance hotel thread about your choices. They are in order from closest to farthest.

Best Western Park Place Inn Free: breakfast (BF), fridge, micro, wi-fi, $8 "car fee" (appears to be a one-time charge), many good reviews, discount for Costco members :/Beds, Pool

Fairfield Inn Free: wi-fi, fridge, no BF, $11 parking, Beds(firm)

Candy Cane Inn Free BF, fridge, parking, wi-fi, shuttle, $10 AP discount Beds, Pool

Since it is just you and your BF, I would pick Candy Cane because it seems to have the best ambiance and perks.

 

[Congo Queen]

If you use the Search tool on the menu above (the one between New Posts and Quick Links) you can do a search on each of these motels and find loads of disboarders feedback on all three. Personally, if I were to chose one, it would be CCI. It is clean and quiet with v hospitable staff. It has comfortable rooms, grounds that are nicely landscaped, breakfast included, close enough to walk to the parks, but they also offer a reliable and frequent shuttle back and forth if you are too tired to hoof it.

 

[LizzyS]

We stayed at the Red Lion last year and I just made reservations for next February to stay there again. It's about a 15 minute walk away and it's clean. The staff were friendly when we were there, also. I would recommend it to anyone. They run specials for certain times of the year, but our non-special rate through Disney was $109 per night.

 

[Malcon10t]

Candy Cane would be my first choice, Fairfield my second. We haven't stayed at the Fairfield in about 18 mos, but we always enjoyed it.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

We love Hojo's too!
Please search for more on that - long story short, it was designed by the same guy who did the original Disneyland Hotel.

BUT - here is something that is very important. You can plan your Disneyland vacation on your own sooooo much more easily than WDW. It just isn't that complicated. Don't limit your choices to a pull down menu on the Disney site.

 

[rsleleux]

We stayed at Hojo in May and it was just ok. we stayed at FFI this past weekend and I was pleased! The 2 min closer walk wasn't huge but it was nice and I didn't have any issues at all! I would recommend FFI and I was going back and forth between FFI and Sheraton in the park and went with FFI based on closer proximity since we tend to get to the parks at opening and stay late so we are exhausted walking back! The rooms are clean and the location is an easy walk! I am a frequent moderate WDW hotel guest and I wouldn't go to WDW and not stay at least a moderate but I was completely happy with our experience at FFI but I didn't require concierge service ect, so I can't comment on their services.

 

[mouseymommy]

We have stayed at the BWPPI many times, and we really recommend it. We love the location and the rooms are nice and clean. The breakfast is fine for us. They have pastries, cereals, yogurt, fruit, sausage and egg patties. They also have coffee and milk and juices. We have never had a problem with noise, but we run the air conditioner all the time to drown out any possible noise. The customer service has always been very good. We really love the location though. It's so close!!

 

[MillauFr]

We've stayed at Fairfield, Hojo, and Candy Cane. Candy Cane is our favorite by a mile. Very clean, free parking, free breakfast, nice pool, excellent staff, and did I mention very clean?

 

[ghoweywilson]

Wow, thanks everyone for the fast replies!
Everything was super helpful. Though there were good reviews as well we've written off FFI. I'm leaning towards the Candycane Inn

We had looked into the HOJO and though it looks awesome thought it looked more for people travelling with children.

Ahh decisions, decisions...

 

[ter-moo]

Another vote for Candy Cane.

AND, I'm going to throw another suggestion into the pile:

Check out the Anabella Hotel. It's a little bit farther to walk, but the walk is more magical, as most of it is through Disney property. (You cross the street, go down a block, cut through the Grand Californian and into Downtown Disney to get to the parks.)

For couples, it's a more romantic property, with a few more adult amenities (a bar, restaurant, etc.) They sometimes have some really good deals going on their website, too.

The only downside is you get nickeled and dimed if you're not careful. Parking and internet are extra--unless you get them in a package--and so is breakfast. However, I like staying on this side of the parks much better because of the "magic."

 

[kirstie101]

Of the three you listed we've only stayed at Best Western Park Place Inn. Their location is the closest of the three you listed. Actually BWPPI is the closest of all the good neighbor hotels. Its literally right at the crosswalk into the pedestrian entrance of the parks. We stayed there twice and were happy with our stay both times. Rooms were clean. Breakfast was free. Customer service was friendly. Pool was small but good enough. Only downside is parking is tight but it still works. If the price was right we'd stay there again.