First trip to DL in Feb!

[SixteenFeet]

This is a cross-post because I accidentally posted this in the DL community board instead of here...so here it is again (sorry!)
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We're planning our first DLR trip with twins who will be 4.5 when we go in Feb 2013. This will be our very first out-of-town vacation with the twins. We have no idea how well they'll sleep at night in a hotel room (they share a room at home and sleep great) and we have no idea how they'll hold up to a full day and whether they'll need a nap while we're there (they currently don't nap on weekends but do nap at school).

We're willing to splurge a little on hotel and I'm wrestling with the whole "which hotel" question that everyone asks here. I don't have a ton of time to go scouring for deals, and was considering just buying a vacation package from Costco since I know that while it may not be the best deal, I also won't be getting ripped off - easy, peasy, done. They have packages for both Good Neighbor hotels and the on-site hotels.

So...which hotel? From reading the boards here, it sounds like the Grand Californian is the onsite hotel of choice for quick and easy access to gates. Better to go with one room at this super pricey hotel or try to find a suite/adjoining rooms at a cheaper hotel? Both DH and I are used to nice hotels (because of traveling for work) so I'm afraid we might be disappointed by a 2-star budget hotel but then I'm not sure forking out so much money for an on-site hotel is really worthwhile.

Opinions appreciated on both hotel choice and whether Coscto's packages are priced fairly enough for the ease of one-stop-shop!

 

[HydroGuy]

You did not say how many are in your group but it sounds like four. So that gives you lots of options.

IMO the onsite hotels are not worth it unless financially you feel like you have a lot of discretionary money. For the most part we have used hotels around DLR only for sleeping and it has not made sense to stay onsite. When my kids were younger money was tighter and we almost always stayed offsite. And that is fine. It really is. IMO the walking distance hotels on Harbor makes the most sense.

In recent years however we have stayed onsite because money has not been as tight and I have been willing to pay for a premium experience.

The whole issue of hotels is just hard to say because it depends so much on individuals. The priorities for me (at DLR) are:

• proximity - we want to be able to walk (we have six in my family and that offers the most flexibility and least wasted time)
• maximum time in the parks
  
  When we were younger..
  
• Lower costs
  
  Now...
  
• Time is precious with kids in college and we may not have many more chances for family trips to DLR - so make the most out of the experience even if it costs a lot more

There are lots of offsite options. Here are three I think are solid choices:

BWPPI (proximity, pretty quiet, decent place)
HoJo's (nicer, a little farther to the parks)
CCI (nicer than BWPPI but not as much as HoJo's, has a shuttle every 30 minutes, nice continental breakfast)

You may find some helpful info and maps here: "HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862

 

[SA mom]

Plan to take breaks with kids that young. The one day we didn't take a break, we really felt it the next day. We have 11-year-old twins. They may not need a nap, but they will need some down time. And so will you. We've been to DL once and WDW 3 times with our kids.

You should try an overnight stay somewhere prior to your trip just to see how it goes. Do you need to bring a night light, white noise machine, etc? You need to figure out what to do for the parents to get the best possible sleep.

The Sheraton Park has fantastic beds, but it is a little further away.

Have fun!

 

[rszdtrvl]

We are hoping to go again in February. Our son is older though (16).

We are probably going to stay at Best Western Park Place Inn. Except this time I will make sure to book a room with 2 beds!

We loved the location, and everything about it. Except the fact that I booked wrong and we got a King Size bed and a sleeper sofa. From what I can see for the days we are looking, the 2 bed rooms are only around $120/night (3rd week of February).

 

[SixteenFeet]

So we will have 4 (2 adults, 2 kids). The hotel thing is driving me insane! I actually was able to book a kids suite at the HoJo so at least we have something reserved, but since we're using airmiles for plane tiks, we are willing to splurge a bit on hotel. We plan on spending the majority of our time in DL, with maybe the last day or 1.5 days at CA.

I agree we will need to take a break in the afternoons, so proximity is a priority and I just don't have a good sense about whether being right across the gates vs having to walk 10 min is a big deal. I'm sure we'll be bringing our double stroller. A "Disney" feel would be nice. I was also considering Paradise Pier since it's sort of the "budget" option of the resort hotels. I'm a little afraid of the DLH since it seems like it's the farthest walk to the gates (but it is any better/worse than walking from HoJo?)

The only overnights the twins have done have been at grandma's house and there they slept just fine sharing a room. At home they share a room and don't require a nightlight or white noise or anything.

I also don't have a good sense of how bed-sharing will go with this age (4.5). If we don't have a suite, will they share a bed with pool noodles to keep from rolling off? One kid in bed with each parent? Are they even old enough to sleep safely in the bunk beds in the HoJo kids suite? I just have no idea, so it's hard to come up with priorities.

Thanks for the feedback so far!

 

[HydroGuy]

So we will have 4 (2 adults, 2 kids). The hotel thing is driving me insane! I actually was able to book a kids suite at the HoJo so at least we have something reserved, but since we're using airmiles for plane tiks, we are willing to splurge a bit on hotel. We plan on spending the majority of our time in DL, with maybe the last day or 1.5 days at CA.

I agree we will need to take a break in the afternoons, so proximity is a priority and I just don't have a good sense about whether being right across the gates vs having to walk 10 min is a big deal. I'm sure we'll be bringing our double stroller. A "Disney" feel would be nice. I was also considering Paradise Pier since it's sort of the "budget" option of the resort hotels. I'm a little afraid of the DLH since it seems like it's the farthest walk to the gates (but it is any better/worse than walking from HoJo?)

The only overnights the twins have done have been at grandma's house and there they slept just fine sharing a room. At home they share a room and don't require a nightlight or white noise or anything.

I also don't have a good sense of how bed-sharing will go with this age (4.5). If we don't have a suite, will they share a bed with pool noodles to keep from rolling off? One kid in bed with each parent? Are they even old enough to sleep safely in the bunk beds in the HoJo kids suite? I just have no idea, so it's hard to come up with priorities.

Thanks for the feedback so far!

In the morning a 10 minute walk is not a big deal. At night after lots of park hours it seems like a bigger deal.