Good Neighbor Hotel or Resort Hotel?

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

I usually bum around the Walt Disney World Section, but we're now planning a September Disneyland trip to attend the Disney Expo. I'm psyched to take my first trip to Disneyland!

Anyway, since I'm not only going to be at the theme parks but also at the Convention center, do you think we should stick with a Disney hotel or go with a Good Neighbor Hotel? We're thinking in terms of location and money(but we're willing to splurge a bit ).

We would love to be immersed in the Disney Magic, but is there a Good Neighbor Hotel that can provide that for a little cheaper?

Thanks for the help, can't wait to start exploring the Disneyland Section!

 

[daannzzz]

In my opinion non of the Good Neighbor's will immerse you in the Disney feeling. But you can feel quite happy staying at some of them knowing you are closer than 2 of the 3 Disney hotels and are saving lots of money. But if you do want to be immersed the Grand California can't be beat, though I love the Disneyland Hotel as well. For Good Neighbor's the Best Western Park Place Inn is great and super close. The HoJo is great as well though a bit farther of a walk. For something pretty and slightly themed with nice rooms go for the Candy Cane Inn.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

We never stay onsite. I started a thread around here somewhere with people saying which they prefer. Lemme find...

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2207787 here ya go

 

[onelilspark]

Thanks EmmersIsTheMommy. I'm also a longtime WDW person (it's just a LOT closer and doesn't have a time change!) and it's ingrained in me to stay onsite for the true "Disney" experience...but I also tend to stay at the moderate choices and DLR doesn't have moderate choices! I'll read through that thread and see if I do want to splurge on the DLH or if I think I'm okay with the Fairfield Inn

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Good luck with your choice!!

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

Thanks for the help! Still a bit torn, but I bet the link posted will help with my decision. Thank you!

 

[teatime]

good neighbor ! wehy not save some cash and get souvenirs. ?? amercing your self in a on sight motel? really, the park is enough immersion for me. save the cash, take a room out side the park and be closer to the resturants out side.

 

[hfehr1s]

We are visiting DL for the first time this summer and we are WDW vets. We almost always stay at the moderates at WDW and Love the resort feel of them. So when we started making our DL plans, I was sad b/c I knew we just couldn't swing the prices of the DL hotels during this time. So, we are staying offsite, but I am looking at this as a whole new type of experience than WDW, so I think it's going to be good and still be aLOT of fun!! Good luck making your decision!

 

[ScooterL]

If your prime focus is the Expo, then I would recommend a hotel closer to the Convention Center - it's going to be a LONG walk from any of the Disney hotels to the Convention Center. I've stayed at the Portofino Inn and that was fine - nothing fancy, but the rooms were comfortable and it was nice having the more "hotel-like" feeling with the interior corridors. The Hilton and Marriott are right at the Convention Center, but if you want something a little more moderate then the Clarion is also right there, and the Embassy Suites and Hampton Inn are very close.

Disney has a map that will show you the relative locations of the hotels - go to http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dis...nh/landing?name=GoodNeighborHotelsLandingPage
and click on "See Map" and then click on "Good Neighbor Hotels" in the lower right hand corner.

 

[HydroGuy]

The main thing to grasp at DLR is that the Disney hotels do not have the same advantages as at WDW. At WDW you get Extra Magic Hours, closer proximity to the parks and Disney transportation system, and an overall resort feel where you can feel totally immersed.

At DLR you are in the middle of Anaheim, California and no matter what the outside world will intrude to some degree. And while Disney hotels are pretty close to the parks, there are several good neighbors that are closer than the DLH and PPH.

That might not sound like a big deal to a WDW person, but at DLR it is bigger than you think. One of the big advantages DLR has over WDW is the "smallness" and walking distance hotels.

Bottom line is you will not feel as immersed at DLR, but you will be much closer to the parks than at WDW and have very short transportation times.

We have usually gone good neighbor because we have a family of six the Disney hotels are setup for families of five. You can have a great experience at the good neighbors. The Disney hotels have the advantage of being Disney of course and will offer some extra magic.

HTH.

 

[HydroGuy]

I usually bum around the Walt Disney World Section, but we're now planning a September Disneyland trip to attend the Disney Expo. I'm psyched to take my first trip to Disneyland!

If you are going to Disneyland we need to get you up to speed on your lingo!

We know what you mean when you say you are going to Disneyland, however you really are going to Disneyland Resort.

See:

Disneyland Resort Lingo for Newbies - www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2214012

 

[darph nader]

I agree with teatime,off-site. I'm frugal,(ok,'cheap'). We only use the motel for the 3 s's
Sleep
Shower and
Swim.

 

[robinb]

If you're going for the Expo, I would suggest that you try to book the Hilton. It's an easy walk over to Disneyland and you will be right next to the convention center. I am thinking about attending the Expo myself and already have a reservation at the Hilton just in case I go. Another option is the Candy Cane as someone suggested. It's not too far away from the convention center and everyone raves about it.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

We will be there during Expo weekend and are staying at Portofino. I would look into availability. Hotels are filling up fast that weekend.

 

[onelilspark]

hfehr1s, PLEASE report back on how your trip went and what you thought about staying "off" property! After reading through that previous link, I'm now more confused Considering you seem to be down with the moderates like me, I'm very curious to see what you think!!

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

hfehr1s, PLEASE report back on how your trip went and what you thought about staying "off" property! After reading through that previous link, I'm now more confused Considering you seem to be down with the moderates like me, I'm very curious to see what you think!!

CRUD! It wasn't supposed to make it worse!

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Ok..how about you WDW people who are confused tell us what you love about WDW hotels.

And how much do you pay at moderates? It seems like hotel choice and DL is very individual.

If you stay at a place right across the street from the Entrance to Disneyland, you are closer than when you stay in the 'onsite' properties. (The Best Western and Desert Inn are two examples.) They aren't fancy hotels. But it really depends on what your most important 'things' about staying in a hotel during your trip are.

 

[onelilspark]

Lately I've been getting a moderate at WDW on a discount (ahhh AP rates ) So I think I'm paying $115 when I go down in a month. I think usually they run about $160.

I've stayed at resorts in the deluxe cateogry at WDW before, but now that my parents aren't paying for them and I've got my own job & my own money, I'm paying for it and I currently can't justify the spend while they are lovely

I think it's the idea of the "Disney experience" and the imersion. Personally, I was getting kind of sold on the idea of staying off site, at the Fairfield most likely...I'm a Marriott/Hilton property girl and that's the closest, so that'll do! But if I didn't have to worry about costs, I would absolutely choose to stay at DLH...because that's the most "Disney" to me when I look at the pictures, etc. The GCH just doesn't do it for me (while it looks beautiful!) Personally, I'm also slightly concerned about the walk back from DL/DCA at night, crossing the street, etc. I mean, I'm not bringing kids and plenty of people do this with kids, so I'm sure it's fine...but I'm nice and paranoid, so it concerns me.

From what it seems, DLR is definitely a trade off. You pay much more than you would at WDW to be "immersed." And you don't really have the option of chosing a less expensive hotel to still get the "magic." BUT if I stay right accross the street...within walking distance...I can save a boatload of money... For me, the logical part of me knows it's a no-brainer. It's the other part of me that goes, "but but but...the MAGIC!" Good thing I have a while before my trip!!!

 

[HydroGuy]

Ok..how about you WDW people who are confused tell us what you love about WDW hotels.

And how much do you pay at moderates? It seems like hotel choice and DL is very individual.

If you stay at a place right across the street from the Entrance to Disneyland, you are closer than when you stay in the 'onsite' properties. (The Best Western and Desert Inn are two examples.) They aren't fancy hotels. But it really depends on what your most important 'things' about staying in a hotel during your trip are.

WDW fans as a group tend to be much more concerned about hotel choice than DLR fans. One thing for WDW fans to grasp is that the walking distance hotels at DLR are closer to the park gates than some of the bus or boat drop-offs are at the WDW parks. They are really close.