Help me pick an offsite DL hotel, please

[keishashadow]

These are all within our budget range for this trip. Of the five, HoJo does give me pause, as to thinking their waterpark potentially could make things a bit livelier than we’d like on a couple’s trip.

The mr & I have only done the onsite properties @ DL in the past. Even with the current sale, preferred to do a longer trip offsite this time.

Have stayed @ Great Wolf in the past on a girls’ trip when GD along, quite a haul to the parks with traffic and the Ubers added up quickly

Admittedly, have never walked all the way over to Harbor Blvd from the onsite properties. trying Mimi’s has always been on my bucket list.

Originally, was looking at:

Springhill Suites Convention Center
(realized that the walk to the shuttle pickup @ Toy Story just a bit too long for our liking. Had concerns walking back late at night & not sure if we could easily grab an Uber at that time after parties)

& Majestic Garden
(a bit too far, seems a bit isolated from dining, even with their shuttle)

 

[SpaceMan5]

The the tradeoff of staying so close to the entrance is the pools are somewhat meh. The Tropicana wasn't too bad IMOP. We usually visit DL in Jan so the distance was the key factor for us.

 

[larjani]

I liked Park Vue the one time I stayed there last year. It was older, but clean. Great for an economical place to stay. I also stayed at the Howard Johnson last year, but didn't like it. We were close to the freeway, so it was loud. I didn't think it was that clean either. I think we were in an older section. We've also had good stays at Best Western Park Place in and Mini Suites. Although it's been a few years since we stayed there. Last time I checked it was kind of expensive.

 

[DisneyAndreaM]

Check out the Hyatt Regency Orange County. It’s our go-to when we stay off property. We love the convenient and well run shuttle, the restaurant and the suites.

 

[irlandaise]

Have you considered the Candy Cane Inn? Or are you looking for an actual hotel (inside corridors)?

 

[keishashadow]

Have you considered the Candy Cane Inn? Or are you looking for an actual hotel (inside corridors)?

Inside corridors not essential. Candy Cane looks very cute, room I looked at did seem a bit small from the picture.

The whole “vintage motor court motel” is admittedly throwing me a bit off. Not being a snob, just haven’t stayed in that two story sort of property since I was a kid on vacation, so rather unfamiliar with what to expect.

at first glance, CCI was in same price ballpark as the BW properties.

 

[Tinkaboo]

Candy Cane is great! Nice and quiet, great breakfast, wonderful grounds and the nicest people ever!

Also underwent complete renovation during COVID. Room is comfortable for two but again, depends on if you want a more “hotel” type environment.

CCI also has a shuttle. Good for those achy feet at midnight.

While Majestic also has a shuttle, one of them looks like a jail bus…it’s justa repainted school bus. It’s kinda sketchy…

 

[keishashadow]

CCI also has a shuttle. Good for those achy feet at midnight.

I missed that!

 

[nalababybear]

CCI is a favorite of older adults especially with the shuttle. It is literally across the street from the ruled out Springfield Suites -- so the walk really is about 100 steps and kettela street crossing closer.

Fairfield is motel and can be noisy with the wheels in the AM going across your door if you're a sleepin type couple on this trip. -- this is the issue with all the harbor motels -- so courtyard would be the nice hotel on that strip.

 

[crystal1313]

Candy cane or Hojo! Candy cane has included breakfast and free parking. Hojo is a hotel

 

[gardenrooms]

Another fan of Candy Cane here. When we weren't in the parks, we spent time at the pool area (playing games, and a little swimming), not in the room. Very pleasant, pretty plantings well maintained. Some of the upstairs rooms have little tables on the balcony, too. And all the staff is super nice, plus you get free parking. I had to convince my family to return there (they were opting for closer, less expensive, and imho unpleasant motels), but once we did they loved it.

I used to love Hojo, but the 2 story buildings, not the high rises (I'm old and like old school things), but my family doesn't - they feel it is too far. One of the high rises had terrible freeway noise (they told me the room would be quiet, but it was NOT) the other one some of the rooms have a nice fireworks view (I got very sick and couldn't leave the room our last stay, so I was glad of that). I think those cost more (we got moved there out of our noisy room). They now charge for parking and used to have good specials but not so many of those any more, so I go along with my family and don't stay there any more. The people there were also very nice but I haven't been there for quite a few years.

 

[irlandaise]

I used to love Hojo, but the 2 story buildings, not the high rises (I'm old and like old school things), but my family doesn't - they feel it is too far. One of the high rises had terrible freeway noise (they told me the room would be quiet, but it was NOT) the other one some of the rooms have a nice fireworks view

That reminds me: the second floor of the south wing of the CCI has a pretty good view of the DL fireworks.

 

[keishashadow]

CCI is a favorite of older adults especially with the shuttle. It is literally across the street from the ruled out Springfield Suites -- so the walk really is about 100 steps and kettela street crossing closer.

Haha guilty as charged, big kids still enjoy the parks

Didn’t realize it was right across st from Springhill suites, having a shuttle certainly covers the distance issue for the most part in my mind.

Charming is word that comes to mind, especially the pool area where we would be spending a good bit of time pre party nights

One of the high rises had terrible freeway noise

Oh, no to that

 

[gardenrooms]

Didn't realize you could see fireworks from CCI, thanks for the info. Except for that one visit, we've usually been in the parks during fireworks now that the grandkids are older, though we have seen WOC from VGC a couple of times (don't mind spending time in my room there when we have enough points/can snag a ressie). Looking forward to staying at CCI in a couple of weeks.

 

[OlliePop27]

I just got back from the Tropicana and it was my second time there. I really like it. It's so close, just to the left when you cross the Harbor cross walk. We often got to security in less than 5 minutes. We've stayed twice in the Park View Suite. You get two rooms, two bathrooms, a king bed, a pull out couch, and a sleeper chair. You get two balconies overlooking DL, where you can see the monorail and the fireworks. It's right on Harbor so extremely close since at the front of property. Easy to grab food from McDonald's, Panera or other places. Convenience store right downstairs. The rooms are well appointed and very clean - the thing I care about most. Tropicana let us check in at 11:00 am last week for no extra charge since our room was ready!

We've also done Best Western Park Place Inn and have liked it very much.

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

I just got back from the Tropicana and it was my second time there. I really like it. It's so close, just to the left when you cross the Harbor cross walk. We often got to security in less than 5 minutes. We've stayed twice in the Park View Suite. You get two rooms, two bathrooms, a king bed, a pull out couch, and a sleeper chair. You get two balconies overlooking DL, where you can see the monorail and the fireworks. It's right on Harbor so extremely close since at the front of property. Easy to grab good from McDonald's, Panera or other places. Convenience store right downstairs. The rooms are well appointed and very clean - the thing I care about most. Tropicana let us check in at 11:00 am last week for no extra charge since our room was ready!

We've also done Best Western Park Place Inn and have liked it very much.

First time in sept I’ll be staying at the Tropicana thanks for the little review.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Of the ones you listed, I've only stayed at Park Vue. It's motel-style with the outside corridors. But we enjoyed our stay. Only downside was the type of room we had, the AC wasn't great because the cold air got trapped by the bunk beds. And our socks did turn black just because of the blacktop pavement outside and people tracking that onto the carpet. We dealt with those things because the trade off was for the super close location to the park. We didn't use their pool but it's just a small pool that's kind of in the parking lot.

I would definitely add the Candy Cane Inn to your list. It was renovated recently and the rooms look nice. And the grounds and whatnot just look cute to me. Plus they have a cute shuttle to and from the parks. I believe they provide breakfast here as well. It was definitely at the top of our list for places to try (until we purchased DVC.)

 

[irlandaise]

I would definitely add the Candy Cane Inn to your list. It was renovated recently and the rooms look nice. And the grounds and whatnot just look cute to me. Plus they have a cute shuttle to and from the parks. I believe they provide breakfast here as well.

They sure do. I don't think they offer scrambled eggs or meats, but they've got plenty of baked goods (including bread and bagels for toasting), fruits, yogurt, etc. Someone who's been there recently, please chime in.

 

[crystal1313]

They sure do. I don't think they offer scrambled eggs or meats, but they've got plenty of baked goods (including bread and bagels for toasting), fruits, yogurt, etc. Someone who's been there recently, please chime in.

I believe the only hot items are waffles right now. But they have tons and tons of choices for to their items. Super good ham and cheese croissants, doughnuts, bagels, toast, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, cereal tons of different juices, cofffe, etc. I know there’s more that I cannot think of right now!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I've stayed at 3 out of the 4 hotels on your list but only Hojo recently. My pick would be Hojo but specifically the park view rooms in Building One. As an alternate, I would consider Candy Cane Inn, second floor room toward the back of the property.