Help me plan!

[cuterlt]

DH says let's go to Disneyland and see the new California Adventure! So, where should we stay? We have stayed offsite a couple times. DH is from Southern CA so we'll rent a car so we can go to a few of his favorite restaurants (ClaimJumper, Northwoods Inn). Any good suggestions about where to stay? On site or off as important as for WDW? Does the onsite monorail go to all the onsite hotels and all the parks, including the new ones? Give us your ideas! I will listen to anything. Planning to take the trip in early March, hopefully.
Thanks!

Lisa - 39, work with abused children; DH Kim, 46 - school police officer.
No kids
Lisa - 91 DL; 96 DL with 10 year old and 4 year old nephew and grandma; 97 DL with DH; 98 DL with DH; 9/99 WDW with DH, stayed offsite at Courtyard by Marriot (ICK); 9-2 to 9-6-2000 at BWI

 

[calbayBWV]

Cut,

If it is in the budget, staying at the Californian will offer an experience like even DW cannot offer.

The hotel is right smack dab in the middle of the action, you are on top of downtown disney, next to DCA and a rocks throw from Disneyland.

Feel free to send me an email

If you need help with your Disney problem click here:Calbay's 12 Steps of Disneyholics Anonymouse


My recent trip to the Disneyland Resort
Calbay's Holiday 2000 Disneyland Trip Report

 

[Rajah]

If you want to stay onsite, I'd also recommend the Grand Californian if you can afford it. I haven't been there, but I've seen some pretty good reviews and it is literally in the middle of it all.

Other than that, no it's not as "important" to stay onsite at DL as it is at WDW. In fact, in some cases you can get to the front gate of DL faster by staying *offsite* than you can by staying *on*.

As far as I know, the monorail makes only one stop for the hotels, and that services both the Disneyland Hotel and the Paradise Pier (used to be Pacific) Hotel. The Grand Californian is so close that you don't *need* the monorail. I would say it's a shorter walk from the Grand Californian front entrance than it is from the *bus stop* at WDW to the front entrance of the Magic Kingdom!

If you want to stay offsite and proximity is your highest priority, then I highly recommend the Best Western Park Place Inn. Less than 5 minute walk from your door to the front gate of Disneyland (I'm talking the turnstiles). If you want a little more charm to the hotel, then the Candy Cane Inn comes highly recommended by others (I haven't stayed there). I recommend staying *away* from the Castle Inn and Suites -- they look nice on the outside, but the rooms are in bad need of a refurb, and I didn't feel too safe there alone the one night I was there by myself.

If you want something a little higher class than a Best Western, that is offsite, but is still within decent walking distance (I'd say about a 10 minute walk), then the Fairfield in comes highly recommened by others. Again I haven't *stayed* there, but what I've *seen* of it looks nice.

-Rajah

cdrtrisal@aol.com

(Links will return when I find a new place to host the sites)

 

[cuterlt]

For all your ideas. I will check them out. And certainly share my trip when we return.

Lisa - 39, work with abused children; DH Kim, 46 - school police officer.
No kids
Lisa - 91 DL; 96 DL with 10 year old and 4 year old nephew and grandma; 97 DL with DH; 98 DL with DH; 9/99 WDW with DH, stayed offsite at Courtyard by Marriot (ICK); 9-2 to 9-6-2000 at BWI

 

[tiggers tale]

like everyone else has said the price will get to you but it's worth it!... for the whole experience you have to stay on-site.... the disneyland hotel has been compleatly renovated all the way down to glow in the dark "fairy dust" boarders... & the paradice peir hotel (formally the pacific hotel) also has been redone to fit it's name. it's got an awsome veiw of paradice peir & the water frount.... now... the califonian hotel is the first ever to be buit IN the park.... it is literally in DCA... it's also fastest to get to downtown disney(yet downtown disney is within a 5 min walk from all on-site hotels) staying at an off site hotel may save some cash... & in essence... get u closer to the park...but for that you do have to wait for their shuttles.... plus you don't have the "disney quality" surrounding you at all times... i am a cast member & if you stay in one of the hotels you have the disney service ur entire stay... you don't have to deal with the un happy bell men.... the angry cupple across the way... the late room service.... that you ordered 5 hrs ago... LOL!... so i hope this will help... TTFn...& hope to see you there... look me up if you can...my names Dasan... & i'm an out door vendor for the disneyland reosrt... i sell the ballons, glow & ice creams... hope to see ya soon...