Help required with Hotels

[joemo]

Good afternoon from sunny Edinburgh!

Well we are planning a very special trip for July next year. We are Florida veterans but are planning to visit California next year. This will most likely be our one and only visit (although never say never!) so we want to make the absolute most of it.

Our requirements are pretty specific, we don’t drive so need to be in the heart of the action, we like good hotels but are willing to compromise for a decent price – just so long as it’s clean and has a pool. However, we do like a hotel bar - doesn’t have to be too big but it needs to be open until at least midnight.

The first week we are in Hollywood and are looking at the Lowes, good reviews and has everything we need.
The second week we are looking at the Hotel Menage but I’m concerned about how far away from the parks it really is. Has anyone stayed there who could comment? I would really love to stay in one of the Disney Hotels but it’s out of our budget. But I keep thinking that it would be perfect.

I can’t see any other hotels in walking distance of the parks that have a bar?
Many thanks in advance

 

[Canuck16]

Sheraton Park has a bar by the pool and is about a 20 minute walk to the parks.

Not sure how long it is open until though

 

[DLgal]

Hotel Menage is not in a good location.

Try the new Marriott Courtyard Theme Park across the street from DL. It has a lounge (bar).

 

[VandVsmama]

Consider this option....
Stay at the Best Western Park Place Inn and walk 5 minutes across the esplanade and use the bar at the Grand Californian Hotel.

 

[Imdboss]

DoubleTree Suites is about 1 mile from the park and has a lounge open every night until midnight. We stayed there last Oct, most days we would walk to the park and take ART back at night. The hotel was nice, clean, and we had no complaints.

 

[Indiana Scott]

Getting a bar in a local hotel will be tough. I would (and do) stay at either the Park Place or Park View hotels directly across the street from the entrance to the parks. They don't have bars but the Grand Californian has a great bar and it's at the other end of the esplanade. There's also Trader Sams bar at the DL hotel pool that's a lot of fun and you can take your kids there as long as you sit at a table and not at the bar itself.

 

[joemo]

Thanks for all the great replies, I will do some more research.

To be honest, I really wanted someone to say 'Never mind the expsense, stay at a Disney Hotel you fool'! as thats what i really want to do.

DH feels (correctly) that its just too much money. I know he's right but a girl can dream......

 

[Indiana Scott]

Thanks for all the great replies, I will do some more research.

To be honest, I really wanted someone to say 'Never mind the expsense, stay at a Disney Hotel you fool'! as thats what i really want to do.

DH feels (correctly) that its just too much money. I know he's right but a girl can dream......

I know how you feel. We can easily "afford" to stay at any DL hotel but it just isn't financially responsible for us (IMO) to spend that kind of money there when the local hotels are so nice, convenient and have great free breakfasts. We save our money for more important things.
Believe me, you will have just as nice of trip staying at one of the local hotels because they revolve around Disney too!.

 

[kappyfamily]

Disney hotel for sure

 

[luulu1999]

You can also check the new Homewood Suites, the offer dinner and drinks in the evening during the week so I am thinking they might possibly have a bar?? Their is also a couple water slides and stuff at their pool and the price is AWESOME!! It is right next to the Toy Story Lot so you can get the shuttle to the park there or I have also been told the walk is not bad
http://homewoodsuites3.hilton.com/e...m-resort-convention-center-ANADLHW/index.html

 

[mad hatter fan]

You can also check the new Homewood Suites, the offer dinner and drinks in the evening during the week so I am thinking they might possibly have a bar?? Their is also a couple water slides and stuff at their pool and the price is AWESOME!! It is right next to the Toy Story Lot so you can get the shuttle to the park there or I have also been told the walk is not bad
http://homewoodsuites3.hilton.com/e...m-resort-convention-center-ANADLHW/index.html

Where did you find out about water slides at the new Homewood Suites? I do not see anything about that in their descriptions.

 

[Astylla]

You can also check the new Homewood Suites, the offer dinner and drinks in the evening during the week so I am thinking they might possibly have a bar?? Their is also a couple water slides and stuff at their pool and the price is AWESOME!! It is right next to the Toy Story Lot so you can get the shuttle to the park there or I have also been told the walk is not bad
http://homewoodsuites3.hilton.com/e...m-resort-convention-center-ANADLHW/index.html

I just wanted to say THANK YOU !!! I didn't realize this would be opening shortly before our December trip and how close it is to Toy Story ( .3 miles from Google maps approximately) and booked my DH and I in a 2 bed Queen suite. Since we are there for 7 days a kitchen and breakfast/evening options will be great ! They have a great AAA rate for our dates and I love using Toy Story shuttles because the only wait is ever to board since they are constant.

It looks like in the original conception photos water slides are visible , they have a facebook page with a lot of photos too.

I've stayed at the Disney hotels and while I love them dearly , the savings on a trip sometimes can provide so much more.

My personal advice : Stay here or a similar hotel like Anaheim Marriott or Hilton - and go to Trader Sam's ( an awesome Tiki Bar at the DLH) or Hearthstone Lounge at GCH.
I also highly recommend Chef's Counter at Napa Rose or alternatively the lounge at Napa Rose , it's just wonderful.

You could always do a split stay at a Disney property then change if that suits you best. Since disocunts are rare in summer and demand is high , it will be a matter of choices that fits you best.
You can still walk through and enjoy the hotels even not staying there. GCH lobby is quite grand and a great place for a small break from the heat in their plush chairs and sofas.
DLH is awesome to walk through the different areas and towers with the different displays and history.

I hope this helps !

 

[jammyjam25]

I stayed at Hotel Menage in July 2013 and it's not that far distance wise from the park. But, even though it's only maybe a ten minute walk to the esplanade you have to cross a very busy freeway on ramp and it's definitely not walker friendly. We ended up taking the ART bus each morning for this very reason.

The hotel itself was nothing special, we got what we paid for, but as an all girl's trip celebrating a birthday, we really enjoyed the 24 hour pool and late-night outdoor bar! They had decent food and drink prices during their happy hour (4-7pm if I remember right) as well.

 

[texasgingerbread]

Where did you find out about water slides at the new Homewood Suites? I do not see anything about that in their descriptions.

I've made a res here for March and will report back on a TR. I'm also watching http://anaheimresort.house.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html to open up and see rates but so far they are not available. Great idea to use Toy Story lot. I read about this yesterday on the DL fb page and I never thought to use it. Good to hear it works I was worried you'd have to show a ticket or prove you parked there or something. Thanks!

 

[texasgingerbread]

You can also check the new Homewood Suites, the offer dinner and drinks in the evening during the week so I am thinking they might possibly have a bar?? Their is also a couple water slides and stuff at their pool and the price is AWESOME!! It is right next to the Toy Story Lot so you can get the shuttle to the park there or I have also been told the walk is not bad
http://homewoodsuites3.hilton.com/e...m-resort-convention-center-ANADLHW/index.html

PS - where does the Disney parking tram drop you? On Harbor Blvd. side or on Dowtown Disney side? Just curious if you knew.

 

[bumbershoot]

There's also Trader Sams bar at the DL hotel pool that's a lot of fun and you can take your kids there as long as you sit at a table and not at the bar itself.

Yes.

Kids have to be out at 8, though, if I'm remembering last month correctly.

I think Anabella has a bar as well?

PS - where does the Disney parking tram drop you? On Harbor Blvd. side or on Dowtown Disney side? Just curious if you knew.

From that lot I believe it's buses, isn't it? If so, they just take you to the harbor dropoff area as far as I know.

 

[joemo]

Hmmm we were looking at the Anabella......does anyone know what the bar is like?

 

[VandVsmama]

Here's the challenge with hotels around Disneyland...actually, your criteria makes it a little challenging. Your list includes:

1. close to the parks since you won't have a car.
2. good hotel, but need a decent price
3. pool
4. hotel bar

If by "hotel," you mean a full service hotel with interior corridors, on site restaurants, large pool areas, room service, hotel bar, concierge service, and valet parking, then your choices are limited.

There are a LOT of hotel & motel options that have MOST of your list. But few that also have a bar. Once you add the requirement of having an on-site hotel bar that's open until midnight, that eliminates most of your choices.

Hotel Menage, for example, is almost far enough away that you'd need to take ART (Anaheim Resort Transit), which makes it difficult to take an afternoon break back at your hotel and it's also difficult if you forgot something and you say, "Hey, I forgot the ___ back at the room. I'll just pop back over there really quick to get it." There isn't anything fast about ART at certain times of day.

On Yelp, Hotel Menage has had some good reviews, but also some reviews that would make me think twice about staying here. Plus, Tom Bell on the DIS podcasts did a review of this a few months ago and he had a pretty bad experience.

Marriott just opened last month a brand new hotel with a water park called Marriott Courtyard Theme Park Entrance (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/snadt-courtyard-anaheim-theme-park-entrance/). It has an eatery that serves beer & wine at dinnertime, but the hotel's website doesn't say anything about how late it's open. Room prices here are not that much less expensive than the Paradise Pier Hotel...like maybe $20-$30/night less. And if you're going that route, then you might as well spend the extra and stay at the PPH anyway...which DOES have a hotel bar that's open late.

 

[luulu1999]

Where did you find out about water slides at the new Homewood Suites? I do not see anything about that in their descriptions.

Check out their page they don't have actual room pics yet because they aren't actually done with the hotel but at the end of the pool there are yellow slides, I am pretty sure that is what they are? And on another thread someone had stated that this one and the new courtyard had a little water park area? The also have basketball courts

 

[luulu1999]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU !!! I didn't realize this would be opening shortly before our December trip and how close it is to Toy Story ( .3 miles from Google maps approximately) and booked my DH and I in a 2 bed Queen suite. Since we are there for 7 days a kitchen and breakfast/evening options will be great ! They have a great AAA rate for our dates and I love using Toy Story shuttles because the only wait is ever to board since they are constant.

It looks like in the original conception photos water slides are visible , they have a facebook page with a lot of photos too.

I've stayed at the Disney hotels and while I love them dearly , the savings on a trip sometimes can provide so much more.

My personal advice : Stay here or a similar hotel like Anaheim Marriott or Hilton - and go to Trader Sam's ( an awesome Tiki Bar at the DLH) or Hearthstone Lounge at GCH.
I also highly recommend Chef's Counter at Napa Rose or alternatively the lounge at Napa Rose , it's just wonderful.

You could always do a split stay at a Disney property then change if that suits you best. Since disocunts are rare in summer and demand is high , it will be a matter of choices that fits you best.
You can still walk through and enjoy the hotels even not staying there. GCH lobby is quite grand and a great place for a small break from the heat in their plush chairs and sofas.
DLH is awesome to walk through the different areas and towers with the different displays and history.

I hope this helps !

NP I have been soooo excited about the price I have been telling everyone lol I usually hate staying places where I have to pay to park but even after paying to park it is still cheaper than Park Vue which would have been our other choice, and from the maps it is literally right behind Toy Story, I have never took a parking lot shuttle so it is good to know that you don't have to really wait for a shuttle! We are staying 12 nights so a free breakfast is usually a must and the evening option we may or may not use since I have a ton of food places on my list to try but someone really wanting to save money that is also a huge plus!! And it will only have been opened less than a year when we go in June so should be pretty darn clean lol I also liked they have a room with bunk beds my kids love bunk beds so it really worked out for us! I can't hardly wait for June now!!!