Hotel Decisions - HoJo vs Holiday Inn vs DLH

[silence]

I'm taking my two youngest daughters and my oldest granddaughter (ages 7, 8 and 9) to DLR in July 2012. Looking at July 15-17 (2n). I can book 2 queens at HoJos for $418. Advantage -- its close to DLR, free parking.

The DLH I can get for 560 plus tax - around 650 plus I have to pay $15 parking daily. VERY pricey!

When I compare the HoJos vs the DLR I'm tempted to spring for DLH. But then I compare HoJos with the Holiday Inn and its cheaper but I only have the 3 days/2 nights and don't want to waste it all waiting for a bus.

My biggest concerns would be price, location and cleanliness. I want this to be a nice vacation and while we won't be using the hotel for more than a place to sleep I do not want to stay in a dive.

What would you do? any other suggestions?

For us, HoJos is our "home away from home" when it comes to Disney. It's the place we stay when we have APs and the reason we are able to make as many trips down when we do, because of their pricing. Their rooms are some of the roomiest/cleanest rooms we have stayed in. My kids have enjoyed their pool and water area on many trips. I sleep like a baby in their beds, we love this hotel.

That being said, if you can afford it, I recommend staying onsite. Our favorite stay in all our visits was at DLH. We also like the GCH, but can rarely afford that. We splurged for July and booked DLH this trip, so the kids can enjoy the new waterslides and we can stay in the new refurb rooms. Having the monorail cuts down on the walk, which we really do appreciate as well!

 

[MomToOne]

We spent a week at the Holiday Inn Anaheim Resort a couple of years ago, and liked it. In fact, I just booked another stay for late this summer (hint: you might want to check booking through Getawaytoday if you haven't already, they had a better deal than even the Friends and Family rate). I actually like that the hotel is a bit away from the hustle and bustle of the parks - it's a nice break.

I will say taking ART doesn't bother me at all - we are WDW veterans, and are used to waiting for buses. And I think the ART service is great compared to the WDW buses. But if the thought of waiting for a bus is just awful to you, then it might not be the hotel for you. As for me, well, after a long day of walking in the parks the LAST thing I want is to have to walk 10-15 minutes back to the hotel. I'd much rather sit on a bench and wait for a bus But to each his own!

The Holiday Inn has a nice pool area - big pool (Mickey-ish shaped) and a very large hot tub, which my legs appreciate at the end of a long park day. The rooms include a mini fridge, which is nice too.

 

[MyHappiestPlace]

Thanks all ! I appreciate all of your kind comments & suggestions. I went ahead and booked the HoJo with the 15% discount. I'll keep checking to see if I can get a larger discount for one of the DLR hotels but may not be able to swing it since I had to take y-dd to the urgent care yesterday where I found out our lovely insurance doesn't kick in til June 1. There goes $300 of fun money. But at least she's feeling better and we can still have a blast at DL regardless of where we actually stay

 

[soaringirl]

I gotcha now!!! I agree that those couple of hundred yards don't seem that huge of a difference after the miles and miles you walk in the park each day.

That.

 

[nana50]

If this is a "once or twice in a lifetime" trip, stay at the DLH. I have stayed at the hojo and a few others. I LOVE the new DHL. You can come back in the middle of the day, enjoy the pool, take a nap and head back over in the evening. This way you will also enjoy the beautiful hotel. Go to their website and look at the grounds, new pools with great waterslides, and the new rooms. You will not be sorry. I am now totally spoiled and won't stay anywhere else with the grand kids.