Hotel for Disneyland

[danceintherain]

I've wanted to do a mommy and me trip with my oldest son to Disneyland since I got back in 2019. Then I got pregnant.....then COVID. In any case, the opportunity arose to "tag along" with my Dad when he goes to Anaheim for a work convention, but I'm trying to decide where to stay.
I have 3 Bonvoy reward nights to burn before the end of June, so I would have to either pay OOP for our 4th night, use points, or stay with my parents for one night. We do have an early flight, and my Dad will likely be driving us to the airport, so being in the same hotel one night has some benefits.

1. Hilton Anaheim -
PROS: my parents are staying here and I can share their room so no hotel costs.
We would do the ART shuttle so it could actually be less walking than a closer hotel.
My Mom is less likely to get distracted.
I can save my Bonvoy vouchers for the drive to and from the beach over the summer
CONS:
Distance
3 adults and one child in a single hotel room

2. Springhill Suites Anaheim Convention -
PROS:
Breakfast included
DS and I get our own TV during breaks
Close to my parents hotel, so I can help my Mom find her way when Dad is at the conference. (she CAN do it, but will probably be more comfortable with me leading her around)
Right next to CVS
CONS: Distance-ish - Closer than the Hilton, but further than the Fairfield

3. Fairfield Inn
PROS: I stayed here the last time, so I'm familiar.
Very short walk to the parks
CONS: Far from my parents. Might have to wait around for a while for my Mom to meet us at the parks.
Exterior hallways
Probably too much proximity to bagels and McDonald's
Probably won't get the awesome corner room on the ground floor, so the walk from the room could be long-ish.
The "cafe" is not convenient.

Thoughts? Other suggestions?

 

[smartlabelprint]

I’d get your own room in the same hotel.

 

[Pluto468]

It would be convenient to stay in the same hotel as your parents. Have you looked at Courtyard Marriott? That hotel is very popular and gets great reviews. It's walking distance to the parks. Maybe your parents could move there, too, unless your dad needs to be at the Hilton.

The ART shuttle is pretty unreliable. I tried using it in 2019 and it only arrived on time twice. We gave up on it after a few days and just walked from Hyatt House.

 

[danceintherain]

I’d get your own room in the same hotel.

Why? That would practically double my trip costs.

 

[danceintherain]

It would be convenient to stay in the same hotel as your parents. Have you looked at Courtyard Marriott? That hotel is very popular and gets great reviews. It's walking distance to the parks. Maybe your parents could move there, too, unless your dad needs to be at the Hilton.

The ART shuttle is pretty unreliable. I tried using it in 2019 and it only arrived on time twice. We gave up on it after a few days and just walked from Hyatt House.

The Courtyard is a Level 7 hotel, which means my vouchers won't work on it. I have about 70,000 points, but that will only get me a night. It's $350/night otherwise. Honestly, if I'm spending that much, I might as well stay at Paradise Pier. With a military discount, I could possibly get the cost lower....

My Dad mostly stays at Hiltons. He has status there, so they give him perks. He will only be available to go to the parks with us one day, before participating in the conference. He will be at meetings from 9-5, then wining and dining clients all evening. My Mom decided recently that she doesn't like traveling with him on business, because she is left to her own devices. With DS and I there, she will have company, otherwise she wouldn't be going. I actually originally suggested that they just take DS, but DH suggested I go too, which changes things a bit. Schedule-wise, it doesn't really work to shift the dates to accommodate him being with us more.

 

[tsumgirl]

I agree with the others that it's best to stay as close as possible to your parents. Otherwise, you may find yourself walking more to meet up with them or escort your mom back at night.

I've tried travelling with family before while staying at different locations and spent more time coordinating meetups or having to go to their hotel than would've been necessary if I had stayed nearby.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Why? That would practically double my trip costs.

To be close to your mom. It sounds like she needs your assistance. Or get him to stay at a Hilton with suites.

 

[FeistyDisneyMom]

I'd probably stay in the same room, and see if you can do a suite instead of a regular room to have a little bit more breathing space.

 

[danceintherain]

I might have been exaggerating about my Mom a bit. But, I will talk to her about her preference too.
She's fine. She's 58 years old. Perfectly capable of reading a map and meeting up at a location at a particular time. She just tends to get distracted from her immediate surroundings by people who aren't there. She has a hard time ignoring her phone, especially when one of her family members is having a "crisis," which seems to happen a lot while she's on vacation.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Me? I would stay at the SpringHill or Residence Inn right there if you have points nights to burn and being close to the folks is a priority. 4 to a room sounds awful even if it is family and while the FFI is the closest option to the parks and my usual go to, connecting with Mom will indeed likely be more of a hassle.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Have you looked at the Residence Inn (by Marriott)? Very nice hotel, with pool and breakfast. And from the Hilton, you pretty much walk right past the Residence Inn’s lobby. It’s not as close as the Fairfield in, but much nicer, and convenient when others in your party are staying at the Hilton.

we have friends who are Hilton members, so we’ve done this combo in the past. Not sure which category it’s in though.

 

[tsumgirl]

She just tends to get distracted from her immediate surroundings by people who aren't there. She has a hard time ignoring her phone, especially when one of her family members is having a "crisis," which seems to happen a lot while she's on vacation.

Your mom actually sounds a lot like my mom. I just went on a trip with her earlier this month. Even sharing a room, I needed to keep her moving otherwise she could easily stare at her phone for an hour and not realize any time has passed.

Being in closer vicinity to her will keep everyone happier, especially your son. Waiting for grandma will get old by Day 2 and it's a frustration that can be easily avoided if you head out to the parks together. In theory, just proceeding with your day until she arrives sounds doable. However, if you're in a line when she arrives or at the back of the park, meeting up in a crowd is a lot harder to do with someone that gets distracted easily.

ETA: The SpringHill or Residence Inn at the Convention Center should be close enough to make meeting up with your mom easier.

 

[danceintherain]

Have you looked at the Residence Inn (by Marriott)? Very nice hotel, with pool and breakfast. And from the Hilton, you pretty much walk right past the Residence Inn’s lobby. It’s not as close as the Fairfield in, but much nicer, and convenient when others in your party are staying at the Hilton.

we have friends who are Hilton members, so we’ve done this combo in the past. Not sure which category it’s in though.

I would love to do the Residence Inn, since that's like in sight, but for whatever reason it's a category 6, which means I can't use my vouchers.

Your mom actually sounds a lot like my mom. I just went on a trip with her earlier this month. Even sharing a room, I needed to keep her moving otherwise she could easily stare at her phone for an hour and not realize any time has passed.

Being in closer vicinity to her will keep everyone happier, especially your son. Waiting for grandma will get old by Day 2 and it's a frustration that can be easily avoided if you head out to the parks together. In theory, just proceeding with your day until she arrives sounds doable. However, if you're in a line when she arrives or at the back of the park, meeting up in a crowd is a lot harder to do with someone that gets distracted easily.

ETA: The SpringHill or Residence Inn at the Convention Center should be close enough to make meeting up with your mom easier.

They do sound similar. I may need to run my touring plan by her before I settle on a hotel. The time difference is a big deal too. It will feel a lot later for us. I honestly have no idea how it's going to work with her. We'll also probably end up packing quite a bit into the day with my Dad, so there may be less to accomplish on our other two days.
She doesn't ride rollercoasters, so I doubt we'll do more than half of the things together anyway. My son will ride everything except the Incredicoaster and Guardians of the Galaxy. So it probably won't be THAT problematic to have her meet us wherever we are. Heck, we may sit on a bench together while he single rider lines his favorite things over and over.

 

[pharmama]

Can you use your vouchers at the Anaheim Marriott (which is right across from the Anaheim Hilton)?

 

[gelatoni fan]

Assuming you have 35K free nights, the best option would be the Anaheim Marriott right across from the Hilton if they aren't doing peak pricing. If free breakfast matters, the Springfield you mentioned is a decent choice. The Element would be nicer and has a better breakfast than the Springfield but is not quite as close to the Hilton. The Fairfield is only for proximity to the parks.

For completeness sake, I don't really recommend using free night certs on the Four Points, Sheraton or Convention Center Courtyard.

If there's a conference going on, the Hilton would likely be way overpriced.

 

[tsumgirl]

Heck, we may sit on a bench together while he single rider lines his favorite things over and over.

You are a better person than me. My mom probably would've loved some bench time, but not to enjoy the Disney atmosphere...it'd be so she could type faster or hang on the phone gossiping. There were times I was watching her catch up on FB thinking,"This is payback for my teenage years!"

 

[Pamela M]

It’s further away from the convention center Anaheim Hilton but have you tried the Element by Westin? It’s brand new and owned by Marriott that is walking distance to the park. They have free breakfast and their rooms are nice. They have a kitchen in them like the residence inn. If your a Marriott member you might even get upgraded to a one bedroom. I’ve found this hotel to be the cheapest and nicest of the Disneyland Marriott chain hotels.

If you want to be closer to your mom
Then I recommend the Springhill convention center. Maybe see if you can put her on your reservation so she can come have breakfast with you before you head over to the parks.

Unless you have really really good relationship with your parents and know them well I wouldn’t recommend sharing a room. Your dad might get short tempered having been at the convention all day and then hanging out with coworkers venders all evening.

 

[danceintherain]

You are a better person than me. My mom probably would've loved some bench time, but not to enjoy the Disney atmosphere...it'd be so she could type faster or hang on the phone gossiping. There were times I was watching her catch up on FB thinking,"This is payback for my teenage years!"

She's not so much sucked into social media as she is into other people's drama. For example, our last Disney trip her sister was calling her every day to complain about how poor she was and how much she hated her job, after her divorce. Also, her Mom was calling constantly to give her a guilt trip about being at Disney World instead of at home where she could complain to her in person. Last year, we did a road trip down to the beach then to Legoland with my sister, which was right after the two above people moved in together, so they called every day to complain to my Mom about each other. Eventually, I convinced her to stop answering the phone. I fully recognize that these other people's drama impacts her very deeply, and she has been working on boundaries, but its a work in progress. They've been her family longer than I have, and she has a bleeding heart. Lately things have been pretty quiet on that front, so hopefully it will stay that way.

Assuming you have 35K free nights, the best option would be the Anaheim Marriott right across from the Hilton if they aren't doing peak pricing. If free breakfast matters, the Springfield you mentioned is a decent choice. The Element would be nicer and has a better breakfast than the Springfield but is not quite as close to the Hilton. The Fairfield is only for proximity to the parks.

For completeness sake, I don't really recommend using free night certs on the Four Points, Sheraton or Convention Center Courtyard.

If there's a conference going on, the Hilton would likely be way overpriced.

I think the Marriott Anaheim was an option for some of the nights, but not all of them. I'll look at it again.

It’s further away from the convention center Anaheim Hilton but have you tried the Element by Westin? It’s brand new and owned by Marriott that is walking distance to the park. They have free breakfast and their rooms are nice. They have a kitchen in them like the residence inn. If your a Marriott member you might even get upgraded to a one bedroom. I’ve found this hotel to be the cheapest and nicest of the Disneyland Marriott chain hotels.

If you want to be closer to your mom
Then I recommend the Springhill convention center. Maybe see if you can put her on your reservation so she can come have breakfast with you before you head over to the parks.

Unless you have really really good relationship with your parents and know them well I wouldn’t recommend sharing a room. Your dad might get short tempered having been at the convention all day and then hanging out with coworkers venders all evening.

If I was going on my own, the Element would probably be my first pick. I've been watching it since I got back in 2019, and it looks awesome. But, it's pretty much in the opposite direction of the Hilton.

My Dad doesn't really get short-tempered.....at least not since his 6 children grew up. He was a few months away from a hip replacement the last time we went to WDW, and didn't complain for a minute. The worst "argument" we had was regarding outdated knowledge, because he was insisting something worked one way, when I knew it worked the other. But, I get where you're coming from.
My Mom is actually the one who gets the most irritable, but I've learned to manage my expectations where she is concerned. As long as I don't push her too hard, she'll be fine. I do think she may benefit from being able to go back to a room away from us at night though. It will certainly be easier for her to sleep in a bit, if she wants to. without us tromping around the room in the morning.
In 2018 and shared a ASMu family suite at WDW for a few nights. It went well, and I had 3 kids under the age of 9 with me then, so it was a lot more chaotic.

The breakfast idea is a good one. I'd get her a key too, in case our room is more convenient for her to rest in during the day.

 

[tsumgirl]

She's not so much sucked into social media as she is into other people's drama. For example, our last Disney trip her sister was calling her every day to complain about how poor she was and how much she hated her job, after her divorce. Also, her Mom was calling constantly to give her a guilt trip about being at Disney World instead of at home where she could complain to her in person. Last year, we did a road trip down to the beach then to Legoland with my sister, which was right after the two above people moved in together, so they called every day to complain to my Mom about each other. Eventually, I convinced her to stop answering the phone. I fully recognize that these other people's drama impacts her very deeply, and she has been working on boundaries, but its a work in progress. They've been her family longer than I have, and she has a bleeding heart. Lately things have been pretty quiet on that front, so hopefully it will stay that way.

I feel like you're talking about my mom. She was on FB Messenger, which was blowing up since she wasn't answering her phone on rides. I guess most people are used to my mom being available all day for a chat. The best part of our trip was when her charging cord stopped working, so she could finally disconnect for awhile. Once we figured out it was her cord, she spent about 4 hrs on the last day of her trip checking up on everyone who was leaving her messages. I hope things stay peaceful for your mom, so you can all enjoy your trip!

Regarding hotel rooms, the last time I booked the Springhill, I was actually upgraded to the Residence Inn, because they overbooked. Both locations are convenient and spacious, so you can't go wrong either way.

 

[taaren]

I use a lot of my Marriott certificates in Anaheim, and really like the Springhill Suites. The rooms are spacious, and if proximity to your folks is what you want while also having your own room, it sounds like a good compromise. I've stayed at the Fairfield Inn a lot too, and while the proximity to the parks is great ... the room at Springhill is soooo much more relaxing, I use FF when we're planning on being in the parks all day and just need a place to crash, but Springhill is preferred for me. Sometimes I can get Courtyard Convention Center AAA rates that are reasonable but I never seem to be able to use the certificates there. Would like to stay at the Element sometime but ... its just so far from the parks ...