Hotel help (Courtyard vs. JW Marriott)

[Music City Mama]

We will be going on our first trip in June. I'm leaning towards the Courtyard Theme Park Entrance because of 1) location, 2) the ability for my 20 and 16 year old boys to sleep in separate beds, and 3) the double sinks and the two showers. It also gets really good reviews and the one thing that comes up time and time again is cleanliness which is really important. The con is that it's a little more than I want to spend, but I can live with it.

The other hotel I'm debating is the JW Marriott. I do like that it seems quite a bit more luxurious than the Courtyard, and get this, it's almost $100 less per night than the Courtyard! The cons would be that it's a farther walk -- although, we usually stay at the Boardwalk and walk to Hollywood Studios regularly, and from I can tell, it's no longer than that, BUT, it's not on some internal walkway like at BW/HS, you have to walk on city streets with traffic lights, etc. Also, it appears to be a standard room -- 2 queen beds, and not a lot of space in the bathroom.

Also, the pool...I understand you need to make reservations for the Courtyard one. Do older teens and adults go on those slides or is EVERYTHING geared to younger kids? The pool itself looks small, but the one at the JW Marriott only looks slightly bigger.

Any opinions on these two? Our first trip to Disneyland -- 5 days for the parks -- 1 day for Hollywood/LA -- 1 day for the beaches.

I've ruled the Westin out because it's as much as the Courtyard during my dates, and one of the appeals of the JW Marriott is that it's a lot cheaper during my dates.

 

[lcp9]

We have a marriott gig so we've stayed at most (all?) in proximity to the parks. For a family, our two favorites hands down are the Courtyard and the RI at Katella/Harbor.

Courtyard:
multiple beds, spacious rooms for a non-suite rooms, double bathrooms. Water park isn't totally geared towards kids, but kind of. Teenagers would probably be meh about it after 1 or 2 rides. Pool is very, very tiny. Super close to the parks.

RI (I know you didn't ask but I would seriously consider):

all are suite rooms with full kitchen. huge, full, free breakfast. only about 12 min walk (and we have 4 little kids that aren't always the fastest walkers.) have never used the pool.

JW will be a tiny room, and a further walk than either of the other two. It depends on how much time you're planning to spend in the room - if you're going to be in there more than just to sleep, I'd probably spring for the bigger room. Check prices for the RI though, I think it would probably fit your family the best. I would not choose CY solely on the water park, for your family.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Also a Marriott member with more points than I know what to do with...for me it is all about proximity for a Disneyland Trip...while I would consider the JW a "nicer" property it is never even on my radar for for a DL trip due to the distance...but also being a bit of a hotel snob, I can understand the desire to stay in a "full service" property for some.

For a family the CY rooms are a much nicer layout.

 

[kristensideaoffun]

Also a Marriott member… I’ve stayed at all three. If pools are important - the Courtyard and the RI (as someone recommended above), are tied for #1. My 15 year old loves the pools at both. Both have hot tubs which are important to my husband and I and our teenage daughter. The JW does not have a hot tub and the pool is on the east side of the hotel, so it’s in the shade for at least half the day. I do love poolside service, but I also need a hot tub. The service does not outweigh the hot tub.

The Courtyard and the RI have way better layouts for families. The CY has two sinks and two showers, which are great for getting ready in the morning and for getting ready for bed.

We won’t stay at the JW again. Yes, it’s full service and luxurious, but we had issues with our rooms not being cleaned thoroughly both times we stayed there. It was really annoying to stand up from the desk chair and have raisins stuck to me that were in the crease of the chair. And then another piece of furniture was in a weird place so I moved it back to where it made sense and it was covering a pile of crumbs. We recently stayed at the Westin and we loved it so that’s now in the mix. We can’t sleep in the same room as our kids, so we always stay in suites. Here’s our order of favorites based on #1 room layout, #2 location, #3 pool:

#1 Courtyard (1bedroom or 1bed+bunk room suite)
#2 Residence Inn Convention Center
#3 Westin

 

[Music City Mama]

Thanks everyone for your feedback -- it's very helpful.

Teenagers would probably be meh about it after 1 or 2 rides.

This is good info re: the pools at the Courtyard -- the fact that teens would get bored of the slides fairly quickly and that the pool is so small (which I could see in the photos). Also, isn't it REALLY shallow? Like less than 5'?

The JW does not have a hot tub and the pool is on the east side of the hotel, so it’s in the shade for at least half the day.

This is also good info about the the pool being in the shade for half the day -- that's a big con for me.

If pools are important - the Courtyard and the RI (as someone recommended above), are tied for #1.

It looks like from photos that the RI pool while not huge or anything is still considerably larger than the Courtyard one, is that correct?

I think I had initially looked at RI as well, but for whatever reason, dismissed it, but it's on the table again now.

Usually when I stay at places with free breakfasts (non-Disney properties), it's always so chaotic and not very good. It just never seems worth it to me, but it would help cost-wise if we did utilize it.

The Westin seems very nice, but it's just as expensive as the Courtyard during my dates for a smaller living area, so I'm not really considering it.

So, here's what I've come up with:

The cheapest for me during my dates is the JW Marriott at $800 less than the Courtyard during the course of my 8 night stay. The Residence Inn is right in-between -- $400 more than the JW, and $400 less than the Courtyard. So, I think it will be between the Courtyard and RI for me...

Any additional thoughts? Thanks again.

 

[kristensideaoffun]

Thanks everyone for your feedback -- it's very helpful.

This is good info re: the pools at the Courtyard -- the fact that teens would get bored of the slides fairly quickly and that the pool is so small (which I could see in the photos). Also, isn't it REALLY shallow? Like less than 5'?

This is also good info about the the pool being in the shade for half the day -- that's a big con for me.

It looks like from photos that the RI pool while not huge or anything is still considerably larger than the Courtyard one, is that correct?

I think I had initially looked at RI as well, but for whatever reason, dismissed it, but it's on the table again now.

Usually when I stay at places with free breakfasts (non-Disney properties), it's always so chaotic and not very good. It just never seems worth it to me, but it would help cost-wise if we did utilize it.

The Westin seems very nice, but it's just as expensive as the Courtyard during my dates for a smaller living area, so I'm not really considering it.

So, here's what I've come up with:

The cheapest for me during my dates is the JW Marriott at $800 less than the Courtyard during the course of my 8 night stay. The Residence Inn is right in-between -- $400 more than the JW, and $400 less than the Courtyard. So, I think it will be between the Courtyard and RI for me...

Any additional thoughts? Thanks again.

The RI breakfast is great. It’s very well organized and the dining area is huge. There is also a bar in the lobby. They’ve also subscribed to a service where you can get “room service”. It’s an outside company that has several different cuisine options. We were huge fans of the food but it was convenient. The hot tub at RI is huge, I remember them advertising it as the largest hot tub in the area. The pool is decent sized, not huge. But the pool area is pretty big. There’s also a splash pad that your teens probably won’t care about, but there are also fire pits and lounge chairs so it’s a pretty cool hangout spot. And the pool has a shower. I couldn’t get the water to warm up but it’s fine if you just want to duck under for a rinse. The walk isn’t bad, it takes us 10-15 minutes depending on if we hit all the green lights. As far as rooms go. They are large and all come with kitchens. You could get a two Queen plus sofa bed or a family suite and everyone will have their own beds. RI is self-parking only.

For the Courtyard pool, the actual pool is small and you have to make reservations still to access the pool area. This is both a pro and a con: the pool area is never crowded but you are limited on when you can go. My 15 year old still likes the water slides, but she’s pretty much a perpetually stoked on life kind of kid. The standard rooms at the CY are huge, much larger than the JW. We usually get a 1 bedrooms suite which are larger than the one bedrooms at the RI (which are by no means small). The onsite restaurant is good, but the service is SO SLOW. We never order anything other than drinks there is we are in a hurry. There is a Panera adjacent to the hotel. It’s super easy to mobile order food and it’s ready within minutes. The walk to the CY is super easy and quick, around 5-7 minutes if you’re a quick walker. CY is valet parking only.

For the JW, I’d pass for your family. I’m staying there in March for a cheer competition, but that’s because it was the only hotel available through the housing company we were required to book with and the rates was $200 a night. I wouldn’t pay anymore to stay there. You’re family is going to be squished in the room and to me, that really takes away from the luxury experience. The pool is nice with great loungers but also tiny. And the entire pool is about waist deep. You have to kneel to get your shoulders under the water. My daughter loved it but because of the poolside server kept refilling her ice cream bowl. Our teen isn’t going with us (it’s my husband that coaches cheer) so I’m looking forward to spending all morning at the small shallow pool with our toddler until nap time. Then I’m going to put him down for a nap, order room service, and soak in the big tub while he is sleeping. If our teen was going, I’d choose a different hotel. JW is valet parking only.

ETA: I’d go with the RI. CY is number one for our family when we don’t stay onsite but we have a different family dynamic with a teens and a toddler. But we stay at the RI when the CY prices are exorbitant and have never had a bad experience. I think you’ll be really happy there. The walk is a bit longer but you have teens so I don’t think it’ll be a big deal for you. The free breakfast is great. By comparison, I’ve stayed at the Springhill Suites that is next to the RI and their breakfast is chaotic (and their pool is the size of a postage stamp with no hot tub). The rooms at the RI are huge and clean. I’ve had nothing but stellar service there. The rooftop pool area is a cool hangout spot and there is a bar in the lobby. Plus there is a CVS and a Coffee Bean next door.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Unless you really want the water slides, I also think Residence Inn would be the best choice.

Pre-pandemic, their breakfast was above average and their rooms are going to be a decent size.

I find the Courtyard way over-priced for what it is and targets families that want to be as close as possible to the parks and have the water slides.

The JW Marriott rooms will probably be too small for your family. I find it better for adults who also wants to enjoy the bar and resort style pool as opposed to a family with teenagers. Also, do your prices account for the resort fee at the JW Marriott and parking fees (if relevant)? Those are particularly high at the JW Marriott.

 

[Music City Mama]

Well, y'all convinced me -- I just booked the Residence Inn. Thank you for your thoughtful responses. I feel really good about the choice!

 

[Whistlebee]

Another vote for RI! I think you made the perfect choice!

 

[The Mayor]

Does the Courtyard have early entry into the parks?

 

[pharmama]

Does the Courtyard have early entry into the parks?

No. Only the onsite, Disney operated hotels (Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier/Pixar Place after retheme) have early entry.