Hotel question.

[disneygal2007]

Has anyone ever stayed at the desert Palm resort. We have booked one of the kids suite there so my DH and I can have a breakaway from the kids. I was wondering is it clean. Is the location good. And how far the the park? I have changed out hotel so many times that my kids have begged me not to change it anymore lol

 

[disneygal2007]

Anyone?

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Do you mean the Desert Palms Hotel and Suites in Anaheim? If so, here are my comments from another recent thread:

We stayed there for only one night in October 2007 and didn't care for the hotel very much. The lobby was very attractive and clean which may have contributed some to the disappointment in our room. We had a standard room with two queen beds. We spent very little time in the room, mostly only to shower and sleep. The room wasn't dirty but didn't feel quite as clean as most hotel rooms I have stayed in. It also had a strange, musty odor. It was also very dark, even with the curtains open in the morning. We didn't use the breakfast room because it didn't open early enough to get to rope drop. The walk is only a little longer than the walk from Candy Cane Inn or Hojos, so probably just a bit more than 3/4 mile to Disneyland's gates I would guess. I haven't even considered this property again since I can usually get someplace I had more positive feelings about, i.e. Hojos, Candy Cane Inn, Tropicana, a little closer to the park at a tolerable price.

And here's the thread in case you'd like to see other people's comments as well:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2673527

If this isn't what you meant, sorry about that, and hopefully someone else can help.

 

[disneygal2007]

Do you mean the Desert Palms Hotel and Suites in Anaheim? If so, here are my comments from another recent thread:

We stayed there for only one night in October 2007 and didn't care for the hotel very much. The lobby was very attractive and clean which may have contributed some to the disappointment in our room. We had a standard room with two queen beds. We spent very little time in the room, mostly only to shower and sleep. The room wasn't dirty but didn't feel quite as clean as most hotel rooms I have stayed in. It also had a strange, musty odor. It was also very dark, even with the curtains open in the morning. We didn't use the breakfast room because it didn't open early enough to get to rope drop. The walk is only a little longer than the walk from Candy Cane Inn or Hojos, so probably just a bit more than 3/4 mile to Disneyland's gates I would guess. I haven't even considered this property again since I can usually get someplace I had more positive feelings about, i.e. Hojos, Candy Cane Inn, Tropicana, a little closer to the park at a tolerable price.

And here's the thread in case you'd like to see other people's comments as well:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2673527

If this isn't what you meant, sorry about that, and hopefully someone else can help.

It is and thank you

 

[blackjackdelta]

Why have you changed your mind so much, there are many places so much better than the Palms.

Jack

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Why have you changed your mind so much, there are many places so much better than the Palms.

Jack

I agree. What other places have been in the running?

 

[disneygal2007]

I changed allot because of reviews. And rates. IS there a better place you guys can suggest for a family in a budget?

 

[blackjackdelta]

Did I miss when you are going, for how many days and what your expectations are? We all have budgets(a very miss used word on the boards.). Many people will help but need some guidelines.

Jack

 

[disneygal2007]

We are going Aug 22 -26. There are 4 of us. It might be five of us if my father in law goes. I will have a 1,500 to 2,000 budget. We are buying the military ticket. We are driving down. I want a nice hotel because we are going to stay a extra few days at the hotel. Any advice?

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I changed allot because of reviews. And rates. IS there a better place you guys can suggest for a family in a budget?

Well, we're all on a budget; I think there's just a lot of difference from person to person what that budget is. Also, priorities vary. Our musts are walking distance, cleanliness, and tolerable price (which varies for us depending on a number of factors). Included breakfast, speedy Internet, Wi-Fi, and sometimes even space, are not our highest priorities.

Our family likes Hojo a lot. Looks like your trip is planned for late August, still summer season enough that deals may be harder to come by. Sounds like you might enjoy their kid suite if freeway noise doesn't bother you, but I don't know if they have availability of those for your dates. There are only 14 kid suites on the property I believe. Furthermore, the Hojo rates this far out are looking highish to me this year, but you will probably end up getting it a little cheaper ultimately if you book now and stay on top of the rates. If you're a person who likes to book and forget about it though, that won't work for you.

We have stayed at Tropicana, Fairfield, and Candy Cane Inn in standard rooms. Those are all nice motels. We like Candy Cane best, but the rooms can be small, so if space is really important to you, it may not be your best choice.

Popular choices on these boards that I haven't tried include Best Western Park Place Inn and Park Vue Inn. Those two hotels are as close to the parks as you can get.

Unfortunately, if you really need a suite with separate bedrooms, most of these won't suit your needs. I've read that Carousel and Desert Inn are walking-distance motels with suites, but I haven't tried either of these out. You can definitely find suites and even some decent prices on them the further away you get from the parks, but then you sacrifice walking distance. Personally, I hate being bothered with shuttles or parking, and I highly value the ability and freedom to walk back and forth to the parks.

So I guess I would recommend that you figure out the maximum you're willing to pay for the hotel, determine your list of priorities, and then work from there. You may have to make compromises to come up with something that works best with both budget and hotel room expectations.

 

[disneygal2007]

A suite isn't really important. I just wanted a place just in case my father in law did decide to come. But I really doubt that he will. I would love walking distance from the park. I will look around. It has been years since I went to DL so this is a little different the DW. I guess what is most important is how clean a place is. I would like to to serve Breakfast. But that's not a big deal at all. I can have the kids eat cereal and DH and I really only drink coffee in the morning. I will report back to what I find. Now I don't want the hotel we have booked. But to me one of the best parts is planning the trip. I guess that is the TA in me lol

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

A suite isn't really important. I just wanted a place just in case my father in law did decide to come. But I really doubt that he will. I would love walking distance from the park. I will look around. It has been years since I went to DL so this is a little different the DW. I guess what is most important is how clean a place is. I would like to to serve Breakfast. But that's not a big deal at all. I can have the kids eat cereal and DH and I really only drink coffee in the morning. I will report back to what I find. Now I don't want the hotel we have booked. But to me one of the best parts is planning the trip. I guess that is the TA in me lol

If a suite isn't all that important, I found regular room size and cleanliness fine at all the places I mentioned staying at, although, as I mentioned, the Candy Cane Inn to me feels like it has the smallest rooms. The Candy Cane has the nicest breakfast of these choices though since Hojo and Fairfield don't offer one and Tropicana's is very basic. My sons are cereal eaters too, so we usually bring breakfast-type food with us and save our food dollars for lunch and/or dinner at the resort. Since you're driving down, you can probably find some room in the car to pack some food to take with you.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Jack

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

It also looks like you may be going during the time the D23 convention is running and that will reduce your choices. Make a spread sheet and research your rates and availability so you can have all your choices in front of you.

Jack

I might be wrong, but I thought D23 was Aug. 19-21. I was doing research on dates to avoid in August as well. So Aug. 22 at least shouldn't hit the bulk of the convention crowds, but I can see how more rooms than usual might be booked still for those who stay a little longer after the convention.

 

[blackjackdelta]

I might be wrong, but I thought D23 was Aug. 19-21. I was doing research on dates to avoid in August as well. So Aug. 22 at least shouldn't hit the bulk of the convention crowds, but I can see how more rooms than usual might be booked still for those who stay a little longer after the convention.

::::::::::You are correct.........

 

[tinksdreamwishes]

just curious.... driving down from WA? how much did you plan for gas? Was the 2,000 for your budget including everything? Gas, food, tix and hotel? How much are you thinking for a hotel - for 4 nights, right? If you did 4 nights at a very close hotel to the park on Harbor, in Aug, I would think they will start at $120 a night and dont forget tax and some dont tell you about the parking fee. So most likely 4 nights will cost a little over $500. If you want nice- double it. Some places you might want to look at if you want lots of room- Sheraton Anaheim Resort- the one that looks like a castle- they have basic rooms at 500 sq ft. They had a recent sale of $150 a night for standard room. now its prolly back up to $180- $220. I stayed at Residence Inn in Garden Grove. Very spacious rooms! 2 bedroom suite was awesome and would be ideal if FIL goes. Its also cheaper then the Residence Inn Maingate. You might want to try Portofino Suites. Never stayed there- but looks nice. I believe the Best Western Park Place Inn- across the street has a Jr Suite- which has an extra room I think. But it costs more.
Honestly- I dont think your budget will be enough for a nice hotel, plus everything else. But Good Luck! Planning is one of the best parts!