Hotel within Walking Distance worth staying at for itself?

[AimKo]

Hi all

I am a WDW vet completely planning a trip to DRL on very short notice. I currently have a room booked at Ramanda Maingate for my family but am looking for other perhaps better options.

I'm not a complete hotel snob, but we do like mid-day breaks and our choice of hotels has always been more than a just looking for a place to sleep kind of thing.

NOTHING is available on-site for our dates.

Optimally, I would like a hotel that is in walking distance, has breakfast and is nice enough that even if we didn't do a park day, we could still enjoy it....this is especially so since I am actually going out for work and the family will probably have to content themselves with one day spent mostly at the hotel.

Are there any hotels that you would consider nice enough to stay at just for themselves. I'm seeing so many places reviewed as "its close and you only sleep there". I'm totally overwhelmed by how underwhelming the DLR hotels seem to be.

Thanks for any thoughts!
Aimee

 

[soma151]

That is where we stayed last time and was very happy. Really short walk to and from park. Nice pool for the kids…But this time we are thinking that water park Hotel( don't remember the name) but don't know how far it is to and from park. We have lots of little kids this time. And 5 days. We got a room with a hot tub in it? Don't know if all rooms have this? But it was nice to soak after a long day at the park. Every one was really nice and helpful.

 

[AimKo]

Anyone have any thoughts on Residence Inn Anaheim Maingate or Springhill?

 

[GoBears 1980]

What are your dates?

The Grand Californian is a tremendous hotel and remember, the only hotel built by Disney. The other two were acquired from the original owners, but I'd say they've done a great job at the DLH and a good job at PPH in Disneyfying the hotels.

If you are coming in August or later, the Courtyard Marriott Anaheim & Water Park should be open. It is across the street from Howard Johnson's, so easily walkable.

There are TWO Springhill Suites, Maingate and Anaheim Resort. Despite its name the Springhill Maingate is no where close to the main gate, avoid it. The Springhill Suites Anaheim Resort Convention Center (the complicated, long official name) is great. Probably my top pick right now off site. The Residence Inn Maingate is nice, much nicer than the Ramada, but even it pales next to the Springhill Suites.

 

[starshine514]

If your kids are younger, they'll probably like the water play area at the Hojo. Ramada Maingate ATP also has a small water play area, but Hojo's is bigger and more interesting. There is a new Marriot hotel opening sometime this summer, which looks to be nice - and have a very nice water area.

 

[GoBears 1980]

Are there any hotels that you would consider nice enough to stay at just for themselves. I'm seeing so many places reviewed as "its close and you only sleep there". I'm totally overwhelmed by how underwhelming the DLR hotels seem to be.

Maybe I misread this part, maybe you mean all the hotels in the DLR area. Usually "DLR hotels" refers only to the Disney owned properties. The hotels RIGHT AT main gate are underwhelming, but the Anaheim Hilton has a great pool area and is a great hotel. The Anaheim Marriott just across from it has a "nice" pool area and is a very good hotel.

Further down Harbor Blvd the Hyatt Regency is a very good hotel with a decent pool and across the street from it, the Wyndham, Marriott Suites and Sheraton are all nicer, newer places with okay pools, but none of these hotels are walkable, but they are closer by shuttle than most of the hotels onsite at WDW are to the Magic Kingdom unless you stay at one of the MK Deluxe hotels.

There is also a slew of new ones opening in the next 6-12 months including another Residence Inn, Homewood Suites, Hyatt House, Holiday Inn Express and the aforementioned Courtyard. Then there is the Great Wolf Lodge & Water Park coming, but not done until late 2016 the way it looks now.

 

[Zbugz]

We've spent a whole day at the HoJo before and been quite happy. They have one of the nicer pools right across from DL. It is an easy walk over to DTD or to GardenWalk, too.

 

[soma151]

So how would we find out about the new Hotels about to open> We are going Nov 30

 

[superlarz]

Look into the Anabella, has 2 nice pools and a bar and restaurant. Some people complain about the service there but I have never had an issue. About a 10 minute walk to the esplanade if you walk through the Grand Californian to get there.

 

[VandVsmama]

Hi all

I am a WDW vet completely planning a trip to DRL on very short notice. I currently have a room booked at Ramanda Maingate for my family but am looking for other perhaps better options.

I'm not a complete hotel snob, but we do like mid-day breaks and our choice of hotels has always been more than a just looking for a place to sleep kind of thing.

NOTHING is available on-site for our dates.

Optimally, I would like a hotel that is in walking distance, has breakfast and is nice enough that even if we didn't do a park day, we could still enjoy it....this is especially so since I am actually going out for work and the family will probably have to content themselves with one day spent mostly at the hotel.

Are there any hotels that you would consider nice enough to stay at just for themselves. I'm seeing so many places reviewed as "its close and you only sleep there". I'm totally overwhelmed by how underwhelming the DLR hotels seem to be.

Thanks for any thoughts!
Aimee

My random thoughts in no particular order:

1. What dates will you be there?
2. Who is in your family/travel group? What are your kids' ages?
3. What would "nice enough that even if we didn't do a park day, we could still enjoy it" mean for you & your family? For example, are you talking "full service hotel" with interior corridors, bell service & valet parking, on site restaurant & bar, spa, and pool? Or would "motel pool with a great pool & restaurants nearby w/in walking distance" suffice instead?

In my opinion, the only hotels at DLR that are nice enough to stay at just for themselves would be the DLH and the GCH.

Lots of folks on the DL board here at the DIS swear by Hojo's. They are known for great customer service. They don't charge for parking. And they gave a great water park/splash pad area for younger kids...plus a second pool on the grounds, too. There is no Mandara Spa-like place at Hojos, though. Nor is there a restaurant on site, but there ARE restaurants close by w/in a short walking distance.

A new Marriott Courtyard is being built practically next door to Hojo's that's supposed to be open for business later this year. Rates at that place appear to be running just a smidge less expensive than the PPH. From reports on the Orange County Register's news website, it sounds like it's going to have an awesome water park with water slides & fun pools.

DTD is also a great place to go and hang out and kill some time. There are often music groups performing on the outdoor stage in the evening. And there's a huge movie theater there, too. It's a fun place to go and people watch.

 

[chickapin parterre]

The RIAM is the best walking distance if you want more than four walls. Beautiful landscape. hot tubs thru out the complex. Units are in quads and scattered about. BBQ patio. Tennis and basketball. Pool is not so great for adults. The big plus- no elevators, no stairs, no walk ways, isolated from noise from the park and 100s walking by. Great food down the street. When wife travels with me, this is the only place she will stay.

 

[bumbershoot]

Anabella all the way.

The walk is a funky one; you cross Katella and go up Disneyland Drive. This brings you on a very pretty and winding path past Paradise Pier Hotel, then you turn right and go on in the Grand. Follow the path through the Grand following the signs to Downtown Disney. Turn right into DTD and go to the bag check and esplanade!

Pretty grounds, nice people, nice pool...I've never had a bad experience there (apart from DS getting bellysick there, but that wasn't their fault, and they were very lovely about it when we had to extend our stay because I wasn't taking my sick and virus-laden kid onto a plane).

 

[JadeDarkstar]

Maybe I am just low scale and don't mind not being in 5 star but we will have a day off at the BWPPI right across the street from Disney and we will have the first day there too. We don't mind sitting around hitting DTD, watching some tv (surprisingly we normally find a new Disney show we like. dog with a blog and girl meets world was last nov and we still watch them here at home sometimes. There just funny. We also just relax before the next day at Disney. We are going dec 1st unless nov 30th comes up with cheap flight. for my bday and a Christmas mix trip. We may look at another hotel but right now not sure we need too.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

Oh and while I read this I remembered something. We had never been interested in cars and never wanted to rent it. One days at dl it was on tv and we sat back after a park day and watched it. We liked it so much and would have never watched it with out finding it on tv sitting in the hotel room. This was before cars land.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

If you're going after August, I'd recommend the new Courtyard going in right across Harbor from Disneyland. They will have water slides. Of course, if it's winter then it's not ideal, but it looks like it will be a very nice hotel.

I'm assuming by being underwhelmed with DLR hotels, you're talking about the off-site hotels. The onsite ones are actually beautiful. Even if you don't stay onsite, you can always still hang out at one of the hotels for a character breakfast, or just to explore. DTD is also a good way to spend a day if not going to either park. Disneyland doesn't have that many onsite hotels compared to WDW, but keep in mind the purpose of buying all that land in FL was to avoid the limitations of the city surrounding everything. Off-site makes a lot more sense at DL because you can literally be right across the street from all of the action. The only other hotel I can think of that might suit your requirement of keeping you occupied for an entire day would be the new Great Wolf going in, but it will be quite a distance and you'd probably want to rent a car and drive. Also, it's not opening until 2016.

What are your dates? I'm surprised the onsite hotels have nothing as most of the time, I've found a deal relatively last minute.

 

[GoBears 1980]

So how would we find out about the new Hotels about to open> We are going Nov 30

You just have to pay attention to the hotel websites.

Here is the Courtyard Anaheim Hotel & Waterpark. I believe it is the same ownership as Howard Johnson's (which by the way has a water "play" area, not a water park, it is nice for like 9 and under). They should be open in July.

Here is the Holiday Inn Express & Suites. They should be open in August.

Here is the Hyatt House Anaheim Resort. Opening in December 2015.

I can't find the Homewood Suites website, but it is right next to the Toy Story Lot, opening in November. It is NOT the one in Garden Grove. Some more info below.

http://anaheimoc.org/partners/17081/homewood-suites-by-hilton-anaheim-resort-convention-center

Here is the Great Wolf Lodge. No opening date, but not in 2015 for sure.

The three hotels at the GardenWalk haven't started yet. The new Marriott Residence Inn is about halfway done, it is 2016 sometime.

The Springhill Suites at Katella & Harbor is open, so is the Hyatt Place.

 

[nancy drew]

You just have to pay attention to the hotel websites.

Here is the Courtyard Anaheim Hotel & Waterpark. I believe it is the same ownership as Howard Johnson's (which by the way has a water "play" area, not a water park, it is nice for like 9 and under). They should be open in July.

Here is the Holiday Inn Express & Suites. They should be open in August.

Here is the Hyatt House Anaheim Resort. Opening in December 2015.

I can't find the Homewood Suites website, but it is right next to the Toy Story Lot, opening in November. It is NOT the one in Garden Grove. Some more info below.

http://anaheimoc.org/partners/17081/homewood-suites-by-hilton-anaheim-resort-convention-center

Here is the Great Wolf Lodge. No opening date, but not in 2015 for sure.

The three hotels at the GardenWalk haven't started yet. The new Marriott Residence Inn is about halfway done, it is 2016 sometime.

The Springhill Suites at Katella & Harbor is open, so is the Hyatt Place.

The Courtyard is opening August 25, according to their Facebook page.

 

[GoBears 1980]

The Courtyard is opening August 25, according to their Facebook page.

That must be killing them..... they had hoped for mid-June at one time.

 

[elaine amj]

It's killing me - I rearranged my trip in the hopes of booking a mid July stay. Oh well. The waterpark, the rooms..all sounds fab.

 

[soma151]

Thanks go bears the Courtyard is just what we are looking for…and i just booked it for Nov 30 Dec 10…4 rooms with view $1586 each