Hotels on Katella, hard to get to the parks?

[ravenscroft1999]

Me and the Dw, usually WDW commandos decided to go to the original Disney park instead. We got a package deal with the desert palms hotel on Katella. I know it's relatively close, but is it hard to get to the parks from there? Just wondering if they participate in the park shuttle, or would a short cab ride be more in order? your opinions always are a help

 

[HydroGuy]

Me and the Dw, usually WDW commandos decided to go to the original Disney park instead. We got a package deal with the desert palms hotel on Katella. I know it's relatively close, but is it hard to get to the parks from there? Just wondering if they participate in the park shuttle, or would a short cab ride be more in order? your opinions always are a help

From this map www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap.html I cannot even see Desert Palms. I do not know how hard it is to get to the parks from that hotel, however since I cannot see it it would appear to not be within walking distance.

IMO, one of the very cool things about DLR as compared to WDW are the hotels within easy walking distance. When you can walk, you just have so much flexibility, and do not waste time parking, on buses, trams, etc., which can really add up. It is much easier to get to the parks for rope drop, easier to take afternoon breaks, etc.

In any case, if you are too far to walk, one of the things I would definitely not do is drive to DLR. It is much better to get a $10 taxi that will drop you off right at the DLR gates. If the hotel has a shuttle that is convenient, then of course you can use that but be careful not to allow too much time to be wasted on irregular shuttles. With the amount of money spent on a DLR visit, a $10 taxi here and there is a smart thing to do to avoid wasted time and being late in the morning.

So there is my two cents. Have a great trip. There are some more hotel type links in this thread that you might find useful: "HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862

 

[DangerMouse]

Me and the Dw, usually WDW commandos decided to go to the original Disney park instead. We got a package deal with the desert palms hotel on Katella. I know it's relatively close, but is it hard to get to the parks from there? Just wondering if they participate in the park shuttle, or would a short cab ride be more in order? your opinions always are a help

Desert Palms is on this map (it's kind of burried below the Candy Cane name):

http://www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap.html

But you can see how far of a walk it is. I would guess it's about a 15 minute walk to the esplanade. Not impossible, but not fun at the end of a long day when your feet feel like they weigh 50 lbs each. I'm sure Desert Palms is on the ART route. Just check with the front desk.

 

[familyoffiveAZ]

Try this map: http://www.accommodationsneardisney.com/default.asp

Looks to be within walking distance, according to the maker of that website anyway.

 

[jlmarr]

From that location it's easy to walk west on Katella and into the Timon parking lot and catch the tram from there.

 

[DangerMouse]

From that location it's easy to walk west on Katella and into the Timon parking lot and catch the tram from there.

Timon parking lot and trams are not always open and running, usually only during busy periods.

 

[HydroGuy]

Desert Palms is on this map (it's kind of burried below the Candy Cane name):

http://www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap.html

But you can see how far of a walk it is. I would guess it's about a 15 minute walk to the esplanade. Not impossible, but not fun at the end of a long day when your feet feel like they weigh 50 lbs each. I'm sure Desert Palms is on the ART route. Just check with the front desk.

Ahhh, THERE it is! Thanks. I agree with others it is walkable, although a bit of a hike.

 

[HydroGuy]

Timon parking lot and trams are not always open and running, usually only during busy periods.

Good point. There are rumors that Timon is going away soon.

 

[ravenscroft1999]

Thanks for the info, folks. We've got a better idea now. If this was WDW, I could come up with 4 different ways to get from anywhere to the parks. We are DL newbs, though.

 

[nemofanatic]

bump

 

[Vanvmom]

We've stayed there before (and will again this next weekend). Nice place, the walk was fine for us (about 15 minutes). From the top of the hotel (where you eat breakfast), you have a nice view into CA Adventure (and a nice view of the back side of Tower of Terror).

 

[Disneyenthusiast]

We walked back to Candy Cane Inn one night. For adults, it's no big deal. With little kids and no stroller, I would not suggest it.

 

[Vanvmom]

We just spent the weekend at the Desert Palms and the walk was fine for us. We did both routes- walk along Harbor, and Katella walking entrance into Timon Lot. The walk along Harbor was actually faster, but at least we can now say we've done it both ways.

BTW...Our room at the Desert Palms was nice too - it was like a small suite (yet we'd only booked a regular room).

 

[wdwprincess03]

I'm here at Dessert Palms right now. My fiance and I are on our second time here. I would say just walk it. I have no trouble walking it, and I don't walk at home. It's a really nice place! Their boiler broke but they were quick to fix the problem. You also get 10% off at Denny's. We are WDW vets, so it's very different. I'd say the length is about the same distance from Mexico to Canada, if that helps at all. You can use the shuttle, but it's a lot quicker just to walk.

It's a lot different out here than our home "wdw" but it's really neat, you'll love it! If you have any questions about the differences, just give me a buzz.