Hotels with Dedicated Shuttles-Know Any? Thoughts Appreciated!

[mrswh]

Check out the Hyatt OC. It is about a mile up Harbor so you would not want to walk to the parks, but it has a shuttle that runs reliably every 30 minutes. (And the Hyatt is the first pickup, so you don't get the wave and drive-by if it's full!) They have several suite options - kids suite with bunk beds + king room, or 2 bedroom suite with king + 2 queens, plus a living room in between with a queen sofa sleeper. The 2 BR suite has 2 bathrooms and 3 TVs. There is a full service Starbucks in the lobby as well as Pizza Hut and they also sell sandwiches, cereal, etc. Lunch & dinner are free for kids in the hotel restaurant, which is pretty nice. The hotel is beautiful, recently underwent a massive renovation, and service is wonderful. There is a Target right across the street which is super convenient to load up on snacks, bottled water, etc. We have stayed there several times and love it. My first vote would be for the GC, purely for the convenience (I actually think the Hyatt is a nicer hotel), but that would be quite pricey for your group!

Whatever you do, have fun!

 

[DebbieB]

One of my friends mentioned she read a tripadvisor report that said there is a $4 per person shuttle fee, per day - is this true?

I stayed there last December, you do have to buy a ticket and I think $4 per day is correct. I was not on a package, I used hilton honors points. They also have a "tip basket" for the driver.

The shuttle isn't exactly "dedicated". We also stopped at Crown Plaza, Sheraton and sometimes Hyatt.

It was prompt, it left the hotel at certain times and left DL at certain times (can't remember the times) and it was always on time.

 

[ducky_love]

Please note that I've read on the forum people complaining about the free meals. It isn't filet and lobster but it was perfect for my family.

The breakfast included eggs, hashbrowns, meat (changed each day between ham, sausage, bacon), waffles, bagels, toast, muffins, oatmeal and cold cereal. They also had coffee, tea, cocoa, juice, milk and soda. I may have missed something. I didn't think the eggs were fabulous but they were what I would expect at a hotel (ie: powdered eggs). I put a little salsa and cheese on them and they tasted just fine.

The dinners were perfect for us because we went back to the hotel in the afternoon for naps. When the kids woke up we would go down and eat and then get on the shuttle. The way I looked at it was that if we got a little snack in our stomachs then we wouldn't have to spend as much in the park. My kids aren't picky and never turn down spaghetti, hot dogs and basic foods. Then when we were hungry we enjoyed something sweet at the park.

Good luck and have fun planning.

I was the person IheartMickey posted that response to a couple months ago and we LOVED our stay at the Homewood!! We enjoyed every meal there, the rooms was comfortable and VERY roomy, clean, quiet, it was just everything we could have asked for.

The shuttle is $4 for a one day pass but you can also buy discounted passes for 3 or 5 days. The 5 day pass was only $12.

 

[JeannieNM]

We just returned from the Sheraton Anaheim last night. They have a dedicated shuttle that is very reliable and runs every 30 minutes. There were 14 of us on different schedules and it worked out fine. We usually stay at the GCH it was sold out for our stay and the Sheraton worked out well. We had 4 rooms: 1- king wheelchair accessible with a roll in shower, a set of 2 connecting 2 queen rooms, and a 2 bedroom suite with 1 king bedroom, 1-2 queen room, 2 bathrooms and a living room (birthday package which includes parking, breakfast and little cake). The rooms were very spacious and the bathrooms were tiny. The hall carpet is old but the rooms were fine and comfortable. We did not use the pool or other facilities.
For us the shuttle was not problem and we never waited more then 5 minutes.

Jean

 

[Crashdown]

We just got back from a weekend trip and stayed at the Double Tree Anaheim/Orange County. There are two Double Trees close to DisneyLand and this is the one further away that is too far to walk. I'm used to staying at the Grand Californian or so close you could walk. But the hotel and shuttle were awesome. It ran once Thirty minutes before park Opening then every hour but switches to every thirty minutes toward park opening and last pick up 15 minutes after park closing. The drivers were super friendly and the shuttle was free. The hotel was nice, except in my opinon, time to refurb the carpet as the floor felt "dusty". Being a theme park commando and in favor of being self reliant as possible, I am now a fan of 'the shuttle'.

 

[skiingfast]

I stayed there last December, you do have to buy a ticket and I think $4 per day is correct. I was not on a package, I used hilton honors points. They also have a "tip basket" for the driver.

The shuttle isn't exactly "dedicated". We also stopped at Crown Plaza, Sheraton and sometimes Hyatt.

The shuttle is $4 for a one day pass but you can also buy discounted passes for 3 or 5 days. The 5 day pass was only $12.

These shuttles that are being described, are ART, not just these two posts but others as well. There are ART routes that just service the three location near the Convention Center. And others that just go to a few places down Harbor. The ART fleet isn't all one type or pattern, it come in different size vehicles and colors which often add to the confusion. Also just because you do or don't pay is not a great identifier anyway, some hotels charge you in your rate to include this service. Kind of like the free fireworks at DL, you didn't get in the park for free.

ART isn't evil by any means, but it being a shuttle service, that takes time.

 

[ducky_love]

These shuttles that are being described, are ART, not just these two posts but others as well. There are ART routes that just service the three location near the Convention Center. And others that just go to a few places down Harbor. The ART fleet isn't all one type or pattern, it come in different size vehicles and colors which often add to the confusion. Also just because you do or don't pay is not a great identifier anyway, some hotels charge you in your rate to include this service. Kind of like the free fireworks at DL, you didn't get in the park for free.

ART isn't evil by any means, but it being a shuttle service, that takes time.

Nope- Homewood was operated by another company. I could pull our shuttle passes. ART doesn't stop at the Homewood. (but it does stop at the Marriott next door if you'd like to ride ART)

Here is what the pass looks like:

 

[motor58]

Thanks everybody, I really like looks of the hyatt and homewood online. Although the hojo sounds amazing and is my first choice if the walk is decent. I went back and re-read the hojo tips post and found all the people who said it took 15 (and someone said even 20!) minutes to walk from the hotel to the gate. I think I will do another question and poll the dis-ers and see what the range is and maybe find out why some people take so long? Anyway, thanks for all the hotel names and ART info, even though it sure is confusing isn't it?