Howard Johnson vs. Candy Cane Inn - help me choose!

[Carrie Gruber]

Taking my family to Disneyland for the first time and also to attend D23 Expo 2017 next July. I booked a room at Howard Johnson Anaheim, but I really wanted Candy Cane Inn. I called about a room but was told they won't have their July dates open until October. But I can book a room only reservation through the Disney website right now, so I'm debating whether I should:
1. Book the room through Disney and see if there's a discount for Disney Visa Card or D23 or AAA members.
2. Wait until October and try to book on my own.
3. Just stay where we're at because I got a pretty decent discount through my employee benefits program.

Has anyone stayed at either/both hotels and can offer advice? What did you like best? Was there anything you really disliked?

I like the CCI because it's close to the parks and the Convention Center and has its own shuttle to and from the parks, plus free breakfast. But the HJA looks like it's a great option for families with young kids, a cool pool area, and on site market. If we stayed there, we'd probably have to use ART to get to the Expo, but could walk easily to the parks.

Please help a Disneyland newbie!

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I love HOJO. I haven't stayed at CCI, so I can't speak on that one. To be fair, CCI is closer to the expo. But, HOJO is awesome. Beds are comfortable. Hotel is relatively quiet. Best view of Disneyland if you get a room with a view. The pirate water play area is my son's favorite part of our trips. He actually chooses that over more time at Disneyland. Oh, and free parking. The only downside to HOJO, except for distance to the expo, is that they don't have free breakfast. But, McDonalds and Panera are really close, so either is a good option.

 

[GoBears 1980]

I am not a fan of either one.

What kind of rate are you getting?

With 10 new hotels it'll be a chilly day in August before I book an old hotel again.

 

[Carrie Gruber]

I am not a fan of either one.

What kind of rate are you getting?

With 10 new hotels it'll be a chilly day in August before I book an old hotel again.

I got 20% off, brought it down to around $185 a night. Staying on site is out of our budget unless a good offer is released, I originally wanted Disneyland Hotel but I don't feel as pressured to stay in a Disney hotel like I would if we were visiting WDW.

Is there a newer hotel that you'd recommend in the same area?

 

[GoBears 1980]

Hyatt House Anaheim Resort Convention Center, SpringHill Suites Anaheim Resort Convention Center, Residence Inn Anaheim Resort Convention Center and further, but next to the Toy Story lot is the Homewood Suites Anaheim Resort Convention Center.

Look at this Map.

https://goo.gl/maps/9F52m54HsoD2

You can see the Candy Cane Inn and then the Hyatt House, SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn which are all at the intersection of Katella & Harbor.

 

[seth_r]

We got an amazing deal back in March for the new holiday inn. Amazing stay we had! This time around we booked at HOJO. If I could get a great deal at the holiday inn I would stay there again. Huge rooms, comfy beds, and the breakfast was good for it being continental. Plus the walk wasn't bad at all. But I have heard wonderful things about HOJO and am equally excited to stay there.

 

[GoBears 1980]

We got an amazing deal back in March for the new holiday inn. Amazing stay we had! This time around we booked at HOJO. If I could get a great deal at the holiday inn I would stay there again. Huge rooms, comfy beds, and the breakfast was good for it being continental. Plus the walk wasn't bad at all. But I have heard wonderful things about HOJO and am equally excited to stay there.

Can we assume you mean the new Holiday Inn Express behind the Courtyard Theme Park Entrance and across from HoJo's?

By the by, the same owner owns all three hotels, HIE, HoJo and CTPE.

 

[GenGen22]

The HoJo has really comfortable beds. The kids pool area is really cool and there is a hot tub where adults can relax while watching the kids play. They also have keurig coffee makers in the room as well. I've only stayed at HoJo once but highly recommend it. I've never stayed at CCI before so, I can't comment on this hotel.

 

[Kindermouse]

I havent stayed at HOJO, for me the walk is too far late at night and my kid already shaves so the water area wouldn't be a selling point for him. People on here usually say the beds are good and its quiet, which is good since a lot of harbor hotels are a bit noisy. For us its always a bit too expensive.

The Candy Cane Inn I can attest has good beds and the shuttle to the parks isnt bad at all-if you have the patience for a shuttle at all and part of what I love about DLR is that you dont have to be stuck with shuttle if you dont want to. CCI also has a good breakfast-theirs is better than many of the crummy ones on harbor. Keep in mid though I consider free breakfast a nice perk but not a necessary offering- there are many option for breakfast.

 

[smartlabelprint]

I got 20% off, brought it down to around $185 a night. Staying on site is out of our budget unless a good offer is released, I originally wanted Disneyland Hotel but I don't feel as pressured to stay in a Disney hotel like I would if we were visiting WDW.

Is there a newer hotel that you'd recommend in the same area?

That's a high rate. Find something else.

There are special rates through D23 I believe. You'd think they'd have a list of their hotels with convention rates on their site.

Otherwise we're staying at the Homewood suites for about that price. Includes breakfast & dinners m-th.

 

[smartlabelprint]

https://d23.com/d23-expo/things-to-know/#discountsoffers
Here's their hotel offers.

 

[GenGen22]

I got 20% off, brought it down to around $185 a night. Staying on site is out of our budget unless a good offer is released, I originally wanted Disneyland Hotel but I don't feel as pressured to stay in a Disney hotel like I would if we were visiting WDW.

Is there a newer hotel that you'd recommend in the same area?

I would also check getawaytoday.com as they usually have very good rates including 3rd & 4th night free deals.

 

[Astylla]

We've stayed HOJO first time recently at CCI before. For your needs I think CCI would be better due to proximity to expo but I do love HOJO and is my go to now as much as possible. Beds were wonderful, pool area was great and can easily walk to food and parks.

CCI is fine too , beds slightly more firm but they do offer a very good breakfast and the shuttle to the parks is nice. I don't think you can go wrong either way.

 

[seth_r]

Can we assume you mean the new Holiday Inn Express behind the Courtyard Theme Park Entrance and across from HoJo's?

By the by, the same owner owns all three hotels, HIE, HoJo and CTPE.

I believe that's the one. We would walk past HOJO every time coming and going to the park.

 

[Zbugz]

I've stayed at both the CCI and HoJo. I vastly prefer the beds, sheets and rooms at HoJo over CCI, but either is fine for a clean, safe place to stay near DL. CCI does offer $10 off per night for AAA.

 

[xlsm]

We stayed at HoJo in June and really liked it. The walk to the parks isn't bad at all, and we never felt unsafe. We had a car because we did other things in SoCal in between our 5 park days, and the location was great for that! The free parking and ease of getting in and out was invaluable.
There's no free breakfast if you're into that, but we did like that Panera was on the way. You could order it on the app and then pick it up on your way to the parks. So convenient!
Good luck making your decision! There are many good options

 

[ChloroformSdxn]

Haven't done CCI, but I liked HoJo. The water park was fun for the kids (especially when we first went and would do midday breaks.) Clean, friendly staff. The lobby is pretty interesting - the Anaheim HoJo is, I believe, the corporate flagship, so is generally better than your local HoJo.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

We love Hojo and have stayed there dozens of times. The grounds are attractive, the staff is wonderful, the rooms are very clean, and the place is usually quieter than a motel. If you have young kids who enjoy water, the pool and water play areas are fun. I always recommend Hojo and feel confident that you can have a very nice stay there. That being said, because you are also visiting D23, the Candy Cane Inn may be the better option for you. We have stayed there several times but not for over four years now. The Candy Cane Inn is also a pleasant property. The pool is tiny but attractive, and the rooms were clean. Staff was just ok in my experiences. The rooms are smaller at the Candy Cane, and the beds aren't nearly as comfortable to me. The parking lot is also tighter. Both hotels offer free parking, but only the Candy Cane has the free shuttle and continental breakfast. If it were me, I would still choose the Hojo because it is our go-to place, and we are very comfortable there, but since I haven't had any terrible experiences at Candy Cane Inn and you are wanting easy convention center access as well as proximity to the parks, Candy Cane might be better for you due to location. I guess you need to choose how the amenities rank for you in terms of importance: comfortable beds, room size, interior vs. exterior corridors, water features, included breakfast, location.

 

[goooof1]

We have always had great stays at Candy Cane. Comfy beds, lots of breakfast options (free), small (not "tiny") pool, free parking, dedicated shuttle (reliable)even though it is in easy walking distance, and good customer service.

 

[Carrie Gruber]

I just checked my reservation to see the room details and I've got a 2 Queen Bed Superior Room in Building 1 facing Disney with a refrigerator and microwave and free WiFi for $175.20/night (plus taxes). Regular average nightly rate is $219.00. From what I can see on CCI's website, the rates for July would be $189/night for the room type I'm looking for, but that's without knowing the AAA rate or if they offer a convention visitor discount. Has anyone stayed in the room type I currently have booked? I'm kind of leaning towards staying here now, because it would be sweet to be able to leave the parks at night and still catch a glimpse of the fireworks...not sure we'd be seeing anything if I switched to CCI.

Also, does anyone have experience with the ART buses? It seems like a pretty simple set up, just wondering how reliable they are. My plan, if we stay at HoJo, is to be out the door to catch the first bus at 6:15 to get down to the convention center.