hows the walk from hojo with 3 yr old ?

[bluegrizzlies1]

Im not bringing my own stroller just renting one with disney rewards card for free.

I have booked the desert inn and the hojo but Im concerned about the walk from hojo with a 3 yr old ?

Im looking for what you guys would do?

 

[JadeDarkstar]

take a stroler my 6 year old still will use it. I was booked desert inn too but hojo just works out.

 

[DangerMouse]

I would bring a cheapy umbrella stroller and then exchange it for a free disney visa stroller for around the parks. They will hold on to your umbrella stroller for you. That way you can save your back on the walk back from the parks.

 

[sportbettor]

We stayed there once and did the walk once and it was too far, especially after walking around the park all day. After that we took the ART. There is a stop right in front of the hotel. If your room is in the main building there is a semi-hidden door to the left as you exit the elevators that puts you out in the parking lot right by the ART stop.

 

[avalon451]

I agree with DangerMouse. Bring a cheap umbrella stroller; they're easy to fold up and gate check at the airport if you're driving. You can get one for 10 bucks at Walmart or places like that, or a thrift store for less.

Use it just to get to the gates. Be sure and cross Harbor first at Manchester, and walk down the west side of Harbor which is relatively deserted. Go in by the taxi entrance. You save several minutes that way and stay out of the crowds.

When you get in the parks and pick up your stroller, they will hold your umbrella for your there. The DL strollers are big and comfy joggers with a nice sized bin underneath for your stuff, and a sun canopy. Tie a ribbon or bandana on the handle so you can pick it out of the crowd of strollers quickly, when you have to park it outside a ride. If you leave the parks for a midday break, when you come back in you can pick up a deserted stroller right by the security tables where everybody leaves them, so you don't have to go wait and get one handed out to you again. Then put your umbrella back over in the stroller parking area by the rental place on your way in.

The other upside of this is if you are flying, it's nice to have that stroller to get around the airport in, especially in the case of long concourses!

 

[Amy&Dan]

I agree with everyone else. That walk isn't that big of a deal excpet at night. At that point, even getting across the street to one of the motels on Harbor can be tough for a toddler! If you don't want to bring the stroller on the plane, there is a target right up the street from the Hojo.

 

[DTDkettleCORNfan]

I didn't know they would hold an umbrella stroller for you at the stroller rental place in DL, but that is a WONDERFUL idea! We would have to had carried my kids all the way back to Hojo's when they were 3....and that is a long walk with a heavy load. I think there is a gift shop on Harbor near the DL entrance that sells unbrella strollers.....I will try to find out where I read that.

 

[BlueBayou]

I have stayed at both motels you are talking about. We used our double stroller at both.

Last year was our first trip where we did not take the stroller (Our girls were 7 and 4 at the time). We were staying at the Camelot - formerly Park Inn International. It is right across the street on Harbor too.

Without the kids in a stroller it does take longer to get to the esplanade. They stop to look at flowers and find even the poles interesting. I think we only rented a stroller one night. It was way past my youngest daughter's bedtime - and my husband had my oldest were staying late to try and ride Nemo (it has recently opened and the lines were long)

My husband is willing to put kids on his shoulders and our kids are small. We have the cutest picture of my husband at the Desert Inn walking back (you can see the park in the background) with my daughter asleep and drooling on his head.

I would highly recommend an umbrella stroller like the other posters suggested. I am very happy that our taking the stroller days are over - but my youngest is a very physical and active child. If my children's birth order was switched - we would still be taking a stroller.

Also since the kids have been to Disneyland every year since they were born - they know what to expect and are old enough to make some decisions. I recall on the last trip after seeing Muppets 3D at DCA my youngest wanted to head over to ride Pooh, all the way at the back end of Disneyland. My husband and I had each taken a kid and were letting the kids pick what they wanted to ride. When I reminded her of how far of a walk it would be - and that we would have to walk back to the motel later - she made a decision of a ride that was closer.

Have a fun trip! Three is such a cute age to experience Disney magic.

 

[dalepool]

I would bring a small folding stroller. "Cheap but easy to push". Maybe you can set up a stroller switch with another Disser. You are gonna so need that stroller at the end of the day. Remember little ones take about 3 steps to our adult steps. Airlines still carry strollers fior free and it does not count as a checked luggage.

Have a fun trip

 

[bumbershoot]

My back is still recovering from carrying my 3 year old back to the hotel each evening. Now it was the Anabella, which is a little bit further away than HoJo, but I would have had a hard time with HoJo too.

And since MOST of the walk is actually just leaving the parks, it hardly matters if you're staying at Carousel or HoJo. There's the way out of the park, through the esplanade, and the long walk to Harbor and the crosswalk...from the crosswalk to HoJo is only about 5 minutes from my "timestamped photo walk", so for me it isn't HoJo, it's getting to Harbor that's the biggest painful problem!

 

[MATTERHORN]

I agree, bring a stroller!! You may even want it for DTD at night, and you cannot take park strollers over there at all!! HOJO will be a long walk without one, I usually stay there and have three kiddos and I would not go without my double!

Andrea

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

I can pack her to the desert inn I have done it in march and may Im just not sure how much farther the hojo is ?

I know you go over the crosswalk and make a left and it is down the road a little ways, I think you have to cross a street to get to the hotel ?


If it is that much trouble maybe I will just stay at the desert inn it is 59 bucks a night except thur night is 109.00. It would have been 59 a night when I booked but we were leaving on thur instead of friday but we want to do mickey mouse trick or treat so I had to extend our stay.

 

[DangerMouse]

I can pack her to the desert inn I have done it in march and may Im just not sure how much farther the hojo is ?

I know you go over the crosswalk and make a left and it is down the road a little ways, I think you have to cross a street to get to the hotel ?


If it is that much trouble maybe I will just stay at the desert inn it is 59 bucks a night except thur night is 109.00. It would have been 59 a night when I booked but we were leaving on thur instead of friday but we want to do mickey mouse trick or treat so I had to extend our stay.

It's about 5 more minutes but you really shouldn't cross harbor at the tram entrance light. It will be much shorter if you walk down the west side of Harbor and cross at Manchester. . .

I guess it depends on how heavy your 3 year old is, how strong your back/legs are, how much of a pain you think it is to bring along an umbrella stroller, and how much you really want to try out the HoJo. If you haven't been convinced by all the trip reports and strong recommendations about their deluxe ammenities, then stick with the DI.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

I wouldn't do it without some kind of stroller. Some nights *I* wouldn't have minded being pushed back to the hotel!

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

Im convienced it is a better hotel Im thinking about my back lol. the umberella stroller just something else to have to worry about.

Is mimi on the way to hojo never tried I think I will this time ?

We have a mimi here in utah but I have never been to it.

I did ask hojo since I check out on friday can I leave my car parked there all day cause my plane does not leave till 7pm they said yes which is nice.

 

[macfam5]

Im convienced it is a better hotel Im thinking about my back lol. the umberella stroller just something else to have to worry about.

Is mimi on the way to hojo never tried I think I will this time ?

We have a mimi here in utah but I have never been to it.

I did ask hojo since I check out on friday can I leave my car parked there all day cause my plane does not leave till 7pm they said yes which is nice.

I am with the majority, I would bring my own stroller....It would be way more easier than switching strollers at the parks and even waiting in line just to get a stroller for that matter. Even if I was getting a free rental, I think just the walk there and back would make me want my own stroller for that.

We stayed at the Hojo in February and our youngest is 3. She always hopped in the stroller and off we went. No waiting in lines at the park to rent one.

Mimi's is right next to the Hojo, we ate there quite a bit and we all loved it.There was a total of 9 of us, and no one had any complaints about that restaurant!

Hope this helps and have a fantasic trip...

 

[KCmike]

My personal recommendation is to NOT use the ART. Stop times were infrequent and we found it not to be worth the money.

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

I wouldnt use ART take to long to walk 10 minutes wait longer and loading and unloading then just walking it.

 

[jory29]

it's getting to Harbor that's the biggest painful problem!

I hear you, I hear you!! My feet were very swollen, and they had blisters one DL visit, so the next time we went to DL, I wore NON cotton socks, AND even used an Avon anti-blister cream. Excellent, SURE...

Fast forward now to 8 mos. after our last trip... my 2 large toenails had literally bruised up so badly on our last trip, (Me thinks my shoes were uh, a tad too small what with my bulky non-cotton socks, heh heh), that finally now, as the bruised area has grown out, they (my toenails) have decided to retire.

So...I will be going to DL again one day with poor, broken, ugly toenails. But yeah, it was worth the trip. Really, really worth it!!

If anyone have some good foot tips - I would sure appreciate it.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

Great tip on stroller parking--I didn't know they did that! We'll take an umbrella stroller for our trip next month, even though we're staying right across the street (BW Park Place)--my 21 month old is a squirmer--and trade it in. Love the Disneyland strollers!
We stayed at HoJo right before my son turned 3. The walk back took a few extra minutes--about 15 instead of 10. I carried my son and my husband carried my infant daughter (not really fair weight-wise, but son wanted Mommy.) The walk was hard, but I was very happy we stayed at a motel within walking distance instead of having to wait in line for a shuttle.