Hyatt Regency Garden Grove or Doubletree Suites

[tndislvr]

We are planning our first trip to DLR in May. While we'd love to stay (and I'd actually prefer) to stay on property we just can't justify the prices for rooms on site. We have narrowed down our choices to Hyatt Regency Garden Grove (in a suite) or Doubletree Suites. There are 4 of us so the extra space in the suite is a necessity. My question is which should we choose? Here are the pros for each:

Hyatt: free shuttle to parks, kids eat free, recently renovated suites, reasonably priced

Doubletree: hot breakfast daily, kids eat free lunch/dinner, suite, reasonably priced

The negative to the Doubletree would be we would have to use the ART system which I have read can be unreliable. The Hyatt shuttle is only for the Hyatt so should be a bit more dependable. The Hyatt is a little more expensive. We are leaning toward Doubletree because of the breakfast and little lower price. However, the Hyatt gets great reviews.

We don't know the area or anything about either.

HELP!

 

[HydroGuy]

We are planning our first trip to DLR in May. While we'd love to stay (and I'd actually prefer) to stay on property we just can't justify the prices for rooms on site. We have narrowed down our choices to Hyatt Regency Garden Grove (in a suite) or Doubletree Suites. There are 4 of us so the extra space in the suite is a necessity. My question is which should we choose? Here are the pros for each:

Hyatt: free shuttle to parks, kids eat free, recently renovated suites, reasonably priced

Doubletree: hot breakfast daily, kids eat free lunch/dinner, suite, reasonably priced

The negative to the Doubletree would be we would have to use the ART system which I have read can be unreliable. The Hyatt shuttle is only for the Hyatt so should be a bit more dependable. The Hyatt is a little more expensive. We are leaning toward Doubletree because of the breakfast and little lower price. However, the Hyatt gets great reviews.

We don't know the area or anything about either.

HELP!

There are at least two Doubletree's near DLR and it is not clear which one you are talking about. The Doubletree Anaheim/Orange County I stayed at in 2009 and it did have its own dedicated shuttled to DLR. Personally I would not have chosen to stay there because of the distance to DLR but was chaperoning a middle school jazz band competition and it was dictated by the organization. In any case the hotel and shuttle worked fine for us. They had a shuttle schedule and they stuck to it. It was hourly.

Regarding the Hyatt, you are unlikely to get much support from folks around here to stay in Garden Grove if your primary purpose is to visit DLR. Is it?

My two cents here...do with it whatever you want. I have heard way, way too many stories about folks visiting DLR who chose a hotel too far away from DLR and while the hotel might have been nice - the location detracted from their Disney experience. There are hotels with suites closer to DLR from which you can walk to DLR or more easily get to DLR. For example, Residence Inn has suites with kitchens that are about 3/4 mile from the DLR gates.

Whatever you do, don't drive to the parks! Too much wasted time.

If you want to research this further there are hotel links here:

* DLR Info/Links - Maps, Hotels, DISer Reviews, Hydroguy's tips, NEWBIE INFO here!

"HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862

 

[usnuzuloose]

Garden Grove is out of the way. There are plenty of hotels all around DL in walking distance. Check out the pp thread for the hotels. You will be much happier staying near by.

 

[tndislvr]

Thanks for the feedback! I think Doubletree Suites on South Harbor is off our list due to the fact I called and would definitely have to use the ART system to get to the park.

I called the Hyatt and they have a dedicated shuttle that supposedly runs every 20 minutes. Still, I don't want to spend an hour a day getting to and then another hour getting back from the parks.

Has anyone stayed at HoJo? Is it truly walkable with two small children? I have read a lot of positive reviews and my kids would love the little water park.

Perhaps we need to rethink staying on site. I read on the boards last night that we can use our WDW tickets at DLR. I didn't know this and we still have at least 3 or 4 days on our no expiration tickets from WDW. Since we won't need tickets maybe that money would be better spent on an on site hotel. Plus I really want to feel the Disney immersion. I love the feel at WDW of driving under the arch and being in a whole new world!

 

[01spirit750]

we have stayed at both:

We just returned from a week at the Hyatt. We liked the hotel and the shuttle was very prompt and always ontime. We did have a few small glitches but the hotel stay was great and took good care of us. We got an executive suit for 5 nights for less then the price of two nights at the Grand.
Actually the Hyatt shuttle picks up at the Hyatt first and then goes across the street to the Crown? hotel to pickup guests, then directly to the parks.

The issue with taking any shuttle service (ART or a private hotel shuttle) is that at closing time there will be a mass of people.

A few years ago we stayed at the Doubletree and liked it a lot. We used ART and had issues that we never knew when or if ART would actually come. We were left waiting for over 60 minutes one evening at the shuttle pickup (at the park) and our shuttle never showed.

The doubletree is definitely closer and you could walk if you had too, but at the end of the day when you are tired it might be too much.

On this last trip we decided that we would stay onsite (or as my wife would say, The Grand) just because we prefer not to rely on shuttles.

 

[Zoemakes5]

Has anyone stayed at HoJo? Is it truly walkable with two small children? I have read a lot of positive reviews and my kids would love the little water park.

I honestly think HoJo's is great! Especially if your kids are little. My DD still enjoys that water park area and she's 9. The walk should be just fine. We've done it a number of times, and have had no trouble going back during the day.
First time we stayed there, DD was 5. The best thing about HoJo's, IMHO is the large sized rooms. Very comfortable. We like trying to get into bldg 1 in the premium view rooms and we've sat and watched the fireworks from the balcony on more than one occasion. I also like their large jacuzzi (though it's always packed!)

I was just at the Target across the street from the hotels you've talked about and they look like really nice hotels. If I were going to balance small kids and going back and forth to there vs. staying onsite or in a hotel across the street from the DLR entrance, I'd definitely stay closer. It will seem like a major production to get back to the hotel.

 

[tndislvr]

Thank you so much for the feedback! I really think we'd be happier closer to the parks. We aren't the type who go back to our room in the middle of the day so that isn't a factor. However, at the end of a long day I don't want to spend an hour or more just trying to get back to our hotel. I think we may check out HoJo. I'm also crossing my fingers that some sort of summer deal will be released in the next week or so for on site hotels. We took advantage of a 40% room only discount at WDW last year and I am now spoiled to on site properties. There is just something about it that is so special!

 

[wrldtravlr345]

We stayed at the Doubletree and loved it! The rooms are nice and spacious and rather spend my money on a nicer hotel a little farther from the park than one close by to the park that is closer to the Freeway and Disneyland traffic. I loved the suites at Doubletree and that it was so quiet.

It look us 20 mins to walk to the gate at Disney and it was a refreshing walk every morning and we also always walked back from DLR every time - 20 mins is nothing to us...we took the shuttle once. I'm glad we had our stroller for our 5 yr old though.

I would definitely go back to Doubletree. The breakfast was great and cheaper than eating at the IHOP!