I need help choosing between Peacock & Anaheim Plaza

[imjen]

I'm hoping someone can help me make a decision. We have reservations at Peacock Suites and Anaheim Plaza for next week and can't decide which one to cancel. From the research I've done, it seems the rooms and beds are a little nicer at Peacock Suites and they provide breakfast and free wireless internet. However, we would have to use the ART or drive and I'm not sure if we'll get to the park 30 min. before opening using the ART. Does anyone know? Also, it looks like there are 3 or 4 stops before ours on the way back to the hotel, which could be a pain.

Which hotel would you choose and why? If you've stayed at Anaheim Plaza, how were the beds and room cleanliness? Thanks!!

Oh, and we chose those two hotels because of budget... we were hoping to try HOJO's entertainment rate but it never came out for our dates. :-(

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I would go with the Anaheim Plaza because of the location. I was just at DL 2 weeks ago and took note of the location of all the hotels on Harbor. Anaheim Plaza looked like a very manageable walk. The hotel looked a little older, but seemed to be in good shape. Have fun on your trip!

 

[spacemermaid]

I've not stayed at the Peacock Suites, but I've stayed at the Anaheim Plaza many times. I always found it to be clean, especially compared to some of the other hotels in the area that are in the same price range. I'm going to be honest and say that the beds aren't very comfortable, they're kind of hard, but I'm biased as I'm used to sleeping on a Memory Foam mattress at home (bad neck/back after being in a car accident a couple years back...so others might find the beds at AP to be comfortable???). The rooms are nothing fancy, but they are pretty big. Many of the rooms have either a fenced "yard" (lower level) or a balcony that has a small table and a couple of chairs (upper level). The pool is HUGE & there is also a hot tub. The walk to the Park is about 10 minutes.

Have fun on your trip!

 

[pixiewings71]

Well the Peacock is our timeshare so we stay there regularly. The rooms are decent but nothing spectacular, beds are comfy and the staff is usually very nice. The Peacock has a mandatory $8 per day valet fee, you HAVE to pay it, the valets have to park your vehicle and retrieve it for you and the one time I needed to grab my sunglasses and did so before we caught ART the valets FREAKED out on me. I just grabbed something from the front seat area but they acted like I was stealing my own car. Apparently they were worried about me damaging someone else's car and they wanted to pull mine all the way out so I get my glasses. I told them that was ridiculous but I understood their point and showed them that I did not even touch the car next to me, I actually used the sliding doors (we have a minivan) and climbed in. The parking spots are very tight at the Peacock! Anyway, we walked it in the morning and took a taxi back at night, cheaper than parking and faster than ART, one day we started walking just as ART pulled away and we watched for the shuttle by number, it got there after we did so walking was faster. Anyway, the covered pool at the Peacock is nice, the free breakfast is the same as everywhere else, the only thing I don't like is the walk. With our APs now we just park at the structure when we stay there.

I've never stayed at Anaheim Plaza so I can't compare.

 

[Tasscrapper]

I've stayed at both and would go with the Peacock if you have several people going because that breakfast in the morning can save a lot of money. I liked the covered pool too because I didn't have to worry about the sun (I burn easily), people are very friendly there and there is always oranges in the lobby which are nice to take into the parks. They also do warm cookies twice a day in the lobby. They have activities once a day normally in the breakfast room and although they were only things like Bingo, playing board games, ect my kids LOVED that. It worked well for winter when the parks had shorter hours.

The big thing the Anaheim Plaza has to recommend it is the distance. If you want to walk it is probably at least a 1/3 closer. The pool is much bigger but honestly I would take the Peacock over it. They have a $4 parking fee so Peacocks is higher on that but now has the free internet.

One other thing . . . the Peacock also has plates and silverware ect. in the rooms so if you are planning on doing meals in the room that makes it nice to not have to pack them.

 

[pixiewings71]

I've stayed at both and would go with the Peacock if you have several people going because that breakfast in the morning can save a lot of money. I liked the covered pool too because I didn't have to worry about the sun (I burn easily), people are very friendly there and there is always oranges in the lobby which are nice to take into the parks. They also do warm cookies twice a day in the lobby. They have activities once a day normally in the breakfast room and although they were only things like Bingo, playing board games, ect my kids LOVED that. It worked well for winter when the parks had shorter hours.

The big thing the Anaheim Plaza has to recommend it is the distance. If you want to walk it is probably at least a 1/3 closer. The pool is much bigger but honestly I would take the Peacock over it. They have a $4 parking fee so Peacocks is higher on that but now has the free internet.

One other thing . . . the Peacock also has plates and silverware ect. in the rooms so if you are planning on doing meals in the room that makes it nice to not have to pack them.

I agree 100% about the covered pool that's why I like it too.
Sometimes they have oranges but sometimes they have apples, just depends on what is cheaper at the time, in the winter months they usually do apples.
The cutlery is due to the timeshare, they should have full kitchen but do not because the cost of renovations and the need was denied by the timeshare members. We all said we'd rather eat out while at DL so we basically voted no on that. The rooms will all have fridges, coffee makers & microwaves tho. One of the requirements of using the dishes is to clean them before you leave so they also provide dishsoap and cloths.

 

[imjen]

Thanks guys!

Pixiewings and Tasscrapper, does the ART come early enough to get over to the parks about 30 min. early? How long does it usually take to get there and is there enough seating or do you have to stand? Is it pretty reliable or sometimes late? That is really the only thing holding me back. I love that the beds seem to be comfier, free cont. breakfast, and free internet. Internet at Anaheim Plaza is $10 a day! My rate at Peacock is cheaper, since we can get a suite there and need 2 rooms at Anaheim Plaza, even figuring in the parking fees and ART tickets. We will have 3 adults and 3 kids, ages 5-10 so I'm thinking the walk from Peacock would be too long, but not sure. About how long of a walk is it & are there any shortcuts?

 

[Tasscrapper]

I can't remember for sure what time ART started at. We were always over there by about 8 am though and I don't think we caught the first bus. Call the hotel and ask them what time they start at. They have a schedule at the front desk. I think they were fairly regular. Our problem was rembereing when they were due. During peak times like early morning and late night they PACK people onto those buses. All seats will be filled and then they will completely fill the aisle with people standing. If I remember correctly Peacock Suites was the last to drop off and first to pick up so getting seats on the way there wasn't an issue. When you get on the bus at Disneyland getting a seat at a peak time would depend on if you were on toward the beginning or the end of the load. We only had the bus really full once and it was when we stayed right till the end of park hours. This was in December and not summer so I don't know if summer crowds would change it. There are several other stops but it beat walking that distance with kids. We went back to the hotel for a break each day and the buses weren't crowded then. HTH.

 

[Tasscrapper]

imjen I wouldn't walk it with the kids. You'll be doing tons of walking every day with out adding the walk from the hotel.

When we went in December we had planned on getting a parking pass because we bought ap's and knew we would be back. Unfortunately our transmission went out and our van was at a mechanics for 4 days while we were there. That's why we did ART in the first place. I got annoyed a couple times at not knowing the times it was supposed to be there but that was more my fault. Overall I was fairly happy with the service. By the time we had left though we had paid more in ART passes than the Disenyland parking pass would have been. We had 6 people-- 3 kids and 3 adult passes since our oldest was considered an adult. You might want to give some thought to buying a parking pass if you are staying long enough. When are you planing on going and for how long? Honestly with 6 people a free breakfast with make or break a hotel for me.

Have you checked out Comfort Inn Maingate? It's about the same distance as the Peacock suites but is on Harbor. My next and sadly last trip for a long time is booked there because I couldn't get the space I needed at he Peacock. We are getting a suite with 2 queens and bunkbeds in an adjoing room for $293.25 Aug 2nd with check out on the 6th. It has the free breakfast too and even has waffles. It was the best deal I could find anywhere but had one catch. For each room you book you have to buy at least one Disneyland ticket from them. They are the same price as at the park though so I still found it to be a killer deal. So even though we have 7 people going we are only getting the one ticket for my sister. Everyone else has ap's already. They might be worth checking out for you. There is no parking fee with them either.

http://www.comfortinnmaingate.com/cheap-hotels-anaheim.shtml
They don't have the suites listed in the special but they are included.

 

[imjen]

Thanks so much tasscrapper for the additional info!! I'm looking into Comfort Inn as well. We were thinking about parking, but concerned about the additional time it will take to get from the parking lot into the parks. How long does that usually take? Do you think it's much longer than taking ART? We will definitely need to take a break in the afternoon and will head back for the evening stuff.

 

[pixiewings71]

We didn't walk it with the kids, just to clarify, we walked when it was just DBF and I. We don't get to the parks before opening and I can't remember what time ART started but the 1 trip we used it the bus was not overcrowded until the end of the night, then it was packed and we had to wait because it was too full the first time around. It took DBF and I about 15 min to walk it, that's counting waiting at lights and crossing the street. It wasn't that bad but I won't do it with the girls. I think ART starts 20 min. before park opening but it takes about that long to go from hotel to hotel so keep that in mind. What you could do in the morning is get your car, have DH drive you to the parks, you and the kids get dropped off and head on it, DBF takes the car back to the Peacock, catches ART and meets you guys in the park. But that's not really ideal either.

 

[imjen]

Thanks for clarifying, pixiewings. I was thinking that would be a bit too much with the kids. How long does it usually take to get from the Peacock to the security gates at DL if you park in Mickey & Friends? And how do you get to that parking lot from Peacock? Thanks!

 

[Tasscrapper]

I haven't actually timed how long it takes to park and ride the tram in but I would estimate about half an hour from the hotels your looking at. My husband and I just got home two days ago and we had a free shuttle from our hotel and only used it once because it was more convenient for us to drive since we already had the parking pass. Each time we went into the Mickey and Friends lot there we only a couple people a head of us and it was quick to get in and park. I think there was only once that we didn't get onto the first tram available and there was one right behind it so it wasn't a big deal. I personally like the trams.

 

[Jperiod]

We stayed at Peacock for a week in Dec. At the time, there was NOT free internet. It was $10 a day or $50 for the month (it's through wayport.net).

Are you in a 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom suite? The layout of the 1 bedrooms is awkward. It's one long room separated by sliding doors. The room you walk into is the bedroom with an sink in the open. The shower/toilet are enclosed in the bathroom. So it's not really practical to get ready as others are sleeping. The living room is beyond that through the sliding doors. There is a sleeper sofa, but I kid you not, it is THE WORST BED EVER. The floor would be better to sleep on because you can actually feel the metal bars of the frame through the mattress. We loved having the dining ware (and the maids always cleaned/replaced it for us everyday!). The breakfast was convienent, but we would have been fine with making eggs/bacon in the microwave if it wasn't provided. We stayed in a 2 bedroom suite and the layout is much better, like an apartment, and it was a great week.

This was Dec., but it seemed like we were the first stop to/from for ART and we never had trouble. They were always prompt every 20 minutes. My only beef was the 2 hour break they took about 12:30-2:30 each afternoon (not a good time for napping little ones). We walked the first 3 days we were there and it's about 15-20 minutes (1 mile), not bad at all. I've since got a parking pass with my AP and I actually prefer the ART. It was so much faster (and it def starts 30 minutes or more before park opening cuz we were there before each day). The parking garage at opening is jam packed, then you have to park, then walk, they wait to ride, then walk some more. It can easily be 45 minutes right there if you have to wait for the trams or in line for the garage.

I can't speak for the Anaheim Plaza, but we used to stay across the street. It was great, but being spread out in a 2 bedroom suite was worth more than being across the street and jammed in a single hotel room. We liked it so much we went and bought a 2 bedroom timeshare week at the Dolphin's Cove (has full kitchens) so we could stay in a suite every visit!

 

[pixiewings71]

Thanks for clarifying, pixiewings. I was thinking that would be a bit too much with the kids. How long does it usually take to get from the Peacock to the security gates at DL if you park in Mickey & Friends? And how do you get to that parking lot from Peacock? Thanks!

Well here's what we do, get in the van and drive out of the lot to the right, there is a barrier so you can't do a left there, turn right on Katella (I think it's Katella) and then take the first right we come to, connect back to (I think) Magic Way (?) and then drive straight in, you drive to the gates they take your payment and then direct you to M&F which is down Disneyland Drive (I think again, I'm really not good with street names, sorry!), basically just follow the directions on the paper they give you. An alternate route is to simply turn right out of the Peacock lot, drive to Katella, turn right, then drive to Harbor and turn right again, follow Harbor up and over the freeway, at the bottom there turn left then follow the signs to the parking structure. The second way is usually faster. But if they are using the Garden Walk and shuttling people in from there you could also try to park there, the Garden Walk is right around the corner from the Peacock. Your other option is to follow the directions towards DTD and then from there follow them to M&F, but that's almost the same as driving thru the old main gate. If you want to do the drop off I mentioned before that's on Harbor so you would drive with the shuttles and do a U turn at the shuttle light, the shuttles will turn into the drop off area for them and you will U turn, on the right immediately after is a small lot where you can pick up/drop off, parking limit is 15 minutes.
Sorry my directions are bad, I don't usually drive so I don't pay that much attention to street names. It's a horrible habit that I have.

 

[Leofoenget]

If you want Budget and Location go with Anaheim Plaza. The pool is incredible and parking is easy, although they do charge about $4. If you want to get to the park 30 mins before park open then walking from Anaheim Plaza to the gate is very easy. I had a patio room overlooking the large lawn it was very quiet

 

[Tasscrapper]

Just to clarify the internet . . . it was $10 a day in December and free when we went back in Febraury. We didn't use it in December and did in Feb. I thought it was a decent connection.