If you are a "breakfast person"...

[soaringirl]

would you choose Candy Cane Inn over a Kids Suit at HoJo's?? .
Even though you will have less space? I have to say yes to those two questions, but my only experience in DLR is in the Grand Californian (which we loved!) so I have no clue!!
I like Candy Cane (after reading reviews and looking at pics) for these reasons:
1. Looks cute
2. Love the breakfast options.
3. My DMIL (74) will be with us (yes, in the same room as DH and my 2 kids) and the shuttle looks perfect for her if she tires too much after a long day in the parks.
4. Cost of a deluxe is slightly less than the cost of the kids suite.
5. Pool and hot tub looks nice, and not as tempting as the water park in HoJo's (see point 1 for HoJo's). I like to spend time in the pool as well, and might not do that with the water park!

I like HoJo's for the next reasons:
1. Water park will make my kids crazy (still undecided if this is a good thing! they might want to spend all day there instead of the parks!)
2. Mimi's (but since CCI is slightly cheaper, then maybe it's not as good)
3. Highly rated here and in other forums
4. Space and 2 bathrooms

So, what do you think? Which one you'll choose? We'll be staying 5 nights in low season.

 

[Mabel67]

First off a small disclaimer...we love HOJO and have only stayed there. Never stayed at CCI before...though it looks quite charming and we know people who have stayed there and liked it other than the rooms being a tad small.

That said, I am a TOTAL breakfast person. Love it. For that reason, I HATE hotel 'complimentary breakfasts'. Speaking of hotels in general, not a specific hotel:

I have gone down to the breakfast bar in hotels to find people still in their pajamas, hair uncombed, bare feet or slippers on. I find this a total turn off and possibly unsanitary. Did they even wash their hands, or just roll out of bed and come to breakfast? One instance, to the extreme, a young 'lady' came down with her male companion and she had no pants on. Seriously. No pants. Yuck. I also find the breakfast areas to often be untidy. People often messy and rude. Supplies often unstocked. A sort of free-for-all every-man-for-himself atmosphere. I have also found places where the breakfast area was clean and pleasant, but there is no guarantee ahead of time. I don't enjoy taking food back to the room to eat. I find this to be a disappointing way to start my day. Again, this is my general overall impression, not directed at a specific establishment.

As mentioned, I truly enjoy breakfast. And since this is a holiday, I truly enjoy lingering over a nice breakfast on the patio at Riverbelle Terrace. I find the food tasty, the prices reasonable and the atmosphere totally unrivaled to anything I can do at home. So that's my choice for breakfast.

With 3 adults in a room, you may also find you appreciate the 2 full baths at HOJO as well. And they do have 2 pool areas, not just the kids play area. I have seen many families enjoying both.

You may also find the shuttle at CCI, for your MIL to be valuable, though. I know ART services HOJO, but there may be a wait factor.

We stay at HOJO. Many others stay at CCI. You will likely enjoy which ever you choose.

Have fun!!!

 

[blackjackdelta]

Well, RI maingate breakfast is very good, hot and the area is super clean only once have seen someone in the Jammies and that was just as they opened. All are not the way some people describe and I am a big breakfast person.

Jack

 

[Mabel67]

All are not the way some people describe
Jack

I believe I mentioned that. I just stated I didn't think it was worth the gamble for me.

 

[blackjackdelta]

I believe I mentioned that. I just stated I didn't think it was worth the gamble for me.

I saw that you generalized the statement just wanted to add a specific to the posts, with working 2 jobs or more and having to post from a phone does not give me the opportunity to type something other than small posts.I have probably have stayed at 400 places around the world and luckily have not had your experience.

Jack

 

[Mabel67]

I saw that you generalized the statement just wanted to add a specific to the posts, with working 2 jobs or more and having to post from a phone does not give me the opportunity to type something other than small posts.I have probably have stayed at 400 places around the world and luckily have not had your experience.

Jack

Consider yourself lucky.

I would guess I have stayed in around 200+ hotels in my life. Many more nights....I just can't believe some of the things I have seen people do. It may have made me a bit jaded.

But like I said, when I can eat breakfast overlooking ROA and Mark Twain, I will jump at the chance. Beats -20C anyday!

 

[soaringirl]

With 3 adults in a room, you may also find you appreciate the 2 full baths at HOJO as well. And they do have 2 pool areas, not just the kids play area. I have seen many families enjoying both.

You may also find the shuttle at CCI, for your MIL to be valuable, though. I know ART services HOJO, but there may be a wait factor.

We stay at HOJO. Many others stay at CCI. You will likely enjoy which ever you choose.

Have fun!!!

Yes, I think price will be a factor, since both options have pros and cons. I think I should've explained more: I like to be in the parks at opening and hit all the attractions, so our "breakfast" would be until 11am at least... last year we ate until 2pm or so. The problem is that we're starving at that moment. So the Candy Cane breakfast sounds pretty nice for a quick bite and good enough to let us hold on until lunch time, so we can enjoy all the attractions in a row!

Well, RI maingate breakfast is very good, hot and the area is super clean only once have seen someone in the Jammies and that was just as they opened. All are not the way some people describe and I am a big breakfast person.

Jack

RI is sadly out of the question, DH wants an hotel no more than 10 minutes walking, and ART is also out of the question (hence the shuttle preference) since we prefer to walk and not wait for the bus (only at WDW!! for DLR we're already spoiled ).

I'm picking my brains out to choose an hotel, but I still have time. I've already booked a Kids Suite, but I don't know, I'm still not convinced about HoJo so I'm still looking.

Thanks!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

If I had that number of people, I would pick HoJo, and have breakfast at Mimi's. Besides the water park there is also a nice separate pool at HoJo's.

The pool at CCI is rather small. Having said that, though, they have a highly rated deluxe continental breakfast, and I have heard that the motel is well run by its owners, who give personal attention to their guests.

 

[soaringirl]

If I had that number of people, I would pick HoJo, and have breakfast at Mimi's. Besides the water park there is also a nice separate pool at HoJo's.

The pool at CCI is rather small. Having said that, though, they have a highly rated deluxe continental breakfast, and I have heard that the motel is well run by its owners, who give personal attention to their guests.

You just made it harder to choose! I talked to DH and he also likes the breakfast idea, even though we will be more cramped. But then he turned to my kids and asked them if they wanted to give up HoJo's pool!! And of course they didn't.
This is hard!!!

 

[blackjackdelta]

We do not use ART, we have and it took around 10 minutes or less but all depends on how you walk. Even at my age we move right along. Many people love Hojo's and that walk can be 8 minutes or more.

I wish you success in finding the right place.

Jack

 

[soaringirl]

We do not use ART, we have and it took around 10 minutes or less but all depends on how you walk. Even at my age we move right along. Many people love Hojo's and that walk can be 8 minutes or more.

I wish you success in finding the right place.

Jack

My DMIL walks very slowly... but maybe we'll rethink RI.
I know also that I can't go wrong with any of these hotels, I just like to plan and plan and plan!
thanks again-

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

Given your 2 choices, I would pick HOJO kids suite. You just can't beat the amount of space you get and the proximity to the park. If you don't want to walk you can always use ART.

You just have SO much room! I love that our kids have their own space with their own bathroom, couch and tv. We arrive at HOJO on Saturday, I can't wait!

 

[momtotwolittleones]

I love the CCI but have never stayed at HOJO. That said, I don't like the CCI bkfst or Mimis. Blech. If I had to choose I would choose the CCI because it's free and I could just get toast and yogurt or something. We ate at Mimi's last year and swore never again. But we are admitted food snobs, so take that with a grain of salt.

However, i would prefer to fast than share a room with my MIL if I could avoid it! I love her, but good golly that would be cramped.

Does HOJO have a shuttle? If they do, I vote for the space of HOJO and eat in the park.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

I have had the previledge of staying at both, so hopefully I know what I am talking about.

The Candy Cane Inn is good if you don't want to pay for your breakfast. It is: bagged bagel (so Sara Lee or Thomas's bagels) and supermarket style muffins. This isn't an amazing breakfast by any stretch, but it helps to have it there.

The Hojo has a little nicer standard of rooms (disclaimer: I have only stayed in the rooms that are across the street from Materhorn--they have a skylight and are considered "view rooms").

I didn't like how I had to haul our bags up the Candy Cane Inne to the second floor. There is NO elevator, so that means you will be carrying your bags up to the 2nd floor if that is what you get. The room itself was nice--and very family friendly.

Hojo is good for McDonalds breakfast--while CCI is good for their free breakfast.

I felt safe at both rooms.

I loved having the shuttle for the CCI at the end of the night. We used it for every trip to the park. It was super convienent, and with an older person in tow, I would pick that in a heartbeat. Walking to Hojos is no joke for an older person or very young person.

At the end of the day I still think staying on property is the better choice and all part of the experience of going to Disneyland.

 

[starshine514]

When my parents (both in their 70s) join us at Disneyland, we stay at Desert Inn & Suites. It's a 2-star, has a free breakfast (decent pastries, toast, cereal, coffee, juice and either apples or oranges) and is right across the street from the entrance to Disneyland. The location is so convenient. It's not the nicest motel in the world or anything (not as nice as CCI or Hojo), but we really love the location. I just thought I'd throw it in if you are concerned about the walking distance.

 

[soaringirl]

Thanks everybody for your repplies. I might me more confused than before! Thanks to Jack I've added one more choice: Residence Inn Maingate. But I'll keep the Kids Suite at HoJo's, still need to decide with DH whether space or food is more important (and that's why I added the RI, it has both!).
I have to say that CCI might be now my least favorite, the comments about the beds being so close to the A/C unit or the wall bothers me.
At GCH, our (standard) room was small, but adequate for the 4 of us and hey! we were at the Grand! But with 5 that's another story.
And there's still a chance that the DLR hotels have a discount for my dates, and then they'll overrule any other previous choice!
It's hard to be me sometimes

 

[skiingfast]

Because you are planning pretty far out you might make a reservation that you can cancel or change for free at each option.

Often deals only get to the next season at DLR. So since we are in the Holidays Season now, we only see deals into the next offseason. So after the holidays when we are in the offseason and Spring Break offers are out, keep an eye out for the next offseason which May falls in.

 

[AustinTink]

I've stayed at the CCI and not the HOJO. So, this will be a bit of a lopsided opinion. I would not dream of staying at the CCI with 5 people on a room! Those rooms are so tiny, I fely suffocated with my family of 3.

The breakfast was standard continental. Everything was plentiful. My DS liked it because he could get his fill of sugary breakfast items. My DH liked it because it was free and he is cheap!

The private shuttle was a wonderful benefit. I would go back and stay in that tiny room again, just for the shuttle.

But, for your situation, five people says suite to me. Or, two rooms at the CCI.

 

[DryCreek]

Thanks everybody for your repplies. I might me more confused than before! Thanks to Jack I've added one more choice: Residence Inn Maingate.

Is that the Ramada Inn Maingate, or Residence Inn?

 

[Cagirl767]

With RI, you don't have to make the choice between space or food...you get both! We stay ar RI and Homewood quite often. We've stayed at various RI's around the U.S. We eat at the breakfast buffet each morning we are there and can't think of a time we've had a bad food experience. No people without pants (lol), no disgusting happenings, no unruly people. Nothing at all that we can think of and at least for myself, I'm pretty aware of bizarre happenings having two young kids. DH says he can't think of anything either. We are rather Food and Hotel Snobs too.

Just got back from a RI in the midwest, good breakfast buffet and nothing weird to report. HopefullyI'm not jinxing myself for my trip to RI in a couple weeks!