Is it worth staying onsite??

[love2go2disney2]

I have been to WDW and it is such a plus to stay on site. My kids will be 2 and 4 when we go to DL in OCT, is it worth the money to stay at GCH? I was looking at the Anabella Hotel which is also close to the parks. But I have stayed with Disney and I am always impressed with the resorts. I just keep going back and forth with the decision. Plus the disney resorts have restraunts in the hotels VS looking for restraunts to have dinner or breakfast.

Thanks for any advice!!

DL first trip Oct 2007

 

[familyoffiveAZ]

The Anabella doesn't get very good reviews from what I've read. If you decide to stay offsite to save some money, I'd recommend choosing one of the walking distance hotels on Harbor. See here: http://www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap.html

As you can see, there are several restaurants near those hotels. IHOP is pretty good (but very expensive). Mimi's is excellent, portions are good sized, and has good prices. Denny's, well, I personally don't care for but ymmv. There's even a McD's in there.

Or you can stay onsite. GCH is the closest hotel to the parks, so it'd be very convenient with kids that age. Next closest hotels are some of the walking distance ones off-property. DLH and PPH can be a short hike to the front gates, unless you take the monorail (which come to think of it they should have running back to full capacity I'd think by summer or fall).

 

[MATTERHORN]

Also the restaurants in the hotels are RIGHT there even if you stay offsite, they are easily accessible. We eat in them all the time whether on-site or off.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Grand and I am staying there in April. I try to stay onsite for one or two trips per year as budget will allow. And since this is your first trip and you don't get to DL very often, I would seriously consider it. But I have my cap and I personally won't pay over $220 a night to stay on property!

I have to agree with PP, there are others I would definitely choose over the Annabella, especially for proximity with little ones since I have three of my own!!

Andrea

 

[MATTERHORN]

Forgot to say, I will look for a post that had great rates for the DL properties in October if you are flexible as to when you can go!!


Andrea

 

[jenpace]

For my family it is absolutely woth it. There's just no comparison with staying onsite vs. leaving the resort each time you want to go back to your room.

As long as it's not a question of the $$ since clearly, you'll spend more on a DLR hotel.

We have young kids and I just love that the whole Disney "magic" is uninterrupted for the duration of our stay.

There's also the fact that you never have to worry about crossing any streets with traffic the whole time you are there. Something that I really enjoy with my kids. Less stress for me = less stress for the whole family

Jennifer

 

[MATTERHORN]

Okay If you are going during the 2-19, I would do this: (this is what we are doing!!)


http://www.gayday2.com/html/HotelsPop.html

 

[godalejunior]

What agency or company are those rates through? Are they for anyone to use?

 

[HydroGuy]

If you have a fixed budget which means you have to cut short the number of days at DLR in order to stay onsite, then IMO onsite is not worth it. If your budget will allow you to stay onsite for the 3-4 days it take to have a good solid DLR visit, then it may very well be worth it.

If we stay off-site but stay close to DLR (on Harbor) I never feel like we are missing on Disney magic.

 

[MATTERHORN]

What agency or company are those rates through? Are they for anyone to use?

I got it from someone else here, they are for the gay days convention. But it's not like you have to prove you are or anything so anyone can use them that is coming during that time frame!!!

Forgot to say, it's through Disney so it's completely legit, you are actually booking through them!!

Andrea

 

[abby]

We have stayed on site, at the DLH and off site at HOJO. While we enjoyed HOJO we missed the magic of DLH. However, if because of price we can go to DL more by staying off site, it is fine. HOJO was great. My dd then 6 loved the pool. The walk was fine, and food much cheaper off site.
DLH was great, cool pool, good services beautiful grounds. (I'm not much help am I??????)

 

[HydroGuy]

I would also add it depends on how much you use your hotel room. Typically when we go to DLR the hotel is used only for sleeping and we spend very little time at the hotel. Thus a DLR hotel is often not worth it. On our next trip we are planning to spend a bit more time at the hotel, and are springing for the GCH.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

We went through the same thing for our trip this December. I really wanted to stay on site, and could afford it but I just wasn't sure it was worth twice the money to stay on site. My kids will be 1 and 4 when we go. We decided that it will be worth the money when they get a little older and can really enjoy and appreciate staying on site.

 

[SunshinesDad]

I will probably never stay on site cause to me, anything more then 150 a night is just way too much.

 

[caimakale]

We have visited several times and will no longer stay off-site. Our first trip started with a stay at the HoJo, what a joke that was. Each trip after that has been at the GC. We are currently here and decided to stay at the Disneyland Hotel since we had never stayed in the hotel.

I must admit that I do miss the Grand Californian. The rooms at the DLH are much bigger, but I miss the little things like the nightly printout telling you of all the different activities happening the next day. The turn down service is nice with the little chocolates for the kids, and most of all...the extra convenience of being so close to the parks.

My wife and I like going down for drinks after tucking the kids in...The Lost Bar at the DLH just isn't a relaxing environment, and to be honest, I am surprised it's a Disney bar. I was pointing out the wires hanging all over the place from the TV. A box over in the corner by the big screen with wires everywhere, it seems so regular, like there is nothing Disney about the bar...and maybe that is the intention (it's just weird because Disney is all about the details, no matter how small they are), but we love sitting at the Hearthstone Lounge for a relaxing drink after a long day, or out in the lobby when the pianist is playing. After having three kids run you crazy all day long, a relaxing drink is a necessity .

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Forgot to say, I will look for a post that had great rates for the DL properties in October if you are flexible as to when you can go!!


Andrea

Andrea - do you have that post for great rates in October? Do the rates stretch into early November? That's when I'm considering going. I have a meeting in San Diego Nov 3-7, and I was thinking taking the family to DLR after that.

 

[TwingleMum]

We have visited several times and will no longer stay off-site. Our first trip started with a stay at the HoJo, what a joke that was. Each trip after that has been at the GC. We are currently here and decided to stay at the Disneyland Hotel since we had never stayed in the hotel.

I must admit that I do miss the Grand Californian. The rooms at the DLH are much bigger, but I miss the little things like the nightly printout telling you of all the different activities happening the next day. The turn down service is nice with the little chocolates for the kids, and most of all...the extra convenience of being so close to the parks.

My wife and I like going down for drinks after tucking the kids in...The Lost Bar at the DLH just isn't a relaxing environment, and to be honest, I am surprised it's a Disney bar. I was pointing out the wires hanging all over the place from the TV. A box over in the corner by the big screen with wires everywhere, it seems so regular, like there is nothing Disney about the bar...and maybe that is the intention (it's just weird because Disney is all about the details, no matter how small they are), but we love sitting at the Hearthstone Lounge for a relaxing drink after a long day, or out in the lobby when the pianist is playing. After having three kids run you crazy all day long, a relaxing drink is a necessity .

This sounds awesome. How do you manage it?? Do you bring a baby monitor?? Or do one of you get the drinks?? Sounds like a plan. What kind of drinks do they have, any specialty ones???

 

[caimakale]

Our oldest daughter can watch the two younger ones. We leave one cell phone in the room with them while we go relax.

We mostly drink wine at the GCH, but this trip (I am typing this from the DLH) was more of a beer trip for me. Not sure why, but I wasn't in the mood for wine. My wife had a few specialty drinks from the Lost Bar, but I can't remember what they were

 

[MATTERHORN]

Andrea - do you have that post for great rates in October? Do the rates stretch into early November? That's when I'm considering going. I have a meeting in San Diego Nov 3-7, and I was thinking taking the family to DLR after that.

It's the link in my other post above, but it won't help you since the rates only go till the 19th of October!!


Andrea

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

It's the link in my other post above, but it won't help you since the rates only go till the 19th of October!!


Andrea

Oh, OK, thanks for replying Andrea. I'll have to keep watching for deals after that.

 

[AllJackedUp]

IMHO, it is NOT worth it. DL is not WDW...you don't need to stay onsite to "capture" the magic. In fact, for us, it is quite the opposite. By saving money at one of the Good Neighbor motels or my personal favorite, (which shall remain nameless as it's getting too hard to get in there as it is) which is very close and quite comfortable and we can stay there at half the price of any lowest Disney property....

However, at WDW, I wouldn't even consider staying offsite. So, it's just a matter of how you want to spend your money.

We can budget 3 trips per year to DL...or we can go to WDW once. This year, we are opting for DL....not to say we won't go back to WDW but now that my son is a teen...he's just not into characters and the meals and all that...he just wants the rides.

My DH and I will probably go back to WDW for our 25th anniversary after he's off to college....