J.W. Marriott vs. Westin Anaheim Resort

[pharmama]

1) We will not be back-and-forth to the parks, no kids, and we're used to walking the Tenderloin in SF (for food, the only thing worth the risk), so the potentially dodgy walk along Harbor vs. Disneyland Dr/DtD is not relevant this trip. But I didn't think of this with Westin, so it will be handy for the kids (and we are not on-site), thanks @pharmama!

Just to be clear, I don't think the Harbor walk is at all sketchy either. I tried to make clear that I just find walking through DTD more pleasant with the easy option to stop at Starbucks or one of the other DTD places and also MUCH prefer going through security on the DTD/DLH side vs Harbor.

Glad you're going to give the Westin a try in the future!

 

[sweethannah]

Alas conventions are coming back so do make sure to check the convention calendar. I’m staying onsite for an Apr trip and couldn’t figure out why prices were so high for my off-site arrival night- cheer convention is in town. Oops. And someone was just on the boards here in sticker shock at hotel rates in Mar and it turns out their dates are during a major Expo so… yeah. Conventions are back. Great for Anaheim but bummer us lol.

Would you share the April dates in question? We were thinking about heading down in April and I checked out the convention center calendar ahead of time to avoid too much craziness but didn't see anything about Cheer. I'm probably looking in the wrong spot. Thanks!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Would you share the April dates in question? We were thinking about heading down in April and I checked out the convention center calendar ahead of time to avoid too much craziness but didn't see anything about Cheer. I'm probably looking in the wrong spot. Thanks!

“American Showcase”. It’s some sort of cheer/dance thing from what I could determine.

Before you settle on your dates I’d check hotel availability. That’s where I went wrong, picking dates before looking at hotel prices

 

[PirateBrigade]

Just to be clear, I don't think the Harbor walk is at all sketchy either.

It's....different. That's the nicest way I can describe it. I've had no personal problems with any of the unhoused folks that are on Harbor, or the happy-if-questionable vendors trying to scrape a living (those $1 bottles of water are much appreciated on a summer's day, those levitating toys that are like catnip to a kid... not so much), but my brother has definitely witnessed public defecation along Harbor. That shouldn't be shocking to anyone who has been to any major metro area on the West Coast, though. Is that weird to say?

I guess avoidance of Harbor falls into the "what do I feel like explaining to my kid today" category.

 

[dieumeye]

It's....different. That's the nicest way I can describe it. I've had no personal problems with any of the unhoused folks that are on Harbor, or the happy-if-questionable vendors trying to scrape a living (those $1 bottles of water are much appreciated on a summer's day, those levitating toys that are like catnip to a kid... not so much), but my brother has definitely witnessed public defecation along Harbor. That shouldn't be shocking to anyone who has been to any major metro area on the West Coast, though. Is that weird to say?

I guess avoidance of Harbor falls into the "what do I feel like explaining to my kid today" category.

For the JW Marriott, the nice thing is you can pretty much avoid most “street” traffic. Walk out the GardenWalk side and through GardenWalk to Disney Way. You walk down Disney Way, but that’s usually not as crowded of an area. Then when you get to Disney Way & Harbor, you don’t have to take the main sidewalk since you can cut into the Disney property sidewalk (behind the ride share area) and take that up to the entrance. That way you basically avoid all of Harbor, especially the area right in front of the park where a lot of homeless and vendors congregate.

 

[longboard55]

We have had dinner at the Westin, very nice but could use more charm. Looks very convention like, not very disney

 

[Dug720]

Thank you @Dug720 for the info about the rooftop.

You're welcome! They seem to be open Wed-Sat nights, so if you want to see fireworks from up there you're good on Saturday.

 

[Iceman93]

We have had dinner at the Westin, very nice but could use more charm. Looks very convention like, not very disney

To be fair, the same could be said of the JW. Pick it up and transport it to any city in the U.S. and you wouldn't know the difference. I guess they're both going for the "we're close to Disney but not part of the Disney bubble" vibe, catering to upscale folks who may not love Disney all that much but benefit from the proximity (I'm thinking business conferences where the attendee's spouse and kids galavant in the parks but the businessperson just wants to focus on their tasks at hand).

 

[Dug720]

not very disney

To be fair, unless I'm at WDW and staying on property (or splurging to stay on property at DL), I don't expect a resort to look "very Disney".

 

[sweethannah]

“American Showcase”. It’s some sort of cheer/dance thing from what I could determine.

Before you settle on your dates I’d check hotel availability. That’s where I went wrong, picking dates before looking at hotel prices

Thanks will do!

 

[TexanInTheMidwest]

Resurrecting this older thread rather than start a new one: Thoughts on JW Marriot Anaheim VS The Westin Anaheim

I currently have a reservation at each hotel for my December trip to California. The JW Reservation (even with resort fee) is more than $600 LESS than the Westin (plus I have an Am Ex offer for $100 credit with a $500 or more stay at "luxury" hotels - JW, Ritz, etc.)

The resort is important because I will be there for six nights / seven days and only 3 of those days will be park days (though I may walk into DTD a non-park day for shopping / pleasure. And I want to ensure a SAFE walk to Disneyland/DCA since I'm solo.

I'm Titanium with Marriot so will get access to concierge lounges at both places but still tend to eat at least a dinner or two at the other hotel restaurants. The gym is important, too, as I usually workout when I'm traveling several times.

Looking forward to your thoughts / recent experiences.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Resurrecting this older thread rather than start a new one: Thoughts on JW Marriot Anaheim VS The Westin Anaheim

I currently have a reservation at each hotel for my December trip to California. The JW Reservation (even with resort fee) is more than $600 LESS than the Westin (plus I have an Am Ex offer for $100 credit with a $500 or more stay at "luxury" hotels - JW, Ritz, etc.)

The resort is important because I will be there for six nights / seven days and only 3 of those days will be park days (though I may walk into DTD a non-park day for shopping / pleasure. And I want to ensure a SAFE walk to Disneyland/DCA since I'm solo.

I'm Titanium with Marriot so will get access to concierge lounges at both places but still tend to eat at least a dinner or two at the other hotel restaurants. The gym is important, too, as I usually workout when I'm traveling several times.

Looking forward to your thoughts / recent experiences.

The lounge at the Westin is way better than the lounge at the JW Marriott. Comparing the evening spread would be like comparing a top tier luxury hotel in Asia to a random cheap Sheraton in the US. If you aren't booking the Westin through Amex FHR, you'll only get continental breakfast though while the JW Marriott should still be doing full restaurant breakfast for elites. The food at the Westin tastes better but you won't get things like omelettes and you can't use your welcome amenity to upgrade either. You get a $25 daily dining credit at the JW Marriott which further takes down the cost of your dinner but the food will be disappointing compared to the options at the Westin. The JW Marriott is at Garden Walk though so you can easily go out to other restaurants.

I like the gym at the Westin more but the JW Marriott does have a free yoga class in the morning if you think you'd want to try that.

The JW Marriott is very stingy with elite upgrades while at the Westin, you actually have a chance of getting a suite, especially if you have Suite Night Awards to spare. As a Marriott Titanium member, the Westin is definitely superior.

If price is a concern, I'd personally go with the Convention Center Marriott instead of the JW Marriott. Rooms are not as nice but there will at least be a good chance of getting a club room with a balcony and possibly a studio suite. The gym is bigger than the gyms at both the JW Marriott and Westin although they don't have Hyper-Ice machines and refrigerated towels like at the Westin. The Marriott evening spread has more food options than the JW Marriott's but you don't get a good view of the fireworks at the lounge unlike at the JW and the Westin.

Hope that helps.

 

[dizneedoll]

Resurrecting this older thread rather than start a new one: Thoughts on JW Marriot Anaheim VS The Westin Anaheim

I currently have a reservation at each hotel for my December trip to California. The JW Reservation (even with resort fee) is more than $600 LESS than the Westin (plus I have an Am Ex offer for $100 credit with a $500 or more stay at "luxury" hotels - JW, Ritz, etc.)

The resort is important because I will be there for six nights / seven days and only 3 of those days will be park days (though I may walk into DTD a non-park day for shopping / pleasure. And I want to ensure a SAFE walk to Disneyland/DCA since I'm solo.

I'm Titanium with Marriot so will get access to concierge lounges at both places but still tend to eat at least a dinner or two at the other hotel restaurants. The gym is important, too, as I usually workout when I'm traveling several times.

Looking forward to your thoughts / recent experiences.

In terms of safety, I much prefer The Westin. Its a short walk down Disneyland Dr which is basically on Disney property. There are no homeless, panhandlers, or people selling junk on the street. Its a very pretty walk. The JW, on the other hand, is on the Harbor Blvd. side and I won't stay on that side at all anymore. Im solo most of the time too and I feel much safer walking at night to the Westin. Plus, its a beautiful hotel and the beds are a dream! If I cant book one the Disney hotels, Westin is my go-to.

ETA: also the security check point coming from the Westin through DTD or GCH, if cut through there, is so much easier than the long lines coming in from Harbor Blvd.

 

[TexanInTheMidwest]

The lounge at the Westin is way better than the lounge at the JW Marriott. Comparing the evening spread would be like comparing a top tier luxury hotel in Asia to a random cheap Sheraton in the US. If you aren't booking the Westin through Amex FHR, you'll only get continental breakfast though while the JW Marriott should still be doing full restaurant breakfast for elites. The food at the Westin tastes better but you won't get things like omelettes and you can't use your welcome amenity to upgrade either. You get a $25 daily dining credit at the JW Marriott which further takes down the cost of your dinner but the food will be disappointing compared to the options at the Westin. The JW Marriott is at Garden Walk though so you can easily go out to other restaurants.

I like the gym at the Westin more but the JW Marriott does have a free yoga class in the morning if you think you'd want to try that.

The JW Marriott is very stingy with elite upgrades while at the Westin, you actually have a chance of getting a suite, especially if you have Suite Night Awards to spare. As a Marriott Titanium member, the Westin is definitely superior.

If price is a concern, I'd personally go with the Convention Center Marriott instead of the JW Marriott. Rooms are not as nice but there will at least be a good chance of getting a club room with a balcony and possibly a studio suite. The gym is bigger than the gyms at both the JW Marriott and Westin although they don't have Hyper-Ice machines and refrigerated towels like at the Westin. The Marriott evening spread has more food options than the JW Marriott's but you don't get a good view of the fireworks at the lounge unlike at the JW and the Westin.

Hope that helps.

This helps tremendously!! I was hoping that the JW Anaheim was as great as the JW Bonnet Creek but it sounds like it isn't quite.

As to cost, I should have mentioned that right now I have a Studio King with a Balcony reserved at the Westin VS a regular King Room at the JW which is what's making the Westin more. I DO have 5 suite nights still but I am staying 6 nights. I can always hope for an upgrade to a regular king suite based on status.

And while I am a breakfast person, I'd much rather have options in the evenings. Plus, I found out that the JW lounge is closed Saturday and Sunday - and it's not open all day either. I will need to get some work done while I am there, so the room is important but also having a lounge to go to midday for a change of scenery is always good.

As to the gym, I am a lifting weights/Peloton Bike/Treadmill person over yoga. I live in Eastern time zone, which means I will be awake early and will want to get my workout done mostly likely before 6 AM rather than waiting for a class!

THANKS so much.

In terms of safety, I much prefer The Westin. Its a short walk down Disneyland Dr which is basically on Disney property. There are no homeless, panhandlers, or people selling junk on the street. Its a very pretty walk. The JW, on the other hand, is on the Harbor Blvd. side and I won't stay on that side at all anymore. Im solo most of the time too and I feel much safer walking at night to the Westin. Plus, its a beautiful hotel and the beds are a dream! If I cant book one the Disney hotels, Westin is my go-to.

ETA: also the security check point coming from the Westin through DTD or GCH, if cut through there, is so much easier than the long lines coming in from Harbor Blvd.

This is important information to have. Thank you. I would MUCH rather do security at DTD (or GCH if they will let me!).

 

[dizneedoll]

This helps tremendously!! I was hoping that the JW Anaheim was as great as the JW Bonnet Creek but it sounds like it isn't quite.

As to cost, I should have mentioned that right now I have a Studio King with a Balcony reserved at the Westin VS a regular King Room at the JW which is what's making the Westin more. I DO have 5 suite nights still but I am staying 6 nights. I can always hope for an upgrade to a regular king suite based on status.

And while I am a breakfast person, I'd much rather have options in the evenings. Plus, I found out that the JW lounge is closed Saturday and Sunday - and it's not open all day either. I will need to get some work done while I am there, so the room is important but also having a lounge to go to midday for a change of scenery is always good.

As to the gym, I am a lifting weights/Peloton Bike/Treadmill person over yoga. I live in Eastern time zone, which means I will be awake early and will want to get my workout done mostly likely before 6 AM rather than waiting for a class!

THANKS so much.



This is important information to have. Thank you. I would MUCH rather do security at DTD (or GCH if they will let me!).

There is a gate at the GCH where you scan your Disney hotel key card, however, if its in the morning before park open and loads of people are going through, I will usually just slip in with the crowds. Once through, then you can just go through the lobby and follow the signs to the parks. Some people here probably won't like that and its up to you if you're uncomfortable doing that or not. There are youtube videos that show the walk both through GCH and around DLH if thats a concern at all.

 

[TexanInTheMidwest]

There is a gate at the GCH where you scan your Disney hotel key card, however, if its in the morning before park open and loads of people are going through, I will usually just slip in with the crowds. Once through, then you can just go through the lobby and follow the signs to the parks. Some people here probably won't like that and its up to you if you're uncomfortable doing that or not. There are youtube videos that show the walk both through GCH and around DLH if thats a concern at all.

I DO have a Princess Breakfast booked one day as well as Napa for dinner on my first park day. So, even if I don't enter there I can exit there !

 

[sophy1996]

You can always exit through GCH. We’ve never been stopped. Also, on a recent trip we tried exiting out the new PP entrance to DCA. No one asked for proof of hotel occupancy to exit there either. That door brings you out right by the pedestrian gate to GCH.

 

[bardays]

The Westin is lovely and the walk is more pleasant to be sure. Several of the rooms face the park and the view is nice. I am only Gold with Marriott and we were given a large room with a view after booking a non-view room.