Let the planning begin!

[MommyWithDreams]

Well it's great to be back to posting again because that means the planning is in full swing.
We're hoping to make it back to DL either the first or second week of March. Pretty much the same time as last year and the crowds were great then. Starting to look around now at hotel and flight rates since this is the same time I booked for last year as well. We stayed at Anaheim Desert Inn last year......really LOVED the location, hotel was fine for what we needed. Right now their rates are showing 119 for standard room, last year we got it for 69. I know the price fluctuates on their page often. ANyone know anything about Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel Anaheim Resort? How much farther of a walk is it past Desert Inn?

 

[DangerMouse]

The HoJo is my off-site hotel of choice. It's about an additional 5 minutes walk down Harbor from the Desert Inn. They have large, clean rooms and two great pool areas. The second week in March is Spring Break for most of the AZ public schools, and I have heard many TX and other districts reporting the same thing. If you want less crowds, I would opt for the first week.

 

[MommyWithDreams]

You answered my next question I was wondering when all the Spring Breaks would be. I know we went the same time last year as I think AZ again, it wasn't too bad. The first of the month is always tight, but might be do-able. It was nice last year when my paycheck was deposited on our third day in DL. That's what I was hoping for again this year.
Besides the pool, what do you think is better about the HJ hotel? We live in CA and honestly the pool won't even be used by us. We have one right here so swimming is something we can do anytime....we go to DL for just that, DL. Do they have a cont breakfast?

 

[DangerMouse]

Nope, no cont. breakfast, and microwaves are only in office rooms (premium).

How many of you are going? Is it just you and one child? If so, I would probably recommend the Candy Cane Inn which has a nicer-than-most cont. breakfast and a dedicated shuttle if you are too tired to walk home from the parks. It had been rated #1 on trip advisor for quite some time. Their std. rooms are just over $100 a night.

All the hotels within walking distance have raised their rates quite a bit, so I think you will be hard pressed to find the rate you got last year. If you are wanting the $70 price range, you might consider the Anaheim Plaza Inn or Del Sol which are also within walking distance, right across on Harbor.

 

[MommyWithDreams]

Hopefully it will be 3 of us, two adults and my son who is 4. I've heard really good things about the CC, just having to consider price and they have seemed to be a lot more than Desert Inn. I definitely want to be within the same area.....just figured the price would have come down by now if it would be at all. Have you noticed CC price changing like DS has?

 

[MommyWithDreams]

I'm sorry, I guess I Didn't see the second paragraph in on your last post. That is definitely quite a jump in price from last year. We might have to shorten our trip which I didn't want to do either because 5 days was perfect since we returned to our room for my sons nap every day. We kept him pretty much on schedule and made for a very enjoyable good paced trip for all of us.

 

[DangerMouse]

Oh, don't shorten your trip! You do know that the spring special for parkhoppers is 5 days for the price of 3, right? You will just need to work a little harder at finding a good rate at a hotel. You will probably have an easier time finding a good rate if you shoot for that first week since it isn't going to be as busy as the second.

I'll do some hunting for you. . .

 

[MommyWithDreams]

I just read about that special right after I posted that so I guess shortening it really would be silly. Although I did like the adults go as kid price from last time. This is a great way though for Disney to keep people spending money at the parks. Smart they are!
Thank you so much for keeping your eyes out for me on a special. Our last trip was absolutely amazing. I just read my trip report again and cried like a baby. It really was a dream come true for my son and I.

 

[Carpool Candy]

We stayed at HoJo on the recommendatin of a friend last year the week before Christmas (she loved it there). Compared to when we stayed at the Best Western right outside the park, the walk seemed to take FOREVER- especially when we had to hold the baby while my 8 yr old slept in the stroller! Also, there was a fluke cold front around 30 degrees and the heater gave us all some sort of weird rash. Since you're going when it would be warmer, it probably wouldn't be an issue but ??? Also, the room didn't look very clean along the walls and corners like they never vacuumed along the edges of the room- gross with a crawling baby. AND, I had looked forward to a bath but one look at the tub changed my mind. I know you get what you pay for but....

 

[MommyWithDreams]

Any feedback on Park Vue?

 

[BecBennett]

I'm booked into the Park Vue for the first week in March. I'm taking my chances with it, because I got a great rate - sorry, can't remember it now, but I seem to think my total cost for 9 nights was just over $800...

I think it's in a great spot, and you'll have the added bonus of knowing that I'm there somewhere!!

The photos on their website look good, it gets pretty mixed reviews on Trip Advisor, but the majority of them are good and along the lines of "It's all we were after"

 

[MommyWithDreams]

Wow 9 nights..that doesn't seem like a bad price. Did you book through the hotel directly? I've learned that you can't please everyone with rooms......someone on trip advisor will always complain about something. But I'm like you ...if for the most part people got what they wanted then that's what counts. I don't need a plush bed, but I don't want the floor either. I don't need a marble countertop in the bathroom, but I want a clean hairless sink. I don't need my towels folded into Mickey Ears, but I want them free of hair.

 

[BecBennett]

Yeah I ended up booking straight through their site. I would have booked it through Disney, but I think their available rooms where sold out...

It was pretty easy booking through their website, and then I called to confirm that they'd received it as well. i might call them again when it gets closer , just because flying from Australia is a long trip to find that I've got to spend 9 nights on Disney's "door step" because something went wrong... But hey, there will be enough time for those nightmares when the trip is a lot closer!

 

[DangerMouse]

The Anaheim Plaza is recommended by several friends of mine, and I'm finding rates around the $85 range for both weeks.

Here's their website:

http://www.anaheimplazahotel.com/

By the way, are you using this handy little map when planning where to stay? I have found it extremely helpful in the past.

http://www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap.html

 

[MommyWithDreams]

Anaheim plaza rates look good, THANK YOU Dangermouse. And yes that map has been favorited and opened everytime I refer to a hotel. It's a great map. I'll let you know what we decide on. By the way your picture is adorable, I remember it from the last time I was planning my trip.