Looking for some hotel advice (Hyatt OC vs. On-Property Hotels)

[KLK622]

My husband, 2.5 year old son and I are visiting to Disneyland for 5 nights in September (Tuesday through Sunday after Labor Day).

We currently have a one-bedroom booked at the Hyatt Orange County. The cost of the hotel + the 5 day park hopper passes + Premium Character Dinning + $20 Disney Gift Card is $1,406. We would likely take a cab back and forth between the hotel and park and not worry about the shuttle with this option (so I would say I would guess we would need to add $150-$200 on to here for cab fare to make it comparable on an on-property option).

I am starting to second guess my decision to stay off-property. I think the EMH each day would be nice..as my son will be up in the mornings and ability to easily rest in the afternoon would be fantastic. Also, the on property pools look great. I had the travel agent price out some on-property options and the prices goes up significantly....we would at $2,155 for a Standard Room at PP, $2,573 for a Standard Room at Disneyland Hotel and $2,900 for a Standard Room at the Grand California. These packages would come with the Premium Character Dinning + a $60 Disney Gift Card.

Other information that might be relevant...we are flying from WI for the trip and only planning to visit Disneyland. Our main reason for coming to Disneyland is my son's current Cars obsession. We are not Disney "fanatics" but we do like Disney vacations...we are frequent DCL vacationers and will bring our son to WDW in the future. However, given the extra distance required to visit CA over FL, this will likely be our only Disneyland vacation. My husband likes nice hotels and we prefer to have a separate room for our son to sleep in...however as he gets older he is going to bed later and taking shorter naps, so having his own room isn't as big of deal as it used to be. We can afford any of the options, we just like to get the best value of for our money. Also, this isn't a "big" family vacation for us...so I don't feel the need to have it be a huge splurge.

Based on this information should be stay put or move to an on-property option???

 

[Avery's mom]

I think there is another option for you - which is to stay offsite, BUT at a hotel that is within walking distance. With a little one, taking a cab back and forth will take up a chunk of your day. The time you're going to DLR is not one of the busiest times, so the EMH is not AS big a deal as it would be during a busier time. Being that you have 5 days, you will be able to see most (if not everything) that you want to without EMH.

Personally, I would not stay somewhere that far away, where walking was not an option. It will still be warm where you will probably want a mid-day break and a pool. Being walking distance will make that option a whole lot easier.

Naturally, if you can afford an on-site hotel, I would go with that - as I believe that it is a wonderful option that adds a lot of magic. As to which one - each person has their favorites and I don't think you'd go wrong with any of them. If your son likes waterslides, go with the DLR, but if any pool will do - then go with PP or GCH.

The walk to DLR and PP is a bit longer than some of the off-site crosswalk motels, but not too bad at all. But the crowds in DTD can get to me at times.

If you do want a place within walking distance where you can still have a separate room for your son, there are many places that either have suites and/or kids suites. I have stayed at the Desert Inn and Suites and wouldn't hesitate to stay there again, although it it definitely a motel, and not comparable to the Hyatt. I know many people love the HoJo, and they do have a better pool area than the DIS.

As you're flying all the way from WI, I'd stay onsite if you can swing it, but if you'd rather save a little money, stay somewhere within walking distance. By the 3rd or 4th day, you'll be super glad you did!

 

[GracieB]

Since you have $200 to burn on cabs, I'd just splurge and stay on site. Early Morning is a time saver, and the Grand Californian has its own entrance to CA Adventure.

 

[goofyfan13]

my .02 -
We went last October and stayed at the DLH. We splurged for a few reasons, I'd gone as a kid and dreamed about staying at DLH, it was our first family trip and wanted to do it up and finally, I'm not sure when we will be able to go back so we wanted what I consider a once in a lifetime experience.

DLH was wonderful, fun to not leave the bubble for 6 days. It was nice to not have to deal with the real world at all. I feel downtown disney as part of the bubble. We ate room service and downtown disney for most breakfasts and dinners, eating in park for lunch. I didn't find Downtown Disney prices to be out of line for the quality of dining / resort prices.

The appointments in the rooms are nice and the pools are fantastic. We spent 2 afternoons at the pool, one on day 6 and the other because it was the second day of the trip and we'd pushed pretty hard the first day.

Because of the age of DLH, the rooms are larger than other hotels, a big plus for our 5 person family.

EMH was nice, but we didn't use it every day, we let the kids sleep in DD 9, DS 8, DD5

in summary, it was worth it to create a once in a lifetime experience for my family.

on the flip side...
I've never been offsite but these are the comments from the boards that have me thinking offsite for the next trip.
I believe it when I read people saying that an offsite experience can be as fun as an on property experience.
- Pick the right hotel and can be much less $
- Pick the right hotel and you can be within the same or closer walking distance than DLH.
- Pick the right hotel and you can have a great pool.
- Pick the right hotel and your stay can be very nice
I think there are hotels that fit all three criteria.


at the end of the day I believe there is only one thing that matters: Once you make a decision, stick to it and don't second guess yourself. Instead look forward to the experiences you will have to and don't look back, never look back.

 

[smiles33]

Given your son's age (which I suspect means he will need a nap so you may be taking multiple taxi trips off-site each day!), the fact that your budget is more generous, and that this is likely your only trip to DLR, I'd recommend the Grand Californian. Maybe even see if you rent DVC points and get a 1 bedroom suite so you can put your son to nap and the two of you can relax on the balcony or in the other part of the suite. Now, I've yet to stay there, but I REALLY like its location and it seems like most (if not all?) hotel rooms have a balcony so you can escape there while your DS naps. When we stayed at the DLH, the three of us sat near the bathroom to read while my 5 year old went to bed early so we could turn off the overhead lights. Not very comfortable at all!

FYI, the reasons why we opted for the DLH this most recent trip were due to the pool/slides (awesome, but not a draw for a 2.5 year old), the larger room (nice but still not as a big as a 2 room kids' suite), and "special Disney touches" (which we didn't get at all as we suffered with poor service, never saw any characters walking around, and hated the uncomfortable beds). If we return on site, I only want to try GCH. What I've read here is that Paradise Pier is even less Disney (it was a non-Disney hotel that Disney later bought and added some Disney flair to "jazz" it up). It isn't that impressive walking through the lobby, as we saw it when we went there for the Surf's Up character breakfast.

I don't think I'd recommend the 2 room Kids' Suite at the Howard Johnson (8 minute walk to the Esplanade) to you for your needs. We enjoyed it on our 2 past vacations, but it's not a 4 star accommodation. I'd say it's solidly 2.5 to 3 star, but the price is climbing up so that it's not the amazing deal it once was. Plus, for a once-in-a-lifetime (or once-in-a-LONG-time) trip and in a situation where you have the funds, you want a special place to stay.

Hope this helps!

 

[elaw]

Staying at the GCH gives you much more of the "Disney Bubble" feeling during your visit. We stayed off site a couple of times and it's just not as enjoyable for us..

 

[chrisaman]

Personally, since it will probably be the only trip to disneyland in ur lives, I would stay at the disneyland hotel since it is the most majestic of the hotels for kids and adults. The grand Californian is more of an adult hotel. However, there are a lot of nice walking distance hotels as well. Consider the Howard Johnson which has a nice water park kind of set up for a pool

Also consider how much time u will spend at the hotel. If it is just a place to crash then I would say stay offsite. If u will spend time there and explore then stay on site

I think it is worth it to stay on site for u just for the EMH. It really allows u to experience everything while still giving you the chance to take midday naps and such

 

[jeaneg]

I'd stay at the Grand Californian. For that age, I liked the location of the small waterslide. The distance to the parks was fabulous.

We enjoyed our stay at the Hyatt, but the distance from the parks made us not want to stay there again. It felt too far to go back to rest and then return to the parks.

We used early Early Entry every day we stayed onsite during 2 separate 8-day trips. We loved how much we could get done, especially in CA. With a 2-hour time change, we would have been up early anyway.

 

[KLK622]

Given your son's age (which I suspect means he will need a nap so you may be taking multiple taxi trips off-site each day!), the fact that your budget is more generous, and that this is likely your only trip to DLR, I'd recommend the Grand Californian. Maybe even see if you rent DVC points and get a 1 bedroom suite so you can put your son to nap and the two of you can relax on the balcony or in the other part of the suite. Now, I've yet to stay there, but I REALLY like its location and it seems like most (if not all?) hotel rooms have a balcony so you can escape there while your DS naps. When we stayed at the DLH, the three of us sat near the bathroom to read while my 5 year old went to bed early so we could turn off the overhead lights. Not very comfortable at all!

Hope this helps!

Thanks all for the advice! Before I booked anything I tried to rent DVC points at the GC but there was not any availability, which is why we went off site for for a 1-bedroom (not willing to pay 1-bedroom prices for onsite hotels).

I think I am going to more seriously consider the GC...I think the location would be perfect! Any chance that Disney will offer a sale on the rooms??

 

[LisaT91403]

We started visiting DLR when my son was almost 3 years old, and have stayed at the Hyatt OC, Grand Californian, and Disneyland Hotel. I have not stayed at any of the closer offsite "hotels" because they are actually motels...and I'm not interested in even the nicest of them. Just not my thing (to each his/her own, right?)

The nicest hotel, without a doubt, is the Grand Californian. It is also very close, so if you want to go back to the room for a nap, you are golden. It's going to be HOT when you visit, so you might also want to take a pool break in the afternoon. Given your situation, the only downside is that the suites are not affordable at this hotel (and I'm assuming getting connecting rooms is no better). Can you turn the lights back on and make some reasonable noise once your son has fallen asleep? I think he will be pretty tired

So the other thing to consider is that your child will need to be in a car seat. The laws in California say that any child 8 years old or younger must be in a car seat or booster -- there is no exception for public transportation. Have you considered how you are going to work around this? I'd vote for the Grand Californian to solve this problem as well

 

[chrisaman]

Thanks all for the advice! Before I booked anything I tried to rent DVC points at the GC but there was not any availability, which is why we went off site for for a 1-bedroom (not willing to pay 1-bedroom prices for onsite hotels). I think I am going to more seriously consider the GC...I think the location would be perfect! Any chance that Disney will offer a sale on the rooms??

. It isn't easy to get in at the grand renting dvc points. U have to find someone with grand points and book it 11 months out with them for the most part. I would help u out but we go through all our points every year.

 

[5forMickey]

I would vote for staying onsite, I think you will be very pleased with the ease of never having to leave. My vote would be for the DLH just because I like the larger rooms over the GH, but you will love either, IMO. Either way, have a fun time on your trip!

 

[KLK622]

We started visiting DLR when my son was almost 3 years old, and have stayed at the Hyatt OC, Grand Californian, and Disneyland Hotel. I have not stayed at any of the closer offsite "hotels" because they are actually motels...and I'm not interested in even the nicest of them. Just not my thing (to each his/her own, right?)

The nicest hotel, without a doubt, is the Grand Californian. It is also very close, so if you want to go back to the room for a nap, you are golden. It's going to be HOT when you visit, so you might also want to take a pool break in the afternoon. Given your situation, the only downside is that the suites are not affordable at this hotel (and I'm assuming getting connecting rooms is no better). Can you turn the lights back on and make some reasonable noise once your son has fallen asleep? I think he will be pretty tired

So the other thing to consider is that your child will need to be in a car seat. The laws in California say that any child 8 years old or younger must be in a car seat or booster -- there is no exception for public transportation. Have you considered how you are going to work around this? I'd vote for the Grand Californian to solve this problem as well

Thanks for the car seat info...I has no idea (I would have looked it up before we left but that obviously throws my plan out the window). They can ride in a shuttle bus without a car seat, correct? I do everything in my power to legally travel without a car seat unless we are renting a car and was planning on a shuttle from LAX to our hotel (no matter where we stay).

 

[thatgrljme]

Thanks for the car seat info...I has no idea (I would have looked it up before we left but that obviously throws my plan out the window). They can ride in a shuttle bus without a car seat, correct? I do everything in my power to legally travel without a car seat unless we are renting a car and was planning on a shuttle from LAX to our hotel (no matter where we stay).

I think if you rode the bus specifically going to the DLR you would be ok without a car seat. The name escapes me right now, but someone on here will jump in with the name I know it

We went in May and stayed at the PPH for reasons almost like yours. Staying close, I have a 2 yr old that still naps and gets up early so we used EMH each day we were there. We were also there during the May heatwave so it was nice to get out in the morning when it was "cooler" and go back to the hotel in the afternoon to relax.

The walk was not that bad honestly. We walked through GCH and across the street. If you can afford the Grand, stay at the Grand. You could get a room with the bunkbeds and I bet your son would love that! It's such a cute hotel, and it is a goal of mine to stay at all onsite hotels at least once.

If you do decide onsite, I think any of the three will be wonderful. They all have their advantages and really walking back to any of them mid day isn't too bad.

*edited to add* I brought my sons car seat because we rented a car. I also brought it to use it on the plane as I think that greatly helped him being on the plane for his first plane ride. Don't know if that pertains to you as it sounds like your son has been on a plane before but I thought I'd throw that in there

 

[LisaT91403]

Thanks for the car seat info...I has no idea (I would have looked it up before we left but that obviously throws my plan out the window). They can ride in a shuttle bus without a car seat, correct? I do everything in my power to legally travel without a car seat unless we are renting a car and was planning on a shuttle from LAX to our hotel (no matter where we stay).

Legally, they must be in a car seat -- even for the shuttle. LAX to Anaheim is a long drive, so I'm guessing you'd want your child in a seat no matter what. You might want to look into shuttle companies that can provide a car seat for you.

And just my opinion, but I wouldn't put a 2 1/2 year old in a bunk bed.

 

[dsnyfamily4]

I would recommend staying at the Best Western hotel that is right across the street. You can't get any closer to the front entrance. I'd say it's about a 10min walk? That's where I'll be staying this August with the wife and our 3yr and 6yr old. parkplaceinnandminisuites
Check it out on google maps, you can't get any closer for the price.

 

[thatgrljme]

Legally, they must be in a car seat -- even for the shuttle. LAX to Anaheim is a long drive, so I'm guessing you'd want your child in a seat no matter what. You might want to look into shuttle companies that can provide a car seat for you.

And just my opinion, but I wouldn't put a 2 1/2 year old in a bunk bed.

The Disneyland Resort Express is a Greyhound Bus and as far as I am aware and have read here and many other places car seats are not allowed on buses.

Transportation services like DK Livery will supply a car seat for you if requested upon reservation I believe, or they might come standard in all.

 

[LisaT91403]

The Disneyland Resort Express is a Greyhound Bus and as far as I am aware and have read here and many other places car seats are not allowed on buses.

Transportation services like DK Livery will supply a car seat for you if requested upon reservation I believe, or they might come standard in all.

Ah, I stand corrected...I didn't realize that the OP was talking about a full-size bus. She said "shuttle", and when I think of a shuttle, I think of the vans used for Super Shuttle and the like. It is true that full-sized coaches (like Grayline, Greyhound, and full-size school buses) are exempt from the car seat law. Smaller shuttles, however, are not exempt (like Primetime, Super Shuttle, and many hotel shuttles).

 

[TinkFlies]

I've done both and we've been going just about annually since my DD was 2. I will say the high price is easier to swallow, for me, when you are at least going to be IN the room. As soon as my daughter hit 5 or so the amount of time we were in the expensive room was tiny.

If pool time is a priority DLH and GC are much more of an experience than the Hyatt as you can imagine.

The Hyatt shuttle has never been anything but super easy for us in terms of getting on it when we needed it and it felt like a short walk from the main gates. We even did it one year with a large BOB stroller. Not a problem.

 

[Whistlebee]

If you decide to stay on-site can you move your dates back one week? Dapper day rates are valid September 7-18. $194/nt at Disneyland Hotel and $225 a night at Grand Californian. Discounted tickets are also available at a significant discount. Just a thought. Dapperday.com for more info