Mid July crowds, where to stay?

[sadossey]

Will be in LA for a week in July(16-23) visiting my brother. Wil be me, wife and 2 kids, 6 and 9. Planning on going to DL for a couple days and probably stay 2 nights in the area. Looking at doing the parks on Mon-Tue or Tue-Wed. What should we expect as far as crowds? What is a good hotel in walking distance? Looking for under $200. Lots of options on tripadvisor. We have been to WDW twice, once at spring break with 9-10 crowd levels, wondering if it will be similar in summer season at DL. Also, DL is still on old FP system, correct?

 

[Lucky'sMom]

I have not been to DL in 20 years, but we are going in mid-July also. We are booked at the BWPPI (Best Western Park Place Inn) at $170/night AAA rate for their "mini-suite" which has 2 queens and a sofa/sitting area. I wanted to stay either there or the Park Vue Inn (which was $199/night for 2 queens, no sofa). These are the 2 closest hotels(motels) to DL, literally right at the crosswalk to DL. Both have free breakfasts, which are supposed to be pretty good. I looked at crowd calendars, and they are showing 8-9s. Yes, old fastpass system, but I've been told there aren't as many rides on FP as there are at WDW (nothing in Fantasyland is on FP).

 

[amyg1975]

We are going in mid-July and also staying at BWPPI, it is our favorite non-Disney hotel. Free breakfast, the clean rooms, and the closest hotel to the parks (besides a Disney hotel).

We have gone many times this year, and I now always going to Disneyland assuming it is going to be crowded, because it usually is!