Need advice: Paradise Pier vs. HOJO vs. Fairfield

disinahurry

Earning My Ears
Joined
Apr 11, 2009
Messages
2
Hi,

I'm new to these boards and planning a somewhat last minute trip to DL (I haven't been in 15 years).

We have somewhat flexible dates in May and am looking at the following 3 hotels. Price is within $200 for the entire trip time we'll be there.

Our top 3 criteria are:
1. Clean
2. Close
3. Good Pool

We are leaning towards PP as it's a Disney property, but are worried that food $ will be higher on property.

ETA--Is paradise pier as close or closer than HOJOs?

Your thoughts? Where would you stay?

TIA,
Mary
 
Out of the three, I have only been at one and that is the Fairfield and loved it!! The beds were of soo comfy, room was real clean, airy, cheery and roomy. The have a Pizza Hut in the hotel. There is Millie's right out front as well as Mc. D's. We would hit Mc.D's on our way to the parks and Millie's on our way back for an afternoon break for lunch.
Closeness wise out of the three I would have to say the Fairfield. Pool wise, the Fairfield was clean but, at times crowded. The have towels poolside so you don't have to remember to bring some from your room.
Hope that helps some and welcome to the DIS boards.
 
we are doing fairfield to. and there right next to two resturants. mimi's and milli's and mcdonalds. they also have a pizza hut in the motel! we got a great rate today from getaway today and with park tickets it was cheaper then most hotels !! Im thrilled. are you taking kids? pool is not bad, and they say the beds are awesome.

free internet to !!
 
Oh and the fairfield is sooo close!! you can see the park from the hotel :)
 

OK, I have stayed at two of the three.

HoJo's has a wonderful pool area. While PP has the slide as well, my kid's vote for HoJo's over PP.

I felt the walks were the same. When we stayed at PP, we never were able to use the monorail in the morning, so we still had to walk all the way to the front gates. By the last day we just automatically did the "shortcut" through the GC hotel, but still, it really didn't feel like staying on property in my opinion, so spending the money felt like a rip off.

But then, that is just me. There is nothing wrong with PP, I'm just saying, I'd rather save the money and stay at a place that is just as comfy, just as far, and has just as good if not better pool.
 
I've only stayed at the HOJO. It was clean and comfy comfy beds!! We stayed in a Disneyview room. While we were there last year they were building the pirate:Pirates Cove pool/play area...I'm really looking forward to seeing that!!

They also have a Garden pool which is quite nice as well. We ate at Mimi's which is right next to HOJO's on the way to the park.

The walk from HOJO isn't far at all...and the entertainment rate can't be beat!
 
I'm currently debating PP vs. Fairfield Inn also, and I would be interested in hearing about people's experiences. I normally stay at Hojos but they're sold out...
I've heard some stories about how long the walk is from PP and that the monorail doesn't run anymore so people are forced to walk. What is the best way to get to DL park from PP? What's good about PP is that you get MM every day it's offered, right? However, I have a DAP, which means I'm blocked out one of the days MM is offered anyway. (Saturday) I don't really feel like paying to upgrade my AP or paying to add the extra day...So I'm not sure what I want to do...:confused3
 
We stayed at PP last week for $199/nt (military rate). There were five of us (2 adults and 3 teenagers). The room had two queen beds and a foldout single bed and not much extra room but we were only there for an hour or two in the afternoons and to sleep at night.

Regarding the cleanliness of the room, I'd give it a 7 out of 10 (the first night two of the five glasses in the bathroom were noticibly dirty but housekeeping did quickly remedy the problem but it made me wonder what else they'd overlooked while cleaning the room. Also, there were five of us but every day we had to call for an extra towel (they always left us four and brought three extras when we called). Each day they would replace ALL the towels and only leave us four. That got annoying but oh well.

We did get nightly turndown service and rice crispy mickey heads upon arrival but I think that might have been because we had a German exchange student with us and it was her first time visiting. That was a nice touch.

As for the food choices, we only bought food in the hotel one morning and that was in the bar area where they had some breakfast items. The cost of five bagels, cream cheese, a container of fruit and five bottles of orange juice was over $30. So . . . that afternoon we went to Target and bought a bag of bagels, a container of cream cheese and a jug of orange juice for about $10 (that got us through two more breakfasts). We got napkins and a knife to spread the cream cheese from the bar area in the hotel.

Onto the pool. We originally had reservations at the Holiday Inn Express on Katella but after looking at a map, it appeared that might be a long walk to Disneyland. Also, the pool didn't look too exciting and I thought the PP pool would be more fun for the teenagers. We went back to the hotel each afternoon for a swim but the kids never went into the pool (all girls). They just laid by the pool (and there were never any lounge chairs available). So . . . unless your kids will swim, staying at the PP for the pool could end up being a waste of money. Also, the slide is not open the entire time the pool is open. I think the slide closes at 5 p.m. You definitely have to go back to the hotel in the afternoon to take advantage of the slide--you can't wait until the end of the day.

As for the walk to Disneyland, it wasn't that far but it was far enough that I didn't want to go back and forth unneccessarily. We never rode the monorail because when we checked in we were told only one monorail was running and that the wait could be fairly long (I was under the impression from the DIS Boards that Disney hotel guests had a priority on the monorail but that wasn't the case). We either walked through Downtown Disney or through the Grand Californian (if I could afford it, that's where I'd stay).

I'm undecided on if the PP is worth $199/nt or not but the location is close and the room met our needs. I wasn't disappointed but I wasn't expecting much either.
 
Also, the slide is not open the entire time the pool is open. I think the slide closes at 5 p.m. You definitely have to go back to the hotel in the afternoon to take advantage of the slide--you can't wait until the end of the day.

As for the walk to Disneyland, it wasn't that far but it was far enough that I didn't want to go back and forth unneccessarily. We never rode the monorail because when we checked in we were told only one monorail was running and that the wait could be fairly long (I was under the impression from the DIS Boards that Disney hotel guests had a priority on the monorail but that wasn't the case). We either walked through Downtown Disney or through the Grand Californian (if I could afford it, that's where I'd stay).

I'm undecided on if the PP is worth $199/nt or not but the location is close and the room met our needs. I wasn't disappointed but I wasn't expecting much either.

Thank you so much for the detailed info. One more question, if you don't mind, did you have early entry every day that it was offered because you were staying onsite? That's something I've often read about on these boards, and I was wondering if it still is the case. EE every day it's offered is the one thing that may sway me towards staying at PP over offsite since we are going in the summer when it's busier.
 
Thank you so much for the detailed info. One more question, if you don't mind, did you have early entry every day that it was offered because you were staying onsite? That's something I've often read about on these boards, and I was wondering if it still is the case. EE every day it's offered is the one thing that may sway me towards staying at PP over offsite since we are going in the summer when it's busier.

Yes, you do still get to take advantage of every Magic Morning (EE) when you stay onsite, although that is not an advertised perk. :thumbsup2

As far as comparing distances, there's an interesting article called "How Far Is It" that shows exact distances by feet. HoJo is on a par or closer than Paradise Pier, and it's even closer than some of the rooms in the far towers of DLH. http://www.mouseplanet.com/7280/How_Far_Is_It

If you go for offsite, I'd still vote for HoJo. It has the best pool area, and wonderful beds, and great service. You could also hold reservations there for your dates, (call to get the 15% off DISboards rate) and then if they add your dates for the Entertainment rate closer to your stay, you could cancel your other ressies and stay there.
 
Yes, you do still get to take advantage of every Magic Morning (EE) when you stay onsite, although that is not an advertised perk. :thumbsup2

As far as comparing distances, there's an interesting article called "How Far Is It" that shows exact distances by feet. HoJo is on a par or closer than Paradise Pier, and it's even closer than some of the rooms in the far towers of DLH. http://www.hojoanaheim.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14

If you go for offsite, I'd still vote for HoJo. It has the best pool area, and wonderful beds, and great service. You could also hold reservations there for your dates, (call to get the 15% off DISboards rate) and then if they add your dates for the Entertainment rate closer to your stay, you could cancel your other ressies and stay there.

Thanks for all that info avalon! I was wondering if you know where I might find that article? I did a Dis search and it came up empty. I have read a few times that Hojo was closer than PP to DL. I've never been to PP so I have no idea what I might be getting myself into if I stay there. :scared: I wouldn't even know where to eat off site on that side by PP. OTOH, I'm very familiar with that area of Harbor near Hojo and Fairfield Inn. Hojos is completely sold out during my dates (except for June 11). I couldn't even book at rack rates. My DH likes Hojos so much (customer service, location, enclosed corridors), we've actually stayed there and paid rack rates in the Holiday season when we didn't know about the Dis Discounts. :scared:
 
Thanks for all that info avalon! I was wondering if you know where I might find that article? I did a Dis search and it came up empty. I have read a few times that Hojo was closer than PP to DL. I've never been to PP so I have no idea what I might be getting myself into if I stay there. :scared: I wouldn't even know where to eat off site on that side by PP. OTOH, I'm very familiar with that area of Harbor near Hojo and Fairfield Inn. Hojos is completely sold out during my dates (except for June 11). I couldn't even book at rack rates. My DH likes Hojos so much (customer service, location, enclosed corridors), we've actually stayed there and paid rack rates in the Holiday season when we didn't know about the Dis Discounts. :scared:

Aw, crud, I linked the wrong link. :headache: Here it is, it's from MousePlanet: http://www.mouseplanet.com/7280/How_Far_Is_It

Now I'm gonna go fix it on my other post. :rotfl:
 
This is a great review (& i agree with many of dismsn's comments). :thumbsup2

I've stayed at the PP & the Fairfield several times & will add a few comments below:

We stayed at PP last week for $199/nt (military rate). There were five of us (2 adults and 3 teenagers). The room had two queen beds and a foldout single bed and not much extra room but we were only there for an hour or two in the afternoons and to sleep at night.

Regarding the cleanliness of the room, I'd give it a 7 out of 10 (the first night two of the five glasses in the bathroom were noticibly dirty but housekeeping did quickly remedy the problem but it made me wonder what else they'd overlooked while cleaning the room. Also, there were five of us but every day we had to call for an extra towel (they always left us four and brought three extras when we called). Each day they would replace ALL the towels and only leave us four. That got annoying but oh well.

We did get nightly turndown service and rice crispy mickey heads upon arrival but I think that might have been because we had a German exchange student with us and it was her first time visiting. That was a nice touch.

As for the food choices, we only bought food in the hotel one morning and that was in the bar area where they had some breakfast items. The cost of five bagels, cream cheese, a container of fruit and five bottles of orange juice was over $30. So . . . that afternoon we went to Target and bought a bag of bagels, a container of cream cheese and a jug of orange juice for about $10 (that got us through two more breakfasts). We got napkins and a knife to spread the cream cheese from the bar area in the hotel.

We had a good experience with the PP room service "Big Breakfast". It easily fed both my DS9 & me & was a good fit since there isn't any cheap get & go options in the PP or in DTD.

Onto the pool. We originally had reservations at the Holiday Inn Express on Katella but after looking at a map, it appeared that might be a long walk to Disneyland. Also, the pool didn't look too exciting and I thought the PP pool would be more fun for the teenagers. We went back to the hotel each afternoon for a swim but the kids never went into the pool (all girls). They just laid by the pool (and there were never any lounge chairs available). So . . . unless your kids will swim, staying at the PP for the pool could end up being a waste of money. Also, the slide is not open the entire time the pool is open. I think the slide closes at 5 p.m. You definitely have to go back to the hotel in the afternoon to take advantage of the slide--you can't wait until the end of the day.

The pool works well for those wanting a mid day break & for kids 7 & up for the slide. Probably not as toddler or kinder friendly as Hojo or DLH though.

As for the walk to Disneyland, it wasn't that far but it was far enough that I didn't want to go back and forth unneccessarily. We never rode the monorail because when we checked in we were told only one monorail was running and that the wait could be fairly long (I was under the impression from the DIS Boards that Disney hotel guests had a priority on the monorail but that wasn't the case). We either walked through Downtown Disney or through the Grand Californian (if I could afford it, that's where I'd stay).

If money was no object, i agree. The GCH is the way to go. & I'd go as high as $160 for the PP, but that's about as high as i'd go. I like the walk thru the GCH to the DL gates....& hopping to DCA prior to our mid day rest makes the PP a very convenient location for us. I also never would use the monorail from the PP....unless i wanted to ride the Monorail. :)

I'm undecided on if the PP is worth $199/nt or not but the location is close and the room met our needs. I wasn't disappointed but I wasn't expecting much either.
 
Yes, you do still get to take advantage of every Magic Morning (EE) when you stay onsite, although that is not an advertised perk. :thumbsup2

As far as comparing distances, there's an interesting article called "How Far Is It" that shows exact distances by feet. HoJo is on a par or closer than Paradise Pier, and it's even closer than some of the rooms in the far towers of DLH. http://www.mouseplanet.com/7280/How_Far_Is_It

If you go for offsite, I'd still vote for HoJo. It has the best pool area, and wonderful beds, and great service. You could also hold reservations there for your dates, (call to get the 15% off DISboards rate) and then if they add your dates for the Entertainment rate closer to your stay, you could cancel your other ressies and stay there.

Gail, you are a Gem....
now can you please explain what the %15 Disboard rate is? And if I already have a ressie can I still ask for it or is it too late?
 
This is a great review (& i agree with many of dismsn's comments). :thumbsup2

I've stayed at the PP & the Fairfield several times & will add a few comments below:

Hound, thanks for the PP review. How did you feel about Fairfield Inn? I'd appreciate any comments. Are there off site eating areas in walking distance to PP or will we have to drive everywhere? I don't anticipate eating a lot of meals at Jazz Kitchen or Rainforest...
 
DisneySuiteFreak - There are not many options for offsite dining if you stay at the Paradise Pier. You have DTD restaurants and park restaurants and the three DLR hotel restaurants (most of which have character meals and cost over $30/person). We found that the restaurants at DTD were not open for breakfast. There was a coffee shop open with donuts and bagels and such in a bookstore. There was also a snack shop in the GC that offered a few hot food choices but one of the people in our party doesn't like bacon and 2 of the 3 hot choices included bacon mixed into the item.

I think you could probably walk to the GardenWalk for lunch or dinner but we drove (our feet were sore after several days in the parks). You could also probably walk to the restaurants on Harbor across from the parks but one morning we went by there and the restaurants were packed (we were on our way to Universal) and we drove quite a ways down Harbor until we found a Denny's that didn't have a line out the door.

That being said, Paradise Pier has room service and we did order that for a light dinner one night (soup, two salads and cheddar cheese fries--$36). Also, we like to eat in the parks so we didn't think lunch or dinner was a problem. We did think breakfast was a problem but ended up buying breakfast items at Target (down Harbor) and kept them in our mini-fridge.
 
DisneySuiteFreak - There are not many options for offsite dining if you stay at the Paradise Pier. You have DTD restaurants and park restaurants and the three DLR hotel restaurants (most of which have character meals and cost over $30/person). We found that the restaurants at DTD were not open for breakfast. There was a coffee shop open with donuts and bagels and such in a bookstore. There was also a snack shop in the GC that offered a few hot food choices but one of the people in our party doesn't like bacon and 2 of the 3 hot choices included bacon mixed into the item.

I think you could probably walk to the GardenWalk for lunch or dinner but we drove (our feet were sore after several days in the parks). You could also probably walk to the restaurants on Harbor across from the parks but one morning we went by there and the restaurants were packed (we were on our way to Universal) and we drove quite a ways down Harbor until we found a Denny's that didn't have a line out the door.

That being said, Paradise Pier has room service and we did order that for a light dinner one night (soup, two salads and cheddar cheese fries--$36). Also, we like to eat in the parks so we didn't think lunch or dinner was a problem. We did think breakfast was a problem but ended up buying breakfast items at Target (down Harbor) and kept them in our mini-fridge.

Thank you Dismsn for all the info! I think our feet would probably be too sore to walk to Gardenwalk also. I highly doubt I would walk to the places on Harbor because they are even further away if staying a PP. I guess if we stay there that we would end up eating breakfast type items in the room...
 


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