Need Hotel Help Please!

[poohbear12880]

My husband and I are HUGE Disney freaks, and have been to WDW many many times. I am an annual passholder. We decided to go to DLR in April, and have never been before. Can you please help me find a place to stay! I have always only stayed at Disney Hotels in WDW before. Are there any discounts available?
I appreciate any ideas..
Thank you

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

No discounts that I know of. And from what I understand the DL hotels are a lot more pricey than at WDW. But there are several ok/moderate/nice hotels right across the street and you can walk to the park, many of them also offer a free continental breakfast. Not a bad way to start your morning, free too

Check out packages through AAA, Costco and getawaytoday.com.

 

[HydroGuy]

I think one mistake WDW vets make at DLR is misapply their WDW experience. WDW vets are accustomed to buses, trams, shuttles, boats, etc. At DLR transportation is not necessary unless you make it so. DLR is much smaller than WDW. Make that work for you and get a walking distance hotel. Just think how much easier it is to make rope drop or take an afternoon hotel break when your hotel room door is 5-10 minutes away from the DLR gates.

The three Disney hotels are walking distance, as are numerous good neighbor hotels - especially those on Harbor. The benefits of a Disney hotel at DLR are not nearly as great as at WDW.

Here are some helpful links. Especially checks out the links in the first thread.

"HydroGuy's Hotel Rule"
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862

"A DLR Guide for WDW Vets"
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

 

[erikthewise]

I think at DLR staying "offsite" is a much better option than at WDW. I stayed at the Howard Johnson in January for under $100 and was very happy with it. Quality and room are comparable to a WDW moderate , but of course no theming. Food court is not necessary due to local restaurants; there is a sundries store with basic food items such as OJ, cereal, soda, ice cream, etc.

The point is that since it is as close to the parks as Beach Club is to Epcot, it feels like you're staying onsite. If you want to go the luxury route with DL hotels, they're available, but there are other good options.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I am betting oniste rates for April since its so close, are sky high at DL. I love all three onsite hotels but sometimes the budget just doesn't allow! And good rates generally only happen far in advance or in the very off season. They almost always sell out on the weekends thorughout the year. Onsite is a perk not a necessity for a great time at DL. There are some great choices right there on Harbor. I can recommend the Hojo, the Tropicana and some others that get rave reviews are: The Best Western Park Place Inn, Candy Cane Inn (highest rated and they have their own shuttle to take your right to the park), the Sheraton (also has its own shuttle, this is the one at 1015 West Ball Road,) and the Carousel to name just a few. Check out Expedia, if nothing else you can see lots of nice pictures and get a feel for rates all in one sight. Just make sure you stay there on Harbor or very close by. Either walking distance or with one of the two that has its own shuttle (Candy Cane or Sheraton Park). My advice is to not stay at a hotel that relies on the ART (Anaheim Regional Transportation, basically a shuttle service that connects the numerous hotels to DL that are too far to walk) which can add time and headache. As someone else said, most of the motels on Harbor are as close as the Epcot resorts to Epcot or the CR to the MK.

Just remember that these are all going to be older motels. No themed pools, most don't have room service and most have exterior hallways. But they are clean, cheap and close to the magic of Disneyland!

 

[HydroGuy]

As someone else said, most of the motels on Harbor are as close as the Epcot resorts to Epcot or the CR to the MK.

I think you would agree Amy that some of the Harbor hotels (like Tropicana and BWPPI) are as much of a walk as from some of the WDW parks are to the tram or bus pickups. I am thinking of MK and AK in particular here, but I think it is roughly true of all four WDW parks.

In other words, the time it takes to walk from the WDW park gates to the bus or tram pickup is how far you have to walk from the DLR park gates to your hotel room door at some hotels around DLR.

 

[retlawfan]

If we do not stay at one of the DLR Hotels, we use priceline.com. I highly reccomend it. We usually offer $50 for a 3* and get the Hyatt Regency on Harbor Blvd (about a mile away). They have their own bus, that is NOT part of the ART system, so it does not cost extra. The only thing we don't like about it is that parking is extra. So, if you have no car, this is the way to go. There is no guarantee that you'll get the Hyatt, but if you put at least a 3*, you'll get a pretty nice place for cheap.

 

[poohbear12880]

Your links have helped me so much!

 

[MissRoseRed]

I'm another WDW gal heading to DL in April. I've been once before with a bf who lived in CA, so we just drove in, but I'll be staying the weekend this time with my mom who has never been (she is soooooo excited).

I figure as long as the place is clean, I don't really care so much, I know it's a totally different experience than WDW. Right now it looks like the Travelodge at Main Gate is the cheapest.

Its so funny, I am all in a panic about organizing our trip to WDW this September, trying to plan my ADRs and such and yet, here I am going to DL in a month and we don't even have a hotel yet... Go figure...

 

[Amy&Dan]

I think you would agree Amy that some of the Harbor hotels (like Tropicana and BWPPI) are as much of a walk as from some of the WDW parks are to the tram or bus pickups. I am thinking of MK and AK in particular here, but I think it is roughly true of all four WDW parks.

In other words, the time it takes to walk from the WDW park gates to the bus or tram pickup is how far you have to walk from the DLR park gates to your hotel room door at some hotels around DLR.

I definitely agree. I know when we have stayed at Pop, that walk to the busstop felt longer in some ways than the walk to the Tropicana. And the sad thing is that you walk to the stop and then stand sometimes for a half hour waiting to get on a bus, and stand some more if its full! Then a long walk to your room if you are in an outlying building. And the busstop at AK can be even worse. I love it at DL since I always stay either onsite or on Harbor, knowing that as I leave the turnstiles, I will be in my room in no more than 15 minutes, sometimes much sooner. You cannot beat that!

 

[HydroGuy]

I definitely agree. I know when we have stayed at Pop, that walk to the busstop felt longer in some ways than the walk to the Tropicana. And the sad thing is that you walk to the stop and then stand sometimes for a half hour waiting to get on a bus, and stand some more if its full! Then a long walk to your room if you are in an outlying building. And the busstop at AK can be even worse. I love it at DL since I always stay either onsite or on Harbor, knowing that as I leave the turnstiles, I will be in my room in no more than 15 minutes, sometimes much sooner. You cannot beat that!

For everyone else's sake, Amy and I are not saying this to criticize WDW, but just to communicate to WDW folks how close some of the hotels are at DLR.

 

[Amy&Dan]

For everyone else's sake, Amy and I are not saying this to criticize WDW, but just to communicate to WDW folks how close some of the hotels are at DLR.

Oh absolutely, I love WDW especially for all the onsite choices. But due to its size (which is generally considered a plus over DL) even the onsite hotels can be a pain to get to at the end of a long day. There is something to be said for just crossing the street!

 

[kimis]

My husband and I are HUGE Disney freaks, and have been to WDW many many times. I am an annual passholder. We decided to go to DLR in April, and have never been before. Can you please help me find a place to stay! I have always only stayed at Disney Hotels in WDW before. Are there any discounts available?
I appreciate any ideas..
Thank you

We go to both WDW and DL. We love both however WDW is our favorite. There are three resorts on property at DL--Paradise Pier, Grand Californian and Disneyland Hotel. We always stay at Paradise Pier. You can get AAA discounts.