Need some hotel help for December

[millie0312]

Hi everyone-
I'm just coming back from a DisBoard break so trying to get ready for a December trip and SO much has changed since last December and I need some help!! Here's the situation- I booked in Jan BWPPI and DIS (to give me time to decide on one) for our 9 night December trip as staying onsite for that long is not an option this year sad (so sad!!), however before everything is booked up I'd like some advice on if I should stay elsewhere now that DH has given me a little extra budget for hotel!! We stayed at GCH two years in a row then last year stayed at BWPPI and honestly it was fairly clean but the beds were HARD, the breakfast was not for our family, but man the location..... so now after reading and reading and looking at photos I'm SO confused at where to stay- please help!!
What we'd like-
- soft beds!! (Rock hard makes for a horrible 9 nights)
- Off site, but close walking distance
- Room for a family of 4- 2 are young kids- so 2 queen beds is great
- fridge/microwave
- a clean place that is safe
- a pool (doesn't have to be fancy)
- decent price

We don't have a car and no need for bunk beds or a huge room- just the basics is ok. Of course the breakfast addition is really nice and having a pool that is kid-friendly is great too. Nicer "views" and a nicer room is nice too since we have some off days at the hotel but honestly all that is extra.
I'm torn because we didn't love BWPPI, but I'm not sure that DIS is a lot better but it IS $450+ cheaper. Then I see Candy Cane Inn, PVI, courtyard theme park entrance and grand legacy are all pretty nice and offer nice perks if you will- so I'm torn!

Any thoughts on soft beds that are close by the walkway (we walked from Hojo one year and felt it was petty far) that are clean (one kid still plays on the carpet floors)? I know there's a lot of hotel talk but I don't see much talk about the bed comfort and closeness combined which is honestly one of the biggest factors in a hotel for us this trip- the rest we can deal with lol thanks for the help!!

 

[The Hunchback]

We thought the beds at Alpine Inn were the best motel beds ever. No view but we weren't in room that much.

Alpine Inn was a reasonable walk assuming you are using stroller. It had free parking and free limited breakfast.

I do not know if I would want to be on the carpet in any motel but this was no worse that any others I have seen.

I would stay there again.

 

[Susie63]

PVI. I am all about the beds. I found BWPPI beds were too hard but the beds at PVI are a nice pillowtop. Same distance as BWPPI, great hot breakfast, free parking, and a nice pool. The staff are wonderful. It is an older motel. If you are light sleepers I recommend the second floor although there are no elevators. Ask for a room away from the breakfast area if you like to sleep in. We did 10 nights at PVI.

 

[Susie63]

PVI also has a two queen suite with a separate seating area. Great for getting the kids to bed and being able to close the door for the big kids who stay up later.

 

[smartlabelprint]

If you can afford courtyard Marriott that's where I'd be with a 9 night stay.

I also really enjoyed Camelot. Nice pool area. No breakfast.

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Hi everyone-
I'm torn because we didn't love BWPPI, but I'm not sure that DIS is a lot better but it IS $450+ cheaper. Then I see Candy Cane Inn, PVI, courtyard theme park entrance and grand legacy are all pretty nice and offer nice perks if you will- so I'm torn!

Any thoughts on soft beds that are close by the walkway (we walked from Hojo one year and felt it was petty far) that are clean (one kid still plays on the carpet floors)? I know there's a lot of hotel talk but I don't see much talk about the bed comfort and closeness combined which is honestly one of the biggest factors in a hotel for us this trip- the rest we can deal with lol thanks for the help!!

Sorry, what is DIS?? Do you mean the Disneyland Hotel?? EDIT: Never mind. I realized you must mean Desert Inn and Suites... We stayed there before. It's ok. Dated. There was a used condom someone left on the wall/railing along the walkway to our room. Gross... Now prefer to travel a bit further and stay at a slightly 'better' place. (I realize that better is subjective.)

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Have you looked at the Candy Cane Inn? It fits your criteria. Has nice beds (soft, not hard), clean, great customer service, free (generous) breakfast, free (private) shuttle with friendly drivers, pool, discounts for AAA/APs/AARP/etc., and premium rooms have breakfast delivered to the room (so nice in the mornings when you are trying to get everyone ready for the parks!). We got a great rate for the premium rooms on our last trip. Really nice and saved us $1800 over the GCH.

 

[AussieNSW]

Have you looked at hotels near toy story parking lot such as Homewood suites convention. It is next door to the parking lot so all you have to do is walk a very short distance to the bus. Beds were great, breakfast included, light dinner included on certain nights during the week, laundry on site, kitchen, seperate lounge area short walk to Denny's and IHOP and a short walk to Walgreens for supplies.

 

[NewbieMouse]

We always stay at BWPPI, but if that wasn't to your taste you could try PVI as it is in basically the same location with similar amenities. I have always wanted to try it but it is usually significantly more expensive for my dates, but if you have some extra budget room, that could work well!

 

[Susie63]

I read a lot of reviews before picking a new hotel and my take on the DIS, is that the beds are really hard. We are staying at the CCI for our trip in December.

 

[5forMickey]

The only offsite we have recently stayed at is the new Marriott right across the street. If it is a little more than you are wanting to pay remember that they do "rewards" and for 9 nights you may be able to get 1 or 2 nights free.

 

[magpiemae74]

We stayed at the Tropicana on our last trip and enjoyed it. It had a decent pool and okay beds and was super close walk wise! No extra perks really but it was clean and had a convenience store attached.

 

[tiffjoy]

PVI in also close, and I thought the beds were fine. I am also picky with beds, but my desire to travel a lot overcomes that, so I deal with whatever is reasonable and affordable so we can go more often. CCI is also nice enough. DIS was ok. It wasn't my favorite, and we didn't like the breakfast. It's on my "not unless I can find somewhere else" list. Alpine Inn is also fine, but a longer walk especially now that you can't cut through the GCH.

 

[Elima2015]

We just stayed at the Candy Cane Inn two weeks ago and had a really decent stay. The beds were very soft - both DH and I commented on how soft they were. Very comfortable. Breakfast was perfect for us. I just heard there is a toddler pool, a bit hidden, but behind the main pool - we completely missed seeing it when there. Free shuttle if you want it, though we walked to/from the park every time. It is farther in distance than BWPPI (where we have stayed before), but it really was a pleasant walk. I would stay there again. The floor in our room was not carpeted and there is no elevator, just a heads up.

The other place I have my eye on sometime is the Courtyard w/ the waterpark.

 

[BadPinkTink]

I stayed at Desert Inn and Suites June 2017. I dont get the complaint about the hard beds, I had no issues

The location was amazing, I have previously stayed at Motel 6 MainGate on Disney Way. I dont drive and use public transport, so staying across the street from the pedestrian entrance was just fantastic

The breakfast was basic Im not much of a breakfast person anyway, juice and toast were perfect for me, coffee I am a Starbucks person, so I head straight there once in the parks.

I used the pool on my departure morning, again I had no issues.

The room had a fridge and microwave which was great. I walked to Walgreens on my arrival night and bought 2 large waters, which I kept in the fridge and refilled my drinks bottle each day for the parks.

 

[scrapshappen]

We stayed at DIS a few weeks back. It is a no frills hotel. Very basic. Very cheap furnishing and fixtures. But it was clean and I thought the beds were comfortable. In fact, they might have been the most comfortable cheap hotel beds I've ever slept on. The pool is inside so that might be a plus for a December trip. The breakfast was not even something I was interested in. A few apples and bananas and then cheap muffins and danish and cereal.

I have stayed at the Tropicana several times. I would go back there every time if they had a two-queen plus a sofa bed now that my kids are too big to share a bed. It feels like a bit of an upgrade to the DIS, but still nothing too fancy. No breakfast at all, but the rooms have fridges and microwaves so we just bring our own cereal and milk.

We also loved the Homewood Suites next to the Toy Story Lot. New, very clean, and a real hot breakfast.