Place to stay for a large family

[SCHBR'smom]

I would love to take a family vacation to Disneyland next year. I'm not sure if we can, but I wanted to try to run the numbers to see if it's a possibility. We have a big family, so lodging is difficult. I'm considering Oct, Nov, or Dec 2013. By then, we will have 7 kids ranging in age from 14-1. What are our options hotel wise? Thanks!

 

[Cal-Pie]

I would love to take a family vacation to Disneyland next year. I'm not sure if we can, but I wanted to try to run the numbers to see if it's a possibility. We have a big family, so lodging is difficult. I'm considering Oct, Nov, or Dec 2013. By then, we will have 7 kids ranging in age from 14-1. What are our options hotel wise? Thanks!

If budget is an issue, and it sounds like it is, Desert Inn & Suites would be possibility. It gets mixed reviews on these boards, but it's very close.

 

[nannyz]

We seem to always go to DLR with kids in tow -- first it was our kids, now it's the grandkids.

We have tried several room arrangements over the years and have found the best one to be to get two rooms with a connecting door (not adjoining, which means they are just next to each other but do not connect).

This way, we have four queen beds and two bathrooms. This should work for you since your youngest one will no doubt be in a crib.
We like the connecting rooms at HoJo; they are more expensive but much nicer than other places we have stayed.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Yes, we stay at Desert Inn and Suites. It's perfect for our family. It isn't fancy, but it is affordable and the location can't be beat. We prefer the C2 suite. It has 4 queen beds, two baths, and one "living room" with sleeper sofa. We usually get it in January for about $114 a night! Keep checking the website because the prices do change. Online is also always cheaper than calling reservations.

They serve a small breakfast each morning. It usually consists of danish, cereal, toast, juice, milk, and terrible coffee. We buy muffins from Mimis down the road to add to the breakfast. Works great and we get to rope drop each morning.

 

[Mexikolla]

popped on today for this exact question! We are a family of 6 and while we got away with squeezing into a room with two queens and a sofa last year at Paradise Pier while our youngest was an infant, he is now a full fledged TODDLER. Time to get a bigger room

I looked into Anehiem Portofino. Looks affordable and they offer a suite with a queen and bunks and a pull out sofa in a seperate room.

Has anyone stayed there before?

Our annual trip is the last week of November.

 

[joelnkelly]

ever think about renting points from a dvc member to book a grand villa at the Grand Californian?

 

[rtfelt]

You could also look at renting a timeshare from someone who owns there in the DL area. They aren't as close as Desert Inn or HoJo, but you can get a 2 or 3 bedroom with 2 baths, a kitchen and a LR, so you can all stay together. You can also save by having the kitchen and not having to eat out for every meal. I have 6 children of my own, so I know how it is looking for these types of accommodations. We live local to DLR, so we've never done it there, but we did stay at a timeshare in WDW, and it worked out great. We ate breakfast there and made sandwiches everyday, so we only had to eat one meal in the park. When you're paying Disney prices for every meal for 8+ people, it can get really pricey.

If you could afford a 2 bdrm at the GCV that would be perfect. They accomodate 9 (plus a baby in a crib) and are right on site--you even have your own entrance to DCA. I've actually looked into this, and these particular units can be difficult to book. For those who actually own there, they can get early reservations, but I notice they charge more for their points (usually $12+/pt versus $9-10 for other DVC owners). I have received replies from people who bought/rented points from a WDW owner for $10/point and was able to book a 2 Bdrm villa at GCV, but it was not holiday season. If by Dec 2013, you're thinking Christmas--forget it. Be warned a 2 bdrm here in Choice Season (probably when you would be booking) for a week is 390 points--you do the math. Go to **************** if you're interested in this.

 

[nicolem]

Have you considered renting a house? We're DVC members, but last year we went to WDW with extended family and rented a 4 bedroom house (with a pool) for $800 a week. We enjoyed it so much that we're doing the same thing this year when we go to Anaheim. The rental rates in CA are much higher - $1500 for a week - and the house we're renting is about 3 miles from DLR, but we're excited to have so much room to spread out, plus a kitchen, multiple TVs, a backyard, etc.

 

[sukhakuli]

We always stay at the desert inn unless it is booked, then we stay at the castle inn. The suites are very affordable, and while it is not a 5 star hotel, it does the job and the location is fabulous. It's a closer walk than some of the on site hotels.

I am not a hotel snob, though. Sometimes we stay at really nice places, and sometimes we stay at dives. The desert inn is ok. It is comfy and super close and cheap.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

For larger families, some of the nearby Good Neighbor hotels that can accommodate 8 people are Residence Inn (penthouse - really like this one), Quality Inn & Suites, 2 bedroom suite, Best Western Raffles family suite.

 

[4th Gen Disney Fan]

popped on today for this exact question! We are a family of 6 and while we got away with squeezing into a room with two queens and a sofa last year at Paradise Pier while our youngest was an infant, he is now a full fledged TODDLER. Time to get a bigger room

I looked into Anehiem Portofino. Looks affordable and they offer a suite with a queen and bunks and a pull out sofa in a seperate room.

Has anyone stayed there before?

Our annual trip is the last week of November.

Our family of 6 stayed here May 31 - June 4. We had a kid's suite. I would rate this hotel a 3 out of 5.

The price was great (we booked 6 months in advance). I thought it was kind of on the small side for a kid's suite. The beds and sofa were fine but there just wasn't much room to walk around. I have 2 toddlers and anyone can attest to the fact that it can be hard to maneuver around so many little feet.

The room had a little round table about the size of a nightstand with 2 chairs that the kids used for playing games or eating a snack. They liked the fact that the bunk beds had individual light switches for night lights on their beds.

Neither TV worked well. They were both CRT and not HD. The remote in the parent's room didn't respond half the time and the kids' TV had a blown picture tube that would only work if it was warmed up. Good thing we weren't here for the TV!

We were on the 3rd floor of the tower facing the parks and you could see the fireworks from the room as well as the back side of Car's Land. The rooms were quiet. You couldn't hear anyone or anything outside your room. This was a plus.

The walk back and forth from the park was short and quick. It never took longer than 10 minutes. The gift shop downstairs is good for sundry items and there is a 7-11 right across the street. That store was crowded every time I was in there though.

We didn't pick this hotel expecting a 5 Star experience. It was close, the rate was affordable, and it could accommodate all our kids. It did all of these things just fine. The beds and bedding were very comfortable. I would stay there again but next time I would like an upgrade.

 

[prncssmel]

We have stayed at both the Residence Inn and Staybridge Suites with large groups. Neither are within walking distance, but with the tram or driving, the amount of space has been fantastic.

 

[starshine514]

We're partial to the Desert Inn & Suites, mainly because of its proximity and price. It has room that will sleep 10. You may be able to get by with connecting rooms at various hotels, since you'll probably get a crib for the infant anyway. You'll just need to look at each hotel individually, I know Park Vue and one other we were considering (I think it was Homewood Suites) only slept 7 people, so those would probably be out for you.