Please reassure me about April weather/Hojo's?

[kittycruize]

Hi Everyone!
Well yesterday we got a super deal on SunCountry-$99 each way. It would be for the end of April. We are WDW vets, never been to DL, so am very nervous LOL! April was sure not my pick for weather reasons, but such a great deal on the air kinda sold the deal. I am very worried about the weather....can we swim in April or is it just too cold? Crowds? Also I booked Hojo's, but have 2nd thoughts on that too. We love WDW for the whole immersion factor, and am worried about staying off site. But the DL hotels are way more expensive than Hojo's. Can anyone reassure me at all that I am doing the right thing here? FYI, we are a group with SunCountry-3 families, so can back out of this reservation if need be!!
Any advice/thoughts would be so appreciated!

 

[ShaunaM]

..three times on site once. Twice at hojo, could not get in the third time. On site is beautiful but very, very dear. We were at the hojo twice in February and our kids swam then, we used the hot tub, but we are canadian, and were wearing shorts in the parks while cast members had parkas on, lol.

I describe the hojo as like going to your great aunt's house. Super clean, not too fancy, no granite here, but very comfortable. The morning walk flys by, the nighttime one can seem a bit long.
I would not hesitate to stay here again, certainly the immersion plays in when you stay on site but not to the tune of three times the price in my opinion. So unless you can get a killer rate on site , go for the Hojo, there is a reason it is a perennial favourite for off site around here. Have fun.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Our family really likes Hojo and has stayed there many times. Immersion enthusiasts who stay at an offsite DL hotel do sometimes complain about having to walk down Harbor, a busy Anaheim street, and be taken away from the Disney magic, but the walk is short and, in our family's case, has always been unexceptional. We have tried the DLH and the PP once each for a splurge and liked them well enough, but I am much happier either saving money or staying longer and staying offsite at some place like Hojo.

I recently responded to another Diser who asked about what Hojo is like. See my post #17 in this thread if you're interested:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3025168&page=2

 

[Butterfly123]

We have gone in April many times. We have had an occasional light shower on some trips, but usually the weather has been beautiful, in the high 70's during the day. Mornings and evenings can be cool and breezy, so you will need a coat or light jacket of some sort.

We always stay off site, and don't feel it is any less magical. I would sooner stay off site, and be able to stay an extra day. We don't spend much time at the hotel, anyways, so the cost of on site is just not worth it to us.

 

[asc72]

We have stayed at the Hojo twice and we had an awesome trip both times. We tend to stay in the park pretty much the entire time its open, so for us the hotel is pretty much a place to sleep and recover for the next day

If cost is a consideration, then it is much more affordable there, especially if you take advantage of the fridge in the rooms and the offsite restaurants.

We were there in March and the weather was warm enough for swimming most of the days we were there. A few evenings were quite cool.

 

[kittycruize]

Thanks everyone! So, can we wear shorts during the day? At night can we get away with wearing capri's and sweatshirts, or do we have to wear pants and jackets? Just trying to figure this out.......at WDW we are used to running around in t shirts and shorts, and love it!!

 

[madigraham]

Hi Everyone!
Well yesterday we got a super deal on SunCountry-$99 each way. It would be for the end of April. We are WDW vets, never been to DL, so am very nervous LOL! April was sure not my pick for weather reasons, but such a great deal on the air kinda sold the deal. I am very worried about the weather....can we swim in April or is it just too cold? Crowds? Also I booked Hojo's, but have 2nd thoughts on that too. We love WDW for the whole immersion factor, and am worried about staying off site. But the DL hotels are way more expensive than Hojo's. Can anyone reassure me at all that I am doing the right thing here? FYI, we are a group with SunCountry-3 families, so can back out of this reservation if need be!!
Any advice/thoughts would be so appreciated!

You're from fl so you're used to warm weather I'm assuming as an I being from so cal. Unless it is a fluke day where the weather goes above 75 degrees I personally would not swim
In April. I've seen it done, but I'm assuming the people were from
Somewhere very cold lol. Crowds aren't too bad unless its the first two weeks of April because of spring break. I would stay on site if possible for mm hours and atmosphere, but that's something you need to decide for your situation.

 

[Butterfly123]

I've been on some April trips that shorts were fine during the day. I've also been there in April where we definitely wanted pants during the day. It is really a guessing game at this point.

 

[Girimama33]

We usually go in late April, and it can get pretty drizzly in the morning, and often tones showers may be forecasted. If it clears up, it is usually pleasant. Check the weather closer to your trip on order to get an idea what to pack.


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[MommyLove]

April can be either or. It can be gloriously sunny and warm, but it can also be windy, rainy, cold. You just don't know. You'll have to start checking the week before you go.

We've stayed onsite and at HoJo. Yes, you do lose the immersion factor by not staying onsite and I understand this can be a big let down for people who are used to WDW. BUT, if you are prepared for it and remember how much money you are saving, it's really not a huge deal. Also, since DL and CA are so compact, you'll love how quickly you can go from one to the other and to your hotel... no dealing with the transportation issues like at WDW. So you just focus on the benefits. For offsite, we love HoJo. And if the weather is nice, the Pirate's Cove water area are awesome for the kids (and they have a pool in another area). I recommend HoJo highly!

 

[MommyLove]

Oh... and the "crowds" issue...

The end of April will be low season (that's relative at Disneyland). For great info on this, see Hyroguy's thread HERE Also, here's a thread on DL for WDW vets (also by Hydroguy). Very helpful.

 

[HydroGuy]

Here is some weather data to use for comparison...

"Comparison of Weather For WDW and DLR" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1711098

 

[Amy&Dan]

We are DL vets who then became WDW vets!

At WDW I would never stay offsite, I love the immersive feeling you get, from the minute you get on the Magical Express it just never ends! However, there are three resort levels to choose from and promos like free dining and room discounts as well as the benefit of Magical Express and the DDP.
DL though is different. While I do love staying onsite and have done so probably 75% of the time when we go to DL, its gotten harder for me to justify paying the rates. Not so long ago we paid $150-200 a night for the DLH and even less for the Paradise Pier. Last summer however, we paid $450+ a night for the DLH. It was wonderful and definitely my favorite of the three hotels, but we won't be doing that again anytime soon. With the size and scope of WDW you need to be onsite in my opinion for the transportation options. At DL you can walk just as easily and sometimes quicker staying offsite than you can on, and regardless of being on or offsite, you pay to get from the airport to the hotel. And the onsite hotels now charge to park (as do some of the offsite ones but Hojo does not)

We love the Hojo! Its not comparable to a WDW hotel. But its very nice. I love the retro feel, oversized rooms, great staff, great gift shop (that sells everything you can think of), pretty grounds (that are nothing like a WDW resort but still very pretty), we love the garden pool, think the water playground would be great for young kids (which we do not have), nice arcade, two laundry rooms and the walk as someone said flies by in the morning and can feel a tad bit long at night but still very doable. And far nicer than waiting for a bus, boat or monorail to take you "home". We also love the Keurig coffee makers in the rooms and being so close to Mimi's and McDonald's.

DL as an overal resort experience cannot be compared to WDW since its smallr and situated in the middle of a large city. However, the parks themselves are incredible, there is a lot of great dining, having two parks right next door to each other and DTD right there as well is beyond nice. Its got charm and history, and a great climate.

We love end of April (and should be there around that time ourselves this year). Its always been warm during the day (one year it was horribly hot but that was a freak thing) and sweatshirts or light jacket at night. Its also not that crowded which can be nice, although be aware DL doesn't run fireworks during the week like WDW does, so its good to have a weekend night or two to see Remember which far surpasses Wishes.

I love staying onsite but the price is a big magic buster for us. If WDW only had the GF and Poly to choose from, I'd stay offsite some of the time there too!

We have stayed at the Hojo, Best Western Park Place Inn, Camelot and Tropicana. All are very close with the Hojo being the furthest but we still like it best.

 

[kittycruize]

Thanks for the info Amy&Dan-a few people have responded that April can be really unpredictable. That is really scaring me off a bit. Since we are a group with SunCountry, I am luckily able to change my tickets. You say you have gone in April and had nice weather? Since we are going with 5 little ones, we are really hoping they are able to swim. Amy&Dan, can you give me any other insight also into the comparison of WDW and DL? I have read everything I possibly can (thanks Hydroguy!), but would sure appreciate a vetran opinion! I see we have stayed at many of the same resorts at WDW! We are just spending so so much money for this trip, I just want to make sure we are doing it right-especially weather wise. What would you think of the long Labor Day weekend for crowds and weather? Maybe that would be better?

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

What would you think of the long Labor Day weekend for crowds and weather? Maybe that would be better?

I have not personally tried Labor Day weekend, but I know a couple things about it. It's the half marathon weekend, so that will certainly be an impact on park hours and crowds. That time of year can also be very unpredictable with weather with regard to temperature although rain is unlikely. I believe this year was very hot, mid to upper 90s.

 

[awdsmama]

We went this past March (spring break) and stayed at HOJO.

My son was in the pool several times, as was I! The weather was wonderful, high 60's-mid 70s daily. We only took hoodies to the park for evening hours and wore capris and shorts every day!!!

Hojo's was about a 7 min walk from parking lot to DL gate, not bad at all. Sure towards the end of the evenings at the end of the week it became longer but still a great choice. Mimi's restaurant next door has good food at good prices. and they have coupons online.