GrandBob
Grand events should not go unnoticed
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2007
- Messages
- 2,280
For our recent DLR trip, we had made reservations far in advance for Carousel Inn for Sun-Fri. As the trip approached, we decided we could squeeze in the previous Saturday night too. But the killer rates I got at Carousel were long gone. So I got onto tripadvisor and found a super killer deal for Cortona Inn. $55 for a Saturday night, booked just a couple of weeks in advance! 
According to my theory, a hotel near Disney has to have one of the following features to be considered desirable:
1. Be a Disney-owned property, or
2. Be within walking distance of DLR, or
3. Be a well-known, high-quality name brand (Sheraton, Hilton, etc)
Cortona is none of those things, which is why I think it needs to discount so heavily to market itself. And it's a shame (though I certainly won't complain about the price!). Because this place is a gem. Large, clean, well maintained rooms; beautiful property; large pool (we didn't go in); friendly staff; right on the ART line (next door to Sheraton). I thoroughly enjoyed our quick one-night stay, and thought it was a wonderful value.
About that walk. It's directly south of Sheraton and Clarion, and IMHO too far to walk on a regular basis. We arrived Saturday night at 7 PM, checked in, and hopped back into the car to get dinner (Grand China on Chapman at Harbor -- highly recommended). After dinner, I dropped the wife at the corner of Harbor and Katella and drove back to the hotel to park. I then walked to Disney to catch up with DW. At midnight the two of us walked back. So the walk is doable for adults. But if we had been staying more than one night, I'd get passes for ART or drive.
If this place were a block closer - say, at Katella - I think this would be one of the highly recommended places to stay. In a pinch, it covered our extra day very nicely and comfortably.
-Bob
According to my theory, a hotel near Disney has to have one of the following features to be considered desirable:
1. Be a Disney-owned property, or
2. Be within walking distance of DLR, or
3. Be a well-known, high-quality name brand (Sheraton, Hilton, etc)
Cortona is none of those things, which is why I think it needs to discount so heavily to market itself. And it's a shame (though I certainly won't complain about the price!). Because this place is a gem. Large, clean, well maintained rooms; beautiful property; large pool (we didn't go in); friendly staff; right on the ART line (next door to Sheraton). I thoroughly enjoyed our quick one-night stay, and thought it was a wonderful value.
About that walk. It's directly south of Sheraton and Clarion, and IMHO too far to walk on a regular basis. We arrived Saturday night at 7 PM, checked in, and hopped back into the car to get dinner (Grand China on Chapman at Harbor -- highly recommended). After dinner, I dropped the wife at the corner of Harbor and Katella and drove back to the hotel to park. I then walked to Disney to catch up with DW. At midnight the two of us walked back. So the walk is doable for adults. But if we had been staying more than one night, I'd get passes for ART or drive.
If this place were a block closer - say, at Katella - I think this would be one of the highly recommended places to stay. In a pinch, it covered our extra day very nicely and comfortably.
-Bob
