Solo Trip Hotel ?

[vettegirl]

So next month my friend wants me to comeover and visit her in Cali. She lives in Bakersfield and would meet me the day after I fly out. I plan on flying in to SNA, taking one of the shuttles to my hotel for a solo day trip to DL. She would join me the next day. So my questions is what hotel would be safe for a single girl to stay at for walking back to at night. Of course I don't want to fork it out for the GC, which is a grea location for walking alone. I plan on purchasing the AP as I am returning in Dec with my DH. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[bumbershoot]

You want suggestions, I'll give you, well, I'll give you my thoughts.


On my first solo trip, I stayed at the Carousel. It's really close to the main plaza entrance and that was nice. But it's a motel, meaning the corridors are outside. I was SO nervous for some reason, having just that flimsy door between sleeping-me and the world. I also had a weird happening that trip where the steam from my shower caused the smoke detector to go off (around midnight, the night of the Vegas Monte Carlo hotel fire), and I ended up having to have my room door open for a little while. Although no creeps came by, no Carousel personnel came by either, and it ended up making me feel even MORE alone and vulnerable.

Please note I've been traveling the country solo since I was 17, have had two quick solo trips to New Orleans and walked around only feeling nervous there once (b/c of college guys out in the early AM still drink from partying before), I drove cross country the long way by myself, etc etc...I'm not a nervous nellie when it comes to traveling solo.

HoJo is a proper hotel with inside corridors, and even though it's about 5 more minutes walking from Carousel, I would choose that in the future. The sidewalks, during park hours and an hour or so before and after, are filled with tourists and cast members (and the occasional homeless person sleeping on a bus bench), and I've felt VERY safe walking to and fro. (note I didn't get worried until I was in my room well after the parks were closed and the tourists were asleep)

I might even go as far afield as the convention center Hilton, filled with conventioneers, and take ART. nice hotel, inside corridors, lots of people around.

PPH and DLH are of course surrounded by tourists, and proper hotels (I'm leaving off GCH b/c you nixed it and I haven't stayed there). DLH you walk through DTD or take the monorail into Tomorrowland, and PPH you walk allll the way through DTD or go out the front entrance, cross to GCH and get to DTD or DCA through that hotel. So both are nice and safe (there is a crosswalk across 4 lanes of road with PPH) and filled with tourists and CMs.

So those are my thoughts!

 

[spacemermaid]

Ideally, I'd go with HoJo's for a solo trip, as it has interior corridors and just feels really "safe" there. Plus that, the walk to/from the Park isn't long or isolated.

 

[disneyscootergal]

HoJo is a proper hotel with inside corridors, and even though it's about 5 more minutes walking from Carousel, I would choose that in the future. The sidewalks, during park hours and an hour or so before and after, are filled with tourists and cast members (and the occasional homeless person sleeping on a bus bench), and I've felt VERY safe walking to and fro. (note I didn't get worried until I was in my room well after the parks were closed and the tourists were asleep)

!

My last trip to DL was solo, and I stayed at the Hojo. I felt completely safe, both in the walk and in staying there; having said that, I did think it odd that while the building I was staying in DID have inside corridors, the doors leading to the outside at either end of the building were propped open for what seemed to be 24/7 (I say that because they were propped open from the time I left in the morning--about 6:30 am for MM--to 12:15 am). I found that extremely odd, since propping the doors open took away the added security of needing a room key to enter, but I didn't really feel less safe because of it.

 

[disneyscootergal]

And to emphasize how safe I felt, I'm going solo to DL again at the end of this month, and once again I'm choosing to stay at Hojos!

 

[Eeee-va]

My last trip to DL was solo, and I stayed at the Hojo. I felt completely safe, both in the walk and in staying there; having said that, I did think it odd that while the building I was staying in DID have inside corridors, the doors leading to the outside at either end of the building were propped open for what seemed to be 24/7 (I say that because they were propped open from the time I left in the morning--about 6:30 am for MM--to 12:15 am). I found that extremely odd, since propping the doors open took away the added security of needing a room key to enter, but I didn't really feel less safe because of it.

The doors seemed to be closed at midnight when I went in June, though I could be remembering wrong--I think we had to use our keys to get in more than once, though. Not that midnight is much better.

I felt safe walking alone to the HoJo, but some others might not. If money is no object, I think I would feel very safe in a Disney hotel, but failing that, anywhere with interior corridors should "feel" safe. Realistically, probably almost any hotel will BE safe. If you feel frightened potentially walking alone, just cross Harbor with the throngs of tourists instead of taking the "shortcut."

Have a great trip!

 

[LavenderPeach]

What about the Candy Cane Inn? It is really close to DLR but they also have a free shuttle that runs every 30 minutes so you could ride with other guests instead of walking by yourself. I didn't feel unsafe walking but I didn't feel like we were with a big crowd either and I'm not sure I would want to do it by myself at night. The doors at the CCI are outside but I felt safe there. Good luck making your decision!

 

[bumbershoot]

My last trip to DL was solo, and I stayed at the Hojo. I felt completely safe, both in the walk and in staying there; having said that, I did think it odd that while the building I was staying in DID have inside corridors, the doors leading to the outside at either end of the building were propped open for what seemed to be 24/7 (I say that because they were propped open from the time I left in the morning--about 6:30 am for MM--to 12:15 am). I found that extremely odd, since propping the doors open took away the added security of needing a room key to enter, but I didn't really feel less safe because of it.

oh, I'm sorry, I was referencing back to being nervous at the Carousel. I haven't stayed at HoJo solo, b/c they didn't add the entertainment book rate until AFTER I was unable to cancel with Carousel without forfeiting the cost of a night's stay, and since I was only staying one night, that was silly to do. When i booked Carousel it was much cheaper than hojo.

What about the Candy Cane Inn? It is really close to DLR but they also have a free shuttle that runs every 30 minutes so you could ride with other guests instead of walking by yourself. I didn't feel unsafe walking but I didn't feel like we were with a big crowd either and I'm not sure I would want to do it by myself at night. The doors at the CCI are outside but I felt safe there. Good luck making your decision!

I was thinking of that too, but I haven't stayed there.

I will mention that if people are being made to park at Garden Walk during that time (as we were forced to do around 9am on Father's Day Sunday), there will be scads of people walking along that side of Harbor, from the parking garage at GW. So the walk won't be as isolated with people parking there...

 

[vettegirl]

I have decided on the DL Hotel as the are extending the huge military promotion until the end of Sept. Thanks for all of your advice!