Suggestions~ where to stay at Disneyland (Christmas)

[kwilson263]

My family of 6 (4 kids, 17,15,11,& 9) are planning a trip to Disneyland. My dad and family of 3 are planning on meeting us there. Any suggestions on where to stay would be greatly appreciated. We will be there around a week during school break.

 

[Sherry E]

Are you primarily interested in staying in a Disneyland Resort (DLR) hotel for the full Disney experience or would you rather save a lot of money and stay off-site? If it is the former, and money is not an issue, the Grand Californian Hotel (GCH) is especially lovely during the holidays, but it is the most expensive of the 3 DLR hotels. It reminds me of a sort of elegantly rustic mountain chalet/lodge, and the lobby is huge, with dark wood, high ceilings, dim lighting, comfy chairs and sofas, a piano player, and during the holidays there is a guitar player strumming by the fireplace, carolers singing by the enormous Christmas tree and Santa posing for photos. It is a great place to just sort of plunk down and relax, sipping a beverage and enjoying the vibe - whether you are a guest of the hotel or not. The GCH really kind of lends itself to the seasonal feeling, but not in an ostentatious, showy kind of way. The other two DLR hotels are magical as well, but in a different way, with more 'Mickey touches' around the rooms and adorable Mickey head bath products in the bathrooms. The Disneyland Hotel (DLH) is the original, and is beloved by many folks on this board. The grounds are lush and pretty, with lovely waterfalls and koi ponds and a fun pool area that kids enjoy. There are also remote-controlled mini Jungle Cruise boats to play with with. Paradise Pier (PPH) is a more modest Disney hotel, with not much scenery to speak of on its property, but a very cute beachy/sun/surf/nautical type theme throughout the corridors and rooms (Mickey lifeguard lamps; surfboard room number signs; seashell soap dish, etc.) and pretty pastel colors. I like to be immersed in the whole Disney experience from beginning to end, so I like to stay onsite.

Now, as far as offsite hotels, there are many that people on DIS rave about. HoJo's is a particular favorite among DIS-ers, but many people also stay at Candy Cane Inn or Tropicana - there are lots of them, and they are much more economical.

In any case, wherever you decide to stay, you will love DLR at Christmastime (assuming you have not already experienced it). It is truly magical and enveloping, and every inch of the resort is decked out in holiday splendor - every hotel, every shop, every restaurant - and there is seasonal music and the smells of peppermint and cinnamon and other wonderful aromas filling the air. The WInter Castle is breathtaking as it glows incandescently through the park. Also, there is the wonderful Haunted Mansion Holiday and It's a Small World Holiday which are not to be missed - the IASW Holiday facade illuminated in glorious colors at night is one of the most beautiful things you will ever see at Disneyland - truly stunning to behold!

 

[kwilson263]

Thanks Sherry! Well we were hoping to get something more affordable seeing how we have so many in our family. Hopefully some place that weren't tiny little hotel rooms. Maybe like a suite that had could sleep 9 people. I just don't want to spend Christmas stuck in a little hotel room with nothing to do. KWIM? If we stay some place other that the DLR can we still go see the Winter Castle, Holiday Mansion, and the PPH? Or is this for guests only? We are planning on getting the City Pass. Anything else you would recommend? This will be my boys 9 and 11's first time going. My girls have been to Disneyland twice...

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks Sherry! Well we were hoping to get something more affordable seeing how we have so many in our family. Hopefully some place that weren't tiny little hotel rooms. Maybe like a suite that had could sleep 9 people. I just don't want to spend Christmas stuck in a little hotel room with nothing to do. KWIM? If we stay some place other that the DLR can we still go see the Winter Castle, Holiday Mansion, and the PPH? Or is this for guests only? We are planning on getting the City Pass. Anything else you would recommend? This will be my boys 9 and 11's first time going. My girls have been to Disneyland twice...

Oh yes! If you stay offsite at a non DLR hotel, you will still be able to see the Winter Castle and the Haunted Mansion Holiday and the It's a Small World Holiday because those are all insisde of Disneyland. You don't need to be a hotel guest to see those! You will love Disneyland and California Adventure and Downtown Disney all decked out in the holiday stuff, and you can still go enjoy the Grand Californian atmosphere I explained in my earlier post without being a guest there. Thats what we did last year. In fact, you can enjoy the Disneyland Hotel's waterfalls and koi ponds and mini-Jungle Cruise boats without being a guest there. There is not much to see at the PPH, and the cute touches are mainly up in the rooms, but you can certainly wander around and look and sit in the lounge and all of that!

More and more people are starting to stay offsite because the DLR hotels are so expensive. Again, not having stayed offsite myself, I am going by recollection of what people say, but I think Desert Inn and Suites may have some suites to accommodate your group's size. I am sure more people will post here and suggest other offsite hotels to fit the number of people in your group, but you will have a wonderful time! You certainly do not need to stay onsite at a DLR hotel to enjoy the magical DLR Christmas experience!