Too Many Hotels!!!

[DPS]

Wow! I cannot believe the overwhelming amount of hotels near Disneyland. I have been looking at this for a week and my eyes are starting to cross. I have read many different threads on here, and they have helped for sure...but I feel at this point I am overanalyzing and I thought I would see if there was any new help or might just go by votes!

My trip: December 3rd-9th (flights are booked). Visiting from Canada. Me, my husband, our two boys (5 and 3), my mother, and my MIL. We (husband and kids) will spend as much time in the park as possible, we probably won't be able to go to Disneyland again, definitely not soon), the moms will spend a few days in Disney and leave a few days open. We do not have to be in the same rooms, but could be....

Considerations I have made:
1. Distance: want to be close!
2. Cost: I would give my right leg to have the experience and EMM of the resorts, but we just can't
3. Want a fridge and a microwave, just makes kids and food so much easier
4. We think we want a breakfast (hot or continental), but not stuck on it
5. Other things I have considered: Comp Wifi, heated pool, fireworks views, non smoking (restrictions to smokers are very strict in Canada, and we are quite used to it....my MIL is a bit of a snob about it), Disney Channel, themed rooms or kids suites (while we are excited about Disney, it is based around the kids)
6. Newness of the hotel/renovations: haven't gone on very many vacations and really haven't had to stay in the cheapest of the cheap. I know with so many people through the Parks it would be impossible to keep the rooms looking fresh as a daisy, but it is a real consideration of mine. Also (even though it makes me sound like a namby pamby) if I am staying in a hotel, I think I want it to feel like one (elevator, hallways...) but I know I have to give and take on my requests....

Hopefully that is a good amount of information for everyone to go on. If you have any thoughts about the hotels I have limited my selection to, please let me know. If you just want to vote for one, it would be great (I am making this decision on my own, and it is making my head spin and my children beg for attention).....

1. Fairfield Inn

2. Best Western Plus or Best Western Inn and Suites

3. Ramada Maingate

4. Candy Cane Inn

5. Portofino

6. Desert Palms

I hope this doesn't sound rude, but at this point I don't need any more choices. I know all the other ones exist, I know you have your favorites. For one reason or another I have limited it to these 7...it may be the wrong seven, but at some point I have to make a decision.

Thanks for any help! Sorry for the wordiness (it just spills out)!

 

[MAJPLO]

From what I've looked at (we are doing the same round and round thing you are!) I would vote for a kid suite (get the fifth/top floor) at the Portofino. No breakfast but walkable and the extra space is nice.

I think

 

[Cheshirecatty]

Hi DPS----

I'll just comment on three:

Best Western Park Place Inn--is the closest, has a microwave and fridge, has a pool(never used it so don't know if it's heated), parking is tight, has breakfast(but it's not the greatest by any means).

Fairfield Inn--we stayed here quite a while ago and liked the hotel set-up and our room. We didn't use the pool here either(sorry, we have a pool at home, so don't use the pools unless we stay at Disney hotels). The rooms have refrigerators, and the walk is about 10 minutes(less if you are a brisk walker). We thought the Fairfield to be nicer than the BWPPI(in our opinion).

Candy Cane Inn--Lots of loyal, returning customers(that says something about this property), is about a 10 minute walk, rooms have fridges, has breakfast, and, has a dedicated free shuttle if you don't feel like walking!

I know it can be overwhelming, and I get the overanalyzing bit!

Good Luck!

 

[aleighc1]

We stayed at the Fairfield and loved it. The most important thing I can say about the rooms is that they were very clean! My 7 year old son has severe asthma and an off the charts allergy to dust mites- he didn't need his asthma medications even once while we were there! He is HIGHLY sensitive to his surroundings, so we were more than impressed that the room was clean enough that he didn't have a single episode. The rooms looked to all be recently renovated; the decor was updated, the beds and pillows were comfortable, and the atmosphere was overall quite relaxing.

I booked through last minute travel club for around $90 a night. We have a large family and brought my mother, so we booked adjoining rooms. Having the adjoining rooms was perfect because we never really felt separated, but we could easily close off the rooms when our littles ones needed to sleep and the older ones wanted to watch movies and hang out. There is a fridge in the room, but the microwave is located on the third floor. (there are two microwaves, a toaster, and a bunch of tables and chairs next to the Pizza Hut on that floor) The Wifi was fine enough for us to conduct our business (we started our own company a few months ago, so we had to do a little work everyday that we were there), the pool was nice and the temperature of the pool and hot tub were adjusted daily depending on the weather, and we easily watched the fireworks from right outside our door on the 6th floor. (we could even see Tinkerbell fly!) The elevators for this hotel are located in the lobby, but the rooms all have external walkways. I didn't mind this since anyone that wants to get to the elevators has to walk by the front desk. I believe all public buildings are non-smoking in California, so you shouldn't have to worry about that. I found the walk to the parks to be quite easy, and that was even with two strollers and a bunch of kids. I liked that there were hotel security guards out front of the hotels, it just made me feel safer when walking at night.

They didn't offer breakfast, but that wasn't a big deal to us. I had Vons deliver groceries on our first day, and most days my family just ate bagels or granola bars and fruit while we walked to the park We'd love to stay on property some day if we could afford it (we'd need a suite for 10!!!), but unless that happens, I think the Fairfield will be our go-to hotel of choice.

 

[CheshireGato]

Stayed at Fairfield my last trip, and probably will stay there every trip in the future (unless I go onsite!!)
I loved how clean the rooms were, and I felt the distance was amazingly close. Like pp, I could see fireworks from my room. Since they didn't have breakfast I would eat in my room or pick up something from McDonald's on my way to the park.
Fairfield does have Disney paintings/pictures in there rooms... But I'm pretty sure the castle in my room was from WDW ha
Recommended Fairfield to a coworker who went recently, she had a great time and is now recommending that hotel to her friends.

 

[hjgaus]

2. Cost: I would give my right leg to have the experience and EMM of the resorts, but we just can't


Depending on your park tickets you SHOULD have at least ONE MAGIC MORNING into DISNEYLAND ONLY.

 

[seagodess]

I stayed at the Fairfield Inn last year. We loved it. It was very clean and nicely decorated with disney pictures all over. It also has wonderful customer service.

1. Distance: want to be close!
Its only about a 10 minute walk.

2. Cost: I would give my right leg to have the experience and EMM of the resorts, but we just can't
It is one of the cheaper ones I have found for what you get.

3. Want a fridge and a microwave, just makes kids and food so much easier
It had a fridge, but I dont think it had a microwave. No breakfast, but there was a couple places really close right outside.

4. We think we want a breakfast (hot or continental), but not stuck on it
They also have a mini store in the hotel that has cerel cups, fruit and a few pastries as well as other small items.

5. Other things I have considered: Comp Wifi, heated pool, fireworks views, non smoking (restrictions to smokers are very strict in Canada, and we are quite used to it....my MIL is a bit of a snob about it), Disney Channel, themed rooms or kids suites (while we are excited about Disney, it is based around the kids)
I don’t know about the WiFi, we didn’t use internet. The pool was nice. I dont know about heated, we were there in May, so it wasn't really a concern. Depending on where your room is, you can see the fireworks. I don’t know if its Non Smoking in the whole place, but our room was. We are non smokers and very sensitive to the smell and didn’t have any problems.

6. Newness of the hotel/renovations: haven't gone on very many vacations and really haven't had to stay in the cheapest of the cheap. I know with so many people through the Parks it would be impossible to keep the rooms looking fresh as a daisy, but it is a real consideration of mine. Also (even though it makes me sound like a namby pamby) if I am staying in a hotel, I think I want it to feel like one (elevator, hallways...) but I know I have to give and take on my requests....
I don’t know how new it is, but it looks and feels new.

 

[CrabbyPatty]

We really liked the Fairfield Inn. Our 7th floor room had a Cars theme and we had a park view so we could see the Mickey Wheel and some of the higher fireworks.

The pool was small but nice. The walking distance is good - very easy to swing by McDonald's and grab something quick on the way to the parks. Wifi was also good - we had no problem getting service. They have Disney Channel plus HBO and loads of other channels. We didn't go to the Pizza Hut on the 3rd floor, but the small store on the main level had lots of snacky stuff.

Another huge plus, IMHO, is they are close to Mimi's Cafe which we loved! Really good meals, good breakfasts served until late in the day, great service, etc.

 

[lolale]

I just returned from two nights at the Desert Palm. It was a nice hotel -- clean, safe, and spacious. We had a great fireworks view from our room, but not all rooms would have this feature. The breakfast was plentiful -- lots to choose from, such as scrambled eggs, oatmeal, make your own waffles, donuts, cereal, fresh fruit... but everything was very basic (nothing special). The location was great, very walkable. The pool is in the centre of the hotel, surrounded by 5 floors on all sides, I think, and seemed to be well used. The room had a decent sized fridge and a microwave. The coffee and coffee maker provided in the room wasn't that great. There was ice cold water in the lobby (with lemons, cucumbers) everyday, which was a nice feature considering how hot it was there last week. Travelling without kids, we had a basic room and I can't comment on kids suites or Disney programming on the television.

There are so many hotels to choose from, but many are very close. Good luck with your decision!

 

[Syndrome]

Wow! I cannot believe the overwhelming amount of hotels near Disneyland. I have been looking at this for a week and my eyes are starting to cross. I have read many different threads on here, and they have helped for sure...but I feel at this point I am overanalyzing and I thought I would see if there was any new help or might just go by votes!

My trip: December 3rd-9th (flights are booked). Visiting from Canada. Me, my husband, our two boys (5 and 3), my mother, and my MIL. We (husband and kids) will spend as much time in the park as possible, we probably won't be able to go to Disneyland again, definitely not soon), the moms will spend a few days in Disney and leave a few days open. We do not have to be in the same rooms, but could be....

Considerations I have made:
1. Distance: want to be close!
2. Cost: I would give my right leg to have the experience and EMM of the resorts, but we just can't
3. Want a fridge and a microwave, just makes kids and food so much easier
4. We think we want a breakfast (hot or continental), but not stuck on it
5. Other things I have considered: Comp Wifi, heated pool, fireworks views, non smoking (restrictions to smokers are very strict in Canada, and we are quite used to it....my MIL is a bit of a snob about it), Disney Channel, themed rooms or kids suites (while we are excited about Disney, it is based around the kids)
6. Newness of the hotel/renovations: haven't gone on very many vacations and really haven't had to stay in the cheapest of the cheap. I know with so many people through the Parks it would be impossible to keep the rooms looking fresh as a daisy, but it is a real consideration of mine. Also (even though it makes me sound like a namby pamby) if I am staying in a hotel, I think I want it to feel like one (elevator, hallways...) but I know I have to give and take on my requests....

Hopefully that is a good amount of information for everyone to go on. If you have any thoughts about the hotels I have limited my selection to, please let me know. If you just want to vote for one, it would be great (I am making this decision on my own, and it is making my head spin and my children beg for attention).....

1. Fairfield Inn

2. Best Western Plus or Best Western Inn and Suites

3. Ramada Maingate

4. Candy Cane Inn

5. Portofino

6. Desert Palms

I hope this doesn't sound rude, but at this point I don't need any more choices. I know all the other ones exist, I know you have your favorites. For one reason or another I have limited it to these 7...it may be the wrong seven, but at some point I have to make a decision.

Thanks for any help! Sorry for the wordiness (it just spills out)!

I know how you feel !!!
We have been trying to plan a DL trip for July/August 2014 , its truly mindboggling to us, but its prob. only because we have never been to DL before .
I don't know, but to us............ WDW just seems so much easier to plan .

Anyway, we started looking at everything from offsite hotels to DL hotels, and even house rentals. We did hear a lot of good things about most of the off-site hotels you listed. I think any one of those you pick will prob. be o.k. Just pick the one that appeals to you the most and have a good time . I do hear Dessert Palms (or was that Dessert Inn?) coming up quite a bit, so it must be pretty good.
Its an easy decision for us, as our DL trip will likely be a once in a lifetime trip, and we don't really have an interest in "learning" the area. In other words, the hotel we pick will prob. be the only time we go to DL, so its a 1 shot deal for us.
We just decided to "bite the bullet" and stay at the DL on site hotels. We don't want to "chance" it by "trying" an off site hotel we know nothing about. We figure if its a Disney hotel, how can we go wrong .........well except for the extra $$$ flying out of our pockets !!!
Sorry I am not too much help for you, but have a great time !

Syndrome

 

[crystal1313]

Hello! The ramada maingate has a new building, so those rooms are really nice! But of course they are more expensive then the older rooms. The have free parking and wifi and breakfast. Wee love it there and stayed in a new room in July. It was really nice. Bright, spacious, nice furniture, really nice bathroom with granite counters and two sinks. The bath tub was super nice and big. We are a family of four and did not feel cramped. But ramada is a motel style, no enclosed hallways.

CCI is also very nice. Veery clean. Well maintained. Really great breakfast and free parking. Sper close walk too. But again, it is motel style and older. We stay in a standard room and it is tight on room for us, and our Kids are little still (5 & 3)

I've always wanted to stay t the Fairfield inn. I've heard so many great things about it. I think it will be the most like a hotel out of all of them. The theme rooms look amazing. It's hard to choose, as there are so many hotels close by. Good luck!

 

[DPS]

Hello! The ramada maingate has a new building, so those rooms are really nice!

It states on their website that they are still in construction phase for another new building. Was there construction occurring when you visited? If so, did you feel the effect of it during your stay (noise, workers on site, etc?)

Thanks for the comments (to everyone so far) It is really appreciated and I feel a lot less overwhelmed now than I was three hours ago.

 

[squirrel]

Check the Desert Inn & Suites. Across the street on Harbor. A poster just returned and gave a very good review of the hotel -
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3165502

We are staying in a few weeks in a C1 Family Suite (there is a suite even bigger than this one) with 4 Queen Beds, 2 TV's, 1.5 bathrooms, sofa, fridge, microwave and table & chairs. The cost was really good for a two room suite and we will also get it even cheaper than booked because we don't have a car so we won't have to pay the parking fee.

The pool is indoors, but since you are going in Dec. it probably doesn't matter that much. There is roof top viewing area. Free Wi-Fi (they are upgrading it) and a continental breakfast.

We are also putting in an order from Vons (Safeway) to be delivered. The fridges are bigger than most hotel sizes and with the $ we are saving on the room we are getting some extra breakfast, lunch and snacks.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

There isn't a Good Neighbor hotel that meets all of those criteria, but given them I would suggest either the Fairfield Inn or the Howard Johnson (directly across the street from the FI.) Fairfield Inn has no grounds to speak of, but does have themed rooms and is slightly closer to the main gate.

The HoJo has no themed rooms but does have family suites, an adult pool and popular kids water play area, microwave/fridge/coffeemaker, and sits amid a small but cozy grounds area that gives you the feeling of a (really small) WDW resort hotel. There's also an ART stop directly in front, so you don't have to walk to the parks if you don't want to (though it's a 10-minute walk), and all rooms and most of the grounds are non-smoking. (There is, I think, a single outside smoking area in the back of the property.)

Neither hotel has breakfast, but if you're walking to the parks, the McDonald's on Harbor Blvd. is on the way and is a popular morning stop for DL visitors staying on Harbor. Of the two hotels, my longtime preference is the HoJo.

 

[DPS]

Check the Desert Inn & Suites. Across the street on Harbor.

I read that review thread and went right away to check that property out. For some reason they are completely booked December 5th (even when called).

As for the HOJO, it was a strong consideration. But my kids would just want to go in the waterpark (and being December it wouldn't be the best choice), the prices weren't great, and the distance was just that tiny bit extra that I took it off the list.

 

[Syndrome]

This map of the DL area has been a great help to us in planning our DL trip.
It shows all of the hotels in the close proximity of DL.

http://www.accommodationsneardisney.com/Disneyland/default.asp

Hope it helps.......

Syndrome

 

[luulu1999]

I know exactly how you feel!!!....I had decided on stanford inn and suites but every so often I look into fairfield and desert palm because they are closer and then I go back to stanford because of price and then I go back and forth on a regular room or suite...I have been going back and forth for months and still not 100% which I'm going to choose!!! Good luck

 

[Dogslyf]

My wife and I stayed at the Fairfield Inn during the last week of July. The FI meets all your criteria except for breakfast. We have a four-year-old daughter and we enjoyed our stay and would probably stay again. However, a few caveats to keep in mind:
1.) Parking was an additional $11/day. Not a huge expense, but you need to budget for that.
2.) There does not seem to be enough parking for all the guest staying at the hotel. I could be wrong, but it seemed like there were always cars circling late at night looking for a parking. However, you could valet park for no additional cost other than the $11/day charge.
3.)This hotel is NOT a Marriott hotel, but the staff is awesome and the rooms are extremely clean and well-maintained.
If you go about a half mile out from DL hotel choices can be less for a nicer hotel.

On the positive side:
1.) For such a busy hotel it is very quiet at night.
2.) You can see the fireworks from the "theme park view" rooms. There's an extra cost for a theme park view room, but if it's your first time at DL spend the extra money.
3.) Great staff! Very helpful and courteous!
4.) Third floor has a small deli/market and Pizza Hut Express. Good enough for coffee in the morning and a snack.
5.) Target is right around the corner on Katella. We bought lots of food and supplies there during our stay.
6.) If your willing to drive a little, you can get food off-site for much cheaper (In-N-Out, Round Table Pizza, Togo's, many other locally owned eateries as well). Hit Yelp for a little guidance.
7.) For a couple with a four-year-old, being right across the street was a lifesaver. We were able to split the day in two and be in our room after park closing in about 5 minutes.
8.) Free wifi, in-room fridge, microwave, pool, easy to get to your room, air conditioned, flat screen tv's, non-smoking, sofa sleeper, and nice views from the upper floors.

I hope this help a little. Have fun!

 

[crystal1313]

It states on their website that they are still in construction phase for another new building. Was there construction occurring when you visited? If so, did you feel the effect of it during your stay (noise, workers on site, etc?)

Thanks for the comments (to everyone so far) It is really appreciated and I feel a lot less overwhelmed now than I was three hours ago.

The only construction going on when we were there was repaving of the parking lot, but that was in mid July. We didn't see or experience any construction in/on the building. Construction cars were also parked in a lot of the parking spaces, but there was still plenty of parking. One morning the construction guys parked right in front of our room and were really loud getting their tools out at 6:30am. We weren't happy. We would understand 8am. But 6:30 was ridiculous. We voiced our concerns to the front desk. I would think the parking lot would be done right now, but I would call. Jessica the assistant manager and Katie the manager are awesome! I would let them know your concerns and see what they say.

 

[Epek]

The only construction going on when we were there was repaving of the parking lot, but that was in mid July. We didn't see or experience any construction in/on the building. Construction cars were also parked in a lot of the parking spaces, but there was still plenty of parking. One morning the construction guys parked right in front of our room and were really loud getting their tools out at 6:30am. We weren't happy. We would understand 8am. But 6:30 was ridiculous. We voiced our concerns to the front desk. I would think the parking lot would be done right now, but I would call. Jessica the assistant manager and Katie the manager are awesome! I would let them know your concerns and see what they say.

The parking lot construction is still going on last week and we caught some early worker noise too, but nothing horrible. I was overall very happy with the Ramada Maingate. Breakfast-not so much. Wifi- was slow, but we have unlimited data input phones and just used the 4G. The fall special couldn't be beat! We caught the fireworks on our first night from in front of the hotel. We were in the first floor. Higher floors would be able to see from their rooms.