When HoJo isnt available - how is Anabella?

[pigby]

My plans have gone wrong tonight - flights now booked and paid for, for April and when I keyed my dates on HoJo site, it is saying that nothing is available. As it is a good 5 months before we travel, I didn't expect to have a problem.

Also looked at official Disneyland site and it isn't coming up with availability either.

So Plan B - in Unofficial Guide, it states that Anabella is a good deal for the money and when I looked online, price isn't bad either. Booking via Disneyland site (when you click on Good Neighbor tab) is coming up $90 cheaper (over the week) than booking direct with Anabella on their website.

Question is - do they offer AP rates and do they have complimentary breakfast? Also how is the walk to the parks?

I was hoping to hold out for (maybe) a good AP rate at PPH, but now I am worried about availability disappearing.

If I book Anabella, would I pay a deposit and would I be able to cancel with no penalty if a decent PPH rate came up?

I wondered whether to ring HoJo's anyway tomorrow just to be sure, but it sure puts a spanner in the works

 

[LavenderPeach]

You should try calling Hojo directly to see if they actually have anything available although I see that would be a very long distance call for you. The hotel we wanted last april was booked according to their website but we were able to get 3 rooms when we called the hotel directly.

I've never stayed at the Annabella but it looks nice from what i can tell. The walk will be longer than Hojos I think. I'm pretty sure the Annabella doesn't have free breakfast. Have you looked at the Candy Cane Inn? It's about the same distance walk as Hojos (except from the other direction) and they have a free breakfast and a free shuttle plus it's an easy walk if you don't want to wait for the shuttle.

 

[Ariel224]

My plans have gone wrong tonight - flights now booked and paid for, for April and when I keyed my dates on HoJo site, it is saying that nothing is available. As it is a good 5 months before we travel, I didn't expect to have a problem.

Also looked at official Disneyland site and it isn't coming up with availability either.

So Plan B - in Unofficial Guide, it states that Anabella is a good deal for the money and when I looked online, price isn't bad either. Booking via Disneyland site (when you click on Good Neighbor tab) is coming up $90 cheaper (over the week) than booking direct with Anabella on their website.

Question is - do they offer AP rates and do they have complimentary breakfast? Also how is the walk to the parks?

I was hoping to hold out for (maybe) a good AP rate at PPH, but now I am worried about availability disappearing.

If I book Anabella, would I pay a deposit and would I be able to cancel with no penalty if a decent PPH rate came up?

I wondered whether to ring HoJo's anyway tomorrow just to be sure, but it sure puts a spanner in the works

I'm not at all familiar with the Anabella, so I can't address your questions about the hotel specifically. I just want to say that I prefer to book reservations directly with the hotels. The change and cancellation policies tend to be much more flexible than booking any sort of a travel "package" through a third party. And yes, booking Good Neighbor through the Disneyland site, even though you might just be booking your hotel, could be considered a package. I know Sherry E. has numerous posts in this forum about how flexibility and deposits can be lost when having to cancel after going through Disney Travel. Be very certain about the fine print details regarding cancellations, as you just never know what life might throw at you. Our trip last fall was almost canceled due to H1N1 striking our family 10 days before departure.

 

[pigby]

You should try calling Hojo directly to see if they actually have anything available although I see that would be a very long distance call for you. The hotel we wanted last april was booked according to their website but we were able to get 3 rooms when we called the hotel directly.

I've never stayed at the Annabella but it looks nice from what i can tell. The walk will be longer than Hojos I think. I'm pretty sure the Annabella doesn't have free breakfast. Have you looked at the Candy Cane Inn? It's about the same distance walk as Hojos (except from the other direction) and they have a free breakfast and a free shuttle plus it's an easy walk if you don't want to wait for the shuttle.

Thanks for the quick reply - don't mind making a long distance call to the States (kinda used to it) - plan to call HoJo tomorrow - it looks on their site as though they have availability to the Tuesday but our last 2 nights they only have a King room.

Re Mission rooms at Anabella - what is a 'day bed' - not really a term we use in the UK - is it suitable for a teen to sleep on? Does it mean a sofa bed?

We did consider Candy Cane - it's another $300 though and I wasn't sure that the free breakfast and the marginal closer distance to the parks was worth another $300 (there are 3 of us so $100 each)although it does look very nice, what do you think?

 

[pigby]

I'm not at all familiar with the Anabella, so I can't address your questions about the hotel specifically. I just want to say that I prefer to book reservations directly with the hotels. The change and cancellation policies tend to be much more flexible than booking any sort of a travel "package" through a third party. And yes, booking Good Neighbor through the Disneyland site, even though you might just be booking your hotel, could be considered a package. I know Sherry E. has numerous posts in this forum about how flexibility and deposits can be lost when having to cancel after going through Disney Travel. Be very certain about the fine print details regarding cancellations, as you just never know what life might throw at you. Our trip last fall was almost canceled due to H1N1 striking our family 10 days before departure.

Didn't consider this - thanks. The main reason I would want to cancel is if we got a good deal at a Disney hotel though. If something else came up eg sickness then we would be covered on our travel insurance - our dates are inflexible as already paid over $2000 for our flights as we had to pay those in full.

 

[bumbershoot]

I stayed at Anabella a couple years ago, and liked it. The rooms on the first floor have wood floors, and I now get grossed out by carpet in hotel rooms. Just doesn't seem as clean.

The people were really nice.

But the walk IS longer, and unless you get one of their special rooms you don't get breakfast with it. However, they do have a restaurant on their property!

You'll end up walking to the crosswalk, cross Katella, and go on up the street (something with Disney or Disneyland in the name). Pass Paradise Pier Hotel, and then continue on like you would if you were staying at the PPH. The walk is pleasant (unless you're carrying a 3 year old).

I don't think there are AP rates, and if you have a car, they DO charge for parking per day.

If you're booking a room-only stay online, I doubt you pay a deposit, and I'm sure they tell you exactly when you need to cancel so that you don't forfeit a certain amount.

With PPH, when you book a room-only, you pay the equivalent of one night's average stay during your trip, and I believe you have to cancel 5 days out to get that back. You can always book PPH now and then change it, if an AP rate comes out, if just having a room right now is important.

 

[LavenderPeach]

Thanks for the quick reply - don't mind making a long distance call to the States (kinda used to it) - plan to call HoJo tomorrow - it looks on their site as though they have availability to the Tuesday but our last 2 nights they only have a King room.

Re Mission rooms at Anabella - what is a 'day bed' - not really a term we use in the UK - is it suitable for a teen to sleep on? Does it mean a sofa bed?

We did consider Candy Cane - it's another $300 though and I wasn't sure that the free breakfast and the marginal closer distance to the parks was worth another $300 (there are 3 of us so $100 each)although it does look very nice, what do you think?

I'm guessing by "day bed" they mean some sort of sofa bed. Ths term is usually used for a twin sized bed that has a frame/headboard thing on 3 sides. During the day it can be - sort of - used as a sofa. Some day beds have another mattress on the bottom that can be brought up to make a queen sized bed. I personally have never seen this kind of bed at a hotel so that's why i'm not exactly sure what their bed might look like. It should be fine for a teen bed. I'm guessing it's a twin sized bed - whatever it looks like.

I guess you would have to figure out how much more per person, per day the CCI was to see if it's worth it for the breakfast and shuttle. If it's the same amount of money (or close) that you would spend for breakfast anyway, then yes, i think it's worth it.

 

[Alinasan]

There should be a picture of the daybeds on the Anabella's website, at least I thought I saw one. But Lavenderpeach's description matched what I saw. It looked more comfortable than a rolling cot that hotels sometimes give you if you have an extra person. And because it is usually a mattress rather than folding mattress inside a convertible sofa, it's probably also nicer than one of those.

 

[ter-moo]

A daybed is just a single/twin sized bed, with a frame that gives it a "seating" sort of look:

It would be fine for a teenager! In fact, it's what MY teenager sleeps in every night!

 

[Luisa]

Have you tried Expedia? I had the same problem with HoJo not having my dates when booking through their site but I was able to get them on Expedia.

 

[bzkds]

No breakfast, very long walk to/from park! I have stayed at the Anabella the past 3 years. How nice the rooms are depends on which building you're actually in. The larger family rooms in the middle are closer and bigger than the room we had in the very farthest building in the back. There is no elevator either, so if you're on the 2nd or 3rd floor, be prepared to lug your suitcases up the stairs. One year they had overbooked because of a convention next door, and the parking lot was overflowing. If you took your car out, there was NO parking when you returned and cars were being towed. But that was only that one particular trip. The little family restaurant next door is really nice and inexpensive.

 

[pigby]

No breakfast, very long walk to/from park! I have stayed at the Anabella the past 3 years. How nice the rooms are depends on which building you're actually in. The larger family rooms in the middle are closer and bigger than the room we had in the very farthest building in the back. There is no elevator either, so if you're on the 2nd or 3rd floor, be prepared to lug your suitcases up the stairs. One year they had overbooked because of a convention next door, and the parking lot was overflowing. If you took your car out, there was NO parking when you returned and cars were being towed. But that was only that one particular trip. The little family restaurant next door is really nice and inexpensive.

This was the info I was looking for - not too worried about the walk to the park to be honest - but then again we don't have any little ones. I was looking at the larger L shaped rooms and was a little concerned that they might be overlooking the road - I don't do road noise! - but if they are in the middle of the hotel, that sounds good (I think)

Wondered whether requesting a pool view might be good and we usually go for a higher floor - take your point about no elevators though - might do DH good - anyway he's a big strong chappie.

Now it's between the Candy Cane and Anabella - but looks like I can get 50 more square footage in the Anabella (the King and Double L shaped room v the Deluxe at the Candy Cane) for $90 cheaper - no parking costs to consider anyway as we will get a shuttle to and from airport and unsure whether we'll use Candy Cane's breakfast (well we might a couple of times, if it was there) and we def won't use the shuttle bus to the parks.

Also in favor of the Anabella is that it seems close to PPH and GCA hotels as we want to do breakfast at both.

P.S. Expedia also showing no availability at HoJo's so I've resigned myself to not going back there (sob)

 

[skiingfast]

Now it's between the Candy Cane and Anabella - but looks like I can get 50 more square footage in the Anabella (the King and Double L shaped room v the Deluxe at the Candy Cane) for $90 cheaper - no parking costs to consider anyway as we will get a shuttle to and from airport and unsure whether we'll use Candy Cane's breakfast (well we might a couple of times, if it was there) and we def won't use the shuttle bus to the parks.

Also in favor of the Anabella is that it seems close to PPH and GCA hotels as we want to do breakfast at both.

If it was me, i would stay at the Annabelle. It's really nice and above and beyond most of the areas hotel offerings.

I wouldn't discount the candy canes breakfast and shuttle though. Grabbing a quick bite on the way to the parks is really nice. Also that shuttle wouldn't get used everytime you go to the park, but almost everytime going back. Having it for the return is what makes it a benifit.

 

[poppins2008]

We stayed at the Anabella two years ago, and agree the walk to Disney hotels would be convenient, but walk to the parks was long compared to Hojo. It was the last half of our trip (Hojo wasn't available the entire week), and we actually drove and paid to park at Disney, so we could save our feet by the end of the trip.

We liked their pool, and I don't remember having trouble with noise - our room wasn't facing the road. On the down side, the lighting was really poor / very dim in our room, and they control how cool you can have the air conditioner - which wasn't cool enough for us. They make it clear they are conserving energy in every way possible. Elevators were very slow.

 

[bumbershoot]

We stayed at the Anabella two years ago, and agree the walk to Disney hotels would be convenient, but walk to the parks was long compared to Hojo.

Well, they go hand in hand. You walk to PPH/Grand, and go through the Grand to DTD to the parks.

People used to chance a parking lot tram being open and running, and they'd walk the other way along Katella, but as far as I know that parking lot is gone, and you'd just end up walking all the way along Katella (past CCI, I believe, if my brain-map is working LOL), then alllll the way up Harbor to the entrance plaza.

Better to just walk to the Grand and go on through to the esplanade that way.