Where to stay for Disneyland?

[3littlecuties]

We are planning our 1st (and maybe only) Disneyland trip for July 2020. We have been to Disney World many times but Disneyland is all new to us! Any suggestions on where to stay? I thought there might be a forum for hotels but I didn't see it so just direct me there is I missed it! We'd like to stay close (walking distance if possible). I think Disney Grand California may be out of our price range. Is Disneyland hotel a nice place to stay? Or should we look for a good neighbor hotel? Are there any you can suggest that sleep 5 (2 adults and 3 children)? Are there perks for staying onsite like at Disney World? We only plan to stay 3 nights.

Thanks!

 

[Plip]

We prefer the hotels directly across Harbor Blvd from Disneyland. The main access to the Esplanade (the area between the two parks, from which you enter either park) is from Harbor Blvd. And the closest of the hotels on Harbor are actually closer to the park entrances than any hotels except the Grand Californian (and that includes The Disneyland Hotel). The close ones include the Best Western Plus Park Place (don't confuse it with the other area Best Westerns), the Park Vue, the Tropicana, the Camelot, the Anaheim Desert Inn, and the Del Sol. You could add or subtract a couple from the list, depending on how far you consider close, but those are pretty much the ones we look at, in roughly that order.

They are all usually a fraction of the cost of the Grand Californian and even the Disneyland Hotel, and for our purposes, they're everything we need.

 

[Tink1987]

The on-site Disneyland hotels are the one Disney splurge I can never justify. The off site hotels are amazing, clean, well priced and most within walking distance.

We love the Hotel Indigo. A 10 minute walk, great modern rooms with walk in showers and hardwood floors, great bar and the staff are fantastic.

 

[Plip]

Are there any you can suggest that sleep 5 (2 adults and 3 children)?

I was looking (at different dates) earlier, and I saw a room at the Del Sol that looked appealing. It had two queen beds and a set of bunk beds, all in one room. So just now I plugged in a random three-day mid-week stay for July of 2020, and it came up $199/night. Then there are taxes and fees on top of that, which are more than most places, it seems. That's pretty close, and might work out well.

I haven't stayed at the Del Sol, though (I've walked past it many times). So don't take that as a recommendation. Just passing on something I ran across.

 

[violina]

I've stayed at the Hilton Anaheim (priority being attending a conference) and GCH. I honestly didn't mind staying off-site, with my group of 5+, we'd hop onto ART to get there in the morning and then usually just walked back to the hotel at night. I thought it was a good experience.

Since then, I've mostly stayed at the GCH when visiting, but that's because of the needs of the group (different group altogether). My best friend needs to be able to get back to the hotel quickly in case she has to work or deal with a work situation, so having a hotel nearby that she can easily hop in and out of was key. When I went with my husband last year, he had issues with hips and also needed to be able to get back to a hotel as quickly as possible if need be. The nice thing about this is that even if they left me alone in the park, it didn't ruin the sort of bubble effect that I had? That may or may not be an issue, but the convenience is really what we were looking for since neither one of them could commit a whole, interrupted day at the park.

I think that ultimately that's something to factor in. The walks off-site aren't far, but definitely doesn't work for the people I tend to travel with (in fact, we had to rule out a trip to WDW as a result of this). But if that isn't an issue (which it's usually not for others), then the price alone for an off-site hotel is something that may work out incredibly well for you.

 

[ParkHopper1]

For family of 5 the Courtyard may be a good choice. Nicest walable off site property IMO and rooms are standard with two queens and twin size bunk beds. Bathroom has 2 showers.

But most definitely DLH hotel if you can swing it.

The "Good Neighbor Hotel" designation is meaningless at Disneyland. They just sell tickets at the front desk, but it is no guantee of better quality or experience.

 

[EmJ]

We are staying at the Best Western Park Place Inn based on lower cost and proximity. We chose that hotel over the other across the street hotels, like Park Vue and Tropicana, because it is the only one that offers a complimentary hot breakfast and the pool isn’t important to us.

 

[Plip]

...because it is the only one that offers a complimentary hot breakfast and the pool isn’t important to us.

This is an excellent point. And it's a pretty decent breakfast, better than your typical hotel lobby continental breakfast. For our family of three, I figure it's worth $30 over what I'd spend at Denny's down the street. It might be a little nicer to have table service and more options, but the Best Western breakfast is plenty good for our needs.

And it's not just the expense. It's also the convenience. We can all get a good breakfast and be on our way to the park in 10 or 15 minutes. If you go to IHOP or Denny's, you're just placing your order in that much time

 

[SteveH]

I priced out Disneyland Hotel and I don't care to spend that much, Paradise Pier IMHO is not even close to worth what they charge. We stayed at the Sheraton Park and felt it was a good price point for our needs.

 

[Rich M]

Our go to hotel is Anaheim Majestic Garden now. Free shuttle and is walkable. My other choice would be Candy Cane Inn. I use to love to stay onsite but they have out priced me to stay there now. Its hard to justify the cost with so many good hotels near by.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

There are not as many perks to staying on-site at DLR. The only real substantial perk is that you get access to EMH (Extra Magic Hour), where you get to enter one of the parks (it rotates each day) an hour before it opens to the public. However, if you get a 3 day or more parkhopper ticket, you will get an early morning entry (called Magic Morning) for one day of your trip, only for Disneyland, available on certain days of the week. This is true even if you stay off site. You have to buy the tickets ahead of time, you don't get the Magic Morning if you buy in person at the ticket booth.

If you decide to stay off site, make sure to book directly with the hotel. There is no benefit at all to booking a "Good Neighbor Hotel" through Disney, as this label is meaningless and the prices won't be any cheaper. In fact, they may be more expensive. Often you can get better deals when booking directly with the hotel.

When choosing a hotel, location will be one of the most important factors, especially if you want to walk to the parks every day. The ones directly across the street from the crosswalk leading to the DLR entrance are going to be the closest. I stayed at Castle Inn recently, which is down the road further, and it was a little bit farther than I'd like to walk in the future, so I probably won't stay there again. But anything closer to that will be great for walking. When pricing out hotels to compare, keep in mind that some charge for parking, and some don't. Don't write off a hotel just because it charges for parking though, as after doing the math I've often had certain hotels come out cheaper even with the parking fees factored in.

Whether you stay on or off site, you can either purchase your Disney tickets directly from the Disney website, or you may find discounted options on some trusted third party sites, such as Undercover Tourist. Ask around here before going with a third party seller, just to be sure it's legit.

And if you really want to stay on site, I think the Disneyland Hotel would be a great choice. Many feel that Paradise Pier isn't really worth the price, and I tend to agree. My stay there was good, and my favorite part was the great view of DCA, but I was staying there on a significant discount. I would have a very hard time justifying a stay for full price.

 

[Summer2018]

We LOVED the Disneyland Hotel.

 

[ab21au]

We stayed to the Camelot a few years ago, and while it suited us at the time, the breakfast was very ordinary and the rooms just ok. This time we are splurging and staying at the Grand Californian but the price difference is very significant. The advantage is that we get early morning each day and we can easily go back to the resort when the crowds increase after lunch for a rest or swim. But those advantages come at a price.

 

[gpjacobs]

We love the Disneyland Hotel too! I've stayed offsite as well ... really, you can't go wrong. It just depends on what you want to prioritiae. This trip, DH and I are staying for the Grand for the first time simply because we're celebrating birthdays and our anniversary.

 

[mom2rb]

First stay was with my brother was at the Hilton Anaheim. We took ART and had no problems at all. Next trip was with DH and we stayed at Paradise Pier, I found a special on Hotels.com and I had a free night. Right now I am typing this from GCV. I was able to get a one bedroom on points and I brought DH and my sons. I have been happy at all 3 places. It is much different here than at Disney World. Except for early morning at California Adventure there is not much difference between on site and off.

 

[azdisneylover]

We are planning our 1st (and maybe only) Disneyland trip for July 2020. We have been to Disney World many times but Disneyland is all new to us! Any suggestions on where to stay? I thought there might be a forum for hotels but I didn't see it so just direct me there is I missed it! We'd like to stay close (walking distance if possible). I think Disney Grand California may be out of our price range. Is Disneyland hotel a nice place to stay? Or should we look for a good neighbor hotel? Are there any you can suggest that sleep 5 (2 adults and 3 children)? Are there perks for staying onsite like at Disney World? We only plan to stay 3 nights.

Thanks!

A perk staying onsite is the early entry/magic morning for the parks. The extra hour in the morning (especially if you are naturally an early bird) makes for a wonderful time! The parks are not crowded, and for a few hours, you can really do a lot without feeling rushed and crowded. Then, when it starts to feel crowded, you have a late breakfast or early lunch, say, at Carnation Cafe and talk about all the fun stuff you did first thing in the morning and pull passes while you enjoy your food!

 

[goooof1]

Check out @HydroGuy 's tips in the stickies above...… Tons of great info. :

"HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862

"Choosing the Right DLR Area Hotel for You" www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-hotel-for-you.3656512/

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Some helpful threads for you:
* DLR Info/Links - Maps, Hotels, DISer Reviews, Hydroguy's tips, NEWBIE INFO here! -- from the sticky threads at the top of the first page -- TONS of great information here!
From that sticky:
HydroGuy Tips Compilation -- so many helpful threads here!
A DLR Guide for WDW Vets -- absolute must reading for you!
"HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862
"Choosing the Right DLR Area Hotel for You" www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-hotel-for-you.3656512/ -- very helpful info here -- ask any questions here! At DLR, it's not about on site or off site -- it's all about location, location, location! What you invest in location/hotel, you will save in sanity, peace of mind, physical wear and tear, major convenience, commute/parking time and money, etc. The Good Neighbor designation doesn't really mean anything special, so don't let that sway you one way or another. There are quite a few hotels that can fit 5 -- look at the Residence Inn, Springhill Suites (on Katella), Courtyard Theme Park (w/waterpark), Homewood Suites, etc.
"Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy" by @Skyegirl1999 - www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/ -- most WDW vets love MP once they use it -- read up on it here and ask all your questions in this thread!
"Airport Proximity to DLR and Ground Transportation Information" by @3TinksAndAnEeyorewww.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2318297 -- very helpful info here -- closest airports to DLR are SNA (John Wayne) and LGB (Long Beach).
Number of days: we usually suggest our friends aim for 3 days minimum and up to 5 days -- more days allows for a more relaxed touring style, more time for shows/parades/ character meals/ TS meals/ shopping/pool time/beach days/etc. More time will help you deal with any crowds and give you time for breaks during the afternoon so that you can do nighttime shows. There really is so much to see and do at DLR!

Happy trip planning!

 

[Chickinvic]

In all my DL trips, I have never bothered staying on site. We just stay at a cheap hotel within short walking distance and it is all good. DL doesn't treat its offsite guests like crap the way WDW does (don't get me started on how much I prefer DL to WDW for this among other reasons). You will LOVE DL. I'm jealous.