Where would you stay if you were us :) is 3 days enough?

[Karrie Davis]

Well, we go to WDW every year and like to stay at OKW. We are a small family of 3 with my son only being 3 years old. I have to go to Oxnard for a day to work with another artist and we thought this would be a nice mini DL trip for our Disney Addicted family. My son asks to go to Disney World every day and the other weeks freaked out at me for waking him frim a disney dream!

We are most likely driving from Denver.....


We will only stay 3-4 nights (in may) and want to not spend a ton only becuse this in not a traditionaly planned vacation We will be at WDW in NOV for our big $trip). AT the same time we can afford to spend if we really want to.... just torn on spending a lot but at the same time hate going to cheap.

We do go back to the room for 3 hours every day around 2 for naps and like to eat dinner non Disney. We like Disney Lunch and in room breakfasts

We do early morning get everything done ride wise and then just chill if or when we got to the parks later.

What would you do? We really do want to be close no matter what

 

[mystic_path]

I think staying off site would be for you then. There are some really close hotels directly across the street from Disneyland. They have the Jolly Roger, the Candy cane inn, Ramada Inn Maingate, Del Sol Inn, Carousel Inn. I would just look into those hotels and see what rates they are going for during the time you are going, and see what you are willing to spend. I wouldnt recommend the Howards Johnson on the strip cause its farther up the road and if you have a little one who doesnt want to walk 7-8 minutes at a leasurely pace casue he is too tired then I wouldnt. You would have to catch a shuttle and that may take even longer then walking.

 

[TwingleMum]

I would stay at either DLH or GC. You could use points if your DVC. DLH seems a little more themed than GC. The pool is Peter Pan themed and looks cute and the rooms are bigger than GC. GC is a little more deluxe and it does have some great theme park views. I'm a DVC owner and have been to WDW many many times and we are going to DL for the 1st time and I wouldn't consider staying anywhere else but DLH or GC. I just want to immerse myself in the Disney magic and not leave by staying offsite.

 

[mikayla73]

We are staying onsite for the first time this year. We normally go and stay off site, because at DL it isn't as big of a deal as it is in WDW to stay on site, as there are many hotels that are literally across the street from the entrance and easy walking distance. Of course I am super excited since this is our first time staying onsite and if I have the $ and/or points or any combonation of, I hope to continue to so when ever we go to DL, but we'll see. We are using our points to stay at the GC this time.

Mostly the hotels with the easy walking distance will be on Harbor. Candy Cane Inn seems to get rave reviews, but I have't been there.

As for 3 or 4 days, I'd go for as long as I could, not because I wouldn't be able to see everything, but because I love it at DL. I think it probably could be done in 3 days, but with a little one, I'd definately go for 4.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

They have the Jolly Roger, the Candy cane inn, Ramada Inn Maingate, Del Sol Inn, Carousel Inn. I would just look into those hotels and see what rates they are going for during the time you are going, and see what you are willing to spend. I wouldnt recommend the Howards Johnson on the strip cause its farther up the road and if you have a little one who doesnt want to walk 7-8 minutes at a leasurely pace casue he is too tired then I wouldnt. You would have to catch a shuttle and that may take even longer then walking.

out of these places...the only one I would recommend is the CCI but since you go back to the hotel for naps this might not be the place for you as it is a motel and you may be kept awake by pool swimmers...I think you should try Sheraton Anaheim...they have great rooms...the place is very luxurious (especially the beds) they have a very prompt shuttle that leaves either on the half hour or on the quarter hour all day long, a great deli/store that makes sandwiches fresh, salads, desserts, bagels, cereal, muffins and some hot items...also they have an onsite restaurant open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the price for this place is way less than CCI and you feel like your getting way more than you paid for...I love that hotel and cannot say enough good things about it...even having a pool room view, it doesnt bring the noise in... so you can get really good naps...

 

[casaazul]

DL Hotel is great! Wonderful pool, great rooms.

When we couldn't afford that, we stayed at Howard Johnsons and Carousel Inn. Of those 2, we will go back to Carousel only because it is right across the street from DL entrance!!! The walk was so fast to both DL and DCA and it was a quicker, short walk than from DL Hotel.

The rooms were nice, not huge and the pool on the roof was neat! We didn't use it because we were in the parks all day!

We are headed to WDW for our first trip in April. Can't wait!!!

 

[Karrie Davis]

thank everyone! The biggest trouble I am having now is finding reservations....

I think the hardest thing is wanting a good rate and not wanting to stay in a shabby place, I am not really a big fan of motel style places so this is hard to find something. We may only stay 3 nights and do the parks for 4 days. If you have any more info or advice please post I will contact a travel agent tomorrow to help me get a place in one of the recomended hotels you have been so helpfull with.

 

[Karrie Davis]

Any other nice non disney hotels/hotels that have good shuttles?

 

[Husker Mickey]

So glad you are giving DL a try. We too have been to WDW, but actually prefer DL. Are you really set to drive from Denver? We have driven from Nebr. to Nev. and it took two solid days. You will be tired before you get to the park. We fly from DIA and take a shuttle from the airport to our hotel. We stay at the Best Western Park Place Inn - right across from the entrance to DL. Not too fancy by any means, but very convenient. When are you going?
I know you will have a great time!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Hello there, so glad you will get this chance to see Disneyland! Also have to laugh since I also live in Centennial CO! We go to DL and WDW regularly, as long as you go to DL realizing it will be different than the WDW experience, you will be in good shape. As for lodging, the only two nearby hotels that would have shuttles would be the Sheraton and Candy Cane Inn as others have mentioned. They both get very rave reviews and the Sheraton is probably the closest HOTEL to Disneyland that is not an onsite property. We like the Tropicana and the Camelot, and they are very close but a bit more motelish than it sounds like what you want. If you have points available I would sugget the onsite hotels. That is how we have been staying there the past two years since good, cheap rates are hard to come by. I can also recommend the Howard Johnson's but that walk gets mixed reviews. I for one prefer to be a bit closer but its such a nice property I do recommend it and did enjoy my stay. It would be about like walking from a far out section of one of the larger mods at WDW but along a busy, noisy street.

Good luck with your plans, its hard to leave your Disney comfort zone to make plans at an unfamilar park! But Disneyland is so wonderful, compact and magical it will be worth it!

Here is a helpful link written by another disboarder from Colorado:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

And last, I think three days is enough as long as they are three full days. I like to stay a minimum of four nights so that I have three full days to tour the parks at some sort of reasonable pace. Four days is even better but three is fine too. Don't let the idea of Disneyland being compact as opposed to WDW throw you off. There is a lot packed into the two parks, you won't be sorry you have three or four days to see it all believe me.

 

[HydroGuy]

There are some potentially helpful links in this thread: "HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862

 

[honeymom]

I would stay at either DLH or GC. You could use points if your DVC. DLH seems a little more themed than GC. The pool is Peter Pan themed and looks cute and the rooms are bigger than GC. GC is a little more deluxe and it does have some great theme park views. I'm a DVC owner and have been to WDW many many times and we are going to DL for the 1st time and I wouldn't consider staying anywhere else but DLH or GC. I just want to immerse myself in the Disney magic and not leave by staying offsite.

Having stayed at both, there is no question that DLH is not more themed than GCH. It is like a convention hotel with Disney characters sprinkled about. Everything about GCH is themed in California craftsman style. However, that style is not for everyone. The rooms are bigger at DLH. The Peter Pan Neverland Pool photographs cuter than it is in person. It was overcrowded and freezing. My 6 year old and 3 year old wouldn't even play in it and we wound up at the unthemed quiet pool each day.

Given your parameters, I would stay offsite. Perhaps the BW Park Place Inn or the Candy Cane Inn.

 

[Zoemakes5]

From what you've said, I too would recommend staying onsite at one of the hotels. "Close by" and "non-motel" just aren't compatible. The lodgings across on Harbor are almost exclusively motels. They were built around DLR when it was just DL, and they've been very successful and aren't going anywhere. But, they are almost exclusively motels. Outside entry, motel feel is pretty much what you see and get. We don't mind motel very much and like to stay at Anaheim Plaza hotel, but it's definitely "motely". Even use keys, not keycards! Gasp!
Even places that you'd think of as being hotels (like Fairfield and Best Western) are motels across from DL. My DH freaked out the first time we stayed in a motel/hotel that had outside entry to the rooms, instead of inner hallways. He still doesn't feel incredibly safe, but he's more accustomed to it.
HoJo's is doable for you, but I would recommend bringing a stroller from home. Even if DS isn't in a stroller, it will be welcome at the end of the day, especially if you go back at night.
Also, just a recommendation. DLR has less dining options than WDW, and especially less character options. I saw that you said you typically do breakfast in the room and then lunch in the parks. I'd plan at least one breakfast either in the park or at one of the hotels to get a character experience. At 3, your DS probably would really enjoy it. What we're doing is on our first day at DLR, we're doing late breakfast (10am) and then plan to snack the rest of the day. For breakfast, there's Lilo and Stitch and PP, Goofy et al at DLH, Minnie et al at the Plaza in DL, and Chip and Dale et al at GC. There really aren't any lunch options with characters except the princesses, and currently that's your only meal on site. Dinner options, if I remember correctly are at the DLH or Ariel's in DCA.
Staying onsite, you'll be able to eat offsite very easily. Just a quick walk through the esplanade.