Which Hotel Best Fits This?

[consultant]

Any recommendations on which hotel(s) best fit these criteria (2 adults, 2 kids):

Price: Under $200/night

Beds: MUST be comfortable (no cement mattresses), prefer two Kings, a King and a pull-out (queen or full) or 2 bunk beds (suite?). We would consider two Queens but that is our last choice.

View: MUST have view of fireworks. I realize in some hotels this is the luck of the draw but a lot of them you can book a certain type of room to be assured a view of fireworks.

Distance: Must be within one (big) block of main gates (under 15 minute walk) or, must have an exclusive/direct shuttle service that runs every half hour (not one of those buses that stops at multiple hotels.)

What do ya think?

 

[AskTheChief]

Hojo's. Upper floors theme park view. I haven't actually stayed in that building yet (possibly this June), but I've stayed in bldg. 2 and it's about a ten min. walk to the gate, the pools are great, especially for kids.

We have always had a home office suite (large room, two queens, fridge and microwave). Beautiful grounds.

 

[MATTERHORN]

Any recommendations on which hotel(s) best fit these criteria (2 adults, 2 kids):

Price: Under $200/night

Beds: MUST be comfortable (no cement mattresses), prefer two Kings, a King and a Queen or Full pull-out or bunk beds (suite?). We would consider two Queens but that is our last choice.

View: MUST have view of fireworks. I realize in some hotels this is the luck of the draw but a lot of them you can book a certain type of room to be assured a view of fireworks.

Distance: Must be within one (big) block of main gates (under 15 minute walk) or, must have an exclusive/direct shuttle service that runs every half hour (not one of those buses that stops at multiple hotels.)

What do ya think?

Okay well under $200 is do-able but you probably will have to concede on one of those items on your list. First off, I don't know of a single hotel in the area that has 2 king beds in one room. You may get a king bed with a queen sized pull out couch. If you want two kings you will need to get two adjoining rooms or a two room suite with two bedrooms that have king beds (which is also rare!) So don't know how that will work for $200 a night.

Most hotels at DL offsite (read; under $200!) will not have a great view of the fireworks from your room. Some rooms at the HOJO and Marriott do as they are higher up than all the other 2-5 story hotels on Harbor, but even then it is not guaranteed. For instance we had a disney theme park view at HOJO but with a huge tree in front of our balcony, we couldn't hardly see the fireworks. Alot of hotels along there have rooftop decks for viewing if you don't mind leaving your room.

Then there are so few hotels that have a direct shuttle anymore instead of the ART shuttle that is limited also. So to be within walking distance, kinda maybe have a view of fireworks from room/balcony, it would either be HOJO, Marriott Fairfield or possibly Carousel (if you can get one of those suites up front in the circle). But with most of those you will end up with 2 queens or 1 king, it is just the bed combo of choice. I don't know of any offsite that have bunkbeds like a kids suite except for Portofino and the Marriott Suites. Maybe someone else knows of another.

Sorry I am not more help! Good luck, just wanted to give you some info on the area, I don't really have a specific hotel that fits your bill. We stay close and 2 queens doesn't bother us so I am not sure what some of the further hotels have to offer. Desert Inn only offers 2 queens and a pull out, not a king with sofa bed, and there's no real fireworks view available. Hope you can find the right one for you!


Andrea

 

[consultant]

Thanks for the information. You summarized pretty much what I've found out after doing some research.

We are currently waffling between going the week after Easter or the week after Thanksgiving. I current have an Executive Suite reserved at the Tropicana which is right across the street from the entrance. It's a whopping $210/night though for a mediocre older hotel with a pool that pales in comparison to Ho Jo's. The suite does have two balaconies (corner unit), jacuzzi tub (although aging), is on the top floor (3rd I think) with an excellent view of the fireworks. We would have our own room and the kids would sleep on the sofa sleeper. Has a fridge and microwave too even though we would just use it to probably make tea and store some pops and water and maybe make a bag of popcorn or something. Does HoJo have a fridge?

A 2 Queen room with Park view at the Ho Jo is running $159 for that week after Easter so I'd save $50 a night, but no suite, and a little bit longer walk. Not a big deal though. Someone timed the walk to/from HoJo with their 8-yo and it is only 8 minutes. Big deal.

Supposedly Tropicana never discounts their suite prices and you can't reserve them online. If we go week after Thanksgiving (even though I already told the kids we were going Spring Break - before I found out Splash Mountain, Tom Sawyers Island, and Fantasmic will all be closed that week.) then I can get the same Park View Ho Jo room for $99. Heck I could get to rooms for $198, but I would need to be guaranteed they would be connecting. It would be a disaster if they weren't.

At this point, I may have to dissapoint my kids and tell them they'll have to wait an additional six months to visit DL. We are planning on staying only 3 nights and then another week in a condo in San Diego, so we can survive the 3 nights in a hotel room with Queen beds. I hope the beds are comfortable though.

It's funny, Ho Jo was where I stayed with my parents over 20 years ago. It will be strange going back there. I here it is showing its age a bit but still well maintained?

 

[munchkinsmom]

The Howard Johnson's King Suite (SNK1):

1. Located on the 7th floor, which is the top floor of Building 1, which is the closest building to the lobby and the shortest walk. The rooms have big windows and face the park, so you'll have a great view of the matterhorn, the monorail and an unobstructed view of the fireworks at night from one of the rooms;

2. It's under $200 at times during the year, but I've seen the quote higher depending upon the time of year you go; Discounts can be obtained through mousesavers.com

3. A 7-10 minute walk to the entrance of the DLR;

4. There's a king size bed in a separate bedroom, and a pull out sofa bed in the other room (I think it's a full or queen, not sure). The King bed is very comfy and the sofa bed is typical: not uncomfortable, but certainly not the best bed I've slept in. It's good enough for my kids, though.

5. HOJO doesn't have a shuttle, but ART is available if needed. We usually walk.

6. The room has a microwave, a nice sized fridge and a dining table.

I think I've recommended this room to you before in a different thread. It really is a nice room and the housekeeping staff does a fantastic job (this is a biggie for me). Only drawback is that they only have one of these SNK rooms, so they usually get booked pretty quickly.

Good luck in your search.

 

[consultant]

The HOJO Suite is PERFECT. At least I just got the HoJo down for Spring Break to $139 with that 10% E Coupon from the Mousesavers link! I'll see if the suite is available for my dates.

The Howard Johnson's King Suite (SNK1):

1. Located on the 7th floor, which is the top floor of Building 1, which is the closest building to the lobby and the shortest walk. The rooms have big windows and face the park, so you'll have a great view of the matterhorn, the monorail and an unobstructed view of the fireworks at night from one of the rooms;

2. It's under $200 at times during the year, but I've seen the quote higher depending upon the time of year you go; Discounts can be obtained through mousesavers.com

3. A 7-10 minute walk to the entrance of the DLR;

4. There's a king size bed in a separate bedroom, and a pull out sofa bed in the other room (I think it's a full or queen, not sure). The King bed is very comfy and the sofa bed is typical: not uncomfortable, but certainly not the best bed I've slept in. It's good enough for my kids, though.

5. HOJO doesn't have a shuttle, but ART is available if needed. We usually walk.

6. The room has a microwave, a nice sized fridge and a dining table.

I think I've recommended this room to you before in a different thread. It really is a nice room and the housekeeping staff does a fantastic job (this is a biggie for me). Only drawback is that they only have one of these SNK rooms, so they usually get booked pretty quickly.

Good luck in your search.

 

[consultant]

Got the HOJO King Suite in November for $189 less the 10% Mouseaver coupon = $170! And I agreed to the 30 day trial (which I'll just cancel) of their Travel Express service which got me another $30 rebate on a 3-night stay it comes out to $160/night. Thanks MUCH for the tip.

 

[MATTERHORN]

I called about it for February and it was $180 a night for the suite with the AP discount that HOJO gives .


Andrea

 

[munchkinsmom]

Great!!!! I'm glad you were able to reserve it. You won't be disappointed. We LOVE that room. It's our home away from home when we're up at the DLR.

Say "hi" to Esther in housekeeping (she does the rooms on the 7th). She'll do a very nice job for you.

 

[wendithepooh]

Word of caution,as with any hotel,check your bill.They,being HOJO,overcharged us last June.It was my favorite room we stayed at in DLR,but I hated the walk and hate the ART more.It was way worth it to me to stay somewhere closer,maybe not as big of a room,but closer.

I wish you could look into a crystal ball and find the place you would be happiest at,it would be so much easier.

Good luck and have a whole bunch of fun.

 

[MATTERHORN]

Word of caution,as with any hotel,check your bill.They,being HOJO,overcharged us last June.It was my favorite room we stayed at in DLR,but I hated the walk and hate the ART more.It was way worth it to me to stay somewhere closer,maybe not as big of a room,but closer.

.

That was why I originally didn't recommend HOJO to them because I feel the same way as you!!! I'd rather stay closer. HOJO is right on the border for me where it's kinda a hassle to walk a few times a day if you go back, but not quite enough for me to warrant the hassle of ART so I feel stuck!! But I feel okay with that for a $54 Ent. rate, but not at $200 a night!

Andrea

 

[Aristomommy]

I booked the Camelot Inn and Suites for us at $174 per night. We have a suite with 3 queen beds and a sofabed and kitchenette. All rooms have a view of the fireworks and within quick walk from the maingate. I have never been there before, so I can't say for their beds. But it seemed the best option for us.

 

[Amy&Dan]

That was why I originally didn't recommend HOJO to them because I feel the same way as you!!! I'd rather stay closer. HOJO is right on the border for me where it's kinda a hassle to walk a few times a day if you go back, but not quite enough for me to warrant the hassle of ART so I feel stuck!! But I feel okay with that for a $54 Ent. rate, but not at $200 a night!

Andrea

I feel the same way too. But I have been jumped on plenty of times on this board for voicing those very concerns, so I thought it was just me. I do love the hotel but to me that walk, up Harbor feels a bit long. But its a great place and those suites sound very nice. I just get hot and cold about recommending it. It definitely has a loyal following.

 

[MATTERHORN]

I feel the same way too. But I have been jumped on plenty of times on this board for voicing those very concerns, so I thought it was just me. I do love the hotel but to me that walk, up Harbor feels a bit long. But its a great place and those suites sound very nice. I just get hot and cold about recommending it. It definitely has a loyal following.

Yes I have noticed that too! It's not that I have anything against the hotel, it's just THAT WALK! It feels long when you go back to the hotel 2 times a day. Especially in the summer time when it's 100 degrees like last June!

If HOJO was one of the ones at the crosswalk I would have no problem staying there more often. But if I can get one cheaper or the same rate as HOJO, location will always win out! Don't worry, you are not alone!


Andrea

 

[amw]

We're staying at the Hyatt Regency Orange County on Harbour.

http://orangecounty.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp

It is too far to walk, but they do have free shuttle to the parks. We're staying in a kidsuite that has a King bed in one room, and a bunkbed in a seperate bedroom. The rates vary depending on your dates -- ours was $195/night although we're staying free on Hyatt points.

 

[cmputerdazed]

We did love the free shuttle from the candy cane inn but of course no view of the fireworks.

 

[consultant]

From what I read, Candy Cane Inn may have a bit nicer rooms than HoJo. However it appears HoJo has a bit larger/nicer pool area, a view of the fireworks (if you get a premium room), and a shorter walk (about 1/3-1/2 less than Candy Cane according to my measurments via Google Earth) - HoJo is 7-10 min (depending on which building you are in and how fast you walk.) and Candy Cane would be 13-15 minutes on average by my estimates. I'd say 15 minutes is borderline walkable with small children at the end of the day. Some people take the shuttle and save the energy, some people walk it no problem. 8 min is definitely no problem for us, especially if we are stopping to eat at Mimi's on the way back anyway. I think the fireworks view and the shorter walk outweigh the nicer rooms for us.