Which Hotel For Us?

[MSeiley]

Hello. I am planning our trip to DLR for Mar 25-29. I'm having a tough time choosing which hotel will suit our needs. We had originally planned to stay at DLR Paradise Pier for easy monorail access in/out of the park to hotel. Here are the biggest hurdles I have to account for....

1. Daughter is 3 and still needs an afternoon nap so we will need to come and go easily.
2. My father now says he's probably not going so my mother wants to share a room with us (me, hubby and daughter). I'm great with that but hubby is totally against it. So I am looking for a two bedroom suite in order for us to share but he still has his own 'room' and privacy. (Paradise Pier was just too expensive for her to get a room by herself, and the suite room was outlandish! More than the two single rooms!)
3. In-laws also need a room. M-inlaw is not very mobile so we will be renting a scooter chair. She will also need to go back to the hotel room often for rests.

I began looking at off-site hotels due to the two room suite necessity. Also because I didn't think the scooter chair could be transported on the monorail. I found two that look as they will fit our needs....Camelot Inn and Suites and Carousel Inn and Suites. Walking distance for us (I believe) and scootering distance for M-inlaw. Are these nice hotels? I would say we need at least a 3 star. My mother tends to stay in nicer hotels....DoubleTree, Hiltons, Sheratons, Embassy Suites....you get the idea.

I have read reference to shuttles here on this site. Do most hotels around DLR offer free shuttle service to the park? Within our group, the different nap times and rest requirements mean we need to have easy access between DLR parks and our hotel rooms. Also....the I wouldn't think the shuttles could accomodate the scooter chair....?

I think I have outlined our most difficult needs. I believe we need walking/scooter distance, not shuttle. My first inclination was to not even look into the HOJO, but the website and photos look better than I anticipated....thank what I know of them. But their suite does not have seperate bedrooms, ie. with a DOOR (hubby and his privacy...ugh). We are liking the look of the Carousel Inn/Suites from the photos and because it also has two bathrooms! The photo looks like one my mother would stay in.

So, I guess I am simply asking, have you ever stayed at the Carousel Inn and Suites? Is it truly within walking/scooter distance? Do they have a shuttle? Do you have any better ideas based on my parameters? This is supposed to be fun planning....so far the grandparents are making it difficult!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND INPUT!

Ok....looking at star ratings and reviews through Travelocity....these two hotels don't make it sound like we want to stay. WHAT TO DO?

 

[MSeiley]

Any help here?

Based on reviews, I don't think those two hotels are going to work for us. I am looking at some others that are outside the "walking distance". I am curious about the shuttles I have read about on this site. Do all the hotels have DLR shuttles? And can we get the scooter chair onto a shuttle?

I need some help! Thanks!

 

[cccdisney]

I have stayed at both the Carousel and the HOJO, although not the suites. Both are nice and within walking distance. Carousel being a little shorter of a walk than HOJO.
You might want to check out getting adjoining rooms also. We did this in November when my mom joined us. We stayed at the HOJO and got the Ent. Card Rate. Here is a link about that
http://www.hojoanaheim.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14
They update that list often so if not all your nights are listed check back often. You must call the # listed on the link and specifically ask for IN HOUSE RESERVATIONS. The 800# can not help you with this rate.
We always stay within walking distance so I don't have any experience with shuttles, sorry. There are plenty of good hotels within walking distance so if you don't want to deal with a shuttle you shouldn't have to.
HTH!

 

[dismom73]

Where will you be renting the scooter from? I'm just curious because I know you can rent scooters by the day at WDW, so I'm assuming you can rent them at DL as well. If you go that route then you could look into hotels where you would take a shuttle to. The "nicer" hotels are a little bit further than walking distance. We have a reservation at Residence Inn Garden Grove, which is 1.7 miles from DL, but they have very nice 2 bedroom suites (with doors) and two bathrooms, they also have full buffet breakfast included and each room has a full kitchen. I know the hotel itself doesn't have a shuttle, but ART runs to that hotel. We are buying our park hoppers through AAA, so we get free parking. Just a thought. Good luck!

 

[bumbershoot]

Carousel is a MOtel, not a hotel. Outdoor corridors. As far as I know the suites are in the jutting out bit with the black glass in the pictures of the front of the building.

HoJo is a more proper hotel with inside corridors. As far as I can remember, all the rest along Harbor, in walking distance, are motels with the outside corridors.

None are 3 star.

The Hilton and Hyatt, not walking distance, are considered 3.5 stars through priceline and hotwire, and both are hotels with inside corridors.

 

[blutes]

I am not sure about the hotels but I do know that the monorail does
accomodate scooters..rented a scooter from OC medical last visit and I did use the monorail. I am not sure about the shuttles but I would think it would be really difficult with a scooter using the shuttles...I have stayed at BW Park Place inn and Desert inn and suites..neither are showplaces but are clean and close to the park for easy trips back and forth...

 

[MSeiley]

Thank you for the tips. I don't know why I didn't think of adjoining rooms, but that can solve one of the problems! Because NOW, my father says maybe he will go so we should reserve the room. If I get cheap enough with adjoining my mother can stay whether he comes or not! The $1200 at DLRPP was too much for her to spend if only rooming by herself. Too many details running through my head. Blindly booking a hotel that meets both sets of grandparents requirements is starting to make me dizzy.

For the person who asked about the scooter, I have learned that renting one from a local Medical Supply Co is easier than renting in park. I'm told that park often runs out by mid morning, and they also can't be taken out of the park, say to DTD. If I can provide #1-scooter, #2-hotel w/in scooter distance or #3-hotel w/shuttle that can transport scooter....that should take care of in-law requirements.

Someone mentioned the ART bus for a non-shuttle hotel. Now...do you know if that can accomodate a scooter?

UGH! It shouldn't be this hard!

Thanks again, please let me know if you have any other words of wisdom.

 

[MSeiley]

I am now looking at the Fairfield Inn by Marriot. 3 star, good reviews so far. Anyone with experience there? I can get an adjoining room and it sounds like it is walking/scooter distance.

Thank you SO MUCH for your help.

 

[reynmagsmom]

we stayed in the fairfield inn in april 2008 was a great motel with great beds was best nights sleep i had ever had and great service... walk was a short 7 mins. and easier than hojo's at night very easy to get to and from DLR we would do midday breaks for my disabled son and my daughter and i would go back every night to close the park i think if you can get a good rate the fairfield it would work out great for you with everyones needs

 

[SeansMom]

You might look into the Sheraton Anaheim; They have really, really big rooms which connect, and their own shuttle which I'm 99% sure I saw them put a scooter on one day. They have fridges, room service, and their own little deli/store, plus a restaurant. The grounds are lovely (a little bonus, especially if you get a ground floor room opening into the courtyard; you're little one can run around in a large but contained area.)

It's a little further away than some, but with it's own shuttle it seemed quicker to get to than others we've stayed at.
Oh, and if you're staying with seniors I think they have an AARP discount.

 

[poohnpigletCA]

Hi I have stayed at all of these Hotels with a napping child.

For all of your needs I would rate them this way:

Paradise Pier:
Nice Hotel with nice amenities. We do not take the monorail. If you walk out the front of the Hotel cross the street and walk through the Grand Californian it is a very easy walk. With a napping child we always get a park view room then you can still look out. The pools are great for this age. They have a small pool that is like 1 foot deep. My girls loved it they pretended they were mermaids.
Probably the only con is the price.

Carousel Inn has a very small elevator and would not be easy with the scooter.

Fairfield Inn has small rooms. They also tend to always be fixing one or two of the elevators. We had a hard time getting on the elevators with one stroller. With a stroller and a scooter would be hard.

To me the HO Jo is to far of a walk to go back to every day for a nap. If you did not have a napping child it would not be bad. I would not do it with a napping child.

Have a great trip.