Which hotel?

[disneymom23]

I'm trying to put together a last minute trip. I have a few questions for the experts.

1. How far is it from Long Beach Airport to DL? Is shuttle or taxi the best way to get there?

2. I want to stay off-site. It will likely be just me and 3 kids so proximity and safety are my main concerns. Would you recommend Tropicana or Desert Inn? I was looking at Best Western but it looks like they only have double beds. Dh may come so that won't work for 5 of us.

Thanks!

 

[HydroGuy]

1. How far is it from Long Beach Airport to DL? Is shuttle or taxi the best way to get there?

Far is not the operative word in Southern California. Strictly speaking the distance is probably 30-40 miles. But it has taken me four hours to go 40 miles on occasion - and that was non-rush hour. Depending on when you arrive it will likely take you at least 45 minutes to maybe as much as 2 hours.

I am no expert on shuttles. Taxis are often more cost effective when you have a larger group as shuttles charge per person while taxis do not. A taxi would be faster.

2. I want to stay off-site. It will likely be just me and 3 kids so proximity and safety are my main concerns. Would you recommend Tropicana or Desert Inn? I was looking at Best Western but it looks like they only have double beds. Dh may come so that won't work for 5 of us.

The Best Western Park Place Inn (the closest off-site hotel) has queen beds. We like their mini-suites which have two queens and a roll-out queen. I hear lots of good things about Tropicana and it is also very close to DLR (I think it is next door to BWPPI). Desert Inn tends to get more mixed reviews around here.

 

[tlovesdis]

I'm trying to put together a last minute trip. I have a few questions for the experts.

1. How far is it from Long Beach Airport to DL? Is shuttle or taxi the best way to get there?

2. I want to stay off-site. It will likely be just me and 3 kids so proximity and safety are my main concerns. Would you recommend Tropicana or Desert Inn? I was looking at Best Western but it looks like they only have double beds. Dh may come so that won't work for 5 of us.

Thanks!

LBG is about 18 miles from the resort and by taxi going on the streets takes about 20-30 minutes depending on traffic. We always fly into LBG and use a taxi and it has never taken us more than 30 minutes to get there!

I have friends that stay at Tropicana every time they go and never have a bad word to say about it. I personally do not like the Desert Inn, but many people do!

 

[cruise cruise cruise]

We are also flying into longbeach for our trip. Acording to mapquest it is 19.35 miles and 26 minutes from the longbeach airport to disneyland. I am sure the distance is pretty accurate. However, as Hydroguy states, the drive time is always iffy.

 

[HydroGuy]

Looks like my guestimate for Long Beach distance was too high. I should know better than that. I was born in Long Beach.

As for the poster who said it never has taken them longer than 30 minutes from LGB, I did not know it was possible to get anywhere in SoCal in 30 minutes. A savvy taxi driver is a worthwhile expense!

We had a somewhat similar experience in Washington DC this summer with taxis. We had a taxi driver who claimed to be 6th generation from that area get us to the National Mall in under 30 minutes when the freeways were gridlocked in the morning. He took us on side streets the whole way. I was skeptical he could do it, but he did with time to spare.

Being the skeptic that I am, I would not count on 30 minutes from LGB to DLR though. I would plan for more and be happy if it was less. My two cents.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

We loved the Howard Johnson's. Two queens plus a roll away worked great for us.

We also rented a car. I don't know why people aren't willing to do that. Using Priceline, we got an SUV for only $25 a day. Better than using a shuttle for us. Oh, and we almost got to Laguna Beach in 30 min. using the car pool lane from Disneyland.

We had such a great time - know you will too!

 

[avalon451]

What are your dates? If you can get the Entertainment rate, HoJo would probably be your best bet with kids. It has an awesome new water play area by the hot tub. Here's the date and rate info: http://www.hojoanaheim.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=14

Otherwise if you can swing it, BWPPI is right there at the crosswalk. Just be sure to ask for queen beds.

Long Beach is 14 miles as the crow flies, or taking Katella almost all the way in. If you get on the freeway it's more like 18-20 miles, but the freeway can be a mistake. With 4 people, your best bet would be a taxi. It's a $40 flat rate to the DL area hotels; on the way back they run the meter and it can be anywhere from $50-$65. Super Shuttle and other shuttles run from there, but they cost a bit more than from SNA: I believe it's $35 for the first person and $9 for each additional person after that. So a taxi would be cheaper and your own personal ride.

Have fun planning!

 

[rhiansmom]

Any idea where to get an ENT book from an actual store?

 

[Grim_Grinning_Girl]

We just got back from a Disney trip (last night!), stayed 3 nights at the Alpine Inn. We usually stay there when the rates are decent, it's next door to Disneyland. Its backyard is literally the Disneyland Simon parking lot, went up to the 2nd floor to see what I could see, and the parking lot is a few feet away. You would be closest to entrance across from the Anaheim Convention Center. It's not very busy at the moment due to low season, fairly clean & quiet, we haven't experienced any problems. We compared the rates to the Anaheim Plaza suites & inn (right?) and the difference was not much at all.

The SNA John Wayne airport is for sure the closet airport to Disneyland.

 

[disneymom23]

Thanks everyone for your advice.

I booked a room at Hojo's but am also thinking about the Tropicana. Both are the same price.