Which on-site hotel?

[Best Aunt]

I want to spend a few nights at an on-site Disneyland hotel after a conference in the LA area. I will not be traveling with children. I don't care about swimming pools or views from the room. I will not have a car. I do not want to stay off-site.

Which on-site hotel has the shortest walks to the theme parks? Are discounts ever available for the hotels? (Please do not violate disboards rules when answering.)

Are there any other factors that I should consider? I have been to Disneyworld many times, but have never been to California.

 

[mom2rtk]

All 3 onsite hotels are in walking distance. Grand Californian is the closest, with direct access into DCA. It is also the most expensive as one might guess.

Discounts are occasionally offered, but not to the extent that resorts are discounted at WDW. Your best bet is to probably book through Orbitz with a discount code.

Discounts and park hours come out much later for DLR than they do for WDW.

 

[mmmears]

As the pp mentioned, the Grand Californian hotel is by far the closest, and also the most expensive. By WDW standards, though, all 3 are pretty close to the parks.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

Agree with everything that's been said. All three hotels are close enough in proximity with GC being closest. I know you said you wanted to stay "onsite" but there are also other hotels besides these three that are within walking distance since you said you don't really care about anything but being close.

 

[smartlabelprint]

If it's just distance is stay here: courtyard marriott anaheim theme park
It's brand new.

If you want an "adult" on site experience I'd stay at grams Californian. Though I've heard the beds are rock hard and maintenance is falling behind on keeping the furnishings nice and fresh.

If you want the feel like a kid experience is go with DL Hotel. It's my dream to one day stay here. But alas, we have babies & need an affordable suite. We're staying at the Homewood suites.

 

[Nevada Jen]

On site (which gives you the benefit of early entry) GCH is the closest. That said, it is truly my least favorite hotel on site. And by closest, I mean it is max 5 minutes closer than the other two hotels. I actually think number of steps from room to park entrance, Paradise Pier is likely closer than GCH. That is largely because it is one tower with one elevator bank in the middle. At the GCH, between walking to and from elevators and walking to your room you can get in a ton of extra steps. Also the last time we stayed at GCH, the sound proofing was very bad. Like I would look up wondering if someone was opening my door or having a conversation in my room (it might have been our location as I do not remember this ever being an issue in the past). If you don't care about early entry and wont use it daily, then there are plenty of decent Motels right across the street.

 

[jammyjam25]

All of my trips are child free and we still love staying at the DLH hotel. It's marginally further than the GCH (a difference of 2-3 minutes walk) but I really love the room décor, the theming of the three towers, and being able to pop by Trader Sam's for a nightcap after a day at the parks.

GCH is lovely but not worth the nightly price for me personally.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Though I've heard the beds are rock hard and maintenance is falling behind on keeping the furnishings nice and fresh.

Negative on rock hard beds. I have stayed that the Grand dozens of times and other hotels across the country hundreds of night. I prefer a super soft bed there is and the GCH beds are one for the most comfortable beds to me.

Although there may be a few room that need some TLC, it is not the dump some make it out to be. Some are just looking for any reason to complain when they are not blown away by their unrealistic expectations.

Go for staying at the Grand is you can swing it.

 

[tlovesdis]

For a first time visit, I would choose the DLH! It is literally just a few minutes farther than the grand and so much more "Disney". The light up headboards are so cute and the theming is awesome.

I also love PPH for it's large rooms and bright cheery decor. The Grand is nice, but to me it is dark and the rooms are small and sometimes you are so far away from the entrance to your room!!

 

[DisneylandDarling]

I've heard a lot of good things about the Grand Californian. I've heard some say that the rooms are pretty basic but the lobby is gorgeous. The Disneyland hotel I know has a light up headboard which is pretty cool.

I would choose between the Disneyland Hotel and the Grand Californian. The Paradise Pier hotel isn't as nice as the others and they seem to have issues with elevators, as I have read on here.

 

[ktlm]

GCH is basically a scaled down version of the WL at WDW. It has an entrance directly into California Adventure, but you do not want to actually use that entrance at rope drop because it will put you behind the rope drop crowd for the most popular rides. At rope drop, you would want to make the short walk to the front gate instead of using the resort gate. The rest of the time, the resort gate is nice. Being WDW vets, we prefer DLH because it is different than the WDW resorts and is very "Disney". It is a little farther than GCH, but also keeps you in the Disney bubble as the walk from the DLH is entirely through DTD. We enjoy the walk. By WDW standards it isn't far at all. It takes us 8 to 10 minutes-- if we aren't distracted by and stopping in places in DTD. The rooms at DLH are bigger and we love the Disney theming with the light up musical headboards. For an adult, it would be nice to have Trader Sams (assuming that you are a cocktail drinker). It is a really fun little place. You can always hop on the monorail to DL if you don't want to walk the whole way-- but the monorail lets you off in Tomorrowland-- and if there is any line at all for the monorail you can walk to DL and be there as fast if not faster. PP is cheaper, but it did not start off as a Disney hotel and it shows. To us, it is the least "Disney" of the 3, and is also just outside the bubble as you have to cross the street. The discounts at DLR are typically not as good as you can find at WDW. Even with a discount 4 nights at DLR usually costs us what it costs us to spend 7 nights at WDW in a deluxe with a discount. You find the discounts for DLR the same way as for WDW, you click where it says special offers on the website. Being WDW vets-- we prefer the Disney bubble and the Disney resort feel. If it is the closeness you are most interested in, and not the Disney bubble or the Disney resort experience, then you might rethink going off site because some of those hotels are very close to the front gates.

 

[Best Aunt]

Thanks for the advice!

 

[MissErikaRae]

GCH is the closest and most expensive. But like other posters said it has direct access to DCA which is nice and the lobby is gorgeous.
The Disneyland Hotel is my favorite! It's at the end of Downtown Disney with a short walk to the monorail that will drop you off in Tomorrowland in Disneyland. You have to walk to DCA. I like the hotel for the easy of getting to the parks, guest service has always been amazing, food options are great, Trader Sams is so fun, and the room are nice.
Paradise Pier is a great option that I think other people overlook ofter. It is the least expensive out of the three but it is the same walking time from the hotel to the parks. There is no monorail option. Rooms facing East, floors 4+ have a view of DCA. There is a cafe and restaurant. It also has the largest standard rooms of the three hotels.

 

[Diszona]

Agree with everything that's been said. All three hotels are close enough in proximity with GC being closest. I know you said you wanted to stay "onsite" but there are also other hotels besides these three that are within walking distance since you said you don't really care about anything but being close.

I was about to post the same thing. As a matter of fact some of the "off-site" hotels are closer to the main park gates than the onsite hotels are and are only a 5 minute walk. Now those hotels are more like gussied up motels, nice but nothing fancy. If being in a "Disney" hotel and that part of the ambience that goes with it is important than the on-site ones are price but great (I would recommend DLH in that case) but if the desire to be on-site is simply to be close I would definitely consider some of the hotels along Harbor Blvd. as an option.

 

[mlnbabies]

We stayed at PPH and we loved the theme park view. It was an upgraded room which was unexpected. We loved the walk through the GC to get to the parks.

For our 20th wedding anniversary in Feb., we are staying in the GC villas on points. Can't wait! It will be nice to be close to the parks and have adult time in a relaxing resort.