Best offsite hotel?

[LuvLDM]

Hi all! Tentatively planning a trip to DL for early December. We typically visit WDW and stay onsite so I’m not very familiar DL. Our last visit to DL several years ago we stayed at Grand Californian and loved it! This trip we’ll need two rooms so GC (or any on-site resort) is definitely not in the budget.
Strongly prefer a hotel within a 10/15 minute walk. Safe, clean and would love free parking! Travel party includes myself, DD 24
DS 19
DD 14
Will be requesting connecting rooms, we need 2 bathrooms, room to spread out.
Thanks in advance for any input!

 

[SpaceMan5]

My guess is that you will get a bunch of great advice from others. We like to stay within walking distance as well.

Best Western Park Place Inn, BW Anaheim Plus, Tropicana, Camelot, Park Vue all seem to get the thumbs up here on the boards. The BWPPI was a little tired during our last stay but the rooms were clean and a basic breakfast is included. I found this saves us time and hassle in the mornings. You can even send someone over to pickup the breakfast and bring it back to your room. They will give you a card board box to haul it.

Unfortunately, I can't specifically answer your question about connecting rooms. We have never had the need so it didn't come up during our planning. But at least I could give you some good ideas on where to start your search..
The last thing is don't expect these motels/hotels to be on par with the GC. You will be disappointed if you do. Have fun!

 

[WDWLODGE]

We enjoyed our stay at the Castle Inn and Suites a few years back. It was right around a 10 minute walk & parking was included. They also have suites available.

 

[larjani]

We stayed in Park Vue back in January. It was affordable, clean, and had connecting room options. The rooms were a little dated, and the bathroom sink plumbing was slow to drain. The parking was free though, and the staff was great. No free breakfast option, but there is an IHOP in the parking lot. We just wanted an inexpensive place to stay, so it was perfect for us.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I recommend the Residence inn convention center. Rather than a connecting room, you can have a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom suite. The kitchen and living room keep the bedrooms separated.

 

[RunnerMom71]

Just stayed this past weekend at the JW Marriott. Hotel to security took me exactly 10 minutes in the am. I am a fast walker though!

Great staff, obviously a nice hotel if it's a JW. Loved the rooftop bar and the staff working the bars were fantastic. Easy walking access via the hotel's second floor trough the Garden Walk - then straight to DL.

If I were to ever stay off property again this would be the only hotel I'll go to.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

We like Anaheim Desert Inn and Suites. It's literally at the crosswalk on Harbor that leads to the park entrances. They have suites that are basically like connecting rooms with 2 queens each and individual bathrooms. They look pricey, but if you do the math and compare with getting 2 rooms (adding tax and those pesky "resort fees"), it comes out to be fairly equal or even a little less expensive. The place isn't fancy, but it's clean and convenient. The staff is always nice. We especially liked the valets. They were literally running around to park and retrieve cars quickly and were very friendly.

 

[Chili327]

Would you be purchasing directly or thru some sort of service?
JW Marriot, Hyatt House, Hilton Convention Center & Westin are all nice & within walking distance, but if going thru a travel agent or other type service they probably have more info on connecting rooms, etc.

 

[pennym]

Candy Cane Inn. Recently refurbished, connecting rooms (although they are on the small size), free parking, free breakfast, lovely environs, easy walking distance but also has free hourly shuttle.

 

[Porsche4]

Everyone has given great advice but I will put in my feelings and perhaps you can include this is your choice. Last year we stayed at Howard Johnson because as a WDW veteran I wanted Disney theming but couldn't afford an onsite hotel. The HoJo has beautiful gardens and the freshly renovated rooms have Mickey pictures on the walls and we felt that at least it had a bit if theming. We really enjoyed our stay, the quiet pool was great and the room was lovely however the daily walk was a killer. If you look on a map it looks very close to DL and it is, however we like to rope drop, rest after lunch and then go back to the parks at night. We only did this once out of a six day stay because we very quickly realised that extra 10 minute walk from the end of the DL esplanade to the hotel was just too much and too tiring to do four times a day. We are panning to return next year for a Nov/Dec trip and this time I am foregoing the small Disney theming we got last time and going for LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. I'm not that keen on Best Western Park Place Inn even though it is the closest as it has been getting some not so positive reviews lately. I am opting for either The Tropicana which has freshly renovated rooms or Anaheim Desert Inn & Suites. I haven't stayed at either but another blogger gives both of these a big thumbs up. As we may be a party of four adults this time round both these places offer suites and from their websites the rooms look good so that will be my choice. Both are adjacent to the crossroad right at the esplanade which means we will have a short walk back to the hotel for an afternoon rest which will mean we can head back to the parks for all the Christmas nighttime events. Anyhoo just thought I would give you my thoughts and hope they help.

 

[Dug720]

Walking is so relative. I live in NYC and have not had a car since 2006, so I walk most places and will even take a longer walk to the subway if there's an option further away. 10-15 minutes is nothing to me - it's 15 minutes or so to the school where I teach.

People who are accustomed to driving everywhere though seem to find 10-15 minutes super long.

 

[Porsche4]

Walking is so relative. I live in NYC and have not had a car since 2006, so I walk most places and will even take a longer walk to the subway if there's an option further away. 10-15 minutes is nothing to me - it's 15 minutes or so to the school where I teach.

People who are accustomed to driving everywhere though seem to find 10-15 minutes super long.

I take a little offence at your tone Dug720. I live in country Victoria Australia, don't drive, walk everywhere and at the age of 62 consider myself pretty fit. However after severely tearing the Meniscus in my knee in 2021 being on my feet all day in the parks and walking to and from the parks four times a day it was a little too much for my knee to bear. Even my incredibly fit 25 year daughter found a full day in the parks and the extra walk to the HoJo tiring. You are correct that walking is relative but don't assume that people that make comments here are unfit couch potatoes. I was just adding my comment so that the poster who hasn't been to DL before knows the lay of the land.

 

[jcarwash]

My current favorite is still Candy Cane Inn. They just reopened after a long refurbishment and the new room I had a few weeks ago was terrific. My room wasn't terribly far from the front but it was among the quietest hotel stays I've had in a while -- we heard nothing except the Disneyland fireworks.

The staff is so friendly and helpful. The breakfast and outdoor dining area was also updated and is so nice. They added waffle makers, plus the quality of the fruit and pastry items seems even better than before.

The walk from CCI is not bad. If you time it right, the shuttle is convenient, but for me it's a backup option vs. walking.

I've stayed at Best Western Park Place Inn and that location can't be beat since it's so convenient, but it's been a while since I've stayed there. It's been CCI for the last several trips, and it's better than before.

 

[Dug720]

I take a little offence at your tone Dug720. I live in country Victoria Australia, don't drive, walk everywhere and at the age of 62 consider myself pretty fit. However after severely tearing the Meniscus in my knee in 2021 being on my feet all day in the parks and walking to and from the parks four times a day it was a little too much for my knee to bear. Even my incredibly fit 25 year daughter found a full day in the parks and the extra walk to the HoJo tiring. You are correct that walking is relative but don't assume that people that make comments here are unfit couch potatoes. I was just adding my comment so that the poster who hasn't been to DL before knows the lay of the land.

Nothing in my post assumed that. I said people accustomed to going everywhere in their cars. No judgment - just facts. I've seen many people who visit NYC from other places where they are car dependent complain about their feet and all the walking.

Of course there are exceptions for health reasons.

 

[DizMe]

If you're going to DLR, you're going to be doing a great deal of walking. The added walk to and from a hotel can be an unexpected burden for many people who don't realize how much it takes out of a day and out of your stamina if you go back and forth to your hotel during the day.

I walk all the time and I also run every day. But I'm not keen on staying farther than a short walk away from DLR because it just uses up too much time and energy that I'd rather be using for something fun.

However, we always stayed in motels when my kids were little because that's what I could afford, so I quickly decided that those closest to the park were my favorites! Now I'm a grandma and financially better off than in my younger days so I mostly stay on site. You have to find the balance that works for you, and that may not be the same as what works for someone else.

 

[irlandaise]

I live in country Victoria Australia, don't drive, walk everywhere and at the age of 62 consider myself pretty fit. However after severely tearing the Meniscus in my knee in 2021 being on my feet all day in the parks and walking to and from the parks four times a day it was a little too much for my knee to bear. Even my incredibly fit 25 year daughter found a full day in the parks and the extra walk to the HoJo tiring.

I think part of it is psychological. When you're walking around DL and DCA, hey, you're at Disneyland! There's fun stuff to see and distract you from your tired feet around every corner. But then you leave and it's just pavement in front of you all the way back to your hotel.

 

[Pluto468]

When I planned our July trip this year I wanted connecting rooms. I always want that extra bathroom for our family. Every hotel I spoke to said they couldn't guarantee it, so you might want to look into a suite somewhere like Hojo or Residence Inn, but those are more like 15-20 minute walks. Desert Inn and Suites has suites and that is less than a 10 minute walk, I think.

That said..Best Western Anaheim Plus Inn did give us our connecting rooms. I booked online and then emailed them about it, and called the day before we arrived. They have a great hot breakfast and are a 2 minute walk to the Disneyland entrance.

I'm not sure if anywhere has free parking. Possible Park Vue.

 

[irlandaise]

I'm not sure if anywhere has free parking. Possible Park Vue.

Others have already posted in this thread that the Park Vue, Castle Inn, and Candy Cane Inn have free parking.