Charting the Appeal of Hotels

I personally took this post as a tool I could use for myself when weighing the pros and cons of each hotel. As @mentos suggested, a hotel that might work for me one trip may not necessarily be ideal for my next trip, even if my stay was excellent. Aside from price, big factors are weather (distance is important), short vs. long trip (amenities), and how many people are travelling with me (their likes/dislikes). There have been times where I've based my decision solely on it's proximity to the nearest coffee! ;)

I don't think there will ever be a one-size-fits-all approach to hotel accommodations, but I appreciate anything that helps make my decision a bit easier. Many of the hotels in the area can fall into the same class categories and price points, and settling on a final choice isn't always as black and white as we'd like it to be.
 
Thanks for all the comments!

And I agree that trying to quantify something that is inherently subjective is wrought with challenges (which is why everything from market research to political polls can be so unreliable).

Even something as seemingly objective as distance quickly becomes subjective. Some lump the BWPPI and the Courtyard as both being "right across the street" and see no significant difference. For others, the difference is a huge consideration.
 
Even something as seemingly objective as distance quickly becomes subjective. Some lump the BWPPI and the Courtyard as both being "right across the street" and see no significant difference. For others, the difference is a huge consideration.
Oh my goodness, this is one of my HUGE pet peeves of Disneyland lodging. I can't count the number of times someone has excitedly told me, "And the hotel says they are right across the street!" It the equally sad, "They said it's only a block away!" .... Sure, it's across the street... Across the street from the furthest corner on the property, on the furthest point possible from any guest entrance. I actually took many hours this last spring to measure out (via Google maps distance measuring tools) every property that is "right next to" or "across the street" and went from driveway to Disneyland esplanade just so I could say explain it in actual distance difference. Kind of eye opening!
 
Funny I come to the opposite conclusion.... that since the hotels surrounding the park are limited and constantly occupied, owners have little incentive to improve them.

Don't get me wrong, they're clean... but nice, I wouldn't call them nice.

You could use the Anaheim Inn as exhibit A to prove your point. What I don't understand is why they don't sell to a developer. They could make far more money than continuing to sell cheap rooms at a dumpy property. A savvy developer could develop a huge luxury hotel on that property. There is no competition in the high end hotel market at Disneyland.
 


Oh my goodness, this is one of my HUGE pet peeves of Disneyland lodging. I can't count the number of times someone has excitedly told me, "And the hotel says they are right across the street!" It the equally sad, "They said it's only a block away!" .... Sure, it's across the street... Across the street from the furthest corner on the property, on the furthest point possible from any guest entrance. I actually took many hours this last spring to measure out (via Google maps distance measuring tools) every property that is "right next to" or "across the street" and went from driveway to Disneyland esplanade just so I could say explain it in actual distance difference. Kind of eye opening!

Your points even get more reinforced in Las Vegas. I think the walk from our car to our room at Mandalay Bay was close to a 1/2 mile. Those hotels in Las Vegas are enormous.
 
Funny I come to the opposite conclusion.... that since the hotels surrounding the park are limited and constantly occupied, owners have little incentive to improve them.

Don't get me wrong, they're clean... but nice, I wouldn't call them nice.

I guess we'l have to agree to disagree.
We've stayed at hotels up and down harbor and notice that every year they're making improvements to the grounds with landscaping (lots of color), pool renovations and exterior upgrades with modern colors and materials like stone work. They also keep updating rooms and facilities to meet customer needs and expectations better.
 
I don't think you can plot something like this out because what one person thinks is great, another thinks is terrible. For instance Bossy22 said the Desert Inn and Suites is there go to hotel and never had problems, but I was supposed to be there for 4 nights and thought is was soooo dirty and smelled moldy! I checked out at 6am the next morning. It's too subjective to think that you could put all the resorts in nice charts. I probably sound like a "negative Nancy" I'm sorry, it's just my opinion. ;-)
I have to agree. I used Desert Inn and Suites in the past, but always when the kids were younger and we did open to close park storming. Even then I didn't like it (except for price) because beds were hard. As I have gotten older, I find myself using the hotel more and DIS is one of the last places I would stay. Places I like along Harbor are Candy Cane, Fairfield, and Hojos. No, the fact that DIS is closer will not sell me. I will stay at the Hilton a lot or at Homewood Suites or Clementine Hotel. The charts are very subjective.

But then, I am also one of the ones that prefer DLH over the Grand. Everyone has their own preferences. My chart won't match others charts.
 


I have to agree. I used Desert Inn and Suites in the past, but always when the kids were younger and we did open to close park storming. Even then I didn't like it (except for price) because beds were hard. As I have gotten older, I find myself using the hotel more and DIS is one of the last places I would stay. Places I like along Harbor are Candy Cane, Fairfield, and Hojos. No, the fact that DIS is closer will not sell me. I will stay at the Hilton a lot or at Homewood Suites or Clementine Hotel. The charts are very subjective.

But then, I am also one of the ones that prefer DLH over the Grand. Everyone has their own preferences. My chart won't match others charts.

Not that I'm trying to sell anyone on this, but I think that the purpose of the chart isn't to say that one hotel is better than another. I certainly don't think that just because one hotel has more shaded area on the chart that it's a better hotel. Rather, the parts of the chart that are shaded show generally who that hotel might appeal to (generally and might being the key words).

My idea was more that if you, for instance, value comfort first and maybe amenities second, you could look at the charts and quickly eliminate DIS and a bunch of others. You would know at a glance that Candy Cane, Fairfield, and Hojos, as well as DLH and the Grand, are among the ones that you should explore further.

On the other hand, another person might value distance above all else, followed by affordability. That person could glance at the charts and narrow it down to half a dozen or so hotels that would be the first ones to look into.

But I completely get it. Just like we all have different things we value in hotels and different ways of touring the parks, we also all have different ways we prefer to process information. Charts aren't going to appeal to everyone!
 
Not that I'm trying to sell anyone on this, but I think that the purpose of the chart isn't to say that one hotel is better than another. I certainly don't think that just because one hotel has more shaded area on the chart that it's a better hotel. Rather, the parts of the chart that are shaded show generally who that hotel might appeal to (generally and might being the key words).

My idea was more that if you, for instance, value comfort first and maybe amenities second, you could look at the charts and quickly eliminate DIS and a bunch of others. You would know at a glance that Candy Cane, Fairfield, and Hojos, as well as DLH and the Grand, are among the ones that you should explore further.

On the other hand, another person might value distance above all else, followed by affordability. That person could glance at the charts and narrow it down to half a dozen or so hotels that would be the first ones to look into.

But I completely get it. Just like we all have different things we value in hotels and different ways of touring the parks, we also all have different ways we prefer to process information. Charts aren't going to appeal to everyone!
As a person whose favorite computer program is Excel, I will say that I like the charts :)
 
On the other hand, another person might value distance above all else, followed by affordability. That person could glance at the charts and narrow it down to half a dozen or so hotels that would be the first ones to look into.

But I completely get it. Just like we all have different things we value in hotels and different ways of touring the parks, we also all have different ways we prefer to process information. Charts aren't going to appeal to everyone!

The other problem is that we all define those categories or things differently. What does distance really mean? What is affordable? What amenities are important and which aren't. Not only can these vary from person to person, but they can very for me from trip to trip.

The best we can do is read other posts and find people that seem to have similar values, definitions or interpretations of things or at least look for posts that would include what we see as our own deal breakers. You can still get useful information to base decisions on when we share our experiences or knowledge in a more objective way. When talking about distance how far was it (just close or far doesn't really help me)? This place is affordable (that doesn't mean the same thing to everyone) instead this is how much it was on this trip. Decribe what amenities a place has or doesn't have (how did that affect your comfort level or trip in general).

When we shared things that are constants or the same for everyone (along with our interpretations of whether or not those or pros or cons) then we are really helping each other make informed decisions and giving enough substance to compare one Hotel to another.
 
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The other problem is that we all define those categories or things differently. One person's affordable is out of reach for others. What is walking distance for some would be considered far for others. What amenities are important or not or even the firmness of a mattress varies from person to person.

The best we can do is read other posts and find people that seem to have similar values, definitions or interpretations of things or at least look for posts that would include what we see as our own deal breakers regardless of whether or not they hold the same value to others as they do to us.
This is true, but there are still averages and generalities. The reality is that GCH is not "affordable" to anyone but the select few. More than a select few might decide to splurge on it, but that doesn't mean it's an "affordable" property for the vast majority of DL visitors (it's not).

I think Plip is correct that for individuals who like to make decisions based on data and analytics (🙋‍♀️), a chart like this provides a useful starting point for further review of the properties. If someone wanted to go through the time and trouble, objective fenceposts could be put around each data point; for example, you could say that the ranges of affordability are $80-$150, $151-$250, etc. Distance ranges could be set by mile (0.1-0.5, 0.6-1.0). Travel books rate and categorize hotels, dining, ride experiences, all the time. That doesn't mean that everyone agrees, but it's also not useless. It's just more information that someone can choose to use (or not) when making a decision.
 
But I completely get it. Just like we all have different things we value in hotels and different ways of touring the parks, we also all have different ways we prefer to process information. Charts aren't going to appeal to everyone!
I'm analytical person, so I do like charts and such. But I think it is too subjective. For example, someone above stated the GCH is only affordable to the select few, yet it sells out quite often. (In fact, DLH is sold out this weekend, and GCH has limited rooms.)

But I do think it gives a starting idea for people to begin their investigation of various hotels.
 
Exactly, sharing the constants in whatever format (chart, etc.) is a great place to start. I feel like there needs to be more of that information being shared when people ask questions. Not that everyone's opinions and experiences don't matter, those can be just as important, but probably further along in the decision making process.

I know I am looking for both types of information (they don't have to even come from the same people) in order to feel like I am making an informed decision or best choice.
 
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I'm analytical person, so I do like charts and such. But I think it is too subjective. For example, someone above stated the GCH is only affordable to the select few, yet it sells out quite often. (In fact, DLH is sold out this weekend, and GCH has limited rooms.)

I see what you're saying, and you're right. Most of the appeal of a hotel is completely subjective (comfort, immersion) and even those things that are somewhat more objective (cost, distance) still have a significant subjective quality.

The only thing I might clarify is that representing information on a chart doesn't imply that the information is objective. Opinion polls are reduced to charts all the time, and by definition, opinion polls are subjective. Charting information doesn't make it more or less objective. It simply distills the information (subjective as it might be) to a visually accessible form.

The five-star graphic that shows the aggregate rating for any Amazon product is a very simple chart. It's completely subjective, based on the opinions or reviewers. But it tells potential customers at a glance what the collective, subjective opinion of the product is, and I find it extremely helpful in narrowing down the products I'm considering. And then I read the reviews.

(And if I were going to develop this further -- which I'm not! -- I would definitely try to base it on a community-driven rating system and not on my own opinions.)
 
As a person whose favorite computer program is Excel, I will say that I like the charts :)
I just had to giggle at this. At work, people always ask me how I can deal with looking at spreadsheets all day.... And every time someone asks, I tell them that I find Excel very soothing. I love Excel. Excel makes sense, and keeps me happy through my work day.... And makes it really obvious how much work I am doing :)
 
I just had to giggle at this. At work, people always ask me how I can deal with looking at spreadsheets all day.... And every time someone asks, I tell them that I find Excel very soothing. I love Excel. Excel makes sense, and keeps me happy through my work day.... And makes it really obvious how much work I am doing :)
You would LOVE my Disney plan, lol.
 

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