Overwhelmed by housing options...

[mickeyfan0805]

So many choices! We are a family of 5 with three kids (13, 12 and 9 at the time), headed to Anaheim in mid-June. We will spend 3 days at Disneyland and another 2 doing Hollywood, etc... We will spend 5-6 nights in an Anaheim hotel/house. Grand Californian and Disneyland Hotel break the bank for us. So, It's Paradise Pier (at about $400 a night), a Good Neighbor hotel at $200 to $300 per night, or a condo/rental at $250-$300 per night.

From what I can tell, Paradise Pier is notably more expensive and no closer to the 'action,' but it keeps you in the bubble. Good Neighbor Hotels can be a reasonable walk and are a little cheaper, but the ones that save you money don't offer much in the way of pools, room size, etc... A rental gives you more space but you likely have to drive in and park, will have to deal with getting supplies, etc...

We are avid Disney fans and regular visitors to WDW (always staying on property). This is only our second trip to DL (last was in 2010), and will most certainly be the last with the kids. We will have a car.

So, which one would you choose, and why?

 

[RobertaMomof2]

I would stay at a Good Neighbor Hotel near Disneyland (find one with Free Breakfast, most charge for parking but there are a few that dont). Why? Because with the money saved you can eat at Blue Bayou one night. Also, I would move to a hotel closer to Hollywood Studios when you want to go there. When we went to Universal we stayed in Burbank which was about a 15 minute drive to Universal both days we went. It was great. Good luck!

 

[Geemo]

So many choices! We are a family of 5 with three kids (13, 12 and 9 at the time), headed to Anaheim in mid-June. We will spend 3 days at Disneyland and another 2 doing Hollywood, etc... We will spend 5-6 nights in an Anaheim hotel/house. Grand Californian and Disneyland Hotel break the bank for us. So, It's Paradise Pier (at about $400 a night), a Good Neighbor hotel at $200 to $300 per night, or a condo/rental at $250-$300 per night.

From what I can tell, Paradise Pier is notably more expensive and no closer to the 'action,' but it keeps you in the bubble. Good Neighbor Hotels can be a reasonable walk and are a little cheaper, but the ones that save you money don't offer much in the way of pools, room size, etc... A rental gives you more space but you likely have to drive in and park, will have to deal with getting supplies, etc...

We are avid Disney fans and regular visitors to WDW (always staying on property). This is only our second trip to DL (last was in 2010), and will most certainly be the last with the kids. We will have a car.

So, which one would you choose, and why?

We like the Tropicana on Harbor. It's very close to the crosswalk. Their room rates for that time is from $139 (extended stay) to $159 per night.
We've stayed there and will again. The pool is right in the middle of the parking lot but that didn't really matter when we used it.
Here's a snip of the rates from a few minutes ago


Geemo

 

[Cactus girl]

We have tried quite a few hotels in the area—including DLH and GC. We have never stayed at PP. Everytime I have that one booked, I end up moving us to a suite hotel off property. Now that they have moved the security checkpoints, there really is no difference between PP and an off-property hotel, IMHO, except the early entry and we are ok without that. Take the saved $$$ and do MaxPass and you will be better off.

For 5 people, we love the new Homewood Suites on Harbor. It is right by the Toy Story lot so you can choose to walk to the parks <1 mile or walk to the Toy Story lot. The full kitchen, full breakfast and happy hour are pretty sweet. Plus, with 5 it is sometimes nice to have two rooms (and 2 TVs).

We often do split stays—with 1-2 nights at DLH or GC and then the rest at an off-property hotel. You can have EMH on the day you check-in so you can be there at 7am to get a room key and go into the parks. They then text you when you room is ready. We usually leave luggage at the other hotel and then mid-afternoon send someone back to get it and move it to the on-site hotel. This allows you to have 3 mornings of EMH with only a 2 night stay.

Whatever you decide, it will be fun.

 

[mousecrazy]

The Paradise Pier has a more "resort like" pool that you won't find at any of the hotels on Harbor except maybe Howard Johnson or the new Courtyard (across the street). The PP keeps you more inside the Disney bubble, but it'll cost you, notably breakfast. If you stay at the HoJo, there are several good, inexpensive breakfast options on the way to the park. But, that might not be an advantage if you have plans for a character breakfast, etc.

Perhaps consider staying at the PPH for your Disneyland adventure, then move to a hotel more central to what you want to do in the Hollywood area...are you going to Universal? We stayed at the Sheraton Universal Hotel and it was really nice and walkable to the park. The drive between Anaheim is a minimum of 45 minutes and that's with minimal traffic - which is unlikely.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Pph isn’t really in the bubble. You have to walk down the street to get to the park. But as others mention the pool will be nicer than most.

Look at these: Most are new buildings.

courtyard Marriott theme park entrance fun outdoor splash area. No free food.
Residence inn Maingate (not new) or convention. Free breakfast, free parking. Some have doors that close-bedroom(s)
HomeWood suites convention (7 night or more has significant discount; mon-thurs free dinner; daily free breakfast) we stay in the one with 3 single beds plus a king; has a bedroom door that closes
Spring Hill Suites not sure perks. all one room with divider
Hyatt house not sure perks
Camelot inn - suite(not new but close to park)
Best western park place inn. Closest, free breakfast, all One Room. Old

There are trade offs. The closer ones are often much more expensive or older. The ones a 20 min walk are newer and can be same price as closer ones but with more perks like free food.

The house rentals are too far away imo.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Let me ask a follow-up...

How much of a hassle is it to drive? I know there is a cost involved, but if we like a hotel that is a mile or more away, is driving into the parks relatively easy, or is traffic a real problem? Just wondering what it's like.

Thanks!

 

[Cactus girl]

Let me ask a follow-up...

How much of a hassle is it to drive? I know there is a cost involved, but if we like a hotel that is a mile or more away, is driving into the parks relatively easy, or is traffic a real problem? Just wondering what it's like.

Thanks!

The driving isn't the problem, IMHO, it is the time you lose getting to/from the parking garage to the parks. The stress of wondering if you will/will not make a particular tram isn't worth it to me. If you are going in the middle of the day it probably isn't an issue. Toy Story lot is easier, I think, than Mickey and Friends. The nice thing about having a car is you can store stuff in it. However, a "quick" trip to the car may take over half an hour. That sounds really negative. It's crazy, at WDW, I having your own car is a godsend. At Disneyland, we skip the car and just use the ART, uber or taxi. If you are staying a mile away, it may be quicker to walk.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Let me ask a follow-up...

How much of a hassle is it to drive? I know there is a cost involved, but if we like a hotel that is a mile or more away, is driving into the parks relatively easy, or is traffic a real problem? Just wondering what it's like.

Thanks!

So. Much. It didn't used to be but the parking situation is a total timesuck to a vacation. You can drive there in a few mins from any of those hotels, but it'll be awhile to work through the parking and shuttle to the park. There are hotels by the Toy Story parking lot where people just walk over there to grab a shuttle to the park.

PP would also give you EMH. IF you can use it with your fam it's the best hour in the parks as crowds will be the lowest. Don't forget to factor in the parking cost, some hotels charge, some don't. PP charges $20/day I think.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Let me ask a follow-up...

How much of a hassle is it to drive? I know there is a cost involved, but if we like a hotel that is a mile or more away, is driving into the parks relatively easy, or is traffic a real problem? Just wondering what it's like.

Thanks!

I often stay a mile away. It is much easier to walk from the hotel than to park at Disney. There are shuttles and ART available. Many people use Uber/Lyft. For me, the walk is fine unless it is late at night. I will still walk if I am with someone, but not alone.

With tired kids, you'd probably want to shuttle back. The drive to park is very short, but you never know how long the car line is going in. Then, you pay $20 and they tell you where to park. At the end of the day, you have to wait in line for a bus or a tram to take you back to the parking lot. You could walk to/from the lot. I've done that several times, too.

 

[CayBoo]

My parents always stay at the Candy Cane Inn. It's just south of the park on the same side of Harbor BLVD, so you really dont have to do much walking. But they do have a free shuttle that drives back and forth ever 30 minutes or so. Their parking is free, and so is their breakfast. It really is a charming little hotel that's affordable and convenient.

 

[tarheelalum]

Let me ask a follow-up...

How much of a hassle is it to drive? I know there is a cost involved, but if we like a hotel that is a mile or more away, is driving into the parks relatively easy, or is traffic a real problem? Just wondering what it's like.

Thanks!

Do not drive. It adds tremendous HASSLE and STRESS to your day coming and especially going back to the hotel. I cannot stress this enough. If you stay in driving distance, take an Uber or Lyft. And as far as the hotels, pass on the Disney properties. They are just not worth the added expense at Disneyland. At Disney World I hear it is worth it but not at Disneyland. The Paradise Pier is definitely not worth 400 bucks a night. In my opinion its barely worth half of that. Make your life easier and stay at one of the hotels in walking distance. Even if its not as nice as hotels a few miles away or costs a little more. With a big family you will have enough stress throughout the day. Make your stay as easy and stress free as possible. I think the Howard Johnson near the front gate on Harbor Blvd would be a good choice with a big family. Their pool looks great and the walk is not bad at all. Lots of other places in walking distance on Harbor Blvd as well.

 

[smartlabelprint]

Do not drive. It adds tremendous HASSLE and STRESS to your day coming and especially going back to the hotel. I cannot stress this enough. If you stay in driving distance, take an Uber or Lyft. And as far as the hotels, pass on the Disney properties. They are just not worth the added expense at Disneyland. At Disney World I hear it is worth it but not at Disneyland. The Paradise Pier is definitely not worth 400 bucks a night. In my opinion its barely worth half of that. Make your life easier and stay at one of the hotels in walking distance. Even if its not as nice as hotels a few miles away or costs a little more. With a big family you will have enough stress throughout the day. Make your stay as easy and stress free as possible. I think the Howard Johnson near the front gate on Harbor Blvd would be a good choice with a big family. Their pool looks great and the walk is not bad at all. Lots of other places in walking distance on Harbor Blvd as well.

I concur.

 

[Tattylou]

I remember hearing Anaheim was trying to pass a law to ban vacation home rentals - look into that before you rent a house, condo, etc just so you don't end up with a problem.

We like to HOJO on Harbor, but there's only 4 of us so I don't know what the options are there for 5. My kids loved the pool/splash area (they were 5 and 7 on that trip) and the beds are super comfy! The walk wasn't bad at all, even with little kids.

 

[Federalist45]

Also, check the price of booking the hotel separately if you decide to stay off property. It's usually cheaper not to book through Disney.

My recommendation is always Candy Cane. It's affordable, decent breakfast, close enough to walk, but also has the dedicated shuttle.

 

[kirstie101]

I'd recommend staying off site but within walking distance. I would not recommend staying offsite and driving in and parking. I'd choose a shuttle bus over parking! Our go to Hotel is Hojo on Harbor but like someone else said we're just a family of 4. My kids too love the splash pool area and the adult pool. Their beds are amazing. The theming is retro disney and they are currently remodeling their largest building so those rooms would be cool to get I think!

 

[V.I.N.CENT.]

I know the feeling, we've tried many options around DL over the past 15 years. DL hotel, Grand Californian, HoJo, Hyatt Grand, Hyatt House, Marriott Courtyard, Eden Roc Inn. What it boils down to is the age of the people in your party (newborn? stay on site!), and preferences for walking distances vs. shuttles. We love the Hyatt Regency. Shuttle every 1/2 hour, 10 min shuttle trip to DL, works for us. Actually nice ride after walking all day. Hyatt House had the best breakfast, full hot breakfast with many options. But late at night we did not tolerate the walk well. Cant really go wrong with any location, they all have their pluses and minuses.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Another vote for the Candy Cane. Our last stay there was with 2 connecting rooms (premium -- larger rooms with microwave and refrigerator, breakfast delivered to room, amenities basket, bathrobes, etc.). Saved us $600 per night over the GCH. Having breakfast delivered to the room saves so much time and stress when getting everyone ready for the parks in the morning. The breakfast was generous, and every detail was exactly according to request. The free parking was a great perk. Wonderful customer service. Shuttle ran on time, every time. And the driver helped my parents in and out of the van each time. Don't think we've every had a bad stay there. CCI gives discounts for AAA, AP, AARP, etc. Ask to see if you qualify for something.

 

[Xenorye]

So much Paradise Pier hate. I love that hotel. DLH and GCH also break the bank for my family, so PPH is the only of the Disney hotels I've used. For my trip in November, we simply couldn't afford the PPH price this time around (at least for the number of days we wanted), so we chose to go with Courtyard Marriott Anaheim Theme Park Entrance. That said, I think the main thing is deciding whether the EMH is worth it to splurge for PPH. Since you're going three days at the parks, you'll get a Magic Morning you can use only at Disneyland only on either Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday. If you stay at PPH, you'll get EMH every day you go to the park (it'll be at DCA M, W, F, Sun). That extra hour is *AWESOME* at DCA, especially during summer hours.

One other thing to consider is whether 2 of your kids are okay sharing a bed. At PPH you can get a room with 2 queens, plus a couch-bed thing. If everyone needs their own bed, consider Courtyard Marriott -- you can get a 2 queens plus a bunk bed room there.

Ultimately though, if you decide that EMH is just not worth it to splurge for PPH, you'll be just fine going with a Good Neighbor hotel.

 

[RustManFan]

We stayed at the Good Neighbor hotel of Howard Johnson's. Easy walk to DCA and DL entrance. We requested a park view and watched fireworks from our balcony the night before we visited the parks. Plenty of dining spots in area...