How crucial is it to stay onsite at DL?

[grumpymakesmehappy]

We always stay onsite at WDW, but with our trip to DL in December we have tossed around the idea of staying offsite and saving the money. From what I have read, some of the offsite hotels are as nice and better priced than the Disneyland resorts. Plus they are all really close. DO you feel immersed in the Disney magic at DL resorts like you do at WDW? I'm clueless on DL. I just really want to make the right decision about our lodging. Would you reccommend staying offsite or onsite. If we did stay offsite, we want want a nice hotel (with a shuttle to DL) that is as close as possible to DL. Where do you stay at and what do you reccommend for us? TIA

 

[HydroGuy]

An excerpt from "A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

11. Hotels

The lodging dynamic at DLR is very different than at WDW. DLR has only 3 resort hotels compared to the 20 at WDW. And when you stay at a WDW resort hotel you are getting closer proximity to the parks and DTD. Not so at DLR. The closest resort hotel to the parks and DTD is the GCH which is literally attached to DCA and DTD and a short walk to DL. But because the GCH is so large, how close you actually are to the parks and DTD depends a lot on where your room is.

In addition, the idea of on-site vs. off-site does not equally apply at DLR. A DLR hotel may be "on-site" in a sense, but much further to the gates of DL, for instance. So rather than talk about on-site vs. off-site, it is clearer to talk in terms of resort hotels, good neighbor hotels, and other hotels. The resort hotels are easy to define as these represent the three Disney-owned hotels. In order to have some sense of hotel quality control DLR implemented a "good neighbor" hotel status. Just to be clear, "good neighbor" does not equal "good hotel". Rather, these are hotels which Disney has forged relationships with. Some or all of the good neighbor hotels can sell you DLR admission tickets, for instance. And they often have mild Disney theming in the lobbies and the rooms. There are roughly 40 good neighbor hotels (see http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dis...mpareDropDown=1) broken down into categories of Suites, Superior, Moderate and Economy.

Finally, any hotel that is not a Disney or Good Neighbor falls into the "other" category. And here you are on your own.

Additional information on the Disney and Good Neighbor hotels can be found at: www.dlresortinfo.com. Click on the "Disneyland Resort Hotels" or "Good Neighbor Hotels" on the left.

It should be noted that some WDW visitors attach a stigma of sorts to staying "off-site". If such a stigma exists at DLR, it is much weaker.

To see a map of hotels in and around DLR see "Bret's Disneyland Lodging Map": www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap. To see a map of hotels considered within walking distance of the parks see: http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/maps...ng_distance_map.

Finally, to see how close some of these hotels are to DLR, see:

"How Far Is It?": www.mouseplanet.com/articles.php?art=mm060329as

The same information as above was first given in a DLR forum and thus accompanied by some visitor discussion:

“Answering the ‘which is farther’ debate”: http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=46907

We personally have stayed at the DL PPH and two good neighbor hotels (the Howard Johnson's and the Best Western Park Place Inn). Disney visitors of course come in many shapes and sizes, so there is no "one size fits all" answer to the question of lodging. I can tell you about my family, for what its worth. When we go to DLR it is all about the parks. We are ride warriors who also like to see shows and fireworks. Thus easy park access is paramount for us. We tend to spend very little time at our hotel. If we are awake, we are at the parks. And since park access is so much easier, as I mentioned earlier, the 5-8 hours per day we spent at parks while at WDW is more like 10-12 hours per day at DLR.

Some people plan their DLR visit in such a way as to spend a bit of time at their hotel. For such people, a DLR hotel or other Superior Good Neighbor may be the best option. But I would advise WDW vets that since it is much easier to access the parks at DLR you may find yourself spending less time at your hotel than you do at WDW. Further, with the all around better weather at DLR - especially in the summer months - and the longer park hours at DL compared to MK and the other WDW parks, there are additional reasons why you may find yourself spending more time at the parks than you usually do at WDW. So consider that when choosing a hotel.

Finally, some WDW vets talk reverently about Disney "immersion". I am not going to downplay that, but from what I can tell it is just not the same at DLR. I have dedicated an entire section to the issue of immersion later in this guide.

 

[disney-super-mom]

In my opinion, none of the off site "motels" are nearly as nice as the on property Disney owned hotels. I use the term "motels" because that is really what they are. Not that some of the motels aren't nice, because a few of them are pretty nice motels, but they can't compare to any of the Disney owned properties.

If you are used to the WDW resorts and being immersed in the Disney magic, then you maybe a little disappointed with the Disneyland hotels (Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier, and the Grand Californian) because they are not as strongly themed as the resorts in WDW. The Grand Californian is gorgeous and the closest in comparison to what you'd find at a deluxe WDW resort, but all three of the Disneyland hotels are really very nice.

 

[dizzyami]

I personally like to be immersed in disney from the moment my vacation starts. For this reason we always stay on site - I realize I am paying a great deal more for this experience - but I guess I am a Disney nut. This may be slightly biased, however, because I have never stayed offsite.

 

[hlbtimes2]

Not sure that I can add much to what Hydro said. It really does come down to how much time you spend in your room and what your families needs are. Our family is much like Hydros. We get up early, go to the park and spend our time there. We might come back for a short nap mid day, but we really dont hang out at the hotel. We choose to spend our money to stay off site, stay a little longer, and have more spending money.

Our favorite hotel is the candy cane inn. We also had a nice stay at the fairfield inn. I would also consider hojo's and BW park place inn based on reviews I've read. None of them are going to be fancy, upscale hotels- but all will provide a clean room, bed and shower, and most importantly a short walk to the parks.

 

[autumnbaby9]

If all your looking for is a clean bed and shower tahn most of the motels on Harbor will work for you. Quite a few of them are right by the walk way into the park and are much closer to the turn stiles than the Disney Owned Properties. However if your looking for themes, really nice pools, concierge services, etc then you better go for a Disney property.

I have never stayed there but the Candy Cane Inn seems to get alot of good reviews from fellow DIS's. Good grounds, nice complimentary breakfast and good shuttle service that only serves CCI rather than stopping at several other motels. From what I can tell they are a 10 min walk to DL.

Also check out Tripadvisor.com to get reviews from people who have actually stayed at any given hotel/motel.

 

[tlovesdis]

We love to stay onsite and have the complete Disney experience, but we can't always afford to splurge! There are several very nice hotels, not motels, in the area. There are two Embassy Suites, a Mariott, and a Hyatt. Some of the "motels" are nice too. I've stayed at the Candy Cane Inn and it was great! I have friends who have stayed at Howard Johnson's and they loved it.

If you can afford it, then I say go for the total experience, if not, there are tons of options out there for you!

 

[MadfordaMouse]

We have always stayed off site when we visit. We have stayed at the Hilton (which had a great view of DCA), Candy Cane Inn (wonderful beds and great breakfast), and even one unfortunate stay at the Days Inn across the street years ago (comparable to a Motel 6, but clean at least), among others. The Good Neighbor hotels are a great way to go, we usually did all of our Disney vacation planning through AAA and were able to get all the Disney discounts du jour (such as when they have the buy 3 nights, get 4th free thing). The Hilton was awesome and had a small restaurant with a breakfast buffet inside the hotel and the pool was nice and big. We're lucky enough now that we just take our 5th wheel and stay at San Clemente State Beach and commute, saving us about $1000 or more for a week.

Also, if you have a car its so much more convenient to drive to the park and can leave during the day to swim or nap, just keep your parking receipt to get back in without having to pay again. We tried doing the shuttle thing one trip and it was a nightmare. Our shuttle happened to be going to multiple hotels at once and was packed at park closing, so we had to wait for it to come back to pick us up (with small tired children, not fun).

I don't know how comparable the hotels off-site are to WDW because I haven't been there (yet!) but the hotels around Disney are all fairly close and are just a short drive, and in some cases walk, to both parks. Hopefully one day I'll have the luxury to get to make that comparison for myself!

 

[JosephTNielsen]

Another hotel that I found to be nice is Castle Inn & Suites. It's nothing "fancy," but it does give you what you want/need. It's directly acrosss from the park, and they have nice staff.

I have also stayed at Candy Cane Inn and it is nice as well.

The three hotels I would avoid at all costs are Jolly Roger, Tropicana, and Fantasy Inn. At Jolly Roger I got rude service, my room was cancelled without my knowledge and then I was charged twice for it when I showed up. This caused me to only have about $20 to survive off of for a week. I detest that place with a passion. At Tropicana the rooms were pretty dingy, and the service was rude as well. Fantasy Inn is a definately your stereotypical sleezy motel. Avoid these three at all cost.

...Joe...

 

[mamacatnv]

We like the HoJo's - I personally think the DL hotels are way to spendy and not worth it IMO. You can walk to main gate within about 5 minutes from the hotels/motels already listed here.

 

[HydroGuy]

In my opinion, none of the off site "motels" are nearly as nice as the on property Disney owned hotels.

It is not a matter which is nicest. To some (or many) people, a nice hotel which you are never at except for sleeping is not worth it. I have stayed at both and I am not going to come out and say on-site is better than off-site, or vice versa.

For someone with a budget for their DLR trip the choice between on-site vs off-site can come down to 2-3 days at DLR in an on-site hotel, or 4-5 days at DLR in an off-site hotel, all for the same total cost. When viewed this way by people who spend little time at the hotel, the extra time at the parks may outweigh a nicer hotel.

Other people see things differently, especially those who are not as fixed to a budget.

With all that said, I am seriously considering staying at the GCH next summer for a splurge. We'll see.

 

[disney-super-mom]

It is not a matter which is nicest. To some (or many) people, a nice hotel which you are never at except for sleeping is not worth it. I have stayed at both and I am not going to come out and say on-site is better than off-site, or vice versa.

I made a reference to the DL owned hotels being nicer than the offsite motels because the OP stated that, "From what I have read, some of the offsite hotels are "as nice" and better priced than the Disneyland resorts." The OP also asked about feeling immersed in the Disney magic at the Disneyland hotels.

I wanted to make it clear to someone who's never been to DL that, although some of the offsite motels may be nice, none are "as nice" as the Disneyland hotels.

 

[jakoky]

hi there, we used to travel a lot to disneyland when i was child...i thought about 5 times, my brother says 8...we never stayed on site, i am not even sure what there was then...i took my family(me, dh, dd, ds and dd) to WDW in dec 04...we had never been but chose to stay on site...it was incredible and when we go back, it is the ONLY thing we would do...well, in may 06 we went to DL(a first for my husband and kids who were then 15, 12, and 10)...we chose to go with a 10 night vacation so we would have a real vacation by what the everyone in the family needed(by that i mean lots of fun, but some down time too-my husband works a lot, so he needed it)...we did 5 day hoppers, and the rest was wandering downtown disney, shopping, swimming, just relaxing and having fun...had we chosen to stay at a disney motel, we couldnt have done this(at WDW we stayed nine nights at pop)...i would not trade our extended vacation for a short one and we chose the candy cane inn and were very happy...it was about a 7 min walk to DL and there was a shuttle if we wanted...DL and WDW are totally different, so much so, we cant really decide where we are going next...i definately believe at DL you can to without staying onsite as everything is so much closer together...we could have afforded to stay on site if we had tightened the wallet on everything else, but we chose to spend tons of clothes and souvenirs..have fun,
sharon

DL-5-8 times by the time i was 13
WDW-dec 04 (hubby and kids first disney experience and a first for all of us at WDW)
DL-May 06(hubby and kids first time at DL and i hadnt been in so long it was all new to me)
Planning to go either DL or WDW in dec 07-we just cant decide

 

[Amy&Dan]

.we could have afforded to stay on site if we had tightened the wallet on everything else, but we chose to spend tons of clothes and souvenirs..have fun,
sharon

DL-5-8 times by the time i was 13
WDW-dec 04 (hubby and kids first disney experience and a first for all of us at WDW)
DL-May 06(hubby and kids first time at DL and i hadnt been in so long it was all new to me)
Planning to go either DL or WDW in dec 07-we just cant decide

That is it in a nutshell. If staying onsite at Disneyland shortens the trip, does not allow you to do what you want to do (meals, souveneirs, etc) then by all means stay at one of the many nice motels right there on Harbor. My favorite thus far has been the Tropicana because its been recently rennovated and since I am a clean freak with sometimes really high standards it met mine.

That said, if the above does not apply to you then in my opinion staying onsite is wonderful. Its about many things that when added up can really add to the experience. Themed pools, deluxe accomodations, Disney touches, Disney customer service, charging privilidges, being immersed in the magic (that would include Mickey wake up calls ) and most important to me: Early Entry privilidges each day its offered regardless of what type of ticket you are holding. If Disneyland does away with EE again then I will likely have an even harder time justifying that extra cost. Hopefully they won't! I have stayed at all three onsite Disneyland hotels and many WDW ones and I agree that staying onsite at WDW is much more critical than staying onsite at DL. But I still think its "worth" it if you are willing to shell out the money to do so. If not, than to me its best to stay on Harbor near the crosswalk so that you are very close and not relying on the ART and can easily do midday breaks. There are some nicer hotels nearby that are cheaper than the three onsite ones but they are a bit further away. And I never seem to be able to get a good deal on one so I just stay at one of the "motels" and sometimes save as much as $200 a night and a few minutes walking each way as well. Wherever you stay, the bottom line is that the parks are just as fun regardless of where you slept the night before and you are at the Happiest Place on Earth!

 

[Rella Bella]

In regard to hotels DL is very different than WDW. The main difference is at DL there are so many within walking distance. At WDW there are only a few hotels you can walk to any park.

We didn't get to visit Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Hotel but The Grand Californian was awesome... it felt like a combo of The Grand Floridian and Wilderness Lodge. I'm sure being in those hotels is a bit more Disney than being out, but honestly the entire area is dedicated to Disneyland... that orange grove has really changed in the last 51 years

We stayed at the Sheraton Park, it is technically 1 1/2 blocks away... but it was really about a 10 - 15 minute walk. We loved this hotel, it was very nice. I would stay there again in a heartbeat. It doesn't show up on many of the maps because it just changed names but it's right next door to the Portofino Inn, (I think the previous name was Coast Anaheim). Check out this map;
http://www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap

They do have the resort shuttle there, it took about 5 minutes to get home and about 8 to get there (different routes). See my trip report for more info:

Happy planning... it's half the fun!! Rella

 

[HydroGuy]

I made a reference to the DL owned hotels being nicer than the offsite motels because the OP stated that, "From what I have read, some of the offsite hotels are "as nice" and better priced than the Disneyland resorts." The OP also asked about feeling immersed in the Disney magic at the Disneyland hotels.

I wanted to make it clear to someone who's never been to DL that, although some of the offsite motels may be nice, none are "as nice" as the Disneyland hotels.

Gotcha.

 

[Niele]

I personally like to be immersed in disney from the moment my vacation starts. For this reason we always stay on site - I realize I am paying a great deal more for this experience - but I guess I am a Disney nut. This may be slightly biased, however, because I have never stayed offsite.

I really agree with dizzyami. To be immersed is such a big part of our vacations at DL. Just the action and at all the hotels and just knowing your staying in DL. We will be at the GC later this year and it is located on the edge of DCA so you hear all the wonderful sounds, Grizzly water rushing at Grizzly Peak, people having a wonderful time, the music from the rides and the fantastic park lights at night. PP and DLH both have some fantatic views, also. I'm not sure if they can hear all the sounds from the park but with PP's view of DCA and DLH's views of the pool (fun watching people down below) or DL and DCA ... I just always want to stay on location .

 

[boscoj]

Another vote for staying "on-site". Besides immersing yourself in the magic from the beginning, we really enjoyed the little perks...EE all week, esp. at DCA (where we could get a jump on the line for soaring ), having packages delivered to the hotel (no lugging them around the park), having vacation planning do all your reservations, etc...

If you can swing it financially, this is the way to go!

 

[dizzyami]

Good call boscoj - I was too immersed to remember all those things - but we definitely utilize all of those benefits!

 

[Captjackson]

We've always stayed off-site. I would like to stay on site sometime. Still, we were at DLR back in Feb., we'll have another trip in Nov., and next Feb. DW and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary with DCL. For us, it's worth the savings to stay off site. Might allow us to return to DLR sooner.

I won't argue that staying on site is better at DLR. Is it worth the cost? Guess that's up to the individual to decide.