How crucial is it to stay onsite at DL?

[wideeyes]

I have just booked for next year and had book off site otherwise we would not be able to afford to go as we also have to pay for flights from the UK. Also I would rather spend the extra money on the Disneyland Hotel at Paris which is a beautiful hotel.

 

[mdburd]

Through the 80's and 90's when my family lived in SoCal; we'd go to the park at least once each month.

Twice each year (October for birthdays and May for Mother's Day) we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and the rest of the time off property--but usually at the Anaheim Hilton next door. Actually, once on a spur of the moment trip, we stayed at a Best Western--The Cosmic Age--but that's another post all together..

Posters are correct; you can find a nice hotel off property, or you can stay at one of the three on property resorts. It depends on your budget and your view of the "worth" of staying onsite at the Disneyland Resort.

(As a side note: One of the reasons there are no offsite hotels at WDW that are as close as those at Disneyland is because Walt was annoyed at all the crowding-in of the hotels and motels in Anaheim. So, you don't want crowding--you buy 26,000 acres (over 40 square miles) in the relative middle of nowhere and start building near the center... "Problem" solved.)

Michael.

 

[grumpymakesmehappy]

wideeyes- I have to agree with you that the Disneyland Hotel in Paris is beautiful. We stayed at the Hotel Sequoia. We loved it. At WDW, we always stay at the WL or the Polynesian. Next time, I think we are going to do a split between the Beach Club and another deluxe. We are still trying to decide if we are going to stay onsite or not. I love staying onsite at WDW and would never dream of not staying at a WDW hotel. Part of me wants to because I love a Disney resort. Another part of me is afraid that the hotels might not compare to WDW resorts and I would be let down. All of the comments have been really helpful. Who knows? Hopefully, we'll make a decision soon.