[DebiDebiDebi]

When Walt Disney bought the property for Disneyland, he really didn't buffer his parks with open space like he did with WDW (clearly he learned from his DLR experience!). So, subsequently Disneyland and California Adventure are surrounded by hotels. If you check on the Disneyland website, you will see a list of "Good Neighbor Hotels" which are unaffiliated hotels near the resort who have earned a nod of approval from the Disney company, resulting in a recommendation from the Disney company to stay at their facility while in the Disneyland area. We have never stayed in any of the 3 Disney hotels in the DLR area (ie: Grand Californian, Paradise Pier, and the Disneyland Hotel) because there are plenty of nice (and yes, lower cost) hotels right outside the gates of the DLR. While the 3 Disney hotels offer that special magic to your stay, you will find many wonderful hotels near that are fit for any budget. Keep in mind, the 3 Disney hotels would be comparable to a Deluxe resort on the WDW property, thus the high prices.