Hotel Decision Making (W/Details) About This Page:

[aka pastor guy]

We're headed back to DLR (after a four year absence) during the best time of the year to enjoy DLR - the week after Thanksgiving or the first week of December! I'm trying to decide if we'll stay Monday - Friday or Monday - Saturday (I'd love to see Fantasmic on the Rivers of America.)

When we were there in 2003, we stayed at the Portobello Suites... which, when they messed up our original room, were kind enough to upgrade us (me, lovely wife, 2.5 yr old son) to a Kid Suite with a view of DCA. (One night we even got to see the fireworks as he went to bed.) The walk wasn't bad - we used an umbrella stroller - but it wasn't real close, either.

So, here we are in 2007, and my wife is laughing at me for how obsessed I've already become about our trip. So I thought I'd turn to other equally obsessed people for help.

The 2.5 yr old son will be 6.5 this time around... and his little brother will be 2.66 (no, I wasn't a math major.) We will need a hotel close enough for Mom & Little Bro to head back to for naps in the afternoons while Dad & Big Bro go see shows & do "quiet" things (OK, and maybe ride Buzz Lightyear a couple of times trying to improve our scores.)

My first thought is that DLH would be primo - what with the monorail connection & the relatively short walk through DwntwnD... but it's at the top end of our price range & the whole "it's got a great pool" argument is kind of a bust in early December.

I've read a couple of places about the Howard Johnson, which looks like it's equally close as DLH. And I do wonder about Paradise Pier, which is cheaper.

One final note (look, the thread title said there would be details): my wife & I are veterans of Dixie Landings ('96) & Carribean ('00), so we know that Disney service can be spectacular. Is there enough of that in the hotels of DLR to warrant the price bump?

Thanks for your help in advance!

[loobyoxlip]

The monorail and the DL hotel isn't really that great. It's still quite a little jaunt to the monorail station. Personally, I find the the Good Neighbor hotels a great deal at DL. I recently stayed at GCH and while it was a nice hotel, I would rather pay less and stay at a neighboring hotel. The Candy Cane Inn is a great option. It is w/in walking distance, but they also have a free shuttle that runs on the 1/2 hr. Great service. Super nice hotel. Cute pool and a hot tub under a gazebo. Free breakfast that was actually really good.

[Tink and co.]

I whole-heartedly agree with Tina. DLH too far away to justify the extra cost arguement (and the pool arguement is so true ). Candy Cane Inn is our first off-site choice, with Tropicana or Desert Inn as seconds (they're some of the closest except for GCH). Desert Inn has an indoor pool if swimming is important.

[SuzyMouse]

We recently stayed at the DLH and, though I do still recommend it to my clients as a great Disney hotel, I always recommend the Candy Cane Inn and the Howard Johnson hotels. Both are very close to the park entrance (opposite side of DLH, across the street from the main entrance) and you can find some very good rates with both properties.

One of the plusses of the DLH is that you don't need to cross any streets (other than a small internal one) to get to/from the parks to your hotel. Also, it is great fun to have Mickey call you to wake you up in the morning.

Re: Paradise Pier - again, if you are looking for some Disney theming, it is a fine choice. The walk isn't bad between the hotel and the parks (many people actually walk through the Grand CA to get to CA). If you can find a discount for the hotel - even better!

But, if you are simply looking for a good hotel and good rates that is close to DLR, then I recommend CCI and HoJo.

[Politzania]

We stayed at the Tropicana Inn & Suites last month - it sure seemed like a shorter walk to the front park gates than from DLH (where we stayed in Dec 2005). You do have to cross Harbor Blvd at a crosswalk from the Tropicana, but it wasn't any hassle for us (2 adults). It was quite convenient to take purchases (or doggie bags) back to the hotel - a 15-20 min round trip in most cases.

In my opinion- the Disneyland Hotel doesn't have as much of the Disney Magic as the WDW resorts do - it's a pretty typical hotel with Disney decorations. I'm glad we stayed there once (especially during the 50th anniversary), but I don't think I'd spend the money to do it again.

[crazydisney]

Another CCI fan herer. The property is stunning and the rooms clean.The pool is smallish but my kids never complained. There is also a hot tub and childrens wading pool. We enjoyed the free continental breakfast that saved us time and money as well it has a free dedicated shuttle that runs every 30 minutes. (Not on the ART system). The CCI is also close enough to walk if you wish - it took us about 5 to 7 minutes one morning.