Comments on: Where to Stay when you Head to Disneyland

By: LuckyBandit

LuckyBandit — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:35:06 +0000

By: Islander

Islander — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 07:06:41 +0000

Anaheim islander Inn & Suites was hotel close to Disneyland , you can visit disneyland within 5 -10 minutes from Anaheim islander one of most affordable hotels near Disneyland.

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 20:41:50 +0000

We had nine people on our trip and our daughter booked us all at HOMEWOOD SUITES. Free breakfast AND a light dinner (one night hot dogs, one night taco salad, etc.). Saved us a fortune in meals. Not within walking distance, but had an affordable shuttle service. If you fill out their grocery list form, they will go get and deliver grocery’s to your room (we had a kitchenette). Comfy, clean and friendly staff too!

By: Jill

Jill — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 18:46:57 +0000

Just an FYI on the Costco package with Character Dining. You don’t have to use it for character dining but can use it as credit throughout the park at most eateries. It is actually a better value since the character breakfasts we enjoy are not the “premium” ones.

By: Megan

Megan — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 18:43:18 +0000

Grand Californian!!!! It’s expensive but totally worth it!

By: FREE Disney Vacation Planning DVD + Round-Up of Disney Posts

FREE Disney Vacation Planning DVD + Round-Up of Disney Posts — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:55:09 +0000

[…] Where to stay when you head to Disneyland […]

By: Christy

Christy — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 02:53:38 +0000

@Hollie We think a lot alike! We to have been once a year for the last 4 years (as a family, my husband and i went twice alone too). We too would rather pay less for the hotel, because it means more trips for us.

We also didn’t like the taking the ART, when we stayed further away we finally just decided to drive in and pay for parking it was just easier.

I agree that you will get a better rate if you book early, we are booking much later this time and I am not finding a deal anywhere.

Thanks for the tip on the Desert Inn and Suites. I always like when you can get first hand reviews.

Enjoy your trips next year! We hope to head back to Disney World next year.

By: Hollie

Hollie — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 02:38:00 +0000

We have gone at least once a year for the past 4 years. Our biggest group was 6 adults and 2 kids. We travel off season, usually February.

At the Carousel Inn, we tried their View Suite. Did not like the layout for so many adults (just 1 bathroom??) but the location was perfect and the view was incredible and the price was great off season. I believe it sleeps 8-10.

We have tried a few others, but now our go to is Desert Inn & Suites. We get an adjoining room that sleeps all of us for around $170 per night. Last October, we stayed on longer than our group and got a regular room at $59 per night. Right across the street–can’t beat that. Beds are good, rooms are clean–it doesn’t offer much more than that though! The rooms have mini-fridges, so we have our groceries delivered from Vons.

One thing I have noticed with Desert Inn—not sure about the others– is the earlier you book, the better your rate. We booked about 8 months ahead for the $59 rate. Others in our group booked about 2 months ahead and were quoted a significantly higher rate.

It’s definitely one of our dreams to stay on property one of these days, but for now we trade cheap, non-magical accommodations for more frequent visits. We’re going twice next year–woo hoo!

We found that with small kids–the ART or a shuttle was more than we wanted to deal with. Our first trip we had 1 child, age 2.5 and we found it too much of a hassle to wait for a shuttle when we could just walk to the room in the same amount of time. It was worth it to us for a more basic room within walking distance. Adding another kid has only made us more certain we aren’t shuttle people–not with a double stroller in tow anyway!

By: Tina

Tina — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 08:18:06 +0000

Christy, you do catch it at downtown Disney, right past Rainforest Cafe. But, especially from the middle tower, it’s like a 3 min walk so still pretty much right there. It’s really the same distance it’s always been from the hotel.

Also, I forgot to mention, staying on property now gives you extra magic hour in California Adventure. And there is a handy entrance straight in C.A. from GRAND Californian for property guests. Lets you in by Grizzly Rapids. We”ve taken advantage of that a few times, especially for Fp for World of Color or Soarin’.

And Shell tells me we”ll be there the same week this year.

By: Christy

Christy — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 03:32:18 +0000

@Mbf It’s my understanding that the monorail no longer travels directly to the Disneyland hotel. I believe you have to walk to downtown Disney and catch it there.

We were kind of hoping to stay at the Disneyland hotel this time around, but all of the 2 bedroom suites were booked (we are a family of 7). We hope to be able to stay there sometime in the future. I know my family would love all the Mickey theming in the room and I love those new headboards.

By: Mbf

Mbf — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 03:25:00 +0000

I am a local and stay on-property more often than not. Even though Disneyland Hotel is further than the Grand and some of the off-property hotels, you can take the monorail directly into Tomorrowland, the rooms are spacious, and the new remodel features amazing musical headboards with twinkling lights. If you have an annual pass, look into passholder rates. The Grand is elegant and you can’t beat the location, but definitely smaller rooms and not as much “Disney” for the kids. I’ve never stayed at Paradise Pier, so I don’t know what the regular rooms are like, but I have been up to a couple of the suites and they are very nicely turned out. If you can book using a convention group rate, the prices are more reasonable, about $200-250/night for DLH or the Grand.

By: Lila

Lila — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:21:50 +0000

We just stayed at Red Lion for $89 per night – it is a Cars Land Special including parking and breakfast. Room had 2 queen size beds. It is walking distance to DL.

By: Tina

Tina — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 18:25:46 +0000

We are partial to staying on property, but since Disney has been a huge part of my husband and my life since we were small children we decided that WE were the type of family that they created the Vacation Club for and became members 4 years ago. Since then, we have had some awesome trips to Disneyland using points to stay in preferred rooms at the Disneyland Hotel and Disney Paradise Pier. Because we are from So Cal, we were excited to make the Grand Californian our “home” resort and will be staying there for the first time this October when we go :)Very excited about this!!
Being that we have been so many times, we have stayed in a lot of “good neighbor” and local area hotels too. On the lower end of the price scale, we have had some great vacations with clean comfortable beds at the Ramada Maingate. We’ve had some unfortunately bad customer service at the Best Western Park Place, and I caution anyone to be weary of the allure of the inexpensive-ness of the Jolly Roger. It has been our experience, and that of others who have called me to hear “I told you so” that they should be avoided. And I am trying to be diplomatic and nice.

By: Mamahula

Mamahula — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 18:22:27 +0000

I have older kids (well, adults now) we live outside CA but we have had annual passes to DL for a while. We like to stay at a hipper place called Hotel Menage. It is located on the back side of Toon Town so watching the fireworks from the pool is (loud) very doable. Plus the pool is AMAZING with wonderful chairs, secluded sitting areas and a thatch roofed bar. We always take advantage of the ART transportation, they deliver bus tickets to our hotel for pick up upon arrival. We head over to the park in the AM, spend the early PM poolside back at the hotel, eat dinner and then go back to the park for late night fun. The food at Menage is WONDERFUL and cheaper than the park especially if you eat during happy hour like we do. We’ve even gone there to eat when we weren’t staying there. (About $100 a night, plus parking.)

Our second favorite when we want free breakfast / parking is to stay at the Cortona Inn and Suites. They have a mid-week special from time to time that can’t be beat.

We’ve also stayed at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel when we can get a good package deal through AAA.

By: Tina

Tina — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 18:12:36 +0000

We (1 Senior, 2 adults and 1 five year old child) stayed at the Super 8 which was within walking distance to the tram (less than about 10 minutes – maybe 1/2 mile approx.) , had a pool, FREE parking and had free breakfast. It was very reasonable. We had traveled in the month of June.