Favorite hotels walkable to Disneyland?
 

Hi, Fodorites, please share experiences with hotels, I know there are only a few, that are easily walkable to Disneyland front gate. My interpretation of message boards is that The ANaheim Hilton, Anaheim Marriott, possibly the Radisson Maingate and definitely the Fairfield Inn Anaheim along with the Disney properties are my only choices. ANy opinions on these. Know of good deals?
Thanks
Ken

The Marriott and Hilton, although walkable might not be "easily walkable". They are several long blocks away (ignoring the walk through the parking lot) and you have to run the gauntlett of pushy people handing out various fliers. (Think Vegas)
The Fairfield is closer to the main gate. We used to stay in a hotel named The Candy Cane that was close by and could be easily walked if you were impatient for the shuttle. (sorry - I'm not familiar with the Radisson).

Don't be fooled by the word 'maingate' in the name. Literally located directly across from the entrance gate to the two parks is the Best Western Park Place. Wish i would have realized that in july when we stayed two 'short' blocks away at the Holiday Inn Express. Those two short blocks were TOO much after our fun times in the parks, even for this runner!

You cannot get closer and you DO wanna be close. The shuttle system is SLOW and unreliable, TOTALLY different that Disney WORLD (which is WONDERFUL.) After LONG days in the parks, the BW is ideal. It has a 3* AAA rating and believe me, NEXT time we are THERE.

BTW, be sure you go to Disney's California Adventure! It rocks! ;)

LOL! We enjoyed our stay at the Hilton, not there for Disneyland, but found it a good hike just to find our room! It is indeed a "convention center". Looking forward to a return visit for dinner in the Sushi lounge.

Thanks for the replies. I am doing California Adventure for sure. ALso, tell me more about Candy Cane Inn please. Is it cheeesy? Also, do you remember the exact name of the Best Western so that I don't confuse it with another? I run too! But that doesn't mean my kids( 30 years younger) do.
Thanks
Ken

Ken, the Candy Cane Inn was our second choice, but we chose Hol Inn Exp for the extra Priority Club (frequent stay) points. The CC Inn seems very nice, not cheesy at all. But again, a 'short' walk.

Trust me, we've done Disney World a zillion times and its huge compared to Disneyland, but their shuttle system is amazing and it DOES make a HUGE difference after long, full days in the park.

The name is Best Western Park Place. Here's a link to a fairly good map of the area. As you'll see, its directly across the street. I checked AAA and its a 3*.

And as a runner, i recommend using Fast Pass! You'll get a GREAT work out running back and forth all day, AND you'll also get to see/do EVERYTHING without waiting!

Have fun!

http://www.beachcalifornia.com/dlmp.html

Also check out this link for everything Disneyland.

http://disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=26

I've stayed at the Candy Cane several times. (It's been a while.) Nice, not cheesy and family friendly. The pool is nice and they offer a small breakfast with the room. They run a shuttle bus twice an hour. I would say this place compares favorably to the Fairfield Inn. It's close to the main entrance, but would still be a "walk" if you were loaded with strollers/young kids. Hope this helps.

Ken, We've stayed once at the Hilton and twice at the Disneyland Hotel. It costs a little more, but think it's well worth it and saves tons of time to stay at the Disney Resort. Besides being so close, you get special ammenities you don't get at the other hotels. We would take the monorail first thing in the morning and be one of the first to arrive with no lines at alot of rides for about the first hour. Have Fun!

What are you looking for in a place to stay? Do you want a nice hotel? Or do you just want something close to Disney since you'll be spending most of your time at the park?

The Disney hotels have both the walking distance convenience and the amenities of a nice hotel.

Personally, because I have little kids, all I care about at this stage in life is a place right in front of the Disney entrance so we can just cross the street and go to our room to nap after lunch or crash at the end of a long day. Fancy hotels are not a priority when it comes to Disneyland for me, so we prefer to stay at a clean, although plain, hotel/motel right across the street. They are cheaper than staying at the Disney hotels.

We have stayed at the Disney Hotel (best choice), the Desert Inn across the Disney entrance (second choice) and the Hyatt (a few blocks away--you have to take a shuttle). Our conclusion is, Disney Hotel is best. To save money, a hotel across the main gate is good. I'd take that over having to walk several blocks or take a shuttle.

You may want to consider the Paradise Pier hotel as well. My favorite place is the Grand Californian, but it might not be in the budget. We are annual passholders and get special deals. We visit Disneyland every other week. It is fun to go at night just to have dinner and watch the fireworks.

If you want to go on Splash Mountain, the fast-passes have been going quickly, but since school is back in, it might be better. The Haunted Mansion should be transforming soon to a Night Before Christmas theme. The new Pooh ride is fun also. The only bummer is that Space Mountain is closed until 2005.

When you go to California Adventure, make sure you get a ticket for the Aladdin show in the morning. It is a spectacular, broadway quality show.

Have fun!

anneofingleside, a hotel across the main gate sounds perfect, not too expensive, not a bad walk, however, do you know which hotels these are?
Thanks
Ken

we've stayed at the best western park place. took the shuttle in the morning but usually walked "home". it was your basic, clean best western with continental breakfast & a swimming pool.

Ken, you can get a map of the hotels by going through Expedia. It will also show you which ones back up to the expressway, which you may want to avoid.

I've stayed at the Anaheim Marriott, which is about the edge of the "within walking zone." We did wind up on the shuttle because the kids were exhausted. One difference to consider in the shuttles is how many hotels are sharing. At that time, 4 years ago, the Marriott shared only with the Hilton, so the service was very good. Also, Marriott has a nice pool. We were there for a convention, and so used the facilities more. When we went back for a quick Disney fix, we stayed at the hotel that is now, I believe, the Holiday Inn Express. It was just a place to sleep, but only a block walk to Disney property.

I second the vote for the Disneyland Hotel.

It is especially kid-friendly and also has a couple of nice adult restaurants. It is convenient to both parks and you can take the monorail early in the morning before the hordes arrive.

We stayed on the top floor loooking out at the parks, downtown Disney and Anaheim Stadium. This was a great vantage point for watching the nightly fireworks - both from Disneyland and the ballpark!

Sure, stay at either of the Disneyland Hotels. They're great, but they'll cost you. Last time I checkes, for our visit last May, rates for a family of four were $300 plus. Mickey mania yes, but that is ridiculous since it was just to sleep.

We stayed at the Candy Cane and enjoyed it very much. Nice pool, although we didn't use it since we wanted to milk the parks for all their worth. Its a bit of a walk though and the shuttles only come by every 1/2 hour. IMO, choose a place directly across the street which will be just as close as staying on property. You'll see thats true when you arrive.

"anneofingleside, a hotel across the main gate sounds perfect, not too expensive, not a bad walk, however, do you know which hotels these are?
Thanks
Ken"

Ken,

For a list of hotels right across the street, go to mouseplanet.com. They have a map showing the location of the hotels on that whole block. But make sure you pick only from the five or six directly across the entrance if you don't want to walk. (With little kids, walking, even if it's just for half a block, gets tiring after a long day of strolling around the park.)

I've found that many families I know use the Desert Inn and Suites, right across the entrance (you just have to cross the street and you're there). We often stay there ourselves. No-frills, plain hotel, but perfect because you don't have to walk or take a shuttle, and little kids can take their usual nap after lunch and come back bathed and refreshed for the fireworks at night. It seems to be popular for families. In fact, we found out about this hotel from other families with little ones.

The only other hotel across the street that I know also used by friends is the Best Western (the one two or three doors from Desert Inn, also just a crosswalk away, not the one further one).

If you're willing to pay more (lots more), any of the three Disney hotels have immediate access to the entrance.

Hope this helps.

The Carousel Inn is right at the cross walk into the Disneyland and CA main entrance on Harbor Blvd. It is a good family hotel. Not fancy, but not a dive either. Queen size beds (not doubles) and fridges in the rooms.
There is a pool on the roof.
The Candy Cane Inn was redone a few years ago and is now called a boutique hotel. it offers free continental breakfast in the morning which is a nice plus.
Both of these are easily walkable to Disneyland.

We took a trip to Disneyland in May and I think the Disney Hotels are overrated. I'd go with the BW. The Disney themed rooms (framed posters of Disney characters) and colorful Disney carpet, just don't cut it for the price difference. You can enjoy still enjoy the restaurants and character breakfasts just by visiting those hotels. Since every waking minute is planning and doing things "outside" the hotel I would rather have the extra cash in my pocket to spend on fun stuff! I've never been in the BW before, but I bet they have some Disney decor and they sound just as close!

The Howard Johnson is about a 7-minute walk to the main entrance. My daughter and I stayed here and sometimes walked and sometimes took the shuttle. It is a good quality, pleasant hotel.

However, on a previous trip we stayed at the Best Western Anaheim Inn, which is right next to Denny's across from the main entrance. If you get this place, it is maybe about 50 feet more walking than the Best Western Park Place Inn (mentioned above on this thread).

The Best Western Anaheim Inn was fine, but the rooms were probably slightly inferior to Howard Johnson's rooms. They were still fine, though.

Although I am typically quick to recommend Priceline, I can't really do so when it comes to a hotel near Disneyland, as the odds are you will get a hotel that is not within walking distance. It's very pleasant to be able to easily come back to your room during the day and then head out again later.

My daughter said she would prefer to stay at the Best Western again, due to the location.

One advantage to staying off property is that you are close to the restaurants that offer various dinner specials for kids. I think IHOP was free for kids after 4 PM. Stay away from the Mom's restaurant, though - I don't know how that one stays in business. Mimi's Cafe is great.

One time when we stayed near Disneyland, we stayed at the Castle Inn & Suites, on Harbor. The place had decent rooms. Would stay there again. There is a shuttle that stops near there. But it is not an exclusive shuttle to that hotel, but makes a number of stops. Wasn't bad at all on the morning trip to Disneyland. But I would never use that shuttle again & haven't, even if I stayed that close to the park, I would still drive the car into the parking lot & pay the fee. (By the way, the 3 day passes we have purchased from AAA included parking.)

The very big problem was the return trip at the end of the night. At that time they still ran only 1 shuttle bus, & still kept to their schedule of 1 about every 20 minutes. They should have ran multiple buses at less intervals. With everybody trying to get back to all the different hotels, it was a madhouse. & when the bus left without you, if you didn't stand in line for the 20 minutes for the next bus, other people would get in line & wait & then you would miss the next bus also. It actually seemed to be alittle bit dangerous with all these tired & cranky people pushing & shoving, trying to get into the bus ahead of you. Then when you finally get on the bus, it makes all the stops to the hotels that are farthest away first, & we were on the last stop. So leaving the park at about 11:30pm, by the time we got on a bus & got back to our room, which was only about a 1/2 mile away, it was 1:30am. This was on a Wednesday night in June, so not even one of the busiest days.

I've experienced the shuttle when I stayed at the Hyatt, which is a much nicer hotel than the ones across the street, but I prefer to stay across from Disneyland even though the hotels are simpler. There is nothing like being able to go home whenever you want and not being a slave to the shuttle's schedule. Precious time is wasted waiting for it and you have to plan the shows, fireworks, parades, etc. around it. Plus, on some occasions, the shuttle is crowded and you and your kids may have to stand on the aisle.

If you stay in a hotel that's right across the entrance, you simply cross the street when the light turns green and you're home. I would pick that over something that's a five- or ten-minute walk down the block, when you have cranky preschoolers and strollers.

Ken,
I used to live near Disneyland - the area has changed over the last 10 years that I don't even recognize it anymore.

My personal experience was about 4 years when we stayed at the Paradise Pier Hotel (at the time it was the "Pacific Hotel"). We LOVED it.

We were traveling with our 4 year old daughter. It was so nice to be so close. In addition, they let you into the park 1 hour earlier than the general public.

The best part of the entire stay (in the 4 year old mind) was the character breakfast. While you eat, you get to watch a little show, then the characters come and sign the "must have" autograph book. Then they pose for a picture with your child. At the Paradise, it is in the PCH grill. This saves a lot of time getting those autographs away from the park.

Then of course, you must eat a breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel. Just a walk across the parking lot. Here, you will see Chip & Dale, Goofy, Minnie, etc. Minnie came to our table and fed our daughter scrambled eggs!

The difference between the Disneyland and the Paradise? In my opinion, Paradise was one step above in its accomodations for ADULTS. It gave a breather away from all of the kiddie stuff. However, the Disneyland Hotel offers the beauty of the POOL and grounds. When we were there 4 years ago, they did allow you to use the Disneyland Pool, even though you stayed at the Paradise.

My suggestion though, if you can get the package deal, do it. It saves you on the costs of the Breakfasts. They usually include it.

Oh, and one more thing I can't forget. When you are shopping at Disneyland and find all the stuff you can't live without, you simply just tell them your room number and they will personally deliver it to your room. You don't have to cart it all over the place! And of course, you can say, "Charge it to my room".

Okay, that was how it was 4 years ago. I hope that all of what I told you is still true. I can only say that it is truly worth the experience to stay at they hotels associated with Disneyland if this is your first time or the only time you will be there this decade.

Have a wonderful time!!
Sealygal

Sealygal, since you are a local, let me ask you a question please. Does the pool size or even the existence of one matter in February. Or, is it too cold out even if the pool is heated. ALso, do you or anyone else know if February is a school break for the locals, as it is in New York.
Thanks a lot
Ken

Although LOCAL is with a past tense, I answer YES. It is VERY possible to swim in February. We went in January and it was very warm outside and many people were swimming. It is Southern California. Most of the time it will still be at least in the 70's or higher.

I am unsure about the schools. However, many California schools have gone to "year round" which means there are always "tracks" out of school.

Let me know if you have any other questions.
Sealygal

Weather in February in southern CA can be wildly variable. It could be pleasantly warm, it could be pleasantly cool, it might surprise you with a damp chill, it could broil you with a visit from the Santa Anas.

Winter is maybe the only time where weatherpeople have to read the TelePrompter for the forecasts-- in summer it's always "low clouds and fog early, burning off to sunshine, bla bla bla." Expect the unexpected. I remember January 17, 1994 not only for the Northridge earthquake, but also for the unusually hot weather we were having (mid-80s in Torrance, where I was living at the time). You can never really be sure.

I would consult the hotels after your short list is firmed up to see if the pools will be open/heated/whatever.