LA- Disney Hotel options...
 

I'll be in LA with my 9 year old for three days, and thought of visiting Disney's California Adventure. My question is two fold... the Grand California is ridiculously expensive I guess its spring break time... 450 a night is crazy. I'm willing to spend up to 250, but want it to be better than just nice place, any suggestions?? Or is there somewhere else you can reccomend we go thats within a drive from LA for two nights that would be an experience?? We'll have spent 4 days on campus at UCLA before our break.

The Grand Californian is a VERY upscale hotel for Disney-- others will disagree, but I feel it's worth the stiff rates (luxurious rooms, authentic Craftsman architecture). It makes up for Anaheim being, well, suburban and dull outside of the Disney area.

How about heading to a nice beach community? $250 a night will get you some nice hotel rooms in Laguna, Newport or Huntington Beach. I'd deal with the drive to the Rathole to stay on a lovely beach in OC.

Check their rates at the Disney Hotels for season passholders. They sometimes have terrific bargains. Then, instead of a two-day pass one of you can purchase a season pass which is I think about $40 more.............but might save you $100 a night on the hotel.

After some research, it doesn't sound like staying at Disney is much worth the experience... it doesn't sound at all like Disney World! So wuiththat mind what other hotels would you recommend in the LA area that would experiences??

Disneyland came before Disneyworld-- face it, Orlando's very existence owes itself to being a collection of larger versions of California theme parks (Universal, Sea World, etc.). Disneyworld may be larger and more varied, but Disneyland is the one with the real history.

By the way, Disneyland's 50th anniversary festivities start in May. When are you planning to come?

And I repeat: $250 a night will get you some fair hotel rooms all over the southern California area. That could get you the Fairmont Miramar (maybe not in summer)-- a very nice Santa Monica hotel. The Hyatt Huntington Beach might be a possibility. Maybe even a grand old place like the Beverly Hills Hotel.

9 year old boy, or girl? If it's a boy, is he into Legos?

9 year old girl... and we'll be there first week of April.

Renaissance Hollywood is nice, it's attached to a new mall with some restaurants. The Kodak theatre where they held the oscars is there and you can walk around the area where the red carpets were rolled out, etc. Right across the street is Disney's El Capitan theatre...not sure what their Easter attraction will be but usually they show the movie and have a stage show attached. On the corner you can catch the metro subway for a 4 minute ride up to the Universal Studios Tour which is fun.

Looks like the movie will be "Ice Princess" and you can stay and ice-skate afterwards:

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/el_capitan/

I've always stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. I've gone when I've found a "deal" of some sort and also I'm a share holder. I love being able to take the Monorail into the park, not having to deal with a car and being able to zip back to the hotel for a nap in the afternoon. But possible there is not deal if it's over spring break. There are hotels all over the place near there so I'm sure you will find something to suit your budget and nice accommodations.

I don't want to get hung up on Disney... what about moving out of that immediate area towards San Diego... any "great expereince" hotels in that area? By great experience, I mean a place that ha a great oceanview, or whose location is ideal right on a trolley route, or whose rooms are spectacular or especially San Diego!