Here is the deal:
We were planning on staying at the Carousel Inn for 5 nights in Feb but now I am thinking about the Tropicana. The reason is I booked the Carousel and then found out the Tropicana is having 4 night free. I can book though Disneyland.com and get a package with Toontown Morning Madness for the same price at the Carousel (including tickets).
So my debate is Carousel- no Morning Madness Preferred seating at CA park
or Tropicana with Morning Maddness & Preferred seating at CA park.
The price is the same I not sure about the Tropicana. We stayed at Carousel in March and LOVED it. I don't want to downgrade that much.

(I have 2 young daughters that would LOVE Morning Madness)
What would you do? Is the Tropicana clean and somewhat updated?

FWIW, I have recently heard and read more positive reviews about Tropicana, and less than positive reviews on the Carousel.

Have you checked tripadvisor?

Yes, mixed reviews there. I liked the Carousel but don't really want to "downgrade". KWIM?

I haven't stayed at the Carousel in over a decade so I can't speak to the status of that property, what I can and will do is 'shout' the good that is the Tropicana, clean, good parking, several driveways closer to the crosswalk. The free breakfast isn't a hot and healthy, it's sweet rolls or crosants, juice coffee and they do have milk and cereal for a small fee. It has a nice little coffee place if you're not a Starbucks only kind of coffee person and free internet in all their rooms. If we have a choice and we're not on property we stay at the Tropicana, if you can get the morning madness and a discount by switching hotels, I'd switch in a nanosecond. The morning madness is a very cute show and a great way to 'snag' characters in one place rather than fighting huge crowds or not seeing them at all...Donald Duck comes to mind as one of the harder to find characters that is available at the madness.

Edited to add:

I don't know about the carousel but the Trop has a microwave/mini fridge/coffee maker in every room.

I used to work for WDTC way back in '05 and one of the top non-Disney hotels requested was the Tropicana, guest & travel agents. Also I never had someone call, who just checked in, with a complaint.

We stayed at the Carousel in July. Our friends stayed at the Tropicana. We loved the Carousel. The beds were GREAT. The room was always clean. The showers had hot water. Our friends complained about the showers not being hot in the morning, the shower head was too low (they are average height) and the beds were hard. They also came over for breakfast, as they said ours was better. (We had danishes, fruit, cereal, milk, boiled eggs, toast, bagels, etc...)

I don't do Morning Madness, so to me, I'd take the Carousel. You have to decide if its worth it.

Thanks everyone :)

I've never stayed at the Carousel, but the Tropicanna if fine. We've stayed there a couple of times. The rooms have always been clean and we've never had a problem with running out of hot water. The only complaint I have is that their beds are hard. But if you could get all that for the same price I would go for it. Your kids aren't going to care about the room but they will care about the other stuff.

We stayed at the Tropicana about 4 years ago so my memory is a bit vague on the bed situation etc. except that we had no complaints at the time. One thing for sure hasn't changed though...the location. It is hard to beat!