PDA

View Full Version : Best and closest hotel/motel to the Park



Thorman
07-21-2007, 12:47 AM
Hey all, going to Disneyland in October and am looking at staying at the HOJO, Candy Cane Inn or Best Western Park Place Inn. Can anyone tell me which hotels are the closest/nicest and best bang for my buck? There are a bunch of us going with the oldest at 60 and the youngest at 5 so we want to make sure we get a nice place that is close to the park. I usually stay on site but this time we are staying out of the Park.

Thanks for your help

macuser209
07-21-2007, 01:33 AM
I really like the HOJO, its walking distance to the park and it has very nice accommodations.

adriennek
07-21-2007, 08:14 AM
You're going to get three different opinions here. All three of those hotels have die hard fans.

The Candy Cane people think their property is just so pretty. The Hojos people like their good rates and their spacious rooms. The BW people like the convenience of not having to walk to Hojos or CCI. Of these three properties, I fall into the Hojo camp.

Good luck, but the question is what is important to you:

Big room with interior hallways? Hojos
Close hotel? BW
Free breakfast? Candy Cane Inn

Adrienne

nickapoohiluvu
07-21-2007, 09:31 AM
Ok, I've stayed at Hojo's and BWPPI and was strongly considering a stay at CCI but got AP rates at the PPH hotel instead. Here is my take... As a heavily pregnant mom at a visit in August 2005, I would only consider staying at two or three hotels - BWPPI, Grand Californian and Tropicana. Grand Californian was too expensive, can't remember why we decided against the Tropicana and we stayed at the BWPPI. It wasn't too bad. Definitely not high class, but nice and clean. We stayed in the Queen-Queen mini suite as my MIL came for a visit. If you don't do the mini-suite, you just get double beds. I hate double beds. Most of the Best Westerns in the area get ruled out immediately because of double beds. Breakfast at Captain Kids - eh. I've had far better. Also not too terrible thrilled with the posting of signs absolving the hotel of responsibility of theft. Parking was tight, but we didn't drive anywhere, so as long as we parked in our spot, we were ok. The primary benefit of the hotel was that it was close, cheaper than the resort hotels and had the space in the mini suite we needed. November of last year, my husband and I took a quick trip out to get our Annual Passes (freebies my MIL won and they had to be cashed in before December). Got a great rate at the HOJO's. We really liked it there. Clean, spacious, ample parking, very nice pool area, close to Mimi's and McDonalds, no signs about theft we could find. The only drawback I could see is the walk. It is about a half a mile to the main gate. In and of itself, the walk isn't bad, but if we were to have had the kids (now 5 and almost 2), I foresee problems. We arrived near midnight and saw parents carrying tuckered out, sleeping kids back to the hotel which I thought sad. At least Belle still fits in the stroller, but if Nick were to get overtired he throws a huge fit. I just can't see the walk at the end of a long day in the parks with a kicking screaming five year old, and we leave by 8 pm except one night for fireworks viewing. It also seemed inconvenient for taking the kids back to the hotel for a break. It is on the ART system, so that might help matters some, but you have to stop several times either on the way to the main gate or on the way back. Just not too palatable for me. If my kids were older we'd stay there in a heartbeat. And that brings me to the CCI. If I remember a post of Darkbeer's somewhere, I believe it is nearly the same distance as the HOJO's (and incidentally the Paradise Pier Hotel). Grounds are nice, can't speak for parking, excellent breakfast (a biggie for me) and nice rooms. It also has a dedicated free shuttle to the parks. Definitely more expensive than HOJO's (over $100 a night versus $54 or $69 for the Entertainment Rate) and similarly priced to the BWPPI. We were considering staying there, but got an awesome Annual Passholder rate for concierge level at the Paradise Pier Hotel. I do not mind the PPH walk (as opposed to the hotels on Harbor or CCI) as much, because much of it is through the wonderful ambiance Downtown Disney instead of along the traffic and fumes of Harbor and you can take a nice break and put your feet up in the lobby of the Grand Californian if the kiddies need to. Add in your perks of the closeness of Whitewater Snacks, use of the Grand Californian entrance into DCA and nice pools, the PPH is my current favorite.

Malcon10t
07-21-2007, 09:43 AM
you can take a nice break and put your feet up in the lobby of the Grand Californian if the kiddies need to. Add in your perks of the closeness of Whitewater Snacks, use of the Grand Californian entrance into DCA and nice pools, the PPH is my current favorite.With the exception of the pools, and entering the park via the entrance prior to 11, you don't need to be staying on site to kick back in the lobby of the Grand, eat at Whitewater, or reenter DCA via the GCH entrance. We've used it when we stayed at the Anabella Hotel.

We stayed this trip at the Carousel. It was our second time there. We LOVED this place. The beds are so comfortable. I believe they changed the beds in the last year. What I noticed when we checked out, everyone was commenting how comfortable the beds were. What I found very interesting was MickeyDogMom and I agreed that we loved the beds. She normally loves a very hard bed, and I like a softer bed. The staff was very friendly. I was extremely impressed.

disneyhound
07-21-2007, 11:10 AM
We have stayed at BWPPI, Carousel, Park Vue, Ramada, and the Tropicanna, all of which are on Harbor. We prefer BWPPI, Carousel or the Tropicanna. We love the location of these hotels. We usually spend 4-5 days at DL. We appreciate that they are all so close! We typically start each morning as soon as the park opens, then sometime in the afternoon, head back to the hotel to take a break before returning in the evening! By the last day, out feet are pretty tired, so the extra 10 minute walk to HoJo is not in the cards!

ColoradoDisneyFan
07-21-2007, 01:11 PM
We stayed at the BWPPI last week for 4 days. We had a room with the 2 queen beds and the sofa sleeper. It had a small refrigerator and microwave. There was plenty of room for the 4 of us (and my daughter's wheelchair). The BWPPI was good for the price - clean, wireless internet (very important to my husband), and convenient to the park. The last time we were at Disneyland was in 2005 and we stayed at the Grand Californian. Unless we get rich :D, we will stay at the BWPPI next time we go to Disneyland.

DLmomof2
07-21-2007, 02:24 PM
I am a fan of Hojo's. We went in Feb. and had a theme park view. Watching the fireworks on a small balcony in our pajamas was the best. Yes there is more of a walk but it was not bad for us. We have a 7 and 4 year old. My son was 3 on the last trip. We will be staying there in Dec. for our next trip. This time the grandparents are going.

mommy-san
07-21-2007, 03:25 PM
We stayed at HoJo's our first 3 trips (all in the last 20 months). Staff was awesome, rooms were clean and pool can't be beat. On the other hand- I hated crossing the street and/or walking past the bus shelter at night, the cars drive so fast once they get past DL. It was hard to go back to the hotel for naps in the afternoon too. We loved the little store, but spent a fortune on milk, fruit and cereal there. Ultimately the beds are what sent us looking for a new home away from home.
We are trying CCI in January and I hope this will fix my complaints about both the beds and the cost of breakfast food.
Really, if you are one of those people who can sleep anywhere (on a rock... etc.) then the price at Hojo, and the landscaping and the pools make it an awesome deal.

Thorman
07-21-2007, 10:06 PM
Thanks everyone....Not sure where we will end up. I definitely want something close and it seems that though the HOJO is nice it is a bit far??? CCI gets good reviews and the BWPPI seems to be one of the closest.

Malcon10t
07-21-2007, 10:20 PM
Thanks everyone....Not sure where we will end up. I definitely want something close and it seems that though the HOJO is nice it is a bit far??? CCI gets good reviews and the BWPPI seems to be one of the closest.
CCI and Hojos are about the same distance from the park.

disneyhound
07-22-2007, 07:14 AM
Thanks everyone....Not sure where we will end up. I definitely want something close and it seems that though the HOJO is nice it is a bit far...

Check out this aerial photo showing hotel locations to DL!

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

A great resource... :)

nickapoohiluvu
07-22-2007, 07:25 AM
Hojo's and CCI are the same distance BUT, the CCI has its own shuttle. Don't need to pay for and use the ART system. I think with the price of the hotels (BWPPI and CCI), the free shuttle and the better breakfast at the CCI, that's where I'd stay.