I was researching off-resort hotels recently and was struck by how difficult it is to find everything that *I* want in a hotel if I am not going to stay at one of the Disneyland Resort Hotels. It may be a while before we can afford to stay on the resort - or even off the resort - but it is fun to dream! I actually really enjoy reading about hotels and what others think about each one. Strange? Nah, no more strange that people's fascination with Dancing with the Stars. Vicarious living, right?
Anyway, the things that are important to me are a refrigerator, microwave, comfy beds, good pool for the kids, relative quiet and either within easy walking distance of Disneyland or with its own dedicated shuttle that runs frequently and stays on schedule. Oh, and do I even need to say that it needs to be CLEAN? I would also enjoy a free breakfast and a visually pleasing setting. Wow....I am asking for a lot! By the time I pay for all of that....could I be at Paradise Pier? Maybe, depends on when I want to go, availability, and special deals that are happening.
What else to consider? Things that you might not think about - is there renovation happening? How frequently are the elevators out of order? Are there smoking rooms and how well are smoking areas isolated from the rest of the hotel? Is freeway noise a problem? Oh - and is it really a hotel or a motel? Does the bathroom/closet area act as a buffer between the sleeping area and the main corridor or will people be walking right by your bed, yelling to each other at all hours, separated only by a thin wall and the window, possibly with a loud air conditioner in it?
So much to consider. I am thinking about putting out a chart of the top 20 or so hotels/motels near Disneyland and whether or not they have the amenities most important to me. It will make future decisions easier for us to make, and maybe you, too!
3 comments:
Yes a chart is the ticket! Hey if you try hard enough you may get EXACTLY what you want!
A chart would be so nice!!! Dylan and I have been considering staying at one of the resorts for our 2 year anniversary. If we go off peak, we get discounts with our annual passes, which would help. I've only stayed offsite before, at the Desert place directly across the park. It was fine for us since we didn't need a fancy pool or anything. The rooms were clean (thank goodness!) and luckily it wasn't noisy either, which is important to me!
Thank you for the comments. I will work on that then - since there is interest. For now - couple tips - Howard Johnson's tends to get really good reviews, good prices, nice amenities - but right now the pool is being renovated. Candy Cane Inn gets awesome reviews on Trip Advisor. We've stayed there. See my posting:
http://disneylandfamilyvacation.blogspot.com/2007/08/disney-magic-story-of-two-hotels.html
It was really attractive and nice for a motel-style location. I MIGHT stay there again, but am more interested in checking out a few other places.
Stay-tuned!
Post a Comment