DLR Package or DIY?

[DryCreek]

After looking at the Disneyland website, I decided to price out a vacation with a Good Neighbor motel. I chose one nearest the gate (Ramada). I also priced out the lodging separately on the hotels website, and then factored in 4 day Park Hopper passes ordered through Disney. I can save over $300 by putting my own package together! Does anybody have any insight as to why I should pay more to book through Disney? I would still get the Magic Morning Early Admission (link), but no character phone call or that special character thingy they do in toon town. I can live without that - it is just the DW and myself. At 49 years old, I get enough phone calls from "characters" to last me.
Maybe I am missing something here?
BTW, projected dates are 02-24-2012 through 02-28-2012.

[tinkwest]

I did a sample test of your reservation dates and while I didn't come up with the savings you did the prices seemed to be comparable. Usually I have found that booking with a Good Neighbor Hotel through Walt Disney Travel does not necessarily save you money. It is more of a one-stop shopping convenience.

You could also check with Magical Journeys to see if they have any "deals".

BTW, there are quite a few hotels (Good Neighbor and otherwise) nearer the entrance if that is important to you. Don't know how the pricing compares. Think Ramada might be on the more economical side.

[DryCreek]

I did a sample test of your reservation dates and while I didn't come up with the savings you did the prices seemed to be comparable. Usually I have found that booking with a Good Neighbor Hotel through Walt Disney Travel does not necessarily save you money. It is more of a one-stop shopping convenience.

You could also check with Magical Journeys to see if they have any "deals".

BTW, there are quite a few hotels (Good Neighbor and otherwise) nearer the entrance if that is important to you. Don't know how the pricing compares. Think Ramada might be on the more economical side.

Thanks TinkWest. I wonder how I screwed up my math? I went right to the Ramada Maingate website and for that period I was quoted $109.00 per night, and $74.12 in taxes. The grand total for the stay would be $510.12. On the Disneyland Website I found the Promotional 4 Day Park Hopper passes listed for $219.00 each adult (only two). This gives a total ticket/hotel package cost of $948.12 if I book it myself versus the $1054.04 offered by the Disneyland website. That is a savings of only $105.92 - but to me that is substantial enough to cover the cost of the Disneyland Express R/T from SNA or LAX, and still cover some meals. I still plan to contact Magical Journeys and see what they have to offer. If they can beat me booking myself, I sure will use them!
We are very ready for a real vacation. Our trip to Albuquerque had to be cancelled due to DW's neck problem. After surgery next week we are hoping that she will be able to enjoy at least the "milder" coasters at Disneyland.
I am looking for a budget hotel, that is why I chose this one. Are there other budget hotels closer? We really don't mind walking up to a half mile or so, but I also am not locked into staying at a single hotel if a better/closer one is available!

[Crow]

Ive been checkin on things also for a poss DL trip (my first) i think its better to do it yourself versus a pkg. ive been looking at a lot of diff sites for $. I would like to try the Disney hotels, but the cost is th factor. and with so many other places so close, its probly better to go w one of those.
the airfare is another major factor for me. good luck w your booking

[robnadina]

I would definately do a DYI vacation for the DL resort vs a pacakge thru their travel dept. I have found that there really is no huge savings going direct. Plus, if you are a AAA or AARP member, offsite hotels give discounts. The money saved could be used for something fun like "Walk in Walts Footsteps" Tour, which if you are a Disney fan (over the age of 8) is a must do.
Whatever you decide, you are picking a good time to go (may be a little rainy).
Hope you have fun

[DryCreek]

I would definately do a DYI vacation for the DL resort vs a pacakge thru their travel dept. I have found that there really is no huge savings going direct. Plus, if you are a AAA or AARP member, offsite hotels give discounts. The money saved could be used for something fun like "Walk in Walts Footsteps" Tour, which if you are a Disney fan (over the age of 8) is a must do.
Whatever you decide, you are picking a good time to go (may be a little rainy).
Hope you have fun

I am not a member of AAA, but next year I would qualify for my AARP membership!
I would welcome seeing rain. It has been an unusually hot and DRY year here in Texas.

[SebastiansDisneyMama]

If you don't want the add on's the DIY is the way to go. Ramada has a deal if you like them on FB they give you a 25% off and a few other options like free gas or a free night. Getawaytoday also has the cheapest tickets I have ever found. If you are a Costco member they have discounted rates for Best Western also.

[DryCreek]

If you don't want the add on's the DIY is the way to go. Ramada has a deal if you like them on FB they give you a 25% off and a few other options like free gas or a free night. Getawaytoday also has the cheapest tickets I have ever found. If you are a Costco member they have discounted rates for Best Western also.

I am looking at the Best Western that is right across the street from the main entrance. My wife is a rewards member for that chain and we may have some points or something to redeem. If not, then those nights will add more points to her balance.
Tell me more about the Getawaytoday source for tickets. I have always heard that he best way to ensure that you have legit tickets was to buy from Disney directly. Disney does seem to have a better price for the tickets if you order online (Park Hopper passes at single-park per-day prices, i.e.).

[BrerGnat]

The Disney website is the best option for TICKETS if you purchase them ahead of time. Really, $219 for a 4 day park hopper is a stellar deal! Take it!

As for the hotels, a good thing to do is look at Disneyland/Harbor Blvd on Google Maps so you can see where the hotels are in regards to the park entrance. The Best Western is actually closer to the park entrance than the Ramada. There is also a Fairfield Inn which is a bit closer than the Ramada as well (plus, it's closer to more off property restaurants).

For reference, if you are using Google Maps satellite view, the "main entrance" you'd use as an off property resort guest is located on Harbor Blvd, between the two parks. You will see some circular roads (shuttle bus drop off locations) and that is where you'd enter. So, you can see the location of the hotels you are considering in regards to the entrance.

I think DIY is the better way to go. Using the hotel websites, you can find a variety of discounts you may be entitled to.

[mousecraz]

If you have one of these it will save you quite a bit of money on Hotels around the park, I have bought one for many years now. 1/2 off the Rack rate usually. You may have to book early but the savings is worth it. You can get one for your local area and use the coupons for your dinner etc and in the back it will give you what major hotels they have the discounts for right across the street from the park, close to the Ramada and they may be in the book also.

[DryCreek]

OK, it's official now - we are making the February vacation happen. I booked our airfare last night through our credit cards reward program, and was delighted to be able to get the exact itinerary I wanted. We are flying out of Waco, connecting in DFW and then landing at John Wayne! From one small (OK, tiny) airport to the smaller one (as opposed to LAX<- double plus ungood, like DFW). I was trying to book the room through the Best Western website, and decided to call the hotel direct. Good choice, it saved me $10 a night by talking to them. All I had to do was mention that I was going to use my wife's rewards card, and she offered a rate of $89.10 a night! So, we are now booked at the Best Western Park Place Inn - right across the street from the entrance.
I have downloaded the brochure for the Disneyland Express (Gray Lines) Shuttle, and see that they also service SNA. Anyone have any tips for us on this? Our flight leaves at 9:00 a.m. on a Tuesday, so I reckon we need to be on the shuttle no later than 7:30 a.m.
The best news is this - the wife didn't want to be rushed through our visit, so she said why not add an extra day? I agreed (naturally), so now I need some help. What are the hours of the parks in February? I am trying to determine if it would be worth the cost of buying a 5-day park hopper now. We should be dropping off our luggage at the hotel no later than noon on the 23rd. If the parks are open until 9 or 10, I can see the addition cost (really only about $12 with current special). If they are only going to be open til 7 or 8, I may just opt to explore DTD and the resort hotels. Anyone have any guess as to the park hours then?

Thanks!

[BrerGnat]

OK, it's official now - we are making the February vacation happen. I booked our airfare last night through our credit cards reward program, and was delighted to be able to get the exact itinerary I wanted. We are flying out of Waco, connecting in DFW and then landing at John Wayne! From one small (OK, tiny) airport to the smaller one (as opposed to LAX<- double plus ungood, like DFW). I was trying to book the room through the Best Western website, and decided to call the hotel direct. Good choice, it saved me $10 a night by talking to them. All I had to do was mention that I was going to use my wife's rewards card, and she offered a rate of $89.10 a night! So, we are now booked at the Best Western Park Place Inn - right across the street from the entrance.
I have downloaded the brochure for the Disneyland Express (Gray Lines) Shuttle, and see that they also service SNA. Anyone have any tips for us on this? Our flight leaves at 9:00 a.m. on a Tuesday, so I reckon we need to be on the shuttle no later than 7:30 a.m.
The best news is this - the wife didn't want to be rushed through our visit, so she said why not add an extra day? I agreed (naturally), so now I need some help. What are the hours of the parks in February? I am trying to determine if it would be worth the cost of buying a 5-day park hopper now. We should be dropping off our luggage at the hotel no later than noon on the 23rd. If the parks are open until 9 or 10, I can see the addition cost (really only about $12 with current special). If they are only going to be open til 7 or 8, I may just opt to explore DTD and the resort hotels. Anyone have any guess as to the park hours then?

Thanks!

Yay! Sounds like you are off to a great start. Smart choice on flying into SNA. Love that airport!

When in Feb are you going and for how many days? What day do you arrive. If it's nowhere near the President's day holiday, the M-Thurs park hours should be something like 9am-9pm (but could be 8pm) for Disneyland and 10am-6pm (but up to 8pm) for DCA. It really depends. Fri-Sun typically you will see 8am-midnight for Disneyland, and 10am-10pm for DCA.

Oh, and the Disneyland Express only services the three Disneyland resort hotels on property, not the non-Disney ones. My recommendation would be to use either a cab (they have a flat rate to Disneyland Area hotels from the airport) or PRIME TIME shuttle. The shuttle is slightly more expensive, but then you will not be the only stop. Cabs are plentiful at SNA. I'd go that route, to be honest.

[DryCreek]

Yay! Sounds like you are off to a great start. Smart choice on flying into SNA. Love that airport!

When in Feb are you going and for how many days? What day do you arrive. If it's nowhere near the President's day holiday, the M-Thurs park hours should be something like 9am-9pm (but could be 8pm) for Disneyland and 10am-6pm (but up to 8pm) for DCA. It really depends. Fri-Sun typically you will see 8am-midnight for Disneyland, and 10am-10pm for DCA.

Oh, and the Disneyland Express only services the three Disneyland resort hotels on property, not the non-Disney ones. My recommendation would be to use either a cab (they have a flat rate to Disneyland Area hotels from the airport) or PRIME TIME shuttle. The shuttle is slightly more expensive, but then you will not be the only stop. Cabs are plentiful at SNA. I'd go that route, to be honest.

We are arriving February 23rd, and our flight back is on February 28th. When is Presidents Day next year?

I hope that I haven't misread the brochure from the Disneyland Resort Express folks - it shows them servicing the Good Neighbor hotels in three schedules (A,B, & C). I found our hotel in Schedule C.

Reference: http://graylineanaheim.com/docs/DRE%20Brochure.pdf

Here is the one sad part about the planning: those awesome values for the park-hopper passes....expire in December of 2011! I called to verify, and I am glad that I did. I would be very unhappy to have purchased our tickets and then not be able to use them! I was told by the operator that maybe CostCo offered longer dated tickets and I should talk to them. There is not a CostCo anywhere near us (Fort Worth, maybe?). Can anyone vouch for this information? The operator said to check back in November or December - something closer to our trip, and that maybe they would have a special for the late winter months.

[BrerGnat]

My bad on the Disneyland Express thing. I suppose I assumed, since I spent a lot of time around DLR and the surrounding areas and I never saw the DL Express bus near any of the Good Neighbor Hotels (I saw it all the time around the DLR hotels). But, if you can take that, and it's cheaper than a shuttle or taxi, do so. They don't do the luggage collection like DME, though, so beware of that. If it's not cheaper, I'd probably recommend a more direct way (smaller shuttle or taxi).

You will be arriving after President's Day, which will be good for you, crowd wise. Since you'll be there over a weekend, you will get to see the fireworks (they only do them Fri-Sun nights in the off season, due to city noise ordinances), possibly Fantasmic (if it's not "dark"), and World of Color. You will also get to experience ElecTRONica, if you wish, which is also only a weekend thing.

As for the tickets, just wait. Feb is a slow time. There will likely be some sort of park hopper special online for that time period as well. As for Costco, the only park hoppers they sell in the warehouses are for Southern California residents, usually. You have to provide proof of residence in specific zip codes in CA to qualify to purchase and use these. If there is going to be a Costco deal for the gen. public, you'll be able to find it on their website, under "entertainment" and then "Tickets", then "theme parks". Right now, there's nothing for Disneyland available.

[DryCreek]

My bad on the Disneyland Express thing. I suppose I assumed, since I spent a lot of time around DLR and the surrounding areas and I never saw the DL Express bus near any of the Good Neighbor Hotels (I saw it all the time around the DLR hotels). But, if you can take that, and it's cheaper than a shuttle or taxi, do so. They don't do the luggage collection like DME, though, so beware of that. If it's not cheaper, I'd probably recommend a more direct way (smaller shuttle or taxi).

You will be arriving after President's Day, which will be good for you, crowd wise. Since you'll be there over a weekend, you will get to see the fireworks (they only do them Fri-Sun nights in the off season, due to city noise ordinances), possibly Fantasmic (if it's not "dark"), and World of Color. You will also get to experience ElecTRONica, if you wish, which is also only a weekend thing.

As for the tickets, just wait. Feb is a slow time. There will likely be some sort of park hopper special online for that time period as well. As for Costco, the only park hoppers they sell in the warehouses are for Southern California residents, usually. You have to provide proof of residence in specific zip codes in CA to qualify to purchase and use these. If there is going to be a Costco deal for the gen. public, you'll be able to find it on their website, under "entertainment" and then "Tickets", then "theme parks". Right now, there's nothing for Disneyland available.

I have done some searches and I think that we will probably stick with the Disneyland Express. I enjoy the comforts of a large bus (with restroom) and also the fact that their dropoff point is right at the ART stop in front of our hotel! I will miss the convenience (and zero cost) of DME though. We pack light, so only one checked roller duffel which I can handle pretty well while wearing my traveling backpack.

tell me about "ElecTRONica". I see from the Disneyland website that it some form of evening entertainment at DCA, and it sounds really cool - but I thought that it was slated for replacement after this year by something else (possibly not Tron themed?).
Edit - OK, I learned to use the "Search Function" and I see the opposite is true - elcTRONica replaced Glow Fest. Sounds interesting, to say the least.

[teamblackwell]

ElecTRONica is ok, over priced drinks and loud music, Flynn's arcade is neat though. We have stayed at BW-Park Place many times and like it alot. Its so nice to be able to be back in your hotel room after just a 10 minute walk from the main gate. If you want to eat in your hotel room, its a fairly easy walk to bring back food from DTD or McDonalds or Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. There is also a free breakfast for Park Place guests next door at Captain Kidds restaurant. Go up the stairs and its on the right. Cereal, danishes, donuts, biscuits and gravy, milk, OJ and coffee, and some fresh fruit. BTW- if you decide to return sometime in the future, returning ParkPlace guests get an even deep discount on their room rate.
An questions, feel free to PM me.

[DryCreek]

We have stayed at BW-Park Place many times and like it alot. Its so nice to be able to be back in your hotel room after just a 10 minute walk from the main gate. If you want to eat in your hotel room, its a fairly easy walk to bring back food from DTD or McDonalds or Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. There is also a free breakfast for Park Place guests next door at Captain Kidds restaurant. Go up the stairs and its on the right.

Thanks for the input. I was looking at Google Earth and figured that the distance to the ticket booths is just about the same distance we had to walk from Bldg 15, Gator Bayou to the main lodge at POR! And, there is the added bonus that you don't have to wait for a bus once you do get there! The reviews for BW-PPI look mostly positive. I am not a hotel snob. As long as the place is clean and safe, I could care less. Now, tell me more about Captain Kidd's restaurant next door. The reviews I have come across on the internet paint a pretty grim picture of the place. Now, to frame my gourmand type - I find the Golden Corral/Sizzler/Souper Salad buffets to be acceptable fare for a lunch. I am not too picky - a trait that kept me alive for six years of eating marginal food in the Navy. What's the scoop folks? I was hoping that it would be an OK place to grab a big lunch to stretch us through the last part of the day (followed by a light meal at around 8 p.m. before fireworks/shows/etc).

[teamblackwell]

I've never actually eatin' at Captain Kidds, other than the free breakfast. I think its a buffet for lunch and dinner $7.99. There's a Denny's next door to Captain Kidd's and a Mcdonalds, 5 minute walk north on Harbor.
We get our big lunch at the Hungry Bear. The Burgers are very filling and its nice to sit riverside and relax for a while and wave to the paddle boat riders and watch the kids run around Tom Sawyers island.

[DisneyLandMomma]

From our experience at Captain Kidd's I would recommend you stay away. LOL It was not good and we are NOT "picky" about where we eat!

The buffet items looked as though they had been sitting out one day, left out all night, and then left out again the next day. Everytime we walk by, my daughter says "Remember when we ate there and it was sooo gross." There is an IHOP next door, a Denny's down the street as well as McDonald's, Millie's Restruant, and Mimi's Cafe in the opposite direction all within walking distance.

[DryCreek]

From our experience at Captain Kidd's I would recommend you stay away. LOL It was not good and we are NOT "picky" about where we eat!

The buffet items looked as though they had been sitting out one day, left out all night, and then left out again the next day. Everytime we walk by, my daughter says "Remember when we ate there and it was sooo gross." There is an IHOP next door, a Denny's down the street as well as McDonald's, Millie's Restruant, and Mimi's Cafe in the opposite direction all within walking distance.

I guess that other than the continental breakfast, I should avoid that place. I have taken a solemn vow to never give another dollar to IHOP after one particular visit while on a work-related trip.

I think that I will start a separate thread about eateries that are close by to the main gate.

Thanks!