Disney Hotel or Good neighbor?

[NokOnHarts]

I am sure this is asked quite often, but what are the real benefits of staying at a Disney Hotel versus a nice Good Neighbor hotel? What are the benefits you are gaining at a Disney hotel for the extra cost?

[BrerGnat]

The tangible benefits are:

-Morning Magic Hour access at Disneyland (4 days per week, park opens 1 hr early for resort guests)

-The ability to use the "private" entrance into DCA via the Grand Californian in the morning (makes for a good shortcut)

-The ability to charge things to your room and have room delivery of items purchased in the theme parks.

-Child Care facilities on site available from 5pm-midnight

-Excellent themed pools

-Workout facilities (which most off site motels lack)


The intangible benefits are:

-The themeing and "Disney feel" you get of staying on property.

-The nicer accommodations (relatively speaking)

If money is a real concern, many of the offsite hotels/motels are quite good. It's really a matter of personal preference and what you value on vacation.

I personally love the Disneyland resorts. I would always choose one of those over an offsite place, but for us, pools are a HUGE consideration.

[NokOnHarts]

What about doing a split stay to make it easier on the budget? Besides packing, is this a reasonable thing to do (3 nights at a Disney, 2 nights at a good neighbor or something similar.) I would think with everything being close together that might work? We'd have 2 small kids with us (4 & 1) so not sure if it would be worth it... but the idea is fun!

[Quadstriker]

If money is at all of interest (which it is for just about everyone) many of the hotels nearby on Harbor Blvd. are very very good.

Honestly I'd just go to priceline, click 3 1/2 star or better in Disneyland South area, and enjoy my great room at a great price. You'll get something like the Hyatt, Doubletree, etc - all very nice places. They all have shuttles running to Disney anyway. We've done this multiple times and have always been very pleased with our hotel accomidations and naming your own price is scha-weet! You'll save a lot of money vs. staying at the Disney hotels.

[BrerGnat]

What about doing a split stay to make it easier on the budget? Besides packing, is this a reasonable thing to do (3 nights at a Disney, 2 nights at a good neighbor or something similar.) I would think with everything being close together that might work? We'd have 2 small kids with us (4 & 1) so not sure if it would be worth it... but the idea is fun!

Uh, no, I wouldn't do that unless you will have a rental car. The biggest obstacle with that is the early check out (11am) and rather late check in (3pm). You could theoretically be without a resort room for 4 hours. Not good with little ones.

Pick a place and commit for a trip that short.

[mom2morgan]

One thing that swung it for us was the pools - I read all the reviews, and from those it didn't seem like any of the Good neighbour hotels really have nice or adequate pools. Besides, walking out my door and LITERALLY being right in Downtown Disney was a really cool experience - nothing at all like WDW. I reasoned that I'm probably only trying DL once, so I might as well really do it!
one point if no one else has mentioned it- you are going to have sticker shock at the food prices. Everything seemed much more expensive than in the World, and no dining plan of any kind. BUT I liked the character interaction a lot better.

[BrerGnat]

one point if no one else has mentioned it- you are going to have sticker shock at the food prices. Everything seemed much more expensive than in the World, and no dining plan of any kind. BUT I liked the character interaction a lot better.

But the food is infinitely better at Disneyland when compared to WDW. I think, at least.