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Should You Stay On of Off Site?
Hot Tip: Even if you're
not staying at one of Disney's hotels you can visit them to enjoy the
atmosphere, have a meal, or shop. You'll be charged for parking, but
you can get validated for up to one hour of parking for each $10 you spend
while you're there.
Hot Tip: At Disneyland,
unlike WDW, "Magic Mornings" are also offered to holders of the
"flex pass." That means that you can enjoy one "Magic
Morning" without staying at the Disney hotels.
(Note: Magic Mornings has been suspended for the Disneyland Resort until
further notice. There has been no announcement as to when, or if,
Magic Mornings will be reinstated.)
Want to Stay Within Walking Distance
of the Disneyland Resort?
Hot Tip: You can view
MousePlanet's map of hotels that are within walking distance of Disneyland
Resort by clicking
here!
The Disneyland Resort Hotels do not have as huge
an
"on-site" advantage as their sister hotels at Walt Disney
World. Therefore, staying at a nearby non-Disney hotel won't make as much of a difference here as it does
(in my opinion) in Florida.
In any case, when trying to decide
to stay "on-site" or "off-site", here are some issues to consider:
-
Price: Disney hotels are expensive. A room at the Disneyland Hotel costs
over $200, but a very similar hotel room, not owned and operated by Disney, can be had for
less than half
of that price.
-
Service: Disney "cast members", as employees are called, typically provide
service that is generally high. This might be the best reason for staying at a Disney
hotel.
-
Atmosphere: Except for the new Grand Californian, the Disneyland
Resort Hotels are not themed as they
are at Walt Disney World. They look like very nice, but are typical, resort hotels.
-
Early Entry (Magic Mornings): Guests of the Disneyland Resort
Hotels are allowed to enter the park each morning
about an hour and a half before the general public is permitted access. During these
"Magic Mornings", you can see and do as much in that first hour as you might
in three or four hours at a busier time of the day. It's a nice way to get a good head
start on everyone else. Of course, holders of some flex passes can
take advantage of Magic Mornings, too, even if they're staying offsite.
(Note: Magic Mornings has been suspended for the Disneyland Resort until
further notice. There has been no announcement as to when, or if,
Magic Mornings will be reinstated.)
-
Resort Delivery: A wonderful perk is the delivery service that is available to Disney
hotel guests. Any item purchased in any store in the park can be sent over to the hotel.
This can be an incredible convenience when you are in the middle of the day at the park,
but see an item you just have to have.
-
Proximity: Of course, being right at the Disneyland Resort
Hotels means that
you're directly adjacent to the park. In Anaheim, though, there are Thirty other hotels
that are almost as close. The only advantage to staying at the Disneyland
Resort Hotels is the
Monorail and trams, a nice perk, but probably not worth an extra $100 per night.
Of the offsite hotels, I would classify nineteen of them as being "in
walking distance." You can view MousePlanet's map of hotels that
are within walking distance of Disneyland Resort by clicking
here!
Looking for more information on area
accommodations?
Offsite Hotels
near the Disney Parks - gives reviews of nearby hotels submitted by
MousePlanet readers.
You can book a room at a Disneyland Resort Hotel or any of
several other local hotels right here on MousePlanet by clicking
here!
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