Disneyland Guide - Accomodations - Onsite or Offsite
There are literally dozens of hotels and motels in the Disneyland area, so there should be something to accommodate every style and budget. The first important choice to make in deciding where to stay is deciding whether or not to stay at a Disney owned hotel. There are three Disney owned hotels at the Disneyland Resort, Disney's Grand California Hotel, the Disneyland Hotel and the Disneyland Pacific Hotel. Below are some tips to help you determine whether or not to stay at a Disney hotel.
A Disney or Non-Disney Hotel
Benefits of a Disney Hotel
- Early entry into the theme parks on selected days. This allows you to enjoy some of the popular attractions before the general public is allowed in.
- Whether you're at Disneyland or back at your hotel you feel like you're in the Disney environment.
- Disney themed shops and restaurants available at the hotels.
- Ability to have your Disneyland purchases delivered to your hotel.
- Disney themed swimming pool located at the Disneyland Hotel but available to guests at both hotels.
- Disney hotels have special amenities like a health club and arcade as well as entertainment including musicians and the Fantasy Waters Show.
- Monorail service to and from the park making getting to and
from the park a breeze and also making mid-day breaks easy to take. However, certain rooms
of the hotels are quite a walk from the Monorail. Tram service is also available.
Note: The Monorail will be running one-way only until mid-November. This means wait times for going to and from the hotel can be much longer than normal. - For many more details, see the sections on Disney's Grand California Hotel, the Disneyland Hotel and the Disneyland Pacific Hotel.
Benefits of a non-Disney Hotels
- The price of a non-Disney hotel room is often less than a comparable room at a Disney hotel.
- If you're not the biggest Disney fan in the world you may welcome the break you get from not staying at a Disney hotel.
- Some of the non-Disney hotels offer amenities like free continental breakfast that can save time and money.
- Several of the local hotels are more accommodating to families with reasonably priced suites and kitchettes.
- Even when staying at a non-Disney hotel, many of the Disney hotel's activities are available to you including the shopping, dining, arcade and entertainment. The exceptions are the health club and swimming pools.
In the end there's no one answer that's right for everyone. Personal preferences and budget usually determine where to stay.
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-- Last Updated May 31, 2001
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