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Post by ~summer~ on Feb 26, 2018 3:37:14 GMT
My highschooler is doing a trip to Disneyland with his concert band class - where they get to rehearse and perform in one of the sound studios - so now i am thinking of going down as well with my 7th grader. When we have gone down in the past (we had season tickets like 10 years ago when boys were little) but we always stayed with family.
This time I am thinking about staying at one of the Disneyland Hotels - particularly the Grand California Hotel - either 1 or 2 nights as it is very expensive. Do you recommend it? or is there another place you would stay? This is end of April, we could stay with family, about 15-20 minutes away one night to make it less expensive, but I really don't feel like staying with them the whole time. Any other recommendations?
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Post by kels99 on Feb 26, 2018 3:53:37 GMT
I have no advice, just wanted to say that our DS is doing the same band trip at the start of April. They get to march in a parade too. We've tossed around the idea of going down too, but haven't decided yet for sure. Our band director offered discounted tickets if we bought with the band, so keep an eye out for that possibility.
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Post by cmpeter on Feb 26, 2018 3:59:54 GMT
I prefer to stay at one of the hotels on Harbor (Best Western Park Place Inn or Tropicana)...both have been remodeled in the past couple years and are clean and comfy. BW has free breakfast but Tropicana is generally less expensive. Both are closer to the main entrance to the parks than any Disney hotel. Although the Grand has its own entrance to DCA.
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PrettyInPeank
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Post by PrettyInPeank on Feb 26, 2018 4:08:27 GMT
I agree Harbor Blvd. by the gate is your best bet. I would do the Courtyard by Marriot or a step down at Howard Johnson. Courtyard has water slides, has a Mimi's Cafe in the parking lot, and takes all of 7 minutes of walking.
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Post by ~summer~ on Feb 26, 2018 4:11:22 GMT
I have no advice, just wanted to say that our DS is doing the same band trip at the start of April. They get to march in a parade too. We've tossed around the idea of going down too, but haven't decided yet for sure. Our band director offered discounted tickets if we bought with the band, so keep an eye out for that possibility. They haven't mentioned anything about marching in a parade, they said they will be doing a 30 minute concert on a soundstage on Friday then the next day doing a 'sound recording workshop'. I think these may be different? I also didn't hear anything about discount tickets... |
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newlywoods03
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Post by newlywoods03 on Feb 26, 2018 4:14:26 GMT
I agree Harbor Blvd. by the gate is your best bet. I would do the Courtyard by Marriot or a step down at Howard Johnson. Courtyard has water slides, has a Mimi's Cafe in the parking lot, and takes all of 7 minutes of walking. We're going for a family vacation in the beginning of April and are staying at the Courtyard by Marriott. Our boys are super excited to play at the mini water park!! |
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Post by kels99 on Feb 26, 2018 4:18:11 GMT
I have no advice, just wanted to say that our DS is doing the same band trip at the start of April. They get to march in a parade too. We've tossed around the idea of going down too, but haven't decided yet for sure. Our band director offered discounted tickets if we bought with the band, so keep an eye out for that possibility. They haven't mentioned anything about marching in a parade, they said they will be doing a 30 minute concert on a soundstage on Friday then the next day doing a 'sound recording workshop'. I think these may be different? I also didn't hear anything about discount tickets... They are doing the sound studio thing in addition to the parade. Talking about it makes me wish we were going too now.  I looked it up and the discount tickets were for 3-day park hoppers for $235, not hotels. |
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Post by ~summer~ on Feb 26, 2018 4:21:34 GMT
They haven't mentioned anything about marching in a parade, they said they will be doing a 30 minute concert on a soundstage on Friday then the next day doing a 'sound recording workshop'. I think these may be different? I also didn't hear anything about discount tickets... They are doing the sound studio thing in addition to the parade. Talking about it makes me wish we were going too now. I looked it up and the discount tickets were for 3-day park hoppers for $235, not hotels. I don't think we are doing the parade. You should go! When I first heard about it I didn't even think about going -- but my boys are growing and we are always so busy I feel like it is the perfect opportunity to get away and hang out with them where are you coming from? |
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Post by kels99 on Feb 26, 2018 4:40:39 GMT
They are doing the sound studio thing in addition to the parade. Talking about it makes me wish we were going too now. I looked it up and the discount tickets were for 3-day park hoppers for $235, not hotels. I don't think we are doing the parade. You should go! When I first heard about it I didn't even think about going -- but my boys are growing and we are always so busy I feel like it is the perfect opportunity to get away and hang out with them where are you coming from? Seattle area, what about you? They are going from Sat - Tuesday. I'm looking up prices/packages right now. |
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oaksong
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Post by oaksong on Feb 26, 2018 4:55:08 GMT
We’ve stayed at the Grand Californian a couple of times as a special treat. It’s fun to be right there in Downtown Disney and the park entrance. Easy to go back to your room for a bit, and the special entrance into California Adventure is great. The rooms are nice, not very big, and you might have a view. The hotel itself is so beautiful. It’s up to you whether it’s worth a splurge, but we really like staying there when we can get an good off-season rate.
What a fun time for your son’s band!
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Marina
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Post by Marina on Feb 26, 2018 5:20:35 GMT
I love the Grand Californian. It’s very convenient and lovely. Even if you don’t choose to stay there it’s a great place to relax in the lounge with a drink from the bar. We’ve also stayed at the Paradise Pier which was fine but not as nice as the Grand Californian. Offsite we’ve stayed at the Annabella Hotel which was an easy distance from the park.
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Post by brina on Feb 26, 2018 13:57:30 GMT
there are a ton of wonderful options that are walking distance to the parks at a fraction of the cost. If you go to the DisneyLand site there is a listing that you can sort by price or walking distance.
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Feb 26, 2018 14:47:19 GMT
That sounds like so much fun! DD's band trip to Disney World was cancelled because of poor planning.  If I stayed on site, I would be very tempted to go with Grand Californian because of the easy access to California Adventure. That said, both price tag and availability were a factor to me when I visited Disneyland, so I stayed at Park Vue Inn. It is directly across the street from the pedestrian entrance, and it seemed to me to be a comparable walk to the other onsite hotels. |
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luckyjune
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Post by luckyjune on Feb 26, 2018 14:58:24 GMT
My oldest two did the Disney music experience in high school and loved it! We drove down and met them there and then took a family road trip up the coast to get home. It was a lovely trip. The Grand is my very favorite place to stay. Disneyland Hotel is second. I've never been disappointed with the facilities, the service, and the atmosphere of the Grand. We are able to use our DVC points when we stay there, so the sticker shock isn't as evident. Even if you can swing one night, it would be worth it.
Have a fantastic time! There is nothing better than a good trip to Disneyland!
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Post by crittsmom on Feb 26, 2018 19:17:11 GMT
There are many hotels in the area, if you stay within walking distance then you won't need to pay for parking. We've stayed at the Anaheim Plaza, Red Lion Inn. I've even stayed at the Super 8 across from the freeway exit, its cheap and clean and okay for a quick trip, but the breakfast left alot to be desired, very skimpy. There is the Anaheim Gardens at Ball/Disneyland Way, there is a shuttle from there. If you want to save money, I would just stay with family since they are close just remember you'll need to pay parking. DD has done with band and choir programs with Disney. In 8th grade they got to march down Main St. and had a blast. Any day at Disney is a good day !
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Post by scrapbookwriter on Feb 26, 2018 20:10:48 GMT
After many Disneyland visits, we finally splurged on the Grand Californian. It was worth every penny. We loved everything about it: location, view, our room, early access to the park, direct entrance to the park. We could retreat to our room if the crowds or the heat got to be too much for us. We are spoiled now. I will always want to stay at the Grand Californian.
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milocat
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Post by milocat on Feb 26, 2018 20:52:02 GMT
The first two times we went we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier. After that we have stayed across the street on Harbor Blvd. On site is not worth it to me and I'm usually an upgrader when it comes to hotels. I like Harbor Blvd because you are closer to food, there was nothing to eat over at the on site properties.
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paigepea
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Post by paigepea on Feb 26, 2018 20:52:17 GMT
We have always been happy at the Park Vue because of its easy walking access to the park, good breakfast and nice enough rooms. If you’re looking for a pool or fancy atmosphere don’t go there. After reading these posts I’d love to try the Grand but if cost is way more than Park Vue I doubt we’ll try it. Disney is expensive enough and we are hardly ever in the room. We wake up early, eat and go straight to the park, and return to our room and fall in to bed. I love that the Park Vue is close enough to Disney that dh can still carry 9 yr old dd back from our last ride. She falls asleep in his arms. The sign of a good day . We are going on May. I can’t wait. |
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Post by ~summer~ on Feb 27, 2018 1:51:34 GMT
Thank you everyone! We are really leaning toward splurging and staying at the Grand Californian 2-3 nights —-it just sounds so heavenly to be in the park, to be able to pop back to our room and the hotel looks so much nicer than the others. Plus we don’t do many vacations so this might be a good time to splurge (we normally go to Yosemite and stay in tent cabins vs the Awahnee haha)— and now my husband wants to tag along too |
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Post by jemmls4 on Feb 27, 2018 3:37:30 GMT
I was at DL two years ago. While the Grand Californian was beautiful, we spent all our time at park so I would have felt bad spending all that money for a room I would barely be in. My friend and I stayed at the Marriott across the street. Took us maybe 10 minutes to walk over. We'd leave parks early afternoon to rest and then go back. It really wasn't much more of a walk than from the Grand Californian. And all the money we saved, pretty much paid for our tickets.
The parks are much, much smaller than Florida. We were really blown away at how much we could do in a short time there.
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stittsygirl
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Post by stittsygirl on Feb 27, 2018 5:50:20 GMT
We also stayed at the Courtyard by Marriot this past October when we were there and really enjoyed it. Nice rooms and great service, and my younger kids had fun at the water park. Its an easy walk into the park and a good option if you choose not to stay at one of the Disneyland hotels.
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Nanner
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Post by Nanner on Feb 27, 2018 6:10:11 GMT
We stayed at the Grand Californian for a week last September. It was awesome! The beds and pillows were the most comfortable we've ever slept on. It was quiet. We loved it. It was so quick to get into California Adventure, and still very close for Disneyland Park. But it was ridiculously expensive. We were willing to spend it that once because it was our anniversary. We stayed on Harbor in December and will again in April because we're not willing to spend that much for a hotel again.
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Post by Memo on Feb 27, 2018 9:49:14 GMT
I have no advice, just wanted to say that our DS is doing the same band trip at the start of April. They get to march in a parade too. We've tossed around the idea of going down too, but haven't decided yet for sure. Our band director offered discounted tickets if we bought with the band, so keep an eye out for that possibility. They haven't mentioned anything about marching in a parade, they said they will be doing a 30 minute concert on a soundstage on Friday then the next day doing a 'sound recording workshop'. I think these may be different? I also didn't hear anything about discount tickets... My son's band did Disneyland a couple of years ago. They got to march in the parade and did the sound stage experience. I was a chaperone, so I was lucky enough to go to the back lots and help get the kids ready for the parade (getting 100 kids ready for a parade in 20 minutes!!!) and the following day was able to attend the sound stage experience. The parade was very cool and it was great to share that experience with my son (I had also marched there in high school and while in college). The sound stage experience was beyond amazing. The band conductor was so professional, but also very helpful. They got to sight read and record 3-4 Disney songs and their music was matched up to the video clips from those songs (Lion King, Nightmare before Christmas, the opening castle theme and one more, I think). It was an awesome trip! In terms of hotels, we haven't stayed at the Grand Californian, just the Disneyland Hotel, so no input there. We have also stayed at the Tropicana because it was so close and had no issues there. We're the kind of family that gets to the park and stays till it closes, so we're not in the room much. Have a great trip, @~summer~ ! |
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Post by brookeq on Feb 27, 2018 15:50:12 GMT
We stayed at the hyatt down the road. We easily walked each day. The rooms were spacious with a small kitchen and sitting area. It had a pool/hot tub. And free breakfast which was actually very good.
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Post by annaintx on Feb 27, 2018 16:37:02 GMT
We always stay at the HoJo or the Candy Cane Inn. Both are very nice. CCI has free breakfast, though, and a shuttle that drops you off/picks up which is nice at the end of a long day.
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Post by beaglemom on Feb 27, 2018 20:51:02 GMT
We've been annual pass holders the last two years. I want to love the Grand Californian, but I don't. The hotel is beautiful and it is awesome having access right into California Adventure. And the last time we went it was great because we had a little one that needed to go back for naps. That being said, I think it is WAY overpriced. You can stay at the Disneyland hotel at times for half the price and I personally like the rooms better at the Disneyland hotel. I think they are slightly bigger and nicer. But I know construction is going on or about to so that might make things harder. The walk from Paradise Pier and Disneyland hotel isn't bad. The pool at Paradise pier was disappointing, but LOVE the one at the Disneyland hotel.
With older kids I think that you will get a lot more for your money staying at either Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier. I have a fabulous disney travel agent if you need help with booking. She checks on your reservation all the way to check in to make sure you are getting the best prices.
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mallie
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Post by mallie on Feb 27, 2018 20:55:02 GMT
We always stay at the Fairfield across the street. Relatively inexpensive, nice rooms. There is a McDonald's, Panera, and a local restaurant all in the front lot or within 2 minute walk for breakfast. It takes 5-7 minutes to walk from there to the main gate, so super close and so much cheaper.
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Post by Scrapper100 on Feb 27, 2018 21:31:39 GMT
There are tons of places to stay I have only stayed in a few and have stayed at the Disneyland Hotel which is nice and the Grand Californian years ago and it was amazing but it is $. The Grand Californian is nicer than most places that is for sure. It just depends how much you want to spend. I am sure there are lots of good options posted above if you choose to go a cheaper route. If you are going into a park and will go in a morning the Disney hotels do let you in earlier which is really nice - you need to check with the hotel to find out which days are for each of the different ones its not every morning I don't think.
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Grom Pea
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Post by Grom Pea on Feb 28, 2018 0:56:00 GMT
Thank you everyone! We are really leaning toward splurging and staying at the Grand Californian 2-3 nights —-it just sounds so heavenly to be in the park, to be able to pop back to our room and the hotel looks so much nicer than the others. Plus we don’t do many vacations so this might be a good time to splurge (we normally go to Yosemite and stay in tent cabins vs the Awahnee haha)— and now my husband wants to tag along too Just a heads up that even at the grand Californian with the way they did security you need to go through security to go to downtown Disney, so it's not as convenient as it once was. I've stayed there once and it was paid for by a friend with Disney vacation club points but there's no way I'd pay that much to stay there, especially when hotels like the park vue and Tropicana are closer and way cheaper. I like that the park vue includes parking and breakfast, but Tropicana can be comparable if it's cheaper per night, you just have to compare. |
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I looked it up and the discount tickets were for 3-day park hoppers for $235, not hotels.
