Cheapest way to stay near Land?

tiffinwonderland

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 24, 2019
We are a family of 6 and I was comparing using our DVC points at Grand Californian at choice time vs. paying for a vrbo/airbnb; or moderate hotel close to parks. The only reason not use our DVC is that we go to World at least once a year and want to save our points for Florida. Any advice on what you did to save $ or what made your trip special. We have never been to Cali! TIA
 
These threads have lots of good information for you:
"Choosing the Right DLR Area Hotel for You" www.disboards.com/threads/choosing-the-right-hotel-for-you.3656512/
"HydroGuy's Hotel Rule" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1199862
"A DLR Guide for WDW Vets" www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1162599

There are many good hotels within close walking distance to the parks at DLR. Staying on site is great, but not the absolute necessity some people think it is. VRBO/airbnb is not usually recommended for DLR because of the distance and time suck/added expense that driving and parking add to your day. At DLR, if you can walk to the gates from your hotel in just minutes, that convenience will really pay off during your trip! For a group of 6, there are all suite hotels that are walking distance, some of which are quite new: Residence Inn, Springhill Suites, Homewood Suites, Clementine Hotel (used to be a Residence Inn), etc. We've booked 2 connecting rooms and made our own "suite" (hey, 2 bathrooms can't be beat!) at the Candy Cane Inn (2 Premium Rooms -- free continential breakfast delivered to the rooms) -- works like a charm for us when we have a larger group. There are lots of ways to work this out within close walking distance to the gates. Read the above threads, then come back with all your questions. We're here to help!

By the way, just noticed you joined today! Welcome to the DIS!
 
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GCH and AirBnb are WORLDS apart. GCH would mean you could be back in your room 5-15 mins after deciding to leave CA Adventure, AirBnb could easily be 45 mins to an hour after you make your way back to the parking structure and drive back to your place. Basically, you need to decide your priorities. GCH has a convenience that you cannot find in WDW. No hotel there offers an entrance to a theme park right at the hotel, it’s truely spectacular that way. EMH is the other benefit. I adore EMH at Disneyland, we get use out of it every trip we have it available- sure, sometimes a ride or 2 are down, just head to the next one! I HATE it at WDW, I find it utterly useless with the masses of people that show up.

However, if you want close to the parks but don’t want to the pay the Disney overhead there are many hotels within easy walking distance on Harbor you can look at. Personally I prefer those over driving to the parks every day because I do afternoon breaks. But some are more of a motel than a hotel in general. They are all safe, but more of a Best Western vs a Marriott feel (heck, Best Western has one of the best locates hotels on Harbor!). Driving to afternoon breaks takes too much time out of my Disneyland day personally so I’d opt for one of those if I was looking to save money.
 
The most inexpensive suite on Harbor is the C1 or C2 Family Suite at the Desert Inn and Suites. Our family prefers the layout of the C2. It says it sleeps 10, but we prefer not to use the sofabed, so it sleeps 8. If you book well in advance, it can be $250 a night or less. It's definitely nothing fancy, but it's clean and SO CLOSE.

There are a few other suite options at the DI&S as well, and depending on the ages of your group, they may work as well, for less money.

We're only ever in the room to sleep and shower, and we like to stay as close as possible for the least amount of money. DI&S is just fine for our family. Like I said, nothing fancy. We find it clean, and we've never had a complaint about the comfort of the beds.
 


You could, of course rent DVC points at GCH if you wished but been onsite doesn’t have as many advantages in Disneyland as it does in WDW. There are probably 2 dozen hotels and motels of all standards within 10-15 mins of both parks, not much further than the Contemporary is from MK and many that are closer.
All the best.
 
We are a family of 6 and I was comparing using our DVC points at Grand Californian at choice time vs. paying for a vrbo/airbnb; or moderate hotel close to parks. The only reason not use our DVC is that we go to World at least once a year and want to save our points for Florida. Any advice on what you did to save $ or what made your trip special. We have never been to Cali! TIA
If VGC isn’t your home resort it can be very difficult to get a room on points. And with the opening of SWGE, I imagine it will be even worse for awhile. If you decide to go that route, I would be ready with a backup plan, so you don’t end up disappointed.
 
I am fairly sure I have looked at every hotel within 15 minutes walk of the park that has beds for 4+, with either a separate living area or two separate sleeping areas - so we can have a separate area when the kids have gone to bed earlier etc.

The cheapest we found was Best Western Raffles.

We had booked a house which is in the street behind the Mickey and friends parking building, but this fell through due to the new rules banning most vacation rentals within Anaheim.
 


Lots of nice hotels within walking distance. Not as fancy as the Grand but still nice within a short walk.
 
i found cheap rates at the Travelodge Anahiem Convention Centre, says its about 10-15 min walk. only a 3 star and reviews on tripadvisor arnt that great but if all you need is a close clean room it might do the trick, spend the extra cash you save on other things.
 
We are a family of 6 and I was comparing using our DVC points at Grand Californian at choice time vs. paying for a vrbo/airbnb; or moderate hotel close to parks. The only reason not use our DVC is that we go to World at least once a year and want to save our points for Florida. Any advice on what you did to save $ or what made your trip special. We have never been to Cali! TIA
If you have enough points and are able to secure a reservation, I highly recommend you stay at the Villas Grand Californian. VGC is a Deluxe accommodation, while many of the nearby hotels are Value at best (using the WDW deluxe/moderate/value ratings).
 
You absolutely can NOT beat Park Place Inn and Best Wetern Anaheim Inn for ease of access to the parks.
We have stayed in a few others that come highly recommended by Dis folks. But I LOVE the easy access of these 2 properties
 
OP: what dates are you looking at? That can make a big difference in lodging price at DLR. Also, don't forget to factor in comfort, convenience, and sanity when you make out your budget. Looking at the lowest cost as the only deal maker is not the wisest way to book lodging at DLR. If the cheapest lodging costs you comfort, is super inconvenient, costs you tons of lost time, and makes you insane as your trip goes on -- is it really saving you anything? Cheapest doesn't = Best, but Best doesn't = Most Expensive. Getting the biggest bang for your buck at DLR means a lot more than finding the lowest rate!
 
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Love our stay at the Fairfield anaheim. Quick 7-8 minute walk to the gates, close enough for an afternoon pool break. Yes
 

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