Fairfield Inn Anaheim

[enchantedpixiedust]

We're WDW peeps and this will be our first DLR trip. I went ahead and booked the Fairfield Inn across the street for January but I keep wondering if I should bite the bullet and pay the extra for Disneyland Hotel since it's the first trip. There aren't any discounts I can use so it's a several hundred dollar jump which seems excessive. Thoughts? (Just the two of us)

 

[hyperminimalism]

We're WDW peeps and this will be our first DLR trip. I went ahead and booked the Fairfield Inn across the street for January but I keep wondering if I should bite the bullet and pay the extra for Disneyland Hotel since it's the first trip. There aren't any discounts I can use so it's a several hundred dollar jump which seems excessive. Thoughts? (Just the two of us)

It just kind of depends on where you're used to staying at the WDW and what you really want from your hotel stay. With the DL Hotel, you'll get more of that "Disney bubble" feel for sure. However, if you don't mind an upscale motel room with a lot of the Marriott bells and whistles, then I think you'll be fine. How important is it for you to have an amazing, off the charts hotel stay? Is this just going to be a room you'll be staying in for showers and sleeping and you'll spend most of your time in the parks? If it's the former, go to DL Hotel. If it's the latter, you'll probably enjoy the Fairfield.

 

[ParkHopper1]

All depends.

If you just want a clean bed and shower, FFI is a great choice

If you want more of a "resort" stay where you are immersed in the Disney "Bubble' the entire vacation, on site is the way to go.

I am ALWAYS a fan of staying onsite as long as it does not negatively impact your vacation budget elsewhere. Big difference in experience and feel IMO

 

[Lm3js]

I have not stayed at DLH because the price. FFI is one of our go-tos mainly because I can book on points. I want to spend as little on hotel as possible (just needs to be clean) as we do not spend any time in the room or taking advantage of hotel amenities. I use the savings to get us experiences in the park - Dessert Party or extra day in park or upscale dining or build your own droid, etc. This is all personal choice of what will make your DL experience the best for you. FFI is one of the better hotels across the street, is easy commute to/from and is fairly typical of other FFI around the country so you have a sense of quality. I would put it maybe a little ahead of a budget hotels in WDW but w/o all the special disney theming. Some people do split stays so maybe you could do a few nights in FFI and then move to DLH for your last night?

 

[StarlitNight05]

As others have said, it depends. If it's a short trip where you won't be in the room much, I'd go with FFI.

 

[tobikaye]

I am also a WDW veteran that has stayed value to deluxe there. I went to DL for the first time and stayed offsite, Hilton. It was a different Disney feel from WDW, but I did not think that staying at one of the DL resorts really would have changed that for me. I have another DL trip planned in a few months and will be staying at FI. I am looking forward to it since it is much closer to the DL/CA entrances.

 

[Finerfam]

Also a WDW vet heading to Disneyland for the first time in January and booked the Fairfield Inn! We always stay on-site in WDW but I couldn't justify the high cost for the on-site DL hotels. We spend most of our time in the parks, so it was an easy decision to go with a cheaper hotel!

 

[Aurora0427]

We are also WDW veterans who moved to Southern California in June. We couldn’t justify the prices staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel because we are AP holders and we go at least once a month. We’ve stayed at the Park Vue Inn every trip since June.... and I’m used to the Grand Floridian. It’s fine. Fairfield is nicer.

We recently stayed just one night at the Disneyland Hotel because I booked on a discount and split the bill with my mom. It was amazing. It felt more like a WDW vacation. We really felt like we were in the Disney bubble.... and we made time to spend at the hotel. We did Trader Sam’s twice and explored the resort. I wish we’d had time to swim. We just loved the tiki, retro Disney vibe, they play classic Disney movie music by the pool, it was perfect.

If it’s in the budget, and you see value with being in the Disney bubble, and you have an interest in spending time at the resort, it’s worth it. They may release discounts closer to your trip. But if it’s going to put a huge dent in your budget, or you’re planning on parks open to close, probably not worth the money.

I guess we never used to bat an eye at paying WDW prices because for us it was an annual vacation and I always booked a room discount. Plus, staying on property has benefits, the most important being location and easy access to the parks. Our family spent the majority of our trip at Magic Kingdom, so staying along the monorail was beneficial. We are locals at Disneyland, so it’s just different. I told my husband I want to come back in the summer when it’s hot so we can do the pools etc as a special treat for my birthday!

 

[Astylla]

Fairfield in my go to as an AP holder who lives 6 hours away. Typically I can get an Express deal on Priceline for $99/night since I've learned the system lol.

That said the Disneyland hotel is amazing but I can't justify the cost most times now. It will get you closer to the WDW bubble if that's most important.

 

[ktlm]

Do you always stay onsite at WDW? It really depends on your bubble mentality. We are longtime WDW vets who are very used to the Disney bubble. We fell in love with DLR and have now also been going there every year for the last 10 years. We typically stay at DLH and we absolutely love it. I love that we are in the Disney bubble--- the walk to the parks is through DTD. Once we arrive at DLR, we never leave the bubble until we leave DLR.

A couple of years ago, we wound up coming in a day early at the last minute due to weather issues-- DLH was booked, so we spent the first night at the Fairfield Inn- we arrived there early in the morning and left the next morning. The staff was great, the rooms were clean, the price was good, the amenities were good for that price level hotel. If we could not afford DLH, I would happily stay there again. However, we found that being WDW vets, we did not like being outside of the bubble at all. Our calm walks to and from DLH though DTD turned into crowded craziness and long security lines. For us, although DLH is more expensive, it is the place we like to be. We like the Disney bubble, the atmosphere, and of course Trader Sams. I am very used to my DH stopping and getting me an evening drink and bringing it to the room, while I take DD to the room to get cleaned up after a long park day. We pay the extra for the bubble and the atmosphere that DLH provides. For a first trip, if you can afford it, the DLH is a really nice place. Now, if Disney's prices keep skyrocketing- the Fairfield Inn is not a bad choice for us.

 

[Version 6]

Stayed here for 5 nights last year. It was really good for the price and a short walk to the parks. Clean and very helpful staff.

 

[taffy]

The big reason to stay onsite is the extra magic hours each day otherwise the FFI is one of my go to especially as you walk past McDonalds on the way to the park and I pick up my breakfast

 

[mtoppi]

I just stayed at the Fairfield Inn this past Monday night. Super clean room, nice that there was a Panera Bread and McDonalds along the walk to the park. Also very close to the entrance and the price was right. They hit you for a parking fee, which I had not factored. I think it was about $25 dollars a day, so be sure to add that in. Only negative I can think of was that the pool wasn't much to write home about. I didn't use it, though, since I was in the park the whole day.

 

[luvthemouse71]

We're WDW peeps and this will be our first DLR trip. I went ahead and booked the Fairfield Inn across the street for January but I keep wondering if I should bite the bullet and pay the extra for Disneyland Hotel since it's the first trip. There aren't any discounts I can use so it's a several hundred dollar jump which seems excessive. Thoughts? (Just the two of us)

I just booked here and booked a Theme Park room..nice view of DL. It’s my first time at DL so I’ll be in the parks most of the time. The price was right and it’s close to DL, so perfect for my needs.

 

[Kailua's Belle]

I recently stayed at the FFI and really enjoyed it. It's right by a Panera, so I just ordered food to grab and go for the short walk to the lines. When we do WDW, we always stay on property, but don't really feel to the need to at DL.

 

[James From Utah]

I've stayed at both and would definitely recommend Fairfield Inn. Unlike WDW, the Disneyland hotel offers very few perks to justify what they charge. The room is a hair bigger and has a cool headboard. I think you get 1 extra magic hour per day and the opportunity to ride the monorail to tomorrowland, and bypass main street. Walking distance from these hotels to the parks is about the same. Use the savings to have dinner at the Blue Bayou.