Going to Disneyland? Where are you staying?

Going to Disneyland? Need help deciding where to stay? This may help...

First things first... You've decided to go to Disneyland!! HOORAY! 

Now that we've gotten that out of the way... Before you start looking at hotels we have to remember to consider the following:

1. How many people are you traveling with? and will they require any special amenities? For example: babies that are light sleepers may require a separate room to nap. Or a Grandparent that may want to retreat back to the room to relax before returning to the parks for Fantasmic or World of Color, so a living room-type space or comfortable seating areas may be nice to have.

2. If you have certain requirements for your party then start you search there, if not then consider how much time you will be spending in the room. My last trip to Disneyland and DCA was a Girls Trip, 18 and over only! No babies means no need to break for naps or scheduled meals. We were up and out the door by 9 a.m. and we usually didn't come back until after midnight. If you are only in the room to sleep that means you can look for the most basic rooms, which is a great money saver.

Ask the PhotoPass Cast Members to take pictures with your cell phone.
A handy tip if you always lose your PhotoPass cards like me. 

3. Drive, Walk or Shuttle?? There are tons of Good Neighbor Hotels right across the street from the Parks. If you don't want to drive or take the shuttle, research exactly where your hotel is in relation to the street entrance. Hotels use the phrase "directly across the street" very loosely. Just remember you have to walk to the to the street entrance, then continue walking through the shuttle drop off/pick up area until you've reached the bag check points.  Travel time from street entrance to Park entrance (depending on rate of walking speed and the bag check line) is about 10 mins. If you decide to Shuttle it, your hotel or vacation rental will have the best pick and drop off areas for you. Last but not least, if you are staying further than you'd like to walk and/or you don't want to depend on a Shuttle then driving is the way to go. You can park at any of the Disney Parking Structures and if you are a AAA member they offer free days or discounts for your stay. If you want to be a little wild, you can always park in the Downtown Disney Parking area. The walk isn't that horrible, especially if you take the Monorail into or out of Disneyland. Just remember you are parking there at your own risk, technically that parking area is for Downtown Disney patrons only. Remember to VALIDATE!

4. Once figured out what to look for you can really start the hunt for hotels and rentals. Over the years I've stayed at a lot of the Good Neighbor Hotels and all I have to say is you get what you pay for. I just stayed at the Best Western Plus Anaheim Inn and for the 9 hours that we spent in the room each day/night, it was perfect. If you have the money, I recommend looking into any of the Disney Hotel properties. My personal favorite is the Grand Californian but that's also the most expensive hotel in the area. But if I were travelling with my daughter, younger siblings or in-laws and on a budget, I'd be strongly recommend considering a vacation rental. Most of these Vacation Rentals understand that there are lots of decent room rates surrounding them so they will offer competitive pricing per night but a minimum night stay is usually required. Also a great, money saving feature of the Vacation Rentals are the KITCHENS! We all know food is a huge way to save money on vacation and anyone who has been on vacation with an infant or a picky toddler knows a kitchen can be KEY to a good vacation. 

Like I said before, I've stayed in lots of different hotels and rentals over my many trips to Disneyland and it takes a lot for me to try a new company. With that in mind I just discovered a fun new Vacation Rental Company called Funtierland Rentals. Owned and operated by a young Southern California couple, this awesome property offers several condos for rent; they are bright, big and Disney themed of course. They all look rather spacious and with the added bonus of a nursery and a full kitchen?!? Everything about that sounds perfect! Next time we take a family trip to Anaheim, I'm checking their availability first!

Main St. U.S.A. with my ladies