Disneyland Costco packages - good prices?

[twowhat?]

OK so we're going to do this for sure. We've gotten approval from our bosses to take the vacation time and everything! Now onto booking...

The girls will be 4.5 when we go, and we plan to do 3-4 days. Maybe 4 (get there on Sunday, rest/relax, then go on Monday, Tues, Wed, Thurs.)

I saw that Costco has some vacation options for DLR. We would ideally like to stay on-site in the most easily walkable hotel. I've been digging around on the overwhelming Disboards and it looks like the Grand Californian is the way to go in terms of quick, easy access to both DL and CA. Our girls don't nap (well, they do at school but not on weekends) right now, but they aren't kids with a lot of stamina and I imagine they WILL get tired and we would want to spend some time in the afternoon resting at the hotel, and to have to option to hit both DL and CA if we are able.

Anyway, opinions on whether the Grand Californian is the way to go would be appreciated! We are using going to use airmiles for airline tickets so we are willing to splurge on hotel to make this the easiest possible experience for us (the parents - LOL).

Anyway my main question is whether the Costco packages are good in terms of pricing. I just don't have time to really bargain-hunt for deals, but I don't want to pay top dollar either. I want a good middle ground of fair prices without having to spend hours and hours on disboards and elsewhere trying to get good deals. So...opinions on Costco?

TIA:)

[AnnieW625]

What hotels does Costco have available? I am pretty familiar with the area for off site hotels. The area is not nearly as big as Disneyworld so there are plenty of options within a 15 minute walking distance of the park.

Here is a link to Bubbaray's 2011 trip report (http://www.bridalgown.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=394757) and she reports that the Best Western Anaheim Inn on Harbor Blvd. (http://www.anaheiminn.com/) is a great place to stay. It is literally across the street from the Harbor Blvd. main gate and it is a nice walking distance to the Anaheim Garden Walk (http://www.anaheimgardenwalk.com/) area where there are some nice restaurants, plus there is a Mimi's Cafe up the street, and a Denny's right next door IIRC. It would also be a do able walk from the Disney property hotels, and Downtown Disney if you decide to hang out there.

Other nicer hotels in the general across the streat location are the Marriott, and the Sheraton at the Convention Center, but they cater to business people so not as many or as close breakfast options.

If I was still hell bent on staying on property I would probably check out The Disneyland Hotel as well. It isn't that far of a walk from the park or you can take the Monorail and I believe you can often get better deals there than you can at the Grand Californian from what I understand.

[smiles33]

Honestly, if you are getting the flights for free and willing to splurge, GCH is supposedly the best option. The DLH has been remodeled since I last stayed, but it felt like a bland 3 star hotel at 5 star hotel prices when I went about 5 years ago (stayed overnight for a wedding on-site). GCH has its own special entrance to DCA, too.

There are other great perks there (bedtime story hour in the lobby?) but the one drawback I have read is that the rooms are smaller than expected for that price point. If your girls don't nap, then it's not an issue (as the parent stuck in the room may have to hide in the bathroom or sit in the dark for a while). When my girls are older, I definitely want to stay at the GCH but for now, a two room suite is a must for us and I'm unwilling to pay $1,000/night for one on-site.

[Karenn]

I think the Grand Californian is definitely the best place to stay, as long as it's in your budget. It's so close to California Adventure. Very convenient.

Costco is a great option for a fair, easy price. You might be able to find a slightly better deal if you really watched for sales and such, but you wouldn't be terribly overpaying if you went with Costco, especially if you're staying on property. The benefit in going with Costco is that the package often includes character meals at a discounted price.

[lalasmama]

You can sign up on the Disneyland website, and they will send you codes for xx% off of your hotel stay.

VERY rarely is a package deal an actual "deal". Even with Costco :( Often, with just a little bit of effort (like signing up for the Disneyland emails), you'll save quite a bit.

On the disboards, try searching "PIN code".

[twowhat?]

Thanks for the feedback! I finally registered at disboards.com:)

It just occurred to me that I could go ahead and make hotel reservations, and then cancel in advance without penalty once we decide, right? And then would I be able to apply a promotion to an existing reservation if I came across one later?

[tny915]

Yes, you can book directly with the hotel and then cancel later. I've done this.

The Grand Californian is a very nice hotel. We stayed there on our very first visit to Disneyland about 5 years ago. These days, I much prefer the Disneyland Hotel, especially now that everything's been renovated. I think Goofy's Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel has better character meals than the Grand Californian restaurant. The kids pool is also much better at the DIsneyland Hotel, though this probably doesn't matter to you since it may be too cold to swim when you visit. The whole hotel just feels more Disney-fied to me with the decor around the grounds and the rooms.

But all that said, I do thnk the Grand Californian is worth a splurge and you should go for it. The proximity to the parks and the entrance to California Adventure are huge perks!

[twowhat?]

Yes, you can book directly with the hotel and then cancel later. I've done this.

The Grand Californian is a very nice hotel. We stayed there on our very first visit to Disneyland about 5 years ago. These days, I much prefer the Disneyland Hotel, especially now that everything's been renovated. I think Goofy's Kitchen in the Disneyland Hotel has better character meals than the Grand Californian restaurant. The kids pool is also much better at the DIsneyland Hotel, though this probably doesn't matter to you since it may be too cold to swim when you visit. The whole hotel just feels more Disney-fied to me with the decor around the grounds and the rooms.

But all that said, I do thnk the Grand Californian is worth a splurge and you should go for it. The proximity to the parks and the entrance to California Adventure are huge perks!

OK cool I might just book a couple of options so we have more time to really decide. I keep waffling between a resort hotel or something like the HoJo with a kids suite.

Now I'm trying to figure out why my disboards login isn't working!

[Tondi G]

Just chiming in to say that we have stayed at both the Disneyland Hotel and the Grand Californian ... our family much prefers the Disneyland Hotel. Their new pool area with the monorail water slides is AWESOME! So much better than the Grand Californian. The new remodeled rooms are really nice ... the light up headboards are cool (per my DS2) and the beds were SO COMFY! If given the choice between the 2 hotels our whole family would choose the D-land Hotel.

[smiles33]

OK cool I might just book a couple of options so we have more time to really decide. I keep waffling between a resort hotel or something like the HoJo with a kids suite.

Now I'm trying to figure out why my disboards login isn't working!

Book now if you want a kids suite at HoJo. They book up fast! I got ours 10 months in advance!

[twowhat?]

Just chiming in to say that we have stayed at both the Disneyland Hotel and the Grand Californian ... our family much prefers the Disneyland Hotel. Their new pool area with the monorail water slides is AWESOME! So much better than the Grand Californian. The new remodeled rooms are really nice ... the light up headboards are cool (per my DS2) and the beds were SO COMFY! If given the choice between the 2 hotels our whole family would choose the D-land Hotel.

I am starting to think the Grand Californian isn't worth the $$ since it's the most expensive of the 3...but what turned me off of the DL hotel is they say it's the longest walk to the parks. So now I'm thinking Paradise Pier...really, how the heck do people decide??


Book now if you want a kids suite at HoJo. They book up fast! I got ours 10 months in advance!

Yikes!!! OK, I will!! One question though - is that top bunk safe for a 4.5 yo??

eta: just made reservations at the HoJo since there's no deposit and no penalty if I cancel in time - got the kids suite!! Still have no idea whether bunk beds are safe for 4.5 yos, but at least we have SOMETHING reserved while I look into on-site hotel options:)

[BayGirl2]

Just got back from a week there with 2 kids. We loved the Disneyland Hotel. Its right next to the Monorail, so you can always use that to go back and forth from DL. But you have to fold your stroller, that was a PITA for us so we only used it once with the kids. DLH is closer than Paradise Pier by a little bit, and definitely has more Disney theming. The whole hotel just feels magical to me. We actually spent a day at the pool and got a cabana, really nice way to relax. Will your kids nap/rest in the stroller? We didn't go back for naps (our kids get crazy in the room but pass out in the stroller) we just planned for down time in the afternoons and they slept in the park. DS and I used that time for the adult rides or sat around and watched shows in the AC.

GCH is a closer walk, no question. But the rooms at DLH are bigger (from what I hear) and that made a difference to us. We didn't really mind the walk through downtown Disney, in the morning we would grab a Peet's coffee from Hagan Daas and in the evening I would have been wiped out no matter where we walked.

If I were you I'd book all the options you are considering now, don't prepay, and note the timing for cancellation. You can compare the Costco package options to the individual options - sometimes they are better sometimes worse, I think it would have been about break even for us.

ETA: I believe the Hojo kids suite has 2 bunks and a single fold out. So you could use the bottom bunk and the foldout and keep the girls out of the top if you feel they aren't ready.

[tny915]

I am starting to think the Grand Californian isn't worth the $$ since it's the most expensive of the 3...but what turned me off of the DL hotel is they say it's the longest walk to the parks. So now I'm thinking Paradise Pier...really, how the heck do people decide??

If your choice is DL Hotel or Paradise Pier, pick the DL Hotel! Granted, I have never stayed at Paradise Pier, but my walks through the lobby have not impressed me. I've also heard problems with their limited # of elevators causing long waits in the morning when you're trying to get out the door. The walk to the parks is farther than Grand Cal, but I personally enjoy the walk through Downtown Disney, and like PP said, you can use the monorail.

If you want more of a splurge at the DL Hotel, you could get a Downtown Disney/theme park view so you can see the fireworks at night from your room, using the fireworks music soundtrack from the tv.

Or, if you REALLY want to splurge, you could get a concierge/club level room. The rooms are on the top 2 or 3 floors of the theme park view tower, and you get all day access to the concierge lounge where they offer free fruit, food, snacks and drinks all day and little hot appetizers and wine in the evening. We did this our last trip, and it was SO NICE! We grabbed breakfast to go in the morning (pastries, eggs, bagels, milk, juice), headed out to the parks, came back for snacks in the afternoon (homemade chips and salsa, veggies and dip, Uncrustables, crackers), swam, napped, then back to lounge for snacks (ravioli, empenadas, quesadillas) before heading out to the parks at night. Then right around bedtime, we'd head up to the lounge to watch the fireworks with the music piped in through the lounge speakers, grab cookies and tarts for a sweet treat before bedtime. Pricey, but SO worth the splurge for us. We always go back to the hotel to rest when we visit DL, so that allowed us plenty of opportunity to take advantage of the lounge.

[Tondi G]

The walk to the parks is slightly longer from the Disneyland Hotel than the Grand CA but not by that much .... the walk really isn't bad through Downtown Disney! AND the Monorail station is closest to the Disneyland Hotel. It only takes you into Disneyland (tomorrowland) no stops in DCA. The walk into Disneyland from the Paradise pier is definitely longer.

My vote is still the Disneyland Hotel.

[pomegranate]

If money isn't an issue, I'd stay at the Grand Californian. We stayed there about 4 times when DS was younger. Really nice hotel. The character breakfast doesn't have the main characters, but for that we just ate at the Park Plaza inside Disneyland. Convenience was awesome, especially if you'll have hopper tickets. There's a separate admission into CA through the Grand Californian and sometimes to get to Disneyland I would just cut brought CA. If you want something cheap and really close, we now stay at the Best Western Park Place Inn on Harbor right across from the entrance at the stoplight. HoJo is a big block north and I would only stat there in the summer to take advantage of the swimming area.