Inexpensive Places to Stay near Disneyland? Fun Things to Do There?

Hi S.,
When we drive to Disneyland, I always go to www.Hotwire.com and I have gotten 5 star rooms for as little as $98.00. You can choose anywhere from 1-5 star hotels and the location or distance from Disneyland. Depending on the # of stars you choose, that's the rate. I use it for all of my travels. Good Luck and say "Hi" to Mickey for me!

Lucy B.

Dear S.,
A very good alternative, walking distance to Disneyland, Denny's and other shops is the Howard Jonhson Plazza Hotel ###-###-####). We stayed there 2 weeks ago (with AAA discount:93.60 dollars per night +city charge of 14.04 in big double queen bed room overlooking Disneyland)and loved how easily we could get to the parks and they have a very fun pool area for the kids too.The rooms were clean and confortable with internet, microwave,fridge, coffee maker and parking included.
Wishing you a great trip!
A.

Go to the Disneyland.com website:
http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/hotels/g...

They have listings of Good Neighborhood Hotels ranging from Economy to Suites. They all offer shuttle services.

Have fun!!!

S.,
Just returned from Disneyland last week...had a great time! Although, I have never stayed at the Disneyland hotel, I hear it's great!!! There are sooooo many promotions going on right now, I would check around...$395 for the hotel is big...and how much time will you be IN the room? I would check with www.disney.com/afforable or www.getawaytoday.com (we used them and they saved me $$'s...our group, 6 adults and one 2 year old stayed at Embassy Suites on Harbor (about a mile from the park), the hotel included a full cooked to order breakfast for all!!! There are a ton of hotels, sad to say, there's alot of research out there to get the deals!! As for your 2 old, not alot of rides, unless they meet the height requirement of 40 inches...and sadly, we never made it to Toon Town!!!
I'd be happy to answer any additional questions you might have...HAVE A GREAT TIME and be sure you ride Astro Blasters!!!

My husband and I have never stayed at a hotel with our kids while going to Disneyland...we bring our 5th Wheel and stay for about $90 per night. But from what I have heard, there are resources for Disneyland hotels through AAA & Costco. Sorry I am not help there, but I know there are much cheaper hotels than the Disneyland hotel...it just depends on what is included in that price.

I am sure that your 2 year old is free, so make sure you don't pay for her. They were free when I took my twins.

I do have a lot of experience at Disneyland...we have gone 2 times and stayed each trip for 4 days. I have a girl that is 8, and twins that are 5 (boy/girl).

They LOVED the character breakfasts held at Disneyland...you get to meet the characters and get their autographs. You recomendation is to immediately buy an autograph book at the front shops...or bring one of your own...because you will see characters right away and your children will love getting their picture and their autograph. My girls loved going to Libby Lu (in the outdoor shopping area before you to into Disneyland) to get a princess makeover...very cute!! They do their hair and put a crown on them...also a small amount of makeup...to feel like a princess!!

There is also a princess dinner held over at California Adventure - kind of pricey, but ALL of my kiddos loved meeting the princesses...even my son!!

There are tons of rides for little ones...we first went when my twins were 2 1/2 and they had a blast!! They have great shows as well. Alladin show at California Adventure is a must see if it is still showing!!

Also, just so you know, we brought food in and only purchased dinner while there...it was so much cheaper that way. I packed the stroller when the kids were little with bottled water and a ton of snacks, PB sandwiches, fruit.

Bring lots of film!!

It's been 6 years since I took my eldest daughter to Disneyland. We stayed at one of the neighboring hotels which has access to the Disneyland shuttle at no extra cost. We found the hotel to be clean and the staff to be friendly and helpful. If you are a member of CSAA (California State Auto Association) they have the best deals available to Disneyland. You can pick up a booklet from their office which lists the Disneyland hotels and neighboring hotels including what each offers and the CSAA rating of each hotel. We found "Goofy's Kitchen" to be a lot of fun, it's a buffet style breakfast with Disney Characters. The characters do a good job of mingling and switching areas when the music changes, you never have to move from your table all of the characters make their way to you for photos and a quick visit. Enjoy your trip.

Hello
We have stayed both inside Disneyland and at the outside hotels.. First, the Disneyland Hotel was very clean and of course it was GREAT to be right there on the premises so that come mid-afternoon we could take a break and go back to our hotel, freshen up and then head back to the park. Gotta say, it was fun to finally stay there even if it was just ONCE in a life-time....

However, it WAS expensive and as much as I loved it, we didnt' stay there when we went last (November 2008) instead, we stayed at the Alpine Inn for $60.00 a nite.. It was clean (nothing though is ever as clean as one's own home) and the frontdesk employees were quite nice. In addition, it was quiet (at least when we stayed) it IS nearby, but with small kids, a 10 min walk will probably be closer to 15-20 minutes to the actual gate..

Now, whatever you do.. DONT stay at that Ramada Inn directly across the street from the park.. It was FILTHY....... FILTHY... you see those hotels directly across the street get a lot of action with 1,000s of kids running thru there each year and unlike Disney who keeps up their hotels, the Ramada didn't. I've also stayed at that Best-Western, it was slightly better.

If you are eating out, the EARLIER you get to the restaurant like say that Denny's nearby, the better off you are.. get there by at least 7am and you should be able to beat the crowd.. by 7am.. the place gets busy..
OR better yet, try and pack some of your own food for the hotel room, this way you save time and money.

AS for rides, the 2 and 3 yr old will have fun.. but they are still kinda young.. They may enjoy the animal train ride and the rides in fantasyland... TIP go to fantasyland FIRST..why?? b/c those rides fill up early b/c they are for the younger kids which means many parents take their little ones out in the day, there are less lines at night, but if the weather is warm, you can expect a line even then. Anyway, Peterpan usually fills up quick...
After you've done the rides in Fantasyland, your 5 year may enjoy the winnie the pooh ride , I believe it's in adventureland... Regarding toontown... for your kids who are so young, can't say they are missing much.. UNLESS you want to wait in line to see Mickey/Minnie (their houses are over there) otherwise, they aren't missing out on much..
Once you do the Winnie the pooh ride, head over to the Pirates (the 2 and 3 yr may not care so much about this one) but the 5 yr old prob will.. that ride has gotten more popular since Johnny Depp.. :) the haunted mansion may be too much for them... depends..
after Pirates, the 5 yr old will probably want to climb the treehouse, that is fun and there isn't a line since not everyone is into climbing.. :)

Ok... The raiders ride is a lot of fun, but unless your kids are TALL for their ages... they probably can't ride it... ? from there, you have the tikihut.. fun if you need a break from walking and like to listen to birds sing.. it's very colorful, we only go there when we need to rest our feet.. The Bengal BBQ is decent food (not fried) so you can eat fairly well there... the chicken skewers are good and I like the asparagus...

Oh and your 5 yr old will probably like autopia.. he will need a parent to push down the gas pedal, but if he likes to drive, then it's usually fun for the kids...

I recommend a STROLLER for the younger ones..... this way, when tired they can rest... and bring bottled water, just tuck it away and the park won't find it.. believe me.. you'll be glad you did.. oh and BRING some wetwipes , it's so much easier than trying to stop everything you are doing and look for a restroom to wash your hands or clean up a messy face.. and lastly...... Bandaides... can't tell you how many times I have wished I had one because no matter what comfy shoes I bring, with hours of walking, I usually come away with a blister or someone does in my family...

Anyway, good luck and most of all, have a SUPER time!!

I would not stay at the Disneyland Hotel for one reason and one reason only. There are no microwaves in any of the rooms.

Go on priceline.com or hotel.com. With priceline you can name your own price. We stayed at a hotel with a full kitchen for $48/night and it was a nice hotel.

There are many rides for all your kids to ride. My granddaughter has been riding the children rides since she was 6 months old.

Since this is your kids first time at Disneyland, make sure you stop by the City Hall and get your 1st visit disney pin for them to wear and if it is there birthday, make sure you sign up on disneyland.com and get your certificate for their free entry into disneyland and make sure you get them a happy birthday pin at City Hall.

I would bring your own strollers and don't buy the ones in Disneyland for one reason, if the kids fall asleep on your way back to the hotel, you either have to wake them up so they can walk or carry them. You can not take the Disney strollers pass the security check in or to the Disney Market Place, but if you have your own stroller you can take anywhere. If you have the sit and stand stroller that would be perfect for the 3 kids.

Depending on how tall your 3 and 5 year old are, there are some grown up rides they can ride. My 3 yr grand daughter loves the matterhorn. She says that is her favorite roller coaster ride. But she is too short for Big Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain.

S., I hope you have fun and enjoy yourself.

FYI: Dress the kids all in the same color of shirt. It is easier to spot the kids that way.

There's so much I could say but it'd fill a book so here's a few things....

We took my daughter when she was 3 and I was pregnant. There's lots for little ones to do there. Pretty much any ride in Tune Town or Fantasy Land but there are websites that give lists of the rides and the ages and height requirements.

There's also some great tips out there too. One perk to staying at the hotels on site is they let you enter the park an hour before the gates officially open on some mornings. That way you can quickly ride the most popular rides before the long lines.

Grandma and Grandpa wanted to come so actually they paid for the hotel room and we asked for 2 queen beds and a roll-away and shared the one room. Then we traded off getting our alone-time in it.

I didn't want to buy all the meals so I brought my electric griddle (for pancakes, eggs, sausages, grilled cheese, etc.) and we requested a room with a frigerator. I also brought my electric water heater-upper (from Walmart $10 ... it's like an electric teapot) to heat water for coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and instant meals like oatmeal, cuposoups, etc. Then we splurged one morning on a breakfast with the characters.

Here's some websites that used to have great advice:
http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/disneyland/a/dcarides_p.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_Disneyland_a...
For more tips:
http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/cadisneyland/a/mistakes_...
http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/disneyland/a/gentips_p.htm

I'd recommend getting a map and a list of activities from Disney's hotels ahead of time to try to plan ahead too.

You'll have a blast.

We stayed at the Hyatt and took the free shuttle. It was very clean and convenient. My 2-year-old really enjoyed the Finding Nemo ride and anything that took him up high where he could see the roller coasters in action. There were quite a number of toddler friendly rides. The key to maximising your rides is to strategise early and collect FastPass tickets so you can walk right in instead of standing in line. Pack lots of food for those times when you're standing in line. You may not have long waiting times at this time of the year, but in summer it is horrendous.

Hi S.,

We always stay at the Desert Inn and Suites directly across from the main entrance to Disneyland. It is a really short walk. Even though the resort hotels are technically in the Disneyland resort, the actual walk to the park entrances is quite a bit farther than the hotels right across the street on Harbor blvd. You have to walk all the way through Downtown Disney from the Disneyland Hotel to get to the main entrances. They do have a monorail, but if you have a stroller, that can be a pain. We found it much more convenient to do the short 5 minute walk from The Desert Inn. We've also stayed at the Carousel Inn, which is also a very short walk. Both are MUCH cheaper than the resort hotels. We stayed at Paradise Pier one year, and it was not worth it. The walk was still far, even with the "private entrance" to California Adventure.

I highly recommend Toy Story Mania. We had a 2yo girl, 5yo boy, and 7yo girl in our group, and all enjoyed it the most out of all the rides...even the adults had fun with this one!

Have a great time!

We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn Maingate in both Feb & Oct last year and loved it. It's close to Disneyland - take the shuttle (so much easier than driving and parking and then taking the Disneyland parking shuttle). The hotel has a great free buffet breakfast so you can fill up your tanks before heading to the park. All rooms also have kitchens so you can eat a meal there or at least have snacks. The rooms are very clean. My kids were 1 yr old and 3 yrs old the first time we went. They both had a great time. They loved the jungle cruise and the tiki bird show. Some of the so called kiddie rides were too loud and scared them (mad hatter, winnie the pooh, and some shows - Muppet Theater, Bugs Life 3-D show). Dumbo ride is good too. We also spent a lot of time at California Adventure in the Redwood Adventure area (rock climbing, zip cord, slide, basically a playground). In Oct, my then 4 yr old loved CA Soaring too. Have fun.

We stayed at the Carosel Inn. We had a 2 and 3 yr old with us, and the walk to the park wasnt too bud, but we also had Grandpa (in his 50's) and an Uncle (21) who were putting the girls on their shoulders so they could see everything. We took the train down so we rented strollers from the park. Their favorite ride was It's a small world, we went on it twice a day for 3 days! My daughter still talkes about it (she was 3, and is 6 now).

It was my 1st trip there as well, so I was so in awe of the place, I forgot where we went when!

Have fun!

I don't think the Disneyland Hotel is really worth the high price that they charge. We stayed there years ago and I know it's been remodeled but you can usually get much better deals off-site. Almost all of the surrounding hotels have regular bus service to the parks so you don't need to worry too much about getting to the parks. We used to stay at a suites hotel in Orange - I think at the time it was a Hilton Suites but I'm sure there are several suites places which work well for kids. You get a kitchen (or at least a partial one), and you can also have the kids take a nap and still have your private space.

As for Disneyland, Toon Town should be perfect for your family as well as lots of the original rides in Fantasy Land. The parades are cool and there's just lots going on for them to enjoy. I'm not as familiar with the newer park - California ADventures - although we were there when it first opened.

J. F.

Hi S., I can vouch for the Candy Cane Inn as well as I was just there in November for the 1st time. My girlfriend and I took our 8yr old boys; left the husbands at home.
Nice clean rooms, nice pool area (one for little kids), and free breakfast. Cold/warm cereal, toast, muffins, bagels, fruit. If you prefer to eat in your room take the tray from under the coffee pot to load up and carry back to the room. We even took extra pieces of bread, peanut butter and jelly, and plastic knife to make the kids a sandwhich later in the room if they were hungry. Each room has a small refer also. Bring a few zip loc bags to keep the bread in. 7-11 and a mini market right next store came in quite handy a few times. Shuttle leaves every 30 minutes to and from the park and was always on time; never late.

Thought I would mention that there are some wonderful travel books and websites that give fantastic suggestions for traveling with small kids. If you do a little research now on tips for small kids, it will pay off big time when you actually get there. The Unofficial Guide of Disneyland for Families, Fodor's, or Frommer's guides are great. I can't say how important it is to space out your time at the park. Most families go in the morning, then back to the hotel for the afternoon (pool & naps) and then back late afternoon/evening. This way it is not a marathon for the kids, and they (and you) can actually have fun. Have fun!

S.,

There are plenty of alternatives the Disney Hotel, right accross from the park you have the Tropicana, and a Best Western that are both very clean and convient. Perks of a Disney Hotel, are they are super close, with lots of guests perks, including early entry every day your at the park, and package delivery. Check the Paradise Pier, a Disney hotel thats also very close, very nice, and one of my families fav's.

Ride wise your 2 your old will have a blast, the only rides he or she may not be able to ride on are the rollercoasters- but even the matterhorn, or gadgets coaster in toon town you only need to be 35" to ride. Most rides at Disneyland are designed for all ages!

Lastly check in to packages that include tickets and hotel, Get Away Today, Costco and AAA have great packages, that often include character breakfasts, gift cards and other extras!

Have fun, and research all your options!

Did anyone say CandyCANE Inn? Love it, we always stay there.Ask for a ground level room. You get a breakfast in the morning and there is a shuttle to the park or you can walk. We usually shuttle there and walk home. We went when one of our kids was 2 and she rode on alot of rides. For the ones she can't ride on make sure you get a family pass. You ask the person at the entrence of the ride for the pass and one adult waits somewhere comfortable while the others ride and when they get back you take someone and go hop on the ride. Works great! I am jealous . Have a magical time

We used Embassy Suites...it's a little more that your motels however, you dont have to worry about breakfast...it's included with your hotel stay. This breakfast is out of this world, you get anything you want from omlets to muffins and fruit then you have the hospitality time from the hotel manager in the evening...free drinks and snacks from 430pm-700pm they also sell large slices of pizza for $2...we stayed for 3 days and saved money on food because of their services. The kids would eat a large breakfast then off to the park where we only had to do lunch in the park (if they were hungry) and back to the hotel around 5pm for snacks, pizza and all they could drink (adults can have beer wine or spirits for free also)for dinner time and rest period then back to the park for the parade. The hotel also offer familys Disneyland packages that you can pay for over time...hopper passes, breakfast with the characters, transportation to and from the park with early entrance into the park.
Hopefully this will help...you can check other Hotels in the area and see if they offer Disneyland packages...have a geat vacation!
S.

Call around as there are many hotels that are very affordable. Decide what you need and then find out about all disocunts AAA, Costco, Senoir Citizen (if grandparents are coming too), union, government, military. Just about everyone qualifies for a disocunt of some sort if you ask. As far as the rides go there are plenty you can go on, throughout both parks. You can go to their webpage and find out the exact height requirements for specific rides. We are going in April with our five kids (1 month, 19 months, 3, 6 & 7). We plan on taking advantage of the baby trade option on rides the little ones can't go on. How it works is that part of your party goes through the line. WHen they see a cast member near the line entrance they tell them they are doing a baby trade. The cast memeber will give them a ticket and then they go through the line and go on the ride. When they come off they give the ticket to the rest of the party and the rest of the group goes straight to the front of the line (or very close) and rides the ride so you don't have to wait through the line twice.

H.

Hi S.,
I took my daughter last year for her 11th birthday.Just her & mom. We had a great time! I had wanted to stay at one of the Disney hotels (Wish I could afford the Lodge, inside California Adventure, it is so beautiful) but they were all SO expensive & honestly I would rather spend the money on my daughter than on a hotel room we would only be enjoying to sleep. We stayed at one of the "Program hotels" included in the package we purchased. It was fine! Not the best thotel Iv'e ever been in but nice enough. It seemed like a SAFE hotel. I don't remember the name but they're are many hotels in the area(the park is Literally surrounded by hotels) and everyone of those hotels caters to Disneyland. Most if not ALL have shuttles to the park, every 30 minutes.We didn't drive my car the entire time we were there other than to leave on Sunday. The hotel we stayed at was just behind the park & the only problem we had was that the Disneyland employee parking structure was across from our room, & cars were coming & going all nite. No big deal though.Since they ALL cater to customers wanting to have a wonderful vacation with thier kids at Disneyland I am sure wherever you choose to stay will be great.
Now, the 2 yr old may not be able to go on as many rides as the older child,but Disneyland is meant for kids, you will find plenty to do & see !!! If anyone in your family is clebrating a birthday, make sure you mention it to someone in the park. My daughter got all kinds of freebies that day,got to go to the front of the line on several rides, she recieved free lanyards & mickey mouse pins, plus the fact that more than 100 people from the park wished her a Happy Day, it was a memory she will never forget....We had no idea, but a worker overheard me say that her birthday was tommorow & gave her a pin that said it's my day, plus she was given an extra pass for breakfast with the characters....It was a great time....hope your family has just a much fun as we did....
Hints: be aware of what your spending. I noticed that price's vary for some of the same items. The food has gotten better, for the price anyway. Try to make reservations for any of the resturants on the city walk area,as we had trouble getting in to a couple. And if you have little one's...take wipes. I don;t have a little one but having a few wipes came in handy!!!
DON"T FORGET TO HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE!!!!!

we went to Disneyland in September with my 2 year old and my 6 mth old. We always stay at the Embassy Suites which is down the road a little but has shuttles daily/ every half hour or hour that take you to the park that are $3 or something a person (much cheaper than parking and a LOT less hassle). Teh reason we pick Embassy Suites are 1- they have two rooms which means a LOT more space than a traditional room for running and playing AND they have a hot breakfast every morning for free. It is the best thing EVER!! You can go down, get coffee, tea, a snack and get ready and than go back and eat breakfast and go, whatever works for you.

Teh room though is the best part, their room service isn't the BEST, but there are ton's of places around to eat and there is a Bucca Di Beppo in the parking lot.

Good luck
K.

I have 2.5 and 4.5 year old children. We have stayed at the Del Sol Inn (about $100/night) and at the Anaheim Camelot hotel (about $160/night). I just made reservations to stay at the Travelodge @ Anaheim ($70/night). All three are within walking distance. For me, I would highly suggest getting a hotel within walking distance if you are going to have a stroller. If not, then any hotel that offers a shuttle will be ok. But we REALLY like the convenience of just walking across the street after a long day and crashing in our hotel. The two that we stayed at were very clean, no complaints. We don't hang out there, just sleep. Most of our day is filled at Disney.
If your girls like the princesses, don't miss "meet and greet princesses" over by Toontown. The look on my daughters face when she was talking to Pocohantis, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty was priceless!

Hi, we stayed last year at the Best Western Stovalls Inn. It is right across the street from the parking lot at Disneyland.

Here is the web site:
http://www.stovallsinn.com/map.asp

It's not as nice as Disneyland, we stayed there a couple of years ago. But it is way cheaper, the walk into the park is just a little further (maybe half a block). It's really just across the street. They have free parking, free breakfast, a pool the rooms were just fine - but nothing fancy.

They have packages for Disneyland and other attractions, close to lots of restaurants too.

You're two year old probably is a bit too young to really get much use of the rides I think that three or certainly four year olds really get more out of the experience.

Have a great time! - I.

Hi S.,

There is a gem of a place called the Anaheim Dessert Inn. It is right across the street from DL. It was the perfect spot for our family 2 years ago(my kids were then 2, 5 and 16) because it afforded us a clean place, affordable place. It has a pool which the kids enjoyed, but most of all, since it was across the street, it was easy for us to leave during the day for the kids to take a nap and walk back in the evening after dinner. Since it had a fridge, we went to Target and stocked it with water, juice, fruit, lunch meat, mayo, etc. so that we didn't have to buy food in the park and had more money for the take home goodies. We are planning to be there in April as well.

For the rides, stick A Bug's Life is great for kids all ages. My son is rather tall, so at 5, he was able to ride any ride he wanted. My 3 y/o was not really happy about that, but once we hit A Bug's life, she was in her element. Of course, It's a Small World is great and Toon's Town is really fun, but expect long lines and be aware that there are some rides with height restrictions as well, so your youngest may not be able to ride all of them as well.

Have fun

A couple of years ago, we stayed at a Best Western which was about a 5 minute walk from the front gates (near an IHOP and McDonalds). They have "mini-suites" - really a room with a half divider so that the kids could fall asleep and we could still hang out. Plenty of space for our family of 5. It was closer to $150/night, if I remember right.

The Anaheim PLaza Hotel was a good deal. It was about a long blocks' walk to the main entrance. It was clean and they also had a pool if you aren't going to spend every day at the park. If you have AAA, they offer an additional discount. Good luck and have a ton of fun!

Hi S.,

Flat answer: NO, it is not worth the money to stay at the Disneyland Hotels, especially if you have small children. There are hotels RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET that are perfect because they have refrigerators and microwaves and offer continental breakfast. With a two year old you can just walk out of the park and go back to your hotel for a nap, swim and then go back in. All the restaurants are within walking distance. The Disneyland Hotels are off on their own. The walk to the park is farther. They do not have microwaves in the room. The closest restaurants are at Downtown Disney, which are more expensive.

I stayed at the Camelot Inn. We had a room on the top floor, and it was just perfect. This year we are staying at the Best Western that is directly across the street. The Camelot is, like, three hotels over. Go to the Disney website and check out the hotel map.

As far as activities for a two-year-old, there are a bunch. The Disney website has a section where they break down all the activities and rides by age-appropriateness. I printed that section out and brought it with me. They also break it down by interest, like all the Princess stuff, etc.

Have fun, and don't waste your money on the Disney Hotels!!

Try Getawaytoday Vacations. YOu can book a hotel and get your disney tickets through them. They give you a multitude of options to choose from in regards to hotel, location to Disney, etc.

Good Luck!

We just went to Disney with our 20 mo. old. We went on Snow White, Pinocchio, the carousel, Pirates of the Caribbean, the jungle cruise, the train, winnie the pooh, played in toon town, it's a small world, Dumbo, peter pan, alice in wonderland, mr.toad's wild ride, inside sleeping beauty's castle, and the haunted house. There is plenty to do with the younger ones. As far as hotels, check online for good deals. Or if you have AAA, they usually have package deals too. Have fun!

We go to Disneyland once or twice a year and have tried several hotels. One thing to remember is that at the end of the day it does not really matter where you are staying because you are not going to be spending much time in the hotel room anyways.
That said I loved the Candy Cane Inn, but it is not as close as it seems (but they have a free shuttle). There are several hotels that are closer and I think the closest one is probably the Best Western Maingate (with the exception of the D-land hotels, of course), but I have never stayed there.
Also, my kids are at horrible 'in between' ages right now, being 6 and 5 yrs old. They don't really want a stroller, but their short little legs don't really want to do all the work. Don't forget to be mindful of that when choosing your hotel. If you are going to have all three kids in strollers, then a hotel that is close will be great as you and your husband can just push them home at the end of the day. If they are not going to be all in strollers then any hotel will do, really, since you are going to want to take the shuttle at the end of the day.
The 2 year old will get to go on quite a few rides, but they also have a pass you can get where you can switch off riders when one person in your party is left behind with the stroller. (The name is escaping me right now.)
My girls favorite part of D-land is the Princess Fantasy Faire, where you get to take pictures with the princesses and get your hair or make up done, face painted, and dance with the princesses. My son really LOVES the Jedi Training Academy. The rides? They love them ALL.
(I have no idea how I just made such a simple response sooo wordy.)

There are TONS of hotels/motels near Disneyland, so unless you want luxury and want to spend that much money, I personally would skip the Disneyland Hotel. I can't give you a recommendation because we usually stay at our timeshare there. But, I can tell you that your kids will be able to go on most rides. I think there are only 5 or 6 rides that have any height requirements at all, so the kids will have plenty of fun.

We went earlier this month and stayed at the Desert Palm Inn & Suites (not the Desert Inn across from the entrance, the Desert Palm is down the street, next to the Candy Cane Inn). We chose it because we had a lot of grown ups who didn't want to share beds (my brother, my sister, my mom, plus me & my 7 yr old) and at the Desert Palms we could get a room with 4 queen beds and 2 full baths for $130/night, using our AAA discount. There was a mini frig and microwave too. They serve a free hot breakfast (decent, not great)on the 5th floor which you can opt to eat on the rooftop patio overlooking CA Adventure, a nice way to get your Disney day started. If I were going with just mom, dad, and the kids I would probably stay at The Candy Cane, with little ones you will appreciate having that shuttle service.

Another tip: My daughter had a birthday and because we got a good deal on multiday tix to both parks, we did not get the free ticket to Disneyland they now offer. (If you do get that, you can upgrade it to a ticket that gets her into both parks for $25.00.) Since we already had a ticket for her to use that day, they gave us a merchandise voucher good for $59! (The amt you get depends on the child's age, $59 is what they give for a 7 year old.) That was awesome, we got two great stuffed animals and a Jedi mug for FREE.

We waited till she was tall enough to make the height requirements for all the rides, but I wish we'd gone when she was younger. As it turned out, she didn't want to go on the rides she was tall enough for (NOT a roller coaster kind of girl), and was already too old for the younger kids stuff. Go while they're young and can really appreciate the magic. And definitely take a midday break back at the hotel so you can come back for the nighttime show without being exhausted. Have fun!

Hi, Our family has stayed at the Carousel Inn & Suites. They have microwaves & refrig and are only across the street. Great if you need to go back for naps or to change. The Desert Palms is nice too, just a little longer walk. Our kids love the character breakfast in Goofy's kitchen. My girls are 4 yrs. apart and we normally go 1-2 times a year. At 2 they are able to go on quite a few rides surprisingly. However, when mine were 2 their favorite thing was the parades. Have fun in Disneyland!!!

Hi S.,
we stayed at the Ayres Hotel,in Anaheim... it is under $100 a night it is really nice and they offer FREE full service breakfast in the morning. This is perfect for a family and will save you money on your meals when you go in with a full tummy. They have a shuttle to Disneyland so you can come home for meals and then go back in the evening. The hotel has all the amenities as the hotel and Mon. - Thursday they have cocktail hour w/ appetizers and free wine and beer for a few hours. It's a lot of fun!
The staff is great the rooms are spacious w/ fridge and beautifully decorated in a Italian Renaissance theme.
It has a pool and gym. We will stay there again and again!
Hope this helps.
C

I know you've already had some great advice, but I wanted to chime in quickly. If you are a AAA member you should call your local office. Our local office has an auto travel specialist that is a Disney expert! I know she goes to Disneyland at least once a year for training and insider info from Disney. She usually books us at one of the hotels across the street from the park. AAA also has extra perks/discounts since they are the Disney approved agents. She's gotten us some great deals over the years. Also, there is no extra charge for her services! Gotta love that!
If your local office doesn't have a Disney expert, maybe you can call Patti at the Capitola office. All the booking stuff can be done over the phone anyway, so that may work.

As for what to do with little kids, I would make sure you have park hopper passes because California Adventure has alot for littler kids. The Bug's Life area was a favorite for my girls when they were littler.

Have a great time! I'm jealous!

We stay at the Carousel Inn and suites. We love their View rooms and kid suites. And the walk is like 2 min.!Oh, and its clean. Go to the park first thing in the morning when the gates open and ride everything in Fantasyland(some may be scary like Snow White, just skip it). As the park gets more crowded explore other areas. At lunch go back to the hotel and nap, watch TV, have lunch. At around 2pm go back to the park. Your kids will love it! We go ever year and both kids celebrated their first birthdays there. Have fun!

You recieved a lot of great advice on hotels and rides,, but as far as maximizing your time there are two things I did not see mentioned... fast passes and parent swaps. You can use your tickets at various rides throughout the parks to get fast passes to come back at a pre-designated time and avoid the longer lines (you might still get a line but not at bad)- there is also a parent swap for some rides, you talk to the cast member at the line, one parents stays with the smaller children, and one parent rides, when the ride is over, you swap the children, the other parent rides, the swap ticket is usally good for two people so the older child usually gets to ride twice, and you eithe go in the exit or fast-pass line and avoid the longer wait. Each ride is a little different, some have desiganted areas. She ask about that one.. but check out disneylands website for more on which rides have fastpasses available. Those a a must! Have a wonderful time!!It's our favorite place to go! and p.s. everyone's right.. the Disneyland hotel is just a hotel, and not worth the money,,spend it elsewhere.

The last time we went to Disneyland, we stayed at The Super 8. Most all of the hotels that are close to Disneyland have free shuttle service to/from the park.

There is a website called getawaytoday.com that is great. It gives you all kinds of options for hotels near Disneyland. We go to Disneyland probably once a year or so, and we have both stayed in the Disneyland hotels and in outside hotels, and both are great. The advantage to the Disneyland ones is the close proximity to the park. But you can find other hotels that are also close to the park. It is definately much cheaper to stay in an outside hotel. You will have a great time either way. We always spend the entire day in the park and really only sleep in the hotel anyway.

Hi S.!

Everytime we go to Disneyland, we stay at the Candy Cane Inn. It sounds cheesey by it's a great little motel next to Disneyland that's very nice and clean and I think it runs around $150/night. They have a shuttle to Disneyland and a free continental breakfast every morning. We have been going there for the past 5-6 years and have been satisfied every time! I have never stayed at the Disneyland Hotel because its too expensive but have actually heard from several people that is it not worth it. Hope this helps! K.

Hello S. D.!

My name is C. and I live in California. I was very excited to reply to your questions because my family and I just returned from our third trip to Disneylad back in January of this year. I have to say that this most recent trip was our best one yet!

About the hotel, we have never particularly stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, but have had a friend stay there with her family. She loved it because it was walking distance to the entrance of the park. So they would go back to the hotel to take naps, in the middle of the day, and of the sort and then head back to the park for some more fun. But there are other hotels that aren't on the park property, but within walking distance to the entrances. It might be worth to check those out, per prices and whatnot.

But a tip about the Disneyland Hotel, you have to go to Goofy's Kitchen!! It's a breakfast buffett that features Goofy and some other characters, like Chip and Dale, Princess Jasmine, Belle, and Pluto. The buffett is amazing and totally worth the higher price tag. I think you have to call a month in advance and try to get an earlier reservation time.

About the rides, yes 2 yr olds can ride many rides. We planned to hit most of these rides early in the morning which mean smaller lines. When you enter the park you will walk down Main Street and right into the castle, walk though the castle and there are a bunch of rides for the young ones and they also should be fun for your 5 yr. old. Like the merry-go-round, Teacups, Dumbo, It's a Small World, and then head over to Toon Town. Toon Town is located past It's a Small World and is geared specifically to younger kids. Also, Micky and Minnie's house is located in Toon Town to get pictures with them. You might also find them just walking around in there.

The girls might love the Princess Pavilion(not sure if that is it's specific name), but it is next to the Small World ride and has princess shows. I have two boys so we have never been too it, but it always seems packed when we walk by.

Your boy would definetly love going into Tomorrow Land! They have a Buzz Lightyear ride that is so much fun, even for everyone! The new Nemo submarine ride is now open as well. We went on that and my one year loved it!!

One tip I tell all my friends when they go for their first time, go to the Mad Hatters shop located right as you walk into the park. You get your Mickey Ears and you can get it personalized for FREE! But go early cause these shops get crazy through out the day. It's the shop we hit first to get the boys their ears and it's also a great gift.

I would recommend renting their strollers. They are very comfortable and have a little basket underneath to put stuff in. They slip a piece of paper on it so you know when one is yours when you park your stroller when you ride rides. They don't have doubles and I don't know if your five year old rides in a stroller. I have a three yr old and a 15 mo. old.

I'm not sure how long you are staying at Disneyland, but they might have these tickets called two-fer tickets. You pay for the admission to one park and then you can get into the park as well. We used the ticket where you can go to both parks in one day.

Now I will have to tell you, California Adventure Land, is like a boardwalk. It is geared to an older visitor. They do have some kiddie rides but it's not as "Disney-like". I have heard they have another Buzz ride in California that is pretty fun and there is a It's A Bug's Life ride that my boys went on and enjoyed it. Oh, they do have a Disney Playhouse Live Show in there as well that is fun for the kids.

In the way of food for kids, I am very happy to see more healthy like options. They also do have these fruit carts as I like to call them. They have great snack food, like grapes, bananas, apples. They also have juices and water. So you don't necessarly have to bring snack food in with you.

If you kids are still in diapers (like my youngest) there is a very clean breastfeeding/diaper changing station located at the end of Main Street. We used that multiple times, but all the bathrooms are very clean and both the male/female bathrooms have changing stations.

Oh a tid bit about the parade which I so recommend to watch. But you need to stake out a place about thirty minutes before the parade starts. Spaces on the curb fill up quickly. We have always gotten a spot along Main Street.

I hope this helps in some way! In April you should have nice weather, one of the times we went we went in March and it was a little warm standing in line. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me! Hope you and your family have a wonderful time!

C. C.

Hi S. ~ We returned a couple of weeks ago. We stayed at the Homewood by Hilton. It was several blocks down, but certainly within the Disney district, but I wouldn't plan to walk from there. The great thing was all the rooms have mini kitchens (full size fridge, microwave, sink, dishwasher and 2 burners). With service for 4 (utensils, glasses, etc.). The rooms are suites with two queen beds in a bedroom and the living room sectional makes into a bed. 2 TV's. ALSO, there is a FULL BREAKFAST served daily. Waffles, oatmeal, eggs, sausage/ham, potatoes, juice, bananas, bagels, muffins, assorted cold cereals, too. Monday-Thursday, they also have an evening manager's meal. They also have a laundry room on the first floor and two swimming pools.

We have stayed at this establishment twice (2007 and 2009). Both times we were pleased with the service and amenities.

Have a magical time!
A.

Go to the original Disneyland. The Disneyland Hotel is great, but not sure it's worth all that. Anaheim is kind of dumpy, so there should be lots of relatively cheap hotels around. Try a hotel website.

San Clemente is 1/2 hour south, and is a beautiful town with a beautiful beach, so if you're beachgoers, go there for a day at the beach.

Have you tried priceline? When we travel (and we have traveled alot), I usually checked Priceline, name my own price for hotel and you can choose location, and so far been lucky. We have always gotten a 4 or 5 star for 50% off, i.e., Hilton, Hyatt, Omni hotels. Also, you should check Legoland, it's more geared towards younger kids and they get to ride more rides and it's not as crowded. We were there last year, I have 7 yr. and 2 yr. olds. Well, good luck and have fun.

S.,

The Frontier Motel is a good family place to stay. It's not expensive and its very close to Disneyland...I think they even have a free shuttle back and forth. 933 S Harbor Blvd
Anaheim, CA 92805
Phone: ###-###-####

I remember reading good things about this place on the Berkeley Parents Network:

http://www.candycaneinn.net/

Also, with the economy as it is I'm sure places would be willing to bargain a bit.

Have fun!

We LOVE Candycane Inn. It's right next to DL. It's super clean. They have a nice pool. What we love is they provide a very nice, better than average, continental breakfast out on their patio, which will save you tons!

We've stayed at the Anaheim dessert inn and suites that last few times we've been. It's right across the street from the main entrance so you can still walk to the park. I don't know what the current prices are but a couple of years ago we paid $130/night for a 2 room suite with 1 1/2 bathrooms. You can find them on-line and see the different rooms they offer.

Yes there is plenty for a 2 year old to do and lots of rides they can go on.

Have fun!!!

Hi,

you got a ton of responses, so i will be happy to add. There are many nice, clean hotels around the park. We have never stayed at the Disney hotel and hope to one day. Right across the street from the entrance is Tropicana and Camelot, so there is no shuttle taking. Have never stayed at Camelot, but have considered it.

We stayed at the Castle Inn our first year and it was getting pretty old. We always stay at the Tropicana. It has a fridge and microwave. It's your basic hotel, but since you only use it to sleep it's good enough. The hotel just recently remodeled all their rooms about 3-4 yrs ago. It's not too expensive and you can find it on Disneys neighboring hotels and get some of the package deals like early entrance and a phone call from a character and a free pin and lanyard and souvenior tickets. Although a kitchen would be nice to have, we like to make sure we at least have a micro and fridge. We take out Foreman grill and cook on that as well as a griddle with a whole bunch of other snacks and cereals for the kids. Also, they will let you take some snacks and drinks into the park.

As far as the rides, there are lots for your little one, especially in Fantasyland. Have a fun and safe trip!

Love The Candycane Inn and it's a short walk to DL. DLH is not worth the money in my opinion. Also, stayed at Howard Johnson last year and it was a bit longer of a walk, but a nice walk which passes McDonalds and Mimi's Cafe (so affordable eating). You can see fireworks from the hotel pool/parking lot area if you are too tired to walk into the park. Both hotels are clean. Candycane Inn is quieter, as Howard Johnson's is near the freeway (so if you choose HoJo, be sure you don't have the building on the freeway side.

When we went to Disneyland in October we stayed at the Courtyard Marriott. It was very nice and you can get the bus from the hotel to take you to the front gate at Disneyland/CA Adventure. Your 2 year old will be able to go on most rides. My youngest was 6 weeks old and she went on so many of them. You can go onto their website and see which ones have height requirements. (Not too many of the children ones do.) Have fun!

Hi S.,

I copied/pasted below the info on my latest reservation there, we stayed at the peocock suite for a great rate, it was a suite with a door between sleeping area and living room which was great with kids, very clean, we could have walked to Disneyland but to save our feet for the park we took the shuttle, see below. Parking is not included, however, I think it is $8.00 a night. I would stay there without a doubt next time we go.

Have fun!

V.

Arrival Date: September 17, 2008
Departure Date: September 19, 2008
Number of guests: 4
Room Rate: USD75.00
Rate Description: Stay 2 or more nights and receive a $75 per night rate PLUS a $25 Visa Gift Card. $25 early checkout fee will apply if two night minimum is not fulfilled.
Resort offers complimentary continental breakfast. Must book by Sept. 20. Black out dates apply.
Shuttle to and from Disneyland for fee:
One Day: Adult $4 Child $1
Two Day: Adult $8 Child $2
Three Day: Adult $10 Child $3
Five Day: Adult $16 Child $8
Room Type: One Bedroom-two double beds-sofa bed-dvd-refrigerator-microwave-comp. cont. brkfst
Cancel Policy: All reservations must be guaranteed with a major credit card. Check In: 4pm/ Check Out: 11am; Must cancel 48 hours prior to arrival to avoid penalty of one night room and tax.

If you have any questions, please call the Peacock Suites reservation department
at 1-###-###-#### or send an email to ____@____.com.

As others have mentioned there are a good number of places across the street. Look up "Disneyland Good Neighbor hotels" and you should get a list of various places. Most of these hotels also have a bus that stops that can take you to/from the Disneyland entrance for a small fee, while our hotel last year was within walking distance we used the bus since we had my brother's family with us and their girls wouldn't tolerate the walk as well as my older girls who were 7.

I also agree with the other person that recommends bringing some breakfast food, though most hotels have some form of continental breakfast, it helps to have a go to cereal that could be eaten dry.

I also recommend taking various size baggies with you, both on the trip and into the park, but I recommend those for any trip for any age. Never know when you might need a bag! :)

Good luck on finding a hotel that suits your needs. I found I would rather save the money on the hotel and use it to spend inside the park, since the hotel was just a place for us to clean up and sleep.

There's a Best Western right across Harbor (one of the streets that borders Disneyland). It's about $150-$200 a night depending on the season. We have been to Grand Californian on their deluxe level once, and this is a much better value. Plus IHOP is right next door for breakfast. There are lots of fun things for 2 year olds in toon town, also the classic rides like Dumbo, Circus Train, etc. Babies can also go on Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story Spin in California park.

Do a web search. We stayed a couple blocks away at a hotel that had a shark on the hotel sign. Sorry I can't remember the name. The rooms were normal hotel rooms, but the kids ate free breakfast every morning at the restaurant and they have a free shuttle bus to disneyland every half hour and pick ups back to the hotel are every half hour as well.

I lived in So Cal for several years and spent a ridiculous amount of time at the parks this is what I’ve learned.

Staying in a Disney hotel is very convenient. If someone needs a change of clothes or a nap you’re just a short shuttle ride away. However it is expensive. Their most economical hotel is Paradise Pier. There are also about a million hotels and motels in the area and bus/shuttle lines that go directly to the front gate of the park. One of my favorites is the Sheraton Anaheim Hotel. Several of my friends stayed their. It’s convenient to the parks and nice. It also has great access to the Disney parking structure if you decide to drive in rather than take a bus. It looks like an old Tudor estate on the outside.

The 2yo should be able to go on most/all of the rides in Fantasy land (though the Pinocchio ride always scared me as a kid.) Other rides good for that age include the jungle boat cruse, the Winnie the Pooh ride (don’t remember the real name), Small World, the submarines (which they were turning into a finding nemo ride the last time I was there), the Cars speedway, and of course the train that goes around the park. She will also have a blast in tune town running around in the characters houses. There are also a lot of non-ride attractions like Tom Sawyer’s Island and the Enchanted Tiki Room (which just got a face lift.)

My personal favorite ride is Pirates of the Caribbean, however they recently finished a remodel to that ride too so I don’t know what changes they’ve made.

Have a great time on your trip.

We just stayed at the Park Vue Inn. It is directly across the street from Disneyland, so very easy to go back and forth. I believe there was a pool but it was January so I didn't pay too much attention. It did have complimentary continental breakfast. The room was just fine, clean, had a small fridge and microwave. I would recommend it! There was an IHOP right there as well! One of these days we will splurge and stay at the Grand Californian which is the Disney Hotel accesible from California Adventure or from Downtown Disney. It is really nice, modeled after the Ahwahnee Lodge in Yosemite I believe, and gorgeous with a really nice pool area, slides and all.

Also, I really like the Fairfield Inn by Marriott. It is about a 5 minute walk from the park but I like that it has more of a hotel feel rather than motel. It is definitely in walking distance but not sure how easy that will be if your 2-year old is going to be walking or in a stroller.

We just went with our two year old and had a great time. Some rides we liked: Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room, Small World, Winnie the Pooh Adventure, Casey Jr. Train, Disney Railroad around the park, and Toontown was great for letting him explore, perfect for toddlers. I think they can go on pretty much all the rides in Fantasyland (the lines just get long). And here's a hint: When you get to the park, head to the back first, for example, go to It's a Small World or maybe the Nemo ride (which we didn't go on b/c line was way too long). Most people when they arrive to the park in the morning go on the closest rides first therefore the rides towards the back have quick lines. This saved us so much time. We went to Small World first and there was no line. Later in the day, the line was extremely long. Then we headed over to Casey Jr train, Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room. We also took our 2 year old on Pirates but just a warning that he did not care for it at all. It's a really dark and kind of scary ride and was not a good choice. I was tempted to do Haunted Mansion but we didn't. Maybe with older siblings your 2-year old would be fine!

I think while it is nice to stay at the Disneyland Hotel, $395/night is pretty steep and I would at least check out the pricing at the Grand Californian if you are going to pay that much as it is newer.

Also, we love going to Rainforest Cafe to eat at Downtowb Disney.

Have a great time. If you have any other questions, feek free to email me. I've gone to Disneyland every year since I was a kid I think!! :)

Hi S.,
I will tell you that we LOVED staying at the Howard Johnson that's almost directly across from the gate. It was pretty inexpensive, very clean, and had a fabulous "water park" area for the kids. I have a 2-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl and they both really enjoyed it even though it was COLD when we got there. Hint: if' it's cold, get in the hot tub before heading down the waterslides because then they feel good. :) http://www.hojoanaheim.com/ is their website. I suggest getting a queen suite that has the view of the park and/or fireworks, but you can also see the fireworks from the waterpark area.

As for the parks, both kids had great times there in both parks. They didn't care for the 3-d movies, but they loved the parades, bug's life area, seeing their favorite characters, the submarine and auto rides, and mickey's toon town the very best. There is so much to pick and choose from that you should be set! :) I also recommend the Star Wars show where they choose kids from the audience to learn Jedi moves. The kids were enthralled with this, and we just happened to be sitting and eating when it started. :) If you have the time (such as a 3-day pass) take it easy and don't overdo it at the parks. Also, when going to see the princesses, know that you'll probably be in line for a long time, and strollers aren't allowed in that line. I'm not sure if they're allowed for the Tinkerbell group. They recommended coming to that one during parades when there would be fewer people.

Good luck and have a great time!!!!

K.

Hyatt Regency Orange County
11999 Harbor Blvd.,
Garden Grove, California, USA 92840
Tel: +1 ###-###-#### Fax: +1 ###-###-####
http://orangecounty.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp

Stick to Disnyeland, avoid California Adventure with younger children. There are plenty of kids rides that will work out for your family and be sure to check out the shows.

how fun. we are planning to take our 7 year old and 3 year old this summer. last time i was down there i stayed at the Hawthorne Suites. it's not as close as the disneyland hotel (which i have stayed at and loved the experience and early admission). the suites were reasonably priced and had a shuttle stop out front.
good luck

we're just about to take our 2nd trip in a few months. 1st time stayed @ Disneyland Hotel & it was great location, but only had fridge & i think microwave. i much prefer a kitchen or a place that makes breakfast for free. i don't like having to take small kids to wait to be seated, wait to order, wait for food, wait for bill, have tantrums etc...this time we'll be not far in Garden Grove at Residence Inn - a 2bdrm for only $189 with a full kitchen & 2 baths, also free breakfast. they have a shuttle, but we'll probably drive anyway cuz feel better using car seats. trip advisor had mostly good things to say about the property.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/snaag-residence-inn...

we love the Annabella it is right across the street and great.

S.,
There are many places to stay right across the street from Disneyland that are great! I took my 4 and 2 year olds last year and they both had a blast, I think you will find there are a lot of things to do.

As for the hotels, I am a travel agent. I have some great deals on my website, please visit

www.sarahenderson.rovia.com

If you have any questions, just let me know.

S.
###-###-####

I know you asked for hotels in the Disneyland area, but do your children still need naps? My family & I have been to Disneyland twice, once we stayed at a Disneyland hotel and the second at a neighboring hotel. My little boy, 3-year-old, still takes naps & it was much easier to get to the Disneyland Hotel for a nap & then back to the park rather than loading up stroller, kid, and everything else you accumulate to the car to go to the hotel further away. If you can aford to stay at the Disneyland Hotel it is much easier.

There are places to stay near the park that you can call. The best rides and only rides hor your children are in fantasyland. The rest of the park will be off limits for the kids since they are not big enough for the rides.

It is not worth staying at the Disneyland hotel! We have done it! We like to stay at a neighboring hotel named CandyCane Inn. A lot cheaper. Has complimnetary breakfast, shuttle rides to the park. Enjoy:)