Going to Disneyland for Spring Break

We're going to Disneyland for Spring Break too! I totally agree about the Disney resorts being really expensive. We're staying at the Fairfield Inn, supposedly right across the street from Disney, although I've never been there. We really didn't want to battle parking lot at the parks The Fairfield doesn't have a breakfast, just a little snack/food shop, but I've heard you can see the fireworks from the hotel. So I hopeful it will be good. It's the crowds I'm worried about.

We've never paid more than $100 a night for a resort hotel on property...

Anything less than that? In Anaheim? Is going to be gangbangers & hookers.

Heading down to Huntington Beach /Seal Beach you may find better rates, but its unlikely to be beach front. Not trying to be Debbie Downer, but the region is expensive & poverty stricken. The middle income range is really between 100&200. Otherwise, its bangers below and ###-###-#### above.

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The best rates Ive ever found are through Disneyland. Typically, we've gotten package deals where room & multipasses total out to about $1000 for 5-7 days, not including airfare.

Not only are there advertised specials, but working through a DL planner over the phone (instead of booking myself) has gotten us further discounts (except the time the person on the phone said to jump online and grab the 24hr special, quick!)

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That's been one of the confusing things to me. Typically, we pay less staying on property, than our friends do staying off property. Not only are our rooms less, but there isn't a rental car need (and added fees).

There ARE specials off property (and packages) that middle class hotels run that beat Disney, and there ARE good hotels off property. They have to compete with Disney pricing to get families. But Ive still always paid less staying in the park.

beach hotels will likely cost you more than those near disney. You are looking at a 30 minute drive from a beach hotel to Disney. A nice cheap hotel near the beach on spring break is not likely to exist. There are many hotels near Disney not associated with Disney that on the off season go for a $100 or so a night. So plan on $130 - $150 during spring season near Disney. Threw a little map in to show you the relationship of beach cities and freeways to Anaheim. If it were me, I'd pick a nearby hotel within walking distance of Disney and not worry that Anaheim is booty because you will be in the park all day. Then splurge on one night at a beach resort or hotel near San Diego or any beach city. However, if you are going to theme park all the days you are there, don't worry about a beach hotel, it will be a waist of your money. If you want to take a day to really enjoy your resort then start researching beach city hotels and resorts.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ocalmanac....

We've been going to Disneyland in August for my daughters birthday for years and we've always stayed at the Howard Johnson (less than $150 per night) and really loved it. It's walking distance to the park and they have a fun water play area for the kids. Although this last year we decided to switch it up and stayed at the Candy Cane Inn and will probably return to this one next time. The free breakfast and shuttle service to/from Disney really made a big difference for us. Checking www.tripadviser.com can help a lot too.

Disneyland itself is really not near a beach. If you head South toward San Diego and Legoland you will eventually be near the ocean.

We are huge In-N-Out Burger fans at our house, but you may have that at home in TX.

M

We live close to Disneyland and have had annual passes off and on and stayed at the hotels a few times. The ones at the resort ARE really expensive, especially during price gouging times like Spring Break.
It definitely is less expensive to stay somewhere else, but Anaheim is NOT close to the beach. Well, relative to Texas it is, but it's still a drive, definitely not within walking or bus ride distance. You would have to have a car.
Last time we booked hotel and Disney reservations we used a travel agent who is a friend of a friend. She specializes in Disney stuff and is very nice. She also gives Disney dollars as a thank you for your business. I do believe she would find you a nice hotel within your budget and help you with everything with integrity and not rip you off.
Her name is Diane Mendoza, her business is www.pixiediane.com, and her number is 877-688-0581.
Please tell her Tara L. from the Disney homeschool group referred you (not because I get any kickback, we don't even have Disney passes anymore, but I think she would appreciate knowing I had referred you).

I just checked out history on Mamasource for a friend the other day. These were venues recommended. Further away from Disneyland the better prices, you will get. You just have to shuttle in or park ($15) at Disneyland parking. Go in and check out tips and other ideas about Disneyland on main Mama Source page. Also be aware that everyone on West Coast from what I know has same spring break. It is going to be annoyingly crowded. I live in the Las Vegas area and I know a ton of people headed that way for Spring Break as well as Utah. Plan out your rides and day before you enter the park, use fast pass system.

I would recommend staying at any of the hotels on Harbor blvd in the number range 1400 to 1500... in other words 1500 Harbor blvd... 1510 Harbor blvd... Those are directly across the street from the main gate and if you have kids, you can walk, instead of taking a shuttle. Tropicana Inn is directly across.

We love the Annabella Hotel. It's a 10-15 minute walk to the park, very clean, very nice rooms including mini-suites for families and it's very reasonably priced.

We went to Disneyland this past fall, but stayed in a hotel away from the park, because it was much cheaper. It was quite easy this way, as we just parked at the park and a Disney bus took us to the front door. Very easy and we saved a lot of money.
My kids are 6 and 3, so we just did Fantasyland. Adventure Park was a little too much for my little ones.
Paradise Pier and the Camelot, which is right across the street. I would recommend staying at one of the hotels across the street from the entrance. We had the suite at the Camelot and it was just perfect for us. We are going again in April and I am going to try the Best Western Park Place Inn. It is directly across the street from the entrance. You can't get any more convenient than that.

Candy Cane Inn which is 2 blocks away. They have a shuttle every 30 mins to & from the park. The shuttles were like clockwork; never late. They offer free breakfast every morning, of hot or cold cereal, fruit, toast, bagels etc. Right next door was a mini-mart and a 7-11. Each room has a small fridge in it which comes in handy. The restaurant area is small and fills up fast but you can take the food back to you room

I agree with the other posters that for while you are at Disney, book a hotel near the park. Best Western Stovall is $99/night. If you have points thru Marriott, the Fairfield Inn is clean and comfortable.

For tickets, see if your or your partner's employer has discounts thru ticketsatwork.com. I am using a discount there where the discount is about 10%. Another reliable source is bestticketshere.com but they only have 1-day park hoppers. Do not use any other brokers or Craig's List because Disney is cracking down on "rented" tickets or people using the second half of a pass.

For meals, try to get a hotel with a free breakfast and fill up there. Grab a few baked goods to snack on. I avoid the restaurants at the park but ESPN zone was a good deal since the portions are huge!!

We're taking our son for the first time for his birthday on April 22nd which is the start of his spring break. We live in San Diego. We'll be staying at the Sheraton Anaheim which looks like a little castle and has great amenities including complimentary shuttle service to and from Disneyland every 30 minutes. For one night, we're paying about $120 using our AAA membership (not including taxes and hotel charges). It's a Starwood hotel so I trust it, it's been recommended to me by friends who are annual passholders and we'll earn Starwood points. We'll be purchasing the southern california annual passes because it's so darn difficult to find discounted tickets for Disneyland, so I can't help you with that portion of your question - sorry. Here's the link to the hotel: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/...

I'm pretty sure you can bring food into Disneyland - although not 100% positive. They do have lockers (or at least they used to -it's been way too long since I've been there) so you can always bring some snacks and then take the shuttle back to your hotel for nap and lunch.

EDIT: I misspoke about bringing food into the resort - you can have a picnic outside of the park: Can I bring food into Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park?
If you wish to bring your own food and enjoy an outdoor meal in an ideal setting, there is a complimentary Picnic Area conveniently located outside the Main Entrance to Disneyland Park.

With the exception of food items for Guests with specific dietary restrictions, food or beverage items are not permitted into either of the Disneyland Resort theme parks.

As for Legoland, I've definitely seen coupons and discounts around, so just do some internet research to see what you can find. I did a quick search for you and found this one: http://www.visitcalifornia.com/Fun-Spots/e80366

Have fun!

I'm sorry for editing this answer again, but you made me curious for our trip. The lockers are in the same location as the picnic area, so you could pack your lunch in a cooler and place in the locker, then sit in the picnic area to eat. Here's what it says on the Disneyland.com site:

Picnic Area
The Disneyland Resort features a complimentary picnic area just outside the Main Entrance to Disneyland Park. You'll find tables, chairs and shade umbrellas perfectly suited for a leisurely outdoor meal.

The area is conveniently located adjacent to a set of lockers, ideal for storing your food, utensils and picnic gear.

and, here's the link: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/plan/guest-services/picni...

Disneyland has restaurants, but be sure to make a reservation before hand. They do get busy. The food is rather (really) expensive. Disneyland is big and you will not want to exit the park to eat and for the price of your entrance tickets, you will not want to leave until the end. I suggest you eat before you enter the park and then have a burger or hotdog and then a nice dinner.

I believe the Entertainment book has some discount tickets. I will check and update.

As for hotels you can get discounts through Entertainment book or you can try to name you price at priceline.com.

We always stay at The Annabella Hotel when we go to Disneyland. Nice, clean, comfortable rooms, decent price (about $100-120/night) and a 15 minute walk to the park entrances.
Right now, Safeway has 3 day park hopper tickets for $20 more than 2 day park hoppers sell for, but not sure when they're good for.