It's a beautiful day here in Washington. The temperature rose to about 51 degrees causing me to think about my spring wardrobe for the first time. As I wandered around my house I noticed that all of the ladybugs have come out of hiding and were crowding in my windows eager for the warmth of the sun. I suspect they wanted to get out. Amazingly these little bugs caused me to think about all of the spring cleaning activities that would soon need to be done. My mental list grew quite long quickly and I wanted to run away. Immediately the Disneyland Hotel came to mind and I wished I could go there sooner rather than later.
I have talked to a lot of people lately about my trips to Disneyland. The number one question they ask, “Where should I stay.” There is a simple answer to that question for me. Stay on property!
I know, I know, you may be saying, “That is a lot of money. Is it really worth it?” The answer is yes and let me tell you why. There are a few perks, like a room key with your name on it that you keep upon leaving, being able to charge any purchase within the park to your hotel room (except street vendors), multiple early entry days into the park, and the resort staff.
The staff at the Disneyland Resort Hotels were amazing. They have done everything they could to meet each and every need. Once I had to go down to the desk at around the park closing time and there was a huge line for the elevator. When I asked how to access the stairs they informed me it wasn’t possible and instead led me to the staff elevator to get to my floor quickly. My only regret in that experience was that I didn’t take a picture of myself on that elevator.
The room decor is wonderful, especially the newly remodeled rooms in the Disneyland Hotel. As a mother of a five year old who hates to sleep in the dark, those new fiber optic headboards are amazing. My daughter loved sleeping to the visual of exploding fireworks. They have taken great efforts to make sure that the decor is elegant. Mickey is not the dominate feature, but he is hidden in many places, like the tile on the bathroom shower walls, pictures on the wall, the headboard and more. To see pictures click here.
For my family, however, two of the biggest reasons we stay at a Disney Resort Hotel is the ease of accessibility and the feeling of immersion. Trust me there is nothing like the feeling that you are never leaving the park. Even if you stay across the street you still feel like you have left the land of fantasy and entered the world of reality again. I like feeling as if I never left the park and my daughter loves that she gets to hear a princess bedtime story every night. Only in a Disney Resort Hotel is there a special channel on television dedicated to Princess Bedtime Stories.
You may be wondering if we have ever stayed off property. In our trips we have stayed off property twice. Once was right across the street and another was one mile away. Staying right across the street is nice and allows you to get to and from the park easily. Hotels that are located farther away require that you either drive or ride the Anaheim Resort Transit bus to and from the park. The hotels we stayed in were nice and clean. However, we did not enjoy feeling like we left the park. Being able to hop on the Monorail and ride it back and forth and be only steps away from our room was a sure joy, especially when we were tired.
I could go on and on about my personal reasons for staying on property, but it would probably make a record for the world’s longest entry on a blog. If you have any questions, please send them to me. While I may not be able to answer everything, I will do my best.
Until Next Time,
Sean
If you have ever been to Disneyland you will understand what I mean. Wait times for attractions can be brutal, especially the Peter Pan attraction. What should you do to keep your preschooler occupied while waiting in line? Here are a few tips: