The conventional wisdom from most Disney experts is that it is important to stay on-property at Walt Disney World. Staying in one of the Disney World resorts in Florida comes with a whole host of benefits that the Disney faithful can't replicate in most of the off-property choices. When I head to Florida for a Disney vacation, I almost always stay on-site.
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At Disneyland in Southern California, however, visitors should do a very different analysis. Disneyland has just 3 on-property hotel options (the Disneyland Hotel, Disney's Grand Californian, and Disney's Paradise Pier) compared to 25+ at Walt Disney World. It goes without saying that the on-property choices at Disneyland are just much more limited. The benefits of on-property stays are different as well.
Although I love staying on-property at Disneyland whenever my budget allows, I think there is often a lot of value in off-property accommodations in Disneyland for many visitors. There's certainly less to lose (and more money to save) than at Walt Disney World. Here are the differences to consider between Disneyland and Walt Disney World when it comes to off-property lodging.
Location of Off-Property Hotels at Disneyland
A major reason that so many guests stay on-property at Walt Disney World is proximity. Walt Disney World is enormous and most Disney hotels are simply a lot closer to at least one park's entrance than the off-property options. Disney resort guests also get valuable and free access to the on-site transportation system to get them from hotels to the parks and everywhere else.
At Disneyland, the proximity analysis is totally different. Disney owns very little land around the area of the immediate park grounds in Anaheim. That means that there are lots of hotel options not owned by Disney literally across the street. Some of these hotels are even closer than the Disney-owned options. If you want to be super-close to the main gates, the place to stay is on South Harbor Boulevard across from the mid-block pedestrian entrance to Disneyland. I happen to think these walking distance hotels are excellent choices for families with babies and toddlers who need mid-day naps!
Early Entry ("Extra Magic Hours")
One of the major reasons to stay on-property at Walt Disney World is that on-property guests get exclusive access to the parks during early morning and late evening hours. These "Extra Magic Hours" are often excellent ways to beat the crowds and make the most of a Disney vacation. At least one park opens a full hour early every day or one park stays open late at least two hours each night (and sometimes both morning and evening hours are offered). The schedule varies, so check the calendar carefully. Walt Disney World only offers Extra Magic Hours to on-property guests and guests of a few hotels that have somewhat hybrid on-property status (Dolphin & Swan Resorts, Hilton Resort at Downtown Disney, and Shades of Green).
Disneyland offers early entry as well, but the extra time is much more limited. Disneyland offers a single early morning hour ("Extra Magic Hour") to one of the parks daily (there are no late evening hours). As of spring 2016, Disneyland park opens an hour early on Tuesdays, Thursday, and Saturdays and California Adventure opens an hour early on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
While early entry is available only to on-property guests at Walt Disney World, there is a way that off-property guests can obtain some early entry benefits at Disneyland. If you purchase a three day or more Disneyland ticket, the ticket comes with one early entry day into Disneyland park ("Magic Morning"), which is a huge benefit! Note that early access to California Adventure is still limited exclusively to on-property Disneyland guests. If you have a huge Cars fan in the family, on-property may still be quite valuable to you. But for many families, especially those with young kids like mine, having early access to Disneyland and the kid-friendly rides in Fantasyland and more is benefit enough.
Other On-Property Perks
Fastpass+
Staying on-property at Walt Disney World also gives guests access to early Fastpass+ reservation times. On-property guests are able to make Fastpass+ selections 60 days in advance while off-property visitors have to wait until 30 days prior to their visit. As Fastpasses for a few of the most popular rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train "sell out," this access is a huge benefit if one of these rides is on your must-do list and you don't want to wait in long lines.
At Disneyland, there is no Fastpass+ and this is a game changer. Disneyland still uses a digital version of the old school paper Fastpass system (with a paid add-on to book via smartphones called MaxPass as of 2017). And it all must be done in the parks same day. As a result, there's no additional Fastpass perk involved in on-property stays.
Magical Express Airport Transportation
At Walt Disney World, Disney offers another benefit to on-property hotel guests flying into Orlando: free ground transportation from the Orlando Airport to their Disney hotel via the Magical Express. Guests can even skip baggage claim, as Disney provides bag tags before your trip and will deliver your luggage from the airport straight to your room. This cuts down on logistics as well as cost.
There is no equivalent to the Magical Express at Disneyland. You'll have to either rent a car or pay for a shuttle or taxi if you fly into one of the airports near Disneyland, even if you are paying top dollar for a Disneyland resort hotel stay.
Parking Perks
Walt Disney World offers all on-property guests another transportation perk: free parking. This means that guests who road trip to Walt Disney World or who want to rent a car after flying in to the area don't have extra parking costs associated with their trip. (Editor's note: WDW hotels began charging for parking in 2018).
Real estate is definitely more expensive in California (and parking is in high demand), so there's no free parking for on-property guests at Disneyland. All Disneyland hotels unfortunately charge for parking. Self-parking at all Disneyland hotels is $18 (as of spring 2016) and valet is $28. Believe it or not, some of the off-property hotel choices are actually the ones that offer free (or at least cheap) parking!
To be sure, free parking isn't necessarily needed quite as much at Disneyland for many visitors, so this perk might a wash for your family. If you are flying in to Southern California to visit Disneyland, shuttles, taxis, or ride-sharing services are likely going to be a better deal than renting a car anyway.
Budget
Comparing all these perks may tip the scales a bit, but the most important factor for many families when deciding where to stay is MONEY. At Walt Disney World, Disney offers three tiers of accommodations: Deluxe Resorts, Moderate Resorts, and Value Resorts. These options mean that there are hotel choices on-property for almost every Disney budget. During sale periods, some of the value resorts can be found for under $100 a night, which is quite a steal for all the perks that come with that price.
At Disneyland, however, there are no hotel tiers and there are no resorts that equate to the value resorts at Disney World. While Paradise Pier is regularly the least expensive of the three, it doesn't begin to approach value resort pricing. I've never seen it priced at under $200 a night (although I'm sure a last minute deals here or there might pop up occasionally) and it is usually closer to $300. In fact, there are many times of year at Disneyland that all of the off-property hotels prices are over $350 a night.
The bottom line? If you want to pay $100 for a hotel room at Disneyland, your only option is to stay off-property.
The Final Word
When deciding where to stay on a Disney vacation, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the intangible benefits that on-property hotels can offer. There's something pretty magical about staying in the Disney bubble, whether you are at Walt Disney World or Disneyland. The theming, the excellent cast member service, and the seamlessness of it all during an on-property stay can't be underestimated at either park. If I had my druthers and an unlimited budget, I might just stay at the Disneyland Hotel every visit (the Disney history there gets me every time).
Alas, sometimes you have to crunch the numbers and make a compromise or two when it comes to travel, even at the Happiest Place on Earth! And with great prices and not too many benefits to be sacrificed, the off-property options in Anaheim often can't be beat.
When you visit Disneyland, where do you stay? Do you prefer off-property accommodations or is a Disney owned hotel a must-do for your family?
Planning a Disneyland trip? Don't miss my Pinterest board devoted exclusively to Disneyland-specific advice.
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check out advice from my Disney blogging friends:
- Mom Rewritten| Important Advice to Know About Transportation at the Disneyland Resort
- This Roller Coaster Called Life | Disneyland Resorts & the Distance to the Parks
- Rolling with the Magic | Wheelchair Access at Disneyland & Walt Disney World
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Julie Bigboy says
I love the Disneyland Hotel as well, it's my favorite. Off-site accommodations can be hit or miss for us but I'm never disappointed with Disney hotels 🙂
tripswithtykes says
So true. Some of the off-property hotels can be, in fact, quite scuzzy so you have to do your research carefully so as not to end up in a dive hotel! We know which ones are a good value and which ones to avoid so that is a big part of the equation too. You won't end up with a dirty room in a Disney-owned hotel for sure, so that certainty is nice.
Lola says
So what are some good off-property hotels? Any chains? I'm a member of the Hilton, Starwood, and Club Carlson loyalty programs. Thanks!
Lola says
Sorry! I forgot to clarify that I'm asking about off-property hotels in Anaheim, for Disneyland. Not Orlando. Thanks!
tripswithtykes says
Thanks for commenting, Lola! Sadly, Disneyland isn't great for chain options because the independent hotels still have the bulk of the best property. The few hotels in chains that are nearby are usually inflated in the rewards charts because of the demand - everyone wants to use points for a free Disney vacation, regardless of whether the numbers make any sense. The only chain with walking distance hotels is Marriott, which has the Fairfield Inn Anaheim Resort virtually right across from the pedestrian entrance and the new Courtyard Anaheim Theme Park Entrance right beyond that. Both are great hotel options, in my opinion, but they are not great Marriott points redemptions - both are Cat 7's, which is way too high when the Fairfield can sometimes be had for as low as $120-170 a night. Club Carlson has nothing nearby that I'd consider for a Disneyland stay. Hilton has one option at the Convention Center, which is a short shuttle ride on ART. But again, not a great redemption... it's a Cat 6 and that's too high for the cash price of the property, in my opinion. Same story for Starwood - there's a Sheraton at the convention center that is a Cat 4 that could make sense if cash prices were super-high on a busy holiday weekend, but still not great value. There's another Sheraton further afield that's a Cat 3, but too far for my personal taste. My advice is snag a great cash price (Hotel Tonight is a great option too if you are flexible) and save the points for a different trip.
Lola says
Thanks so much the advice! A Cat 7 Fairfield Inn.... yikes! I can't imagine. Really appreciate the breakdown. We'll skip the chain hotels and go with your idea. Thanks so much!
Lola says
Oops! Meant to write, we'll skip points on the chain hotels and go with your idea and pay cash. Writing too fast...
kim051172 says
Being a Hilton Honors Gold Member, we have stayed at the Hilton at the Anaheim Convention Center a number of times along with a Hampton Inn further down the road. I prefer to stay on-property, but if I want to use points or find a great deal (which is what I usually do since like Marriott, the points for those properties can be quite steep), I have found that the only on-property perk I miss is proximity to the park, but with the ART bus system (which stopped basically right in front of both hotels), it wasn't bad.
Leslie Harvey (@TripsWithTykes) says
Yeah, ART is definitely not bad at all. We've done it and it is pretty reliable and inexpensive. I only think it is a major pain for families with strollers - which is the stage I'm in right now - because having to fold up a stroller and take all your belongings out of the basket underneath is time-consuming and tough to juggle. As soon as both our kids are fully out of strollers, I'd consider a hotel on ART again.
Mary at Capturing Magical Memories says
I am hesitant about staying off property. I have only stayed on but my husband has done both and does not mind the Good Neighbor hotels. Would you do it with kids 6 and 4?
Leslie Harvey (@TripsWithTykes) says
Yes, definitely! My kids are 6 and 2 1/2 and we've stayed off-property many times (in fact, we are doing it again this week). So many of the hotels are easy walks and have fun pools (HoJo's pirate pool is very popular as is the new Courtyard which has a waterpark!) that are great for kids of that age. Some even have family suites to give you more space. As much as we go, we can't budget for an on-property hotel every time and we've found quite a few off-prop favorites that are safe, clean, and reasonably-priced.
Sarah says
Thanks for posting this. I've just started planning a Disneyland Vacation after being a WDW devotee for years, and I've been floored by the differences.
Naomi M. (@HmSchoolDisney) says
While we prefer to stay onsite, we've stayed at a couple of off property hotels at Disneyland. The first one was the HoJo. While there were some good things (LOVE Mimi's Cafe next door), there were a few things we didn't like about it. We did walk from there, but it was a quite a hike at the end of the day. We also stayed at the DoubleTree Suites Anaheim Resort Convention Center and utilized the ART. We liked that better than the HOJO, and it gave us a little more room to spread out as a family of four with older kids.
Rolling with the Magic says
I keep saying that we'll stay offsite on our next visit to Disneyland and then we never do. 🙂 I love being in the Disney bubble but I also want to try something different. Thank you for the great overview. This will really help me make a decision for our next trip.
Anonymous says
Grand Californian hands down!
Dave Anderson says
That is a good point that staying in a Disney hotel helps you stay close to Disneyland. It would be nice to keep nearby so that I could go to Disney and spend more time there. This is something I will have to look into doing sometime soon with my wife.