Has anyone stayed at one of their hotels for a trip? They are pretty nice but expensive as hell. Good experiences? Bad experiences?
For the last 2 years we've gone to LA (my hometown) for spring break. Last year (spring break 09) the girl and I visited Disneyland for 2 days. I used to go there as a child a lot, and since she has never been, I grabbed the opportunity to take her and she absolutely loved it. We had to get up at 7am at our hotel in Glendale and travel 40 minutes (~37 miles) to Disney to make it in the park by 9:30am. On the way back, we averaged over an hour and thats cutting through back streets (highway was bumper-to-bumper)
For 2010, I really want to stay closer to the resort and am considering staying at one of Disney's hotels. Been looking at the Grand Californian and dang I'm tempted. Private entrance to park and all. For 8 nights it comes out to $5588
:screwy: Then I started thinking about all the costs incurred from staying at the hotel last spring break and the following is how it breaks down so far...
Glendale
Travel Distance: ~460 miles from hotel to Disney for 6 days
Fuel: LA's traffic is not going to give me 20mpg. So, all the fuel for driving the 460 miles
Time: In travel time alone, it adds up to 8 hours which constitutes a full day at the parks (depending how tired you are)
Parking: It costs $20 to use parking at the park each day.
Tickets: $254 per person for 6 days=$508 for myself and the girl
Disney
No travel distance: Once I get there, the truck stays still for about a week.
Fuel: Truck isn't moving so no fuel
Time: No time wasted in travel
Parking: One time hotel parking lot cost
Tickets: it costs $63 to upgrade from a 2 day ticket to a 6 day ticket.
Then theres a bunch of other stuff such as meal plans and crap like that.
So my thinking right now is that, yes it is expensive, but several of the costs of staying at Glendale are absorbed by Disney's high price.
As for expedia and all those other travel websites, some are the same price and some are cheaper but I still have to get all the tickets and such for that $254.
Disney does offer a 10% discount though so thats good :happy2:
Have any of you stayed at one of their hotels? Lets make this the Disney vacation thread. Help me feed my nostalgic memories of this place :baby:
Sal
For the last 2 years we've gone to LA (my hometown) for spring break. Last year (spring break 09) the girl and I visited Disneyland for 2 days. I used to go there as a child a lot, and since she has never been, I grabbed the opportunity to take her and she absolutely loved it. We had to get up at 7am at our hotel in Glendale and travel 40 minutes (~37 miles) to Disney to make it in the park by 9:30am. On the way back, we averaged over an hour and thats cutting through back streets (highway was bumper-to-bumper)
For 2010, I really want to stay closer to the resort and am considering staying at one of Disney's hotels. Been looking at the Grand Californian and dang I'm tempted. Private entrance to park and all. For 8 nights it comes out to $5588
:screwy: Then I started thinking about all the costs incurred from staying at the hotel last spring break and the following is how it breaks down so far...Glendale
Travel Distance: ~460 miles from hotel to Disney for 6 days
Fuel: LA's traffic is not going to give me 20mpg. So, all the fuel for driving the 460 miles
Time: In travel time alone, it adds up to 8 hours which constitutes a full day at the parks (depending how tired you are)
Parking: It costs $20 to use parking at the park each day.
Tickets: $254 per person for 6 days=$508 for myself and the girl
Disney
No travel distance: Once I get there, the truck stays still for about a week.
Fuel: Truck isn't moving so no fuel
Time: No time wasted in travel
Parking: One time hotel parking lot cost
Tickets: it costs $63 to upgrade from a 2 day ticket to a 6 day ticket.
Then theres a bunch of other stuff such as meal plans and crap like that.
So my thinking right now is that, yes it is expensive, but several of the costs of staying at Glendale are absorbed by Disney's high price.
As for expedia and all those other travel websites, some are the same price and some are cheaper but I still have to get all the tickets and such for that $254.
Disney does offer a 10% discount though so thats good :happy2:
Have any of you stayed at one of their hotels? Lets make this the Disney vacation thread. Help me feed my nostalgic memories of this place :baby:
Sal
