~Hotel Dilemma~

[yupikgal]

I've been torturing myself with this decision. Right now I have us booked through Costco for 4 nights at the BW Park Place Inn, with 5 day park hoppers. Costco requires booking a pkg with tickets, can't do hotel only. I was thinking that for the last 2 nights we would move to an onsite hotel for 2 nights during the first two opening days of the new rides, updated Star Tours & LM. I guess my thought is that we would be as close to the action as we could get, and have a little headstart to being there earlier. Last year we did something similar, (offsite then on) but I booked everything separately, because we had 3 free nights offsite with Visa points.

Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone knows if Disney ever comes out with any discounts for June for their onsite properties? Right now I checked the June dates, Paradise Pier wants $580 for 2 nights, I'm not even considering the DL hotel since the pool area/construction will be going on, and although I'd love to stay at the GC, it's pricing in the neighborhood of $900/2 for a standard view! Maybe we should do the opposite, and stay 2 nights onsite when we first get there, on the 30th & 31st? I did a price comparison, and noticed that it's $760 for 2 nts at the GC for those days...Opinions?

 

[sonnyjane]

You will get to the parks faster from BWPPI than from PP!

 

[skiingfast]

Just to help you decision or make it more complicated.

Only some room in the GCH are closer to the gates than the closest rooms in the BWPPI, DLH and PPH are not.

It might be best to stay onsite to gain extra Morning Magic days to line up earlier for Star Tours. Also to use the GCH entrance into DCA to get to the head of the line up which will go to LMAUA.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone knows if Disney ever comes out with any discounts for June for their onsite properties?

Yes. Disney has in the past had onsite discounts for some June dates. Last year, we stayed for a few nights in June on a room-only special that we booked in early May. It was some sort of summer special that was released in late April/early May, and rates for some types of rooms were better than the AP rates. I believe there were also some decent 5 for 3 specials last summer but whether you could get those room-only or had to get tickets too, I don't know. What none of us can answer at this time, of course, is whether Disney will offer specials for this June or any part of this summer.

 

[yupikgal]

sonnyjane, I guess you are right, but I would love the other perks of staying onsite...skiingfast, I definately thought of the double dip for MM by splitting our stay, and the access to the private entrance!! I wish we knew if they were having soft openings, and if they were going to have them on Memorial Day & the day after, I'd have us staying onsite then, because it's cheaper those days!! I may still do that anyway..

 

[DisneyMomma81]

You could also treat a non MM day like a MM day, show up early *you'll have as equal a shot at getting there 1st as anybody. We had 4 park days last July ~ PP was our 1st ride 3 of our 4 mornings ~ only 2 days were MMs for us, one of our 4 days was a MM we did not participate in so we started the day *still getting there well before park opening* with the Indy, Splash, Thunder side of the park.

 

[bumbershoot]

You could also treat a non MM day like a MM day, show up early *you'll have as equal a shot at getting there 1st as anybody.

Oh definitely yes!

If you do'nt have access to MM (or to all MM) use the non-MM days well. Get there early-early, have a morning plan, and do it!

Whatever you do, don't try to do MM areas on a MM day when you do NOT have MM.


Make sure, if you're interested in 7 days in the parks (you have 5 day tickets and are looking to get two more nights at an onsite hotel), that you know they only seem to have 6 day tickets. You might have to upgrade to an AP. If you are going to do that, then make sure you look into AP discounts for the hotels.


We stayed onsite first and then offsite,during our first big trip out there, and enjoyed it. But we're weird. MOST people would prefer to stay onsite later, because most people like being onsite more.

 

[Huff]

Costco does allow booking room only at Best Western hotels nationwide. Go to Costcotravel.com and select Best Western hotels rather than Disney vacations. They claim 10-20% off rates but compare with other rates from BW or Expedia etc.

The package deal through Costco does include magic morning, toon town madness, pin lanyard and premium character meal. For us I could book everything seperate for slightly less but lost the magic morning and toon town.

 

[yupikgal]

Huff, thanks for the info. Also the Costco pkgs include priority seating at Aladdin, the Animation place and Tough to Be a Bug as well as the Muppets 3D. I know that the MM is included even if I bought the tickets separately, because we've done that before. I'm mainly waiting to see if the park tickets have any specials like they have the last couple of years, the buy 3 get 2 free deals are sweet!

 

[Huff]

I know that the MM is included even if I bought the tickets separately!

Where do you buy tix that include MM? We're going in a few weeks and would love to get MM. Already have hotel booked.

 

[yupikgal]

Huff, this is from their website:

Ticket Types

•Disneyland Resort Park Hopper® Tickets enable you to visit both Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure Park on the same day.
•Bonus Tickets include one Magic Morning early admission to Disneyland Park.

 

[sonnyjane]

Where do you buy tix that include MM? We're going in a few weeks and would love to get MM. Already have hotel booked.

A regular park-hopper of 3 days or more includes one MM. Discounted tickets, such as military ones for example, don't include and MM, but a 3-day or more park hopper purchased from Disney will have one.

 

[Huff]

Well just noticed that Disneyland opens at 8am during our trip. Theres no way I'll ever get the girls up and ready to be at the gates for MM at 7am! They're not the morning type!

 

[yupikgal]

You could also treat a non MM day like a MM day, show up early *you'll have as equal a shot at getting there 1st as anybody. We had 4 park days last July ~ PP was our 1st ride 3 of our 4 mornings ~ only 2 days were MMs for us, one of our 4 days was a MM we did not participate in so we started the day *still getting there well before park opening* with the Indy, Splash, Thunder side of the park.

Thanks DisneyMomma! I guess we did kind of do that last year, because I remember getting on PP first too, without a wait!

Oh definitely yes!

If you do'nt have access to MM (or to all MM) use the non-MM days well. Get there early-early, have a morning plan, and do it!

Whatever you do, don't try to do MM areas on a MM day when you do NOT have MM.

Make sure, if you're interested in 7 days in the parks (you have 5 day tickets and are looking to get two more nights at an onsite hotel), that you know they only seem to have 6 day tickets. You might have to upgrade to an AP. If you are going to do that, then make sure you look into AP discounts for the hotels.

We stayed onsite first and then offsite,during our first big trip out there, and enjoyed it. But we're weird. MOST people would prefer to stay onsite later, because most people like being onsite more.

bumbershoot, I am considering upgrading to an AP,thanks! What are your favorite offsite hotels, btw? We've done the Fairfield, Hojo's & the Candy Cane Inn.