Anaheim hotels on Priceline

[Mango Tango]

We need a hotel for 3 nights before our Mexican Riviera cruise in early November. We are going to Disney for two days and need a hotel in the Disney area in Anaheim. I'd like to bid on Priceline for a 3* Anaheim hotel.

 

Has anyone bid on a 3* Anaheim hotel on Priceline lately? If so, what was your winning bid and what hotel did you get?

[neecee23]

Check out the website biddingfortravel.com. Scroll down and click on California-Disneyland/Orange County. Here you will see posts from people who have recently bid on Priceline with the hotel and price they got. This will help you to figure out how high to go. If you click on the hotel list at the top, you can see what hotels are available on Priceline in different star categories. It looks like right now people are getting the Anaheim Hilton for about $45 to $52. And the Hyatt for about $60. We have stayed at the Hyatt many times through Priceline. This hotel is nice because it has its own free shuttle to Disneyland. But they charge about $18 for parking. When we don't use Priceline, I book the Hampton Inn through the Hilton website. This sometimes is a better deal because it offers a nice breakfast, coffee or tea 24/7 and free parking. The Anaheim Resort shuttle is a short walk to the Embassy Suites ($3.00 for adults $0 for kids).

[kenish]

Suggestions: Check www.tripadvisor.com and search Anaheim. You can get candid guest reviews on hotels as well as an idea of what they paid.

 

Unlike Disney World in Florida, the Anaheim area is not a "one horse town". If you have a car and are willing to stay within 20-30 minutes of Disneyland, there are numerous hotels that cater to business centers, resorts, and colleges in the area. Orange, Garden Grove, Anaheim Hills, Fullerton, and Buena Park are nearby. Irvine, Newport Beach, Brea, and Costa Mesa are farther out but more upscale (at a risk of generalizing). Santa Ana is nearby too, but neighborhoods vary from nice to scary. Again tripadvisor will give comments if the motel, clientele, or neighborhood are an issue.

 

Parking at D'land is great, they have the world's largest parking structure with direct access ramps from I-5. Very easy to use.

 

I believe there is a free city shuttle that loops around the Anaheim Resort area (including Disneyland). If you don't have a car, this may allow you to stay at a farther away but less expensive hotel. Definitely double-check me on the shuttle!

 

My opinion (shared by many locals)- If your time or budget is limited, don't bother with California Adventure. The rides are pretty boring, and why would people go to the real California to visit a theme park about CA? :confused:

Disney has plowed a lot of $$ into improvements and changes, their attendance has never been what they hoped.

[Mango Tango]

Thanks, Neecee & Kenish for the great information!

 

I went on betterbidding.com & biddingfortravel.com. The only problem is that there was no information about bids for Nov. 08. Most were for April, May & June of this year. I don't know if the prices would be comparable or not, but it gives me a good idea of what people are bidding and winning. I think I'll just start bidding low and keep re-bidding each day, since I have the luxury of time on my side.

 

We are going to have a rental car, so no matter which hotel we end up winning, we'll be able to get around Anaheim and then on to San Pedro.

[whimseysgirl]

We use priceline for pretty much all of our travel, but have learned that it isn't always the best for Anaheim. You may end up quite far from the parks, and usually there's plenty of hotels with good deals very close to the entrances. If you can handle getting sucked into another forum :D , check out www.disboards.com/ . You'll find tons of info about hotels, with and without priceline, not to mention scads of other information.

 

kenish is mostly right - there is a shuttle (actually several, on different routes) that loops around, but there is a charge. Most hotels also have shuttles, but the times aren't always convenient.

 

And I personally enjoy California Adventure. It's smaller and doesn't have the same scale as DL, but its less crowded, and has a wide range of rides - some of our favorites are there. If you get a parkhopper pass, you can go back and forth between the parks, so its a good place to hit if DL gets crowded (often in the afternoon), then head back to DL in the evening.

 

Have fun!!!

[Mango Tango]

We use priceline for pretty much all of our travel, but have learned that it isn't always the best for Anaheim. You may end up quite far from the parks, and usually there's plenty of hotels with good deals very close to the entrances. If you can handle getting sucked into another forum :D , check out www.disboards.com/ . You'll find tons of info about hotels, with and without priceline, not to mention scads of other information.

 

kenish is mostly right - there is a shuttle (actually several, on different routes) that loops around, but there is a charge. Most hotels also have shuttles, but the times aren't always convenient.

 

And I personally enjoy California Adventure. It's smaller and doesn't have the same scale as DL, but its less crowded, and has a wide range of rides - some of our favorites are there. If you get a parkhopper pass, you can go back and forth between the parks, so its a good place to hit if DL gets crowded (often in the afternoon), then head back to DL in the evening.

 

Have fun!!!

Thanks for all of the info! I checked out disboards.com last week. I found it by doing a search. I wanted to find out what were the slowest weeks of the year for going to Disneyland and that website popped up. We're renting a car, so I'm not concerned about being a couple of miles away from DL and we'll be driving to the parks, so we won't need the shuttles. We plan on buying a 2 day parkhopper pass, so we'll be sure to check out DL & CA.

 

We're planning on having fun!!!

[kenish]

Mango- Glad you're getting the info you need. Having a car gives you a much wider selection of hotels, but keep traffic in mind. On weekdays most of the freeways in the DL area have horrendous traffic during rush hour. Between 9am and 2pm (or maybe 3pm) shouldn't be a problem; weekends are fine anytime.

 

November can be 75 and sunny, or 50 and rain...it can even go from one to the other in a day. I wouldn't be too worried about rain, though. Keep track of the Natl Weather Service forecasts for Anaheim. They're pretty accurate 3-5 days out although they tend to overestimate the chance of rain. Check Anaheim, not LA, because the rain chance can be quite different with Anaheim being "drier".

 

Sounds like you're going to have a great time!

[Mango Tango]

Mango- Glad you're getting the info you need. Having a car gives you a much wider selection of hotels, but keep traffic in mind. On weekdays most of the freeways in the DL area have horrendous traffic during rush hour. Between 9am and 2pm (or maybe 3pm) shouldn't be a problem; weekends are fine anytime.

 

November can be 75 and sunny, or 50 and rain...it can even go from one to the other in a day. I wouldn't be too worried about rain, though. Keep track of the Natl Weather Service forecasts for Anaheim. They're pretty accurate 3-5 days out although they tend to overestimate the chance of rain. Check Anaheim, not LA, because the rain chance can be quite different with Anaheim being "drier".

 

Sounds like you're going to have a great time!

Thanks!

 

Everyone is just a fountain of info here....I just love it!

[neecee23]

You may even want to book a hotel now (one that you can cancel later), and then keep trying with Priceline. If I can get the Hampton Inn in Garden Grove for $70 or $80, it is usually a better deal than the Hyatt or Marriott through Priceline for $56 when you factor in parking fees and cost of breakfast.

We always enjoy California Adventure. It is less crowded and we like Soarin Over California. We like strolling through Downtown Disney also. Look at Tripadvisor.com to get reviews of the local hotels and look at mousesavers.com for money saving tips. Whatever you do have a great time!:D

[Mango Tango]

You may even want to book a hotel now (one that you can cancel later), and then keep trying with Priceline. If I can get the Hampton Inn in Garden Grove for $70 or $80, it is usually a better deal than the Hyatt or Marriott through Priceline for $56 when you factor in parking fees and cost of breakfast.

We always enjoy California Adventure. It is less crowded and we like Soarin Over California. We like strolling through Downtown Disney also. Look at Tripadvisor.com to get reviews of the local hotels and look at mousesavers.com for money saving tips. Whatever you do have a great time!:D

I just checked Hampton Inn's website...they want $139 a night for Nov. 4-7. :eek: I guess I'll keep bidding on PL. Yes, it bugs me to have to pay $10-15 a day for parking at the hotel, but if I can get a good deal on a 3* hotel...:rolleyes:

Thanks for the suggestions!

[cruisegirl06]

Another consideration is that many (or maybe all) of the hotels in the Anaheim area charge a "resort fee", I believe of $10; and many have high parking rates (as previously noted). I haven't used Priceline too much; but I know Hotwire warns you of this possibility.

 

We usually stay just out of the area (e.g. Buena Park), where we are only a 15 minute drive to Disney, and only have to worry about one parking fee a day (at DL). Of course, there are hotels in these areas that do charge for parking, but it seems to be much less common. Santa Ana and Irvine are also in reasonable driving distance.

 

Last month (over spring break) we got an Extended Stay America on Hotwire for $46; granted its not the nicest hotel ever, but everything else in the area was going for $85 and up (e.g. on Yahoo). We only did a 2* because we knew we wouldn't be at the hotel much, but if you do a 3* you should be in good shape.

[silentbob007]

The Hyatt Orange County is a 3* and has a free shuttle (or is about a 23 minute walk).

 

I used Hotwire and stayed at the Howard Johnson Anaheim Plaza ... good hotel, cheap, and right across the street from Disneyland. You might check prices there ... more expensive rooms probably don't face I-5 and would be quieter. It's not a 3* ... plastic cups and thin pillows, but it was clean and had a small fridge and microwave. There are also several restaraunts within easy walking distance (besides Downtown Disney).

[quincytoo]

We used to go to Disneyland a lot (two-four times a year) and stayed at either Candy Cane Inn or Howard Johnson. We are staying at the Howard Johnson for a few days before our Sapphire cruise and got the Entertainment book rate of $59.00 a night.

 

Neither Hojo's or CCI charge the resort fee, I think only the Disney properties do.

 

CCI does offer a large free cont buffet which is more then enought to get you started in the morning :)

[neecee23]

I just checked Hampton Inn's website...they want $139 a night for Nov. 4-7. :eek: I guess I'll keep bidding on PL. Yes, it bugs me to have to pay $10-15 a day for parking at the hotel, but if I can get a good deal on a 3* hotel...:rolleyes:

Thanks for the suggestions!

Yes, I was surprised to see HI as $139 too, I have never paid more than $80. Usually we book last minute though, maybe one week. I have heard good things about the Candy Cane Inn and Hojos (Mousesavers.com usually has this property promoted, also Ares travel). Anyway, keep looking and good luck!

[Mango Tango]

I'm already up to $70 for a bid on a 3* Anaheim hotel, but it was rejected by Priceline. I'm tempted to stay at the Candy Cane Inn for $112 per night with no parking fee or maybe the Fairfield for $101 per night. If I have to pay for parking at the hotel and at DL, well, that starts to add up. :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for everyone's input on this!

[hersheykiss]

There are several hotels on Harbor that are right across the street from the main entrance to the parks..2 best westerns, carousel, and desert inn..all are about $100..for November..it is a 5 min walk to the park and they do not charge for parking. they are not 5 star but are clean and comfortable..

If you go on Disneyland.com and check out hotels it will show you the good neighbor hotels and a map so you can see how close the park they are..

I wouldn't miss California adventure..it is worth it for Soarin over Ca,,that ride is awesome..as is Screamin and Tower..the Aladdin show is excellent.

and maybe the Electric light parade will still be showing...

[Mango Tango]

There are several hotels on Harbor that are right across the street from the main entrance to the parks..2 best westerns, carousel, and desert inn..all are about $100..for November..it is a 5 min walk to the park and they do not charge for parking. they are not 5 star but are clean and comfortable..

If you go on Disneyland.com and check out hotels it will show you the good neighbor hotels and a map so you can see how close the park they are..

I wouldn't miss California adventure..it is worth it for Soarin over Ca,,that ride is awesome..as is Screamin and Tower..the Aladdin show is excellent.

and maybe the Electric light parade will still be showing...

Thanks, hersheykiss!

I know that the Fairfield Inn is across the street from the main gate and it is a good neighbor hotel, so I'm kind of leaning towards that hotel right now.

I'm looking forward to California Adventure, since it wasn't open when we were there last, twelve years ago. I'm sure DL has changed a lot!

[hersheykiss]

you are more than welcome..DL is my favorite place..How many of you will there be and any young ones?

[HockeyMom975]

I'm already up to $70 for a bid on a 3* Anaheim hotel, but it was rejected by Priceline. I'm tempted to stay at the Candy Cane Inn for $112 per night with no parking fee or maybe the Fairfield for $101 per night. If I have to pay for parking at the hotel and at DL, well, that starts to add up. :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for everyone's input on this!

 

We stayed at Candy Cane Inn a couple of weeks ago after a week on the Vision. It's walking distance to Disneyland, so we parked there in the morning and walked to Disney. No resort parking fee or Disney parking fee! Candy Cane Inn is simple, but clean and comfortable!

[Mango Tango]

you are more than welcome..DL is my favorite place..How many of you will there be and any young ones?

There's only three of us going to Disneyland...my hubby, my 23 y/o son and myself. Our 25 y/o daughter is meeting us in San Pedro the day before the four of us leave on the cruise. No young ones....only young at heart. You're never too old for Disneyland!

[Mango Tango]

We stayed at Candy Cane Inn a couple of weeks ago after a week on the Vision. It's walking distance to Disneyland, so we parked there in the morning and walked to Disney. No resort parking fee or Disney parking fee! Candy Cane Inn is simple, but clean and comfortable!

I suppose the walk to Disney is fine in the morning, but after a full day of walking around the parks, I'll bet the walk back to the hotel is a little harder than it was in the morning! LOL The Candy Cane Inn does have a free shuttle though. That might come in handy.

[mad4mky]

We use Priceline A LOT for Disneyland (we live near Stanford Univ--go to DL about 12-15 times or more a year. We just got back 3 days ago! :D --but this time stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. :D ).

 

I start early by lowballing on PL. I keep trying over several days/weeks--unless we decide to take a quick trip down, then I give a reasonable bid.

 

I have stayed near Disneyland at: Doubletree (Orange)-$40 a night, Hyatt Regency (Garden Grove)-$40 a night, Holiday Inn (Anaheim)- $35 a night, Marriott (Anaheim)-$41.00 a night. Some of these I have stayed at several times. I have never paid more than $43.00 a night with PL. Ever. All these are 3 star hotels (there are no 4 stars listed in the direct Disneyland area on PL)

 

All GREAT prices for wonderful hotels. Keep trying! :D All are on the ART (Anaheim Resort Transit) route--or have their own shuttles.

 

Good luck--keep trying.

 

Peggy

 

(a Disneyland Premium Annual Pass holder)

[Mango Tango]

We use Priceline A LOT for Disneyland (we live near Stanford Univ--go to DL about 12-15 times or more a year. We just got back 3 days ago! :D --but this time stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. :D ).

 

I start early by lowballing on PL. I keep trying over several days/weeks--unless we decide to take a quick trip down, then I give a reasonable bid.

 

I have stayed near Disneyland at: Doubletree (Orange)-$40 a night, Hyatt Regency (Garden Grove)-$40 a night, Holiday Inn (Anaheim)- $35 a night, Marriott (Anaheim)-$41.00 a night. Some of these I have stayed at several times. I have never paid more than $43.00 a night with PL. Ever. All these are 3 star hotels (there are no 4 stars listed in the direct Disneyland area on PL)

 

All GREAT prices for wonderful hotels. Keep trying! :D All are on the ART (Anaheim Resort Transit) route--or have their own shuttles.

 

Good luck--keep trying.

 

Peggy

 

(a Disneyland Premium Annual Pass holder)

Thanks for the info, Peggy!

 

After bidding on PL and getting up to $70 for a 3* and still not having the bid accepted, I gave up and booked the Fairfield Inn Anaheim across the street from the maingate at DL. I paid $101 per night for 3 nights there, but I won't have to pay for parking there or at Disney, since we can walk there. We stayed at the Disneyland hotel several years ago. It was very nice.