We are a Disneyland-loving family. The grownups grew up near to the House of Mouse and so had special memories of going there as bright-eyed children. The magic of Disney was powerful then, and it has never waned. When we had kids, we couldn't wait to experience Disneyland with them. Watching them in awe of Disneyland magic is so much fun—and it tugs on the heartstrings a bit. Also, the art historian in the family LOVES catching all the art history references at the Disneyland Park; there are so many! It is truly when so much nerdiness comes out as well as groans from other family members (side note: don't worry, we will cover all the art history nerdiness separately so you can breathe easy).
When we moved to Portland, we lamented that we'd be so much further from Disneyland—though our wallets probably exhaled loudly. When did it become so expensive?!
These days, we travel to Anaheim, CA about once a year to visit Disneyland. With the rise in cost of everything though, this probably will get stretched to every two years now.
We try to find ways to make our visits to Disneyland as fun as can be, but I won't lie. We do often balk at the price of things. The Disneyland hotel is exorbitantly expensive, tickets to the park aren't cheap, and then if you do n't want to wait in lines for hours with hangry kids then you also can spend even more money for the Disney Genie+ experience (more on this later. I miss you FREE fast pass!). This is before you even smell all the delicious treats or have kids running wild with toys and other merchandise. So in case it is useful, here are some tried and true tricks we use to keep the cost down a tiny bit.
Disneyland: where to stay and sleep
It's a big decision when you are visiting Disneyland: where to stay and sleep?! Our hotel room is basically a place to store clothes and toiletries and a convenient place to get some sleep. We don't hang out in it, so it doesn't need to be amazing. This is also because my kids are past nap age, so we don't need the room for mid-day naps either. We've come to really appreciate the Springhill Suites Anaheim Maingate (by Marriott). It's very close to Disneyland. The studio rooms sleep four people comfortably (or possibly even 5-6 depending on your sleep situation). The couch also has a trundle bed underneath it. My kids swear both are comfy. There is also a mini-fridge which can store some drinks and treats.
It has a free breakfast included (nothing fancy, but there are eggs, oatmeal, waffles, yogurt, so a little bit for everyone) that begins at 6:30 am. And it is right next to a shuttle stop that goes straight to the entrance (you need an app for the shuttle!). We like to get into the park as close to 7:30 as possible—it doesn't open until 8, but you can browse main street and use the Genie app inside the park.
(side note: bring a backup portable phone charger! if you are on the Genie app much of the day, as I often am, your phone battery is going to drain fast.)
We like the Springhill Suites because we often walk the 20-25 minutes to the main entrance of Disneyland. It's a path that takes us through Downtown Disney, and it is a fun way to get everyone excited. Plus, more exercise!
Another thing that we all like about this hotel is that we can order food—say pizza—for dinner and eat it down in the lobby where there are many tables and chairs. It isn't always cost effective to eat dinner inside Disneyland or at Downtown Disney. Or maybe you just tire, like we do, of waiting for very long wait times at restaurants at Downtown Disney. It's super nice to be able to be in a quiet, calm space and eat a quick meal.
I should mention too that we arrive at LAX and take a shuttle from the airport to this hotel. We don't even bother renting a car. It turns out cheaper to take the shuttle (Karmel Shuttle) both ways.
Why we enjoy this hotel
I wouldn't claim that the hotel is super cheap, but considering other options around the park we've found it affordable, comfortable, and convenient. We've stayed there 5 times (or maybe more), and it is always consistent too. There is a pool but I've never used it!
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