Disney Hotel Lady

There’s a lot of hotel-booking advice out there. Though the source may vary, a lot of the advice is the same. What does this tell us? Many sources can agree on the best advice for booking hotels.

What about the advice that differs from source to source? The usefulness of advice that is different depends on the person/family taking the advice. For example, if you are a family taking their first vacation to Southern California and hoping to cram in as much as possible throughout the area, taking the “standard” advice not to rent a car may be disastrous for you. However, if you are a couple on a short trip who’s been to Disneyland before, not renting a car might be very useful advice.

I have a lot of knowledge about Disneyland, gained over many years of visiting and traveling with different groups. Usually my expertise is shared only with family or friends who are aware of my knowledge. But now I have you-all to share my knowledge with. Hi! Welcome! Let me share some advice with you. Some of my tips may agree with things you’ve already heard. Some of my tips might be the OPPOSITE of what you’ve already heard.

Why? Why might my advice be so different?

Honestly, I’m not sure.

But let’s focus on my purpose in sharing this advice with you. I want you to be able to find what applies SPECIFICALLY to you and your travel party. Discard the rest. Maybe nothing I say here will apply to you. If that is the case, I’m sorry and wish you the best in your continued search.

But I’d venture to say there will be something here for everyone.

Without further adieu then, let’s get crackin’!

DON’T stay across the street

I’ve read a lot of people say, “You have to stay across the street from Disneyland. It’s the best!” I’m glad they are so enthusiastic about the location of their hotel. But that’s all it is – location. You can have a perfectly wonderful stay at a perfectly wonderful hotel 2 miles (or more!) away from Disneyland.

If location is the most important thing for you, by all means, stay across the street. But if you have other considerations at the top of your list (price $, for instance), stay further away.

DO rent a car

If you have any other destinations planned – the beach, Legoland, Universal, Knott’s, Hollywood sign, etc. – renting a car is a valid option. Southern California has so much to offer that it really would be shame if you missed out on these other activities.

Often the advice not to rent a car is given to save money on parking expenses. This is not always an even trade/savings. If you aren’t paying for parking, you’ll be paying for Uber or deliveries. So pick your poison.

As I mentioned earlier, if you are only visiting Disneyland, you may not need a car.

DON’T use a third-party booking site

People love the deals they can find on sites like Expedia or Booking. And it’s true there are great deals to be had on sites like those. But there is also a lot of fine print.

If anything does not go according to plan, you will be up a creek without a paddle. I learned this from personal experience. No matter how nice the person at the front desk of your hotel is, it’s beyond their control. You may eat the money you paid and your “savings” will end up being extra expense.

(Travel insurance might be able to cover some of this, but again, lots of fine print. Be familiar with your contracts.)

My advice is to book directly with your hotel. You can use the third-party sites to compare costs, but when you book, do so directly with the hotel you choose.

This might naturally lead to my next piece of advice:

DON’T use a travel agent

I know, I know, some of you are going to come @ me for this one. But again, take what applies to you and discard the rest. If you want a travel agent, get one! Make sure it’s a good one, though. A good travel agent gets you “extras.” Extras might be free parking, free breakfast, or a free night. The big ones I know for Disneyland are Get Away Today and Undercover Tourist.

In my experience, as a planner, Type A personality, control freak – whatever you want to call it – I can put together a well-priced trip for equal to or less than what it would cost through the travel agent or buying a package.

If you like planning and being involved, do the research and book things yourself.

If you prefer convenience and “just showing up,” use a travel agent. My partner is Get Away Today, and if you need them, they are FANTASTIC! Book with them here or call 1-855-GET-AWAY. Don’t forget to use my code CROSSWALK10 to save extra dough when booking a package.

DON’T visit during holidays

There truly is not an “off” season anymore, but there’s lots of people vs. LOTS of PEOPLE. Most people take advantage of school holidays to schedule their Disneyland trip. Most people. Meaning more people, meaning more crowded, meaning higher prices.

Hotels are wise to the goings on at Disneyland. Rates will always rise for special events and holidays.

As an example, a hotel I stayed at a few months ago for about $180 a night is now advertising rates $300+ for D23 weekend (the fan club event) in August. That’s a huge markup. But they know people have definite plans at these times and will pay.

So if you can, avoid the holidays. Disney puts up and keeps up the holiday decorations well before and well beyond the specific dates of the major holidays. Pick a time a little before or a little after and you’ll get the same magic at a lower crowd and price point.

If you are worried about taking kids out of school to go to Disneyland:

Don’t. Well, do – but not in the way you imagine. Work with your child’s teacher on ways they can incorporate a Disney trip into their curriculum. Disney can be very educational – and in a way that doesn’t bore kids! A Google search will reveal all kinds of ways a child can make a presentation or have “homework” about Disney. Not to mention all that can be learned at other SoCal attractions.

And lastly…

DO keep checking prices

If you plan far enough in advance, likely the hotel rate will change multiple times. If what you see at first isn’t in your budget but close, keep checking.

When I checked in to a certain hotel across the street (literally steps from the crosswalk 😉) from Disneyland, the employee checking us in commented on what a great rate we had for our stay. And confirmed, if you would ask them, they cannot tell you what a “standard” rate is because the rates change that often.

Bonus tip:

Check every rate that is available to you and compare – compare often too! Don’t just take the first one that comes up. Are you active or retired military? Lots of hotels offer discounts to you. Will you stay 3 nights or more? Lots of hotels offer “extended stay” rates. Is Grandma coming? Check for “senior” or “AARP” rates. (Bonus Bonus tip: Anyone can join AARP, it’s not just for people over a certain age!)

Again, be conscious of the rules for each rate to make sure you still qualify for the rate at check in – otherwise you’ll end up paying more!

That’s a wrap!

So what did you think? Have you heard this advice before or was it new to you? How much agreed with or disagreed with other advice you’ve heard? Can it benefit you?

I certainly hope so!

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments ⤵️ or hit me up on social

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