Any close, budget hotels with shuttles to/from park?

[Daryl K]

Hello! Brand-spankin' new to this forum and have an initial Q.

I live in the Midwest and have been to WDW many times, but am hoping to squeeze in a brief visit to the one-and-only original next winter (Disneyland, of course). I have never been, but approaching 60 have always wanted to see Walt's first park. I won't say this is "once in a lifetime" because in about 5-8 years I plan on retiring to the SW and will probably go frequently.

Here's the thing: I want to do this first foray on the cheap and with minimal line waiting, so am planning on late-January to early-February next winter. It's also highly likely I will go alone (my kids are too old and my wife is a CPA, so that's her busy season). I am thinking a Mon-Fri visit, flying in and out on Sunday and Saturday, respectively. I am normally a big fan of staying on-property, but was taken aback at the prices of the few resorts Disneyland has, so am instead looking in the very near vicinity around Anaheim.

Are there any non-Disney props that offer shuttles to/from the park? Since this will be short and sweet it would be great if I could even skip a rental car, but if that is an impossibility I'd instead consider something a little further out if it has free parking (since I'd have to pay to park at Disney). I am not too concerned about fancy so long as it's clean and relatively quiet at night.

Just starting some exploratory queries, and where/how to stay is my first concern. I'll almost certainly be back for more Dinseyland pro tips in the coming weeks and months!

 

[calitook]

Depending on what you mean by "budget" you can probably find something where you don't even need a shuttle. The kind of mind-blowing thing for people who are WDW people heading to Disneyland is that there are several hotels that are actually closer to the entrances of DL Park and DCA than the on-property resorts. Maybe check out prices for Best Western Plus Anaheim Inn or Park Vue Inn for your dates. These are literally across the street from the main entrance.

 

[sophy1996]

Not too many DLR-area hotels have their own shuttles. Candy Cane Inn is one. Most rely on ART (local bus system).

If you pick a hotel near the Toy Story parking lot, you can walk into the lot and take the shuttles to the parks.

Be aware that your time frame includes the Lunar New Year festival at DCA, which may increase crowds at times. Though that should be less of a concern on weekdays.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

I agree with the PP. There are affordable hotels in walking distance if you stay across the street on Harbor. I would only stay in a location that required a shuttle/driving if you wanted something specific. If you don’t really care and the priority is to save money I would stay across the street on Harbor.

 

[mich311e]

The walking distance hotels on Harbor are good. If you are on a budget I suggest Desert Inn & Suites. I also like Grand Legacy at the Park, they frequently have specials, especially last-minute specials, if you are on their email list. If you book some place refundable you can cancel when you get a deal at Grand Legacy.

If you aren't on a budget the Best Westerns right across the street also look nice! There's Best Western Park Place Inn and Best Western Plus Anaheim Inn. The Tropicana and Camelot are also on Harbor and look nice.

 

[Butterfly123]

For our last minute June trip we were looking at the close hotels on Harbor. We need two rooms for our family of 5 adults. We saved $1000 for our 4 nights/2 rooms by staying at Desert Inn & Suites over Camelot and Park Vue. That's a lot of Churros! It is definitely a budget hotel, but we've stayed there before and it's fine for us.

 

[Daryl K]

Wow, thank you all so much for the helpful advice! I was fully aware that Disneyland is WAY more compact than WDW, but in some (admittedly non-scientific) research using Google street view it looked like the walk from some locations might have been a mile or more...probably not too preferable to start and end a day as such when I'd already be spending all day on my feet.

I wasn't aware of this specific street and area though, and it looks like Desert Inn and similar are literally across the intersection and I'd be right there! Using street view again and browsing up and down a short distance it looks like there's plenty of other options too. So it looks like sticking close to Harbor and East Shuttle Area is the ticket, for sure! (Desert Inn has free breakfast too - I think it's a winner).

 

[dcraytho]

Holiday Inn in Fullerton, which is just a couple of miles away has there own shuttle to and from the parks. No cost.

 

[DisneylandFan22]

Wow, thank you all so much for the helpful advice! I was fully aware that Disneyland is WAY more compact than WDW, but in some (admittedly non-scientific) research using Google street view it looked like the walk from some locations might have been a mile or more...probably not too preferable to start and end a day as such when I'd already be spending all day on my feet.

I wasn't aware of this specific street and area though, and it looks like Desert Inn and similar are literally across the intersection and I'd be right there! Using street view again and browsing up and down a short distance it looks like there's plenty of other options too. So it looks like sticking close to Harbor and East Shuttle Area is the ticket, for sure! (Desert Inn has free breakfast too - I think it's a winner).

Yes, there are hotels across the street that are actually closer to the front gates than the Disneyland Hotel. It is much much easier to get around at Disneyland. Going between DL and DCA is very fast and convenient.

 

[Daryl K]

Holiday Inn in Fullerton, which is just a couple of miles away has there own shuttle to and from the parks. No cost.

Thank you! This may end up being an option after all. I liked the Desert Inn (location and hotel) mentioned above, but no matter what dates I enter they seem perpetually sold out. I guess that ultra-primo location right across from the entrance gates makes them the DeFacto first choice for everyone!

 

[Sacahara]

I booked at Del Sol Inn last year and it was right across from the park, pretty cheap ($700 for a week stay), and a decent hotel (but I only used it for sleeping and was in the parks the rest of the time). It was pretty much a 7 minute walk to the gate and it has a Denny's right in front of it.

 

[Butterfly123]

Thank you! This may end up being an option after all. I liked the Desert Inn (location and hotel) mentioned above, but no matter what dates I enter they seem perpetually sold out. I guess that ultra-primo location right across from the entrance gates makes them the DeFacto first choice for everyone!

Just keep trying. They have cancellations frequently. I think people often make multiple reservations to keep their options open. When I first started looking for our trip I could only get one room, but a few days later somebody cancelled and I was able to get another room. But definitely book something in the meantime, you don’t want to count on it.
Editing to add that I just checked, out of curiosity, and I see lots of availability for Jan and Feb.

 

[Aladora]

Thank you! This may end up being an option after all. I liked the Desert Inn (location and hotel) mentioned above, but no matter what dates I enter they seem perpetually sold out. I guess that ultra-primo location right across from the entrance gates makes them the DeFacto first choice for everyone!

I'm not sure of your dates but I just checked DI&S for Jan 29-Feb 2, 2024 and there was a ton of availability!

 

[Daryl K]

I'm not sure of your dates but I just checked DI&S for Jan 29-Feb 2, 2024 and there was a ton of availability!

View attachment 761042

What site are you using for that? I don't see their own website, but any third-party one I use shows them sold out.

Maybe they don't allow third-party sites and I just haven't found their (correct) site??

 

[Aladora]

What site are you using for that? I don't see their own website, but any third-party one I use shows them sold out.

Maybe they don't allow third-party sites and I just haven't found their (correct) site??

I went directly to their website to book. DI&S is not on any 3rd party sites afaik.

https://www.anaheimdesertinn.com/

 

[Daryl K]

I went directly to their website to book. DI&S is not on any 3rd party sites afaik.

Thanks!

Weird that my searches could not find their own site. I was beginning to think they didn't have one!

I've bookmarked this one though, so thanks again!

 

[Aladora]

Thanks!

Weird that my searches could not find their own site. I was beginning to think they didn't have one!

I've bookmarked this one though, so thanks again!

Happy to help! As you can see in my signature, we have stayed at DI&S a number of times. It is a basic motel but so close that it is 100% worth it!

A little tip, they automatically add in a parking fee but we have always let them know we don't have a car so they remove the fee at the front desk. At least they did the last time we stayed there.

 

[seewong]

Also look for hotels near the Disney parking areas. Then you can take the trams to the parking, and walk a little bit to your hotel

 

[Hyphen677]

Wow, thank you all so much for the helpful advice! I was fully aware that Disneyland is WAY more compact than WDW, but in some (admittedly non-scientific) research using Google street view it looked like the walk from some locations might have been a mile or more...probably not too preferable to start and end a day as such when I'd already be spending all day on my feet.

I wasn't aware of this specific street and area though, and it looks like Desert Inn and similar are literally across the intersection and I'd be right there! Using street view again and browsing up and down a short distance it looks like there's plenty of other options too. So it looks like sticking close to Harbor and East Shuttle Area is the ticket, for sure! (Desert Inn has free breakfast too - I think it's a winner).

Be aware that the beds at the Desert Inn are hard. When I was younger that wasn't an issue, but as I've aged I can't handle it anymore. Otherwise, I think it's clean, close, and has good staff.

 

[DodgerGirl]

Hello Daryl,
A good budget motel you should check out is the Days Inn West location in Anaheim and it offers a shuttle service but runs only during certain times but you can walk to the Disneyland entrance from there. From what I read in Yelp the rooms are nice and comfortable and they offer breakfast too if you are interested. And the Days Inn location I found is the nicest budget motel in Anaheim and you can get a lot for your money there
My advice to you is try giving this Days Inn a call and ask if they have any deals going on
Have a wonderful trip and hope this advice helps you a lot,
Dodger
P.S. Welcome to the Dis and have a great time here