Questions for those of you who have stayed at HoJos...

[lntsmom]

There seem to be a lot of negative posts about it all the sudden...I want to try to get my ducks in a row.

First, I gather a white noise machine is a MUST. Have others found this to be true?

Second, how big are the windows that don't have curtains? If I bring along an emergency blanket...52" x 82", and some 3M stickies, will that cover it? I was going to bring the blanket anyway for when we camp out for Fantasmic. (Another issue...does California have chiggers??????) I thought I'd just toss it after the one use, but it's so bitty when folded up that I could take it back to the hotel and use it to darken the room if needed.

To be honest, until this year I'd never considered doing Disneyland because I haven't known anyone who's gone there and come back saying what a great time they had. Either they've said nothing or they've said they found it to be disappointing.

I've invested nearly a month's take home pay on this trip...and that includes getting discounts on our room, tickets, parking, and even taking the cheapest airfare I could find.

The reality is, we'll be in the hotel room for maybe 8 hours a day...but those 8 hours need to be quiet and dark enough for us to get the sleep we need. Doing a theme park with two small sleep deprived children is not an adventure I care to take!

 

[LucyKate]

There's only been one recent post critical of the HoJo as far as I can recall, and it left me mystifed, because I stayed in that same building, on the same side and never noticed the noise, and yet I am a VERY light sleeper. Believe me if there had been ANY noise problem in that room I would have been the first here to let you know.

So I don't think you need to go to any of those lengths, but contact HoJo management directly and request a quiet room ahead of all your other requirements and they will accommodate your.

But it's a great value hotel and I wouldn't stay anywhere else if we went to Disneyland again.

Our Disney holiday was quite simply the best thing we have ever done - and I have been to over 30 countries and seen dozens of amazing places. However, a big factor in this was the lack of crowds and queues. If you go outside the peak season I think it makes all the difference.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

I also have stayed at the Hojo several times (3 completed 2 on board) and have never had ANY complaints about the hotel (well except no free doughnuts- but take what ya can get) and theyve become my hotel of choice (except for this week when their rate was 109 a night vs the 59 I got at the Super 8..) Ive stayed in Building 1 and Building 4 and enjoyed both-

-em

 

[M's_girl]

I've never had a problem at HoJos, so I don't get what people have been saying. We have never stayed in the tall tower on the back side though (and that is overlooking the freeway).

I've always requested a room overlooking the main pool--where the kid pool is--and have been really happy.

 

[Mortimer Mouse]

Just got back from HoJo's last week, never stayed there before and was dissappionted in the freeway noise, room 512. Most of the time we stay at Candycane inn, unsure if we will ever go back to Hojo's. but as lucykate mentioned request a quiet room. besides who needs sleep at DL, jk. have fun.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I think that the person who didn't much care for the HoJo's had stayed at WDW moderates. While I liked the HoJo just fine there is absolutely no comparison to a WDW moderate and that is mostly due to location. Disneyland in general cannot be compared to WDW because of its location, right in the heart of a big city. I don't find that to be a big issue however since I spend my time enjoying the parks and relaxing at the hotel pool (incidentally, the HoJo has two very nice pool areas) and don't sit and stress about how close I am to the workings of a big city. I have heard people say that if you are on the freeway side the rooms are very noisy and that when the semi's go over the seams on the highway the room almost vibrates. That is not a new complaint on this board, I had seen that mentioned many times last year when I was researching for our stay. We stayed in a non tower room last June right above the pool and it was very quiet. The grounds are very pretty and the staff very nice. Of the two offsite hotels I have stayed at while at Disneyland I completely preferred the HoJO. It maybe depends on what your expectations are going in. Personally I just love staying onsite so even though the HoJo was very nice it didn't feel quite the same to me but not enough to mar my trip in any way. If you talk to the staff beforehand they will probably be very accomodating with your request for a quieter room. As far as windows that let in light, our room had some skylight type windows that let in light but that was actually nice since I hate it when I am at a hotel and the room is still pitch black at 9:00 a.m. The natural light helped us wake up naturally like we do at home where we don't have blackout type curtains. In the future, if I stay offsite again, I would stay at the HoJo again, especially if a good rate was available. You cannot beat the value of this hotel that is within such easy walking distance to Disneyland.

As far as Disneyland itself, I cannot imagine anyone not having fun there! That really mystifies me. We just got home from WDW yesterday and while we love it and have even bought into DVC, I still love Disneyland the best. Yes it is in a big city off a highway but once you step into the parks or on to Downtown Disney you would never know it. It is a truly magical place. Have fun, enjoy your trip, I feel certain you will!

 

[Buttercup26]

We have stayed there and never been bothered by the noise. The freeway runs behind buildings 2, 5, and 1. I would email HoJo's and request a room that is NOT on the freeway side of those bldgs if you are really worried about the noise. My favorite location is in building 2 overlooking the garden pool.

The only windows that I know of that wouldn't have curtains would be the skylights, which are only in certain rooms on the top floors of the buildings. Again, I would email HoJo's to request a room w/o a skylight.

You can email them at stay@hojoanaheim.com.

They have always been very accommodating to all of my requests.

HoJo's is NOT a luxery hotel. It is a very nice 2-3 star hotel, and the best value of any of the hotels near DLR.

I think many of the people who have complained are used to the 'resort' atmosphere at WDW.

 

[swimrsal]

I don't know about the hotel but I wanted to reply to your inquiry about chiggers - to my knowledge, we don't have them on the west coast.

Your post brought back memories from when I went to a science camp in Iowa and there were chiggers there. I had forgotten all about them! LOL! So yes, you should be safe from chiggers in California!

-Sally

 

[lntsmom]

Sally...I love the chigger info! It will be nice to not have to worry if my kids happen to sit on the grass, lol!

I have been on so many Disney related boards that some of the negative posts may have been elsewhere. One mentioned windows that sounded as if they were huge semi-circles...like the kind you see over some front doors, but MUCH larger! Skylights won't be a problem, if we end up with them!

I will e-mail Willie tonight to request a quiet room. As for me, my kids and I usually stay at either Hotel 6 or Motel 8, so pretty near anything will be a move up from that, lol! (The only hotel I won't stay at is Day's Inn...NEVER book at the Day's Inn in St. Louis!!! Well, if you have a secret fantasy of staying in a flop hotel, complete with black mold on the ceiling and bullet holes in the wall...go for it!)

Thanks for the input! I've secretly thought that there was something severely wrong with anyone who can't have fun at Disney, but when you see a string of posts about "bad" vacations you've got to wonder!!!!

Again, thanks for your input! I'll bet you're all as anxious for my vacation to begin as I am...that way I won't be here sharing my stress!

 

[TheZue]

Okay...I gotta know what a chigger is...is it some kind of bug?



(I'm guessing I'm lucky I don't know )

 

[BLBCB]

A bump up for the chigger question. I guess we don't have them up here in Canada. Is it some kind of bug?

 

[Bumbles]

chiggers burrow into your skin and make you itch like mad...not a very pleasant thing

 

[Mom2Joce]

Holy moly!! I'm a native Californian born and bred and first thing I did NOT even know what a Chigger was! Second, I've NEVER had a bug of any kind burrow in under my skin and make me itch like mad. So although I'm not 100% sure that we DON'T have them I'm not famililar with them and have never heard of them.

Oh, and although I've also never stayed at HOJO's you and your family will have a BLAST!!

 

[daannzzz]

These are the skylight rooms and indeed they do have two large half circle windows. I love these rooms but if you don't like light in the morning do not request one. These are on the top floors of most of the buildings.
http://www.fastlodge.com/t/hotels/ANA_HOJO-rooms-1.jpg

 

[BeckyEsq]

We will be staying at Ho Jo's in June for two nights. I'll be sure to post a report. I am sensitive to light but that's why I always bring a sleep mask to wear to bed! Also for $67 a night I will be happy as long as it's clean!

 

[Bumbles]

actually I did a little more research and I stand corrected, they don't burrow into the skin.

from howstuffworks.com:

Chiggers do not burrow under your skin, as many people believe, nor do they feed on animal blood. They actually feed on the fluids in skin cells. To get the fluids, they attach themselves to a skin pore or hair follicle and inject a digestive enzyme that ruptures the cells. The enzyme also hardens the surrounding skin tissue, forming a sort of straw for sucking the skin cell fluids. The whole process irritates the skin, causing an itchy red bump that continues to cause discomfort for several days. Chiggers are only about 1/50th of an inch (0.5 mm) in diameter and so are too small to be seen with the naked eye. This invisibility is the reason so many people believe chiggers burrow under the skin.

You might encounter chiggers in any number of environments, but they are especially concentrated in damp areas with a lot of vegetation. They are attracted to concealed, moist conditions on hosts, too, so they tend to attach to skin under tight clothing, such as socks and underwear, or in concealed areas of the body, such as the groin and the armpits. One way to decrease the chance of chigger bites is to wear loose clothing when you're in the woods or other infested areas. You should also take a shower as soon as you get home from an outdoor expedition, to remove any chiggers before they attach to your skin.

We'd always beeen told they burrow and if you have a chigger bite to coat the bite with clear nail polish

Probably way more about chiggers than anyone needs to know

 

[MouseLover]

We have them here in Arkansas. They are in any field or wooded area. You only have to walk through a ditch next to a roadway or a park-like area. They live on weeds, bushes, etc. If you brush against one of those bushes, you can literally be covered with them, and not know until you start itching several hours later. You can easily have 50-100 bumps. They seem much worse than mosquito bites to me. Miserable itching that lasts for several days.

 

[lntsmom]

When I first moved here I couldn't figure out why people don't USE their lawns! I grew up in Colorado where we lived on our lawns all summer long. Not only do people not use their lawns here, they don't go barefoot. In most neighborhoods, they don't even water!

Chiggers get in around the waistband on your underwear...or under babies' diapers. Their bites are way more annoying than the average mosquito bite.

Sigh...it's already that time here. The chiggers and ticks are having a hayday. I found a tick on the back of my leg today. I've seen clothing with repellant built in...I think I'm going to invest in some socks in hopes of avoiding repeats.

The worst thing is spiders...they attack while you're asleep. At least the chiggers and ticks play fair...you stay out of their territory and they leave you alone, lol!