Staying On-property vs. Off-property at the Disneyland® Resort

By David Platt, your Mouse Master specialist

In my last blog entry, I talked about the advantages of staying on-property vs. off-property at the Walt Disney World® Resort. Now let’s move over to the west coast and talk about the Disneyland® Resort.


On-Property

Staying on-property at Disneyland® Resort can be quite a bit different for those used to the dozens of resorts at Walt Disney World® Resort. Disneyland Resort only has three on-property hotels: Disney’s Paradise Pier® Hotel, the Disneyland® Hotel, and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa. 

However, unlike at Walt Disney World, there are no value-priced on-property resorts. Disney's Paradise Pier is roughly equivalent price-wise to a high-end Walt Disney World moderate resort, while the Disneyland Hotel and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa are priced similarly to Walt Disney World deluxe resorts.

Each of the three on-property hotels is located very near the theme parks, with Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa even having its own private entrance into Disney California Adventure® Park. Disney's Paradise Pier and the Disneyland Hotel are a short ten-minute walk to the main gates, making all three extremely attractive from a location perspective.

One of the biggest perks of staying on-property, other than being immersed in the Disney magic, is that your entire party gets to enter one of the parks an hour early every morning, letting you get a huge jump on crowds. 


Off-Property

But what about off-property? At Walt Disney World, off-property is usually only an attractive option if you’re traveling with a larger group that needs a suite or a vacation house. Staying at an off-property location usually means a long trek to the theme parks, using either a hotel shuttle or your own rental car. 

Staying off-property in the Disneyland Resort area is a whole different ballgame, though— there are off-property hotels within easy walking distance. A few are even closer to the parks than the on-property hotels, believe it or not! It’s entirely possible to stay off-property with no need for a rental car and never setting foot on a shuttle. 

Unlike the on-property Disneyland Resort hotels, off-property hotels come at all price points and at a wide range of amenity levels. Most located closest to the parks are older properties with fewer amenities, while those located a bit further away are more luxurious properties. Many, even within easy walking distance, have suite configurations designed for larger groups. 
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So when it comes down to it, which is the better choice— on-property or off-property? There really isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ answer; it all comes down to what you want in a hotel. Are location and luxurious amenities most important to you? On-property may be right for you. Or, if you’re a traveler who cares more about price and being close to the parks, you’ll probably be really happy with a nearby off-property hotel.

If you’d like to talk more about Disneyland-area properties, drop me a line at [email protected].