Summer is definitely here! In fact, it is so hot right now that I'm reminiscing about our family vacation to Hong Kong last November. The weather was great (cold but not
that cold) and it didn't rain the whole time we were there.
Anyway, when we were planning our trip, we knew we were going to Disney but didn't know if we should book at the Disneyland Hotel or the Hollywood Hotel. Based on the reviews I read online, Hollywood Hotel was cheaper, but the rooms were also smaller. On aesthetic though, Hollywood Hotel seemed more modern. A lot of reviews also said that most of the good restaurants were at Disneyland Hotel so it was more convenient staying there. Since this was the first time our kids were going to Disney, we decided to go with Disneyland Hotel na lang. Go big or go home right! ;p
There are always different promos in their
website, but during the time we booked, the best deal was the Early Bird package. We got a 1-night stay in a Deluxe Room and 2-Day Ticket Package for 2 persons for HKD 3,987 (P23,500). We just bought the kids' park tickets separately online. On a side note, my credit card got
charged twice so make sure to check your bills carefully. Good thing they were able to refund me the amount pretty quickly.
Disneyland opens at 10:00am but check-in time is still at 3:00pm, So we got there at 10am to get our tickets for the park and just left our luggage at their deposit counter. We just came back at around 4:00pm to check-in and take a rest before going back to Disney to catch the night parade and the fireworks.
It was also a great time to go to Disneyland because all the Christmas decorations were already up. This giant Christmas tree greets you the moment you enter the lobby. Everything just looks and feels more festive that time of year. :)
Anyway, we booked the DELUXE room which can come with either 2 double beds or 1 king bed. We got the double beds and they were more like queen-sized to me. In fact, all 4 of us could fit in 1 bed lol! The room was also very big and spacious. But I wasn't such a fan of the overall look of the room since I prefer a more modern vibe. Parang for the price, eto na un? And there were Disney elements but it was very subtle for me. I was thinking lang na since this was
the Disneyland Hotel, dapat mas bagay for kids un design or something. I know Victorian talaga ang theme pero sana it could have felt more Disney gets? So I think I would have liked the Hollywood Hotel rooms better siguro...
Based on the rates, the cheapest is the Standard room followed by the Deluxe. I believe it's exactly the same size, the only difference is there's a balcony in the Deluxe. However, the balcony was useless for us since we were on the lower floor and had a crappy view. We didn't even open the doors or step foot outside. So if you want to save a few bucks, just get the Standard room unless you can guarantee a great view (or maybe if you smoke?).
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| our view was the side of the hotel |
The bathroom was a nice size and had a bathtub which the kids enjoyed.
Of course, I brought all of these bathroom stuff home as souvenirs hehe! ;p
I admit, the most exciting part for me about staying in this hotel was the garden maze. The kids just wanted to run around here and we had to remind them that we still had to go to Disneyland pa! Basta, dream come true for me talaga that we were able to see this. :)
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| grounds at the back of the hotel |
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| you can also see the ocean from here |
I decided not to book a character dining meal anymore since I felt hindi pa siya sulit with my kids. They're at that age where they're a bit scared of mascots pa kasi. In fact, when I was explaining to them the concept that Mickey and the other characters will go to our table while eating, naku umiyak lang sila! So wag na lang. And for the price, sayang lang since my kids don't eat pa a lot. But we did check out the Enchanted Garden Restaurant and hopefully we could eat here next time.
For little girls, there was the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique where your child can get all dolled up like her favorite princess with a photoshoot session after. It was expensive for me, but if you have money to spare then go for it. I'm sure every little girl would love to experience this. :)
We saw a lot of little girls wearing gowns and wigs around Disney (Elsa was the clear favorite). Miley wanted to buy one as well, pero it was just too expensive especially if you compare it to the costumes in SM or even Divisoria. I definitely wish I could have just brought my daughter's princess dresses from home na lang. Next time!
Both the Disneyland Hotel and the Hollywood Hotel have swimming pools, but the Disneyland Hotel had an indoor pool which was ideal during the cold weather. I really made sure the kids were able to swim para masulit naman un stay namin here lol.
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| wearing her Disney hotel robe |
Other thoughts:
- At the hotel, check-in time is after 3pm, and check-out time is before 11am. So I think ideal to stay at least 2 nights to really maximize the hotel amenities. Parang if you're going to spend so much for the hotel, then dapat buong day ka talaga dun right? ;p
- Looking back, I think it would have been ok for us to stay at Hollywood Hotel since we were at Disneyland park most of the time. We didn't even eat at any of the hotel restaurants (we ate sa Disneyland na mismo). There were activities for kids at the hotel too, but we weren't even able to check any of those out since our priority was really the theme park. So next time, I'll definitely book at Hollywood Hotel so we can see the difference.
- The shuttle from the hotel to Disneyland park (and vice versa) was very spacious and there was one every few minutes so you never waited too long.
Anyway, I'll also be posting more about our Disneyland experience next, :)
