Disneyland Hotel050

If you need to be only a hop, skip, and scurry (well, Mickey IS a mouse) from The Magic Kingdom, then Disneyland Hotel is a reasonable, but not the best, choice (for that, we have to recommend the Californian).

The Disneyland Hotel is the furthest of the three hotels from both parks - it's quite a trek from here to California Adventure, and even if you choose to ride the Monorail back and forth to Disneyland, a bit of a walk is required.

990 guest rooms offer the usual Disney perks, including early admission to the parks. Room service and cable TV (with the Disney Channel, of course), are available for rest stops between park visits.

Dining: Choose between Hook's Pointe & Wine Cellar, with its unmistakable smoldering mesquite aroma and menu of grilled treasures, and the recently renovated and lovely Goofy's Kitchen, home of a wacky, wonderful world of food and fun hosted by Chef Goofy himself. The character buffet lunch is rightly popular (make reservations, if you can) and costs $17.95/person. Our clan says try the Mermaid Mist "mocktail" for a real treat.

Recreation: The Never Land themed pool, with its lush tropical landscaping, Pan-tastic water slide, suspension bridge and comical crocodile, never fails to entice the crankiest kid; it's the best pool among all at the three Disney hotels. Also, enjoy Team Mickey for invigorating workouts. The Cove Pool has a little fake sand beach and play area for smaller kids.

The laundry facilities (shared with guests at Paradise Pier) are by the Cove Pool and offer a whopping total of two washers and four dryers.

Note: A two-night or more stay is mandatory.