The Tropicana Inn may not be much to look at and the rooms might not be as fancy as the rooms at the

Growing up, the only hotel I ever stayed in was the Disneyland Hotel. delta airlines flight schedule Now just having remarried and inherited 4 girls in addition to my 3 kids, I've had to make some adjustments. Due to budgetary limitations now, the last two years we have stayed at the Tropicana Inn, right across the street. I'll summarize some advantages and disadvantages of each.
Nothing is more magical then staying at the Disneyland Hotel in addition to spending a week at the park. The Disneyland Hotel has gone through MAJOR renovations since the last time I stayed delta airlines flight schedule there. I used to love exploring the Disneyland Hotel grounds. The Hotel grounds used to have a little trail that wound through waterfalls, around a koy pond and, quite a few years ago, there was even a remote control boat course and race car track that I used to enjoy, along with the swimming pools, delta airlines flight schedule of course. A couple of years ago, they took all of that out and turned the whole area into a water park type area with monorail themed water slides and an extra pool. The rooms were also renovated, delta airlines flight schedule though I have only seen pictures of the newly remodeled rooms, which look nice. Although it would seem that the theme park would only be a short stroll from the Hotel, delta airlines flight schedule it's at least a 10 minute walk. There is also the option of taking delta airlines flight schedule the monorail to make the walk shorter, but after waiting in line to get on the monorail at the station, you would probably get there faster by just walking. It should also be noted that the monorail station is about half way between the hotel and the theme park so it too requires a little walk to get there from the hotel. The walk to Disneyland from the Hotel requires you to pass through the Downtown Disney District which is full of cool shops and places to eat, and is a fun place to explore even if you stay elsewhere.
The Tropicana Inn may not be much to look at and the rooms might not be as fancy as the rooms at the Disneyland Hotel, but the price is right and the location can't be beat. It is actually a little closer delta airlines flight schedule to the theme park than the Disneyland Hotel is. There is a crosswalk just a few yards away from the hotel with a stop light to help you get across the busy Harbor Blvd, which is important to me especially since 3 of my kids are age 6 and under. It has a decent pool which was kept pretty cold the one time I swam in it. It also offers a light continental breakfast consisting of bagels, pastries, doughnuts, fruit, and orange juice. It's a nice way to get the kids fed fast and off to the park before it gets too busy. They do charge for parking your car there - if I remember right, $8 per day per car - which seems kind of funny to me since it's not like you're going to walk to a hotel...but from what I understand, most of the hotels if not all that are in close proximity to the park, charge for parking. I have been pleased both times with my stay at the Tropicana Inn.
The two closest hotels to the park (by mere feet over the Tropicana) are the Best Western Park Place Inn and the Park View Inn. They are also usually slightly more expensive than the Tropicana, although not by a significant amount. The Best Western Anaheim Inn is also about as close as the Tropicana but is usually a bit more pricey. All of these hotels are located across the street (Harbour Blvd) from the park. The only others that are within reasonable walking distance for a family of 3 kids under 6 would be the Ramada Main Gate, Carousel Inn, the Park Inn and Suites, and the Fairfield Inn. They are all a slightly longer walk then the Tropicana and usually a little more expensive as well. They are all located across the street from Disneyland.
I have recently been made aware of another option for large families. Less than 5 miles away from Disneyland, this Townhome sleeps 10 people. It has a full kitchen and dining area which can help save a ton of money since you won't have to eat at Disneyland every meal. Here is a Virtual Tour and you can get more info by visiting their Facebook page here.
I guess the way my thinking goes is that I don't spend a lot of time at the hotel when I go to Disneyland so I don't need to pay extra to stay at the Disneyland Hotel. With that said, if I had unlimited funds, I'd stay at the Disneyland Hotel in a heartbeat - partly because of the sentimental value it has with my mom taking me there as a child and partly because of the extra "magic" you feel from staying delta airlines flight schedule there. But the Tropicana has been a perfect place for us to stay over the past 2 years because of it's low cost and close proximity to the park. If you have a large family that would require 2 hotel rooms and you don't mind a short drive to the park, a townhome like Walt's Hangout might be right up your alley.