Disneyland with my parents in the days before Thanksgiving was precious. Thanksgiving with even more family members was a blessing.
Burning 50,000 Best Western Rewards points for 5 room nights at hotels across the street from the Disneyland park entrance was a steal.
Driving 900 miles across California spending $255 for 3 IHG hotels and nights along the route in Santa Maria, Santa Ana and Bakersfield, while earning 44,000 points was my favorite kind of road trip deal.
IHG Rewards Club 44,000 points earned over the past week covers the cost for two free nights in Amsterdam in 2019.
5 nights in Anaheim at Best Western Park Place Inn Anaheim and Best Western Anaheim Inn burned 50,000 points for $1,226 in room nights. That was a steal considering 50,000 points is the purchase points equivalent of $275 based on last April’s Daily Getaways price.
The two Best Western Anaheim hotels are normally 28,000 points per night. By booking these hotels during the current Best Western Rewards promotion for any hotel in the United States at 10,000 points for a Sun-Thu weekday night Nov 15-Jan 15 reduced the reward rate for 5 nights from 140,000 points to 50,000 points.
Having stayed at several Anaheim hotels near Disneyland over the years like Hilton, Marriott and Sheraton Park, the advantage of the two Best Western hotels was being only five minutes walk to the entrance of the park.
We generally went back to the room each day to change clothes as the warm daytime temperatures in the low 70s dipped into sweater and jacket mid-50s weather in the evening. Anaheim GardenWalk (15 minutes walk from Disneyland entrance) for Happy Hour 2-6pm beer and food specials at places like House of Blues ($6 Stella Artois 23oz.) or McCormick and Schmick’s beat the high price of beer and food in Disneyland Resort.
Finally got the opportunity to redeem $75 in gift cards we have been holding onto for the past couple of years.
Disneyland Resort has a seasonal Festival of Holidays program through January 6, 2019.
I’ll follow up with hotel reviews for the five places we stayed in California and an article on the Festival of Holidays alterations to the Disneyland Resort.
