Priceline offers some great prices for travelers looking for hotels near Disneyland in Anaheim, California. However, Priceline reservations are non-refundable and extra caution should be exercised when booking Priceline hotels. This article discusses some of the ways to save money while avoiding the common pitfalls travelers make when booking their hotel on opaque bidding sites.
Priceline Overview
Priceline’s Name Your Own Price allows travelers to ‘bid’ on hotel rooms. As a customer, you must specify your hotel criteria such as the travel dates, general vicinity or ‘zone’ you want to stay, and the hotel rating. Once you enter this information, you place a bid by submitting the price you are willing to pay (known as your ‘bid’). In a few seconds, Priceline tells you if your ‘bid’ is accepted or not. If it is accepted, Priceline reveals the name of your hotel and completes your reservation. If your bid is rejected, it is usually because your bid was too low and you are encouraged to bid again.
It is important to note that once your bid for a hotel room is accepted, the booking is final and cannot be changed or cancelled. As a result, travelers should take extra care to make sure their travel plans are not going to change and that they are going to be happy with the mystery hotel they receive. Note, there is a clever way to reveal your hotel before you book. Have a look at the Anaheim Priceline hotel list to see what other travelers have received in your hotel zone and rating. This will give you a very good idea of the hotel you are likely to receive on Priceline.
Priceline in Anaheim, CA
Most travelers who book in Anaheim are visiting Disneyland. If Disneyland is your destination, you will probably want to find a hotel in the “Disneyland – Anaheim Convention Center – Garden Grove” zone. The problem with this zone, however, is that it extends quite far south of Disneyland, about 2.5 miles (4 km) in fact. This means if you book a hotel on Priceline in the Disneyland area, you could be about 40 minutes (if walking) away from the park, or you are dependent on shuttle buses, public transportation, or a rental car.
It is really unfortunate that Priceline has chosen to make this zone extend so far south that it makes it quite risky for anybody using Priceline to book a hotel near Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. This is compounded by the fact that Priceline does not reveal the hotel amenities before you book. You have no way of knowing how close to the park your hotel will be, or if the hotel you receive has a shuttle to take you to and from the park.
As a general rule, I actually recommend that travelers avoid using priceline for this very reason. The exception being that the savings you realize compensates for the risk you are taking. Unless you are saving 20% or more, I feel it is worth the extra to book elsewhere that gives you a bit more certainty.
Some hotels in the Disneyland zone of Priceline are nearly 3 miles away from the park
Better Bidding on Priceline Disneyland Hotels
Whether you are booking a Priceline hotel in Anaheim or elsewhere, these tips will help you bid better on Priceline hotels:
- Remember that Priceline Name Your Own Price hotel reservations cannot be changed or cancelled. Only book if you are not going to change or cancel your reservation.
- Try to find out what hotel you may receive by looking at the list of hotels that others have received on Priceline.
- Priceline does not show you the hotel amenities when you book. Therefore, if you need certain amenities like a swimming pool or shuttle to the Disneyland resort, consider alternatives such as Hotwire
- If you need help booking on Priceline, ask a question on the Priceline forum where thousands of members will be willing to answer your questions.
- If bidding on Priceline, do not hesitate to bid low. You can always increase your bid by using this free rebidding technique that does not require you to wait 24 hours.
Finally, if you are going to book your hotel using Priceline, please share what hotel you received. This will help other travelers when they go to book on Priceline. Follow these rules and you should be fine. Priceline is often the cheapest but it is good to be aware of some of the risks associated with non-refundable opaque booking sites.