[anaheimboy]

LAX is about 35 miles from Disneyland, it can take anywhere from 40 minutes to 2 hours to get to the resort depending on traffic and what time of day you go.

If you're just going to Disneyland Resort, I would take advantage of the shuttle system (I forget the name of it) but it drops you and your luggage off a certain hotels and locations around the Anaheim Resort and some Anaheim Resort hotels also offer shuttle systems from LAX. Renting a car is great but sometimes its more trouble than its worth for those who rarely or never have driven in SoCal, etc. So the shuttle is probably more of the way to go if you just plan to go to DLR.

April is a great time to go to the parks as well, it may be a little crowded with spring break crowds but its a wonderful time of the year in SoCal.

The best non-Disney hotel? These are what I would suggest because they are RIGHT across the street from the DLR Harbor Blvd. Pedestrian Entrance and are typically nice:
Park Vue Inn, Best Western, Carousel Inn, Tropicana Inn, Howard Johnson Anaheim, Anaheim Plaza Hotel, Desert Inn & Suites-Disneyland, Anaheim Camelot Inn....just about all of those are right across the street and are a quick walk. The Anabella and Candy Cane Inn are nice but a bit of a walk in comparison to the ones I listed above.

The Disneyland Hotel IMO is worth the money, its always nice to stay on property. Its right at the entrance to Downtown Disney and offers great views. It has lots of great amenities and is full of magic, fun places to eat and shops, etc.

And dont be confused when it comes to Disneyland. Disneyland is so compact with tons and tons to do and you dont have to take a bus, monorail or ferry everywhere like you do at WDW, you can take the monorail but walking is typically the way most people go, Disneyland is considered a "Pedestrian Resort" in Disney terms. There is just as much to do at DLR as there is at WDW and you will have such a fun time! Enjoy!