Hilton DTD pros and cons??

[ppan77]

Can someone tell me about DTD Hilton? Pros and cons. We have two small children 4 and 1. Wondering what rooms are like, shuttle service, walk to DTD, etc...

 

[valleygirl]

My husband and I stayed there for one night this past June and really enjoyed it. Here's the link to my review with pictures.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2196671

 

[macrosswife]

Can someone tell me about DTD Hilton? Pros and cons. We have two small children 4 and 1. Wondering what rooms are like, shuttle service, walk to DTD, etc...

My DS6 and I just stayed there in August for a week.
-The rooms were very typical for a hotel. I liked the fact that the sink was not in the actual bathroom with the tub and toilet.
-The walk to DTD was fantastic!
-We really enjoyed the morning breakfast buffet.
-The shuttle service was my only negative...they only pick up at scheduled times every 30 minutes. Each bus services 2 parks (for example, MK and AK), and also services 2-3 other hotels. Hilton is the first to be picked up/dropped off, but still makes for a long commute. The bus drop-offs are also (understandably) the furthest away from the park entrances, and most do not have seating and/or shade.
Would the shuttle prevent me from staying here again? No. However, it is something to be aware of so that you can plan accordingly.
-The other thing my DS enjoyed was the pool! They have 2 pools, plus a small wading pool with fountain that your 1 year old would probably enjoy! We weren't sure if you could actually play in the fountain pool, but one of the staff put some beach balls and other toys in it, so we took that as a sign that you could.

Hope that helps!!
~Kimber

 

[cruise pup]

I stayed there 2 years ago. Got a great rate through Priceline. The room as I recall was very nice. The pool area is huge and so I nice that I thought I should make a point of allowing more time to enjoy it. Hence, I managed to get a great rate through Priceline and will probably make a day of just relaxing by the pool and visiting DTD. I found the shuttle service to be pretty good. Just about as good as any other hotel shuttle. It was great having the Extra Disney Hours available. This is the only non-Disney hotel which offers it from what I can remember. If you don't have a car then this place is in a great location. Except, however, there are no convenience stores or supermarkets in walking distance.

 

[kirbygump]

Do the suites have a fridge for milk, soda, water, etc.?

 

[3floridarays]

We are staying at the Hilton for our December trip. According to the Hilton website, the suites do have a mini-fridge. The regular guest rooms do not.

 

[macrosswife]

I stayed there 2 years ago. Got a great rate through Priceline. The room as I recall was very nice. The pool area is huge and so I nice that I thought I should make a point of allowing more time to enjoy it. Hence, I managed to get a great rate through Priceline and will probably make a day of just relaxing by the pool and visiting DTD. I found the shuttle service to be pretty good. Just about as good as any other hotel shuttle. It was great having the Extra Disney Hours available. This is the only non-Disney hotel which offers it from what I can remember. If you don't have a car then this place is in a great location. Except, however, there are no convenience stores or supermarkets in walking distance.

Yes! I totally forgot about the EMH!!
We took advantage of it twice with no problems!!

~Kimber

 

[macrosswife]

Do the suites have a fridge for milk, soda, water, etc.?

Our family had rooms on the 4th floor (not concierge level) and had both a mini-bar and a small dorm sized fridge.

~Kimber

 

[Disney MAINEiac]

Pros: close to restaurants, benihana in the hotel, clean, good pool area, close to DTD, EMH perk

Cons: must cross busy street to get to DTD, longish walk to DTD bus stop (plus busy street), can't ship packages to your room, can't charge to room key in the parks

 

[GazerBeam]

Cons: must cross busy street to get to DTD, longish walk to DTD bus stop (plus busy street), can't ship packages to your room, can't charge to room key in the parks

Just to add/clarify a couple of things. While it is a busy street, there are traffic lights, and pedestrian crossing lights there so you can cross safely, though you have to wait for the light to cycle.

I'm pretty sure you can ship packages back there. I think package delivery is available for all disney resorts, the swan and dolphin, shades of green, and all the downtown disney hotels. Pretty much any hotel that has a disney operated gift shop in it, and the hilton is one of these.

(And I think the hilton is great, stayed there a couple years ago. The only reason I haven't been back is I have been able to find better value at the disney resorts or the swan/dolphin.)

GB

 

[solar]

I was just there in September...the regular room had a mini fridge

I love this place, and it's a place my sister and i take mini-trips too...great location, mini-mart on site, restaurants on site, 2 pools, 2 hot tubs, outside pool bar, nice environment, shuttles to outlets, shuttles to parks

Directly across from DTD, just to out the doors by the pool, down the sidewalk and cross the street. YES, there is a crosswalk with a light.

We really enjoy this place! I've been here 3 times now, and I plan on going back again.

side note - Rose at the pool bar...super sweet lady!

 

[aksivers]

We stayed one night (free w/points). The rooms were nice, there was a desk, fridge, flat screen TV. There are two sink one with a vanity and with a makeup mirror and the other in the shower/toilet area. The rooms also have coffee makers, hairdryers, irons, a safe and robes. Parking is around $12/day with taxes.

 

[cruise pup]

Long walk to DTD buses but isn't there a shuttle from the hotel to DTD? Also, you could take the ferry boat next to Rainforest Cafe over to Pleasure Island which would shorten the walk. This could work for anyone concerned about the walk over to DTD although I did it many times without a problem. Traffic lights are good. Just watch out for some of the Disney bus drivers.

 

[solar]

the walk is shorter if you go down the elevators, and out the sliding doors by the pool....follow that little path, and it takes you RIGHT to the light! It's pretty quick.

outlet shuttle - go out the back entrance...near the car rental section, and by the mini-mart/Covington MIll restaurant...it's where you catch the buses for the parks.

You can catch a shuttle to the outlets (free - tip to driver), and they'll tell you the return times. When we went it was an extended van of sort...they run a route a couple times a day. It's for the outlets right off of 535 I think. Lake Buena Vista outlets or something like that...

I've used the shuttle to outlets on 2 separate occasions...super easy to use, and if you have any questions, just ask at the hotel - they'll direct you where to go.

 

[cruise pup]

I just found out you can also get free transportation to Orlando Premium Outlet which has more upscale stores and, according to Mousesavers.com, features a better Disney Character store (more WDW merchandise). You have to call Maingate Transportation 1 hour ahead to reserve space. I believe the times are around 10:00 am and 12:00 pm.

 

[Disuser]

Is there transportation offered from the Hilton to Universal?

 

[Kellytn]

This hotel has a character breakfast right? What characters are there?

 

[Bdawgsc]

I stayed here with a friend back in June. The hotel is fairly nice and the rooms are a good size. There was a mini-fridge in our standard room. Even in June, our rate was very reasonable - far less than most other hotels around. For the rate, or even more, it was a good experience.

You can walk most anywhere from here if you really want to. Even up to Goodings. Beware, the parking is NOT free. It was a little hassle since no one told us how to handle it until it was too late. It's not difficult, just make sure you tell them at the front desk that you're self-parking.

The pool area was pretty nice and even had some shady spots for just relaxing.

My only real complaints were the noise and the entrance. The hallways and common areas seemed to always have screaming guests (not just children) in them. Also, if you're coming from 535, turning into the property sometimes feels like you're risking your life. That's a really busy intersection.

Also, beware, they don't offer taxi service from this hotel - just town cars.

If you've got a good rate, don't question this hotel.

 

[cruise pup]

This hotel has a character breakfast right? What characters are there?

Only on Sundays. The information is on the hotel's website. By the way, across the street at the Regal Sun there are also character breakfasts done on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays. So you can have lots of character breakfasts without heading to the WDW resorts. The hotel is running a promotion if you aren't locked into the Hilton:

http://www.bookit.com/us/florida/orlando/hotels/regal-sun-resort/?promoId=5355961

 

[buzz1fan]

Is the pool zero entry?