Are you trying to decide if you should stay onsite?

[tiggerluvr]

OMG, you guys are terrible enablers. I just got a new job with a huge raise, so I changed my Dec 9-13 BWPPI reservations to Dec 9-14 DLH ressies! And instead of getting a parkhopper, i'm getting a premium annual pass. To hell with the extra money; you only live once, right?

 

[Disneyanajc]

Just curious, the people who say stay on site because it adds to the experience...
A are you staying at dgc? Or one of the others?
B have you stayed at wdw?

I ask because I have stayed at wdw to many times to count and 100% feel it I worth it
But
I don't thing staying on site at dl is worth it, however I never stayed at dgc which I can see would be much cooler
If you think staying on site at dl is worth it and you have never been to wdw, don't even consider not staying on site there for a second

A: 60+ stays at the DLH
1 stay at PPH
1 stay at GCH
B: 8 stays at the Contemporary /park view
3 stays at the Polynesian /club
1 stay Animal Kingdom Lodge /club
1 stay at the Grand Floridian /park view
I love the Magic of the DLH and it is my hotel of choice. From the moment I step on property, I feel like I'm 12 again and a Mouseketeer

 

[Mary09]

I've only stayed at 3 onsite hotels (two at WDW) but I'm weird. They just feel like hotels to me. So I get a more magical feeling from the money I save staying off-site, and the extra days I get to stay due to it.

 

[Beee]

We're staying at DLH for our first trip in December, they had me at light up headboards lol but the EMH are going to be awesome for us to see as much as we can on what is probably the one and only time we will visit DL. It is costing us close to $2000 for 5 nights, but hey when you are paying almost $20,000 for the entire trip it is not a huge part of the budget

I bought an AP so figured I will make up the extra cost of that with the AP rate (can anyone tell me what the AP rates are for dec 9-14? I can't access that section until I validate my pass when we arrive in Dec) and then discounts on dining & merchandise will be a saving on top of that...hoping so anyway!

I can see if you live closer and go more frequently that maybe staying onsite isn't of great value to you for the extra expense but I am looking forward to be totally immersed in Disney from the moment I check in until the day we check out

 

[MommyLove]

OMG, you guys are terrible enablers. I just got a new job with a huge raise, so I changed my Dec 9-13 BWPPI reservations to Dec 9-14 DLH ressies! And instead of getting a parkhopper, i'm getting a premium annual pass. To hell with the extra money; you only live once, right?

omg, that is AWESOME! Enjoy!!


We've stayed onsite and we loved it. Of course, prices have really gone up since then, and now we're a family of 6 instead of 4, so it's so much more expensive because of that too. The next time we're able to afford it, we'll stay at DLH, but until then, it's the Kids Suite at HoJo and we're very happy about that.

 

[ducky_love]

OMG. My DH who never has any part in planning any trip came home tonight and announced that he booked DLH and to cancel whatever it was I had booked. I can't believe it! I'm so excited!!!

 

[MommyLove]

OMG. My DH who never has any part in planning any trip came home tonight and announced that he booked DLH and to cancel whatever it was I had booked. I can't believe it! I'm so excited!!!

Oh my gosh, CONGRATS! That is awesome!!

 

[Crazy4Disney72]

I have stayed at all 3 DLR hotels, with my favorite being the DLH because it felt the most Disney to me. They were all very nice, and if any of them could come close to the rates I can get offsite, I'd stay there again, but for the money, I can't justify staying onsite. In February DH & I are staying at the Ramada Maingate and from what I am reading, the walk to the parks will be even shorter than it was when we stayed at PP, and no further than the DLH. If we were taking the kids (20th anniversary trip, so no kids!) or if it was during a more crowded season, I might put more value on the early entry option that comes with staying onsite, but since it's just the two of us and it's early February, while it would be nice to get a head start, I don't think it's essential, certainly not worth the several hundred dollar difference it would cost to stay onsite.

 

[rramstad]

I have stayed at all 3 DLR hotels, with my favorite being the DLH because it felt the most Disney to me. They were all very nice, and if any of them could come close to the rates I can get offsite, I'd stay there again, but for the money, I can't justify staying onsite. In February DH & I are staying at the Ramada Maingate and from what I am reading, the walk to the parks will be even shorter than it was when we stayed at PP, and no further than the DLH. If we were taking the kids (20th anniversary trip, so no kids!) or if it was during a more crowded season, I might put more value on the early entry option that comes with staying onsite, but since it's just the two of us and it's early February, while it would be nice to get a head start, I don't think it's essential, certainly not worth the several hundred dollar difference it would cost to stay onsite.

Yeah, in 2011 we went in July and there were five of us, we stayed at the GCH, it was great, we really loved it.

In 2012 we went in July again, but we had six people, and two rooms at any of the Disney hotels was just too much money... we just couldn't swing it. It would have been something like an extra $300 per night (ouch!) because of the two rooms, nearly $2000 over the course of our stay, almost enough to pay for an entire additional vacation. We stayed at the Ramada Maingate, really thought that was a great choice for us, and probably most importantly, I felt like I came away with an affordable option that makes it easier for me to say YES when we start discussing the possibility of another Disneyland trip.

I totally understand the coolness and the splurge factor of the DLR hotels, but if the cost interferes with your enjoyment of the trip, or makes it harder to justify another trip in the future, choosing to stay off site makes a lot of sense.

(Trip of a lifetime = DLR hotel, for sure!)

 

[Sherry E]

Just curious, the people who say stay on site because it adds to the experience...
A are you staying at dgc? Or one of the others?
B have you stayed at wdw?

I ask because I have stayed at wdw to many times to count and 100% feel it I worth it
But
I don't thing staying on site at dl is worth it, however I never stayed at dgc which I can see would be much cooler
If you think staying on site at dl is worth it and you have never been to wdw, don't even consider not staying on site there for a second

dmband -

I'm one of the ones who basically said that staying onsite adds to the experience and it makes my overall trip a more well-rounded, complete experience.

I have not yet been to WDW, and I would never consider staying anywhere but onsite at one of the resort hotels if I went to WDW. Staying onsite there would be part of my whole experience, for sure!

I have stayed at all 3 of the hotels at Disneyland Resort. The last time I stayed at the Grand Californian was in 2007. All of my hotel stays since then have been at the Paradise Pier. While I love many things about the GCH, I was not fond of the rooms - the floor space was minimal, I felt. Sure, I would probably stay there again at some point in the future just to do it every so often, but I am perfectly content staying at the PPH, or returning to the Disneyland Hotel (which is where I used to stay on every trip prior to 2000).

It may largely be subjective (money issues aside), but staying at the PPH keeps me in the Disney bubble too. I feel that any of the hotels add to my experience, but it's quite probable that not everyone will feel that way and some may only feel that the GCH enhances the experience.

I can tell you that one of my favorite things to do is to walk into the lobby of the PPH during the holiday season and set my eyes upon the gorgeous, glowing, blue-green-hued tree! I like walking past that tree on my way up to my room and on my way to the parks from the room. It brings a smile to my face!

 

[The Fox Menagerie]

We always save until we can stay onsite, it is so much a part of the experience. We love DLH, staying there truly is magical and the convenience of taking the monorail into the park can;t be beat.

 

[Jenn1116]

To hell with the extra money; you only live once, right?

 

[Jenn1116]

OMG. My DH who never has any part in planning any trip came home tonight and announced that he booked DLH and to cancel whatever it was I had booked. I can't believe it! I'm so excited!!!

 

[letitsnow]

This is why I love being a DVC Member. The best decision we ever made! We can stay onsite at least once a year! = )

 

[hootey]

We enjoy the DLH the most. Having stayed at good neighbor motels several times, we have found the DLH the best place to stay for us. We utilize all the amenities available to Disney hotel guests, treating it as the resort it is. I highly recommend it....

 

[KalamityJane]

We stayed at the Grand and are checking in to the DLH today. OMG. I am so spoiled! I don't know if we can stay off site again, it has been incredible!

 

[taniapacheco]

I have 4 kids so there are 6 of us when we go the price of a room that fits 4 is just stupid already at any disney hotel. I'd rather go on two trips and stay off site than go once and stay on site. I'm like someone else said I would rather stay at a hotel off site and not expect much than stay on site and be disappointed. For the price they charge I'd have to have a MUCH MUCH better job to afford that and $1000 airfare for 6. There would have to be A LOT of really cool things there to make it worth it for me.

 

[sweethannah]

I would love to do it but I can't rationalize $2000 more for the DLH over the HoJo for the same length of stay.... that basically covers my food and passes.

It really is twice as much money and will I have twice as much fun? It's unlikely.

I've heard a lot about renting DVC points and if we go off season again it might be an option but I'm a little leery tbh

 

[chrissiecutie]

I would love to do it but I can't rationalize $2000 more for the DLH over the HoJo for the same length of stay.... that basically covers my food and passes.

It really is twice as much money and will I have twice as much fun? It's unlikely.

I've heard a lot about renting DVC points and if we go off season again it might be an option but I'm a little leary tbh

Have you looked at the DVC section here in the DIS? I just heard about it a month or so before our trip, so not enough time to research it further. But I'm definitely looking into it for our next trip. Although DH & DS just love the HoJo...

 

[sweethannah]

I have just started to do some research on it the last few days. We have barely unpacked our suitcases and I've already come down with that dreaded Disney Fever which seems to be going around

We've gone off season the last two times and for my next trip I was considering going during the summer months to take advantage of the longer days which means that even with the points it might be out of our price range.


lol @ your " Once a Princess " quote... I'm drinking tea out of my giant Disney Cinderella mug which says the same thing