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Disneyland Hotel or Candy Cane Inn for a First (maybe only) Visit?
- Thread starter jsmla
- Start date
flyingdumbo127
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 9, 2014
Lol, thanks Soma151. I love the idea of staying at DLH especially all decorated for Christmas and being able to hear the carolers there. I truly do have a huge smile just walking toward the gates to DL and would imagine being more immersed afterward at DLH would be a lot of fun. That said, typing this right now, if I did have the money for DLH I would prefer to use that savings by staying at CCI in other ways such as for my church. Of course should I ever be offered a free stay or have credit for one, I'd be first aboard the monorail there! 
CCI and DL too are luxuries for me and I am truly blessed to have been able to enjoy both this past year. Happy trips to all!
CCI and DL too are luxuries for me and I am truly blessed to have been able to enjoy both this past year. Happy trips to all!
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Mousequake
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2012
Just a note about CCI-- since it's a typical 'motel' layout with the rooms opening directly off the parking lot and the pool right in the middle of the parking lot, pool noise can be quite loud in the room at times. They also keep the pool open until 11:00 pm, so if you're planning on an early bedtime, take that into consideration. I had problems with noise on my last stay there.
Yes, the DLH is more 'water park' like, with the lovely waterslide and multiple pools-- but remember that the place is also huge and you'll most likely spend very little time directly by the pool. At CCI, you're ALWAYS near the pool.
flightBOS
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2015
I just went through this decision about a week ago. I've visited WDW quite a bit (50+ times), but never been to DLR. Finally taking the family out there to see where the magic began.
I was picking between CCI and DLH. At WDW, we always stay onsite and love staying "inside the Disney bubble". Theres just something magical about walking through Downtown Disney, compared to walking along a main road, to get to the parks in the morning. My rationale of picking DLH over CCI or FFI ultimately hinged on:
I was picking between CCI and DLH. At WDW, we always stay onsite and love staying "inside the Disney bubble". Theres just something magical about walking through Downtown Disney, compared to walking along a main road, to get to the parks in the morning. My rationale of picking DLH over CCI or FFI ultimately hinged on:
- EMH - We're going in two weeks, so these extra hours are crucial to avoiding the crowds.
- Disney Bubble - This might be the biggest item. I just love being able to be completely engrossed in the Disney environment. Walking to/from the parks through Downtown Disney, theme-ing in the hotel & rooms: it just seems more like a vacation this way.
- Quality Control - With Disney owned properties, you know there is always a strict level of quality. And if not, there is always some recourse; you know they'll make it right.
- Possibly Our Only Time - I'm taking my father, mother and little sister out to DLR. For me, this may be the last time the four of us go on a vacation together (sister is going away to college), so I wanted it to be extra magical. Plus, I'm not sure my parents will ever make it out there again (7 hour plane ride), so I want it to be the best possible experience.
Comparing nice hotels to dumpy chain restaurants like Ruth Chris and McDonalds? The does the Disneyland Hotel and the Candy Cane a huge disservice. A better comparison would be to French Laundry and Per Se.
Based on this, I don't see how you CANNOT stay at the GCH.
OldPyrate
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2014
If your DH is an outdoor adventure type, maybe you should consider GCH! It's not that much more than DLH, and it has its own entry to DCA! It also has a huge fireplace in the main hall, and an outdoor fireplace lounge area. We've stayed at GCH and DLH a couple times at each; GCH is our favorite. Three days at DLR is the perfect length trip, you can experience pretty much everything in 3 days! Have a Magical Time!
GoBears 1980
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 30, 2013
Comparing the Candy Cane Inn to any Keller restaurant is a massive disservice to Keller and as much as I like the DLH, it is no where near Keller level either. No one is going to name the DLH in the 50 Best Hotels in the World. Ruth's Chris is quite apt.
Nonsuch
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2009
GCH is also my favorite, but the OP has concerns about the cleanliness of their hotel.
Some rooms at GCH are getting "tired" to put it kindly, and a renovation has been announced (unofficially on another forum). Overall the condition of the GCH is good (much better than DLH was just prior to renovation), but "good" is not enough for a "grand" hotel.
Take it from someone else who has "issues" with cleanliness at hotels: DLH rooms are some of THE cleanest hotel rooms that we have ever stayed in! I am a total bedbug freak and always completely check out the rooms we are staying in, and I mean I check everything, and we have not had any problems at the DLH. Now for those of you who are going to flame me: I know that lots of hotels have bedbugs these days and that certainly doesn't exclude Disney hotels! But, I think you would be happy with the cleanliness of the DLH. CCI used to be our go to hotel until the last time we stayed there and when we checked in the housekeepers had made the bed with a wet mattress from pee! YUCK! Turned us off of staying there again.
Also, we have not had an issue with noise while staying at the DLH and I know you wanted some place quiet. You will not hear any pool noise and we have not heard noise from our neighbors. CCI can get a little noisy with kids running down the walkways outside of the rooms.
Also I would say that if you think this will be the only time you might be coming to DLR and you can afford it, I would go for the DLH. I don't think you would regret it!
Also, we have not had an issue with noise while staying at the DLH and I know you wanted some place quiet. You will not hear any pool noise and we have not heard noise from our neighbors. CCI can get a little noisy with kids running down the walkways outside of the rooms.
Also I would say that if you think this will be the only time you might be coming to DLR and you can afford it, I would go for the DLH. I don't think you would regret it!
MouseMomx2
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2006
On our first few visits to DL we stayed in the DL resorts. Now we stay off property. Don't get me wrong, the DL resorts are wonderful, but with so many nice hotels in the immediate vicinity we'd rather save the money and stay off property.
The Candy Cane is one of the top ranked hotels in Anaheim. #3 on Trip Advisor last time I checked. Far higher ranking than the Disneyland Hotel. Would be interesting to see if Tom opened a French Laundry in Anaheim how he would rank on Trip Advisor. I wonder if he could beat out the #2 restaurant, Pizza Press.
flightBOS
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2015
The Candy Cane is one of the top ranked hotels in Anaheim. #3 on Trip Advisor last time I checked. Far higher ranking than the Disneyland Hotel. Would be interesting to see if Tom opened a French Laundry in Anaheim how he would rank on Trip Advisor. I wonder if he could beat out the #2 restaurant, Pizza Press.
This is a very important point that people often overlook about TripAdvisor. Like anything else, its good in moderation. CCI is ranked well, but that doesn't mean its a better hotel than DLH. People balance a lot of things on TripAdvisor: price, expectations, past experiences, other reviews, etc.
I imagine most people going into the DLH would expect a near perfect stay, whereas with a stay at CCI, some of the smaller things could slide by and reviewers wouldn't mind. Expectations are the name of the game.
GoBears 1980
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 30, 2013
The Candy Cane is one of the top ranked hotels in Anaheim. #3 on Trip Advisor last time I checked. Far higher ranking than the Disneyland Hotel. Would be interesting to see if Tom opened a French Laundry in Anaheim how he would rank on Trip Advisor. I wonder if he could beat out the #2 restaurant, Pizza Press.
The "rankings" on TripAdvisor are based on guest satisfaction, not the quality of the hotel. They are not ratings. So a person with low expectations can easily be satisfied.
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