DLH - is it really that bad?

[Boo Bear]

This thread is pretty helpful. I'm staying at DLH on July 16th then switching to PPH on the 17th. I'll create a thread comparing and contrasting the two.

 

[amyamya]

Are you saying that the Grand Californian had broken items, ripped linens and was dirty?

I have heard that people did not think it was worth the price or it was to expensive or not Disney themed enough but never that it was worn and dirty. You would be the first.

Yeah. It was exactly that. We had a broken light above one bed that was just hanging there crooked. We called to have it fixed and it never was for the 5 days we were there. One bedspread was dirty and ripped. I was disappointed because I love a triple-sheeted bed and hate hotel bedspreads because they are rarely cleaned. Only the Concierge rooms at the GCH have triple-sheeted beds. Someone before us spilled juice or syrup on the small table and it was sticky the whole week. If I'd had cleaning products I would've cleaned it myself. When I posted about this after we got back a lot of people said we should have moved rooms, but we had an adjoining room and didn't want EVERYONE to have to move.

 

[wendypooh22]

Headed out to GCH this summer! We are using our Developer Points!
Can't wait! Feel its a "splurge", but hey, the Developer Points were freebies, so we decided to splurge and do GCH instead of DLH!

Shame that DLH sounds like it is in need of major repair!

Surprised to hear this, because at WDW properties like BC Resort, Polynesian are being refurbished...

Why would Disneyland neglect such properties when in my opinion if they were refurbished there would be more revenue generated in the long run ????????????????????????

Sad to hear folks are dissapointed, when they are paying decent rates to stay at DLR!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe it's just been good luck for us, but we haven't had any room problems @ DLH.. We have stayed there many times and our rooms have been larger (2 queens + sofabed), very clean, no tears in the wallpaper, spotty carpets etc... I prefer to stay there over the Paradise Pier because of the grounds and location next to DTD.

Is it older? Yes no doubt, but it's not soo horrible that it should keep people away. JMHO

 

[kerickson]

Headed out to GCH this summer! We are using our Developer Points!
Can't wait! Feel its a "splurge", but hey, the Developer Points were freebies, so we decided to splurge and do GCH instead of DLH!

Shame that DLH sounds like it is in need of major repair!

Surprised to hear this, because at WDW properties like BC Resort, Polynesian are being refurbished...

Why would Disneyland neglect such properties when in my opinion if they were refurbished there would be more revenue generated in the long run ????????????????????????

Sad to hear folks are dissapointed, when they are paying decent rates to stay at DLR!!!!!!!!!!

I understand that they are planning a major room remodel over the next year or so. They are being super secret about the changes, but it is in the works from what I understand. I'll see if I can find the thread on it... It said that they were going to do it floor by floor/tower by tower, rather than a whole shut down, so new upgraded rooms may start to appear, but it will take a while before the entire hotel is complete...

 

[l’amore bella]

I have stayed there twice and never had any negative experiences. In my opinion, the Disneyland Hotel has the best "Disney" theme, with little touches throughout the room. I prefer the beach theme of Paradise Pier Hotel, but I definitely don't think the Disneyland Hotel is bad.

 

[Canyon girl]

We stayed in one questionable room at the DLH (in the Wonder tower). The rest of the time, we have had really good luck. We stayed in Dreams and loved it. I have also heard good things about the Magic tower, too. You have to remember that these hotels are in constant use. People say that the WDW resorts are better, but I have been reading lots about the Port Orleans resorts lately. Evidently, the resort aka Dixie Landings is in desperate need of refurb as well. It happens. DLH was last refurbed in 2001 from what I have read. So, it has been 8 years since the last refurb. They are working on it. There are 2 rooms on the Dreams tower that have a sample refurb done on the outside at least. I have gone to DLR 3 times over the last 3 years. 2 stays at DLH and 1 stay at GCH. I personally prefer the DLH. We are going again in Sept and are reserved at the DLH. If you get there and your room is dirty, do what you would do at any other hotel...call and complain. You are paying for location and perks. You will get that at the DLH. Have fun!!!

 

[SilentFeline]

A few people have mentioned this already, but I forgot to mention in my own post that we thoroughly enjoyed the walk from the DLH to the parks. You get to walk through all of DTD, unless you decide to take the monorail (which is very close, btw). My bf and I really enjoyed being able to see all of the shops, and at night DTD was so alive! Musicians were playing and people were stopping to watch and were dancing. I really liked the vibe and atmosphere. It was nice to take that leisurely walk after a long day at the parks. Plus, it was nice being able to have the option of taking the monorail back if we were just too tired to walk back. I don't know why people are making it sound like the monorail is so far away because it's extremely close, even to the Wonder Tower, which is the farthest tower from the parks of the DLH towers.

 

[utahkennedys]

We recently stayed at DLH and really enjoyed it. We have also stayed at HoJo's, but to me, I felt like I was staying on "the outside" while at DLH felt "inside" the parks to me. We are used to WDW, however, and almost always stay on site there. My DD at the time LOVED Peter Pan and so we loved the room theme and the pool area. I liked the tropical feel. We stayed in the Bonita tower which I was unhappy about at first but grew to like because it was quiet and we could park our rental car right behind the tower. I would stay again, had we not just purchased at Grand Californian. I am hoping we like it as much as DLH b/c we come from Seattle so we like the tropical theme better but oh well! I love the location of GC.

 

[MathomAndStuff]

We stayed at the DLH for the first time this past April.
I'd always wanted to stay there and never did as a kid... my parents were of the "you only need a pillow to sleep on" variety and we stayed at any motel that had the best deal.

Is the hotel expensive for what you get? Probably.
Is it worth it though? Yes. I'd say especially if you have kids.

We stayed over the waterfalls. It was neat to have the Disney touches everywhere... the Mickey lights in the bathrooms... the scenes on the bedspreads... the fairy dust on the ceiling. Not to mention how great it was to run into various characters and face no lineups. My DD5 and Pluto had a dance among the topiaries one day.... And the look on her face when we arrived, walked into the lobby and saw Goofy standing there was priceless.

We had no issues with the room or service.

Not that there isn't great staff people in other places... but the CM's around there were fabulous too.
The pool? Meh. No bigs, but better than a rectangle surrounded by concrete anyway.

I was originally concerned about the walk to the gates, but found it to be very quick and not boring at all... and the monorail was there if we needed it, but only used it once anyway. And let's not forget the bonus of Magic Mornings (all Disney hotels have 'em) for each day you stay... DO NOT let those go unused!

Would we stay there again? Probably. (Though I would like to stay at the GCH some day).

 

[kerickson]

We'll be at the DLH for the 1st time this Aug (I stayed there in the 80's as a kid though)
We stayed at the Grand California in May and one night I pointed out the DLH to my kids from our balcony. Now all they ask about is 'when are we going to the 'Star' hotel' (there are stars and pixie dust graphics at the top of the building, they loved that!) We also walked through the waterfalls and that was one of the highlights of their trip! Looking foward to staying there and trying out the Neverland pool. Hopefully we'll have a good experience as we'll probably stay there when the Grand villas are booked up...

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Yes of course it is an older hotel. To me that adds to part of the charm though, it has a lot of history, Disney history. As shown in all the photos in the hotel. It's obviously not as up to date like the GCH is. But I've never felt like it was run down. Most of the places we've stayed in I've felt could have used an update. Especially offsite.

I'm suprised people would complain about the walk. If that's too far, then HoJo is too, and at least you have the monorail option at the DLH.

Anyway we love it, we feel like we don't leave the magic when going back to our room. But it's one of those things that is YMMV.

 

[DizMe]

We recently stayed at DLH and really enjoyed it. We have also stayed at HoJo's, but to me, I felt like I was staying on "the outside" while at DLH felt "inside" the parks to me. We are used to WDW, however, and almost always stay on site there. My DD at the time LOVED Peter Pan and so we loved the room theme and the pool area. I liked the tropical feel. We stayed in the Bonita tower which I was unhappy about at first but grew to like because it was quiet and we could park our rental car right behind the tower. I would stay again, had we not just purchased at Grand Californian. I am hoping we like it as much as DLH b/c we come from Seattle so we like the tropical theme better but oh well! I love the location of GC.

I agree with utahkennedys! HoJo is very nice, but it is a budget hotel to me and definitely "outside" the resort. We had to step over a homeless man on the sidewalk on our walk back to HoJos at night. I enjoy walking back to DLH through DTD, and it's always fun to take the monorail (although not entirely dependable as a means of transportation). You will get nice amenities at HoJos or the other offsite hotels, but they will not be the same quality as the resort hotels. Many people don't care that the counter is formica or the cups are plastic, but I like granite, marble, and glass. I like the Disney touches. I LOVE being within the resort, regardless of the walk. Walking within the resort is not at all the same to me as crossing traffic and dealing with the real world outside the gates.

As far as DLH goes, I prefer it to GCH and PP. There is just something very endearing and special about it to me. I have written on the subject many times, including the post Sherry linked, so I won't go into everything again but there are lots of good reasons for staying at DLH or any of the resort hotels. I happen to like DLH best because of the grounds, pool, theming, restaurants, room size, and cost. Don't forget you get MM every day it's offered, can use your room card to charge anywhere within the resort (including DL), can have purchases sent back to your room for you from either park, get free coffee in the morning, and can use the GCH entrance to CA early as a resort guest. Of course, you also have to pay a resort fee

 

[bumbershoot]

we all remember that the monorail station, and the hotel wings themselves have not moved.....correct

Exactly. Same distance from rooms to monorail, right? So it's just the perception of leaving the "hotel" when they changed things around.





I didn't find things to be old or broken down or anthing like that during our stay. The furniture looked just fine, I'm just short and kept hurting myself on the bulky frame of the bed when getting on or off the bed (don't slide off the foot of the bed! ouch!).

But listen, if it's the pool....ultimately it's just a body of water with things around it. Things around it work for me as an adult, the ambiance of the place is nice...but for a kid who might want to play in the "things around it" they might be disappointed.

Someone else will have to talk about what it's like to be on the DLH slide,but it didn't look like you got to play in the fun stuff, just see it as you shoot past.

And the pirate ship that "makes" the theming of it is strictly hands off, no playing on or near it, keep away.


HoJo's pool is a pool is a pool (a lovely pool), but their separately water play area with the pirate theming is playable. For DS it would make a difference, most definitely. He'd rather PLAY with something than just look at something. ONce he realized that the DLH pirate ship was "look only", it was invisible to him.


The things that really "made" the DLH for us were things anyone can do. For the adults it was the pretty grounds. DS liked loking at the koi, but again, he wanted to feed them, play with them, etc...he knows he can't do that, but he kept finding bits of flowers/leaves on the ground and wanted to throw them in ("it's ok for things like that to blow in the water, but we're not going to THROW those things in, E"). The RC boats, however, were a smash hit! But again, anyone can drive those.


ultimately I think that the pool of the GCH would end up being the same thing as the pool at DLH (and basically the pool at PPH). A body of water to swim in, with a slide (at PPH the slide does not end in the actual pool)...but nothing really to PLAY with or on. If they want to play with/on, go to HoJo for the waterplay area.

 

[JoytotheWorld]

I'm a huge fan of the Disneyland Hotel. Sure it's old but for me that's a large part of its charm, magic and ambience. I feel a real sense of history as I roam its grounds and travel down its corridors. The topiaries and character figures scattered around the grounds are enchanting as is all of the landscaping. I spent lots of time gazing at the various old photos and memorabilia lining some of the walls.

I thought our room was wonderful. I fell in love with everything from the headboards with the castle imprinted on them to the armoire with its reproduction of the original map of Disneyland to the Mickey's hand light fixtures to the light up at night Tinkerbell pixiedust wallpaper border. Although our room was considered a standard view one, we could see the firewalks from our room every night and we were only steps from the elevator and the lobby.

The pool is truly beautiful with its Peter Pan theming. I particularly enjoyed the mermaid lagoon theme of the hot tub area.

So far we have only stayed at Disneyland twice, once at DLH and once at one of the hotels right across the road from the entrance to DLR. Although I've heard many folks say that the walk is about the same or even shorter from these hotels to DLR, it didn't seem that way to me. Perhaps it was because the walk through Downtown Disney to the parks from the Disneyland Hotel is always a fun one, especially so at night with all the entertainment happening. I also adored being inside all the magic 24/7 and never having to leave that lovely bubble.

The other two Disney hotels seem nice (we ate at restaurants in both of them) but no nicer than any of the many gorgeous Disney hotels we've stayed at in Disney World. We're DVC members and so have had a chance to try out most of them. For me, DLH outshines them all because of its unique nature - in my opinion there is no other Disney hotel that captures the spirit of Disney's past the way the Disneyland Hotel does with all its innumerable special little Disney touches. Also, I've never stayed at any other Disney hotel where there is usually a Disney character on hand in the lobby to meet and greet guests who are checking in.

We're returning to Disneyland this coming November/December and I'm exceptionally excited because we're staying at the Disneyland Hotel again this time and for the first time in my life, I'm staying concierge. WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!

Joy

 

[teatime]

speaking as one who is not " into the Disney immersion" I stayed at both paradise pier, and the Disneyland hotel. if I had the money I would stay at the pier, only for the fact I loved going threw the grand Californian to get into DCA and it was so much faster then walking down town Disney.I can also do more early morning magic's I find the " disney touches do not make any difference to me, that just does nothing for my trip. I love the parks, but I'm not into " the immersion" or having to stay on property.
I find that for the money ( and I work hard for mine ) a clean hotel on harbor fits the bill just fine. we love eating out side the park, save a ton of money , the walk is no different then going thru down town Disney, and yeah you can ride the monorail, and such, but I ride it any ways when I go eat in DTD any ways. I like being able to go out side the park, eat out side the park,saving money,and I find that most of the motels on harbor are just as clean. far less expensive and just as nice.
To me, Disney gets enough of my money, on there food, snacks and gifts.
My kids are happy with any pool, there not spoiled and need a " themed erea" we are from a small town, any pool is a blessing.
I have taught them that you can have a great time and not break the bank.

 

[farmfresh]

Just back from DLH - yes it is an older building, but our rooms (3) were all recently renovated, very clean and comfortable. We had no isues at all with the condition of the rooms. Customer service was excellent - they went to some lengths to put us all on the same floor, which we hadn't requested but did appreciate) The room service was efficient, porters were quick, and Goofy's offers very good value (compared to some of the places we dined in LA that is!) The poolside bar is a big improvement too.

Having said that, it is expensive, compared with outside hotels. However, I prefer to DTD walk to the main gate walk (again having done both), and I have to say there is absolutely nothing magical about the immediate surrounds of DLR - truckstop ambiance, a result of the area's massive popularity.

As for state of repair versus WDW hotels, well it's pretty hard to compare. there are many more - we stayed in three in january - Dolphin, similar standard, no Disney obviously, , Port Orleans FQ, ordinary, in need of a makeover , but of course, lower on the Disney scale, and the Wilderness Lodge - here I would say the GCh wins.

So it really comes down to how much you want to spend, how close you want to be , and whether the main gate thoroughfares, traffic, and chain restaurants bother you. People seem to have a good time (or otherwise) in all the options!

 

[emum]

We stayed at the RI Maingate and the DLH last year. Whilst the DLH is pricey, for us it was worth every penny, and we will stay there for every subsequent visit to Disneyland (hopefully every 2-3 years).

We were fortunate to stay in a suite with concierge, so the experience was even more magical. 270 degree views of every part of DTD, DL, and the hotel grounds, wonderful service, gorgeous grounds, and the proximity to all things that made our Disney holiday "Disney" (if that makes sense).

I had fond memories of the DLH from childhood, and it did not disappoint nearly 30 years later - our kids were equally smitten with it, as I was as a youngster.

If budget is key, then it's not the hotel for you, but for us, we will always budget for the DLH.

Cheers,
Sally

 

[mm126]

Thanks for all your responses. We're sticking with the DLH. I'll post a trip report when we return some time in mid July.

Thanks again.

 

[brergnat]

The things that really "made" the DLH for us were things anyone can do. For the adults it was the pretty grounds. DS liked loking at the koi, but again, he wanted to feed them, play with them, etc...he knows he can't do that

Hey, I know this is not really the topic, but I wanted to point out that kids CAN feed and play with the koi fish. Every Tuesday and Thursday, at 9:30am, they do a "Koi Feeding" event at DLH. They have KIDS feed the koi fish on the platform! My son did it about a year ago. He had just turned 4 years old. A few CM's come out, and whatever kids are around at the time are asked if they want to help feed the fish their "cereal". And, they are taken out onto the platform out over the water one at a time, given a few handfuls of food, and they lay on their tummies on the platform and hold their hand right above the surface of the water, and the fish come up OUT of the water and suck the food off their hands! They can pet them and stuff...it's really neat! Then, the kids get a "magical moments" certificate with their name on it.

Just thought I'd share this information. Happens every Tuesday and Thursday at DLH at 9:30am! Free, and kids of any age are welcome.

 

[Gidget]

We will be staying at DLH in August, thanks to the 5 day for the price of 3 promotion and also thanks to Costco travel, included a free Character Meal!! Woo Hoo!!! We usually take our motorhome and stay at the Anaheim Resort RV Park, which we always enjoy, but we wanted to treat the kids to all of the extra magic that comes with staying on site! (Growing up, living in Vegas in the late 70s early 80s - till I was 9, my parents spoiled me rotten and we stayed at DLH everytime we came...which was often ).

I'm so looking forward to staying there again, and my kids are beside themselves. I did read alot of negative reviews that had me concerned, b/c even with the promotion it is a lot of money. But continuing in my search the reviews that were positive far outweighed the negative. I know it's going to be magical!!!