Benefits to staying at Disney Partner Hotels in London

[Calantha]

I've never been able to stomach the prices for the disney partner hotels, personally.

Yes, I almost fell out of my chair when my TA told me the prices of the hotels in Rome. No grazie!

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Can you recommend the private car service you used? Im still debating on booking that vs/DCL transfer
for a family of 4.

We used Twelve Transfers (Twelvetransfers.co.uk) from Heathrow to our London hotel and again from our London Hotel to Southampton. They offered a variety of vehicles to match the number of travelers and their luggage. We thought prices were reasonable. Service was outstanding. Once we had booked, they sent reminder emails at the beginning of each month and emails with details of driver/vehicle/meeting location inside Heathrow terminal on the day of our airport pickup and driver/vehicle for our hotel pickup. There were just the two of us, but we’re now of an age where the assistance with luggage handling is especially appreciated.

 

[lanejudy]

The rooms are several hundred a night cheaper to book on my own.

If you like the location of the hotel, or amenities, etc. I would book the hotel yourself with the lower rate you found. Then contact DCL to add the transfers. It's a convenience factor to have it all through DCL but apparently not required.

 

[Mommb]

Can you recommend the private car service you used? Im still debating on booking that vs/DCL transfer
for a family of 4.

My husband and I used International Friends to go from London to Southampton the day before our cruise twice. Two years ago we went from our hotel at Heathrow to Stonehenge to Southampton on a bus and the next year we went from our hotel in Westminster to our hotel in Southampton on a small van. Both times we were picked up in our hotel lobby exactly as scheduled. I would not hesitate to use them again.

We also used Blackline private car service from our hotel at Heathrow to our hotel in Westminster, London. Other than a slight glitch with the driver locating the Hilton Garden, that went smoothly as well.

 

[SleepyDeb]

Summer of 2023 we stayed at a different hotel and took a taxi to the place to pick up the DCL coach. Saved a lot of money doing that, esp since we stayed in London for 4 days.

It was a PITA because DCL told us to go to JW Marriot or Hyatt Regency to pick up coach and that I would be receiving an email to confirm a couple of days before. Didn't get that email. Called DCL. They told me I would be receiving that email the day before. Didn't get that email either. Called DCL and they said I been given totally incorrect info (much apologies for that) and that the JW Marriot and Hyatt Regency were only for ppl booked at that particular hotel. BUT, if we went to hotel x (don't remember which one) at y time they had coaches leaving from there. I asked for that in writing by email, esp bc I'd been given such bad info before, which I received.

 

[ImprovGal]

I sailed on the Sep 1 cruise out of Southampton this year -- had 2 nights in London precruise, 2 nights in London postcruise. To complicate matters, I stayed in a different hotel each night because I was solo and wanted convenient locations for the 3 different shows I was seeing, but also wanted to stick to budget. I used Disney Transfers in both directions, and avoided stairs when hauling my bags. None of my hotels were "official" DCL hotels.

1) Flew into LGW-- took Gatwick Express to Victoria Station -- Stayed at CitizenM Victoria Station for Other Palace Theatre

2) Tube from Victoria Station to London Heathrow Terminal 4 -- Stayed at Crowne Plaza Heathrow T4 for Soho Theatre (via Elizabeth Line) -- DCL transfer the next morning from LHR. (Note: I received a phone call from DCL after I landed with some confusion as to why I flew into LGW but needed transfer from LHR. The CM was also hesitant about my requested T4 pickup. I foolishly asked if I was the lone person at T4 and offered to head to T2 if it would be easier for them. They took me up on that.)

3) While onboard the ship, I asked about debarkation transfer options, as I was originally booked to stay at Hotel Indigo Leicester Square to catch the Comedy Store Players. There was a DCL transfer option to "City Center" which was at the Doubletree London West End. I was able to change my hotel reservation to the Kimpton Fitzroy (just down the street from the Doubletree) for Russell Square tube station Piccadilly Line access to get me to/from the show that evening.

4) Early morning return flight from LHR so I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Heathrow T4 the night prior. It was easier for me to roll my bags down the street than manage stairs, so I chose to walk to the Tottenham Court Road station for step-free access to Elizabeth Line back to LHR instead of simply taking Piccadilly Line from Russell Square (which has a lift from street level, but still requires stairs to get to the platform).

Note: My flight home from LHR was on JetBlue which uses T2. Staying at a T4 hotel the night prior certainly wasn't the most convenient and required extra time for the train connection, but the IHG hotels (Holiday Inn Express and Crowne Plaza share a lobby area with respective rooms at opposite wings of the same building) were significantly cheaper than the more convenient Hilton Garden Inn T2/T3. I've previously booked Sofitel T5 on my own as a pre-cruise stay (2022 WBTA) and was able to purchase the DCL Sofitel transfer independently as well.

 

[DCLMP]

Starting Plans for our B2B cruises out of South Hampton Sept. 2025.
I called and asked about Partner hotels and was told JW Marriot and Hyatt Regency. For 3 nights the rooms run about $700-$800 a night.
Has anyone gone this route? Beside the bus transfer is there any other perk that makes this worth it? The rooms are several hundred a night cheaper to book on my own.
TIA

Do they still pick up at the double tree. We have always taken the bus from there. I would not pay 700 a night for either one of those hotels. There are plenty of hotels to choose from.

 

[DCLMP]

Summer of 2023 we stayed at a different hotel and took a taxi to the place to pick up the DCL coach. Saved a lot of money doing that, esp since we stayed in London for 4 days.

It was a PITA because DCL told us to go to JW Marriot or Hyatt Regency to pick up coach and that I would be receiving an email to confirm a couple of days before. Didn't get that email. Called DCL. They told me I would be receiving that email the day before. Didn't get that email either. Called DCL and they said I been given totally incorrect info (much apologies for that) and that the JW Marriot and Hyatt Regency were only for ppl booked at that particular hotel. BUT, if we went to hotel x (don't remember which one) at y time they had coaches leaving from there. I asked for that in writing by email, esp bc I'd been given such bad info before, which I received.

That was the Hilton double Tree that is where we got the bus from in 2016,2019,2022 and 2023. They should have told you that.

 

[DWillowBay]

Can you recommend the private car service you used? Im still debating on booking that vs/DCL transfer
for a family of 4.

We used a service called Minicabit. They'll compare prices for you between several options and you get to choose which is best suited to you. We were very happy with the driver, the vehicle (ended up being a van due to the amount of luggage we had ) with the cleanliness and timeliness of the service.

 

[SleepyDeb]

That was the Hilton double Tree that is where we got the bus from in 2016,2019,2022 and 2023. They should have told you that.

Yes, that was it. And, yes, they should have told us that. But, they didn't.

 

[DCLMP]

Yes, that was it. And, yes, they should have told us that. But, they didn't.

That's unfortunate, hopefully your experience helps someone else.