Candy Cane Inn or DLH for $100 more????

[colbybug]

I'm sure my question has been asked a million times before so I'll just apologize right up front, however, I am not good at the search stuff and therefore, I'll just ask again since I know you won't all flame me.... I hope.

What are the benefits to staying at the DLH? We have stayed at the Candy Cane Inn and really enjoyed it. We currently have a reservation there for 4 days at the end of April. My husband loves having one meal of the day taken care of and out of the way as well as the complimentary shuttle and it's a beautiful property. However, we just got a brochure from Disneyland about "stay 4 nights and get a $150 gift card." The DLH hotel would be $250 more total but with the gift card, it would only be $100 more. We have never stayed onsite as we are too budget minded and would typically spend the extra money on other stuff. It seems like the distance would be about the same - the DLH is not exactly close. I have heard the standard rooms aren't that great. ???? but that the pool area is ???? Do you get EE each day of your stay?

What would you do? What am I not considering? Any input would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Kathy

 

[MATTERHORN]

The DLH is just as far as the CCI, while you have no shuttle but you can use the monorail! I like the standard rooms at the DLH and the pool is important to us, my kids love the slides!!! You just can't compare the two.

For $100 more for the total trip, I say yes! If it was per night, then no, but for only $100 I would definitely stay onsite. You won't have too many chances where the difference is that minimal and the pool is fabulous!! Also you get early entry each day that it is offered!!

Andrea

 

[MATTERHORN]

Meant to add that what you aren't considering is if being on property is magical to you or not. Even though it's not super important to be onsite at DL, for us, I love never having to leave into the real world for our whole stay! I get enough of that at home. Not to say I don't enjoy our offsite trips, some of them have been our best. But if you have the chance to experience onsite for not much more, I would just so you can stay offsite in the future and never wonder if you are missing something like now!

Andrea

By the way, of course we won't flame you, these are the DL boards!!

 

[jemilah]

we just got back from our second DLH stay and really enjoyed it....heres what I would consider
The pool is great
EE every day it is offered, so if staying more then one it is well worth it
taking the monorail in on EE days cuts down the walk to the atractions from Main ST.
the disney experience all through your stay to me is priceless.
$100.00 does buy alot of breakfast..........I needed to add one con right!

 

[colbybug]

I do have one more question though. I thought the monorail was not up and running because of the Nemo construction???

Thanks again,

Kathy

 

[MATTERHORN]

It is not doing it's full loop, there is just one train running and it goes from DL to DTD, then reverses itself!!


Andrea

 

[fidoprincess]

For $25 a night difference, do it!! We have gotten in on that gift card deal before and it was great. We used it for Goofy's and another meal but you will have no trouble spending it. We love the DLH for the grounds, the pools, the ease. DO it!!!

Here are some tricks. Say you have 4 in your family, 2 adults and 2 kids and make reservations. You are charged the same as a family of 5 but may not get the larger room type with the sofasleeper. Just make you reservation for 5!! They won't know and you are not cheating them out of money.

Once you get to your room, your kids will fight over who gets the sofa sleeper so call housekeeping and order a rollaway, it's free! While you are on the phone, ask them to bring you a coffeemaker too, that is also free. Need extra pillows and blankets, they will bring them with a smile! We love the hotel. Once I wanted a table and they brought me a room service table we used the entire stay with a beautiful tablecloth. Came in handy for feeding the kids breakfast in front of the tv while we showered and dressed.

Then you can always pop into the little coffee place where they sell cereal in bowls, bananas and milk for their breakfast (oh and also delicious brownies-yum). If you forgot toiletries or wanted some other type snacks like pretzels, there is a shop right there for that too as well as a really nice gift shop with tons of clothing, pins, toys... My kids love feeding the koi every t&th at 9:30-free and the remote jungle cruise boats. They LOVE the pool almost as much as DL and I do too because there are a kazillion lifeguards and I can actually blink once in a while without worry my child will drown. Pool too crowded? Move over to the cove pool with the little playground, great place to hang out if you have to do laundry too. Just send hubby over to the bar for some yummy frozen drinks and pick up some chicken nuggets at the fast food place for the kids. Lounging at the pool and want something better to eat? Pick up the house phone right there at the pool for disney dining and see if Goofys, Granvilles or Hooks has anything open for the time you want. Go upstairs and put on clothes, go eat and then head back to dl just in time for the fireworks and fantasmic!

Yep, so so worth the extra $25 for a full service stay!!

 

[lucky1]

For only $100 for your stay, I would choose DLH. I liked the CCI and we just returned from a stay there at the beginning of Feb. If you go to DD and then back to CCI you have to cross through security on the way to and back from DD.

Definately the perks of EE each day it is offered and going to the front of the Monorail line is nice from DLH.

 

[Amy&Dan]

For that amount no question, the DLH. And that is not taking anything away from the CCI, but that is a phenomenal deal and you should jump on it. The EE you will enjoy each day its offered is a very nice perk. The pool area is superior and the rooms are likely larger. Also, rollaways are free so if you don't get a daybed room, you do have that option. To me the only reason to stay offsite is to save a ton of money. Since thats not the case, you'd be crazy in my book not to jump on this one!

 

[cats mom]

I'd probably go with the DL hotel for that price difference as well.

But do realize that it will end up being more than a $100 difference since CCI offers complimentary breakfast and I guarantee there is no such thing as complimentary food onsite at DL
(in case someone wants to prove me wrong and counts the concierge lounge... I've priced concierge rooms - you're paying plenty for that food - just in a roundabout way)

 

[honeymom]

We were just there in early January (we stayed at GCH). Although the monorail was open, it did not open up each day until regular park time. For EE, you had to hike to the main gate.

I would stay at DLH for $25 extra a night. I'm not the hugest DLH fan, but I do think that having EE privelages is worth it.

 

[AZMickeyfans]

Colbybug, what a great deal for the DL hotel! I am another for staying there if it's only $100 more. The EE alone will be worth it not to mention all the amenities.

I know what you mean about staying onsite. We have only done it when we get great AP rates. I couldn't go as much if I stayed onsite but when we have it definitely added to the Disney Magic!

For days that we didnt have a character breakfast or didn't want to go to the Riverbelle we grabbed a Jamba Juice with an ENERGY BOOST! and some of those delicious apple cinnamon pretzels they have! The price wasnt too bad and filled us up long enough to wait for lunch!

I say GO FOR IT! Have a great time!

 

[Kaiya]

I'd be there in a heartbeat
We'd love to be at the DLH for our entire trip; the grounds are beautiful and you get that Disney experience 24 hrs a day, but plans change and now we're at the BWPark Place Inn. For $25 extra per night + the cost of breakfast each day, I'd sign up as fast as I could.

Happy Planning

 

[godalejunior]

I saw honeymom's post and we stayed at DLH in January (loved it!) and we rode the monorail for EE no problem...............We beat everyone into Tomorrowland and it took about five minutes before we noticed anyone else in the park.

 

[honeymom]

It's possible that they have changed the schedule. Also, our ee was at 7am. We were going in at 6:30am and there definitely was no monorail. We had been told no monorail before 8 am. I know that one morning when we stayed at GCH, we watched the monorail (we were on the monorail courtyard) on an ee morning and it did not start before 8. We were there the very beginning of January.

 

[godalejunior]

Our early entry let us in at 9 a.m. Maybe that was the difference.

 

[disneyluvbug]

yes I would say it is worth it!!!!! Have a great trip!

 

[Delilah Bleu]

We were there last weekend and the EE was 7 am. We rode the monorail at about 6:50 am and were in the park at 7.

 

[nurse.darcy]

I don't care who or what would possess anyone to stay at CCI when for $25 a night more you are offered DLH. Its a gorgeous hotel attached to EVERYTHING via DTD. You cannot beat the location and the gorgeous grounds. The pool is awesome, the amenities are awesome and its just fabulous.

Sorry, I am an AP holder and visit quite often - even staying in the off property hotels for fun, however, every year we spend at least one or two nights in DLH.

 

[tracer]

GO FOR IT!!! You really can't go wrong if the difference is only $100. We sounds just like you about money, saving some here and some there, to spend on other things. If I was able to pull a deal like you have, there isn't a doubt in my mind of where I would stay, DLH.