Details about DL hotel room. Tips? Suggestions?

[SunLillyFairy]

We will be staying @ DL hotel for our first time ever.., standard room.

Can someone tell me if the room has fridge, coffee-maker, blow-dryer? And anything else you can think of?

Any tips? My mother-in-law says there is an "affordable" buffet there, but I only see character dining.., is there anything else?

Also, we always go to RainForest Cafe in DD, they are better priced then sit-down in DL and I like their food, but I don't know about many other restaurants there.., any suggestions?

 

[splash5]

The DLH has hair dryer, fridge and coffee maker in the room. Goofy's Kitchen is the buffet place at the hotel (character dining). There is also a quick burger/chicken strips place called Crocs bits and bites near the pool at the hotel. In DTD there are several restaurants to choose from. Naples has really good pizza and Italian fare, there is also a La Brea Bakery with good breakfast and sandwiches. ESPN has good food and wasn't really expensive. Also Tortilla Joe's. Another favorite is Whitewater Snacks at the Grand Californian for inexpensive meals. You can check out their menu at allears.net. Another good place to eat is the wharf at California adventure. If you want another alternative, try the Corn dog cart at Disneyland.

We've found that if we eat a bigger breakfast, then we have a snack and eat an early dinner. Cuts down on money spent in the parks.

 

[WannaBeAPrincess]

The DL hotel does have a fridge in each room along with a hairdryer. I'm not sure about the coffee maker.

As for the buffet, the only one would be Goofy's Kitchen, and that is their character dining. I don't recall the exact prices, but it is probably the priciest of any character dining you will find at DL. There is another place there that is counter service where you can usually find something affordable.

Rainforest is convenient in terms of location to the DLH, as well as the ESPN zone. They always have really good food.

 

[Vala]

They absolutely have coffee makers in their room.

I room-shared with a caffeine junkie last November. She wouldn't have survived without one.

 

[DizMe]

They used to automatically supply a coffeemaker, but now you sometimes have to request one. They have them, but I think it may be easier on housekeeping if they aren't always in the room or something.

However, I prefer to get the free coffee they offer in the lobby of each tower. It's good and they have half-and-half, milk, or nonfat to put in. They have travel cups w/lids, so you can drink what you want and then refill to go.

For breakfast, try Steakhouse 55. It's right next to Goofy's Kitchen (the buffet place). It's sit-down, classy, but very family friendly and best of all, extremely reasonable in a pricey area! They have no problem with sharing and won't charge extra for kids sharing with parents or one another.

Compass Bookstore is right next door in DTD and has good coffee drinks plus yogurt, doughnuts, bagels, and things like that. They also have sandwiches and fruit.

Whitewater Snacks (cafeteria style but nice) in GCH is a great place to eat and very reasonable as well.

ETA: we also like going to La Brea (sit down part) for breakfast if we're walking into the park. It's right next to the security station. Sometimes we go on a MM that is before the restaurants open, so we just eat "on the run" by getting a muffin or cinnamon roll from the Blue Ribbon Bakery on Main St in DL.

 

[SunLillyFairy]

My DH is a Starbucks Barista, so he's pretty picky about his coffee.., for me, the decaf in the lobby will be excellent!

I can't wait! I'm so excited, looking up every restaurant and such.., 6 days and counting.

 

[DizMe]

My DH is a Starbucks Barista, so he's pretty picky about his coffee.., for me, the decaf in the lobby will be excellent!

I can't wait! I'm so excited, looking up every restaurant and such.., 6 days and counting.

Well then, he'll want Compass (Peet's, I believe) or La Brea (Starbuck's)!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

They used to automatically supply a coffeemaker, but now you sometimes have to request one. They have them, but I think it may be easier on housekeeping if they aren't always in the room or something.

However, I prefer to get the free coffee they offer in the lobby of each tower. It's good and they have half-and-half, milk, or nonfat to put in. They have travel cups w/lids, so you can drink what you want and then refill to go.

We always get a coffeemaker brought to the room; usually housekeeping brings it right up. We use it for hot water for making instant oatmeal or tea.

However, the coffee provided with it is pretty awful, not even DH drinks it, and he drinks just about anything!

He buys the refillable mug at the DLH coffee shop and gets refills for the remainder of our stay. I suffer through the DLH/DTD lattes; none of them taste very good, but beat the alternative of no coffee.

 

[Petticoat Pirate]

He buys the refillable mug at the DLH coffee shop and gets refills for the remainder of our stay.

Can I interrupt here and ask if the refills are free once you buy the mug? That would be fantastic, if the coffee is indeed better than the lobby coffee.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Can I interrupt here and ask if the refills are free once you buy the mug? That would be fantastic, if the coffee is indeed better than the lobby coffee.

Yes, you pay more for the mug (I forget, I think it's around $8), then they will refill it (with drip coffee or hot chocolate) for free for the remainder of your stay. This saves us a bit of money during our stay, since DH has one or two cups every day.

The mug is tall and plastic with a handle. We have a white Year of a Million Dreams mug with a pale blue lid, and a special Christmas themed one from our last trip. The kids love drinking hot chocolate out of these once we're home!

As for whether the coffee shop coffee is better than the lobby coffee, I can't say, as I've never had the coffee in the lobby. However, if the lobby coffee is the same as the stuff that comes with the coffeemaker in-room crazy2: )... I can't drink the in-room stuff, but I will suffer through the occasional mocha from the coffee shop.

I dream of Starbucks opening a DTD location...

 

[DizMe]

As for whether the coffee shop coffee is better than the lobby coffee, I can't say, as I've never had the coffee in the lobby. However, if the lobby coffee is the same as the stuff that comes with the coffeemaker in-room crazy2: )... I can't drink the in-room stuff, but I will suffer through the occasional mocha from the coffee shop.

I dream of Starbucks opening a DTD location...

It's definitely better than the room coffee!!!! I can't drink that stuff either. I'm not super picky but I don't even consider the in-room packets coffee.

You know there is a Starbucks cart in DTD near the security station? And they serve it at La Brea, I believe. Compass has decent coffee (Peets, I heard) but everything else is (or was) some form of Nescafe, though certain locations offer a good specialty grind (Napa Rose, BB, a few locations in DLH I think). However, there was some question as to whether or not the Nestle contract would be renewed in DLR so I'm not sure where things stand right now.

 

[SunLillyFairy]

DH had already planned on bringing his own coffee beans and the grinder (oh brother) but now he's talking about maybe just bringing his own coffee maker too. I'm really hoping I can talk him out of it..,

But he's so cute he carries our backpack all day and puts up with all my scheduling.., so if my DH wants his own coffee maker, that's what my DH will get..,

but I really hope I talk him out of it.

Thanks for the tips about the cart in DTD & Brea having SBucks., I'm sure he'll want to stop in a couple of times to get an espresso. And I think he even gets his employee discount where-ever he goes.., hey, do they have a full SBucks with SBucks food?

 

[Alex2kMommy]

You know there is a Starbucks cart in DTD near the security station? And they serve it at La Brea, I believe. Compass has decent coffee (Peets, I heard) but everything else is (or was) some form of Nescafe, though certain locations offer a good specialty grind (Napa Rose, BB, a few locations in DLH I think). However, there was some question as to whether or not the Nestle contract would be renewed in DLR so I'm not sure where things stand right now.

A Starbucks cart in DTD? No way! I've never seen it, seriously???

I've never gotten coffee at La Brea, I got turned off when I went there for breakfast one morning and got a rude, crabby counterperson there.

I might have to brave her again though, if they have Starbucks...

I did get a mocha at Compass one time, though it isn't "real". I asked the gal to use just one pump of chocolate in it, and she said she couldn't do that. At my puzzled expression she showed me that the mocha is really a powdered flavored coffee mix!

DH had already planned on bringing his own coffee beans and the grinder (oh brother) but now he's talking about maybe just bringing his own coffee maker too. I'm really hoping I can talk him out of it..,

But he's so cute he carries our backpack all day and puts up with all my scheduling.., so if my DH wants his own coffee maker, that's what my DH will get..,

but I really hope I talk him out of it.

Thanks for the tips about the cart in DTD & Brea having SBucks., I'm sure he'll want to stop in a couple of times to get an espresso. And I think he even gets his employee discount where-ever he goes.., hey, do they have a full SBucks with SBucks food?

OH BOY, he could slip notes under people's doors telling them to head to room XXX for real coffee in the morning and make a MINT!

Hey, when are you going?
(Just kidding, of course...)

I read about the Nestle contract being up, too, and that they were definitely not renewing. I am so hoping Starbucks can get into DTD, that place would be full all day long! I actually posted that as an idea on the Starbucks website, but maybe your DH could put in a plug, too?

 

[DizMe]

DH had already planned on bringing his own coffee beans and the grinder (oh brother) but now he's talking about maybe just bringing his own coffee maker too. I'm really hoping I can talk him out of it..,

But he's so cute he carries our backpack all day and puts up with all my scheduling.., so if my DH wants his own coffee maker, that's what my DH will get..,

but I really hope I talk him out of it.

Thanks for the tips about the cart in DTD & Brea having SBucks., I'm sure he'll want to stop in a couple of times to get an espresso. And I think he even gets his employee discount where-ever he goes.., hey, do they have a full SBucks with SBucks food?

I did this a few years ago. I brought a hot pot, French press, and my own beans that I'd ground just before leaving (my oldest dd was a barista at Peet's so she kept me well supplied). It was SO not worth the hassle, but then we flew so I had all of that stuff packed carefully in my suitcase, where it took up tons of room. I was happier just buying coffee at the shop next door, and this year when I discovered the free coffee in the lobby, I was REALLY happy! If I have cream, I'm pretty much ok with most coffee unless it's weak or old.

I don't know where the nearest full SBucks might be, but it isn't too near DLH.

 

[DizMe]

A Starbucks cart in DTD? No way! I've never seen it, seriously???

I've never gotten coffee at La Brea, I got turned off when I went there for breakfast one morning and got a rude, crabby counterperson there.

I might have to brave her again though, if they have Starbucks...

I did get a mocha at Compass one time, though it isn't "real". I asked the gal to use just one pump of chocolate in it, and she said she couldn't do that. At my puzzled expression she showed me that the mocha is really a powdered flavored coffee mix!


OH BOY, he could slip notes under people's doors telling them to head to room XXX for real coffee in the morning and make a MINT!

Hey, when are you going?
(Just kidding, of course...)

I read about the Nestle contract being up, too, and that they were definitely not renewing. I am so hoping Starbucks can get into DTD, that place would be full all day long! I actually posted that as an idea on the Starbucks website, but maybe your DH could put in a plug, too?

Ew, powdered mocha at a coffee place?! That's criminal!! At La Brea, I've never gone to the counter but the sit-down is excellent! Too bad about the snooty patootie lady...how unDisney! I was noticing your username. Do you have an Alex born in 2000, by any chance? I do, which is why I'm asking!