Disneyland Hotel advice

[justkeepswimmin]

You have been given lots of great information and I am also a huge fan of staying on property, even in DL. I think it really adds to my experience so I am willing to pay extra. For kids, I think the DLH is fantastic! The pool is hands down my girls favorite, Goofy's Kitchen is a great character breakfast and the grounds are really beautiful with DTD right outside your door and monorail access directly into Tomorrowland.

We just bought vacation club points at Grand Californian but truthfully I would consider selling those points if they make part of DLH a vacation club property. Like Bumbershoot, I am not a huge fan of the dark, low light spaces in the GC and their pool is nice but not as cool as the DLH pool (Their lounge chairs are super comfy though but if you are chasing 3 kids like I am that is a mute point). It is a beautiful hotel but one I think I will appreciate more when the kids are older.

I really think you will enjoy the DLH and that would be my first choice with a little one the age of your little one. Good luck!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Okay, I have been told you cannot book this specifically. As far as I know, its not a bookable request for bunkbeds like the WL in WDW now is. You can request it. Again, this is what I have been told, but it could have changed. On my reservatoin it merely said something like "bunkbeds requested" and when we checked in we were told it wasn't available, however, I showed them my reservation and she did her best. And it came through, but our room wasn't ready until around 5:00 I think. But I'll say again, this was two years ago, things may have changed. Although my experience with Disney and their "guarantees" is that they always have an out clause if something snags the availablity on that guarantee.

For that matter, you can only request a daybed at the DLH but at least there, you know you'll get a very nice and comfy rollaway if your request is not met.

Frankly, as much as I enjoyed GCH, to me those rooms are pushing it for a family of five. However, if you have your heart set, I would stick with it. As much as I love DLH, if the factors that only GCH has (balcony, nightly turndown, etc) are important, the DLH might not work for you. For us, the bed scenario, grounds, larger rooms, theming and pool make it our first choice. But that's just us!

 

[justkeepswimmin]

Okay, I have been told you cannot book this specifically. As far as I know, its not a bookable request for bunkbeds like the WL in WDW now is. You can request it. Again, this is what I have been told, but it could have changed. On my reservatoin it merely said something like "bunkbeds requested" and when we checked in we were told it wasn't available, however, I showed them my reservation and she did her best. And it came through, but our room wasn't ready until around 5:00 I think. But I'll say again, this was two years ago, things may have changed. Although my experience with Disney and their "guarantees" is that they always have an out clause if something snags the availablity on that guarantee.

My ressie was in Sept 08 so I think it may have changed, at least at the grand. I remember the phone CM had to change my reservation when I wanted to skip the daybed and at first they could not find any bunkbed rooms but I called back a few days later and one was available. I do know the daybed room at DLH are still just requests as of last summer. I have also been told bigger families have a priority in snagging them which may be why we have always gotten one there. ITA with you about a standard room being too cozy at GC for a family of 5.

OP, as a WDW vet, I would take some time to head hydroguy's tips (I think there is a sticky) so you are prepared for the differences. DLH is so intimate and special but totally different from WDW and that includes the resort hotels. GCH is the most similar in terms of a deluxe but as Amy&Dan noted, none of the on property hotels have the expansive grounds most of the WDW hotels do. The up side is NO BUSSES! EVERYTHING is walking distance so in a sense, this makes the ultimate hotel grounds no matter which resort hotel you choose.

 

[Sherry E]

I can't remember whose thread it was, but I just recently read a DIS-er's post about having either just returned from or is just about to go to DLR, and during the course of 8+ days, they were staying or had stayed at ALL THREE DLR hotels! Now lots of us have stayed at all 3 of the hotels, but I wonder if that would be a wonderful blessing or a hassle to stay at all three during the course of one trip!! It takes me so long to unpack and re-pack, that I can't imagine having to do that so many times in one trip....but what a great dilemma to have, I suppose!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Sherry, I've done three hotels in 10 days at WDW and I have to say, moving to our third resort was a bummer! I can't imagine doing that each trip. I do split stays with two resorts most every trip now to save money and DVC points (going offsite at DL to the DLH ,and from a value to our DVC at WDW). So in my experience, two resorts in a trip of 7 days or longer is okay, but three was pushing it!

 

[bumbershoot]

I did not realize this. I was just about to book our family of 5 at GCH. Could this likely happen?

What's funny is that they talk about the sleeping bag like it's super-fun! I watched a Samantha Brown special where she talked it up as the coolest thing ever...which it could be, to a little kid...but to the people paying the bills, it seems a bit MUCH to be paying for someone in a sleeping bag.