It has always been worth it to me and my family. We don't mind the walk at all, but we HATE the walk to Harbor, regardless of how close the motel might be. What isn't mentioned is the sleaziness (to me, at least) of Harbor and having to cross a busy street. You might wait quite a while at the light, too. There are hawkers, homeless, and people looking for a handout. You sometimes have to step across prostrate bodies. It's a very different world (I guess it's called Reality) than what you'll find within the resort. Staying onsite enables you to maintain the illusion that you're in an alternate reality where dreams come true yada yada yada. The walk is down a landscaped pedestrian-only arcade with fountains, musicians, vendors, food, and shops. We start taking our kids to DL once they hit age 4, we do not bring strollers and they do just fine. I would guess that most societies would not see the walk as any big deal, but Americans are not, for the most part, very used to it nor very good at it so I think it seems worse to many in this country than it would to people from other places.
Now I will add the following info to be fair: we occasionally stay at Hojo's because we like to go frequently and sometimes we just need that $59 entertainment rate (Hojo's seems a lot farther to me than DLH, although I think on paper they are close to the same distance from the parks); we have had to carry a sleeping child a time or two midway through DTD to DLH, and I admit that can be tiresome; not everyone likes being channeled through yet another Disney merchandise zone; there are some things on Harbor that are handy to have nearby if you like cheap fast food (we don't) or less expensive treats (we do).
But to me, there is no comparison between the places off site and the DLR hotels. While you might find a nice hotel off site, the trade off is that you have to take a shuttle to get to the parks. The motels nearby are generally quite nice for motels, but they are just that and lack the amenities that you'll find onsite. Hojo's has a great water play area but it's not good for older kids. The landscaping is nice but it's certainly not DLH or GCH, and the rooms are spacious but basic. I LIKE granite/marble/glasses that are really glass and nice carpet, bed coverings, etc. Sure, I can drink out of a plastic cup just as easily as I can out of a glass one, but to me one is a lot nicer than the other. I like being surrounded by resort, not looking at the resort through the fence and over traffic, and I'm willing to pay more for all of the above.
DLH has a lot going for it and is our favorite. There are great restaurants and entertainment within the hotel complex and in the nearby parts of DTD. The pool area is awesome. The shops are fun, the grounds are beautiful and great to explore, and to us it's just a very different feel than an off site will give. If money is a big issue, if you don't really care where you stay because "I just need a place to sleep," or if you take frequent trips and don't need the "magic" every time, then off site is certainly a wonderful alternative, but otherwise I'd definitely recommend DLH.
So that's my kind of snobby answer
So the monorail is in DownTown disney.
On the trip when we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, we kept mis-timing things so the wait in the mornings took longer than the walk probably would have been.
I have never forgiven Disney for getting rid of it - I wish they would find a way to sneak it back into the DLH...or at the very least, put it in the location at PPH that used to hold Yamabuki!! I think they got rid of a real gem when they lost the Monorail Cafe.
