Disneyland Hotel Standard view vs. Paradise Pier Park view

[MeeskaMooska13]

For our July visit, we are trying to decide between Disneyland Hotel Standard View vs. Paradise Pier Park View. Any thoughts? For the record, the pools are not a factor. Thanks!

 

[mom2rtk]

DLH is pretty awesome. But so is that theme park view at PP. I would probably go with the theme park view at PP. It's like you can reach out and touch the rides. Just amazing. And it's something you can't replicate at WDW.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

DLH is too pricey to have a parking lot view IMO. You could chance a free upgrade but in July the chance is slim.

 

[Nevada Jen]

Park View at PP. No doubt. The place gets a bad rap. It is a perfectly nice hotel. Having now stayed at all three hotels (and DLH and GCH extensively), I would choose PP every time for a family vacation. If it is a family vacation with 4 or more people, I would actually recommend RR concierge standard view over DLH also.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

The theme park view at PPH can't be beat! Loved coming back to the room and just watching everything lit up at night!

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I have done both. I think it depends on how much time you'll spend in the room. The view is great if you'll be in the room enough to appreciate it, but the DLH is nicer overall and had a more Disney feel.

 

[MommyJKM]

I haven't stayed at PP but the GCH Park View amazing! It's usually about $250 more a night than PP but if you really want to be up close you can get a Theme Park View that is literally IN THE PARK! This is the view from our patio last trip. It was of the DCA entrance and Soaring and Grizzly River Run.




And this is another GCH Theme Park Room View...if you do not decide on GCH then definately do PP Theme View!!

 

[MeeskaMooska13]

You guys are great! Thanks for the responses! Special thanks to MommyJKM for the great photos!

 

[Mabel67]

Both hotels are nice enough but neither is really a 'great' hotel worth the cost. In other words in the middle of some random City the chRge would be much less. In view of this, I would never pay the rates charged to overlook a parking lot. The hotels just don't offer enough to compensate. So VIEW room is the only option in my mind.

 

[PoohsFan1]

Park View at PP. No doubt. The place gets a bad rap. It is a perfectly nice hotel. Having now stayed at all three hotels (and DLH and GCH extensively), I would choose PP every time for a family vacation. If it is a family vacation with 4 or more people, I would actually recommend RR concierge standard view over DLH also.

I agree with this!!!! We have stayed in all three resorts and we really liked PP, don't get me wrong we stayed at VGC and had a gorgeous view of Paradise Pier, but if we want to save some money we would definitely be going back to PP. We stayed in a Theme Park view at PP and we were blown away, plus we loved the theme of the resort.

 

[rentayenta]

Disneyland Hotel hands down.

 

[Iceman93]

Paradise Pier Hotel hands down.

 

[allsaintsatx]

We had this same exact dilemma when we went to DLR last October - the standard view room at DLH and the premium view room at PPH was almost the same price per night. Since we had never stayed at PPH before (2 stays at DLR, 1 Annabella and 1 GCH) we opted for that, because we had read how insanely cool the view was. And it was! GREAT view of all of DCA, we even got to watch WOC from our room, albeit a bit off to the side (you really need to see it head on for the full show). The room was also a decent size, bigger than the tiny room we had at GCH which was almost twice the price of the PPH.

And at the end of our stay at PPH we thought one thing…. if it's the same price next time we're staying in the standard view room at the DLH instead.

The biggest detractor for us is the PPH is not a resort, it's a hotel. A nice hotel, but still just a hotel. We really missed the grounds of the DLH, being able to leave the room and just stroll around the common area looking at the beautiful tropical flowers, the little waterfall area, the outdoor fire hutch, even the Hawaiian band that was playing on the porch of Trader Sam's. When we stayed at the DLH we felt like we were getting a lot of extra value for what we paid. We felt like the money we spent gave us an entire resort to enjoy, not just a room.

And the Disney Bubble at the DLR was much better than at PPH. The walk to the parks from DLR is through DTD, and you never have to cross any city streets. It's designed to keep you bubblified! The walk from PPH, however is a bit different. The lobby at PPH opens right up onto a fairly busy street off of the bus and taxi drop-off area, which you walk alongside to get to the crosswalk. It's not like a NYC street or anything but it did pop the bubble a little for us.

And, lastly, believe what you hear about the long waits for the elevators at PPH! It wasn't like the horror stories I read of 20 minute waits or anything, but it was a much longer wait than I've ever experienced. And there's no distinct waiting area in front of the elevators, it's more like a long corridor, so you could be waiting for 5 minutes on one side, and if the elevator that finally arrives is on the other side chances are you'll have to wait for the next one because all the people waiting on the far side of the corridor are going to rush ahead of you. Almost every single time we waited for the "up" elevator in the lobby, someone who showed up long after we had been waiting got on an elevator before us just because they were closer to it. It got to be very frustrating and by about Day 3 of our trip I had to start yelling "WE WERE HERE FIRST PEOPLE! COMING THROUGH! COMING THROUGH!" and hustle our way into the elevator! If I hadn't we may have been waiting there all day! It kinda made the stay a bit stressful!

And just to contradict everything I've just said about the PPH, we would stay there again if we had to! We like staying on property, and we would stay at PPH over any motel on Harbour for sure! But, if given the choice we would choose to stay at DLH and have a view of a parking lot!! Hope that helps!!

 

[allsaintsatx]

Sorry, I kept saying DLR when I meant DLH! Haha! Sorry to confuse you! Typing while tired!!

 

[mom2rtk]

That's interesting about the elevators at PPH. We stayed there the last 2 years and never had an issue. Not once. Last year the hotel was completely sold out during our stay.

I bet it has to do with 1) the floor you are on (we were fairly high up each time, so I do recommend requesting a higher floor) and 2) we left every morning in time for early entry. (Maybe most don't get up that early?).

 

[MeeskaMooska13]

Wow! Just when I think I've made up my mind in one direction, I read another great post that sways me differently! Thanks again, everyone!

 

[Nevada Jen]

When we were there the hotel was sold out and we were on the 14th floor. The only time I waited for an elevator a noticeable amount of time was at 1230 am when the park closed at midnight. Other times there was a bit of a wait but not even 5 minutes. Interesting post about liking the resort feel of the DLH. That is exactly why I like PP better and was going to mention it in my earlier post. The elevators may take longer at the PP but you walk in the hotel doors, walk 10 steps and the elevators are right there. When you get off the elevators it is a short walk to your room at most down two regular hotel sized hallways. GCH drove me crazy with how far the walk to my room was once inside the hotel. DLH was generally slightly better but I always request the main tower. But when I am at Disney, I really don't want to lounge around the hotel or take a single extra step after I just walked all day! You definitely will not get the "resort" experience at the PP.