Disneyland hotels, is the extra money worth the novelty value?

[becpee]

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[laura&fam]

When we went to DL last time we ate at Goofy's Kitchen in Disneyland Hotel. The thing that really struck me was that this "on-site" hotel was further away from DL than our cheap hotel was.

I've never stayed at a Disney hotel so I can't help you there, but this link posted originally by Hydroguy is very helpful with distances and links to each hotel http://www.geocities.com/ashpsyche/DisneylandLinkMap

 

[DangerMouse]

The main benefit I have found to staying at on-site hotels is the multiple MM perk.

Honestly, I have stayed at all the on-site hotels, and my favorite hotel in the DLR area is HoJo. I like it even more than the GCH.

 

[debdreamsofdis]

I would generally say you can get much more (i.e. free breakfast/free parking, larger rooms) for much less when you stay offsite. I think the advantages of staying on site are closer location (in some cases) and magic morning priveleges and the cute mickey shampoos

That being said, check expedia.com for your dates. Several of us have been able to find rates of $100 a night for Disney's Paradise Pier hotel, which is comparable to other hotels in the area. You might want to look through this thread http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2256084. Also, Disneyland just released a $400 discount when you buy a 4 night package, which helps make costs a little more reasonable.

 

[Crazy4Disney06]

I have been to DLR several times and never stayed on site.....honestly never saw a reason for it since you can get great rooms at many good neighbor hotels for a lot less money.....however we got such a great rate at Paradise Pier Hotel for our up coming stay (less than $200 more then off site) that I jumped on the chance to stay on site. If it compares to the magic of staying on site at WDW then I will be sold...if not then it's back to off site less expensive stays for us.

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

The ? you have to ask yourself is how much time are you going to stay in the hotel.

We have never stayed onsite because it is not worth the money we are in the parks from when they open till they close.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I've always wanted to stay in one of the Disney Hotels, either DLH or GCH, but when I look at what we can get by staying off site, we end up doing that. Our last trip we stayed at the Embassy Suites South for a fraction of the price of the onsite places. And we got a free hot breakfast buffet, a living room, and bedroom, two tvs, fridge, and microwave. We stayed a week for the cost of a few days at the CGH. A mile away though, so a little too far to walk after being in the park all day. I would love to try a Disney hotel sometime, but I just can't seem to bring myself to spend the money. I think we will probably try one of the off site walking distance ones before we try staying on site.

 

[goldies 5]

Check Getawaytoday.com also. They were the best deal for us this year.

 

[Karebear]

If you are going during a slow time of year, the park hours can be quite short. By staying at a Disney hotel, you can get up to 4 mornings of EE and thus more time in the parks. You can also charge everything to your room which I think is a nice benefit. Have a great trip!

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

We most recently stayed at HOJO, the time before that we stayed at the DLH. I'm glad we tried the DLH so that I now understand that it is over rated, at least for us. It was nice to be on site, but was it worth the extra money? NO. We were happier at the HOJO, it was very nice and we could not have had better service!

We stayed in the Kids Suite, it was all newly updated and the kids LOVED it!

 

[Leofoenget]

I don't think it's worth the extra money, but if you can get a really good rate I would. But I would never pay over $125+ all the extra fees you have to pay. Resort fee, morning paper fee whatever. I like being across the street and walking over with ease + most have free food.

 

[3TinksAndAnEeyore]

We stayed in the Kids Suite, it was all newly updated and the kids LOVED it!

I'm getting more and more excited about our December stay in the HOJO Kids Suite! The last couple of times we went to DLR, we stayed on-site. But, the more I've been reading, the more I think we've made just the right decision. I think the hard part for us was deviating from our norm of staying on-site and I do think we'll miss the walk down DTD at night and the little Disney touches in the room. I will also miss getting to do early entry three days instead of just one and doing Mickey's Toontown Morning Madness. But, the cost difference would be about $550 more to stay at the DLH and there are other things I would rather spend that money on than staying at DLH.

 

[CinderellaDreamer]

We are paying the difference this time so that we can enjoy the Neverland Pool one time. We stayed at the Desert Inn last time, and loved the suite, price, bfast, and location. We ate one night at Goofy's Kitchen, and my kids really wanted to go to the pool there. So we are only going for two nights this trip and decided to splurge. We are coming from the east coast (3 hr. time difference) and can really use the early entries. Plus, I have never been at a hotel that uses a monorail. I am looking forward to trying it to go back to the room early in the day to rest or swim in that expensive pool.

 

[Buttercup26]

I think it depends on how much more $$ it is. We normally stay at the HoJo (cannot recommend it highly enough!!) If you do stay off property I would stay at HoJo.

But on our last trip in May we got a deal at Paradise Pier that worked out to only $20 more per day to than HoJo so we stayed there. We LOVED it! If I can get a good rate like that again I would definitely stay there again. The hotel was very nice, the actual rooms are much nicer than DLH in my opinion.

I have been in the rooms at all 3 Disney hotels and I don't think I would stay at DLH, unless I had younger kids that really wanted the pool (and it was the same price at PPH). The GCH is fantastic and if I could afford it I would always stay there - but unfortunately it's way outta my price range. The PPH is nice, and I think closer than DLH - when you cut thru the Grand.

The walk from PPH is about the same distance/time as the walk from HoJo - but instead of walking down a very busy street you get to walk thru the Grand/Downtown Disney.

The Magic Morning early entry was awesome - we used it the 3 days we could. It's available to Disney hotel guests on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday. I have had packages in the past with one day = which was nice, but having it for 3 days was terrific.

We also do spend some time in the hotel every afternoon, resting, napping, eating, etc.. So have a decent and somewhat spacious room is important to us.

I wouldn't pay $50 more a night for PPH, but I would pay $20 - 30 more per night. I think the early entry and the fact that I can walk everywhere without feeling like I left Disney is well worth it.

 

[nottellin']

WE just got back last night from our stay at the DLH. I also wondered if it was "worth it". Let me tell you, we loved it. I loved the fact that we never left Disney property. I loved the whole atmospere at the DLH. The CM's were so nice, service was fantastic! The beds were comfy. We even got a free upgrade to a primium view room. I say go for it! It IS worth the extra money. The MM's alone are worth it . JMO

 

[godalejunior]

I agree with the previous poster. If your "dream" is to stay on site and you can afford it, I would do it. Our first trip with DS to DL was at the DLH and I would not have changed a thing and that was at the rack rate. Now we have become more educated and purchase an AP to get room discounts and this has worked to our advantage over the last four years. We have stayed at DLH three times, PP once, GC two times (third next month) and Tropicana off site once. I would rather go for a shorter time frame and stay on site than to stay off site. I like to use Vacation Planning, get my MM, use the gorgeous pools and never lose the Disney feel during my whole stay.

On our trips with DS we have stayed at the DLH until last January when we found out the DLH pool was closed so we moved our stay to GC. DS (7) preferred this hotel over DLH and loved Pinocchios Workshop so that is going to be our hotel of choice for future trips again, if there is a discount.

 

[DizMe]

I've answered this question so many times I hate to sound like a broken record, but here goes.

Yes, to me it is TOTALLY worth it if you pay attention to when you go and take advantage of good rates. There are many perks, many of which have been mentioned. The biggest, for me, is the atmosphere and never having to be on Harbor Blvd, a place I detest. I love going through DTD. I love the music and theming and landscaping.

My hotel of choice is the DLH. The grounds are gorgeous, the facilities wonderful, the rooms large & fun, and you're likely to see characters like Goofy greeting guests. You're near RFC, the monorail station, and Compass Bookstore (good coffee and breakfast items). They have free coffee in the lobby of each tower with to-go cups, creamer, and half-and-half. The restaurants are very good. I really don't get why people feel it's such a long walk from the park--it always seems quick to me, whereas the walk from Hojo seems sooooooooo long. I think it's the difference of where you're walking, not the actual distance. You also do not have to wait for any traffic lights or worry about getting your kids across the streets.

My second (and sometimes first, depending on who I'm going with) is the GCH. I love the Hearthstone Lounge at GCH!!! Whitewater Snacks next to their pool is also fabulous. GCH has Pinocchio's (I think that's the name of it), where kids can go for some fun playtime while the parents get to be kid-free for a while. It's pricey if you have more than 1 child, though. Anyone staying in a DLR hotel can use this facility, btw. The back entrance to CA is wonderful, the lobby is amazing and the shops are fun. They are very close to Haagen Daaz (sp?) and some good eating choices in DTD. It's a close walk to DL, but if you get one of their rooms that is far from the lobby, it doesn't save you any time over DLH!! There is a piano player in the lobby, you get options for activities like Pilates and scavenger hunts and sing-alongs for the kids, and they leave chocolate doubloons on the pillows

I haven't stayed at PPH since it became part of the DLR so I won't comment on that one.

At any of the resort hotels you get MM whenever it's offered, package delivery from the parks to your hotel, and your room key can be used to charge things in the parks as well as throughout the resort. There are other perks that come and go and that are location-specific.

We do also stay at Hojo from time to time because the entertainment rate can be quite an incentive. My kids love the water play area (Pirate's Cove) and we love the large rooms. Mimi's Cafe is great and the kids love to be treated with a chocolate-dipped softie cone from McDonald's ($1). However, it is still a budget hotel in looks and feel which is not very important to many people but figures in for me. I like the better amenities you get at a resort hotel and find those hotels a better place to spend my afternoon break. My dh likes to be able to get a newspaper other than that generic one (USA Today, I think?) and we like to get a cup of coffee that isn't made in our room. We prefer not to deal with hawkers and transients on our Disney vacation. We don't want to drive, take park shuttles or walk across busy streets if we can help it.

I stayed 3 times at Hojo's this year and had a blast each time. I also stayed 3 times at a resort hotel this year and would do it every time if budget allowed.

 

[Sherry E]

I won't offer too much extra input on this subject this time because DizMe did a great job of explaining pretty much exactly how I feel about staying onsite at any of the 3 DLR hotels and the perks involved. So far, I have stayed onsite only (since about 1987 or so, through last year). This is actually the first year I am considering an offsite hotel option, but if money were not an issue or not as much of an issue, I would never stay anywhere but onsite.

I actually don't live that far from DLR in the scheme of things (about 45 minutes away with NO traffic), so some may wonder why I need to stay at a hotel at all. Other than the obvious benefits of allowing us to have mid-day rest breaks and stay in the parks at night longer than we would if we had to drive home, it makes more sense. If we are planning to be in the parks for a few days straight, there is no other option but to stay at a hotel. And staying at one of the DLR hotels actually is part of my whole DLR experience. It may not be the same for everyone, but to me, it totally enhances the overall trip and makes it seems vacation-like. I live right by some majorly busy streets in Los Angeles, and I walk out of my house and see tall buildings and traffic and litter, and it's noisy - when I am at DLR for my extended weekend visits (usually around different holidays), I want to feel totally immersed in the Disney magic and not see any signs of regular city life, and for me, the DLR hotels contribute to that. I already have an IHOP and a McDonald's, etc. right around the corner from where I live, so when I am at DLR, I want to see ONLY Disney scenery and stay on Disney property. Even if it requires a short walk across the street from the PPH to the GCH, I am still crossing Disneyland Drive and not Harbor Blvd.! I want all Disney all the time, from the moment I step out of the car to the moment I load the bags back in the car. I have stayed at all 3 of them and love them all for different reasons.

So, yes, if you can afford DLH with no problem (or afford any of the DLR hotels), and if you think you might not be back to DLR again for a long while, by all means stay onsite. I think you would feel like you got the full, well-rounded Disney experience if you did. But if you mainly just want a place to lay your head at night and don't care so much about the overall immersion and atmosphere, then an offsite hotel would be a much cheaper option.

 

[DisneyFan2008]

My family and I have stayed on-site at Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel twice. It is a really nice hotel and we were on the top floor with a view of Paradise Pier. If this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disneyland, I would pay the extra money. Although you don't spend a lot of time in your room, one of the best things is that you don't have to cross the busy street of Harbor Blvd. when you go to the parks. While there are many other cheaper hotels across from the parks, I still would try and find a good deal for one of the Disney Hotels. Paradise Pier Hotel is USUALLY the cheaper of the three!

 

[CoolPool]

I won't offer too much extra input on this subject this time because DizMe did a great job of explaining pretty much exactly how I feel about staying onsite at any of the 3 DLR hotels and the perks involved. So far, I have stayed onsite only (since about 1987 or so, through last year). This is actually the first year I am considering an offsite hotel option, but if money were not an issue or not as much of an issue, I would never stay anywhere but onsite.

I actually don't live that far from DLR in the scheme of things (about 45 minutes away with NO traffic), so some may wonder why I need to stay at a hotel at all. Other than the obvious benefits of allowing us to have mid-day rest breaks and stay in the parks at night longer than we would if we had to drive home, it makes more sense. If we are planning to be in the parks for a few days straight, there is no other option but to stay at a hotel. And staying at one of the DLR hotels actually is part of my whole DLR experience. It may not be the same for everyone, but to me, it totally enhances the overall trip and makes it seems vacation-like. I live right by some majorly busy streets in Los Angeles, and I walk out of my house and see tall buildings and traffic and litter, and it's noisy - when I am at DLR for my extended weekend visits (usually around different holidays), I want to feel totally immersed in the Disney magic and not see any signs of regular city life, and for me, the DLR hotels contribute to that. I already have an IHOP and a McDonald's, etc. right around the corner from where I live, so when I am at DLR, I want to see ONLY Disney scenery and stay on Disney property. Even if it requires a short walk across the street from the PPH to the GCH, I am still crossing Disneyland Drive and not Harbor Blvd.! I want all Disney all the time, from the moment I step out of the car to the moment I load the bags back in the car. I have stayed at all 3 of them and love them all for different reasons.

So, yes, if you can afford DLH with no problem (or afford any of the DLR hotels), and if you think you might not be back to DLR again for a long while, by all means stay onsite. I think you would feel like you got the full, well-rounded Disney experience if you did. But if you mainly just want a place to lay your head at night and don't care so much about the overall immersion and atmosphere, then an offsite hotel would be a much cheaper option.

What she said!