Disneyland onsite hotel choices - please give me your recommendations - TIA

[BCV23]

Hi jaysue, I miss seeing your positive posts on the DVC boards. I'll be watching the answers to your questions here too as we are planning on a GC stay in about a month. I need to call and change our dates though and am now getting nervous.

I've only had a few trips to S. California and but one to Northern but I would recommend heading North after DL. Happy planning!

 

[jaysue]

Hi jaysue, I miss seeing your positive posts on the DVC boards. I'll be watching the answers to your questions here too as we are planning on a GC stay in about a month. I need to call and change our dates though and am now getting nervous.

I've only had a few trips to S. California and but one to Northern but I would recommend heading North after DL. Happy planning!

Kids want to go south, DW wants to go North

I was at Disneyland back in the 70's and then went to Lake Tahoe (Kings Beach) in the late 80's - have not been to California since

Either South or North works for me

Now now, you know why we are generally staying away from the DVC boards over here

Cheers
Jason aka half of jaysue

 

[BCV23]

Now now, you know why we are generally staying away from the DVC boards over here

Cheers
Jason aka half of jaysue

Actually, I'm not sure why you left. I know I stopped posting or even reading over there for a time because it became so mean spirited. But it is actually very pleasant there again now. It's funny how the forums go through periods of unrest.

We were at DL last March and actually got APs planning to make another trip back. I was able to switch our dates a bit this morning, thank goodness.

This will be our first stay at GC. We have usually stayed at the Marriott but are really excited about the GC. We dined there last year and it is really cool hotel with amazing detail in the public rooms. It was our first trip to DL in about 10 years. Have fun on yours, jaysue and you too Channing!

Oh, and Go Bears!!!!

 

[tinkermell]

Kids want to go south, DW wants to go North

I was at Disneyland back in the 70's and then went to Lake Tahoe (Kings Beach) in the late 80's - have not been to California since

Either South or North works for me

Now now, you know why we are generally staying away from the DVC boards over here

Cheers
Jason aka half of jaysue

If you have 7 days, I think I would go up north via the coastal route. I never get tired of the beach and the scenery. Do you have teens, then Huntington or any of the So. Cal. beaches would be alot of fun for them. Heck...I still love them! On to Santa Barbara, which is probably one of my favorite places to go is awesome and very Spanish, with alot of great shopping! Keep going north to Solvang, a really cute Danish settlement, Pismo Beach, Hearst Castle, Big Sur...the list can go on. If it's mountains and huge redwoods, then go to the Sierras and Yosemite. Spectacular sights!!! Surf the California Boards and they will have some great ideas for you. Have a wonderful time!

 

[jaysue]

Actually, I'm not sure why you left. I know I stopped posting or even reading over there for a time because it became so mean spirited. But it is actually very pleasant there again now. It's funny how the forums go through periods of unrest.

We were at DL last March and actually got APs planning to make another trip back. I was able to switch our dates a bit this morning, thank goodness.

This will be our first stay at GC. We have usually stayed at the Marriott but are really excited about the GC. We dined there last year and it is really cool hotel with amazing detail in the public rooms. It was our first trip to DL in about 10 years. Have fun on yours, jaysue and you too Channing!

Oh, and Go Bears!!!!

Too funny - we showed the 3 properties to DS#1 and he wants to stay at Paradise Pier Hotel with a CA park view - back to the drawing board

You will have to posr a trip report for us to oogle and "ah" over in anticipation of our trip

Yep, agreed the dvc board waxes and wanes in niceness - nothing specific was done to us - it was more a case of watching certain persons whose views we respected and agreed with get "punted" off just because (at least on the surface) they did not agree with certain mods over on that board

In any case, we will wade back over there and check the temperature

Thanks for the best wishes and same to you and yours!

Cheers
jaysue

 

[ohdisco]

While the GC is very beautiful, hands down the DLH. The atmosphere at the DLH is so...disney. Everywhere you turn there is something Disney, and being a Disney fanatic, that is somewhat important to me. The beds are incredibly comfortable, the rooms are big and nicely decorated in a Disneyland theme (the bed spreads are to DIE for!).

I'm not much of a PP person myself...

 

[jaysue]

While the GC is very beautiful, hands down the DLH. The atmosphere at the DLH is so...disney. Everywhere you turn there is something Disney, and being a Disney fanatic, that is somewhat important to me. The beds are incredibly comfortable, the rooms are big and nicely decorated in a Disneyland theme (the bed spreads are to DIE for!).

I'm not much of a PP person myself...

Thanks - more food for thought

Do you know of any good links or sites with lots of pix of the properties?

Cheers
jaysue

 

[honeymom]

Thanks - more food for thought

Do you know of any good links or sites with lots of pix of the properties?

Cheers
jaysue

Actually I think that the DIS has some really good pics under their Disneyland resort pics.

As to theme park view at GCH - I'm not sure if it is worth the extra. Most of the standard view rooms overlook the monorail courtyard. While it isn't a theme park view, it isn't the parking lot either.

You have to decide for yourself. When we stayed at DLH in 2002, we did it because we really wanted everything to feel Disney. But, it just felt so unthemed with a little Disney thrown in here and there. We had been at WDW the year before and had just loved the POFQ theming. It paled in comparison. While GCH is less "Disney", the theming was really consistent and we preferred it to DLH. But, I know that some people aren't into the darkness of GCH and that should be considered, too.

 

[marvel]

We stayed in the GCH and although it was very handy, we found the rooms to be smallish. Our friends stayed in the PP and loved it. The theming is not disney but the rooms were newer and the location is pretty good. Just over the road from GCH. We would probably save the money and go to the Paradise Pier this time. ALthough we regularly stay four or five star, the GCH just didn't seem to be worth the great price difference. I suppose it depends on the deal you can get at the time.

We also went to San Diego and I would concur with the other poster that said go to San Diego first and then Disney. That is what we did and it worked out fine. Apart from Sea World or the Zoo, nothing much more for young kids to do in San Diego and you then end the trip on a high.