Disneyland Villas rentals vs. DL Hotel vs. our normal hotel?

[mdmost]

Hello all. I'm trying to decide where we should stay next June when we go to Disneyland. We're planning 4 park days. I would anticipate we'll arrive on a Saturday and start the parks on Sunday. This may be our last DLR trip for a while so I was thinking staying onsite might be worth it. The issue is does the high cost of staying onsite justify what we might give up at our normal hotel choice, the Courtyard Theme Park? At that hotel, we can get 2 large queen beds, a bunk bed option that invariably one of our teens will use, and two showers so people can get ready at the same time. The swimming pool is tiny and the slides just aren't that big a deal now. It's mostly the larger room and bathroom option.

I've looked at Disneyland Villa rentals which feels like a way to save just a little bit of money while getting that onsite experience. Has anyone done that before and is there anything you're giving up by doing so? The room that's probably available would be a one queen + one Murphy bed style queen + one bathroom. It's definitely smaller than what we would normally have. I'd assume you get the early entry option which we would most likely use, at least for DLR. Is there any benefit to staying in the normal Disneyland Hotel that you wouldn't get by staying at the Villa? I would assume you have access to the same areas?

I guess the only real reasons to stay in the Disneyland Hotel or Villa is the early access and feeling like we're taking a Disney vacation. This would be our 5th trip to DLR so I don't know if the cost increase would really be worth it, especially since I usually go through discount services to get the hotel and park tickets. I just like the idea of being onsite one last time so it's really more of asking is it really worth it?

Disclaimer: my wife is not very interested in the Grand Californian. It would be either Disneyland Hotel/Villa or the normal hotel. Plus, that seems more expensive.

 

[VGCgroupie]

I prefer the DLH over the Villas and I own DVC at the Villas.

Villas are nice and brand new, but I still prefer DLH.

Grand Californian cannot be beat for feeling like you are at 100% Disney it’s so close to the turnstiles.

 

[mdmost]

What specifically do you prefer about the hotel vs. the Villas? Ambiance? The room size?

 

[VGCgroupie]

What specifically do you prefer about the hotel vs. the Villas? Ambiance? The room size?

It just didnt feel the same to me. Felt less Disney, the rooms are Disney themed but the hotel itself felt disconnected imo. Others disagree, but to me it just wasn't the same. I have memories of checking into the DLH and being greeted by Pluto and just feeling totally immersed it was all so magical, this didn't happen when I stayed at the Villas, it felt like a Hyatt with Disney theming. I will say my last stay at DLH was prior to Covid so maybe things were just better back then. Aside from the Frontier tower at DLH it's actually quite a bit further of a walk to get to the Villas and we didn't like that.

 

[VGCgroupie]

I will add the Villas for me would still be far better than staying off property though.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Sounds like you are only interested in the Disneyland Hotel. So, I will stick to that, but I have to mention that location and food is significantly better at the Grand Californian and that Pixar Hotel was recently updated and now has a private entrance to DCA.

To your questions about DLH Villas-
The Villas are brand new and the tower is gorgeous. It's conveniently located between the monorail pool slides and the DVC pool. There's an outdoor restaurant/bar right outside of the lobby. The rooms are beautifully done. I own there and I love it. If you rent points from an owner, you'll have free parking.

Downside to the tower is that it's the furthest walk back to the room. If I have a couple hours of downtime, I usually won't make the trek back, whereas I do if I am staying at the Grand. Sometimes, the monorail is running, but it never is when I am staying there. You do have all the benefits of staying on property including 30 minute early entrance to the park.

Staying in the hotel rooms at DLH -
The suites don't have kitchens. Other rooms are just basic sized hotel rooms. There are club level rooms and I enjoy the club lounge so much that I would truly book that if money wasn't a concern. You can book any of the rooms now and keep checking back for special rates and call to change the booking. I've booked club rooms a few days before check in and the rate is lower than the basic room was the week before.

If you stay in the villas, you'll save money booking from an owner, however, you won't be able to cancel. You'll need to buy independent trip insurance if you have to cancel for any reason.

I can't speak to your regular hotel because I have never stayed there.

 

[limace]

We love DLH and VDH-just had our first stay at the latter this week and I thought the rooms were gorgeous and would 100% recommend. HOWEVER, it was tight for four nights with me and 2 14 year old boys who take up a lot of space . If you don’t care much about the room or the pool then I’d stick with the larger room you know works well for your family-eso if your teens will resist sharing a bed.

 

[DizMe]

Staying in the hotel rooms at DLH -
The suites don't have kitchens. Other rooms are just basic sized hotel rooms. There are club level rooms and I enjoy the club lounge so much that I would truly book that if money wasn't a concern. You can book any of the rooms now and keep checking back for special rates and call to change the booking. I've booked club rooms a few days before check in and the rate is lower than the basic room was the week before.

Some of the suites have kitchenettes. The DLH suites come in many different configurations. There are usually 1 1/2-2 1/2 bathrooms in the suites. I'm not really sure about all the possible configurations but I know that some of them have kitchenettes because we had one and it was very handy. But cruisehopeful is right--there aren't any true kitchens you can cook in that I know of.

Edited to add: We had a suite in the Frontier Tower that had a double balcony, which was awesome. It included a large living room with hide-a-bed sofa and the kitchenette/bar I mentioned above. There was also a half bath in the living room off the area you entered from the outdoor hallway. The bedroom was large and had 2 queen beds. You could also book it with the adjoining connecting room if you wanted a larger suite, which I believe was a regular king or 2-queen room. That would give you 2 sleeping areas with bathrooms and the living area/kitchenette and possible 1/2 bath in between.

 

[maleficent55]

I never had an interest in the Grand Californian either.
I live in the redwoods already and arts and crafts are a common theme here
It just felt like not an escape. Until I stayed there!
Now I am ruined!!! There is something so so magical about the Grand Californian.

I can’t even put my finger on it. It’s a feeling.

Anyway, if that’s truly not an option I’d then go 100% with the Disneyland Hotel. The rooms in the regular hotel side are incredibly magical. Light up musical headboards to be exact. And so much whimsical magical Disney touches everywhere

 

[DizMe]

I never had an interest in the Grand Californian either.
I live in the redwoods already and arts and crafts are a common theme here
It just felt like not an escape. Until I stayed there!
Now I am ruined!!! There is something so so magical about the Grand Californian.

I can’t even put my finger on it. It’s a feeling.

Anyway, if that’s truly not an option I’d then go 100% with the Disneyland Hotel. The rooms in the regular hotel side are incredibly magical. Light up musical headboards to be exact. And so much whimsical magical Disney touches everywhere

This was exactly how my sister felt! She lives in Crescent City and thought GCH wouldn't be her first choice because of the fact that she lives in the redwoods. HOWEVER, she fell immediately in love with the hotel and we've stayed there every Dec. since (outside of Covid closure), so about 10 or so years now. The location is also a plus.

 

[eticketplease]

We haven’t stayed at DLH in a long time but we always loved the headboard with the light up fireworks. Not sure if they still do that or not though

 

[DrNitwhite]

We just stayed in a DLH 2Br family suite and it feels older and a little dated now, although we still love the light-up headboard. We had 2 1/2 bathrooms, which was great, and a kitchenette but it only had a sink and a mini fridge. If you can rent DVC points, I prefer the Villas, brand new and gorgeous midcentury design with plenty of Disney theming. They are actually much closer to the new security entrance than the DLH lobby. If you want an extra bath, the 1Br is like a palace, master bathroom has a huge tub with beautiful mosaics and there’s another full bathroom, Murphy beds (queen and twin), full kitchen, laundry, and table for about 8 with a chandelier, plus large balcony.

 

[Aladora]

I never had an interest in the Grand Californian either.
I live in the redwoods already and arts and crafts are a common theme here
It just felt like not an escape. Until I stayed there!
Now I am ruined!!! There is something so so magical about the Grand Californian.

I can’t even put my finger on it. It’s a feeling.

Anyway, if that’s truly not an option I’d then go 100% with the Disneyland Hotel. The rooms in the regular hotel side are incredibly magical. Light up musical headboards to be exact. And so much whimsical magical Disney touches everywhere

This was exactly how my sister felt! She lives in Crescent City and thought GCH wouldn't be her first choice because of the fact that she lives in the redwoods. HOWEVER, she fell immediately in love with the hotel and we've stayed there every Dec. since (outside of Covid closure), so about 10 or so years now. The location is also a plus.

100%! We live on and island in the Pacific NorthWest so the theming feels like home but all of us were hooked after our first stay!

 

[irlandaise]

100%! We live on and island in the Pacific NorthWest so the theming feels like home but all of us were hooked after our first stay!

Off-topic, but I'm surprised that you refer to your area as the Pacific Northwest since it's actually the most southwestern portion of your country. I suppose it's another instance of U.S.-centric terminology being adopted more widely?

Anyway, count me as another GCH fan, but the OP is right that it is more expensive, so if their family isn't interested in that particular hotel, they have other good options!

 

[Aladora]

Off-topic, but I'm surprised that you refer to your area as the Pacific Northwest since it's actually the most southwestern portion of your country. I suppose it's another instance of U.S.-centric terminology being adopted more widely?

The term Pacific NorthWest is not limited to the US, it is used to describe the geographic region in Western North America that has the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Rocky Mountains on the other and is roughly in the Northern part of the continent. Most commonly this encompasses Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia. Broader areas can also sometimes include Alaska, the Yukon, California, Montana, and Wyoming but ask a dozen Pacific Northwesteners and you will likely get a dozen different answers!

This is the PNW and that big island in the middle? That's where I am!

 

[mdmost]

Has anyone stayed at the Pixar Pier hotel since the renovation? How does it compare to the Disneyland Hotel?

 

[SFMommy]

Has anyone stayed at the Pixar Pier hotel since the renovation? How does it compare to the Disneyland Hotel?

We stayed at the Pixar Place Hotel in July and loved it! We have stayed in the DLH and the new DLH villas and next time we go, we will probably choose the Pixar Place Hotel. Getting into DCA is so fast…it’s much closer than any of the DLH towers. We loved the theming, artwork, cleanliness and newness of the hotel. Enjoy!

 

[Pluto468]

We stayed at the Pixar Place Hotel in July and loved it! We have stayed in the DLH and the new DLH villas and next time we go, we will probably choose the Pixar Place Hotel. Getting into DCA is so fast…it’s much closer than any of the DLH towers. We loved the theming, artwork, cleanliness and newness of the hotel. Enjoy!

How was the walk to Disneyland? I always assumed it would take like 30 minutes since the walk from DLH always takes my family 15-20 minutes. But maybe we're just slow...?

 

[Pluto468]

Hello all. I'm trying to decide where we should stay next June when we go to Disneyland. We're planning 4 park days. I would anticipate we'll arrive on a Saturday and start the parks on Sunday. This may be our last DLR trip for a while so I was thinking staying onsite might be worth it. The issue is does the high cost of staying onsite justify what we might give up at our normal hotel choice, the Courtyard Theme Park? At that hotel, we can get 2 large queen beds, a bunk bed option that invariably one of our teens will use, and two showers so people can get ready at the same time. The swimming pool is tiny and the slides just aren't that big a deal now. It's mostly the larger room and bathroom option.

I've looked at Disneyland Villa rentals which feels like a way to save just a little bit of money while getting that onsite experience. Has anyone done that before and is there anything you're giving up by doing so? The room that's probably available would be a one queen + one Murphy bed style queen + one bathroom. It's definitely smaller than what we would normally have. I'd assume you get the early entry option which we would most likely use, at least for DLR. Is there any benefit to staying in the normal Disneyland Hotel that you wouldn't get by staying at the Villa? I would assume you have access to the same areas?

I guess the only real reasons to stay in the Disneyland Hotel or Villa is the early access and feeling like we're taking a Disney vacation. This would be our 5th trip to DLR so I don't know if the cost increase would really be worth it, especially since I usually go through discount services to get the hotel and park tickets. I just like the idea of being onsite one last time so it's really more of asking is it really worth it?

Disclaimer: my wife is not very interested in the Grand Californian. It would be either Disneyland Hotel/Villa or the normal hotel. Plus, that seems more expensive.

I'd go with the villas since they're so nice and new. I like how some of those rooms come with kitchens, too. The 2 bedroom suites look amazing, but I'm sure cost more.

We stayed in a 2 bedroom suite at DLH once and it was very roomy. It was in Frontier tower and had 2.5 bathrooms, little kitchen area, huge living room etc.

 

[SFMommy]

How was the walk to Disneyland? I always assumed it would take like 30 minutes since the walk from DLH always takes my family 15-20 minutes. But maybe we're just slow...?

I don’t know the exact timing. But we exited the PPH through the hotel’s back entrance and we were at the security line (same one guests of the DLH use) in 5-7 minutes…I’m guessing.

Coming back to the PPH from Downtown Disney, we cut through the GCH and then just crossed at the light to the PPH. So coming back from Disneyland the PPH is definitely closer than the DLH. But going into Disneyland might be a little longer.

I hope that makes sense!