DL Hotel $440 per Night. Is That Normal?

[dnamertz]

I'm starting to think about our next possible trip, which might be a summer road trip to sites like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon and I thought if we're going to be that far south I can't pass up a couple days at the DLR.

Since it would be a shorter stay than normal for us (3 nights), I thought I could splurge and stay at the Disneyland Hotel. I just searched for 3 nights at the DL Hotel in August and it's $1,320 (before tax)!!! I had to search again because I thought it was a mistake....nope, that is the price.

Is this the normal rate? What is considered a good rate for the DL Hotel?

That is $300 more in total than we just paid for 8 nights at the Best Western PPI (we paid $1,086 total, including taxes/fees...for 5 more nights). I know the DL Hotel is better than the BWPPI (except for the location)...but I'm not sure how to justify paying 4x more for it.

 

[planningjollyholiday]

I'm starting to think about our next possible trip, which might be a summer road trip to sites like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon and I thought if we're going to be that far south I can't pass up a couple days at the DLR.

Since it would be a shorter stay than normal for us (3 nights), I thought I could splurge and stay at the Disneyland Hotel. I just searched for 3 nights at the DL Hotel in August and it's $1,320 (before tax)!!! I had to search again because I thought it was a mistake....nope, that is the price.

Is this the normal rate? What is considered a good rate for the DL Hotel?

That is $300 more in total than we just paid for 8 nights at the Best Western PPI (we paid $1,086 total, including taxes/fees...for 5 more nights). I know the DL Hotel is better than the BWPPI (except for the location)...but I'm not sure how to justify paying 4x more for it.

Summer means inflated prices, so yes that is right. In off season the lowest you can find without discount in 2013 was $305 for the DLH. Of course prices go up each year too, so im sure in 2014 prices will be higher. Only you can decide if that is worth it for your family. For us it is, but for many it isn't.

 

[KeKy4]

Summer time is peak time so that price is probably correct!

 

[larina]

Yes, that's the rate. As the PP said, summer rates are higher and the resort hotels are costly all the time anyway. Sometimes people find deals on the internet.

 

[soma151]

I'm starting to think about our next possible trip, which might be a summer road trip to sites like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon and I thought if we're going to be that far south I can't pass up a couple days at the DLR.

Since it would be a shorter stay than normal for us (3 nights), I thought I could splurge and stay at the Disneyland Hotel. I just searched for 3 nights at the DL Hotel in August and it's $1,320 (before tax)!!! I had to search again because I thought it was a mistake....nope, that is the price.

Is this the normal rate? What is considered a good rate for the DL Hotel?

That is $300 more in total than we just paid for 8 nights at the Best Western PPI (we paid $1,086 total, including taxes/fees...for 5 more nights). I know the DL Hotel is better than the BWPPI (except for the location)...but I'm not sure how to justify paying 4x more for it.

Hotels all over the world do this. In Oregon, Ocean view rooms that sale for $120 all year. go up to $450 in the summer time. I hate that they do this but understand WHY. We would love to stay at the Disneyland hotels and we can afford it. BUT i just cant see paying the price they want.

 

[junmatno]

I'm starting to think about our next possible trip, which might be a summer road trip to sites like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon and I thought if we're going to be that far south I can't pass up a couple days at the DLR. Since it would be a shorter stay than normal for us (3 nights), I thought I could splurge and stay at the Disneyland Hotel. I just searched for 3 nights at the DL Hotel in August and it's $1,320 (before tax)!!! I had to search again because I thought it was a mistake....nope, that is the price. Is this the normal rate? What is considered a good rate for the DL Hotel? That is $300 more in total than we just paid for 8 nights at the Best Western PPI (we paid $1,086 total, including taxes/fees...for 5 more nights). I know the DL Hotel is better than the BWPPI (except for the location)...but I'm not sure how to justify paying 4x more for it.

Have you thought about the PPH? It's beautiful and the walk is shorter too. Plus it's usually 100 a night cheaper or more

 

[jason41483]

Priceline a hotel near DL. It makes no sense to pay crazy rates for a hotel if you're in the park for over 80% of the day. All you need is a bed to sleep in and decent proximity to food and the park. Unless you have a lot of cash to burn, put it towards your park experience instead.

 

[dnamertz]

Have you thought about the PPH? It's beautiful and the walk is shorter too. Plus it's usually 100 a night cheaper or more

It's cheaper, but it's still in the outrageous range. If I'm considering paying that much more than other hotels, it was mainly for Disney atmosphere (which I've heard isn't as good at PPH, and the pool). If we did stay, I'd take full advantage by spending a lot of time at the pool the day we arrived and the day we checked out.

Even in the non-summer months the DL Hotel is still over $333 month (at least in the month I checked). It appear to be extremely expensive in the off season and even more expensive in the busy season.

 

[larina]

It appear to be extremely expensive in the off season and even more expensive in the busy season.

Yes, this sums it up well.

 

[disney4cam]

I agree with the above. However, you might be able to get a better deal on cheaptickets.com. I recently booked DLH for 25% off. It's still a lot, but it definitely helps.

 

[darcie2000]

We paid $4010 for 8 nights at DLH this May just gone.

For us, coming from Australia, plus the Disney atmosphere, it was totally worth it. Previously we've stayed at the Clarion and wow what a difference lol.

I can't imagine staying anywhere else now.

 

[Astylla]

I do think it's a personal choice and alot to consider into spending that kind of money on a hotel - even for the Fall AP offer we have for 6 nights - it's a good chunk.

For us we are California residents - coming from Northern California it's only a 6 hour drive and every other time we have stayed it has been on harbor which we have zero complaints about actually.

This year we wanted to splurge so started planning about this trip a year out - specifically because we knew we wanted to be here again at Christmas and stay at the DLH.
It's a huge splurge - and our gift to each other and something we had weighed the pros and cons of for months before pulling the trigger.

It came down to length of stay vs benefits. For short trips - 2-4 days typically at a time the hotels on Harbor are fine , but for our week long stay we already found ourselves tired trying to push through open to close and realized we wanted a more relaxed touring style , especially during the holiday season which could easily be compared to peak season.

We often miss things , even being AP holders and we already often go to the DLH area midday whether it be Trader Sam's or thinking how good a hot tub soak would be. Of course the EMH is a great perk and we typically eat several meals on site too including Steakhouse 55.

It just all added up to..why not ?

You definitely can find different offers like cheaptickets.com/orbitz , etc and if you can avoid peak season , though hours may be shorter it might be worth it to you. Value is a tricky thing - which only you can decide what it means to you.

Another thing you may consider is a split stay - like 3 days off site , 2 or 3 days onsite to break things up.

Whatever you decide you can have a great trip.

 

[dnamertz]

I do think it's a personal choice and alot to consider into spending that kind of money on a hotel - even for the Fall AP offer we have for 6 nights - it's a good chunk.

For us we are California residents - coming from Northern California it's only a 6 hour drive and every other time we have stayed it has been on harbor which we have zero complaints about actually.

This year we wanted to splurge so started planning about this trip a year out - specifically because we knew we wanted to be here again at Christmas and stay at the DLH.
It's a huge splurge - and our gift to each other and something we had weighed the pros and cons of for months before pulling the trigger.

It came down to length of stay vs benefits. For short trips - 2-4 days typically at a time the hotels on Harbor are fine , but for our week long stay we already found ourselves tired trying to push through open to close and realized we wanted a more relaxed touring style , especially during the holiday season which could easily be compared to peak season.

We often miss things , even being AP holders and we already often go to the DLH area midday whether it be Trader Sam's or thinking how good a hot tub soak would be. Of course the EMH is a great perk and we typically eat several meals on site too including Steakhouse 55.

It just all added up to..why not ?

You definitely can find different offers like cheaptickets.com/orbitz , etc and if you can avoid peak season , though hours may be shorter it might be worth it to you. Value is a tricky thing - which only you can decide what it means to you.

Another thing you may consider is a split stay - like 3 days off site , 2 or 3 days onsite to break things up.

Whatever you decide you can have a great trip.

I've considered a split stay, but I wasn't sure how inconvenient it would be to switch hotels during the middle of one of our park days. Since we're probably only planning two full days in the parks, how difficult would it be to switch?

 

[tiffjoy]

We can't justify the extra cost. We have paid that much for hotels before, but in much different circumstances. We spend virtually no time at the hotel on Disney trips, especially our short stays. It's a place to sleep and get ready, and that's it. The Harbor hotels are do close as to be practically on site, and with two young kiddos, we can't be sure of hitting rope drop, let alone EMH. If it was only slightly more, we'd likely stay at a Disney hotel. But it's drastically more- to the point where we justify NOT staying on site with two yearly trips to DLR instead of just one. The difference is enough to pay for another hotel stay, so there's really no comparison for us.

But that's us. Everyone is different, and everyone approaches a vacation differently. Different things are important to different people. One family weighs it out differently than another. Really, only you can decide if it's worth the cost to you. Either way, you'll have a fantastic trip! Enjoy!

 

[Dot2Vegas]

I'm starting to think about our next possible trip, which might be a summer road trip to sites like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon and I thought if we're going to be that far south I can't pass up a couple days at the DLR.

Since it would be a shorter stay than normal for us (3 nights), I thought I could splurge and stay at the Disneyland Hotel. I just searched for 3 nights at the DL Hotel in August and it's $1,320 (before tax)!!! I had to search again because I thought it was a mistake....nope, that is the price.

Is this the normal rate? What is considered a good rate for the DL Hotel?

That is $300 more in total than we just paid for 8 nights at the Best Western PPI (we paid $1,086 total, including taxes/fees...for 5 more nights). I know the DL Hotel is better than the BWPPI (except for the location)...but I'm not sure how to justify paying 4x more for it.

Sounds about right for the rate. I think it all boils down to how much you will use the room and what the hotel portion of your trip means to you. If its just a place to sleep then the DLH isn't worth the price. If you need that Disney magic and want the Disney atmosphere every single minute of your trip then it might be worth it to stay there. For our family the hotel is a place to sleep and that's it. We also don't feel like we lose out on Disney magic by staying off property. But, as others have said, everyone is different. Just know that you'll have a fantastic time no matter where you stay!

 

[pjhootch]

Nope, it wasn't a mistake and it is completely normal.

When I was a kid my mom loved to stay at the DL hotel. Of course, it was the only "Disney" hotel back then and although it cost more than other hotels, it wasn't as outrageous as it is now.

When my kids were young (I've dated myself seriously now) we splurged and stayed there... partially for atmosphere, but more for the monorail with a couple of little kids.

All the kids are grown up now, and we haven't stayed there since they could walk a few miles without whining or wanting a piggyback ride. I feel nostalgic about the place, but not enough to pay the recent prices.

We did stay at the GC several years ago when we were there between Christmas and NYE. At the time I found it worth it because of the perks that went along with it, and the easy entrance into DCA. Those perks aren't what they used to be and I'm priced out.

However, there are a couple of generations behind me that are perfectly willing to pay and as long as the hotels stay full the prices will stay high.

 

[Disney Lvr of Old]

I agree with PP~ it's what works for you. When we went it was my son's first trip and we were going for 8 days. And we spent a lot of time in the room. I found the EMH into DCA invaluable to accomplish RSR easily. I wanted his first trip to be unforgettable with all the perks. Which I will be paying for the next 5 years.

Our next trip is still in the air~ I know we are going to DLR again but haven't decided if I can go outside the Disney bubble or if I'm going to book really soon so I can start paying off the trip and not notice I paid 3x the cost for the hotel.

 

[soma151]

I agree with PP~ it's what works for you. When we went it was my son's first trip and we were going for 8 days. And we spent a lot of time in the room. I found the EMH into DCA invaluable to accomplish RSR easily. I wanted his first trip to be unforgettable with all the perks. Which I will be paying for the next 5 years.

Our next trip is still in the air~ I know we are going to DLR again but haven't decided if I can go outside the Disney bubble or if I'm going to book really soon so I can start paying off the trip and not notice I paid 3x the cost for the hotel.

That is crazy, just stay at a cheaper hotel.

 

[time4dis]

There's a mix of people here that ranges from money is no object, quality and convenience are all that matters, to those that can't afford it but do it anyway, to those that can't afford it/can't justify spending it and thus find cheaper alternatives. and every point in-between.

That may be obvious but just remember the range of advice, and that now knowing the price is infact correct, only you can and should decide for you. Talk to your financial co-decision maker(s) and make the best decision for you long-term. enjoy your next trip either way!!! staying outside may alter your dates or strategy a bit, but both situations are entirely enjoyable!

 

[kathy884]

I checked for two nights over our spring break and rates started at $330 for the Disneyland Hotel and $383 for the Grand Californian. It's supply and demand for sure. The Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian just look so much nicer than anything else in the area and just seem so much more appealing than the other properties in the area. I know my kid would really love and appreciate staying at one of these properties, and I seriously considered splurging for one of those, but ended up booking one of the many close by properties that appear to be clean / comfortable, but nothing special (pretty basic) -- lots of those in the $150 range. Ended up going for clean, comfortable, and inexpensive given that we'll be out and about most of the time. It's a very personal choice, and I would think would be greatly influenced by your vacation budget and what you are looking for in your vacation/stay. // The bottom line reality is that Disneyland is a great time wherever you stay, and we'll just be happy to be there.