DL hotels compared to WDW

[Mama Who]

Okay, I've been wondering...

Could those who have stayed at both DLR hotels and on-site at WDW please "rate" the PPH, DLH and GCH on the WDW scale?

I mean, I assume GCH is a Deluxe, but what about the other two? Deluxe? Moderate? What properties out in Florida roughly compare to these two? I hear about how much people looooooooove the Poly but $400 a night? Is it as nice as the GCH?

 

[Greg K.]

I'm here right now! A few observations, on our hotel and some other things...

DLH reminds me, in many ways, of a scaled-down Contemporary, in overall style and atmosphere. But it doesn't have as much "oomph" or theming, and it's much smaller. The lobby can get downright cramped when things are busy. This afternoon, with the holiday crush, the line to check in stretched clear down the front of the hotel and almost to the front door!

There's one moderately-sized gift shop, and a tiny sundries store. (I was disappointed to see they don't carry any Disneyland Hotel-specific merchandise; the Grand Californian, on the other hand, has special tee shirts and stuff just for the hotel.) The newly-redesigned pool area is nice, but on the small side; the monorail-themed slides are fun once or twice.

The best thing, in many ways, is the proximity to Downtown Disney. A three minute walk, and you're at Earl of Sandwich or ESPN or Rainforest Cafe. This expands your dining choices immensely!

The rooms are nicely decorated and very spacious. I think our room with two Queen beds is significantly larger than the studios in Bay Lake Tower.

One quibble: they have a decently-sized business center off the main lobby, with standard hours from 7 to 7 every day. This morning, I dropped down there at 7:30 to print out some materials. The place was locked. I checked at the front desk and they called around. Seems they had one (1) employee designated to work at all three hotel business centers that day. The employee was at the Grand Californian, and had to walk over (about a 15-minute hike) to unlock the room and set it up for me. They were very nice about it, and I realize, hey, it was Saturday morning...but still...shouldn't they manage that better??

Another interesting quirk at DL: you can't have your admission media added to your room key card. They print out a separate ticket for you. So you need to be certain to carry both the room key and ticket with you at all times -- and they will check both those for your admission into the parks for Early Entry. (Interestingly, they will photograph you on the first day, and then check your picture every morning. Another notable difference: they don't have a "no bags" security line for entry...so everybody has to file through the same check-points, whether you have a bag or not.)

Finally (and most people don't realize this): during the "off" season, they don't have fireworks every night. They only have them Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Memorial Day, and then they start running them every night.

I suspect a lot of people accustomed to the WDW experience will find the hotels a disappointment -- with the exception, of course, of the Grand Californian, which is almost like a clone of the Wilderness Lodge. But you can't beat the proximity, and "Disney-ness" of being on property.

 

[pixarmom]

I suspect a lot of people accustomed to the WDW experience will find the hotels a disappointment -- with the exception, of course, of the Grand Californian, which is almost like a clone of the Wilderness Lodge. But you can't beat the proximity, and "Disney-ness" of being on property.

And that's why we stay at the Grand Californian! Our favorite resorts at WDW are BC, BWI and Poly. My husband's favorite of those three is BWI, but he is fond of our WL days - just prefers the BWI location and club lounge. His favorite Disney resort of all time, however, is GCH at DL. GCH is like WL in the rooms, but with the added benefits of an even better lobby, great restaurant (Napa Rose) and amazing proximity to the parks. The Hearthstone at GCH is probably even better than the Territory Lounge at WL.

As for DLH and PPH, we always say we want to try them, but we don't. My parents stayed at DLH once and didn't recommend it. First, no balconies at PPH or DLH - that's a big deal to us, not only to sit outside, but to have doors that open to the outside. It doesn't seem like a deluxe resort without the balcony. The other issue is location - it's not like the walk from the other two Disney resorts to the parks is far - it's really not far. It's just that GCH is so close and doesn't require us to leave the Disney bubble, see Anaheim streets (eek! for the WDW fan) or walk through the sometimes chaotic Downtown Disney. The oasis of GCH is immediate!

 

[mdsd8700]

We have stayed at all 3 DLR hotels although we have not stayed at the DLH since the renovation. Of the three the Grand Californian is our favorite although we very much enjoyed our DLH stay. Agree with PP that the DL hotel doesn't have "oomph" but they have an area that has some really great old pictures and those are wonderful! There is something about the hotel that we really love and would stay there again without question. However since we joined DVC a few years back all our stays have been at VGC since then. As far as the PP we like the hotel but would only stay there a couple of nights for longer stays we would choice one of the other Disney hotels.

As far as how they compare to the WDW hotels, we have only done the Deluxe in WDW but I would say the 3 DLR hotels are on par with those especially in regards to the rooms themselves. Except for the Grand the theming isn't quite the same as in WDW, but everything at DLR is smaller and within walking distance so it makes it a completely different experience overall. I personally love both and have never been disappointed by any of our stays in DLR or WDW.

 

[Niebz]

GCH and DLH are most definitely deluxe level hotels. I've never been to PPH so can't comment on that one.

 

[Cinderpamela]

As PP's have said, the GCH is most similar to a Deluxe... I guess DLH would be closest to a Deluxe too, but PPH is not really like any of the Moderates or the Values at WDW though in DLR terms it is the least expensive and so it would be considered the Value at DLR... but as I said before it is not like the Values at WDW. DLH and the PPH are both a high rise concept.

 

[PoohsFan1]

Some of the responses about DLH are interesting to me because the photos that I have seen made the resort look to be full of Disney theme and not boring whatsoever. We will be spending the bulk of our stay at VGC but staying one night at DLH. I picked DLH because the pictures looked like it had a better Disney theme then PPH (plus the new pool looks great). I also picked it because I wanted to stay in the first Disney resort, for some reason when I think of staying at DLR, I think of DLH.

 

[Greg K.]

The "Disney theming" of the DLH isn't as integral to the design as it is with the Grand Californian, which was conceived from the ground up to be a unique and architecturally stunning piece of work. DLH, on the other hand, is a nice 1960s-era hotel that has been upgraded a number of times, and renovated (quite nicely) recently.

The "theming," per se, consists of some fascinating archival photographs displayed on the lobby area and around the elevators, which gives a sense of history and continuity. Over in the convention center wing, there's a really interesting collection of photos of the original hotel from the 1950s and 1960s, which shows the dramatic changes it's undergone. There's some whimsy to the place -- "tea cup" chairs in the waiting area, and nice bits of artwork that lend atmosphere and headboards in the rooms that light up like fireworks with the press of a button -- but it has a tacked-on kind of feel to it.

That said: it's a really nice hotel and we're delighted to be staying here. Just don't expect the level of creativity and full immersion you might get at, say, the Poly or the Wilderness Lodge—hotels where you really feel transported to a different place.

 

[I Love Pluto]

Mama Who - this is a fantastic thread!

We are WDW vets staying at DLH for the first time in July. All of the pps' comments have spurred some additional excitement for our trip!

Thank you!

 

[eyeheartgoofy]

I am definitely not a DLR expert (one stay), but am a WDW veteran.

I don't think you can really do a direct class by class comparison WDW vs. DLR. I think all three of the DLR properties are priced like Deluxe properties at WDW... the GCH is obviously the flagship property and really does remind me a lot of the Wilderness Lodge in terms of feel of the lobby, etc. - but it's "more deluxe" than WL - private entrance to DCA, the pool lounge chairs are big and padded, there are cabanas - so sort of like the Grand Floridian in that regard.

I think the best comparison I can come up with is that GCH & DLH are to DL/DCA like the Boardwalk and Beach Club are to Epcot/DHS. Paradise Pier would be to DL/DCA like the Dolphin/Swan are to Epcot/DHS. And I don't even think that is 100% accurate. It's just so different at DLR - the hotels are RIGHT THERE and Downtown Disney is RIGHT THERE. At WDW, a lot of what class a hotel is has to do with transportation options and proximity to parks ... all three of the DLR hotels are very close to the parks.

And I thought the GCH hotel was better than the Poly ... but I'm not a huge Poly lover and I thought the GCH was the BEST Disney hotel I've ever visited. Service was great, our room was great ... everything was way better than I expected and I just fell in love with DLR!!! (I am a big WL fan though ... so that may color my view).

 

[KCmike]

GCH is on par with the Grand Floridian as part of quality of the hotel and feels like Wilderness Lodge.

DLH is a high rise hotel but has an amazing pool area that really adds to the feel of the resort. I would compare it to a moderate at WDW but feels like no hotel there at all.

Haven't stayed at the PPH as it just doesn't appeal to me at all. I know it has some great views of DCA but I just don't care to walk over there. It offers little to no amenities for us. I would rather stay at FFI on Harbor which we have done twice. Its the best hotel on Harbor in my opinion.

Now of all of these GCH is hands down the best. Best hotel, best location, best pool, best pool lounge chairs (oh my goodness I could go to sleep on these things), best restaurant, best lobby, best fireplace indoor and outdoor, and best memories.

 

[jlmarr]

GCH is on par with the Grand Floridian as part of quality of the hotel and feels like Wilderness Lodge.

My understanding is that the WL is similar to the lodge at Yellowstone, while GCH is more like the lodge at Yosemite. YMMV

Now of all of these GCH is hands down the best. Best hotel, best location, best pool, best pool lounge chairs (oh my goodness I could go to sleep on these things), best restaurant, best lobby, best fireplace indoor and outdoor, and best memories.

Best restrooms even...

 

[damo]

I don't think the Paradise Pier is like any value hotel at WDW. The rooms are much bigger and much better appointed. The lobby isn't the most fabulous but the rooms are excellent.

I find the DL hotels cleaner than the WDW hotels. The carpets in the hallways and the common areas seem to be in much better condition.

 

[KCmike]

My understanding is that the WL is similar to the lodge at Yellowstone, while GCH is more like the lodge at Yosemite. YMMV

Best restrooms even...

We've been to Yosemite's Awahnee and GCH is so much more massive. I haven't been to Yellowstone but have seen pictures. It looks impressive.

 

[ktlm]

We are WDW vets. We've stated at the Grand Floridian; Poly, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Port Orleans Riverside. At DL, we prefer DLH. To us, the Grand Californian is just a scaled down version of the WL. It is nice, but we have stayed at WL multiple times, and I can not stomach spending more money to spend 3 or 4 nights at GCH, than we ever have to spend 7 or 8 nights at the WL, when GCH is just a scaled down version. I will say that having an entrance to CA is incredible and that if you want to pay the big bucks for a theme park view there, it would be amazing.

We don't care for the Contemporary, and I really don't get that feel from the DLH. The first time we stayed there was pre-lobby renovation and we got an old room too, and we felt totally immersed in Disney. We absolutely loved it there. We have stayed there since the renovations, and we feel that the lobby and the exterior of the lobby have lost a lot of its charm. It does feel a bit more business than Disney now. We really don't like what they did to it at all. The entrance used to have such charm and detail, right down to pink and blue glass chips in the ground (which obviously were the result of Flora, Fauna and Merryweather fighting about the color). We really miss the big Mickey outside too. That always felt like our DL greeting. At least Goofy still visits the lobby quite a bit. The rooms are now more modern and upscale. They are really nice. We really enjoy staying at DLH. I would consider it a deluxe, but it really isn't similar to anything at WDW to compare it to. By terms of WDW standards, the walk to the park is nothing. We enjoy walking through Downtown Disney to and from the parks.

We haven't been to Paradise Pier.

 

[Greg K.]

Visiting the GCH to snoop around during this trip, I noticed a lot of nice, quiet areas to sit and relax -- especially in the second floor "mezzanine" area. The DLH doesn't really have that; there are some places to relax in each lobby of each tower, but nothing that really invites you to linger. However, the hotel does have several areas outside with comfortable lounges and chairs.

Over by Trader Sam's there's a nifty outdoor fireplace with couches that reminds me, eerily, of the living room in "The Brady Bunch." And, given the temperatures on recent early mornings -- around 60 -- that fireplace was a nice spot to enjoy morning coffee and watch parents staggering with strollers toward the parks...

 

[KCmike]

The GCH also a somewhat hidden patio up on the top floor where you can go out and there are tables and chairs and great views of DCA and the GCH pool area. It's worth taking the elevator up there. Also the fireplace you see in the lobby is an indoor/outdoor so go outside and take in the warmth outside as well.

 

[Mama Who]

As far as how they compare to the WDW hotels, we have only done the Deluxe in WDW but I would say the 3 DLR hotels are on par with those especially in regards to the rooms themselves. E.

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

 

[mdsd8700]

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

Glad I could help

We love DLR just as much as we love WDW. Just for different reasons.