DL hotels vs off site

[gydell]

What are the advantages to staying at one of the DL hotels?

 

[Funball]

I will give you one reason that staying off site is better:

One is you get fantastic hotels like the hojo who don’t charge an arm and a leg to park !

 

[HydroGuy]

What are the advantages to staying at one of the DL hotels?

1. Magic Morning every morning it is offered no matter what ticket you have (or AP, assuming the AP is not blocked)

2. Vacation Planning services to help with reservations

3. Extra sense of immersion - Disney-themed hotel rooms, wake-up calls, etc. - and ability stay within a Disney Resort the whole time

4. Closer proximity to Monorail station in DTD

Can't think of any others at the moment.

 

[goldies 5]

The Magic Morning is priceless. You can have purchases made in the park sent back to your hotel too. You don't have to cross Harbor and all that traffic, unless you want to.

 

[skiingfast]

In general the DLR hotels have nicer pools.


Also places to eat in the hotels, though you could use them wherever you stay.

 

[disneydreamer74]

I am okay with either one, but will stay on-site if I can afford to. On site has little magical extras, like you can request a birthday pin,autographed picture of disney characters and balloons upon check-in (free of charge). This is a nice surprise for my little one!! Also, you can order gift baskets from VP to be placed in your room (they also deliver to some GN hotels, where they will leave them at the front desk), and through disney dining you can order milk and cookies to be waiting for you in your room when you return (or Mikcey krispy treats, choc. covered strawberries, etc.) that is always a nice surprise for my group as well. Another added plus for on-site is the entrance through GCH into DCA. That saves a lot of walking!!

 

[gydell]

Thanks everyone!!!

 

[raftislander]

1. Magic Morning every morning it is offered no matter what ticket you have (or AP, assuming the AP is not blocked)

2. Vacation Planning services to help with reservations

3. Extra sense of immersion - Disney-themed hotel rooms, wake-up calls, etc. - and ability stay within a Disney Resort the whole time

4. Closer proximity to Monorail station in DTD

Can't think of any others at the moment.

and
5. Getting into the WoC FP machines one half hour earlier than everyone else. Although not sure how long this perk will go on. Also, offsite people can get WOC FP with dinner and picnic packages.

 

[HydroGuy]

1. Magic Morning every morning it is offered no matter what ticket you have (or AP, assuming the AP is not blocked)

2. Vacation Planning services to help with reservations

3. Extra sense of immersion - Disney-themed hotel rooms, wake-up calls, etc. - and ability stay within a Disney Resort the whole time

4. Closer proximity to Monorail station in DTD

Can't think of any others at the moment.

and
5. Getting into the WoC FP machines one half hour earlier than everyone else. Although not sure how long this perk will go on. Also, offsite people can get WOC FP with dinner and picnic packages.

Yes, excellent addition! Which is really two things. One is entry to DCA at 9AM (this summer anyways) and related to that is the exclusive use of the special GCH entrance to DCA - at least for the first few hours each morning.

 

[Sherry E]

Goldies 5 mentioned this, but I will expand: you can also have your purchases sent back to your hotel if you are staying onsite. That can be extremely handy if you hate carrying cumbersome bags around the parks with you or getting an expensive locker. You fill out a form at the shop where you buy whatever, then they send it back to your hotel and it is ready for you to pick up at 7:00 a.m. the following morning.

And you get a Key to the Magic - the room key with your name on it that can be attached to your credit or debit card and which can be used as a charge card anywhere in DLR.

 

[jory29]

Goldies 5 mentioned this, but I will expand: you can also have your purchases sent back to your hotel if you are staying onsite. That can be extremely handy if you hate carrying cumbersome bags around the parks with you or getting an expensive locker. You fill out a form at the shop where you buy whatever, then they send it back to your hotel and it is ready for you to pick up at 7:00 a.m. the following morning.

And you get a Key to the Magic - the room key with your name on it that can be attached to your credit or debit card and which can be used as a charge card anywhere in DLR.

What?!?The following morning?!? I want my maple walnut fudge NOW!

 

[CrazyDuck]

Also DLR hotels are more expensive. You won't have as much money leftover to spend on corn dogs and tiggertails, that way you won't gain so much weight during your trip!

 

[nunzia]

Off site is just fine, and I'll stay off site for the Expo..but for me I just like to stay in the Disney bubble once I get there..no outside stuff allowed... (unless I walk somewhere to get some wine)

 

[HydroGuy]

What are the advantages to staying at one of the DL hotels?

Also DLR hotels are more expensive. You won't have as much money leftover to spend on corn dogs and tiggertails, that way you won't gain so much weight during your trip!

While true, that is not an advantage - it is a disadvantage.

 

[mrswh]

Disney's official response to this:

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/hotels/resort-benefits/

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Goldies 5 mentioned this, but I will expand: you can also have your purchases sent back to your hotel if you are staying onsite. That can be extremely handy if you hate carrying cumbersome bags around the parks with you or getting an expensive locker. You fill out a form at the shop where you buy whatever, then they send it back to your hotel and it is ready for you to pick up at 7:00 a.m. the following morning.

And you get a Key to the Magic - the room key with your name on it that can be attached to your credit or debit card and which can be used as a charge card anywhere in DLR.

I'll add a little to this. It was really cool the time we stayed at the DLH to be able to send our purchases back to the hotel and not have to worry about them. If you're not staying onsite though, there is a halfway option. You can check your purchases in at a couple places in Disneyland and DCA and not have to carry them around. While not nearly as convenient as sending them back to your room, it is nicer than having to rent a locker. The Newstand at Disneyland and EnginEars Toys at DCA are the two places I know of where you can do this. Just buy whatever it is you want to buy at whatever store you happen to be at, and then take your purchases to one of these places. They ask you to fill out some info and will hold your packages there until the end of the day. You can't leave any food items though. I know it's not as convenient as hotel delivery, but it is a nice option for those of us staying offsite who just had to buy the whatever it is at that minute even though it really won't be convenient to carry it around for the rest of the day and night.

 

[Sherry E]

I'll add a little to this. It was really cool the time we stayed at the DLH to be able to send our purchases back to the hotel and not have to worry about them. If you're not staying onsite though, there is a halfway option. You can check your purchases in at a couple places in Disneyland and DCA and not have to carry them around. While not nearly as convenient as sending them back to your room, it is nicer than having to rent a locker. The Newstand at Disneyland and EnginEars Toys at DCA are the two places I know of where you can do this. Just buy whatever it is you want to buy at whatever store you happen to be at, and then take your purchases to one of these places. They ask you to fill out some info and will hold your packages there until the end of the day. You can't leave any food items though. I know it's not as convenient as hotel delivery, but it is a nice option for those of us staying offsite who just had to buy the whatever it is at that minute even though it really won't be convenient to carry it around for the rest of the day and night.

The only problem with the Newsstand, etc., is that if you bought a lot of stuff - bulky, big things like snowglobes or whatever - you still have to schlep all of it with you to whatever hotel you are staying in, if you don't have a car onsite with you. Walking with all of that stuff for even a block can be a huge pain.

That's why the package delivery is one of the best perks of staying onsite at a DLR hotel.

But yes, I would use the Newsstand package holding/storage service if I were doing a day trip and not staying onsite - it's better than forking out money for a cramped locker that may not hold everything (because you may have to take the smaller size if the bigger lockers are already used up).

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

The only problem with the Newsstand, etc., is that if you bought a lot of stuff - bulky, big things like snowglobes or whatever - you still have to schlep all of it with you to whatever hotel you are staying in, if you don't have a car onsite with you. Walking with all of that stuff for even a block can be a huge pain.

That's why the package delivery is one of the best perks of staying onsite at a DLR hotel.

But yes, I would use the Newsstand package holding/storage service if I were doing a day trip and not staying onsite - it's better than forking out money for a cramped locker that may not hold everything (because you may have to take the smaller size if the bigger lockers are already used up).

Definitely agree with you about delivery being a great onsite perk, and we took advantage of it when we tried onsite finally. Just pointing out that there are some (not as cool) options for those who aren't staying onsite and for whom renting a locker isn't a good fit. I guess the positive/negative of staying offsite is that you can afford to buy more stuff to schlep back to your hotel room.

 

[Mary09]

With the money you save staying offsite you could hire a personal assistant to carry your packages home to your hotel each night.

 

[Funball]

With the money you save staying offsite you could hire a personal assistant to carry your packages home to your hotel each night.

HEY i like that idea ..