DLH 2 BR Suite- when to book?

[RebeccaW23]

Hi! We are planning our first Disneyland trip for January 2016, possibly in the second week after Christmas break crowds slow down. We are looking to book at the Disneyland Hotel in a 2 BR suite. How far in advance should I book this? It seems like the perfect choice for our group and would hate to miss out because I wait too long. Any opinions on when in the first two weeks of January would also be appreciated- thinking 4 nights, and the time period isn't able to be adjusted. Thank you!

 

[BoomerThePirate]

DLH is my favorite hotel... 6 months is usually enough time. i love calling the disney travel company. they are so helpful and i like talking to a person because you never know what might happen when dealing with a Disney CM. 6 months is what they told me to do for the fairytale suite and thats a little harder to book.

good luck and have a great time!

 

[BoomerThePirate]

also if you need to know anything else about the DLH ive usually got the answers lol

 

[RebeccaW23]

also if you need to know anything else about the DLH ive usually got the answers lol

Thank you so much! Do you have a favorite tower to stay in? Have you stayed in any of the regular suites? It'll be my husband and I, my parents, and my 2 girls- 6 and 3 at the time.

 

[TheDoleWhipper]

Thank you so much! Do you have a favorite tower to stay in? Have you stayed in any of the regular suites? It'll be my husband and I, my parents, and my 2 girls- 6 and 3 at the time.

If you book a suite, request the adventure tower, as that tower has the best views (pool view on one side, downtown disney view on the other side). Also, it is conveniently located to the parks and downtown disney, more so than the other towers (although it is a marginal difference, but still). If you wanted you could request one of the few suites high in the frontier tower that have balconies, too. They will try to accommodate your request, but remember that requests are just requests. If you want to improve your chances of having your request met, tell the CM on the phone what you want when you book, then call about 5 days in advance of your visit to remind them (I heard that they assign rooms five days in advance at the resort hotels).

The disneyland hotel is awesome and your girls will love it!

 

[Malcon10t]

We usually get 1-2 bedrooms suites at the DLH. I really like the ones in the Frontier tower. Love the Balcony. They have the best views of fireworks. My second fav is Adventure tower, simply because it is closer to concierge.

 

[RebeccaW23]

Thank you both! I'm sure any tower will be great- just being in Disneyland and at the DLH will be so exciting! We weren't planning on concierge. Do only people with concierge suites get put in the adventure tower?

 

[BoomerThePirate]

ive never stayed in a regular suite and ive only ever stayed in the adventure tower. the views of downtown disney are amazing.

 

[Nonsuch]

...Any opinions on when in the first two weeks of January would also be appreciated- thinking 4 nights, and the time period isn't able to be adjusted.

The first weekend in January will still have Holiday decorations, but the crowds will be much larger that the second weekend. The first Star Wars marathon is mid January 2015, and will likely be an annual event.

If you can commit to dates, you might consider a 2 bedroom villa at the Grand Californian (3 full baths and full kitchen). This would need to be rented from a DVC owner, directly on the DIS rent board or indirectly through a service (David DVC rental is a board sponsor). VGC rentals can save money, but cancellation is often not possible. If you are unable to secure a rental (11 to 7 months in advance) there will still be time to make a hotel reservation.

 

[RebeccaW23]

The first weekend in January will still have Holiday decorations, but the crowds will be much larger that the second weekend. The first Star Wars marathon is mid January 2015, and will likely be an annual event. If you can commit to dates, you might consider a 2 bedroom villa at the Grand Californian (3 full baths and full kitchen). This would need to be rented from a DVC owner, directly on the DIS rent board or indirectly through a service (David DVC rental is a board sponsor). VGC rentals can save money, but cancellation is often not possible. If you are unable to secure a rental (11 to 7 months in advance) there will still be time to make a hotel reservation.

Good to know about the marathon; I wasn't aware of that. Do the marathons generally affect just the weekend or the whole week surrounding it in terms of crowds?
I looked into the DVC rentals, but recently found out we are able to get a great family and friends discount because of a family member being a Disney employee. Otherwise the suites at DLH wouldn't be in our price range! The inability to cancel makes me nervous too.

 

[Nonsuch]

...Do the marathons generally affect just the weekend or the whole week surrounding it in terms of crowds?

I've only been onsite once during a marathon weekend, and did not notice significant crowds. There were slight changes to park hours and early morning closures on Disneyland Drive. DLH is the host hotel for marathons, so the hotel will likely be busy.

 

[Aladora]

Hi! We are planning our first Disneyland trip for January 2016, possibly in the second week after Christmas break crowds slow down. We are looking to book at the Disneyland Hotel in a 2 BR suite. How far in advance should I book this? It seems like the perfect choice for our group and would hate to miss out because I wait too long. Any opinions on when in the first two weeks of January would also be appreciated- thinking 4 nights, and the time period isn't able to be adjusted. Thank you!

We booked a 2 bedroom suite at the DLH in January for an August trip.

 

[RebeccaW23]

We booked a 2 bedroom suite at the DLH in January for an August trip.

Thanks! What tower did you end up staying in?