I am planning on doing our trip report sometime in the next couple of days, but we just got back on Wednesday. We stayed at the DLH in the concierge level so I would be happy to let you know about our time there in more detail than I'll give in the report...
I originally booked it with several things in mind....priority check-in, a great room with a killer DTD view, and the lounge goodies. MOST of that worked out. I had requested 2 queens with the DTD view, and called back three days before to request it again. When we got there at 5 p.m. on Saturday night, I was AGHAST at the "regular" check-in line. It was completely zoo-ey. I would have died had I had to stand in that line. It was probably a half-hour line if not longer, and the people just looked frazzled, there were kids running around everywhere, everyone just wanted to be served. I'm sure I got some serious stink eyes when I went to the empty concierge line and was the next person served (causing the regular line to wait even longer!). That ALONE was worth at least $50 in my mind. We were checked in within 5 minutes and at the monorail station going to
Disneyland within the half hour.
The room? Eh. When we checked in I didn't think to ask "is it a DTD room?" If I had asked and heard "no" I might have been able to swing a switch at that point but I was just too excited and didn't think about it. I was just so happy our room was ready and that we got serviced so quickly. I thought about asking to switch on Sunday but we were just having too much fun and too busy to worry about it. As it turns out, it was a great room anyway in terms of location. It was right by the quieter of the elevators, so we were able to get back to our room or out of the hotel very quickly. It was on the 10th floor, with a pool view. We were in our room mostly to sleep so it really didn't matter. Plus the lounge had the great DTD view so we really got to enjoy that anyway. They did do a turndown service each night which actually was very nice (I thought it would be a "waste")--they left a box of Mickey shortbread cookies the first night and lots of chocolate coins the other nights, they cleaned the room up, and left the lights on for us so our Tink wall paper would glow well at bedtime. (Yes, it DID glow.)
The lounge. If you go to Laughingplace.com, I think that's where I found the most pictures of the lounge, and as I recall it's shown pretty accurately. You can also do a search of "concierge" in this forum, lots of people have written about their experiences. It's not very big, but it was never full of more than a half dozen parties, there were plenty of tables and always a lot of food. When we booked it we knew we'd never eat or drink our money's worth, I penciled out that we payed over $100 a night extra for the room. BUT, for our family, time is money. We were able to eat breakfast each morning very quickly, and get out to play faster. There were bagels, danish, cereals (hot and cold to prepare), nice sliced melon and pineapple, grapes, bananas and apples, coffee, milk, juice, and fridge full of bottled water, pop, and juice. Late morning they switch to snacks, which consist of chips and salsa, bagged chips (Doritos, Lays, and pretzels), the apples and bananas, and some dessert items. In the late afternoon they have one hot appetizer that changes every night, cheese and crackers, a veggie tray, as well as beer and wine to drink (which we never did as we were usually in the park or headed to the park during that time) and in the late evening they have dessert items and some premade Smuckers "uncrustables" PB and Js. We brought some ziplocs from home so in the mornings we'd eat breakfast and then we'd bring some bagels and fruit into the park with us. At night we'd take treats back to our room. We always took our fair share of waters and other drinks as well.
There's an "express" elevator straight to the lounge from outside the hotel so that was always where we went first, gathered up some goodies and then went back down one floor inside the hotel to our room, and when we headed out sometimes we do the same thing in reverse. If I do it again I'll request a room on the 11th floor, that would have made it a bit easier to use the lounge but it really was never a big deal, again, as we were located closer to the 'quiet' elevators. The main elevators were much, much slower.
I used the concierge once, to book a PS at the Storyteller's Cafe on the day we left (Wednesday morning). We got a great booth, I don't know if it was because the concierge booked it for us or if it was happenstance. They were super helpful and got me what I wanted immediately.
There were a selection of newspapers available to read in the lounge or to take with you...I am trying to think about what else we utilized. We didn't need PS to Alladin as we had a little coupon from our package, but if you don't they can get you PS in that show and I'm not sure what else. There was always one, and sometimes two, concierge staff available to help you with whatever. People were asking for driving directions, PSs, dealing with complaints, whatever. It was quick access to a DLH staff, no matter what your need.
What I would change? I think they ought to offer a better mixture of food during the day. That is, leave some breakfast out at snack time, some snacks out at "happy hour" and some "happy hour" and snacks out at dessert time. I would have loved something more substantial at 8 p.m. than a cookie. And that's when I would have enjoyed a glass of wine. I wouldn't think it would be that difficult or cost them that much $$ to change up the offerings a bit.
Was it worth it? Well, it could have been a lot better, but really, it depends on what your family can afford and what you feel the cost-benefit is in terms of time. A "restaurant" breakfast every morning would have stunk. It was nice to just get up and go and not have to plan that out and wait and pay for it each day. That checkin process alone almost made the whole thing worth it, honestly! We purchased very little food or drink inside the parks, and that probably rang up to quite a bit of change in and of itself, but for us convenience is well worth $$ so all in all I'm pretty sure we'd do it again.
Next time I'd highly consider the GCH. It looks lovely, and I would guess they take up their concierge level a notch as it is a nicer and more expensive hotel. I'd love to hear someone's experiences there.
I am curious to know what you are paying above what you booked at DLH to stay at GCH concierge, if you wouldn't mind sharing that...when we planned our trip I priced them both out and it was several hundred more if I'm remembering correctly...but I could see it being comparable in terms of base-room cost...
I realize this is a LONG answer to a short question, and I probably covered it all as best as I could. But if you have any questions just ask!
