DLP 1st trip..help!

[Connears]

We are WDW veterans of over a dozen trips (due to DVC membership), but we are planning summer 2004 London trip with a 3 day stay at DLP. It will be me, DH and DS(14, then). We are thinking of Seqoia Lodge..any comments? Is there a good website that shows all the on-site hotels? Haven't been to London since 1989(quick 1 week free trip with sis). Just bought tour books for London, DLP. Any other suggestions for getting info; besides this board, I mean!
Connears

 

[DocRafiki]

Go to the official Disney website and enter your address to receive the guide for the dates you will be going. I find online info-gathering to be time-consuming and confusing. The guide has lots of calendars with the different prices for hotels and tickets, etc... in U.S. dollars (gasp!), and all the hotels are easily compared on just a few pages rather than hunting and clicking and hunting and clicking. Can you tell I'm fed up with this internet research?

 

[richard3330]

Hi ,

Go to www.dlp-guidebook.de - there is a great section with lots of photographs of the on-site hotels.

Also, visit Amazon and see if you can get 'A Brit's Guide to Disneyland Paris' (even though you aren't British, it is still by far the best guide availalbe for Disneyland Paris with loads of information and tips.)

I have never stayed at Seuquioa Lodge, but I have heard of many people who have stayed there and enjoyed it. However, I prefer to pay the tiny bit more to stay at Newport Bay Club.

If you have any other questions, ask away

Richard.

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

The Sequoia Lodge is my favourite of the moderate price hotels at DLP. I really enjoy the themeing, and it's good to be just a short walk from the parks.

Not sure when your dates are next summer, but try to visit DLP after about 8 July as this is (approximately) the date when DLP goes to its extended summer opening hours (9am-11pm in the Disneyland park, 9am-8pm in the Walt Disney Studios). The Disneyland park after dark is simply beautiful.

If you are travelling to DLP from London, the most convenient way to get there is by Eurostar train. More info on this service at this website. During most of the year there is a daily service which takes you directly from the centre of London to the gates of DLP in just three hours.

As well as the DLP Internet Guidebook which Richard recommended, you should also check out the official DLP website.

Regards

Rob

 

[alexandra uk]

I stayed at The Sequoia in June and wasn't very impressed. The reception and bar area is nice, but the rooms are in desperate need of refurbishment.
We complained about the first room they gave us. It had a really bad smell and the walls were filthy dirty. Then in the next room, the plugs in both the bath and the sink didn't fit the hole properly, so the water wouldn't stay in.
Also the mini bar wasn't refrigerating properly, there was water leaking out of it, and the air conditioning wasn't working.

We talked about going back to reception again, but decided not to as we were only staying 4 days, and all the rooms were probably pretty much the same, so there would be no point. If it had been a 2 week stay I would of complained again.

I thought the furniture was tatty, and the lighting was too dim. I know its supposed to create a rustic look, but for me it all just looked really old and shabby.

Apart from this, we had a lovely time. We'll definatly be going back, just not to the Sequoia (although we'd visit the restaurants there again - they're lovely)

 

[Bexx]

I have to agree about Sequioa Lodge. We've stayed there three times since DLP opened and the last time we went we really noticed a difference in the quality of our room. But the main areas still look fine and are probably the most atmospheric of any of the hotels. I don't think the Newport Bay costs (cash or DVC points) much more at all and it is very nice, but can get quite busy - it's a big hotel. The bedrooms are the same size as the ones at Sequioa, but the decor is much lighter and fresher.

For the bigger and plusher rooms, room service etc, you want to stay at either the New York or the Disneyland Hotel, but the prices really rocket for the Disneyland. I, personally, really like the New York. It's not that much more (again, cash or points wise) than the Newport Bay, but the rooms are bigger. The decor looks a little strange in the photos, but we quite liked it once we were staying in it!! The main areas are not much to go on about, though the Parkside Diner serves good food at reasonable (for Disney) prices. The bar does get very crowded with businessmen as the hotel also has conference facilities, but then so has the Newport Bay and the bar there is tiny!

It rather depends where you will spend more time whilst at your hotel, but generally I would say either the Newport Bay or the New York would be good.

 

[lrodk]

I'm currently in the early planning stages for my first DLP visit from the USA. I plan on using DVC points to stay at the Disneyland Hotel for 7 nights for my family of 4, plus one infant. Does anyone know if my daughter, who will be 1&1/2 years old by then, will be OK to stay in a double room in addition to 3 adults and one 3 year old? I would want to use a playpen for her to sleep and was hoping the resort had them available. besides the parks, my plans include side trips to Paris and the surrounding areas. I'd be visting the second week of June. Any first hand thoughts on visting this time of the year(crowds,hours,events)?

Connears, I'm not sure you realized that ressies made at Disneyland resorts using DVC points include length of stay park tickets and a free breakfast every morning for each member in your party. I thought that was a great feature. Anyway, I wasn't planning on going to WDW next year because we're pretty close to finalizing a one month holiday in Greece next June. Consequently I'd have all of these extra DVC points lying around that I would have to either rent-out or give away, since there's no way i could afford more time off to squeeze in a WDW trip on top of this one. I've always wanted to do DLP so I figured why not stop there first for a week before continuing on to Athens. Any thoughts or tips regarding the Disneyland Hotel would be greatly appreciated?

PS Connears, I've been reading Simon's Brit Guide to DLP and have found it to be very helpful. Great job Simon, as always. I think there's another book available on Amazon.com that I might end up ordering as well.

Cheers, Luis

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

If you were able to delay your visit until after 8 July (approximately) you would have the benefit of DLP's summer opening hours (9am to 11pm in Disneyland, 9am to 8pm in Walt Disney Studios). You would also get the evening parade and fireworks every night, as well as the full roster of shows and entertainment.

Regards

Rob

 

[Connears]

IrodK,

We are also thinking off adding Greece to the end of our trip because we have family there and they want us to visit, but it is the 2004 Olympics in August and fear of terrorism is making me think twice about Greece. London and DLP is definite, but may add on Austria instead.
Connears