Have you stayed at all the on-site DL hotels? Advice please!

[mmluvr]

Hi-

We are planning our first trip to DL for the second week in June. We are truly having a tough time figuring out which onsite hotel we would like to stay in. We have read the reports on Trip Advisor and found that there is good and bad with all three hotels.

We visit Disney World regularly and stay onsite there almost every trip. (We've stayed at the Grand Floridian (concierge), The Contemporary, The Wilderness Lodge (concierge), Animal Kingdom Lodge, Cabins at FW, all the moderates, two of the All-Stars and Pop Century.)

I would like to stay at DL Hotel but have read that some folks found it dirty and some rooms really need rehabs. I do not want to pay a lot of money for a dirty or run-down room and spend half of our time waiting for a room change.

The GC sounds similiar to the Wilderness Lodge but is way more expensive.

We are leaning towards the PP concierge. I have read that the PP is less "magical" than the other resorts. I have also read that people are not happy with the walk from PP to get to the theme parks. We are used to walking a lot at Disney World so walking to and from a hotel is not an issue.

In a nutshell we are looking to stay in an on-site hotel that will offer a clean decent sized room with some Disney touches. If anyone can give me their experiences I would truly appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[samkj]

In a nutshell we are looking to stay in an on-site hotel that will offer a clean decent sized room with some Disney touches. If anyone can give me their experiences I would truly appreciate it.

The Paradise Pier will suit this purpose perfectly. We LOVED our stay there in February. The walk was reasonable, our 5 and 7 year olds handled it without complaint even after 12 hours walking in the parks. I would very happily stay there every trip if my wallet (stupid bills, don't they know they are interferring with my Disney plans???) would allow it. We also enjoyed the Lilo and Stitch breakfast at the hotel.

 

["Got Disney"]

My family loves loves loves the GC. WE use to stay at the DL hotel when they were smaller and it was great. I would not hesitate to stay there again and I have never found it to be dirty....never.

I can say that the pool in the summer time has not been up to par but when you have sooooo many little ones seimming in it ...well...

I have not stayes at the PP but have heard nice things about it and nothing ever bad...except that it is a slightly onger walk.

Hiow old are your children. If they are young than the DLH is perfect. You can also take the monorail back and forth from the magic kingdom...back to the hotel (a tiny walk of 3 minutes).

I say if kids are young than try staying there. But again have not stayed at PP. Not because of anything bad , just because we likes the DLH so much and from there we moved to the GCH.

Another tip. Find out about AP stays. Depending on how long you are staying it may be cheepre for you to purchase Annual passes and ask for the AP4 rates. You may be able to get into the Grand for about $130 a night and even in concierge. The APR will also help with the other DLH's in price. So just a thought.

Just call and ask reservations about the dates available for AP4 and see what they have. Couldnt hurt

 

[mmluvr]

samkj and Got Disney-

Thank you so much for your quick responses to my questions.

samkj-I am glad to hear you and your family have had a great visit to PP! I laughed when you wrote about those pesky bills getting in the way of Disney travel plans-maybe we will win the lottery and all our bills will vanish!!!! (We can dream!) Thank you for your input regarding the PP; I will think long and hard about it!

Got Disney- I will explore the AP situtation but not sure it will work for us. We are visiting the great state of California for two weeks but can only spend two days tops at DL. sad1: (We are APH at WDW and DH will kill me if we plunk down more money on Disney theme parks...) I do appreciate the input about the DL Hotel. I am glad you have never had a problem there and hope you will continue to have magical stays at the DL Hotel and GC.

Have a great day!

 

[I'mNoPrince]

We did PP in June of 05 and loved it. Great Park view and nice to go to the pool area at night when not in the parks to watch the fireworks. Short cut thru DCA was nice to use during the day when both parks were open.

The walks are not that bad at all and actually very nice at the end of the night.

 

[silence]

We've done DLH and PP. SOMEDAY we will stay at GC.

I much prefer the DLH over PP, for the distance and the magic reasons. However, that does not mean there is anything "wrong" with the PP at all. It was a nice clean room and we had good service there.

I guess for us though, since it seemed to lack some of the Disney magic, I'd just rather stay off site accross the street for less money.

Unless we get some super fantastic AP rate there, we'll choose DLH or GC or stay accross the street.

 

[tinkermell]

The GC is truly grand!!! I would say that it is a cross between the GF and the WL at WDW. I love it there, and it will always be my first choice. The location is truly the best!!! Everything almost right at your finger tips. Some people complain about the room size, but I thought they were fine. The bathroom is huge! I think room might be the same size as WL from what I have read? Some people also complain about the size of the hotel, and how long it takes to just get out the door. Well if they saw the size of some of the hotels at WDW, they wouldn't!


I have stayed at the DLH and never thought it as dirty?? The pool area is fun for the kids. Lots of stuff to see there. And the distance isn't bad either to the parks. I love walking through DTD, to get there.

In December will be our first time at the PP. I keep thinking I want to go back to the GC, but we received such good rates at the PP, I need to give it a try.

Oh, and welcome the DL DIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[tinkermell]

I forgot to mention that you might regret not having more than 2 days. Even though there are only 2 parks, there is ALOT jammed into them. Most people who come from WDW here for the first time, wish they would have had longer.

To get a really good idea of the differences between the two resorts, check out HydroGuys, stickey. It was written for WDW vets coming to DL for the first time. This is must read if you ask me. I even refer to it sometimes!

 

[lulubelle]

We have stayed at all three numerous times. This is my opinion...
The Grand is, well, simply Grand. But, the rooms are smallish for more than three people and to me the non view rooms are not worth the hefty price tag. The main thing here is location. The DLH is very Disney-ish and the pool is awesome. If you do not plan on spending time at the pool, koi ponds, waterfalls, basically spending a day at the hotel, I would not recommend it over the other two. The rooms feel the most dated here as well. I do like being able to walk three minutes to the monorail to get into DL, very convenient. Now for the PP. I really, really like it here - but only in a theme park view room. Honestly, those rooms offer the best view of all three hotels. I love the beach theme and the rooms are large. The drawback here is the longer walk. It sounds like in your situation, the PP with concierge is your best bet. Again, the Grand is the nicest, but usually is not worth the extra $100-$150 per night more than the other two. Good luck deciding and have a wonderful trip.

 

[Judy from Boise]

or you could bag staying on site, and add an extra two days to your trip!

 

[DisneyfeverTN]

I have stayed at all three and like the DL Hotel the best. I liked the large room and bathroom. It is so close to the monorail. To me, the extra price for the GC was not worth it. The GC is a beautiful hotel and the location is great though. I have stayed at deluxes at WDW (Poly and Contemporary) and they were both nicer than the GC as far as the rooms and bathrooms.

Next time we will save the money and stay at the DLH.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

We just got back today from our second stay at the GCH. It's just so beautiful, I love that hotel. We were pleasantly surprised by the upgrades to the rooms since staying there last. My DH wanted to take the TV home! Was also very nice having a DVD player. Rooms were always clean, and having the balcony is alawys a plus. We had a view of the front of the hotel, and right off of the lobby. I really enjoyed our stay. So if I have a choice I would pick GC.

Next choice would be DLH. We've stayed there many times, and I love the theming. The Peter Pan pool ect..

We haven't stayed at PP as of yet. Just seems a bit too far of a walk for us.

 

[dl5]

We have stayed at the DLH and the GCH numerous times. Our last 4 trips to DL we have stayed at the GCH. It is a beautiful hotel and I think you will love it. I think the hotel is comparable to WDW Wilderness Lodge. If you liked that hotel you will love the GCH. DLH is nice too we are actually going to stay there next month. We thought the kids would have more fun there. Since you are used to the staying at the resorts in WDW I recommend you book your stay at the GCH. You will be getting the feel of a WDW resort in the heart of Disneyland. Don't get me wrong the DLH is great I just think you will be a little disappointed. I really feel the the GCH is the only hotel in Disneyland that would compare to the others you have stayed at in WDW.
Have a great trip!!!

 

[pumpkin5156]

I didn't read the other posts, so excuse any repeats:

I love the DLH. The pool is awesome for little ones, but it's going to be crowded in June! You are brave! I have never found it to be dirty since the rehab a few years back. It's wonderful IMO. Short walk thru DTD to the parks too. I have never heard anything bad about this hotel, and have family and friends who frequent it often. We like breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen for my son and nieces and nephews. The food isn't fantabulous, but it's good. The characters come around a lot (we were there on a Sat morning at Christmastime and we saw them a lot!!). Again, pricey but fun.

I have never stayed at PP, so no opinion.

I LOVE the GC and would stay there every trip if my bank account could handle it. Waaaay overpriced IMO, but if you can afford it, do it.

I think someone else said don't stay onsite and stay longer. There are lots of good hotels within walking distance that offer free continental breakfasts. Most have free parking for guests too.

It IS more magical to stay onsite, but you can save a load of money and stay right down the street

 

[Phalene]

I haven't stayed at the GC, but I have stayed at PP and at DLH and I would choose the DLH over PP. I just like the extra touches there, and the pool can't be beat.

 

[mmluvr]

Thank you all for taking the time to offer your insights and experiences! You have helped make our decision a little easier.

Thank you thank you thank you! (I will now shower you all with pixie dust!)

 

[joeysmommy]

We stayed at DLH last year and enjoyed it. I did not find the rooms to be dirty, but I did not like the bathroom configuration. The sink was inside the bathroom, not seperate so getting ready for 5 people was tricky.
The monorail was down due to Nemo construction, so that walk thru DTD was awful with a tired 3 and 5 yr old and no stroller. The pool was closed down due to fiberglass strands from a rope floating in the pool. So we never got to go in the pool

We stayed at the GCH last month and LOVED it! I don't think I would have liked it so much for $479 per night, but at the AP rate it was wonderful.
The location was incredible. We loved eating breakfast out on our balcony in the morning while enjoying the view of the park. I just couldn't get enough pictures of GRR.
We loved hearing the "pixie dust" sound as the CM's scanned guests' park hoppers.

We will be staying at PPH next month so I don't know about those rooms..yet.
But I haven't really read any negative reviews about it.

 

[okworbust]

We have stayed at both GC and DLH and we are going back this year and with our DVC points we could stay anywhere - WITHOUT a doubt - we chose the DLH - you actually feel like you are in a resort vs. GC - while beautiful - it just feels like a hotel.

If you have ever stayed at Dixie Landings or now called Port Orleans Riverside - you feel like you are in an oasis - vs. staying in the Coronado - where you better pack a lunch to walk to the nearest bus stop!

 

[KirklandTutu]

We just got back from staying at DLH for the first time, and it will be our last choice from now on out for hotels. Inside the rooms, it didn't feel any different than staying at PP...with the exception that it was so so loud from the people who were at the Lost Bar until the wee hours of the morning. It also seemed as if the walls were thinner in general. The bed wasn't really that comfortable at all, it just felt cheap with the bedcovers...like I was staying at any old moter lodge.

If you can afford it, go with GCH. It's quiet, the beds are so so comfortable, it's so convenient to the parks, and nothing beats it for atmosphere.

 

[Crazy4Disney72]

I have stayed at all three and like the DL Hotel the best. I liked the large room and bathroom. It is so close to the monorail. To me, the extra price for the GC was not worth it. The GC is a beautiful hotel and the location is great though. I have stayed at deluxes at WDW (Poly and Contemporary) and they were both nicer than the GC as far as the rooms and bathrooms.

Next time we will save the money and stay at the DLH.

I agree, the GC was nice, beautiful actually, but the hefty price tag was not worth it. I have also stayed at WDW deluxes (Poly, Contemporary, Yacht Club, Wilderness Lodge) and the of those, the first three are nicer as far as room/bathroom size. The WL is very comparable to the GC, designed by the same architect and similarly sized and themed, the difference is mainly in the price, WL is much cheaper. The GC being in the park is nice, but I didn't find the walk from the DLH to be all that bad when I stayed there. Next month I am trying out the PP concierge.

I'm glad I did the GC once, and had a great theme park view room too, but I wouldn't do it again, just not worth the extra money to me.