Help with Disneyland Hotels Please?

[LuvnMickey]

We're planning a trip to S. California over spring break next year. We want to stay at a Disneyland hotel and would appreciate any assistance our fellow DVC'ers can lend in helping us to decide which one. If you've stayed at any of the three, I'd be interested in your opinions (likes, dislikes, etc.)

Seems like there isn't a lot of information on the Disneyland Hotels compared to WDW Hotels. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place. . .

Thanks for your help!

 

[jdm_dkm]

We have stayed in the Grand Californian and Paradise pier. The Grand Californian is similar in architecture to the Wilderness lodge and has its own private entrance to California Adventure and another to Downtown Disney. It is the most expensive of the three, but very nice.

Paradise pier has good views of California adventure. It is the lowest price of the three and has been recently remodeled. It's about a ten minute walk to the entrance to the parks.

We've never stayed at Disneyland Hotel. It is the oldest of the three, though it has also been recently remodeled.

You may find more info in the Disneyland Forum.

 

[JimC]

We have stayed at Grand Californian twice and are planning a third trip for 2005. The other two Disney resorts have been recently remodeled and are very nice, but generlally lack the theming we are accustomed to at WDW. But the theming at Grand Californian is on par with WL or AKL. It is a superb resort. However, it is the most expensive of the three. There are also other great hotels just as close that are independent and generally cheaper.

 

[tn4mickey]

We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel last May 2002. The hotel is at the end of Downtown Disney. At first glance it appears to just another hotel with no themeing. Some of the Disney touches are subtle. We had a view of the Neverland Pool (very neat pool) and our room was a standard hotel room. I can't remember if we had a queen or king bed. The room had a small refridgerator. The hotel doesn't have balconies but does have a large sliding door type window. Of the three hotels it's farther from the parks, but not far if you are used to WDW. We really enjoyed it.
If we go back and I could choose (money no object), I'd go with Grand Californian.

 

[RobDoc]

Information about Disneyland and the resorts there is also available on our <a href="http://disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?forumid=26">Disneyland Forum.</a>

Enjoy!

 

[Scott H]

My vote is for the GC. Very nice and convienient.

Will need to plan a trip for 2005 as that is the 50th anniversary year.

 

[sueg]

We stayed at the Grand Californian and thought it was a great hotel. While I agree with the general proposition that using pts. outside of DVC is not the BEST use of pts, we thought our pts were well spent at GC. This use of pts. also made sense for us because the California trip replaced our annual HH summer trip.
We loved DL & would stay at GC again, if the vacation-gods allowed another trip out west.

 

[lenshanem]

What dates would the 50th anniversary be?

Our December 2003 and december 2004 use years are already planned out, but we were thinking about doing the cruise with our points for the December 2005 use year, which actually wodul be going into 2006.

We want to go to GC at DL, too but i'm a littel scared to fly now plus my littel one is a hnadful. I was kinda planning on waiting until I thought she coudl sit better on a plane. But, my older daughter keeps asking us to go there.

Maybe we shoudl do DL first then the cruise the year after?

If anyoen woudl know the anniversay date and if it woudl cross over into 2006 that wodul eb great!

By the way, the travel Channel did a special on Disneyland the otehr night. Looks liek fun!!! We haven't been since the expansion.

Perosnally, I've had a hard time finding good info on DL hotles, too. The laughing palce website did have soem fab pics of GC, though. Try that.

 

[lenshanem]

I also thought I'd mention that a GC theme park view room is 35 points a night. (after looking at some pics and saw one with a room view of the CA park I knew we woud use the extra poinst for it!) There are two other room levels below this. In comparion a garden view lowest point catergory at GF is 37. I think that sin't that bad. I know we can stay at a DVc resort for much less, but we'll use our points cause that is what we bought them for - vacation. A spurgle for this or a cruise is fien to us every once in awhile.
Plus, the DL hotles seasons are different. Their value has soem very workabel dates for us that coincide with our school calender.

 

[LuvnMickey]

Thanks so much for your opinions! I figured fellow DVC'ers would be making comparisons to deluxe properties so that's why I asked here.

Sounds like Grand Californian is the way to go! Now, I just have to decide if I want to spend the extra points for a park view room . . .

Just one more question--It says the GC sleeps 5 (I'm assuming 2 queens and a daybed like the Beach Club--our home resort). Would you say the rooms are comparable in size?

 

[lenshanem]

Here's a pic with a room with a view -
http://www.laughingplace.com/ShowPi...-B.jpg&Caption=The+bed+and+the+view&ID=501940

Think I'll spend the extra poinst to get a view!

Here's the link to more GC pics -
http://www.laughingplace.com/News-ID501940.asp

 

[LuvnMickey]

Thanks Shan! Those are great pictures. I can't believe how excited I am to return to Disneyland. Haven't been there since the addition of DCA! It's like a whole new adventure.

Do you know if there are websites that list menus lfrom Disneyland restaurants like they do for WDW?

 

[lenshanem]

Don't know about menu websites. Hvae you been over to the Disneyland forum yet here on the DIS?
Please posta trip report when you get back. This will be a trip we'll eb makng in afew years I hope.
I'll also be curious to see how booking it went with your points. Will you be booking soon since this applies to the 11 month window?