Hilton or Doubletree at DTD?

[MagicMom of 2]

My mom and I are suprising my DS 8 and DD 5 with a trip to Disney for a long weekend (4 days/4 nights). With credit card miles I can book either hotel for about the same rate.

I cannot decide which hotel to book??? I know the Hilton will offer EMH.

Does anyone have experience with either or both hotel to make a recommendation? I imagine I cannot go wrong with either hotel. Also, do the hotels use the same bus service?

Thanks!

 

[heaven2dc]

I've never stayed at either one (we stay on property) but I did some research online and this is what I found regarding bus services:

Bus Schedule
(All times are approximate and subject to change.)

Magic Kingdom® Park, Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, Epcot® Disney's Hollywood Studios™
Buses depart the hotel every 30 minutes beginning one hour prior to park opening. Hilton Orlando Resort Guests Only Extended service is provided for Extra Magic Hours in the early morning and evening. Please contact the Hilton Orlando Resort concierge for schedules and times.

Downtown Disney® Area
Starting at 6:00 p.m.
To and from the Downtown Disney®, Marketplace and Pleasure Island every 30 minutes.
Last pickup from Pleasure Island is 3:00 a.m.

Disney's Blizzard Beach & Typhoon Lagoon Parks
Contact the Concierge Desk as the hours vary seasonally.

Returning to the Hotel
The buses will return every 30 minutes until 1 1/2 hours after regular park closing.
Bus Route A services the Hilton Orlando Resort, Holiday Inn, Royal Plaza Resort and Doubletree Guest Suites.
Bus Route B services the Best Western, Regal Sun and Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa.

Bus Pick-up Locations at the Theme Parks
Magic Kingdom® Park
At the ticket and transportation center in the bus parking area look for the sign that reads DOWNTOWN DISNEY® RESORT AREA HOTELS.

Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, Epcot® & Disney's Hollywood Studios™
Bus pickup at spaces 1 through 6.

So it looks like Bus Route A does go to both the Hilton and Double Tree as well as 2 other resorts. I wasn't aware of non-property resorts offering EMH to guests but was corrected by someone here on the DIS that Swan/Dolphin offers EMH to their guests even tho they are not considered a "property" resort. Thanks for the tip!

 

[disneymagicgirl]

We are just back from a cruise and stayed at the DTD Hilton the night prior b/c we went to MNSSHP. We stayed on points, so it was free, but we will not ever stay in a non-Disney hotel at Disney again. This was the first and last time.
The Hilton was a typical Hilton. Room was nice. Comparable to a deluxe Disney hotel for a lot less $$. Didnt have time to check out the pool, etc. Sorry! Parking is $10 a day!
The bus only came every 30 mins and dropped us off at the TTC for the MK. I dont know where it drops off for the other parks, as we were only going to the MNSSHP. You then have to transfer to the monorail or a boat to get to the park. It is a pain.
We are gold members of Hilton Honors so they gave us a voucher for free breakfast, but we did not use it because it was a sit down meal and we were in a hurry to get to the cruise port.

We just found it much easier, and worth the $$ to pay for a Disney hotel. We could have stayed at a value resort that night for $69 and had better transportation to/from the parks. I would rather go Disney value hotel if I am trying to save $$ than stay at a non-disney hotel in the future. Lesson learned. You should check and see what kind of rate you can get at a value or moderate. Sometimes you can even get a pretty decent rate at a deluxe, depending on when you are traveling. If you are going prior to Christmas, you might still be able to get free dining.

Summary: Hotel nice, transportation stunk!

 

[meka15]

I stay at the Doubletree DTD and love it. It is nice because it is a suite with a room for the beds and then a living room/kitchen. It doesn't have a real door separating the rooms but a slide across door. I reallyl like the landscaping for the pool and they have a small hot tub. Hilton is closer to DTD but I would always choose the Doubletree for the extra room suite. You might be able to find a good deal because in Nov we are going for 65 a night. There is a 8 dollar parking charge.

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

I'd go with the doubletree as you will have more room with the kids and a fridge and microwave. EMH is not a big deal as those parks get very crowded. Both share the same busses.

 

[MagicMom of 2]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I think we'll go with the Doubletree and the chocolate chip cookies

 

[MouseloverJD]

I've stayed at both Hilton and Doubletree. With kids, the Doubletree would probably better serve your needs. The refrigerator and microwave come in very handy and if you subscribe to mousesavers.com you can get a discount for free breakfast. Hilton does have EMH, if that's important to you. But the square footage of the Doubletree makes it more ideal. Hilton is a basic hotel room, unless you get the suite but at the Doubletree all rooms are suites.