How far is the walk from DLH really? (WDW vet)

[psac]

We're trying to decide between DLH and GCF (or is it GCH? ), and of course I'm sure this is a dilemma that many people face -- the convenience of the GCF or the nicer rooms of the DLH? We're spending 7 nights in the hotel, and planning to do 5 (!) days in the parks (3 DL/2 DCA), and possibly eating in one of the DTD restaurants on one of our off days. And on those park days, we'll likely go back and forth to the hotel at least once or twice.

For those familiar with WDW, is the walk from DLH comparable to the walk from Beach Club to the Epcot International Gateway? BW to the IG? BW to DHS? Contemporary to MK gates?

Is the monorail good for mid-day trips for staying at DLH?

Or for that many park days is the Grand Californian better? Money isn't a differentiatior for us, since my wife gets TA rates which makes them extremely close for standard views. (And makes it tempting to go for the TPV at Grand Cali!)

We're going in April 2017, if that makes any difference.

Thanks!!!

 

[Mysteryincorp]

I would stay at the Grand and request a room close to the park entrance. There's a whole GC post and it shows which room are best to stay in so you are in closer proximity to the parks.
While DLH rooms are nice and way, way bigger than GC the atmosphere and proximity to the parks far outweighs the size of the room for me.

 

[bumbershoot]

Our room at the grand (GCH) was almost as far from the center of the esplanade (the area between the park entrances) as it would have been to walk to that same spot from outside HoJo. It was obnoxious. So much backtracking.

Is the monorail good for mid-day trips for staying at DLH

Only if you are in the tomorrowland area of Disneyland or further back in the park. Because it goes from there to nearly the end of DTD and back, and that's it!

I would stay at the Grand and request a room close to the park entrance.

Which park? Do you mean the DCA entrance? That's not good at park opening unless you are willing to be there an hour prior. And it's only good of you want to ride Grizzly first thing or go deeper into the park. It doesn't help if you're heading to Radiator Springs Racers DTD.

A room closer to the DTD entrance is better because you'll get in faster at park opening for DCA and of course the DL entrance is available.


For me the preference is PPH, DLH, and actually the Grand isn't on my list. Tiny, dark rooms. Only good thing about it for me is the lobby and that's free.

 

[chrisaman]

The walk is only like 5 minutes. I wouldn't let the walk make the decision for me. As for the monorail, it is rarely faster as you usually have to wait a couple trains to get on one. It is a more interesting trip though. The monorail is more of a ride than a transportation option.

 

[NJlauren]

I loved DLH! But the walk was rather far (with a toddler who wants to 'walk like a big girl'). I would say it's about Contemporary to Magic Kingdom, but maybe slightly longer....

It felt longer because DD kept stoping playing wanted to walk not be pushed etc.

It felt shorter because there are shops to look at and things do do grab a Starbucks etc.

DH said we will be staying at GRand California next time he thinks it's shorter.... In his mind it's from leavening the hotel to security.

Eta when DD wasn't with me one afternoon the walk was fast and easy, I enjoyed it.

 

[jammyjam25]

You'll have people here try to tell you it's "far" but it's only a 10 minute walk, compared to a 5 minute walk from the Grand. If your family is healthy and mobile I don't think distance is enough to sway the decision, personally.

You can definitely use the monorail to leave the park for your midday breaks and that will save you about half the walk if you're trying to preserve your feet. Sometimes you have to wait for a car or two though so we usually end up just walking.

Both hotels are beautiful and you'll have a great stay regardless of what you end up picking. Good luck!

 

[tlovesdis]

I would never make the walk a factor in which one to choose! We just stayed at the DLH last week and loved it! It's my favorite of the three and the walk for us, going a bit slow in the morning to take in DTD was maybe 10 minutes. It's a beautiful hotel and our room was so big!!! I highly recommend it!!!!

 

[cruisehopeful]

While it is only a 10min walk, if downtown Disney is packed of people walking very slowly, it will take you longer. The security lines can be long sometimes, too. For that reason, I'd take the Monorail into DL, but just walk back instead of waiting in a line to catch the monorail in Tomorrowland.

Number of days in the park won't make much difference regarding which hotel to stay in. I like Grand because the hotel entrance is right next to Grizzly Rapids and if we are soaked and need to change, it only take a few minutes out of our day to do that. I like the rooms better at GRand, too and enjoy having a patio/balcony. The last time I stayed at DLH was way back when they first put in the light up headboards. The headboards were exciting for a few a minutes and then I really missed having a balcony.

 

[TalkDisnerdytome]

Its a short walk to Disneyland but after a long day of walking in the parks I swear the walk back is so much longer D:

 

[tlovesdis]

While it is only a 10min walk, if downtown Disney is packed of people walking very slowly, it will take you longer. The security lines can be long sometimes, too. For that reason, I'd take the Monorail into DL, but just walk back instead of waiting in a line to catch the monorail in Tomorrowland.

Number of days in the park won't make much difference regarding which hotel to stay in. I like Grand because the hotel entrance is right next to Grizzly Rapids and if we are soaked and need to change, it only take a few minutes out of our day to do that. I like the rooms better at GRand, too and enjoy having a patio/balcony. The last time I stayed at DLH was way back when they first put in the light up headboards. The headboards were exciting for a few a minutes and then I really missed having a balcony.

The security line for the monorail is insanely long as well! We were going back to the parks Friday around 4pm and the security line for the monorail was all the way past RFC!

And on Sunday morning, it was even longer and not even open when we were walking by on our way to DL!

 

[MikeRx]

Here we go...and yes we've done the walks described many times over the past year...

1.For those familiar with WDW, is the walk from DLH comparable to the walk from Beach Club to the Epcot International Gateway? BW to the IG? BW to DHS? Contemporary to MK gates?
The walk from the DLH to the entrances to both parks (The Esplanade) is roughly 8-10 minutes for otherwise health adults and excited kids. It's significantly shorter than the walk to DHS from any of the Epcot area resorts. Most similar to the walk to the IG from the "Swalophin" with stores and restaurants along the way. You can be placed in the back of the DGC and have a significant "maze like" walk out of the building, but you are still closer to the Esplanade than the DLH.

We love both properties (have not stayed at the Paradise Pier) for different reasons. We like the proximity of the Grand and the charm of the DLH (I'm a closet Disney historian). The theme of the Grand is quieter and more subdued and the DLH is brighter and "louder" in general. To each his own, but we like them both! Trader Sam's at the DLH is not to be missed (don't be put out off by it's size...), but so is Napa Rose at the Grand...very different, but still must do's (to quote Stacy).

We like easy "back door" access to the Grand from California Adventure after a long morning at the park or after World of Color. The proximity is a real nice plus, even if your room is in the back, you aren't navigating through the masses in Downtown Disney after a long day at the parks! With that said, the history and charm of the DLH is evident in every building and the pool area so both are worth a stay in my opinion.

The Monorail stop isn't "at the DLH" and is several hundred yards into Downtown Disney from closest hotel tower. The long lines to go into the park in the morning make it a no go for us, but we use it for returns on mid-day breaks or evening returns to the park. It's a real (and awesome) ride at Disneyland and we treat it as such. We try to get the from car (with the pilot) or the rear car when available for an extra special ride.

I hope this helps. DLR is a very different animal when it comes to navigation and hotels. We love trips to both coasts, but we've come to appreciate the DLRs compact nature and now tend to prefer trips to the DLR. Don't tell those over on the WDW side...

Mike

 

[psac]

Thanks to everyone for all of the replies!!! A ton of useful info here. We were leaning towards the Grand as-is, so I think we'll go for it. Now just the question of Standard View or TPV....

 

[IheartRapunzel]

I just went for my very first visit in August! I'm also a WDW vet. I stayed at the DLH and LOVED it!! The walk wasn't far at all. maybe 5-10 minutes tops. But in reality you kind of don't realize it because you walk through downtown disney and take in all the sights and sounds. I walked through the Grand Californian a few times during my stay, and it's a very nice!!

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

We're trying to decide between DLH and GCF (or is it GCH? ), and of course I'm sure this is a dilemma that many people face -- the convenience of the GCF or the nicer rooms of the DLH? We're spending 7 nights in the hotel, and planning to do 5 (!) days in the parks (3 DL/2 DCA), and possibly eating in one of the DTD restaurants on one of our off days. And on those park days, we'll likely go back and forth to the hotel at least once or twice.

For those familiar with WDW, is the walk from DLH comparable to the walk from Beach Club to the Epcot International Gateway? BW to the IG? BW to DHS? Contemporary to MK gates?

Is the monorail good for mid-day trips for staying at DLH?

Or for that many park days is the Grand Californian better? Money isn't a differentiatior for us, since my wife gets TA rates which makes them extremely close for standard views. (And makes it tempting to go for the TPV at Grand Cali!)

We're going in April 2017, if that makes any difference.

Thanks!!!

Here are some maps I posted in another thread:

Disneyland Hotel (at the closest point) to middle of Esplande (which lies between the DLR and DCA gates) is ~2266 feet, may be more depending on which tower you are staying in.





From the DVC Villas at Grand Californian (which is the southern wing of the hotel) to the middle of the esplande is 1791 feet. If you stay at Grand California Hotel, pretty much any room will be closer I think. From the DTD exit of GCH to the esplande looks to be ~1100 ft.

GCH to California Adventure is extremely close obviously as there is an entrance directly into the park.



For comparison, Contemporary to MK is about 2500 ft:

 

[Camshell]

One tip that is useful is using the Grand Cal entrance as part of a Disneyland entrance strategy. We stay in the Grand Cal, and use that security gate and park entrance (mid-day and evening) to get into California Adventure. We then walk through California Adventure, out the front CA gates, across the plaza, then into Disneyland. This is a great strategy if there are long security lines in Downtown Disney mid-day and in the evening.

 

[psac]

Here are some maps I posted in another thread:

Disneyland Hotel (at the closest point) to middle of Esplande (which lies between the DLR and DCA gates) is ~2266 feet, may be more depending on which tower you are staying in.


View attachment 194607


From the DVC Villas at Grand Californian (which is the southern wing of the hotel) to the middle of the esplande is 1791 feet. If you stay at Grand California Hotel, pretty much any room will be closer I think. From the DTD exit of GCH to the esplande looks to be ~1100 ft.

GCH to California Adventure is extremely close obviously as there is an entrance directly into the park.

View attachment 194608

For comparison, Contemporary to MK is about 2500 ft:


View attachment 194610

Wow! Thanks for the maps and info! Great tips from everyone here!!

 

[deannaf87]

The walk is not that bad. The Disneyland hotel is my favorite. I would definitely stay there!

 

[Nevada Jen]

Choosing between those 2, price not being a factor, the next factor would be number of people in the room. The GCH rooms are too small for our family of 2 adults and boy/girl 10 year olds who will not sleep in the same bed (and quite frankly, I don't want to share a queen bed with my husband for 7 days either!). So I would take that into consideration more than distance. DLH is so much more comfortable for 4 people who don't want to cuddle! Plus, in April, I think the pools at the DLH might be a big draw for me. When it comes down to it for me, I always end up choosing Paradise Pier Club level. That is just what fits our needs the best.

 

[alvernon90]

The hard data is all well and good, but I agree with a previous poster: the walk is surprisingly short in the morning and surprisingly long at night.

We tend to walk in the morning because that is the easiest way to get in for early entry (which we do every day, it's the only justification for the outrageous prices). At night when heading back to the room we aim to ride the monorail or if we are at DCA we tend to exit through the Grand. The latter is not much of a shortcut, though.

If your family is fit and healthy, the walk should not be a significant factor.

 

[Donalyn]

I'm a WDW vet and I spent a lot of time here before our first family trip to DLR in 2010. I was very worried about the comments about how far away some of the hotels were (both on-site and off-site). We ultimately selected HoJos due to cost and room availability, even though many people commented about how far away it was.

Anyway, long story short, if you are a WDW vet and used to all of the walking and waiting that comes with transportation at WDW, I don't think that you will find any Disney hotel (or HoJos, for that matter) very far away from the gate of DL or DCA. HoJos to the gate - an easy couple block walk, with no waits at a bus stop, no monorail ride, no ferry ride, no tram from the parking lot, etc. I don't have any hard data, but to me it almost seemed the same as the walk from our room at All-Star Music to the bus stop at the hotel.

Now, the lines may be long to get in, but the time it takes to get to the lines is completely within your control, which is a very nice change from WDW.