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

[psac]

Just quoting a few, but thanks again to EVERYONE for all the replies!! I've learned a heck of a lot in the last few days!

We are WDW vets. We love DLH. It is different than the WDW resorts. To us, GCH is basically a scaled down version of WL- beautiful, but we like something different at DLR. If you do GCH and can swing a theme park view do it. When they say theme park view, basically you are watching the people below walking down the path inside the park.

DLH is a very nice walk through DTD. The only time it has ever taken us more than 10 minutes is when the stores were open and we got distracted by shopping. By WDW standards the walk is nothing.

The monorail is more of a ride than real transportation. If you are in the park, unless you are in Tomorrowland, many times in the time it takes you to walk to the monorail and wait for it you could already have walked back to DLH. To go to DL, you go through security and they scan your ticket at the station before you get on because the stop is in Tomorrowland. This summer because the metal detector lines could be really long at the parks, if there was no line at the monorail station security as we passed by we would take the monorail in.

Get hoppers! Unlike WDW, hopping takes 5 minutes at DL/CA - it is like one big park. The parks are separated only by a small plaza and you have to go through security to get into the plaza so you do NOT have to go through security lines to hop. The walk between the parks is shorter than the distance the buses drop you off to the park gate at WDW. DL/CA put together are not as many acres as EPCOT. We hop back and forth all day. You can get from the back corner of one park to the back corner of the other park in 10 minutes, we have done it. You can hold FPs in both parks at the same time (good for RSR). If the lines are long in one park and the app shows they are shorter in the other, you can hop for awhile. DH has been known to disappear from DL for short periods of time because he has hopped to CA to get a beer from the Karl Strauss beer truck on the wharf. Hoppers are definitely much more useful at DLR. Also with the security lines for the metal detectors as bad as they were on our trip in July we found it could be useful to cut through GCH and go through that park gate then hop to DL (you don't want to do that to make rope drop though or to try to be in the front of the rope drop crowd- it is fine pretty much 10 minutes after role drop and the rest of the day)

Hopping is quite easy, but this seems a little aggressive. I would not say it is so easy you can just pop over for a beer. I find that several minutes get lost to the lines at the turnstiles, especially getting back into DL. And if you are trying to leave one park for the other during a parade or something, that can mess with things. And during some seasons, there is always a parade or other event slowing things down along Main Street.

We tend to go back and forth a couple of times per day, but each time we stay at whatever park we visit for at least a few hours. Hopping seems too difficult to do more than a few times per day.

I think if ONLY a few times a day is the low estimate, the point is made. Thanks to all the tips on the hoppers. We'll get them. And you're right, we weren't planning to. We have WDW APs, but still almost never hop there, just once in a blue moon into Epcot for dinner when staying at the BW. We understand now how different it is on the left coast.

Incase you don't know .... Just because you do club level, doesn't guarantee you that you'll be in the Adventure Tower. You could be in any of the 3 Towers. You can request the Adventure Tower, but it's just a request not a guarantee.

Wow. This one is crazy. Not that we didn't believe you... But we didn't believe you. But of course you were right! My wife did a CM chat to ask, and they said the same thing. That's really surprising. It's one thing if you book a special deluxe room or something that puts you in a special location far from the lounge (we've done that), but ending up in a different building when booking a normal room just seems strange. Thank you for this info, we wouldn't have even thought it was a possibility!

Other things to consider:

Grand Californian is in a serious need for a refurbishment. We just stayed in August and we had 2 broken toilets, a loud gurgling sink and no wifi for 6 days. Not to mention stained and discolored hallway rugs and an odd mildew smell outside our room. Everything seems like it needs to be refreshed, ya know? Just kinda old, but not in a fun vintage way but in a early 2000s way. Also, like 2 electrical outlets for the whole room.

Room size. GCH is almost the same room size and layout as Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge. DLH is more akin to I would say the Polynesian. Maybe a hair smaller, but that same size where you feel like you could do a Sound of Music spin in the room.

Price. The GCH is too expensive for what is being offered, I think. You know how the AKL and WL are always cheaper than the Poly or the Contemporary? By at the least $100 usually more? The GCH should be that price. It's the same room size, same architect. You are paying a lot extra for that good location.

Location for the GCH is, I feel, it's only major selling point. But, from our experience, those hallways at the GCH are soooooo long! We stayed above DTD and had to walk down 2 long halls to the center of the hotel to get the elevator and then turn around and walk back, the same exact distance, to the hotel's only entry to DTD which was practically under our room. The room was pleasant but lacked that certain Disney Touch. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something is definitely missing in those GCH rooms. But, at the end of the day it was nice to practically fall into the hotel from DCA! We saw World of Color one night and were back in our hotel in about 10 minutes!!

And the walk from DLH can feel long sometimes, but you are walking through DTD - there's live bands, street performers, the monorail station, all the great shops and restaurants to look at. It's visually and aurally interesting, the area is alive. You feel that Disney magic when you walk through DTD.

If it's your first trip to DLR and you want to get that "only at Disneyland" experience then perhaps you should consider the Disneyland Hotel for it's theming, lush tropical grounds, larger rooms and history. But, if convenience is a big factor, then you can't get better than the GCH. It is against DCA, you would only be closer if you were a Disney Cat living in the park!

Either way, you're staying at a Disney property so you kinda can't go wrong!! Enjoy Disneyland!!

We've definitely decided on DLH. I totally get your explanation. We love AKL for the animals, but for the rooms not so much. Didn't really like WL either. So I can see how the GCH rooms aren't for us! On top of that, a LOT of the recent Yelp reviews of GCH blast it for the bad shape it's in. It seemed like a good 70% of the reviews said that! (It was probably like 25%, but the negative reviews always stand out more. ) And we can see now how walk through DTD seems nice. And you have to directly pass the Starbucks on the way, right? That's another plus!

Thanks again!!!

 

[Malcon10t]

As for the outlets, in the room itself, there were 2 that I could find behind the small table? Unless I missed some. Seemed like to get one more we would have had to unplug the phone. There were more in the bathroom, but we've got 3 phones, 1 iPad, camera battery chargers (2 of those) and camcorder battery charger, and that doesn't include using the bathroom outlet for a hair dryer. And charging electronics above the sink was kinda....weird? Again, not a deal breaker but not what you would expect for $571 a night (which is what we paid in August).

But....it's still a Disney resort! I would stay at the GCH again. Just wish they would match the room amenities to the super high price.

There are more than 2, but I can't remember where I found them. I think there was an extra one along the wall between bathroom and bed. That said, they need to add the multiplug desks like in the DLH where you have 6 or so plugs built into the desk.

Everyone has different needs in a room. For some, the Grand is perfect, others prefer the DLH, and still others prefer PPH. If we aren't at the DLH, we will be at the Hilton or Candy Cane. It is just our preference.

 

[Astylla]

I forgot one of the best parts.. The light up headboards!! Yes I'm an adult really LOL! But I love going to sleep with them in as my nightlight

 

[cinder-ellah]

Psac "Wow. This one is crazy. Not that we didn't believe you... But we didn't believe you. But of course you were right! My wife did a CM chat to ask, and they said the same thing. That's really surprising. It's one thing if you book a special deluxe room or something that puts you in a special location far from the lounge (we've done that), but ending up in a different building when booking a normal room just seems strange. Thank you for this info, we wouldn't have even thought it was a possibility!"

Yes, I had a lengthy discussion in the eTicket Lounge with the lovely CM's after I found out where our suite was located. I was greatly disappointed with the out come of our room placement. We had a 3 bedroom suite and at check in we were told that our suite was in the Adventure Tower & so we signed up for Club Level. We were escorted there by a very nice CM and given the tour of the lounge. He also assured us that we were assigned to the Adventure Tower. At 4:30pm we finally were told our suite was ready (never received a call or text. I called them).
Our suite location was in the ..... Frontier Tower. Disappointed.... But we were at Disneyland & had light up headboards and yes we had a fabulous fun time. I expressed my disappointment at being told repeatedly one thing, wished they would've been consistent from the start with what we were told. But as I said we were at Disneyland !!!

Wishing you a fun and magical time !

 

[cinder-ellah]

I forgot one of the best parts.. The light up headboards!! Yes I'm an adult really LOL! But I love going to sleep with them in as my nightlight

I too, love the headboards!

 

[PatMcDuck]

It might be more like the walk from Swan or Dolphin to International gateway. You could hop the monorail, if it is running, and you are headed to DL.

I have stayed at DL Hotel 3X, PP about 5X, and GC/VGC 5X, more or less. I like all 3. GC is usually on points (VGC). I actually like PP quite a bit, the rooms facing DCA have an amazing view.

I walk from all 3, and do not think it is bad at ALL. SO much better than waiting for a BUS. And park to park is a breeze, the 2 parks are almost like one big park, they are so close together.

 

[azdisneylover]

You will have 2 Starbucks to walk by to and from your stay at the Disneyland Hotel. The newest Starbucks is by the Lego store. It opened this past July.

 

[psac]

Malcon10t "Wow. This one is crazy. Not that we didn't believe you... But we didn't believe you. But of course you were right! My wife did a CM chat to ask, and they said the same thing. That's really surprising. It's one thing if you book a special deluxe room or something that puts you in a special location far from the lounge (we've done that), but ending up in a different building when booking a normal room just seems strange. Thank you for this info, we wouldn't have even thought it was a possibility!"

Yes, I had a lengthy discussion in the eTicket Lounge with the lovely CM's after I found out where our suite was located. I was greatly disappointed with the out come of our room placement. We had a 3 bedroom suite and at check in we were told that our suite was in the Adventure Tower & so we signed up for Club Level. We were escorted there by a very nice CM and given the tour of the lounge. He also assured us that we were assigned to the Adventure Tower. At 4:30pm we finally were told our suite was ready (never received a call or text. I called them).
Our suite location was in the ..... Frontier Tower. Disappointed.... But we were at Disneyland & had light up headboards and yes we had a fabulous fun time. I expressed my disappointment at being told repeatedly one thing, wished they would've been consistent from the start with what we were told. But as I said we were at Disneyland !!!

Wishing you a fun and magical time !

Thanks! Needless to say, I would not have been happy about that. Did you think (or ask) about downgrading back out of Club or did you just go with it?

It might be more like the walk from Swan or Dolphin to International gateway. You could hop the monorail, if it is running, and you are headed to DL.

I have stayed at DL Hotel 3X, PP about 5X, and GC/VGC 5X, more or less. I like all 3. GC is usually on points (VGC). I actually like PP quite a bit, the rooms facing DCA have an amazing view.

I walk from all 3, and do not think it is bad at ALL. SO much better than waiting for a BUS. And park to park is a breeze, the 2 parks are almost like one big park, they are so close together.

Those PP views do look really nice! But it's definitely 2nd or 3rd on our list at this point.

You will have 2 Starbucks to walk by to and from your stay at the Disneyland Hotel. The newest Starbucks is by the Lego store. It opened this past July.

Two Starbucks! Now you're talking!

 

[Malcon10t]

You will have 2 Starbucks to walk by to and from your stay at the Disneyland Hotel. The newest Starbucks is by the Lego store. It opened this past July.

We mobile order as we are leaving our room (usually Adventure tower or frontier tower) and it is ready when we hit the one by Lego. Just double check which one you aer ordering from. We had one of our party order from the wrong store.

 

[psac]

We mobile order as we are leaving our room (usually Adventure tower or frontier tower) and it is ready when we hit the one by Lego. Just double check which one you aer ordering from. We had one of our party order from the wrong store.

Excellent tip, thanks. The mobile orders generally work really well, but I think by habit I only use it at my "usual" locations.

 

[Malcon10t]

I have a friend who mobile orders on runDisney weekends during the 5 or 10K, she knows where to order, then darts into the DTD by WOD, picks it up and finishes!

 

[allsaintsatx]

We've definitely decided on DLH. I totally get your explanation. We love AKL for the animals, but for the rooms not so much. Didn't really like WL either. So I can see how the GCH rooms aren't for us! On top of that, a LOT of the recent Yelp reviews of GCH blast it for the bad shape it's in. It seemed like a good 70% of the reviews said that! (It was probably like 25%, but the negative reviews always stand out more. )

I read those too! But AFTER we stayed!! Some of those complaints were word for word what happened to us so it kinda sorta felt good to know it wasn't just us? I guess?

 

[cinder-ellah]

Thanks! Needless to say, I would not have been happy about that. Did you think (or ask) about downgrading back out of Club or did you just go with it?

The anticipation of wishing for/"requesting" and then having it confirmed that we were indeed getting the 3 bedroom suite in the Adventure Tower (not only by CM at check in at 10am, but also by our CM escort) and then the disappointment and no explanation at 4:30pm as to why it was changed, sadly I opted to cancel the Club Level. Disney did comp us with a dining voucher for our group for our disappointment. This was not expected or demanded by me or to be given anything, but it also wasn't an immediate offer. But it was appreciated as I felt it was at least an acknowledgement as to them understanding our disappointment. I'm sure its difficult for Disney to have the CM's be consistent as to what they tell the guests. But once checked in......I assumed we were getting what we were told. My motto with difficulties.....deep breath & have patience and go have fun & create your own magical moments. Just because one thing doesn't work out don't let it spoil your trip.

It all worked out in the end, I just used the money I would've spent on the Club Level, in the Parks for creating some magic and fun for our group.

Yikes ! I think I sidetracked from your initial question as to the walking distance.....Mornings we were skipping along ready for the anticipation of the fun ahead, easy walk. Returns to the DLH seemed like the walk was longer, but after a good rest we were eager for the walk back to the parks. Also, with all the restaurants in DTD its easy to sit and get refreshed with food / beverages. The Monorail was closed frequently in the afternoons due to the heat and no air conditioning in the main cars (air conditioning only in the front and rear cars). This was mid August. If anyone in your group has difficulty walking it can be a long walk. ECV's rented from Deckerts have been fabulous for members of our family that can't walk that distance.

 

[psac]

I read those too! But AFTER we stayed!! Some of those complaints were word for word what happened to us so it kinda sorta felt good to know it wasn't just us? I guess?

I know what you mean. It makes you feel better that other people had just as bad of a room and it wasn't just bad luck.

The anticipation of wishing for/"requesting" and then having it confirmed that we were indeed getting the 3 bedroom suite in the Adventure Tower (not only by CM at check in at 10am, but also by our CM escort) and then the disappointment and no explanation at 4:30pm as to why it was changed, sadly I opted to cancel the Club Level. Disney did comp us with a dining voucher for our group for our disappointment. This was not expected or demanded by me or to be given anything, but it also wasn't an immediate offer. But it was appreciated as I felt it was at least an acknowledgement as to them understanding our disappointment. I'm sure its difficult for Disney to have the CM's be consistent as to what they tell the guests. But once checked in......I assumed we were getting what we were told. My motto with difficulties.....deep breath & have patience and go have fun & create your own magical moments. Just because one thing doesn't work out don't let it spoil your trip.

It all worked out in the end, I just used the money I would've spent on the Club Level, in the Parks for creating some magic and fun for our group.

Yikes ! I think I sidetracked from your initial question as to the walking distance.....Mornings we were skipping along ready for the anticipation of the fun ahead, easy walk. Returns to the DLH seemed like the walk was longer, but after a good rest we were eager for the walk back to the parks. Also, with all the restaurants in DTD its easy to sit and get refreshed with food / beverages. The Monorail was closed frequently in the afternoons due to the heat and no air conditioning in the main cars (air conditioning only in the front and rear cars). This was mid August. If anyone in your group has difficulty walking it can be a long walk. ECV's rented from Deckerts have been fabulous for members of our family that can't walk that distance.

We don't really have trouble walking, we're just lazy. But if it's a hot day, the thought of walking through Grand Cali hallways (that I assume have AC) does sound better than the DLH walk. So we're at about 70/30 leaning towards DLH, but haven't completely decided yet. we'll figure it out soon!

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

I know what you mean. It makes you feel better that other people had just as bad of a room and it wasn't just bad luck.



We don't really have trouble walking, we're just lazy. But if it's a hot day, the thought of walking through Grand Cali hallways (that I assume have AC) does sound better than the DLH walk. So we're at about 70/30 leaning towards DLH, but haven't completely decided yet. we'll figure it out soon!

April is usually pretty nice in Southern California, though it seems to get hotter and hotter every year, I think the walks will be OK.

I've never stayed at DLH, but FWIW I stayed at GCH first week of September and I enjoyed it there. We have 2 young kids, though, so a bit different situation. We were walking back and forth from the parks a lot. Especially when coming back from DCA , it was nice to be so close. My wife and I would take turns slipping away to go on rides while the kids were napping, so it was great to literally exit the hotel and walk directly on to Soarin or Grizzly River Run like 50 feet from the entrance.

Convenience for us is a major factor, so I also enjoyed the fact that the food options at GCH were good. Storytellers Cafe had good breakfast food wise, so it was nice to have that option at the hotel (we ate there twice), though not cheap unfortunately, definitely a step up from Plaza Inn and Ariels Grotto in terms of food quality and ambience IMO. Whitewater Snacks was also pretty decent for a QS place, pretty much no one was ever there and it is right next to the pool. Napa Rose is good, though we didn't go this time, we've been there before. I've never been to the restaurants at DLH, so they may have good options as well.

I also really liked the smell in the lobby for some reason, lol.

I can see though how Disney nuts would prefer the theming at DLH though based on the pictures I've seen. I enjoyed walking through the GCH lobby several times per day though.

 

[psac]

April is usually pretty nice in Southern California, though it seems to get hotter and hotter every year, I think the walks will be OK.

I've never stayed at DLH, but FWIW I stayed at GCH first week of September and I enjoyed it there. We have 2 young kids, though, so a bit different situation. We were walking back and forth from the parks a lot. Especially when coming back from DCA , it was nice to be so close. My wife and I would take turns slipping away to go on rides while the kids were napping, so it was great to literally exit the hotel and walk directly on to Soarin or Grizzly River Run like 50 feet from the entrance.

Convenience for us is a major factor, so I also enjoyed the fact that the food options at GCH were good. Storytellers Cafe had good breakfast food wise, so it was nice to have that option at the hotel (we ate there twice), though not cheap unfortunately, definitely a step up from Plaza Inn and Ariels Grotto in terms of food quality and ambience IMO. Whitewater Snacks was also pretty decent for a QS place, pretty much no one was ever there and it is right next to the pool. Napa Rose is good, though we didn't go this time, we've been there before. I've never been to the restaurants at DLH, so they may have good options as well.

I also really liked the smell in the lobby for some reason, lol.

I can see though how Disney nuts would prefer the theming at DLH though based on the pictures I've seen. I enjoyed walking through the GCH lobby several times per day though.

>>>so it was great to literally exit the hotel and walk directly on to Soarin or Grizzly River Run like 50 feet from the entrance. <<<

Ok, so now we're 50/50...

I think it's one of those things where there is really no bad choice. Being able to just jump in and out mid-day is really tempting. Thanks for the extra info!!

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

>>>so it was great to literally exit the hotel and walk directly on to Soarin or Grizzly River Run like 50 feet from the entrance. <<<

Ok, so now we're 50/50...

I think it's one of those things where there is really no bad choice. Being able to just jump in and out mid-day is really tempting. Thanks for the extra info!!

Sure, sorry I made it more complicated, LOL. Looking at the map, though, I sorta lied about the distance. It felt like 50 feet, but I guess it's actually about 400 feet from the DCA entrance of GCH to Soarin'.

Here's another map. The red circle is the GCH -> DCA entrance. The blue circle marks a set of elevators (I recall others had recommended a room near the "elevators by Napa Rose", that would be the blue circle, so the walk to DCA would be like 1 minute). The fuschia circle is the so-called "secret exit". It's a fire exit, so one-way only (out only, not in) and empties out into DTD (not DCA). The green circle is the DTD entrance.



Ultimately, I'm sure you'll have a great trip either way!

 

[Malcon10t]

Convenience for us is a major factor, so I also enjoyed the fact that the food options at GCH were good. Storytellers Cafe had good breakfast food wise, so it was nice to have that option at the hotel (we ate there twice), though not cheap unfortunately, definitely a step up from Plaza Inn and Ariels Grotto in terms of food quality and ambience IMO

I've enjoyed Storytellers breakfast many times. But paying for a character meal isn't cheap. We like breakfast at Steakhouse 55 in the DLH (next door to Goofy's.) It isn't a buffet, but a table service. The price is just under half the price of Storytellers. Also, Tangaroa Terrace is great for breakfast, it is QS similar to Whitewater.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Walking from DLH to DL via DTD is like walking from CR to MK--if you could magically walk through the interestingness of Disney Springs along the way instead of walking along nothing but a barren pathway. Having DTD to walk through makes a big difference. There are no "dead spots" along the way.

We like DLH better than GCH because there's no GCH shortcut from DL, but there's always the DTD monorail station to use as a shortcut between DL and DLH.

 

[psac]

Thanks again to everyone for all the great info. We've decided to book today the........... Grand Californian! Now that we know what to expect with the room condition, we should be okay. (Assuming no major maintenance-type problems.) Since we'll be there for five park days, we want to do a lot of broken up days with mornings and evenings, and knowing ourselves, we won't want to do that at DLH, but GCH seems perfect for that. Plus, we really do think the public spaces (including the pool) look nicer at the GCH. We're going to book the pool/park view as well.

Thanks again! ​