Is it worth it?????

[jgmklmhem]

I am fairly budget minded and we don't have a great deal to spend on our upcoming trip to DL....but since this might be our only trip to DL I was wondering what DL regulars thought. Right now we are booked for 5 nights at the Fairfield Inn with 5 day Park hoppers. If we want to bump up to Paradise Pier it will cost ~$400 more... DLH ~$600 more... GC ~$800 more (taking into account the gift card you receive at check in). Just wanting to know would these extra expenditures be worth it or not. Like is PP sooooooo much better than the fairfield to justify that cost increase.

 

[got2travel]

I've stayed at Fairfield, Paradise Pier and Grand Californian. I have yet to stay at DL Hotel, maybe 2005. Anyway, unless you can swing the Grand Californian, I'd say stick with the Fairfield. The GC is my favorite hotel, but I can't justify the extra expence.

You will have about the same walk to the front gates from the Fairfield as you would from PPH and DLH. The only Disney hotel that has a closer walk than the offsite hotels is GC.

The amenities at FF and PPH are comparable, you just won't get Mickey soap. Your room at the FF may be a bit smaller than PPH, but since its really just a place to sleep, you won't really notice. It's not like WDW where staying on property is pretty much a necessity. There is only 1 perk that you get that is fairly new, and that is an early entry to Toontown. This might be nice, but not worth the extra expence of staying onsite.

For me staying on property is nice once in a while, but not a necessity. I'd much rather stay at an offsite hotel and use the saved money on character meals, lunch/dinner at the Blue Bayou or the Fantasmic preferred seating.

My favorite offsite hotel is the Carousel Inn and Suites. With AAA or Entertainment discounts, I've gotten a room with 2 queens for $59 or a 2 room suite for $99. Its a few hotels up from FF, and closer to the entrance to DL.

 

[daannzzz]

The Fairfield Inn Gets decent reviews (though I have not stayed at it) and is in a great location for getting to and from the parks. If you were to spend the extra money to upgrade, just this one time I would spend it for the Disneyland Hotel or the Grand Californian. The PPH while fine is not quite as special as the other two. The Disneyland Hotel is older but the rooms are (in general) very large. The decore in the rooms is somewhat formal but still very fun. The Grand Californian is much newer, and more beautiful and as close to the park entrances as you can get. The rooms are smaller than the DLH but are very nicely decorated but a bit less Disneyfied.
If you will be spending all your time in the parks and are returning to your rooms only to sleep, the Fairfield Inn will do. If you intend to spend time relaxing at your accomodation and want a more upscale atmosphere, the Disney hotels are great.

 

[Buttercup26]

The GC is the only one worth the extra $$ IMO. If you are planning on spending a lot of time in the hotel and can afford it, go for the GC. If you are only going to be in the hotel to sleep & shower, stay at the Fairfield. PP and DL are not that 'magical'. They aren't bad, but IMO they are NOT worth the money. The GC is the only hotel that compares to the WDW hotels.

While I would never stay offsite at WDW, I no longer stay on property at DL. I can't justify the extra $$, I'd rather buy more churros and have an extra lunch at the Blue Bayou!!

 

[cjsmom5]

For us it would be worth the $ to stay at the DL Hotel but not the PP or the GC. We liked the GC but prefer the DL Hotel. And, the Paradise Pier is really not much different than staying offsite except it costs you a lot more money. Depends on what you are looking for in "worth it." Larger room, Disney decor, Disney soap, theme of pool at DL, closeness to the parks, early entry to toon town. It is hard to answer that not knowing what you place a high value on.

Since we don't rent a car and take a towncar from the airport ... we prefer to be right there. We go for only a few days and don't leave the property. I think it is preference and a matter of just "how tight" your budget is for the trip. Our preference though would be the DLH.