The world is full of weird people.
Well, then I am the Queen of the Weird People,
whoever, because I greatly prefer the more spacious PPH rooms (with daybeds) over those cramped, dark GCH rooms (many of which do not have daybeds)!
I did like the short walk from the GCH to DTD or the parks the last time I stayed there, but the first time I stayed there I did not have a short walk. And I, of course, love the lobby -- that whole hearth/lobby environment wins out over the PPH or the DLH.
Also, I have gotten better perks -- and much better views!! -- staying at the PPH than I did at the GCH. The perks and views were based on good timing and luck, but I didn't have that same good timing and luck when I stayed at the GCH, so the PPH wins that battle for me! The PPH has made a couple of mistakes here and there, but I still prefer that hotel. But I'm just weird, I guess.
That's not to say that I wouldn't stay at the GCH at some point in the future if the planets aligned -- I am sure I would -- but I am just not crazy about the rooms.
(I have stayed at the DLH too -- a lot -- but it was a very, very long time ago. I loved it when I used to stay there, though.)
Hi,
SweetAlex!
You know, I can't mention too many more pros or cons (or justifications) to staying onsite other than what's already been mentioned. I can add in my two cents, though.
As
Jamie and others have said, there is really no right or wrong answer. Everyone agrees -- even the onsite fans -- that the hotels are very expensive. So then it comes down to whether or not it is worth it. For some people, the hotel is part of the whole experience, whereas others view it as only a place to shower and sleep and that's it. That's not something that is right or wrong; it's just how people view their trips.
Also, depending on how one tours the parks -- some go at breakneck, commando speeds and others stroll about more leisurely -- there may be more room in the schedule to spend at the hotel than in other folks' schedules.
A big reason why I love to stay onsite is because I already live in SoCal (Los Angeles) -- I am roughly 45 minutes from DLR on a non-traffic day. It's fairly close, comparatively speaking. I need to feel that I am "escaping" the city somehow, so I can totally immerse myself in the Disney magic. When I go to DLR and have a "special" trip (like for the holiday season, every year) with a hotel stay, I want to stay onsite because it is part of the Disney Bubble.
To stay at one of the places on Harbor or nearby (which I might do at some point in the future; never say never) would not seem like much of an "escape" to me. I need to feel as if I am staying somewhere that I couldn't access closer to home, in my own neighborhood! Staying at DLR hotels makes it more of a vacation for me, rather than just a 45-minute ride away from home. Does that make sense?
I like to be on Disney soil from the moment I step out of the car to the second I get in the car to go home. I like waking up and going to sleep on Disney property. I love coming back to the hotel for a break, or after a long, tiring day, and being greeted with a friendly "Welcome home," or a warm smile. My views from my last several PPH rooms have been awesome, and I gravitated to the window every time I was in the room. I like hunting for hidden Mickeys in the carpeting, bedding and details around the room and in the hotel property. I love the walk back to the hotel through DTD, especially during the holidays.
Overall -- and I have said this in other threads about this subject in the past -- there is an intangible, indescribable feeling attached to staying onsite...for those who "get it." I am not expecting someone who doesn't want to stay onsite to set foot in one of the onsite hotels and suddenly get swept up in that same feeling. Again, it's really more of a "thing" that people who love staying onsite already know and understand.
When onsite, guests smile at each other as they pass in the hallways or lobbies. People actually talk to each other in the elevators (which doesn't happen in my neighborhood). Cast Members -- from Valet to Bell to Mousekeeping to the ones manning the front desk -- are delightful and helpful, and will usually go above and beyond the call of duty to accommodate guests. Mostly everyone is in a good mood. It's as if everyone has been kissed by that special Disney magic and is caught up in it...which is fine by me, as there are enough grumpy and miserable people to deal with in "real life."
And I guess that really sums it up. Staying onsite -- for me -- feels like I am getting away from real life. It completes and enhances the whole DLR experience for me.
. We're so excited to go during the holiday season this time (Dec 3-9). We've never seen Disney all done up for Christmas but I hear it's absolutely incredible. 
So after our last trip, DH and I swore that the next time we go, we were going to stay onsite. We've never done that before and really wanted our kids to have that experience. However, when we started pricing it out and realizing that it would cost about $1,000 more just to stay onsite, we just can't justify it. We could afford to but we just keep thinking about how little time we spend in the hotel and how much $1,000 could buy. If staying across the street means we have $1,000 more left in our savings (for next trip!)... then it's a no-brainer for us. How do so many justify it? Is it really worth it when you aren't even there most of the time? This may shock you all but I'm not even a cheap person! 
