We just got back from a one week stay at the DLH. It was very enjoyable. We had a two bedroom suite in the Fantasy tower with a pool view. When I made the reservation, I was agonizing over choosing between the DLH and the GC. Typically we are "premium" people and choose the nicest lodgings, but I read so many reviews that had the DLH better for small kids (which we have) that I couldn't really see the reason to spend the additional $1000 the GC would have cost for the week.
When we arrived, I was a little underwhelmed by the DLH. The bell service at arrival was excellent but the check in lady was "formal" at best and cold at worst. The lobby was pretty disappointing. The only "Disney" touch I initially noticed was the tea cup chairs and they weren't anything to get too excited about. We have only been to WDW prior to this and the on site hotels we've stayed at there were just so much better themed that I initially found the lobby and grounds of the DLH pretty disappointing. Later that day we went into the GC for a coffee and at that point I was thinking I had made a major mistake. It looked so much more like a WDW resort with over the top theming that I was feeling bad about our choice.
HOWEVER, as time went on, my feelings for the DLH changed. My kids started discovering "hidden mickeys" EVERYWHERE. It became a really exciting game for them to try to find as many as they could around the hotel and they all LOVED this. I don't know if the GC has a lot of hidden mickeys but there are lots at the DLH (several in the lobby I missed in the beginning and several very subtle ones in the room) and my kids' excitement at finding them all over the hotel definitely changed my attitude toward it. Also, the pool area was awesome. The "regular" pool failed to hold my kids' attention for more than five minutes, they can and do have this type of pool readily available to them at home. They all loved the water slide pool and even my most timid kid went on the biggest slide. Even when not riding the slides they enjoyed playing in the spray features. I looked at the pool over at the GC and although it was pretty, there is no doubt my kids wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as the DLH pool. Also, we saw Goofy walking around the pool one day and that made their day.
I can't compare the rooms as I never saw inside one at the GC, but I would only call the DLH room "fine". It was clean and comfortable and spacious (given we had the suite) but not luxurious. The shower was truly awful. The beds were comfortable and the bedding was fine. The service was good, our bags arrived very promptly as did our requested roll away on the first day. The only bad thing that happened was that my DD's lovey disappeared, she sleeps with it so I think it was mixed up in the sheets of her bed and must have been tossed in with the sheets when they changed them. We called housekeeping and lost and found but it was never found. Thankfully we have plenty of "spares" at home.
When we arrived, I was a little underwhelmed by the DLH. The bell service at arrival was excellent but the check in lady was "formal" at best and cold at worst. The lobby was pretty disappointing. The only "Disney" touch I initially noticed was the tea cup chairs and they weren't anything to get too excited about. We have only been to WDW prior to this and the on site hotels we've stayed at there were just so much better themed that I initially found the lobby and grounds of the DLH pretty disappointing. Later that day we went into the GC for a coffee and at that point I was thinking I had made a major mistake. It looked so much more like a WDW resort with over the top theming that I was feeling bad about our choice.
HOWEVER, as time went on, my feelings for the DLH changed. My kids started discovering "hidden mickeys" EVERYWHERE. It became a really exciting game for them to try to find as many as they could around the hotel and they all LOVED this. I don't know if the GC has a lot of hidden mickeys but there are lots at the DLH (several in the lobby I missed in the beginning and several very subtle ones in the room) and my kids' excitement at finding them all over the hotel definitely changed my attitude toward it. Also, the pool area was awesome. The "regular" pool failed to hold my kids' attention for more than five minutes, they can and do have this type of pool readily available to them at home. They all loved the water slide pool and even my most timid kid went on the biggest slide. Even when not riding the slides they enjoyed playing in the spray features. I looked at the pool over at the GC and although it was pretty, there is no doubt my kids wouldn't have enjoyed it as much as the DLH pool. Also, we saw Goofy walking around the pool one day and that made their day.
I can't compare the rooms as I never saw inside one at the GC, but I would only call the DLH room "fine". It was clean and comfortable and spacious (given we had the suite) but not luxurious. The shower was truly awful. The beds were comfortable and the bedding was fine. The service was good, our bags arrived very promptly as did our requested roll away on the first day. The only bad thing that happened was that my DD's lovey disappeared, she sleeps with it so I think it was mixed up in the sheets of her bed and must have been tossed in with the sheets when they changed them. We called housekeeping and lost and found but it was never found. Thankfully we have plenty of "spares" at home.
