New member here!

[disney_love<3]

Hello everyone! My name's Annette. I'm new here. My boyfriend and I just bought AP's in May. We bit the bullet and purchased the premium one. And let me tell you, it has definitely been worth it. This summer we've gone pretty much every week. We love it! So, at the end of this month we've decided to stay at one of the DLH's. Because of our budget and this is just a small trip to try it out, we've decided on staying at the PPH. We are only staying one night because, as I said its just to try things out and his work schedule won't allow us to stay longer. So I'm really excited and looking forward to it. Any advice or input is welcome!

 

[joseph821]

Hello everyone! My name's Annette. I'm new here. My boyfriend and I just bought AP's in May. We bit the bullet and purchased the premium one. And let me tell you, it has definitely been worth it. This summer we've gone pretty much every week. We love it! So, at the end of this month we've decided to stay at one of the DLH's. Because of our budget and this is just a small trip to try it out, we've decided on staying at the PPH. We are only staying one night because, as I said its just to try things out and his work schedule won't allow us to stay longer. So I'm really excited and looking forward to it. Any advice or input is welcome!

Congrats on staying at PPH. I have only stayed at Disneyland Hotel but I know that the PPH is nice and has a nice pool. What day are you staying? DLR resort hotel gues get Magic Morning Early entry on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. All you would need to do is show your Room Charge Slip (which you get at check-in) and your AP for Magic Morning.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

well first thing first
let me say welcome to the best dis boards on the net and niceist.
I was going to be staying at pph but my budget didnt meet that this time. I hope the prem ap is worth it. if when we get ap's one will get the premium one.
enjoy the trips and dont forget to take lots of pics

 

[Sherry E]

Hello everyone! My name's Annette. I'm new here. My boyfriend and I just bought AP's in May. We bit the bullet and purchased the premium one. And let me tell you, it has definitely been worth it. This summer we've gone pretty much every week. We love it! So, at the end of this month we've decided to stay at one of the DLH's. Because of our budget and this is just a small trip to try it out, we've decided on staying at the PPH. We are only staying one night because, as I said its just to try things out and his work schedule won't allow us to stay longer. So I'm really excited and looking forward to it. Any advice or input is welcome!

Welcome! I used to stay at the DLH every year until about 2000, and then switched over to the PPH. Since then, I have only stayed at either the PPH or the GCH - one price extreme to another! Honestly, the DLH is a nicer hotel with very pretty grounds and a waterfall and koi fish pond and a bunch of other cool stuff. PPH is pretty basic. It is not necessarily the hotel of the three that you want to hang around all day in because there is not much to do on the property. It does not have a giant, luxurious lobby like the GCH and it doesn't have all the neat stuff on its property like DLH. BUT I stay there for the same reason you and your boyfriend are doing it - to get a little taste of the Disney magic in a more economical way. Plus, you can easily walk from one hotel to the other to enjoy all of them. The rooms at PPH usually come with two beds and a little daybed/sleeper sofa type thing. You get red, black and white Mickey toiletries in the bathroom. There is a mini fridge, a room safe in the closet, I think, three soft pillows per bed, and extra pillow and blanket in the closet and usually a little table of some kind.

PPH has a little coffee/snack bar in the lounge right off of the lobby that makes a good blended mocha and other similar concoctions. There is a big Surfer Goofy statue in the lobby too. We are staying at PPH in early October, and usually this is a slower time of year but not this year. PPH is almost all booked up except for the concierge rooms.

If anything, PPH will probably make you guys realize that the next time you stay at one of the hotels there, you will have to try the DLH and eventually, for a special occasion, the GCH!

 

[disney_love<3]

Thanks for the welcome everyone! We are staying one night, Aug.26-27th. We're planning on getting there early on Aug. 26th, hanging around the pool for awhile. Then get ready and head out to DL and DCA. We're paying $159 a night plus taxes and such.

I read on the website that rooms aren't available until 3pm. Is this true? That seems a little late to me.

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks for the welcome everyone! We are staying one night, Aug.26-27th. We're planning on getting there early on Aug. 26th, hanging around the pool for awhile. Then get ready and head out to DL and DCA. We're paying $159 a night plus taxes and such.

I read on the website that rooms aren't available until 3pm. Is this true? That seems a little late to me.

Yes, the $159 per night at PPH is the rate I am getting too, but mine is with the PIN discount offer. Yours is probably the AP holder discount rate, right? Well, they tell you that rooms are not available until 3 p.m., but that is not always the case. Check- in time has been a widely discussed topic on these boards. Everyone has different experiences. My experience last year in the supposed 'off-peak season' at PPH - which was the next to last weekend in September - was that we showed up at around noon or 12:30 p.m. and the room was ready for us then. Again, it was the off-season. You are going during what is still considered the peak season, so your room might not be available until 3 p.m. Also, last December, we stayed at the GCH, and I literally was standing at the front desk at 6:30 a.m.!!! I did all my pre-check-in stuff then, got everything squared away, and they gave me my room keys so I never had to go back to the front desk later in the day. All we did was call a number they gave me and ask if the room was ready yet, and it was ready at about 1:45 or so, maybe a little earlier. And that WAS peak season.

So the bottom line is, you can check in any time you want - in fact, the earlier, the better, to get all that paperwork out of the way so you don't have to go back to the front desk and stand in a long line in the afternoon. If your room is not ready early, they will probably give you your keys up front and have you call the number I called to see if the room is ready later in the afternoon. I suspect that many times the rooms are ready before 3 p.m. - maybe some are even ready way before then - but people don't know it because they hear 3:00 p.m. and stick to that.

 

[Eaglefan9727]

Welcome to the forum. Hope you enjoy your stay........

 

[disney_love<3]

Yes, the $159 per night at PPH is the rate I am getting too, but mine is with the PIN discount offer. Yours is probably the AP holder discount rate, right? Well, they tell you that rooms are not available until 3 p.m., but that is not always the case. Check- in time has been a widely discussed topic on these boards. Everyone has different experiences. My experience last year in the supposed 'off-peak season' at PPH - which was the next to last weekend in September - was that we showed up at around noon or 12:30 p.m. and the room was ready for us then. Again, it was the off-season. You are going during what is still considered the peak season, so your room might not be available until 3 p.m. Also, last December, we stayed at the GCH, and I literally was standing at the front desk at 6:30 a.m.!!! I did all my pre-check-in stuff then, got everything squared away, and they gave me my room keys so I never had to go back to the front desk later in the day. All we did was call a number they gave me and ask if the room was ready yet, and it was ready at about 1:45 or so, maybe a little earlier. And that WAS peak season.

So the bottom line is, you can check in any time you want - in fact, the earlier, the better, to get all that paperwork out of the way so you don't have to go back to the front desk and stand in a long line in the afternoon. If your room is not ready early, they will probably give you your keys up front and have you call the number I called to see if the room is ready later in the afternoon. I suspect that many times the rooms are ready before 3 p.m. - maybe some are even ready way before then - but people don't know it because they hear 3:00 p.m. and stick to that.

Thanks for the info Sherry. It's a lot of help.

 

[dizneekrazee]

Welcome to the boards!!!

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Welcome! You're going to love your premium APs! We've had ours since May and have gone about 7 days total and they've already paid themselves off..

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks for the info Sherry. It's a lot of help.

You're welcome! I hope you guys are able to get your room earlier than 3 p.m. Even though the early pre-check-in process does cut out the hassle of a mid-day check-in in a crowded lobby, it is always nice to know that the room is ready and that you can go into it at any time you want!

 

[Sherry E]

Welcome! You're going to love your premium APs! We've had ours since May and have gone about 7 days total and they've already paid themselves off..

Enjoy your trip!

Are the Premium Aps the ones that have NO blackout days at all, ever? Or are those the Deluxe kind? I am confused. I know a friend of mine has an AP but it is the one that has a whole bunch of blackout days - I think it is the next to last one on the bottom of the AP ladder! I know they are mega-expensive, but I would want the ones that did NOT blackout my weekends, as that would be the most likely time for me to get over there. Weekends and holidays. I don't want those blacked out.

 

[prettyprincessbelle]

Are the Premium Aps the ones that have NO blackout days at all, ever? Or are those the Deluxe kind? I am confused. I know a friend of mine has an AP but it is the one that has a whole bunch of blackout days - I think it is the next to last one on the bottom of the AP ladder! I know they are mega-expensive, but I would want the ones that did NOT blackout my weekends, as that would be the most likely time for me to get over there. Weekends and holidays. I don't want those blacked out.

It's the premium that has 365 of open no blackout Disneyland fun! The Deluxe has some blackout.. Mainly Saturdays and holidays, I think?

We usually go on weekends since I have work, so the Premium was the best choice for us. I like that we don't have to worry about when we're going to plan a trip since we don't have any blackout days.. Plus the 10% discount off shopping and 15% off food helps!!!!

 

[disney_love<3]

Yes, I love the premium as well! The discount and the parking is great. I live about 20 minutes away so it comes in handy. Also, like I said we go just about every weekend or sometimes during the week.

 

[Sherry E]

It's the premium that has 365 of open no blackout Disneyland fun! The Deluxe has some blackout.. Mainly Saturdays and holidays, I think?

We usually go on weekends since I have work, so the Premium was the best choice for us. I like that we don't have to worry about when we're going to plan a trip since we don't have any blackout days.. Plus the 10% discount off shopping and 15% off food helps!!!!

And the discount on the hotels!

 

[Sherry E]

Yes, I love the premium as well! The discount and the parking is great. I live about 20 minutes away so it comes in handy. Also, like I said we go just about every weekend or sometimes during the week.

You two make a nice couple (I am assuming that is you and your boyfriend in the pictures in your signature)! I do live in SoCal, but if I lived 20 minutes or less from DL, I would HAVE to get the Premium AP. I know I would be there every weekend too, just wandering around, checking things out, looking at the merchandise!

 

[disneyL0VE]

I like your name there disney_love<3. HAHAHAHAHA



Enjoy your trip!
Take plenty of pictures

 

[disney_love<3]

You two make a nice couple (I am assuming that is you and your boyfriend in the pictures in your signature)! I do live in SoCal, but if I lived 20 minutes or less from DL, I would HAVE to get the Premium AP. I know I would be there every weekend too, just wandering around, checking things out, looking at the merchandise!

I like your name there disney_love<3. HAHAHAHAHA



Enjoy your trip!
Take plenty of pictures

Thanks! Yes, that is my boyfriend and I in my signature. Our 1st date was at Disneyland almost a year ago.

 

[Sherry E]

Thanks! Yes, that is my boyfriend and I in my signature. Our 1st date was at Disneyland almost a year ago.

See, I realize I am biased but I do think DL is a great place for a date - especially if you already know you like the person and WANT to spend time with them. If it is someone you are unsure about, it could be hell to be stuck with them at DL if you end up hating them, but at least you'd be at DL! And some of us were discussing this on another thread - can't recall which one - that it helps to either date or marry someone who can hang with you at DL and doesn't put it down as being only "for kids." I wouldn't marry or date someone who couldn't get into it. I did that once and don't want to do it again! I think it shows something about the guy's personality - that he can have fun and enjoy life and not be snobby and can be a big kid! John Stamos, from "Full House" and "ER", takes all his dates to DL, gets fully into the whole experience and he even owns the original DL sign. He is a collector too! So basically, he is the ideal man! Rich, handsome and loves Disneyland!

 

[disney_love<3]

Yes, my boyfriend enjoys DL as much as I do! We even have matching DL shirts and it was his idea! haha