No longer feeling so bad about not staying onsite...

[Ariel224]

So lately I've been feeling bad about not being able to stay at one of the DLR hotels. There are 6 of us...which means 2 separate rooms or a suite. With either option coming in at $600+ per night, it just isn't going to happen...not when we can get a suite in one of the Harbor hotels for as little as $99 per night. Still, the DLR properties call to me. I've been looking at just doing 2 or 3 of our nights onsite and the rest on Harbor. But then I do the math on even that price difference and start converting it into table service meal equivalents....and well, I get drawn back into reality.

Then I had this random thought at one point about how we could afford to stay at the DLH, but then wouldn't be able to actually afford to go to the parks. So it was rather ironic when on NPR this morning, they had this true story. (At the top of the page, there is a small button to stream episode. There is an epilogue that is sort of Disney related, but the story I'm linking to starts at 6:30).

My DH and I actually pulled into the driveway partway through this, and sat in the car until the end so we wouldn't miss any of it. It was both hilariously funny and soooo sad at the same time! Suddenly, I'm not feeling so bad about the limitations of our hotel budget.

(Mods, I wasn't sure where to post this. Move me if needed.)

 

[marcemc]

Keep your eyes on the prize: going to Disneyland & CA!! Everything else, is just an extra

I'm glad you decided to make the most out of this vacation. Besides, you have to take in consideration that a lot of people like staying off site better for different reasons.

Have a great time!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I'm feeling the same way about our trip to WDW next year. Hopefully we can take advantage of some extended free dining or pin code offer and split our vacation between onsite value season magic and rented condo reality.

 

[jory29]

I listened to the clip you spoke of... the hardest part to believe was that...


With the annual pass - then they.......


ARGH!!!

 

[superslickdls]

Wow I found that story actually kinda sad for the kids.

 

[Ariel224]

I listened to the clip you spoke of... the hardest part to believe was that...


With the annual pass - then they.......


ARGH!!!

I KNOW!!! I was thinking, "Finally! Sweet vindication!" Then..... "Are you kidding me????" It kinda sounded like at that point the stays at _______ came to an too.

I was trying to figure out the time frame for the story.....talking about the Disneyland parking lot, the Monorail, and her pack of Mad Libs....I'm guessing early '80s. Were APs even more than $100 then??

 

[CaseyK]

I too was feeling this way! But off site is allowing for us to take DD to Bibbidi Boppidi Boutique, get both kids an outfit (DD princess and DS pirate or something), eat at some fabulous places and I have just decided I am going to splurge on me and get a Dooney and Bourke bag. Would the kids love the idea of staying on site? Yes, but if I wait until their older to appreciate it, it will be so much better. I'm so excited just to be going back! And we'd need 2 rooms as my mom is coming and wants her own room.

 

[bumbershoot]

I listened to the clip you spoke of... the hardest part to believe was that...


With the annual pass - then they.......


ARGH!!!

Aughhhhhhh!


What she wraps up with...the *actual* dangers of what her mom was OK with...so true, and exactly what I was thinking!

I was sad for the girls, but also sad for the mom. I can be a nervous nelly about DS's safety, but I've realized that it's the everyday things that he's got hurt doing, not the "dangerous" things...but I know where my nervousness comes from. I can only imagine where all of that worry came from with their mom, and why she thought the DLH was so safe...I just feel sad for the mom.



I cannot say I lived a life with such Disney frustration, but I did grow up in San Jose, and as far as I can recall, only went to Disneyland twice. Once with mom, once with dad. They both made it seem like it was a million miles away.

But Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Phoenix...those were just fine, but Anaheim was just too far.

I had to move to WA to figure out just how relatively close I had been!



OP on-site is good and all, but off-site is good too! Honestly, I find myself MORE immersed while walking from HoJo on the Disney side (NOT the hotel side of Harbor!), listening to the music from inside the park, than I do while walking through the mall, er, downtown disney. IMO, whatever lets you stay close enough to walk and cheap enough to stay longer is good!

 

[CrazyDuck]

I just listened to the clip the OP mentioned and I just have to say that is the saddest thing I have ever heard. Although, I don't really see why this should make the OP feel any better about not staying at the DLH! I mean the whole point of the story is not about Disneyland. It is about how Disneyland was ruined for them because they were denied the experience of Disneyland for so long, and when they were finally allowed access to it, it was not everything they built it up to be in their minds. The OP is doing the same thing, but just switch DL and DLH. I'm just sayin.....

I'm feeling the same way about our trip to WDW next year. Hopefully we can take advantage of some extended free dining or pin code offer and split our vacation between onsite value season magic and rented condo reality.

At WDW you MUST stay onsite.... Magical Express, resort transportation, EMH... even if you have to stay at the All Star resorts, at least it is on-site!

 

[blackjackdelta]

As a young family(not any more) we never had expectations to stay on site. We lived within our finances and never any credit to go beyond our budget. We also never gave our children any expectations that could not be lived up to. If you try to live to a mind set that is not reality there is going to be letdown(not nursing) all around.

As the family has grown older we have progressed to staying on site for convienence more than any thing else. Just makes moving about the parks easier. My kids, now young adults, go to school and work fulltime, they have their own budgets above and beyond the trip budget.

All in all, enjoy what you can afford and do not be envious. Those extras will come in time with hardwork and goo planning.

Jack

 

[Ariel224]

I just listened to the clip the OP mentioned and I just have to say that is the saddest thing I have ever heard. Although, I don't really see why this should make the OP feel any better about not staying at the DLH! I mean the whole point of the story is not about Disneyland. It is about how Disneyland was ruined for them because they were denied the experience of Disneyland for so long, and when they were finally allowed access to it, it was not everything they built it up to be in their minds. The OP is doing the same thing, but just switch DL and DLH. I'm just sayin.....



At WDW you MUST stay onsite.... Magical Express, resort transportation, EMH... even if you have to stay at the All Star resorts, at least it is on-site!

OP here....

This post was meant to be a light hearted tongue-in-cheek kind of thing. I'm not sitting around drowning in envy over this. I just though the timing over hearing this article was hilarious. Yes, the article is sad...(living under the roof of an overprotective cop father made me relate to it. But my childhood was never quite THAT irrational.) The author's storytelling style and details were, IMO, extremely funny...I think that's how she meant for it to come across. Those girls didn't sit in the hotel room for 2 weeks at a time wallowing in misfortune. They got out, made friends, and made the best of it. I found that admirable. I thought that some of my fellow DISers might enjoy the story too, and wanted to share it.

I have not been building up irrational expectations of DLH in my head, as is being assumed. I went to DLR 4 times last year, I've visited the property at DLH and GCH and there are some very practical perks that I know I would enjoy, without having to use too much imagination. Most of these are the very same perks that come up every single time there's an Onsite vs. Offsite comparison thread.

At DLH, it would be really nice to ride the Monorail back at the end of a long day. Trying to get a couple of dead to the world sleeping children back to HOJO after F! is not so fun, especially when the older is much too big for a stroller. The Neverland pool is beautiful, and I know my kids would love it. But since it will be in the process of being torn out when we are there, that can be crossed off of the list.

PP holds no special appeal for me.

GCH's architectural style has been an obsession of mine for many years. (If there's anything I do build up in my head, it's living in an early 20th century Arts & Crafts bungalow, with amazing woodwork, on a quiet urban street with huge trees and neighbors that sit on their front porches and actually talk to each other.) I would very much enjoy chilling in the lobby in the evening and then going straight upstairs to bed. Tangible perks of GCH: being able to not have to plan the riding of GRR by packing a full set of clothes for every family member, and then dragging the set of wet clothes around all day (or renting a locker just for said purpose).....just go through the GCH gate, change, and return. Being able to pop into Downtown Disney on a non-park day without a long walk and having to go through bag check. Walking downstairs and getting to use the special entrance whose use is now being monitored so that it is that much more special, to be among the first to TSMM.

And the biggest perk of all....MMs every day they are offered. Our upcoming trip will include 6 days in the parks, beginning at the start of the Holiday Season. The crowds in Fantasyland in the middle of the day have pushed me to the point of almost having an anxiety attack in the past. This also happens to be my children's favorite place to hang out. It doesn't take a whole lot of "building it up in my head" to figure out the benefit there.

So yes, the story did make me feel better by reminding me that at the end of the day, a hotel room is just a hotel room, and the real prize is walking under the railroad tracks onto Main St and being showered in the Disney Magic I know so well.

 

[WonkaKid]

Thanks for posting! I've been a This American Life fan for years.

Listen, staying onsite is a little overrated. We stayed at GCH last September. It was nice. Very nice. But worth nearly $400 a night? No way. Try something like Candy Cane or Hojo. They're both quite nice and lot less expensive.

Maybe stay onsite one time and see if you agree. I just don't think it's worth the money. And I can easily afford to do it -- I simply choose not to, for the most part. If a deal comes along, that's another story .

Enjoy your trip. You'll have a great time.

 

[PinkBudgie]

I've only stayed at the DLH once, and that was in the early or mid 70's. I was very little but the thing I remember most was the Mickey Mouse menu mask that she mentioned. I just loved it for some reason. My parents said that at that time the hotel was not actually owned by Disney and it was a lot cheaper to stay in, relatively speaking, than it is today.

I always think how handy it would be to stay there or at the Grand. But when I think that we can actually stay more days if we stay off site, that wins out. With APs our park is already paid for, so may as well choose more days.

I guess it's better than being in the hotel and not going to DL. Obviously, that mom had some "issues" and phobias aren't rational. It is just too bad that now this woman doesn't really care for DL after all that. Thanks for sharing the story. Very interesting!

 

[Mary09]

I looked at a poster's park view pics from the GCH here recently and thought "If I paid the price for that view, I'd feel compelled to sit and watch it all day." Which is kinda silly, who wants to sit and watch a theme park when you could be IN IT?

I don't pay up for onsite but I'm all about value. I can get closer digs for less than half the price, and they're roomier. If it was an "in hotel" vacation, sure. But DL is not an "in hotel" vacation for us. We get outta there asap.

 

[bumbershoot]

Although, I don't really see why this should make the OP feel any better about not staying at the DLH!

I took it that at least they get to GO, and go INTO Disneyland!

The author's storytelling style and details were, IMO, extremely funny...I think that's how she meant for it to come across. Those girls didn't sit in the hotel room for 2 weeks at a time wallowing in misfortune. They got out, made friends, and made the best of it. I found that admirable.

At DLH, it would be really nice to ride the Monorail back at the end of a long day. Trying to get a couple of dead to the world sleeping children back to HOJO after F! is not so fun, especially when the older is much too big for a stroller.

GCH's architectural style has been an obsession of mine for many years. (If there's anything I do build up in my head, it's living in an early 20th century Arts & Crafts bungalow, with amazing woodwork, on a quiet urban street with huge trees and neighbors that sit on their front porches and actually talk to each other.) I would very much enjoy chilling in the lobby in the evening and then going straight upstairs to bed. Tangible perks of GCH: being able to not have to plan the riding of GRR by packing a full set of clothes for every family member, and then dragging the set of wet clothes around all day (or renting a locker just for said purpose).....just go through the GCH gate, change, and return. Being able to pop into Downtown Disney on a non-park day without a long walk and having to go through bag check.

I will TOTALLY give you the MMs every day. Definite perk.

Everything else is extremely dependent on what room you have.

Our room at the GCH was literally as far of a walk from the center of the esplanade as it is to get from the sidewalk outside of HoJo. If we had been at least in one building further, we could have walked down the *stairs* and come out the secret exit into DTD near La Brea. But we were one wing too far into DTD, and instead were across from Naples (?)...got to walk all the way back, turn, all the way to the elevators, come out, and then walk all the way BACK under what we'd just walked, just to get to the DTD exit. We'd say hi to our room as we walked through DTD; if we'd had bungies and then a trampoline it would have been a most excellent room. As it was, we LONGED for the simple, straight forward, walk back to HoJo while staying at the Grand.

The monorail. It's convenient IF you're in Tomorrowland or further into the park where it's a simple walk to get to it. And IF you're going to RainForest Cafe. But if you have a stroller and a sleeping kid, well, first of all strollers have to be folded, so sleeping kid comes out. And then you either put kid back into stroller and wait (and wait and wait) for the elevator to go down one story, or you make everyone trudge down the stairs. And then you still have to pass RFC and ESPN Zone, walk under the mickey hat, and then to wherever your room is. We were lucky at DLH in that we had the building right there at DTD, but if we'd had one of the other two towers it would have been a long walk.

If you're in Frontierland etc, you might as well just walk all the way, IMO, because at least then you're moving instead of walking, stopping, walking, unfolding stroller, monorailing, walking, etc etc etc.

YES sitting in the lobby at the Grand is nice! But while there I would have far preferred to walk out the beautiful doors and cross the street to a bigger room at PPH (our fave onsite hotel) rather than slog along the dark (my eyes have problems in dim light thanks to Lasik) hallways to our very distant room....

I've only stayed at the DLH once, and that was in the early or mid 70's. I was very little but the thing I remember most was the Mickey Mouse menu mask that she mentioned. I just loved it for some reason.

I hadn't remembered those until hearing her story, and it came back to me in a flash. The one trip my mom took us on (on the way home from Grand Canyon, a big surprise) we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, and I guess my subconscious remembered them!

My mom didn't fare so well as hers on the teacups, though....teacups put my mom into a horrible migraine and she couldn't go to the parks with us and stepdad the rest of the relatively short stay.



Anyone else remember/know that the woman who voices Violet in The Incredibles was "discovered" by her NPR story?

 

[Judy from Boise]

As a young family(not any more) we never had expectations to stay on site. We lived within our finances and never any credit to go beyond our budget. We also never gave our children any expectations that could not be lived up to. If you try to live to a mind set that is not reality there is going to be letdown(not nursing) all around.

As the family has grown older we have progressed to staying on site for convienence more than any thing else. Just makes moving about the parks easier. My kids, now young adults, go to school and work fulltime, they have their own budgets above and beyond the trip budget.

All in all, enjoy what you can afford and do not be envious. Those extras will come in time with hardwork and goo planning.

Jack

You are the last person I would have expected to make a breastfeeding joke! Truly a renaissance man . I did have a few of those literal "all around let downs" at inopportune times LOL! Now completely funny since that "baby" is in college!

 

[blackjackdelta]

You are the last person I would have expected to make a breastfeeding joke! Truly a renaissance man . I did have a few of those literal "all around let downs" at inopportune times LOL! Now completely funny since that "baby" is in college!

Judy:
You never know how people read or take things and I did find it funny when I wrote it.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[CrazyDuck]

Ariel224, sorry I wasn't trying to say that you are ruining The Disney experience by not staying at the DLH. I was just pointing out the differences in the 2 scenarios. If it comes down to choosing between DLH and Disneyland, by all means stay off site! In fact, the Anaheim Hilton used to be our "go to" hotel up until a few years ago when we were finally able to afford to stay on-site.

On another note, I don't know how you can find that story funny... To me it was only 2 things; sad and infuriating! I felt so sad for the girls and at the same time I just wanted to smack their mother! But that's just me....

 

[mom4princesses]

Judy:
You never know how people read or take things and I did find it funny when I wrote it.

Thanks,

Jack

My first thought was, me and DH at the movies (first time out, without the first baby), hearing a baby cry and ugh.....lol.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I also agree with Jack's other statement that we should all embrace the different times in our lives. Circumstances (and finances) will always be in flux but with the right attitude each trip is special.I know our family has run the gamut from tacky motels to concierge lounges and never had one trip that wasn't special.