Paradise Pier Hotel: Advice?

[SeansMom]

We had reservations at GCH, but got such a great rate for the PPH per Expedia that we couldn't say no. We've never stayed at the PPH, but the rooms look nice and roomy. SO: Any advice on getting a great room? Is it possible to get a cabana/poolside room with a std. reservation? It will be our anniversary~any idea if the PPH does anything special?

Thanks!

 

[Dobie]

The only way to guarantee a great room is to pay for it. If the hotel has room, they will often upgrade you at check in.

So, I wouldn't really want a cabana room...it would open onto a cement deck, with a view of nothing, and would really impact privacy.

There is a GREAT view of the fireworks from the north end of the deck...just grab a pool chair and sit and enjoy the view.

You will love PPH! For the Dobies' anniversary, the hotel decorated the bed with rose petals and sent up a place of rice crispy Mickey treats.

 

[wbl2745]

It's been a long time since we were there, but I think you really want a theme park view. The other side of the hotel has a view of ... nothing ... just buildings. The pool isn't much. It is on about the third floor (I think) on the side of the building away from the theme parks. The building was not built by Disney but has been appropriately remodeled to be very nicely themed, but they couldn't do anything about the orientation of the building.

 

[SeansMom]

The only way to guarantee a great room is to pay for it. If the hotel has room, they will often upgrade you at check in.

So, I wouldn't really want a cabana room...it would open onto a cement deck, with a view of nothing, and would really impact privacy.

There is a GREAT view of the fireworks from the north end of the deck...just grab a pool chair and sit and enjoy the view.

You will love PPH! For the Dobies' anniversary, the hotel decorated the bed with rose petals and sent up a place of rice crispy Mickey treats.

Huh. I wonder why I've heard some people say they like the cabana room so much? Easy access to the pool?

Yep, I know there are no guarantees, but wondering what room type to look for/request at check in. After the first trip, I've always booked standard at the GCH and usually request the monorail courtyard view (specific name escapes me...Sequoia maybe?) and have gotten it, as well as room configuration. Am I assuming right that at PPH you get park view or parking lot view then?

At this point, not willing to spend the big bucks to guarantee a view, as we always spend so little time in the room.

 

[Crazy4Disney72]

Huh. I wonder why I've heard some people say they like the cabana room so much? Easy access to the pool?

Yep, I know there are no guarantees, but wondering what room type to look for/request at check in. After the first trip, I've always booked standard at the GCH and usually request the monorail courtyard view (specific name escapes me...Sequoia maybe?) and have gotten it, as well as room configuration. Am I assuming right that at PPH you get park view or parking lot view then?

At this point, not willing to spend the big bucks to guarantee a view, as we always spend so little time in the room.

We liked having the cabana room for just that reason, the easy access to the pool. Usually only one of us was out at the pool with the kids and the other one was in the room, so that made it easy to send the kids back to the room to get something or one at a time to shower and they could go by themselves.

 

[SeansMom]

We liked having the cabana room for just that reason, the easy access to the pool. Usually only one of us was out at the pool with the kids and the other one was in the room, so that made it easy to send the kids back to the room to get something or one at a time to shower and they could go by themselves.

That's kind of what I was thinking. I like the pool, hubby doesn't. But I assume we'll spend most of the time in the park, so maybe it doesn't really matter. I guess there is far less of an issue as to "what kind of room" at this hotel than GCH, where people seem to have far more opinions on the best room.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Yep, I know there are no guarantees, but wondering what room type to look for/request at check in. After the first trip, I've always booked standard at the GCH and usually request the monorail courtyard view (specific name escapes me...Sequoia maybe?) and have gotten it, as well as room configuration.

I could be wrong, but I believe the reason you typically got this request is that the monorail view from the GC *is* a standard room--so they were not giving you an upgrade.

I haven't had much luck at getting upgrades at the resort hotels of DL--unless I pay for the upgrade. A theme park view at the PP is an upgrade.

 

[SeansMom]

I could be wrong, but I believe the reason you typically got this request is that the monorail view from the GC *is* a standard room--so they were not giving you an upgrade.

I haven't had much luck at getting upgrades at the resort hotels of DL--unless I pay for the upgrade. A theme park view at the PP is an upgrade.

Yes, that is considered standard view. But so is the parking lot But I've always gotten the courtyard view with bunkbeds, so the request was always met. Personally, I like looking out at the trees and the monorail as much or better than the park. We only had one room that was a park view that I loved, and that was a 6th floor view that looked directly out on GRR. BUT the walk to the elevators was veryyyyyyy long.

All that to say I'm not fishing for an upgrade per se, but a room that is decent and might be more unusual or fun than a standard parking lot view hotel room.
Although the "view" rooms may be the upgrade at PPH, from what little I've been able to find.

 

[Dobie]

So, having stayed at all three resort hotels, I have decided that the only one where I would pay for an upgrade would be GCH, because of the balcony. With no balcony, the Dobies spend very little time looking out the window...especially at PPH, because we could watch the fireworks from the pool deck. With a balcony, and a theme park or courtyard view, we spent more time drinking in the room in the afternoons, vs. in DTD or DCA.

 

[tallpkb]

If you want to take your chance on getting an upgrade, go ahead. But consider this~if you call them up the day before your trip, (call them DIRECTLY, not Disney Travel), and very nicely tell them it's your anniversary, and if they can do anything special to the room on your arrival, it would be great surprise for your DH. Doing this MAY get you an upgrade, but it will probably get you something like Dobie got~some sort of decorations and rice krispie treats. The same thing happened to us when we went to WDW for my birthday!

Don't forget to post and tell us what happened! Happy Anniversary!

 

[SeansMom]

If you want to take your chance on getting an upgrade, go ahead. But consider this~if you call them up the day before your trip, (call them DIRECTLY, not Disney Travel), and very nicely tell them it's your anniversary, and if they can do anything special to the room on your arrival, it would be great surprise for your DH. Doing this MAY get you an upgrade, but it will probably get you something like Dobie got~some sort of decorations and rice krispie treats. The same thing happened to us when we went to WDW for my birthday!

Don't forget to post and tell us what happened! Happy Anniversary!

Thanks for that advice! I have their direct number so I'll call the day before we leave and request just that. I SAW the great decorations Dobie got and thought that would be great, but had no idea how to go about that.

And thanks for the anniversary wishes: 23 years!!!