Paradise Pier hotel - recommendations?

[narsel]

Hey Disney fans,

Hoping for some advise here. My family has done an annual Disneyland pilgrimage, staying at the Disneyland Hotel ever since my DD21 was 3. We have missed the occasional year for the birth of DD16 and DD13, but have always come back and enjoyed our Disney vaca. This year we are not sure if we want to stay at the Disney Hotel because of the construction. I know the room would not be a problem (we stayed in a renovated one last year) my concern is the pool situation. From what I've read, there isn't a lot of area to just lounge around the pool. Anyone have recent experience? So instead, we are thinking about the Paradise Pier (Grand Calif is out of our price range). We know nothing about the Paradise Pier. Is it much farther walk to parks or monorail? Whats the pool like? Whats the difference between standard room and upper level theme park view? Anybody care to share their thoughts or recommendations? Appreciate any advice.

Thanks.

 

[katiesmom2]

Hi There,
I've just returned from 4 nights at the PP hotel and we loved it. You can see my trip report here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2760293

Having never stayed at the DLH, it's hard for me to compare, but I can answer your questions. The PP hotel is right across the street from the Grand Calif. When going to either park, you literally walk about 40 steps from the front of the PP hotel to a crosswalk and across the street to the GC. Then you walk through the lobby, directly to Calif. Adventure or through the hotel and down a small part of Downtown Disney to get to the main gates for Disneyland. It is a close walk and a nice walk. We also took a walk out the back of the hotel and down a path to Downtown Disney (coming out right at the bottom near ESPN Zone). That walk took about 6 minutes. Very convenient! We never took the monorail, so not sure about that.

We loved the pool. It is not a huge pool, but a good size. There were never more than maybe 8 other people in the pool with us when we were there. There are 2 tables of four and approx. 30 lounge chairs set up around the pool. We got there on our pool days around 9:15 and took one of the tables by the shallow end. There never seemed to be more than maybe 12 people in lounge chairs. No one ever sat at the other table behind ours.

There is a great slide that my kids loved. The slide empties into a large bathtub-type area, not in the pool, so even kids who are not great swimmers can slide. They have life jackets on the fence for kids who are nervous and they can be worn on the slide. There is also a little wading pool for toddlers by the slide.

We had a 10th floor room with a view of the park (room 1012). It was fabulous! If you can pay the extra, I say go for the park view. We watched World of Color several times and just enjoyed watching the fun in the park when we were in our room. No idea how our room compares to a standard room, although I think they are all outfitted the same way except for view?

Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[DizNee Luver]

The Pool Area:

The view from our room (Upper Level Theme Park View), we were able to watch the WoC from our room. The music is simulcast over your tv.

The room:

We LOVED our stay here & would stay here every trip if we could. The rooms are very spacious, the beds are super comfy, nice & bright decor but a great shade to block out the light when you're ready to sleep. Huge windows to take in the sights, nice sized bathroom & closet. Super friendly staff!!!

Easy walk across the street to the GCH & then you cut thru there to DTD & into Disneyland!!!

 

[Kauinohea]

Do they offer bunk beds at the Paradise Pier?

 

[closetmickey]

No bunk beds....but we love it there too!

 

[summer0407]

Do the rooms come with a sleeper sofa? We have a total of 5 people for our next trip and I have been thinking about PPH. We have stayed at GCH and DLH my son wants to try PPH next. Just curious.

Thanks!

 

[disneydenisel]

Do the rooms come with a sleeper sofa? We have a total of 5 people for our next trip and I have been thinking about PPH. We have stayed at GCH and DLH my son wants to try PPH next. Just curious.

Thanks!

There is a sofa that converts into a single bed. My DS9 slept on it and said it was comfy.

We thought PPH was fine. DS9 liked the slide at PPH better than the slide at GCH. I liked the hot tubs at GCH a lot more than the one hot tub at PPH. The elevators were a bit slow at PPH, but the CMs were very nice and helpful. Super quick walk to GCH and then a hop, skip and jump to either DCA or DL. Kind of noisy hearing cars on the street at night, but we all slept like logs anyway .

 

[brianjonesmusic]

Thanks for posting those great pics. My family will be staying there Aug 9 thru 14th in Theme Park View Concierge room.

 

[mickeymark34]

We stayed there in 2003 and had a wonderful time. We ended up, by luck, getting a theme park view, and it made our first stay there more magical. We are going for our second time this September. I am a DVC Member, and when we try to book the Grand Californian Hotel it is never available, so they let us stay at the other hotels. We usually go the the Disneyland Hotel, but we want to check out the Paradise Pier again. I can't wait to see the newly renovated rooms.

 

[TeddiBarra]

The walk:

Is shorter to the parks, than it is from DLH. The walk is a tiny bit longer to the monorail... kinda. If you walk up the side walk and don't pay attention to the "cast member area only" signs the ten foot long section of side walk that is used only for smoking breaks- it's potentially shorter walk than it is from the Wonder/Frontier tower of DLH. We walked thru during the day but was told once at night we couldn't- this is dumb and incovient on the part of DLR because then you do have to walk around the theater. But overall, distance shorter (and cooler or potentially warmer and dryer) because you can cut thru the GCH.

You saw pics of the pool. It is much smaller than DLH, however, the seating is better- always plenty of it. It's not a fancy, but it's heated and it serves it purpose and it has a kiddie wading pool so kids of all ages are happy and the water slide is great.

The rooms are just about all the same in terms of what you get. The PP is finishing up with a recent light refurb of the rooms, so new bedding/carpetings/sleep couch/curtains. I like the new make-over. I am pretty sure all the view rooms are already re-done. We were in a park view room on the 8th floor- view was also similar to posted phoots. LOVED the view.

The PP hotel overall has fewer places to eat. There is a snack bar/drink bar poolside during peak hours (not open late). There is a lounge/bar inside that is open most of the time. There is Mickey's Surfs up breakfast that is open for breakfast and dinner (not open during a few mid-day hours though) so heads up that between room service that doesn't serve lunch and no "real" restaurant, lunch doesn't have many onsite options. Room service has been good the couple times we used it.

The lobby is much smaller and not "as fancy" as DLH, but it's still nice. There is an arcade and a cartoon room for the kids (great esp during check in). I've stayed there twice and I was very happy. It is definitely not as well rounded with a "resort" feel that GCH/DLH are, but staff is very attentive there- faster and friendlier IMO than DLH. It's smaller by far than the Grand or DLH, so it will feel smaller but a little more intimate and more centrally concentrated.

It wouldn't be my first pick, but when it's my budgets pick, I'm happy. Would absolutely stay there again.