- Joined
- Jan 7, 2005
- Messages
- 704
We stayed at the PPH on Monday (room 1210, $258 including tax with AP discount). My wife chose it because we have never stayed there before as a family, and we had already made overnight trips earlier this year to both the DLH and GCH. While I was a little nervous about staying there, since it seemed like it would be a huge step-down not only from GCH but from DLH as well, it did have some surprise touches that made for a nice trip. I don't think we'll be back, however.
This hotel's niche is the view of the Paradise Pier area of DCA, but that is a bit of a misperception. For a Disney Geek, the view is pretty fascinating, at least for a one-time stay. Unlike the romantic, immediate view of DCA that you get from GCH, PPH mainly affords you a backstage view of the park and the Timon or CM parking lot adjacent to ToT that, from a high view, practically dwarfs the park. On the positive side, it was exciting to watch the Electrical Parade from this vantage point. The thrill of watching the almost 30 floats light up simultaneously right before the parade begins easily surpasses any Christmas-tree lighting experience. The essential accompanying music was almost as loud in our room as if we were on the parade route. It was also fun to be able to see the entire expanse of the parade in one eyeful. For those wishing a more romantic view of the park during non-parade times or one where the magic is uninterrupted, though, you may be disappointed to see the backstage areas, with their views of, among other things, backsides of restaurants and attractions, CMs collecting garbage and standing around taking their breaks, etc., and of course, the omnipresent parking lot. Those hoping for a view of the fireworks will be disappointed, since you only see the displays over the castle area and not the big explosions. You can view them from the pool area, though, where they pipe in the music as well, which is a unique amenity to this hotel.
The pool area is even more guilty of false advertising, as it is billed as a rooftop pool. I guess it qualifies for that description technically, since it's on top of main area of the hotel (registration, ballrooms, etc.), which is only two floors high. Those picturing a pool on top of the 15-story tower will be disappointed. While the hotel as a whole is sparsely themed (it's pretty obvious that Mickey was an add-on to a somewhat aging property rather than an organic part of its inception), the pool area is completely devoid of character. For some reason, a large expanse of the deck area sits empty and unused, a shocking contrast to the bustle and crowds of the DLH's and GCH's pool areas. The water slide is the longest ride of the three and does not empty into a pool, much like the Mickey pool on the Disney cruise ships, which makes it the only pool which does not require that you be able to swim to use it. The CM explained that children as young as two years old have gone down it, though they must have been pretty brave, and that even wheelchair-bound guests have been allowed a try. I thought it was a lot of fun, especially if you go down on your back. The baby pool is considerably larger than the one at the GCH, while the main pool is considerably smaller than the other DLR pools; it reminded me of the Goofy pool on the Disney cruise ships. There is only one jacuzzi which was barely used on the hot June days we were there, though I imagine it would be extremely packed on colder days. There was ample room for more spas on the neighboring decks, and it is strange that so much space goes unused. Another big negative of the pool area was the views, which again, are mostly of parking lots, this time, those of the hotel and DLR/Downtown Disney. Finally, I was surprised at the number of smokers in the pool area, which detracted from the experience and required some effort to find a place away from them. All the tables had ashtrays, which was also something I did not notice at DLH or GCH, and PPH clearly appears to be the most smoker-friendly of all the DLR hotels.
As for the guest room, we appreciated having a day bed for our two-year-old son, which may be unique to this on-site property. This is the first time staying in a hotel room with our son since he outgrew cribs, so the day bed was a real plus. On the negative side, PPH is the only on-site hotel which does not have balconies (while it may be a stretch to say DLH has balconies, at least you can open the windows and step outside a very small distance), creating at least for my wife a somewhat claustrophobic effect. Unless there was a trick I missed, you could not even open the PPH windows. Another note of interest mainly, if not only, to Disney geeks is the concept artwork that decorates the rooms. One large drawing depicted an early version of the Paradise Pier area, which proposed a log ride whose course ran almost intertwined with California Screaming and would have actually intersected that ride; the drop would have gone through the roller coaster. Even though the ride was completely unthemed, it would have been fun to experience dropping through another ride. It would have resulted in an extremely cluttered Paradise Pier, however.
In summary, Disney geeks would be well-advised to stay at this hotel, assuming that you had a high floor, theme park view, in high season, at least once for the experience of watching the Electrical Parade from a backstage view. Everyone else will be better off staying at the GCH, if you can afford the splurge, or DLH, if you can't. I'll be happy to answer any questions.
TIP: Be aware that the parking lot has no elevator, so you need to drop off your luggage before finding a parking spot, unless you want to lug it down the stairs.
This hotel's niche is the view of the Paradise Pier area of DCA, but that is a bit of a misperception. For a Disney Geek, the view is pretty fascinating, at least for a one-time stay. Unlike the romantic, immediate view of DCA that you get from GCH, PPH mainly affords you a backstage view of the park and the Timon or CM parking lot adjacent to ToT that, from a high view, practically dwarfs the park. On the positive side, it was exciting to watch the Electrical Parade from this vantage point. The thrill of watching the almost 30 floats light up simultaneously right before the parade begins easily surpasses any Christmas-tree lighting experience. The essential accompanying music was almost as loud in our room as if we were on the parade route. It was also fun to be able to see the entire expanse of the parade in one eyeful. For those wishing a more romantic view of the park during non-parade times or one where the magic is uninterrupted, though, you may be disappointed to see the backstage areas, with their views of, among other things, backsides of restaurants and attractions, CMs collecting garbage and standing around taking their breaks, etc., and of course, the omnipresent parking lot. Those hoping for a view of the fireworks will be disappointed, since you only see the displays over the castle area and not the big explosions. You can view them from the pool area, though, where they pipe in the music as well, which is a unique amenity to this hotel.
The pool area is even more guilty of false advertising, as it is billed as a rooftop pool. I guess it qualifies for that description technically, since it's on top of main area of the hotel (registration, ballrooms, etc.), which is only two floors high. Those picturing a pool on top of the 15-story tower will be disappointed. While the hotel as a whole is sparsely themed (it's pretty obvious that Mickey was an add-on to a somewhat aging property rather than an organic part of its inception), the pool area is completely devoid of character. For some reason, a large expanse of the deck area sits empty and unused, a shocking contrast to the bustle and crowds of the DLH's and GCH's pool areas. The water slide is the longest ride of the three and does not empty into a pool, much like the Mickey pool on the Disney cruise ships, which makes it the only pool which does not require that you be able to swim to use it. The CM explained that children as young as two years old have gone down it, though they must have been pretty brave, and that even wheelchair-bound guests have been allowed a try. I thought it was a lot of fun, especially if you go down on your back. The baby pool is considerably larger than the one at the GCH, while the main pool is considerably smaller than the other DLR pools; it reminded me of the Goofy pool on the Disney cruise ships. There is only one jacuzzi which was barely used on the hot June days we were there, though I imagine it would be extremely packed on colder days. There was ample room for more spas on the neighboring decks, and it is strange that so much space goes unused. Another big negative of the pool area was the views, which again, are mostly of parking lots, this time, those of the hotel and DLR/Downtown Disney. Finally, I was surprised at the number of smokers in the pool area, which detracted from the experience and required some effort to find a place away from them. All the tables had ashtrays, which was also something I did not notice at DLH or GCH, and PPH clearly appears to be the most smoker-friendly of all the DLR hotels.
As for the guest room, we appreciated having a day bed for our two-year-old son, which may be unique to this on-site property. This is the first time staying in a hotel room with our son since he outgrew cribs, so the day bed was a real plus. On the negative side, PPH is the only on-site hotel which does not have balconies (while it may be a stretch to say DLH has balconies, at least you can open the windows and step outside a very small distance), creating at least for my wife a somewhat claustrophobic effect. Unless there was a trick I missed, you could not even open the PPH windows. Another note of interest mainly, if not only, to Disney geeks is the concept artwork that decorates the rooms. One large drawing depicted an early version of the Paradise Pier area, which proposed a log ride whose course ran almost intertwined with California Screaming and would have actually intersected that ride; the drop would have gone through the roller coaster. Even though the ride was completely unthemed, it would have been fun to experience dropping through another ride. It would have resulted in an extremely cluttered Paradise Pier, however.
In summary, Disney geeks would be well-advised to stay at this hotel, assuming that you had a high floor, theme park view, in high season, at least once for the experience of watching the Electrical Parade from a backstage view. Everyone else will be better off staying at the GCH, if you can afford the splurge, or DLH, if you can't. I'll be happy to answer any questions.
TIP: Be aware that the parking lot has no elevator, so you need to drop off your luggage before finding a parking spot, unless you want to lug it down the stairs.
I still think PPH sounds neat, but I wonder why they don't have safes in the room? Like DLH and CGH but yet they have the day bed couch? 
When I booked the 
My family of 5 just returned home from the PPH and we had a great time! Now I will agree that the lobby at the Grand is fab, but I dont really hang out there. I also love the fact that the pool at the PPH is less crowded then at the other two hotels. The staff at the pool is really helpful. What room did you stay in? Also if you book far enough in advance you can save $$$. I paid $194 a night, alot for me! I normally pay about $129--$165 a night in the same room with the view on the 8th floor. We stayed 6 days and loved it. 
The smokeing at the pool is a bummer! I wish they did not even allow it!
