For the PPH you have to put down a first nights deposit when you book the room right?
I WANT to make a reservation for 2 nights in december before it books up but I really dont have the money to put down money for one night right now....$280
But, i dont want to get stuck staying across harbor blvd b/c its just me and my friend and i feel better if we stay at one of teh disney hotels rather than across the street.
Also, what is teh cancellation policy for the hotels?
I know for WDW its 5 days for hotel only and if you cancel after that you have to pay the first night rate but im not sure about DL
Okay, let me see if I can address some of your questions/points (I've stayed at PPH many times, as well as stayed at the other 2 DLR hotels).
First of all, I don't think you have to worry about anything at the PPH booking up this early. If you do not have the $$$ to book now and hold a room, then I would start looking into making a reservation in September, or maybe even as late as early October. I wouldn't wait much longer than early October, though. So this will give you time to set aside money for one night's deposit.
Second, if you do not have an Annual Pass (you can get cheaper rooms - and sometimes really great rates - with an AP discount), then do you have
AAA? I believe you can get a 10% discount on the hotels with AAA, though I could be wrong on that.
Third - the cancellation policy is that if you make a reservation through
Room-Only Reservations (meaning do
not order a package with tickets included, because packages have different policies often times), you have to put one night's deposit plus 15% tax down up front, BUT just like at WDW, you have all the way up until 5 days prior to your arrival to cancel without penalty. This means if you have a change of plans 5 or more days out from your trip, you can cancel and get a full refund. Again, this only works with Room-Only Reservations and not packages.
Fourth - if you are
only choosing to stay at PPH because it appears closer in distance than the Harbor hotels, many folks on DIS will clarify for you that a few of the off-property hotels are actually closer in distance, but you walk in a totally different direction to get to and from the gates. Now, I, personally, always stay onsite at one of the 3 DLR hotels because, for me, it completes the overall Disney experience. But it is not cheap. In fact, as an AP holder, even though great rates are available often times, you have to jump on them and snap them up while they are available, and I have missed out on some good rates here and there by not acting quickly enough.
The PPH is right across the street from the main hub of activity that interconnects DTD, the GCH, the DLH and the entrances to the 2 parks. PPH almost seems like it is on its own little island, but it is not far at all. I think people make a bigger deal out of the walk across the street than is necessary. It seems far at first but then you get used to it. It really IS right across the street (
Disneyland Drive). Lots of folks go to the PPH because that is where the Lilo and Stitch breakfast is. What you do is, from the PPH, go out the front entrance, veer to the left, cross the street and cut through the lovely lobby of the GCH and out onto DTD, onward to the parks. That is called "the short cut." It is really a quite pleasant walk that keeps you engaged and in the Disney 'mode' the whole time. If you follow the signs from the PPH to the parks, it will seem like you are walking forever. So use the short cut and it is a piece of cake.
So it boils down to what you want from your DLR experience - if you want to save money and book now, then you may want to just book Hojo's or something else off-property. Tropicana is directly across Harbor from DLR. If you really want to stay at PPH and get the perks that come with being a hotel guest and stay immersed in that Disney feeling, then you can probably get away with waiting until late September/early October to reserve your room before anything books up.
By the way, three out of my last four visits to DLR in the last 2 years have included a stay at PPH (and I have stayed there in past years as well), so in my Trip Report (link below in signature), I share my experiences from last year's October stay (not good) and last year's December stay (very good), which includes photos of the room. Check it out if you can!
Hmmm now back to planning! 
