PP vs DLH vs Grand???

[kkmcan]

So I am planning our first on property stay (just 2 nights at the end of a 5 night trip in Oct and our last time to use our AP's) and I keep going back and forth on which hotel. So let me tell you what we are looking for and maybe someone can help me decide which one to book. Fun pool, coffee maker, which rooms have the pull out sofa bed?

1) Was leaning towards the DLH because of the new monorail slides but I wasn't sure if these were good for a 15 and 12 year old. If adults could do them as well?? We'd also like the light up headboards and the extra space that the Grand rooms don't have. We will try to utilize the monorail as much as possible to shorten the walk.

2) Paradise Pier could be fun too if we upgraded to a view room. But I"ve heard the elevators are slow and I wasn't sure about the pool there. Would my kids like it??

3) The Grand although gorgeous, I think would just be a hotel room. Much smaller rooms and I don't think I can afford an upgraded view room. Pool has a slide but isn't it kind of small???

Lastly, do any of these rooms have coffee makers in them??? That could really make it or break it for me. Gotta have coffee as soon as I wake up.

Thanks for your help!

 

[nicolispicoli]

I can only speak for DLH, but we love it there! The slides look like a lot of fun, we didn't take our little ones at the weather wasn't making that work. I am leaning towards PPH concierge for our next trip just to try it out. I still can't bring myself to spend the GCH moola, in addition to the fact that we want the extra space and can't afford a great view.

I know that all the rooms all all resort hotels have coffeemakers. If for some reason they weren't already in the room, which I doubt, they are available upon request. I will say the coffeemakers at DLH even after the upgrade are still sad single brewers of sad coffee, but for me, any coffee works in the AM!

 

[taaren]

If you're all about the pool, then DLH wins hands down.

For my DS5, he likes the GCH pool, because he's intimidated by the monorail slide. The adults in our group, however, loved it, because we are big kids at heart. So yes, your 15 and 12 year old will enjoy the monorail pool slides.

I like GCH for the proximity, and the pool is nice, but DLH has that beat, and the rooms feel a lot more spacious which will be nice with two teens.

Haven't stayed at PPH yet, but my understanding is that the pool is the size of a postage stamp.

Sorry not a coffee drinker so I'm not sure about whether or not any of them do (well, the Villas at GC do, but that doesn't help much...). Updated: DH says DLH has a coffeemaker.

 

[DizMe]

Well, I agree with taaren!

DLH is really fun and the rooms are a better size. GCH rooms aren't a whole lot smaller but small enough that most don't include a sofa. DLH rooms have all the fun additions and the grounds are the best, IMO, as are the shops & restaurants. It is also very convenient to the monorail, RFC, and other shops/restaurants I like (Jazz Kitchen beignets!!). They used to serve free coffee in the lobby but I'm not sure whether or not that's still true. I think the new places, Tangaroa Terrace and Trader Sam's, are superior to anything at GCH and the new outdoor fireplace area is really nice.

GCH is amazing and your teens will feel very special if they stay there. The pool area is very nice but the waterslide is not as cool as the monorail slides. They do have the beautiful lobby that is fun to hang out in by the fireplace (it has a mirror-image fireplace on the outside, too) and the entrance to DCA is super. The restaurants are pricier by quite a bit except for Whitewater Snacks, which IMO is not a restaurant but a fast food-type place. I also dislike their food, but most people love it so that's just me. The chicken nachos are a huge favorite, for instance, but that fakey cheese goo just grosses me out. Still, they have good options for quick eats and GCH is in the heart of DTD as well.

PPH is nothing special. The view rooms do have fabulous views and the rooms are a good size, but other than that, there isn't much to recommend it. The hotel is old and tired, lacks much Disney feel, is farther away from most things, requires crossing streets to get anywhere and is a definite 3rd place on restaurants. I don't know much about the pool as it was closed during our entire stay, but it didn't look very interesting at all. The rooms do not have as high a quality as the other two Disney hotels. The lobby is small and uninteresting and the gift shop looks like what you'd find at an airport. The price, though, can be quite a bit better than DLH or GCH, but for 2 nights I'd spend a little more and go to one of the other 2 hotels. PPH has no grounds to speak of and is really not a resort at all, just a hotel.

That's my very biased view! I think you'd be happy with either DLH or GCH. Your kids would love either one so pick where you think you'd be happiest!

 

[kkmcan]

excellent replies. Thanks so much! Think we will stick with DLH.

 

[nana50]

Ditto for me on the pools. I went in March with my 9 year old grand daughters and we all enjoyed the slides including me! The pools are fabulous, the rooms are beautiful and roomy. The only down-side is there isn't a semi-casual place to eat dinner. My kids hate sweet potato fries. So Tangara terrace is out. So is Goofy's as it is too expensive! We go to Rain Forest Cafe, not my favorite but reasonable and an extensive menu for everyone.

 

[coaches24]

I am going to try PP as I just changed our reservation. I forgot to ask the person on the phone about MM. Do we get multiple magic mornings since we are staying at the PPH? We will be there from Mon-Fri with park days being Mon-Thurs. Does that mean we get MM on Tue and Th? The email confirmation shows the same one MM per person as it did when we first booked for the dersert palms.

 

[Jmaddog]

Yes, by staying at a Disney hotel on site, you get all the magic mornings in spite of what your ticket package tells you.

 

[coaches24]

Yes, by staying at a Disney hotel on site, you get all the magic mornings in spite of what your ticket package tells you.

Good to know thanks.