Question on a Disneyland resort?

[cgbsilver@hotmail.co]

I am a DVC member, going to Disneyland for the first time. Children 12, 8, and 3 all girls. Here is the question?

Should I rent my points out and pay out of pocket for the Disneyland Hotel? Or Should I use my points to stay at the Grand Californian hotel?

Not sure what to do, afraid if I go DVC might loose some of the magic--

 

[hookedup]

I would post this on the Disneyland board or the DVC boards.
In my opinion the Grand CA complex is amazing and the location is great.

 

[nurse.darcy]

Stayed at GCV, it was beautiful and quite awesome. There is an entrance directly into California Adventure Park, which was awesome, and a walkway to DTD that head you over the Disneyland Park. You would not miss the magic at all staying here.

However, since I grew up 20 minutes from DLR, I usually stay offsite. There are some very well located offsite hotels. They are not as nice as the GCV of course. Some of them are actually closer than the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel. However, most of them are moderate or value style though very well kept. If you are used to DVC, you should probably stick with staying at GCV. You will love it and your stay will be awesome.

 

[brergnat]

The GCH is lots of points, but totally worth it! I love that hotel. Your kids would love it too.

IF you are going in the summer, DEFINITELY stay here. The pool complex is amazing.

The DLH is undergoing a lot of construction right now. Might not be the best place to stay.

I would either use points and stay at GCH, or completely go the opposite way and stay offsite to save some money.

 

[cgbsilver@hotmail.co]

The GCH is lots of points, but totally worth it! I love that hotel. Your kids would love it too.

IF you are going in the summer, DEFINITELY stay here. The pool complex is amazing.

The DLH is undergoing a lot of construction right now. Might not be the best place to stay.

I would either use points and stay at GCH, or completely go the opposite way and stay offsite to save some money.

Going in the winter, Does this make a difference or is it still the best choice?

 

[Lynne M]

I'm going to move thIs over to the Disneyland board for you.

 

[blackjackdelta]

Maybe some one can straighten this out for me. Where can you not stay after the villas were built at the Grand. I thought at least on of the hotels was off limits? On points that is.

Jack

 

[brergnat]

Going in the winter, Does this make a difference or is it still the best choice?

Well, you can't swim here in the winter. It's cold. But, the GCH is really beautiful and cozy in winter. The huge fireplace is nice, BUT you don't have to stay there to enjoy the common areas.

How much money do you want to spend on this trip? I think that's more what this is all about.

I 110% recommend the GCH anytime of year, but if money (or use of points) is an issue, you will likely regret shelling out so much simply for a good location to the parks.

 

[cgbsilver@hotmail.co]

Well, you can't swim here in the winter. It's cold. But, the GCH is really beautiful and cozy in winter. The huge fireplace is nice, BUT you don't have to stay there to enjoy the common areas.

How much money do you want to spend on this trip? I think that's more what this is all about.

I 110% recommend the GCH anytime of year, but if money (or use of points) is an issue, you will likely regret shelling out so much simply for a good location to the parks.

How do I put this without it sounding bad?
Money is not really an issue in this case, my question regarding the GCH compared to the Disneyland hotel was more centered around the Disney experience as a whole. I just was not sure if I would miss out on the Diseny feeling, if I did not stay in the Disneyland hotel. It looks like a kid friendly fun family oriented resort. But if I can get that same feeling at the GCH, be at a better hotel and less walking I would prefer it and will gladly spend the extra $ and/or points.

LOL.. I think I just answered my own question. Thanks a lot for your help. I showed both hotels to my 11 year old and she voted for the GCH.

 

[brergnat]

How do I put this without it sounding bad?
Money is not really an issue in this case, my question regarding the GCH compared to the Disneyland hotel was more centered around the Disney experience as a whole. I just was not sure if I would miss out on the Diseny feeling, if I did not stay in the Disneyland hotel. It looks like a kid friendly fun family oriented resort. But if I can get that same feeling at the GCH, be at a better hotel and less walking I would prefer it and will gladly spend the extra $ and/or points.

LOL.. I think I just answered my own question. Thanks a lot for your help. I showed both hotels to my 11 year old and she voted for the GCH.

I am SO sorry...I totally missed that you were debating between DLH and GCH. Brain fog...

Your daughter made an EXCELLENT choice! For what it's worth, I live local (like, REALLY local...less than 15 miles away). Our family has lived here for 6 years, and we have stayed on property at GCH three times (for 3 nights each) and Paradise Pier once (never again!). I have never, ever had any desire to stay at the DLH. To ME, in it's CURRENT state, it is almost the LEAST "Disney" hotel (compared to the resorts at WDW in Florida). It feels cheap and old. Sure, the lobby where you check in has Disney art on the walls and the carpet is themed, but that's about where it ends inside the buildings. Outside, it also feels pretty generic, especially the pool which is LAME by Disney standards!

I have spent a LOT of time exploring all the hotels at DLR. Trust me. The DLH has none of that "resort" atmosphere. It's a hotel. Just like it says in the name.

AFTER the refurbishment is complete on that place, though, it looks to be an AMAZING place to stay. So, we'll revisit that in a couple years.

GCH is a true "resort". It's beautiful, relaxing, upscale, has excellent dining options, a kids club, nice large arcade, gorgeous rooms and great service. The only way I can recommend making it better is by staying Concierge, if that's an option for you. Talk about being spoiled!!!

The way I think of GCH is Wilderness Lodge + Grand Floridian. If you smashed them together, you'd end up with the GCH.

Have a great trip!

 

[disneychrista]

The Grand Californian has the "feel" of the Wilderness Lodge to it. If I could afford it this is where I would stay. I do not have any desire to stay at any of the other disney properties.

 

[bumbershoot]

I am soooooo different than the others.

PPH is my absolute fave of the 3 onsite hotels. It's bright, cheery, smells of suntan lotion, and has large rooms with a pull-over couch-bed in every room.


On the opposite end, there's the Grand. Yes, the lobby is gorgeous (as long as the huge light-sucking xmas tree isn't there...I had Lasik several years ago and therefore cannot see well at all in dim lighting, and when the tree is there it just gets too dim for me to feel comfortable there). But the hotel rooms are very small, and our room was as far away from the center of the Esplanade as it would have been to walk from the sidewalk of Hojo (I mapped it out as carefully and truly as possible on mapmyrun).

Part of the deal with the Grand is that you get turndown service (not sure if this is true for the Villas) and they managed to forget about that one of our 3 nights. They have a clever way of doing the linens, where big baskets appear in the middle of the night, and they work from those instead of carts. But those linen baskets were out all day well into the later afternoon. For quite a bit of one day a fork sat in the middle of the hallway...on our way back for a break, I watched a Housekeeping CM see it and step *over* it. Later, the fork was on a table in the hallway. Ugh.

DLH is in the middle for me. Not good for my son at the moment, because he's still in a stage where he wants to play with and on things...and having that big tempting pirate ship in the pool area is just annoying to him (you can't touch it). Plus, the slide requires that people be strong swimmers who can leave the slide area immediately, and DS isn't quite there yet (though he's much better than when we stayed there for his 5th birthday!). The rooms were spacious, and I'm sure the renovated rooms will make me MUCH happier.

 

[bumbershoot]

Maybe some one can straighten this out for me. Where can you not stay after the villas were built at the Grand. I thought at least on of the hotels was off limits? On points that is.

Jack

You can still stay at DLH and PPH, but you cannot book Concierge at those hotels on points anymore (bummer b/c that's what we did at DLH!). You can't stay at the hotel-side of the Grand anymore (and I don't think the Villas have a concierge level).

 

[MCSfromWA]

I am a DVC member (VGC and BLT). We go to DLR more than WDW but have been at WDW a number of times. We will stay at DH if we need to -- in fact when we take our next trip we will stay there the night before we check into VGC. We have stayed at GC a number of times and love it. But when VGC opened -- we stayed there in a one bedroom on opening weekend. Wow! We were on the 6th floor and had a view of Paradise Pier in CA. You will not be disappointed. VGC and GH has a Disney feeling and having a private entrance into CA is amazing! I would use the points and go for VGC. I will only stay in another hotel if I can't get reservations at the villas from this point on.

 

[Disney Dreams]

GCH is amazing, beautiful, relaxing, enjoyable and wonderful.

DH and I live locally. We have had a few one night "getaways" at the GCH simply because we love it so much.

That's about all there is to say,
Dreams