Sequoia Lodge vs. Holiday Inn

[Carlos_L]

Hi,

I'm planning our first trip to DLP (4 nights in mid-June). We are a family of 4 (we have 2 kids, aged 8 and 13).

I checked some hotel informations and reviews and for the time being we're mainly interested in Sequoia Lodge and Holiday Inn, although we still can consider another alternative...

I read a number of reviews with references to crowds and very long queues for the breakfast and other hotels services and I'm wondering about it. Those reviews are more related to Sequoia Lodge.

So the questions are: which are the pros and cons of these 2 hotels ? are these breakfast crowds so bad ? is this also applicable to Holiday Inn ? should I also consider another hotel for the same range ?

 

[jillrobinson]

For me it has to be a Disney hotel, having said that I have never stayed offsite so can't fairly compare.
With regard to breakfast I think you'll find queues wherever you stay if you choose to take breakfast between 8.00 and 9.00. We try to be at breakfast between 7.00 and 7.30, it does mean getting up early but it's so worth it and you can be at the Park gates for EMH.
So here are my pro's for staying at the Sequoia Lodge.
(1)Location, location, location.
No shuttles buses - it's a beautiful stroll from the SL through the Village to the Parks, takes about 10 - 15 mins from the hotel to the park gate.
(2)Extra Magic Hours, getting in the park 2 hours before the rest of the guests.
(3)The opportunity to have a Good Morning Fantasyland Breakfast.
(4)Keeping the magic going when the park is closed. I love seeing characters wandering around the hotel, my children - boys, incidently are the same age as yours and not really into the characters but it makes my day if I get to say Good Morning to one of them on the way to breakfast.
(5)Goofy's wakeup call, I get really excited about this - I know I'm sad.
(6)We have never made it to the swimming pool, but I believe from what I've read the SL is superior to the Holiday Inn one.

Cons
(1)Sleeping arrangements, 2 x queen beds, might not be suitable for you, my 2 are just resigned to the fact that they have to share, but they don't like it.
(2)I actually don't like the SL very much, but we hardly use the hotel. We spend the day in the parks, usually have an evening meal in the village after the park closes, shopping or just wandering and a night cap either in the village or back at the hotel.
(3)More expensive than offsite,

Hope this helps, I'm sure someone else will be along soon with their opinion too.

 

[di$neyf@n]

I have to say that if this is the only time you are going to visit DLP then stay in a Disney hotel. Although we stayed at the SL once and did not have a pleasant experience, many people have stayed there and love it. We have 4 kids (15,13,9,8) so to stay at Disney hotels we have to get 2 rooms and we never seem to get together which I personally don't like. The walk from SL is very close, the pool is just ok. The one at Davy Crockett ranch is better but we had a not so pleasant experience in the cabins also.

If you plan to come more than once in a year, invest in the fantasy or dream (can't remember which we had- the most expensive one) annual passes as these give you free parking, 10% discount at restaurants and 20% discount in stores and stay off site which costs less because you still get EMH. We would usually stay off site at the Explorers where our family could be together and if you are driving- bonus. I extremly dislike shuttle buses and we would park at the NY hotel parking lot.

That being said if you want to see charaters defininitly choose a Disney hotel because it is so much easier to get pictures and autographs than fighting with people in the park as they do not have lines for characters in most of the places and it can get nasty. That is the one major thing I wish DLP would fix...

Hope that helps a little.

 

[Carlos_L]

Thanks for your help.

I hope someone else can add something...

 

[tennisfan]

I've stayed in the SL a few times & have never had a problem. When others have said the queue went all the way up the stairs for breakfast, doesn't surprise me as the restaurants are only a few steps away from the stairs, all the hotels are busy after 8am for breakfast. Although the queue usually moves pretty quick.

I think also depending on the time of the year, during peak times they have both restaurants open to serve breakfast which helps keeps the queues to a minimum.

I have stayed on site & off site, given the choice onsite wins all the time for me.