Those of you that stay at DLR hotels, I need HELP!

[mt mommy]

So, I am planning a trip with MIL in Jan. 09. We have stayed at the DLH but we were very disappointed. We had terrible mousekeeping service and there was a youth group when we were there in 2006 and they were NOISY.

My dilemma is, I am a "hotel snob". Marriott is usually our choice. All of the Marriott's seem to far away from DLR.

What are anyone's thoughts on PPH or GCH? Is GCH worth the money? Is PPH too far? Should I risk trying to stay at the DLH again?

All of your thought would be great!!

THANKS!

 

[Jennifer03]

I've never stayed at the Grand Californian, but I stayed at Paradise Pier last year. I absolutely loved it there and did not feel that the walk was long at all. I love the beach theme that they have at Paradise Pier, and the park view is amazing (I happened to be upgraded for free). I have stayed at the Disneyland Hotel (Marina tower) twice and was not that impressed. I like the atmosphere at Paradise Pier better.

 

[nunzia]

I love the Grand Californian and just can't bear the thought of staying elsewhere when at Disney.

 

[boscoj]

From a fellow "hotel snob"...

If you can afford it, the GCH hands down! Just can't beat the location!!!

 

[LisainCalifornia]

I like staying at nice hotels as well--for us that is part of the vacation--staying at a really neat place.

When we go to Disneyland we either stay at the Disneyland Hotel or the Grand California. We actually like staying at the Disneyland Hotel more because of the extra space and good views. We always pay for a view room and specifically request certain floors or towers.

The Grand is wonderful as well, but different. The rooms are smaller and very dark in comparison to the DLH. The darkness stems from the dark decorations and smaller windows in the rooms. It is also a very short hotel--so if you pay for a premium view--expect to be underwhelmed on that side of it. There are some really special things about the Grand as well, though. The lobby is very cool with it's Yosemite feel, and it is very much a "fancy" hotel experience. It is the closest to the parks, obviously. I can understand why it is a favorite of many people.

I have not stayed at the PP, but it looks similar to the DLH to me. The rooms are spacious and the views are good. The walk is farther--but not so much that it is undoable. It takes about 3 minutes to walk from the DLH to PP. The pool is not as good in my opinion. It is a rectangle pool--and a small one at that.

One thing you might try is calling "Guest Services". Tell them about your past bad experience with the DLH, and ask them if there is anything that can be done to avoid that happening again. They may offer you a deal or to help you with your travel plans. I called after one trip after some bad experiences at the DLH, and the wonderful woman in guest services offered us a free night stay in the hotel. We took her up on it and went last December, having our best trip yet. Disneyland has great customer service if you give them the chance to "fix" things. If your room is noisy, by all means complain. If you are not satisfied with the response at the front desk, ask to speak to the manager, or even call guest services from the hotel. You are paying a lot of money to have a great hotel experience, and every effort should be made to make your stay a good one on their side.

Lisa

 

[pixiewings71]

I've stayed at PP and loved it. Cute room, well priced and fun! I wanted to take the little surfboard that they put all their toiletries on but I chickened out. LOL
I've also stayed at the GCH and loved it more. Hands down, if I can ever afford it again that's where I will be staying!! GREAT hotel, nice rooms, great atmosphere. If you can afford it do it! You won't regret it.

 

[spaceace510]

GCH was simply amazing. I loved it. The views were amazing and the location is prime! It is literally in the middle of property and everything is in good walking distance. I have some pictures in my trip report from last month you can check out

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1796905

 

[avalon451]

Stayed at GCH last time, love love loved it! It is very expensive. But if you can swing it, SOOOOOoo worth it! You just can't beat getting off Grizz River, soaking wet, and running right up to your hotel room through the private DCA entrance to change in a few minutes!

Staff go out of their way to be helpful. Decor is beautiful. Need an escape from your loving family for a few minutes? (I did, all that family togetherness got to me after 4 days! ) Just go hang out by the fireplace in the lobby and listen to the piano music for a while! Heavenly! Great pool, great restaurants, Whitewater Snacks for yummy nibbles.

Try to get a room near the lobby elevators, or a DTD view near the secret side door that lets out near La Brea bakery. (I think it's a fire escape door down the stairs in the far northeast wing? Saw the door from the outside, anyway, but couldn't find it from the inside! You can get out that way, but not back in.)

That's just a couple of thoughts off the top of my head. It was our first trip, so we majorly splurged. We're staying at HoJo's next time, and I'm very happy with that. But GCH was a really top-notch hotel!

HTH!

 

[mt mommy]

I like staying at nice hotels as well--for us that is part of the vacation--staying at a really neat place.

When we go to Disneyland we either stay at the Disneyland Hotel or the Grand California. We actually like staying at the Disneyland Hotel more because of the extra space and good views. We always pay for a view room and specifically request certain floors or towers.

The Grand is wonderful as well, but different. The rooms are smaller and very dark in comparison to the DLH. The darkness stems from the dark decorations and smaller windows in the rooms. It is also a very short hotel--so if you pay for a premium view--expect to be underwhelmed on that side of it. There are some really special things about the Grand as well, though. The lobby is very cool with it's Yosemite feel, and it is very much a "fancy" hotel experience. It is the closest to the parks, obviously. I can understand why it is a favorite of many people.

I have not stayed at the PP, but it looks similar to the DLH to me. The rooms are spacious and the views are good. The walk is farther--but not so much that it is undoable. It takes about 3 minutes to walk from the DLH to PP. The pool is not as good in my opinion. It is a rectangle pool--and a small one at that.

One thing you might try is calling "Guest Services". Tell them about your past bad experience with the DLH, and ask them if there is anything that can be done to avoid that happening again. They may offer you a deal or to help you with your travel plans. I called after one trip after some bad experiences at the DLH, and the wonderful woman in guest services offered us a free night stay in the hotel. We took her up on it and went last December, having our best trip yet. Disneyland has great customer service if you give them the chance to "fix" things. If your room is noisy, by all means complain. If you are not satisfied with the response at the front desk, ask to speak to the manager, or even call guest services from the hotel. You are paying a lot of money to have a great hotel experience, and every effort should be made to make your stay a good one on their side.

Lisa

You all have had such great input, as always!!

Lisa, I am reluctant to try DLH still. When we had the noisy room a few years ago, when I tried calling the front desk at 11:30, NO ONE ANSWERED!! I tried again and let it ring 20 times before talking to someone. Then when I did, they didn't seem like they cared that the others staying in the hotel were noisy.

I may call disney directly to see what they say about promising me that I'll have a better stay.

Thanks again for the input!

 

[nunzia]

Stayed at GCH last time, love love loved it! It is very expensive. But if you can swing it, SOOOOOoo worth it! You just can't beat getting off Grizz River, soaking wet, and running right up to your hotel room through the private DCA entrance to change in a few minutes!

Staff go out of their way to be helpful. Decor is beautiful. Need an escape from your loving family for a few minutes? (I did, all that family togetherness got to me after 4 days! ) Just go hang out by the fireplace in the lobby and listen to the piano music for a while! Heavenly! Great pool, great restaurants, Whitewater Snacks for yummy nibbles.

Try to get a room near the lobby elevators, or a DTD view near the secret side door that lets out near La Brea bakery. (I think it's a fire escape door down the stairs in the far northeast wing? Saw the door from the outside, anyway, but couldn't find it from the inside! You can get out that way, but not back in.)

That's just a couple of thoughts off the top of my head. It was our first trip, so we majorly splurged. We're staying at HoJo's next time, and I'm very happy with that. But GCH was a really top-notch hotel!

HTH!

Yep, the fifth floor has that exit...the fire stairs. Very convenient. However, you can get out, but not back in! (stayed on fifth floor in 06 and we came out to go to la Brea for breakfast. door clicks shut..we are trapped in that little grass area while the 10,000 half marathoners are running by, so eventually call another in our party to come down (in her robe) and open the door so was can get back in.

 

[toocherie]

I also was less than impressed with customer service at DLH--plus I thought the rooms were "old and tired" looking. I am staying next at the PPH--but have stayed a couple of times at the GCH and love that too.

 

[MPHARJ]

I haven't been able to afford a stay at GCH yet, some day, but we stayed at PP last year and are again this year. The hotel was always clean and the rooms are so nice and spacious. We stayed conceirge and are again and it was so worth it. Good luck in your decision.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

I liked the DLH in October... but now after staying at the GCH we will never stay anywhere else... I have to second (or third) the convenience factor... practically every day we left DL after lunch, crossed straight over to CA and went in to our hotel--after grabbing Soarin' FPs--through our private entrance... was so much quicker feeling (not sure if it was actually faster) than going through DTD to the GCH.

One of my favorite touches was the dimmer switches on the reading lights above the beds... my dm came with us this time, and dd and I shared a bed, so we turned out our light and dm read for a few by her lights--dimmed so she wouldn't bother us... nice touch.

Also we loved the express breakfast option--and I don't remember it at the DLH but it might have been there... you fill out the menu the night before and hang it on your door, with your choice of delivery times... we did this twice and both times our breakfast was delivered exactly on time (7 am on the nose) and hot and delicious!!

Oh and if you are pool person, I thought that the GCH pools were much warmer (although not as cool themed) as the DLH. Especially the little 1.5 foot deep kiddy pool that dd loved to splash in.

--Lisa

 

[stacymomof2]

We had a great stay at DLH and we wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.

Although, if we do go back in October, we'll be staying at the HoJo...less $$ to have to save!! I'd rather get to go again and stay at a less $$ hotel than not be able to go again.

We walked through the lobby at GCH and it was beautiful, but the room description and pics I've seen, a LOT smaller than our room at DLH. Didn't get to check out the PPH.

Good luck with your decision! Either way, you'll be a DISNEYLAND!!

 

[BumbleCake]

We really enjoyed our stay at GCH last year. We liked the room, decor, lobby, Storyteller's Cafe, Whitewater snacks, and the staff...but the proximity to the parks was the BEST feature. After a long day and getting a bite to eat in DTD, just to walk right up to your hotel room within minutes was a luxury (with little one in tow and being 7 months pregnant at the time too!) This year we've opted to go to DLR more often than our previous years so the $$ at GCH simply isn't doable for us this year. Go HoJo! Hope this info helps in making your decision.

 

[amyamya]

I've stayed at PP once and DLH three times. We are booked at the DLH for our upcoming trip but I am waiting for the AP discounts to hopefully get rooms at GCH. Basically the PP and DLH are non-Disney properties that were purchased by Disney and Disney-fied, if you will. PP has a subtle theme where DLH is in my mind the old school Disney property, emphasis on the OLD. The hotel is from the 60's, it is in dire need of a refurb. The rooms are bigger than GCH because they are older, they are also very noisy. Yes, the grounds are cool and the pool has awesome theming, but I liked it better before they built DTD. It is a hard choice , but if you are dead set on Disney property and a true hotel "snob"-- stay at the GCH. I'm afraid you will be disappointed if you stay anywhere else. My parents have stayed at GCH and were really impressed, altho your room can be a hike so request a room near the elevator.

 

[spaceace510]

When we were there, we did have quite a hike to the room, but i think the view was well worth it. We had a DTD view and was amazing. Not only did we get to see DTD, but every night, if we were in the room, we could watch the DL fireworks from our room, it was great! Also we could hear and see the DTD street performers, but only when we opened to door, the rooms have been sound proofed very well
here is a pic of part of our DTD view

 

[mt mommy]

I've stayed at PP once and DLH three times. We are booked at the DLH for our upcoming trip but I am waiting for the AP discounts to hopefully get rooms at GCH. Basically the PP and DLH are non-Disney properties that were purchased by Disney and Disney-fied, if you will. PP has a subtle theme where DLH is in my mind the old school Disney property, emphasis on the OLD. The hotel is from the 60's, it is in dire need of a refurb. The rooms are bigger than GCH because they are older, they are also very noisy. Yes, the grounds are cool and the pool has awesome theming, but I liked it better before they built DTD. It is a hard choice , but if you are dead set on Disney property and a true hotel "snob"-- stay at the GCH. I'm afraid you will be disappointed if you stay anywhere else. My parents have stayed at GCH and were really impressed, altho your room can be a hike so request a room near the elevator.

Thanks so much for all of the input, I'm trying to justify the cost of the GCH. We'll have to either get 2 rooms, or a suite with MIL. It will cost a FORTUNE! But, we'll see. All of you have had such GREAT input, thanks so much!!

 

[amyamya]

Thanks so much for all of the input, I'm trying to justify the cost of the GCH. We'll have to either get 2 rooms, or a suite with MIL. It will cost a FORTUNE! But, we'll see. All of you have had such GREAT input, thanks so much!!

If your MIL is 60 or over you can get the senior rate which is 30% off the room rate for two rooms. Your MIL has to be present at check-in. Sometimes this is better than the AP rate, other times not.

 

[mt mommy]

If your MIL is 60 or over you can get the senior rate which is 30% off the room rate for two rooms. Your MIL has to be present at check-in. Sometimes this is better than the AP rate, other times not.

OH, Yeah GREAT INFO amyamya!!!

I'll check into it, thanks!!!