Trying to Decide if Disneyland Hotel is best...

[pokee99]

Hi everyone,

We're seriously considering DLH for our trip in March. We are willing to pay the extra $$$ and deal with construction because:

1. It's so close to the park - ability to take the monrail back and forth - our kids aren't walkers (we'll probably have to take frequent breaks and maybe even get a stroller for our 5 year old). We need something convenient and fast (shuttles/taxis would be okay, but not as appealing as the monorail).

2. We'll be staying a week and getting a 4 day hopper pass - which means we can get early entry Tue, Thu, Sat & Sun.

3. Renovated rooms - since most of the rooms will be renoed by then, we have a good chance of getting a brand new room - which we like.

We are quite disappointed that the pool will be closed for construction but I have heard they have another pool (the Cove pool?) that will be open AND they are allowing DLH guests access to the pool at the Grand Californian? Do they have a shuttle that goes to the other Disney properties? I don't want to put too much weight on the whole pool thing (it WILL be chilly after all, and there will be a TON of other things to do) - but we can't stay at a hotel without a pool - it just seems wrong!!!

I know a lot of people have suggested staying at the Grand Californian or Paradise Pier, but I REALLY like the idea of the monorail for the kids -- and DLH is a tad cheaper.

Any advice? This is their first trip, and I want to make it as special as possible. Also want to make it as EASY as possible - as DH (aka kid#3) is a grumpy pants - so HE is the one I need to make things easy for. All those lines in the park drive him insane, so if the hotel experience is easy and simple, this will greatly help our experience.

Thanks in advance!

 

[sjs314]

The monorail is not right at the DL Hotel like it is at CR,Poly GF in WDW, there is a walk from the Hotel thru the Downtown area before you reach the monorail so you will need a stroller if you children don't walk, it is not that far but with little ones it might be.

 

[DizNee Luver]

We loved the DLH.....before the renovations for the nostalgia. As for being close to the park.......if the monorail is down (which does happen), the motels on Harbor Blvd are actually closer & an easier walk. Making your way thru DTD can sometimes take some work....depending on the crowds.

The GCH is the closest hotel with a special entrance into DCA.

I believe that PPH may be the furthest away.....but you can cut thru the GCH to get to DTD.

I'm not sure what the pool situation will be.......

Staying on property does give you that extra magic.....you just need to figure out what will fit your needs (and budget).

We find we don't spend very much time in our rooms, so paying extra doesn't make sense for our family. Having the bonus Magic Mornings would be the biggest incentive for us......they are SO worth getting up for!!

 

[skiingfast]

I think the DLH will be fine. As OP knows most rooms will be done. The Pool may even be redone or partially redone, but it's a big maybe probably their goal is to be done for summer not spring break, but you never know.

The Monorail as noted is about 1/4 of the way to the gates so it saves some walking. But more leaving from Tomorrowland than getting into the park.

Also hotels on Harbor are almost 1/2 as much and about 100 feet further than the distance to the monorail from the DLH. They all have pools too.

 

[Nala83]

My understanding is that the Neverland pool will be open until the new pool/slide area opens. (That is what's been posted on the official Disney blog, which i tend to trust more than the average reservations CM). Since it's not due to open until summer of 2011, seems like a safe bet that the Neverland pool will be open in March.

 

[mrswh]

If you are looking for convenience, I'd say bring or rent a stroller *and* stay at the GCH. it is still a walk to the monorail from DLH (not a long one, but a walk nonetheless), and the only place the monorail takes you is Tomorrowland. Not that convenient if you want to go to DCA or somewhere else inside DL. My DD (just turned 6) is not a big walker either so we just bring a stroller rather than worrying about whether she'll want to walk. You can still ride the monorail for fun (at DLR it's more like a ride than a form of transportation IMO), but better to not rely on it to get wherever you want to go. I don't know of any transportation between hotels - they are all pretty close and easily walkable (if not for your kids that's where the stroller comes in handy!).

My vote is for the GCH!

 

[Mortimer Mouse]

My vote is for the GCH!

I 2nd this vote....also this will location will help with your DH grumpiness.....

 

[splash5]

There isn't a resort transportation system between hotels because they are so close. It does seem like less of walk at the DLH than the harbor blvd. hotels though, and I like the fact that you don't have to leave the magic to cross the street and get to your hotel.

 

[Yukonjack]

If you have kids that are not walkers, will need to take lots of breaks, and your husband is easily grumped, you may want to splurge on the GCH. You get magic morning entry (which will help you DH deal with shorter lines), you are right near the entrance of DL, you get an entrance right into DCA for guests of the GCH, and you get to come back to the hotel easily during the day to rest with the kids. Its more expensive, but it is worth it with kids IMHO.

BTW, one more thought on your husband. If he like beer, they have Sierra Nevada in the bar in the lobby of the GCH. That sure went down nice after a hot day in the parks with the family

 

[farmfresh]

If you are trying to decide, the monorail really isn't a factor. It isn't close to the DLH, being about 1/3 the way down DTD...you then climb some stairs, wait for the train, end up in Tomorrowland and have to walk from there to wherever you are going. Likewise, if you are in DCA and need to head back the monorail is no help at all.

The DLH to gate walk is 5-10 mins, very pleasant. You may be surprised at how happy your kids are to walk to DL. (going home is another story...) In any case, that is the least of the walking they will do...

On the other hand, a pool might be more important. March isn't really chilly, necessarily, and the pools are heated (plus kids swim in almost any temperature!) I would check this out to be sure.

The GCH is, as others have said the closest. And a great hotel in other , grumpy diluting ways.... have fun!

 

[Anj]

This past March, we stayed at the DLH in the Dreams Tower and could see the Monorail from our room. We did rent a stroller everyday, so we only used the monorail 1/2 the time because we needed to go to the front gate anyway to rent the stroller. It was the same walk to go from the Dream tower to the front gate as it was to go from the Tomorrowland station to the front gate.

My DH said that our next trip we will stay at the GCH, because it is so much closer. (he's my Kid #4 and the one I need to keep the grumpies away from). Several times I saw him look longingly at the GCH entrance as we walked by on our way to the DLH.

Editing to add: we went in mid March for 6 days and the pool was cold. Hot tub was warm, but there was this very cold wind across the pool area. We had to bring sweatshirts for the evenings at the Park.

 

[Momrow]

We were at the GCH last week with a 4 year old. We had planned to rent her a stroller as required but the walk was so short we didn't need to rent one. She could have also walked from DLR.

 

[pokee99]

Thanks for all of the great advice!

Mr Grumpypants (DH) is quite insistent we stay at the DLH. I think it's because as a child he went 6 times and always stayed a cheap motel far away and always had his heart set on the DLH. I am not complaining, but I wish he'd agree to fork out the extra $$ for GCH, but he's really stuck on the DLH. It's fine with me, but the bad reviews I've read on Tripadvisor have me a tad concerned...

I'd really love to know if there is a place where I can get updates on the construction. I've read there's a blog somewhere...anyone know about that?

 

[disneymom23]

One more thing- it looks like you're going to do 4 MM's. The monorail doesn't run that early in the morning.

We like DLH and GCH for different reasons. We rarely take the monorail into the parks. We look at it more as another attraction than a mode of transportation

 

[farmfresh]

Well if he's that insistent, just do it! It's not the greatest hotel in the world, but it's not as bad as some of the tripadvisor reports say. I think you'll have a great time - we always have! Stay tuned here for updates from people as they stay there - closer to your trip dates you'll get a good idea of what's going on.

 

[DahliaRW]

When you reserve, request the dreams tower. It's the closest and has been renovated.

 

[dreams91]

When you reserve, request the dreams tower. It's the closest and has been renovated.

But they got rid of the step out balconies in the new rooms, right? I think thats what they said when I called...I wanted a renovated room, but it sound like no balcony?

 

[Anj]

We were in a renovated room in the Dreams tower and there was no balcony. At the time we were there, half the tower was done and it looked like they were closing off the balconies.

 

[DahliaRW]

Yes, they are removing the balconies on all the towers from what I've heard. So if you want a balcony request the non-renovated towers (but the furthest away one, can't remember the name, is the one they're renovating right now, so I'd avoid that one).

 

[bumbershoot]

Mr Grumpypants (DH) is quite insistent we stay at the DLH. I think it's because as a child he went 6 times and always stayed a cheap motel far away and always had his heart set on the DLH. I am not complaining, but I wish he'd agree to fork out the extra $$ for GCH, but he's really stuck on the DLH. It's fine with me, but the bad reviews I've read on Tripadvisor have me a tad concerned...

If it's his dream for this trip, go with it! And ignore tripadvisor. I do not know who posts on those things, but I've never found one that actually matched the experience of the people here, and I trust the people here more!

One more thing- it looks like you're going to do 4 MM's. The monorail doesn't run that early in the morning.

This is good to note. The monorail will start running once the park opens, or even a bit after, for MM, but the people at the normal park gates will most likely beat the monorail riders to the area. Plus, with a stroller you either have to wait for the elevator or make the kidlets walk up the steep and long stairs anyway, while carrying the stroller (which must be folded to go on the monorail), so...best to just walk through DTD in my opinion, at least to get TO the parks. And for breaks where you want to go back to the room, just plan your day so you're in Tomorrowland (or further back) so you're not walking extra just to get to the monorail.

But they got rid of the step out balconies in the new rooms, right? I think thats what they said when I called...I wanted a renovated room, but it sound like no balcony?

Yep, no more "Molly's going to have a heart attack watching all those children standing on tiny balconies" balconies. I'm happy about it! Can you tell?