Walking from DLH?

[amystevekai&bump]

Hi, I'm useless at judging distances and wondered if someone could make a comparison for me please?

We regularly stay at Bay Lake Tower at Walt Disney World and regularly walk from there to the Magic Kingdom. How does this walk compare to that between DLH and the two parks in California please? We love the walk from BLT, so if its comparable then that would be terrific!

I was planning on staying at VGC, but have struggled to get a booking using DVC points, so am now thinking about the DLH (thanks to suggestions from you guys) and whilst I know that VGC would be closer, I wondered just how bad the walk really is!

 

[hootey]

The walk from the DLH to the security screening tent for the parks might take ten minutes if you take your time. Walking through Downtown Disney, there is always something to stop and look at. You can make it in five minutes if you just walk straight thru. We have been doing it for years and enjoy it. Walking thru Downtown Disney is part of DL for us. Whether you walk all the way to the parks main entrance or cut through the DGH or ride the monorail into DL, it is all enjoyable. The DLH to the Monorail is two to three minutes walktime and DLH to the DGH side entrance to DCA is about seven to ten minutes.

 

[rentayenta]

I find the walk a pleasure. Walking through DTD is fun! I'd say 10 minutes but it depends if you stop to window shop and take a gazillion photos like we do.

We have used our DVC points at the DLH too. My favorite thing to do, for short two day trips, is to spend a night at the GCV on our DCA day and a night at the DLH on our DL day.

 

[Geemo]

http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=3...m=h&gz=0;-1179260122;338090229;70381;1737;0;0

This is a link to a map, where you can figure the distance between locations.

Geemo

 

[tiggeroo42]

I cannot stress enough how much NICER the walk will be from the DLH than from the Contemporary! You get to walk through Downtown Disney and in between DCA and DL! At WDW, you are walking in a parking lot, dodging buses and breathing exhaust fumes! The path from the hotel to the main entrance of both parks is a pedestrian-only area. You will never step foot into a parking lot if you are coming straight from the DLH and going to DL or DCA via DD.

Distance-wise it will be about the same (roughly 8-10 min depending on how fast you walk). Yes, the Villas are closer (ridiculously close if you're used to WDW), but if it makes you feel any better I think DLH is nicer.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

Thank you all so much Rather than feeling disappointed at the prospect of missing out on VGC, I am now getting rather excited at the idea of staying at DLH!! So thank you

 

[bumbershoot]

I was planning on staying at VGC, but have struggled to get a booking using DVC points, so am now thinking about the DLH (thanks to suggestions from you guys) and whilst I know that VGC would be closer, I wondered just how bad the walk really is!

The thing is, walking inside the Grand TO the entrances of the parks isn't a hop skip and a jump. Unless you are tremendously lucky, that is.

If you want to go to Disneyland, you'll want to walk out of the Grand and into DTD anyway. If you want to go to DCA past or further into the park than Grizzly, you'll use the entrance from the Grand, but that's all the way through the lobby and along the path outside until you're at that entrance. If you want to hit Monsters Inc or RSR in the morning, you'll want to go to the esplanade entrance anyway, which means using the DTD entrance.

So quite a lot of the time you might end up using the same entrance as you'll use for DLH. You find your way to the lobby, then exit the lobby down a long inside hallway (it's nearish the checkin area). Down the straightaways and stairs/ramps (ramps start and stop), out the doors to the right, along the outside path. Exit the Grand area between Sephora and the hair "salon" place (right across from Haagen Dazs), turn right, go a little less than halfway through DTD to the bag checks.

With DLH you'll leave your tower, go through whatever grounds you have, go past the Mickey hat, and a bit over half of DTD until you hit that same spot you would be leaving from the Grand.

So it's really not THAT much different.

Once you get there you'll understand it better.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

The thing is, walking inside the Grand TO the entrances of the parks isn't a hop skip and a jump. Unless you are tremendously lucky, that is.

If you want to go to Disneyland, you'll want to walk out of the Grand and into DTD anyway. If you want to go to DCA past or further into the park than Grizzly, you'll use the entrance from the Grand, but that's all the way through the lobby and along the path outside until you're at that entrance. If you want to hit Monsters Inc or RSR in the morning, you'll want to go to the esplanade entrance anyway, which means using the DTD entrance.

So quite a lot of the time you might end up using the same entrance as you'll use for DLH. You find your way to the lobby, then exit the lobby down a long inside hallway (it's nearish the checkin area). Down the straightaways and stairs/ramps (ramps start and stop), out the doors to the right, along the outside path. Exit the Grand area between Sephora and the hair "salon" place (right across from Haagen Dazs), turn right, go a little less than halfway through DTD to the bag checks.

With DLH you'll leave your tower, go through whatever grounds you have, go past the Mickey hat, and a bit over half of DTD until you hit that same spot you would be leaving from the Grand.

So it's really not THAT much different.

Once you get there you'll understand it better.

Thank you very much - that's such a helpful post, as the main reason I was choosing the Grand over DLH was due to location (I think we'll prefer the rooms and pool at DLH)

I'm actually really excited about the possibility of staying at the DLH now

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Hi, I'm useless at judging distances and wondered if someone could make a comparison for me please?

We regularly stay at Bay Lake Tower at Walt Disney World and regularly walk from there to the Magic Kingdom. How does this walk compare to that between DLH and the two parks in California please? We love the walk from BLT, so if its comparable then that would be terrific!

I was planning on staying at VGC, but have struggled to get a booking using DVC points, so am now thinking about the DLH (thanks to suggestions from you guys) and whilst I know that VGC would be closer, I wondered just how bad the walk really is!

I've done both walks and it's about the same, but with obviously lots of things to do/see on the walk from DLH through DtD to DL. It's a nice walk, but it's not completely a straight line, though--the walk meanders a bit (probably to entice you to enter the stores/eateries along the way), and that can be a bit annoying.

The monorail, if there's a short line and you have no compelling need to walk up Main Street, is magical, too. Cuts 15 minutes of walking out of your life if you're headed to TL, and it's also a great way to hop back to the hotel for a midday break.

 

[VicMom]

We were at the DLH earlier this month. With a 3.5yr old it would take us 10-15 min to walk in. But it's a nice walk-music being played, things to look at, smell and eat along the way. It was so nice to not be walking along traffic and worrying about him darting onto the road when he wanted to walk.

Plus the best part of the walk? Skipping the sidewalk and walking through the huge Disney store (go in one end and come out the other).

 

[BayGirl22]

Much nicer walk as others have said, and about the same distance in my mind. Also worth noting - the Haagan Daas in DtD has Pete's Coffee and never had a line in the morning. So if you are like us and need a good coffee before you enter the park, its an easy stop on the way. (The Starbucks on Main St. always has a line when I've peaked in)

 

[Malcon10t]

If you are walking with the purpose of getting to the gate, it is usually about 7-8 mins from the Sorcorer's hat to the bag check. While I don't necessarily agree with the walk being all magical, it isn't a bad walk, and it really isn't far.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

We will definitely be ok with the walk by the sounds of it

I think I'd just seen posts of people saying they wished they'd stayed at the Grand Californian and was worried I'd feel the same, but it doesn't sound as though it's almost $1000 dollars worth of closer!

 

[BoomerThePirate]

I'm staying for the third time at DLH on OCT 20. Its my favorite of the 3 just because its so disney without overdoing it. Besides the lobby i dont really see the draw to GCH. we get concierge everytime with a premium view of DTD. Its spectacular! the concierge lounge even pipes in the fireworks music and turns out the lights so you can view the fireworks in comfort. You wont get the great castle view but its still a rather nice experience. plus you get free snacks and appatizers all day. wine and beer for free as well.

 

[hootey]

One way we like to end a great day in the parks, is to ride the Mono-Rail from DL to DTD. We simply make a point to end the day near Nemo and get on the mono-rail. Take a nice relaxing ride around DL & DCA enjoying the lights and sights, ending at the DTD mono-rail station. From there it is a short two to three minute walk to the room at the DLH.

 

[amystevekai&bump]

I'm staying for the third time at DLH on OCT 20. Its my favorite of the 3 just because its so disney without overdoing it. Besides the lobby i dont really see the draw to GCH. we get concierge everytime with a premium view of DTD. Its spectacular! the concierge lounge even pipes in the fireworks music and turns out the lights so you can view the fireworks in comfort. You wont get the great castle view but its still a rather nice experience. plus you get free snacks and appatizers all day. wine and beer for free as well.

One way we like to end a great day in the parks, is to ride the Mono-Rail from DL to DTD. We simply make a point to end the day near Nemo and get on the mono-rail. Take a nice relaxing ride around DL & DCA enjoying the lights and sights, ending at the DTD mono-rail station. From there it is a short two to three minute walk to the room at the DLH.

Thank you both - these posts make DLH sound fab!