Will we like the disneyland hotel? We are staying in June

[Sherri]

I read not so good things about it on trip advisor reviews, but I figured I would come here and ask. Whats it like, will my teenagers enjoy it?

 

[jemilah]

I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!! We stayed there last May and are going again next month! The room was clean & comfotable. The staff was friendly and we had no problems even when our son dropped our key in the waterfalls. I think all ages would enjoy it , being close to DTD and the monerail are a plus too. We used the pool every day , I love the slide and the steak house has a great breakfast . Goofy's kitchen is great for dinner and breakfast too! Enjoy your trip!

 

[PrincessSitka]

You will never want to go with any other hotel after Disney. It is wonderful you will get spoiled. An yes your teen will love it to.

 

[Sherri]

You will never want to go with any other hotel after Disney. It is wonderful you will get spoiled. An yes your teen will love it to.

Thats how we feel when we stay on Disney property when we go to Disney World. I'm glad it will be the same for Disney in California.
Thanks for the reasurance.

 

[All American]

I loved it and can't wait to stay again someday!

Like someone said, clean and comfortable. It's close to everything, and I imagine that your teenagers will like being so close to Downtown Disney with the shops, restaraunts, and music.

You'll love going to sleep and waking up in the middle of the magic. Have a great time!

Just wanted to add, if you are there in June and the weather is hot enough, it will be nice to be able to go back to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool or just to freshen up.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

We stayed in June of 05 at PP and walked over to DLH many times during our stay . Both places had not so nice reviews but we loved them both . The CMs were great and very nice. Our room at PP was always very clean.

 

[disneymom8589]

The DL Hotel is so fun and magical!!

 

[abby]

The first time we stayed I walked into the room and thought, it's like any hotel room, but expensive, however, it really grew on me. We love it. Pretty grounds, fun pool good food, and good shopping. Last time we went we stayed at HOJO because of the price, but missed DLH, can't beat that walk down downtown disney....

 

[AZMickeyfans]

I love all the Mickey stuff in the rooms there. Makes you feel like you are surrounded by magic. We love this hotel and have always found it to be very clean and comfortable. The CM's are great and will help with anything you need. Don't let a few bad apples spoil the bunch. It's a great place.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I love the DLH. I have stayed at quite a few WDW resorts and while the DLH doens't have quite the same feel I still love it. In fact, its my favorite of all Disney hotels, maybe because it was the first one we stayed at. I love the oversized rooms, the Disney touches, the grounds, especially the Koi ponds and fountains. Our rooms in five stays have always been very clean and not as worn as the WDW resorts often feel. We have always had great cms and customer service. And my kids really enjoy the pool. It is also so nice to be in walkable distance to the parks. I know some find the walk to be long, but I enjoy it since its up DTD and there's lots too look at see. And to me that walk is not as inconvenient as the buses and lines for the buses at WDW. Its nice to know that within 10-15 minutes of exiting the park I will be in my room. I love tripadvisor but have learned to take a lot of those reviews with a grain of salt. And people are much more prone to post bad reviews than good ones. The DLH (as well as PP and GCH) are very pricey and people go in with high expectations that are sometimes too high.

 

[TinkerbellTris]

Disneyland Hotel, is the original. Back in the day the rooms were geared towards Mickey, Donald, Goofy abstract art in the rooms. Since the remodel a few years back it has taken on the peter pan theme. We had been staying the first few times we went with our DS at some motels accross the street. Then on his 3rd b-day we upgraded to annual passes (and never looked back) and we booked his 3rd b-day there and a room at Paradise Pier. We stayed again at PP in 2003, 2004, and in 2005 we decided with the remodel to try the Disneyland Hotel out. My son was 5 at the time. He was so into peter pan. For his sake it was his favorite hotel. However for us parents..... the service was no where near what it was. Terrible. The rooms seemed so small for the price paid. We recommended a Pool view and a higher up room. The room was small, the bathrooms were small, and it took forever for the hot water to work. Overall it was not worth the $1,400 I spent for 6 nights. We prefer Paradise Pier. Unfortunatly we have not tried Grand Californian yet. We were going to last year then a BEDBUG rumor was started and it turned us off quickly. Overall DIsney hotel is nice, but we prefer PP.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

aww you will absolutely love it....dont listen to those nitpicky people on TA...I rarely listen to what they say anymore unless its back to back to back bad reviews on a place....

 

[honeymom]

Okay, I am not a nitpicker - I have stayed in plenty of hotels and tend to like most of them, but I did not like the DLH. I don't know if I was comparing it too much to WDW hotels (I even prefer the moderates there to DLH). Don't get me wrong - the grounds are beautiful. But, the hotel felt plain - like a convention hotel with some tinkerbells on the wallpaper. And, the pool area was packed (but, back then PP guests used it, too). We enjoyed the quiet pools more and did enjoy the grounds, but the hotel otherwise did nothing for us. We just stayed at the GCH and enjoyed it a lot - but it is very expensive and the rooms are small which might bother some people. For us, the service, location and theming was worth it - I had a lot of Disney visa rewards dollars so the price was less of an issue this trip. I don't know if teens will like DLH - I don't think they'd be that into Peter Pan and I don't remember the pool slide being very big and I don't think they'd be that into Goofy's Kitchen. Think Chef Mickey's, but not as fun and I don't think the food selection was as good either.

 

[NotSoLittleMermaid]

My sister, her DS (8) and I stayed at the DLH 2 weeks ago. We made reservations in mid-Dec. so felt lucky to get a room there, being last-minute. It was a standard room in the Bonita tower, on the 3rd floor and our room looked out on the parking lot. It was about $250/night. The room was very spacious, had a refrigerator, coffee maker (you have to ask for it), internet (not wireless) included. Beds were comfortable, room was very clean. Sink was separate from toilet/shower, which I like. The room decor was Disney, but low-key. I liked it, but others might be disappointed that it isn't more colorful or cartoonish. The only thing we could have complained about were the towels--they weren't awful, but plain white, just basic. (My sister said after her first shower, "I think these are the same towels they had when we stayed here in the 60's with mom and dad!"). My opinion was that it would be over-priced if it was a Good Neighbor hotel on Harbor, but as they say, "Location, location, location". We felt it was worth it to be in the middle of the magic!

All the staff I had any contact with were very friendly and helpful. We had no problems checking in or checking out. We used valet parking (very pricey), but it turned out to be well worth it as when we needed the car so I could take them to the airport, the battery was dead (nephew had left the dome light on) but they jumped it and got it started and we made it to the airport on time.

It was too cold (and we were too busy) to use the pool and we didn't eat any meals there so can't comment on that. But the pool area looked nice from outside.

The BEST thing was the close proximity of the monorail. It was great to get dropped off right in the middle of the park, skipping all the lines at security and the park entrance. And at night, when we were beat, we didn't have to fight the crowds going down main street, across the esplanade, etc. We got on the monorail and were in our room within 5 min. of exiting at the Downtown Disney station. In that regard, I felt it was even more convenient than the Grand Californian (I've stayed there too and it's very nice).

If you walk, the walk through Downtown Disney is a lot more fun than waiting in line for the tram or walking down Harbor Blvd.

I, too, had read the reports on Trip Advisor so was a little afraid of what it might be like. I knew it would be OK for me (when I go by myself I stay at 2 or 2.5 star Hotwire hotels) but my sister doesn't have to worry about a budget and is used to staying at very nice places. She thought it was fine; I know the location and Disney touches made up for any lack of plushness she might have felt.

 

[TwingleMum]

I let you know after I stay in April!!

 

[Sherri]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. So weird that we are going to be staying in a Disney hotel but skipping Disney Land. We promised the kids universal and WB tour and Hollywood( we go to Disneyworld atleast once a year so thats why we are skipping the parks). We are using our DVC points to stay at the Disneyland Hotel, and we will definatly love downtown disney at night.
I'm sure being at downtown disney will make me homesick for Disney World.
I agree about the reviews on tripadvisor sometimes can be harsh. When my sister and I spent a weekend in Boston we booked a hotel and checked afterwards about reviews. I heard so much bad stuff about the Boston Plaza hotel from the trip reviews that I was very stressed about our trip. When we got there, we were just AMAZED at how different it was from what people wrote. Maybe we were the lucky ones and got a nice room.

 

[utahkennedys]

We are staying for the first time at DLH this May and are very excited. On our first trip to DLH our friends were staying there so we checked out their room. It didn't wow me at all, especially compared to DVC which we are used to, but DD5 LOVES Peter Pan (and I mean has a huge, huge crush on him) so we chose DLH over GCH for that reason. The rooms do have 2 queen beds and were pretty spacious from what I remember, and the location looked great. I am excited to use the monorail. Usually, we are not disappointed with anything Disney!

 

[slp87]

And, the pool area was packed (but, back then PP guests used it, too)

We were there last June for my DD's dance competition and the pool was packed everyday!! There were no seats to be found! Wasn't that big of a deal. We enjoyed it, but after staying at GCH in '05, I still love it the best.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

Sherry,

check out the link below...I put pics of my room in my TR...just stayed there from 11/27-12/1....this is in the marina tower facing the pool


http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1292336

 

[Judy from Boise]

I am not a huge fan of the DL hotel, I think it is mainly a value issue. Great location, pretty grounds, fun shop, but it is just no where near as nice a hotel as you should be getting for the $$$.