Would You Choose DLH or GC?

[disneycruise_obessed]

ohh
its stoytellers
not storybook

 

[newfamilyman]

The only reason to choose DLH over GCH is if you can't afford the GCH.

 

[disneycruise_obessed]

The only reason to choose DLH over GCH is if you can't afford the GCH.

agreed

 

[victorandbellasmom]

Our 1st on property hotel was GCH and we too were wavering between DLH and GCH. We opted for GCH since tripadvsior had mixed reviews for DLH while GCH's main complaints was that it was pricey. Even though GCH was pricey we have never once regretted our decision. We have since stayed at the other 2 and would rank DLH 3rd with PPH second.

GCH pros:
-accessibility to parks
-WhiteWater Snacks
-2 pools, 1 big slide, 1 little slide & 2 hot tibs
-beautiful lobby
-person playing piano in lobby
-storytelling by the hearth
-grand quest scavenger hunt
-turn down service with chocolates on night stand
-friendly staff
-bunkbed rooms
-staff was very friendly and helpful
cons:
-price
-rooms maybe at end of long, long hallways

DLH pros:
-Neverland Pool
-beautiful grounds (koi ponds, waterfall, r/c jungle boats,
-characters in lobby during check in
-"original hotel"
-tinkerbell pixie dust wall borders
-mickey wake up calls
cons:
-older hotel- rooms look its age
-staff did not seem as friendly as other 2 hotels

 

[ubaisore]

The only reason to choose DLH over GCH is if you can't afford the GCH.

That is a pretty condescending statement....I can afford concierge at the GCH if I wanted but there is a certain history at the DLH that can't be replicated..... it may be that "affording it" is all you see it as, but that is not the case for everyone *end rant*

 

[disneycruise_obessed]

-staff did not seem as friendly as other 2 hotels

now i remember why we didnt like the DLH. it was because the staff was REALLY unfriendly. which we hated because since its a disney environment, people are supposed to be nice at least. but everything we asked them they answered either in a mean way, or as if we were wasting there time. plus when we asked if they could bring us a rollaway bed, they said they'd bring it within 20 minutes, but it didnt come until 3 or 4 hours later.

thanks for refreshing my memory
even if they werent the best memories
at least now im not racking my brain trying to remember what my problem was with the DLH

 

[sasha]

I'm not sure you can use any of the 3 pools if you stay on site. We were just at the DLH lobby last week asking about rates and I asked if we could use the DLH pool if we stay at PP and the CM said they don't allow that.

If anyone knows differently please let me know. We would love to use the DLH pool, but can't afford the rates these days. The AP rate we were given for a Monday night in May (not Memorial weekend) was $405. Ouch!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

I'm not sure you can use any of the 3 pools if you stay on site. We were just at the DLH lobby last week asking about rates and I asked if we could use the DLH pool if we stay at PP and the CM said they don't allow that.

If anyone knows differently please let me know. We would love to use the DLH pool, but can't afford the rates these days. The AP rate we were given for a Monday night in May (not Memorial weekend) was $405. Ouch!

People have posted several different answers to this. I remember one person saying that their room card at the GCH also allowed them access to the DLH pool, so they assumed that everyone had access to all of the hotel pools.

Another guest specifically asked if they could pool-hop, and was told that they used to allow it, but discontinued that.

Then someone posted (since my trip last fall) that:
1. PPH guests are allowed to use only their pool
2. DLH guests are allowed to use pools at DLH and PPH
3. GCH guests are allowed to use pools at all 3 resorts

And I think one person posted that they were told something like the above, and actually did try to use another hotel's pool, but the room card did not work for the pool gate.

I suggest you ask the hotel staff, and then when you get your room card, try it out to make sure it works at the pool.

 

[Adi12982]

When planning our first trip for June we picked GCH after considering all three hotels. We decided on our own, so I hadn't seen others opinions.

This will be our very first trip to California/DL, our first night we are staying at the beach, and the second night off site on Anaheim - we had always planned it this way. Because it was our first, and possibly only trip to DL (We are thinking IF we ever go back it will probably not be til our kids are older, and we don't even HAVE kids yet). We have nothing against California, it just doen't make sense for us to pay hundreds for a flight or use up all our airline miles (like we did for this trip) because we live in Miami (for now it is just summer, but I will be graduating in a year - yipee) and that is only a 3 - 4 hour drive to the World.

Anyhow, we wanted quality and Disney atmosphere for this trip. We spent our honeymoon and anniversary at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and this looked similar to it, so it called to us. It is also our big vacation this year. The difference in prices between the two resorts wasn't as much as I thought it would be. DLH looks nice and it does have a lot of Disney accents to it - but I do not agree with most that it is more "Disney" - perhaps since to us Disney is anything from Character decor to quality lodging -"Disney" to us is more attention to detail. So we decided in GCH for the quality, beauty, and we are excited about the private entrance to DCA and how close it is to everything. Anyhow. . . that's my opinion

 

[victorandbellasmom]

now i remember why we didnt like the DLH. it was because the staff was REALLY unfriendly. which we hated because since its a disney environment, people are supposed to be nice at least. but everything we asked them they answered either in a mean way, or as if we were wasting there time. plus when we asked if they could bring us a rollaway bed, they said they'd bring it within 20 minutes, but it didnt come until 3 or 4 hours later.

That's how we felt about our experience too. I'm one to say hello when passing housekeeping or other cms at the hotel and at DLH they often did not reply back or even smile. Definitely not same experience we had with GCH or PPH.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

If you are a WDW vet you will think the theming is more "Disney" at GCH. When I think of Disney theming I think of attention to detail and complete submersion in theme. DLH has Disney theming, like the decoration of the pool, and the wallpaper in your room, but the GCH is more "Disney", in that you feel like you are in another place and time, and has more of the feel of WDW deluxes like Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge.

We just stayed at DLH for our first trip and we had a great experience, we were in the Sierra tower and had a beautiful pool view, you can open the doors in your room and sit and enjoy the scenery, even without the balcony. We stepped out of our hotel tower and were in Downtown Disney.

I picked DLH because my mom was with us and she can't get around that well, so we thought that DLH would be a better bet with the monorail station. At WDW the monorail is a major mode of transportation, at DL, not so much. The monorail is very small and does not hold as many people and has no air conditioning, it is more like a ride than a method of transportation, sometimes the wait can be long.

According to the maps it looked like GCH was a bit father away. The maps are very disceiving. As we were walking down Downtown Disney one morning, I wondered why the stores like Libby Liu and World of Disney looked as though they had extra stories on the top of them, then I realized that I was looking at rooms at the GCH.

So location is really not an issue compared to location at WDW. At DL everything is so close and I mean close, to me one does not have any advantage over the other location wise.

We found the service to be wonderful at DLH, everyone was very friendly and helpful. Cast members remembered us and called us by name, I thought the service was excellent.

However, our next visit we will try the GCH, just because of theming and the beauty of the hotel itself. I didn't find the DLH to be any different than staying at a Marriot or Doubletree with the theming on par with the Contemporary but not as nice, it wasn't a submersive theming experience. I like to be transported to another time and place when I stay at Disney and DLH didn't do it.

I think either hotel is a good choice, but I think the edge goes to GCH.

 

[Lexxiefern]

Thank you everyone for all the fabulous, detailed replies! Of course you all have made my decision even harder now! LOL I will most likely use my DVC points for the stay since I am not finding any discounts (not like WDW). I think the best I found was 10% off with AAA. But the difference between the 2 hotels is about 30 points.

When we go to WDW we usually stay at Boardwalk because of the proximity to 2 parks - but it seems like all the disney hotels at disneyland are good for that....

Can anyone direct me to more photos of the hotels? Thanks so much!

 

[Amy&Dan]

The only reason to choose DLH over GCH is if you can't afford the GCH.

Actually, for many of us that has not one thing to do with staying at the DLH vs. the GCH. Maybe for you it is, in which case you should start your statement with: "The only reason I choose the DLH..."


I still stand by my opinion that you cannot go wrong with either choice in the end. Or Paradise Pier for that matter as its a very nice hotel as well.

I've never had a rude cm at the DLH but I am sure they exist. I know they do at the GCH because I encountered a few but still found the scales tipped very much in favor of wonderful cm's there as well.

There is Disney specific theming (Tinkerbelle wallpaper, Mickey hands for towel racks) and then there is Disney produced theming (woods theme, craftsmen architecture). The DLH has one type of theming, the GCH has the other. They are both nice to enjoy and stay in. GCH is more like WDW deluxes like AKL because again, its the only DLR hotel built by Disney. And I believe GCH, AKL and WL were all designed by the same architect.

Pool hopping according to the cm at checkin last June (at GCH) is no longer allowed. Once PP installed their spiffy new slide, all three pools had a nice thing going and therefore no guest was getting jipped in the pool department. If one pool is down for refurb, then yes you can hop. Out of curiosity I tried my room key at the Neverland Pool on the way to Goofy's and it didn't work. I have not read any reports from anyone who has successfully pool hopped at any DLR hotel lately. And this includes anyone staying on DVC points. That doesn't mean it can't happen and that some cm's won't do something to your key to allow that.

Whatever the OP or anyone else chooses it will hopefully be right for their family!

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thank you everyone for all the fabulous, detailed replies! Of course you all have made my decision even harder now! LOL I will most likely use my DVC points for the stay since I am not finding any discounts (not like WDW). I think the best I found was 10% off with AAA. But the difference between the 2 hotels is about 30 points.

When we go to WDW we usually stay at Boardwalk because of the proximity to 2 parks - but it seems like all the disney hotels at disneyland are good for that....

Can anyone direct me to more photos of the hotels? Thanks so much!

Points are great deal at DLR right now, especially when you consider that you won't have to pay room tax or the daily resort fee (which includes parking, internet access, health club access and newspaper on Mon-Fri).

You are going to love the proximity all three hotels have to the parks and DTD. The walk to the parks from PP or DLH is less than going to Epcot from BWV. And the walk to the parks from GCH is even better. You truly cannot go wrong and you won't spend one minute waiting for a bus or boat your whole vacation!

Have you checked out the Disneyland information on Allears? It has lots of photos on the resorts as well as menus and other information:
http://www.allearsnet.com/dlr/tp/dl/dl.htm

Here is the allears link specifically on the resorts:
http://www.allearsnet.com/dlr/acc/acc.htm

Good luck with your choice!

 

[DangerMouse]

There are some additional photos to be found here:

http://dlresortinfo.com/

 

[SANDIEGOFAN]

We've stayed at both properties several times. My girls (6 and 9) and wife prefer DLH, I prefer GCH. The pool is the main factor for the girls and the wife likes the grounds and overall theming. I like the atmosphere of GCH and the pools. Poolside at GCH is great. You can order food and drink from one of the servers. Your order comes from WWS and you can run a tab on your room charge slip. At DLH, If the poolside 'bar' isn't open, you have to leave the pool area to get food and drink. Also, the GCH pools aren't nearly as crowded as DLHs.

 

[mmmears]

While all the 3 DL hotels are really close to the parks, the GC has an edge. It backs up into DCA and has an entrance (and most importantly for us, an exit) right next to the Grizzly rapids ride (good for a really quick change after riding 4 times in a row and getting soaked)!!! It also is closer to the DL entrance, and we like the theming, since it makes us feel like we're not in LA anymore.

 

[sharoncity]

We just got back from 4 nights at DLH and 1 night at GCH. It was myself, DH, DD (14) and DS (9). We all preferred GCH. The themeing reminded us of AKL. I found the pool to be equivalent at both hotels - my DS liked the slide at GCH better and they had a little kiddie slide as well. We had a DCA view and enjoyed sitting out on the balcony to relax that evening. Word of caution - LOTS of walking to get to your room!
DLH is the resort we picked from the pictures. However, I felt our room was very run down and not worth the price. The shower would not stay an even temp. It was either cold and then suddenly would change to scalding hot. Not to mention that my DH who is 5'10" had to bend down to wash his hair because the showerhead was so low. Not a comfy shower at all. Liked the layout of the bathroom dressing area over all however. The balcony was not large enough to stand out on, plus there was a puddle on it all 4 days, so if you had your shoes off, your socks got wet. No big deal, but not an area to just relax and soak up disney atmosphere. The lamp on the armoire did not work. IDK, it just wasn't as luxurious as we expected for the price.
We found everyone at both hotels to be wonderfully curteous and went out of their way to be friendly. The customer service was everything I would expect from Disney. I think anyone would enjoy either hotel as long as you know what to expect.....Perhaps DLH needs some updating of their rooms IMHO.

 

[Lexxiefern]

Thank you for the picture links - am looking at them now. A couple of questions -

1) I thought I read that no lifevests or swimmies are allowed on the slides. Is this the case? Are they allowed in the pool?

2) Are there fridges in the rooms?

3) Anyone ever use the laundry facilities? Are they easy to get to? Anyone know the cost? (I think using them at Coronado Springs at WDW cost $2 per wash/dry)

Thanks!

 

[CalGal]

Thank you for the picture links - am looking at them now. A couple of questions -

1) I thought I read that no lifevests or swimmies are allowed on the slides. Is this the case? Are they allowed in the pool?

2) Are there fridges in the rooms?

3) Anyone ever use the laundry facilities? Are they easy to get to? Anyone know the cost? (I think using them at Coronado Springs at WDW cost $2 per wash/dry)

Thanks!

1) Don't remember since it's been awhile since by DS used them.
2) There are small fridges in many of the rooms at the DLH, and it is easy to request a small fridge to be brought up to your room at the GCH. (although not a ton of room; we left ours in the vanity area).
3) I've use the laundry facilities at the GCH. It was very clean and there was no wait for any of the machines. I don't remember the cost, but it seemed fairly reasonable, probably in line with the WDW facilities.