Wwyd????

[nottellin']

So I have a problem. We are going to be at DL from August 10-14. It is a last minute trip for the most part. We are booked into the Desert Inn and Suites family room at $109/night. I was looking online and I found the PPH has rooms available for $280/night while we are there. Is it worth it?

The cost difference is HUGE. 4 nights PPH = $1350 (including room and tax). 4 nights Desert Inn = $535.

The other option would be to switch hotel half way through our stay. Help! I have never stayed onsite. Is it worth it? What are the perks of staying onsite? Is it just the MM (we are AP holder's so we don't get one of those). I know the distance of the PPH os about as close as the Desert inn.

Sorry long and rambling but it's crunch time and I just can't seem to make up my mind.

 

[merrrydeath]

I've never stayed onsite, but I did stay at Desert Inn in March and will be staying there again 8/8-8/11. The distance to the park is SO GOOD. Such a short walk, it's not extra tiring at the end of the day. In my opinion the price of the rooms are really great for being so close.

I've never really thought about getting an onsite room because I think it's too expensive when I usually only go back to the room to sleep/shower. Desert Inn is very convenient and clean. Those are the most important things to me, but I'm sure it would be a great experience to be totally surrounded by Disney in a Disneyland Hotel.

 

[azdisneylover]

How about splitting it and staying two nights at each. I would make the onsite hotel the last two days! Have fun! Oh, and put the difference of the rooms aside to start saving for your next trip!

 

[justliketink]

I am there Aug 10 - Aug 14 too! I did priceline and got the Hyatt Regency for $42 a night. The perks for staying on site - taking monorail back to hotel, having packages delivered, early entry everyday it is offered and theming.

 

[teatime]

don't do it!! really its so expensive and I tell people if times are tough don't waste a load on a room you will not be in much. I mean you could get so much more with the extra money. food, candy, treats and souvenirs

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

I would NEVER. Not with that price difference.

 

[Canyon girl]

It really depends on what you are going for. Are you going to do the parks commando from open to close? Then, don't make the switch. Are you going to go for a semi-relaxing vacation with time in the hotel and pool? Then go for PPH.

 

[Sherry E]

Well, let me speak up here as a person who ALWAYS stays onsite (and I have always stayed onsite since probably about 1987 or so) and never ventures offsite at DLR for any reason (because for me, staying onsite is all part of my Disney experience) - STICK WITH THE DESERT INN!! Truly, I love all 3 DLR hotels - I really do - and 3 out of 4 of my last DLR trips have involved stays at the PPH. But unless I have endless money or no concerns about money at all, I would not pay $280 per night for the PPH. In fact, honestly, I think that anything over $200 a night for the PPH is too much money any time of year, especially for a standard room. There is not enough to the PPH or on its property to make that kind of money worthwhile. I can honestly say that $219 is a GREAT rate, however, for the GCH and I would probably take that in a heartbeat, but once the PPH rates start creeping over that $200 mark per night, it is too much. Currently, they are showing the $221 rate for the PPH for October, and I am not booking it. I will either wait and see if they come out with better AP rates for October or I just will not stay at the PPH then. $221 is too much. $280 is WAAAAY too much for that particular hotel.

I think the rate you got at the Desert Inn is great and you should keep it!

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

Sherry! My mouth dropped!!!

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

oh and consider how many character meals you could get with that!

or...or...souvineers! or CHURROS!

 

[Sherry E]

Sherry! My mouth dropped!!!

Oh, even I have my limits! I only wish I had so much money I didn't have to worry about the hotel prices at all. I do care about staying onsite and it is generally a very worthwhile endeavor for me - within reason! $280 is the sort of price tag I would expect to see attached to the GCH per night. But when that starts popping up as a PPH rate, that is crazy!! For PPH, something like $129 is GREAT (that is the late September AP rate), and for peak season, I would expect to see maybe $179 or $189 so for PPH. But over the $200 line - and especially over the $250 line - no way! They have to start adding more stuff to the PPH to make that worthwhile. But I bet, because they are going to get some spillover guests who would normally stay at the DLH (and part of the DLH is being refurbed), the rates are higher this year.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

I only wish I had so much money I didn't have to worry about the hotel prices at all.

hahahah don't we all

But really, OP..do you wanna switch hotels in the middle of your trip either? It seems like such a hassle! Maybe not worth the headache

 

[nottellin']

You know, you guys are right. I wasn't aware of a "good rate" for PPH. I'll keep my eye on it and if it drops then maybe. I just really want to stay in an onsite hotel with the kids.....oh well I guess we'll have to plan another vacation

 

[Canyon girl]

I love staying on site, but wouldn't pay that rate for the PPH either. That's why I said to think about how OP would be using the room. I am one to stay onsite all the time, too. I did start out with our Sept trip booked at HOJOs until a DISer talked about stepping over a homeless guy every morning. We have enough of that here, and it would really ruin the "Disney" part of the trip. I can't say enough positive things about AP rates, but the OP is going to early in the month for the good rates. I have never stayed at the Desert Inn, so I couldn't comment on that, but my jaw dropped at the price for the PPH. High rates for onsite hotels and surcharges on summer food is just ridiculous. It is also probably the main reason that I don't travel during the summer; although, not everyone has the ability to make that choice. I just can't believe the "peak season" rates. Sherry, have you seen the AP rates for early Aug at GCH? Is that not unreal???!!!! Good luck with your decision, OP!!! Let us know what you decide.

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

oh well I guess we'll have to plan another vacation

haha now THAT'S the spirit

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I am there Aug 10 - Aug 14 too! I did priceline and got the Hyatt Regency for $42 a night. The perks for staying on site - taking monorail back to hotel, having packages delivered, early entry everyday it is offered and theming.

The Desert Inn is a much shorter walk to the gates than PPH. The monorail doesn't go directly to any of the onsite hotels. There are only 2 stations - Tomorrowland in DL and DTD. If you get off at DTD, it's still a pretty good walk to the PPH. With Desert Inn, you just walk through the entry plaza and down the sidewalk to Harbor. Once you cross the street, you're in front of the hotel next door. It makes a big difference at the end of the day!

 

[ballarinamom]

The Desert Inn is a much shorter walk to the gates than PPH. The monorail doesn't go directly to any of the onsite hotels. There are only 2 stations - Tomorrowland in DL and DTD. If you get off at DTD, it's still a pretty good walk to the PPH. With Desert Inn, you just walk through the entry plaza and down the sidewalk to Harbor. Once you cross the street, you're in front of the hotel next door. It makes a big difference at the end of the day!

Ditto

 

[tink2dw]

I love this hotel, Desert Inn and Suites!!

The Staff at Desert Inn are all so nice with Disney Spirit. The Continental Breakfast has good chioces. Get there early for the best choice. I send Dh down to bring it back to the room to eat.

There are suit case lockers if you need to store anything before you can get into your room or after check out.

The Disney Express Bus stop is just down the street in front of the Tony Roma's. We rode it to LAX, for our flight home. It was great! And Southwest was the first Gates on the right. Easy Peasy!! And I was so worried!!

San Diego[walked 6 football field thru the airport, just to get to car rental bus] and Dallas[The plane landed then taxied over 4 freeway to get to the gate, and they kept changing where the gates for connecting fights would be!! Never saw so much confusion!!] were the nightmare airports for us.

 

[wvnative]

For that big of a price difference, I'd stay at Desert Inn. Of course, I'm also cheap and never stay on property. lol

If I can get the ent rate at HOJO we stay there. If not, it's Desert Inn. It's always clean, the staff is great, it's close, and the only noise issue we've ever had was kids playing. They did try to charge too much to my card once but it all got sorted out and was no big deal in the end.

 

[Sherry E]

The Desert Inn is a much shorter walk to the gates than PPH. The monorail doesn't go directly to any of the onsite hotels. There are only 2 stations - Tomorrowland in DL and DTD. If you get off at DTD, it's still a pretty good walk to the PPH. With Desert Inn, you just walk through the entry plaza and down the sidewalk to Harbor. Once you cross the street, you're in front of the hotel next door. It makes a big difference at the end of the day!

I haven't been to Desert Inn yet, but that doesn't sound like much of a shorter walk to the gates than the PPH walk - that is, IF you take the "short cut" from the PPH and don't follow the signs on the PPH property, which will lead you on a very long walk. The "short cut" walk is not bad at all.

But I still say go for the Desert Inn if the PPH is showing as $280, which is outrageous!