I've mapmyrun'd it, and esplanade to across the street hotels (I did it for Tropicana but that's next to Desert Inn) vs to PPH through the shortcut is something like half the distance.
.46 from esplanade to PPH, estimating the walking through GCH, .22 from the same spot to Tropicana.
Anyway rates are now $252 PPH or $279 DLH...are these aweful? Please help! I am still hoping they go down but is this high or average?
Those are on the higher side. It is summertime, a higher-side time, of course.
Remember, there's hotel tax on those rates (15%?), plus the resort fee and tax on that (=13.80) per night. So total it up, and figure out if it's worth it TO YOU.
To me, and I've stayed PPH (regular room twice, upgraded to suite once) and DLH (concierge), I wouldn't do it at those rates. I did stay at PPH one night where the total (including tax and resort fee and tax) was 240, but...I wasn't the one paying, and it was very reasonable to the person who was paying. I felt mental pain knowing she was paying that, but I knew she wouldn't have wanted me and DS to stay in the motel of Tropicana vs the hotel PPH (external corridors make my SIL nervous) so I let her do it.
I just did the mapmyrun route from the same spot in the esplanade through DTD to the spot where you're on DLH grounds, and it's .47 miles. Now, if you start every morning and end every night in Tomorrowland (as well as breaks) then the monorail will save you some walking, but that's a pretty big if!
The grounds of DLH are lovely, but the grounds are open to all. The pool was neat, but unless you are going with people who can take advantage of the big slide (I don't remember if you have kids and if they are big enough for it), ultimately it's just another big thing of water. Can't play on the ship, the big slide has rules...just another pool. And the bedframes at DLH hurt me most times I tried to get on or off, b/c there are edges that I kept forgetting about.
Really the main thing you're gaining by staying onsite, IMO, is the MMs. So is that extra money worth the one extra MM during your stay?
However! It's all up to your wallet. Is the TOTAL you're thinking of paying worth it to you? If so, make the decision and be happy with it. Who cares if someone else can't imagine paying that much for that particular hotel. You are aware of the prices and the ways to get discounts, it's not like you're just willy nilly thinking of paying a huge amount without trying to get it discounted...the prices are what the prices are right now. So if you are happy with it, pay it and continue to be happy!
