I have stayed at the Grand Californian Hotel in 2006 for 5 nights and LOVED the location and how plush it was. The only thing that was hard to swallow was the price!

This July, we have booked 5 nights at the Disneyland Hotel which will save us about 500 dollars total. However, I am nervous about the Disneyland hotel because I have never stayed in it before, and have no idea what to expect.

My questions for those that have stayed in both:
1) Is the Disneyland hotel nice? Does it seem run down in comparison to the Grand Californian?

2) Is it too far of a walk for a 5 year old at the end of the day and an 11 month old in a stroller?

It isn't too late for me to change my reservation, but wanted some opinions from you first.

Thanks!!
Halle

We just got back from a 4 day stay at the DLH. It is the only one of the three hotels we have stayed in. I really like the disney touches (the sparkling border of pixie dust on the wall that shines when you turn out the lights), the mickey lamps, and the mickey lids on the shampoo. You can look at the rooms on the web site so you will have an idea of what they look like. The colors are muted, with light wood - very peaceful and relaxing. The pool is amazing (your kids would love it!!)

All that being said, it is a bit farther to walk, but when you stay at the GCH, you have to enter a maze to get to the rooms, so I think it balances out in the end. Your other option would be to stay at PPH and you could cut through the GCH to get to that one - the money saved would be more too.

Let us know what you decide :)

I personally like staying at the GCH but my children LOVE DLH! We just got back from a three day trip last week at the DLH. Our favorite tower (and not everyone agrees with us!) is the Bonita one--think it is now called the Wonder Tower. We love overlooking the waterfalls, koi fish feeding and you can see the fireworks from some of the rooms. My kids love to swim in the Neverland Pool--and, a bonus for mommy, it is right next to the Lost Bar for yummy and refreshing silver patron margaritas! The pixie dust at night is a special touch my kids love. Rooms are relatively roomy--request the ones with a daybed.

The DLH is beginning to show a little bit of wear and tear but we have never had a problem with cleanliness or service. There are nice Disney touches in the room as well. In the mornings, there is coffee service in the lounge. Pretty good and much better than regular hotel coffee.

The walk is sometimes quite a hike at the end of the day. We frequently take the Monorail back in order to save a few steps. We also break up the walk--eat at the Rainforest, Storytellers or Tortilla Joe's. That way it doesn't seem quite as long!

All in all, when it is just my husband and I, we stay at the Grand California Hotel. The atmosphere is just lost on my kids (even though they do enjoy the scavenger hunt, storytelling, etc.). When we travel as a family, we stay at either the DLH or PPH. Our family preference however is DLH!

Hallew,
For our very first DL vacation, we decided to go all out and stay at GCH and we just fell in love with it. All of our subsequent trips have been stays at GCH. But this year, we just couldn't afford to stay there (though we are crossing our fingers for xmas) and we decided on the Disneyland Hotel. It was still wonderful, but different. You definitely have a LOT more Disney theming and the pools are great. Being further from the park (the Monorail was always broken when we wanted to use it), it reduced the number of trips back to the room for me. I used to pop in and out as I needed to, but reduced it to once in the afternoon. It's not a long walk really because it's through DTD. We like eating at ESPNZone and tortilla Joes and though it's probably the same distance, it seems soo much closer to the DLH.
So specific to your Q's:
1. It is very nice, but very different from GCH, keep that in mind, it's a totally different experience in my opinion, but it's all good. It's no more run down than GCH. Seriously, the furniture and everything is in good condition. Sure you don't have the nice flatscreen tv's that you do at the Grand, but everything is clean, well kept, no stains, etc.
2. Not too far for a 5 yo. DD is 5 and DS is 3. I bring the stroller and dh uses an evc, but we make dd walk. Ya she whines, but it's because she wants to whine, not because the walk is incredibly far. Besides, the LOVE the pool theming and use that as bait to make them keep their pace back towards the hotel!
Hope this helps....as someone who would prefer to stay at GCH and feels more at home at GCH, I would gladly stay at DLH!

I think you will be fine at the DLH, especially with your kids. We go back and forth between the GCH and the DLH a lot. My personal preference is the GCH for the luxury and convenience. However, I still love the DLH and am just as happy there. It is my first choice if I am taking friends with kids who have never stayed onsite. I love the Disney touches and always ask for a room in the Sierra (Dreams?) tower and I request 2 queens and a daybed - those rooms are a little bigger. Your kids will love the pool with the Neverland theme and Lost Bar is a great place to hang out. Don't forget you can take the monorail at the end of the day if you are tired and you will be very close to the DLH. I actually miss taking the monorail when we stay at the GCH.

sorry to be the naysayer, but I find the DLH to be run-down. The last time I stayed there there were threads hanging down from the sofa in my room and everything felt old and used. Maybe I was in a room that was ready for refurbishment, but it didn't make a positive impression (and the pixie dust border in our room didn't light up!)

If I can't afford or get into the GCH I prefer the Paradise Pier--essentially right across the street from GCH so not that much further.

I found DLH run down, too. I didn't really think it was themed. It seemed more like an ordinary hotel with Disney characters thrown around, rather than truly themed. The one good thing about it though is the room size. It definitely has a more comfortable room size than GLH and the grounds are pretty. We stayed in the former Sierra Tower near the Neverland Pool. We wound up liking the quiet pools better and the landscaping near the Bonita Tower. It just seemed more tropical, resort like and more like a vacation.

I have stayed in both hotels and like DLH better. The rooms are bigger which is great because we go with like 8-10 kids and they have plenty of space to go between two rooms. Our favorite tower is the former Sierra Tower ( cant remember what its called now). Its so close to DTD and has great views of the fireworks from select rooms.

GCH is a beautiful hotel with a great proximity to both DL and DCA but the rooms are a long walk from the elevators. The best thing about the rooms are the separate sinks and vanity from the shower. Great to have one kid in the shower while the others are brushing teeth and washing faces.

Love, Love, Love the Disneyland Hotel! Stayed at all three...The Grand, The Disneyland Hotel and The Paradise Pier.

To me, The Original is best (even tho it is showing a bit of her age - aren't we all?)
;)

Thanks for all these great opinions and reviews!

I am going to keep my reservation at the DL hotel, request the Dreams tower and a room with a daybed. I am really excited to stay somewhere new.

After my vacation, I will post my comparision of the GC vs. DL Hotels.

Thanks everyone!!
Halle

We recently returned from a 6 night stay at the DLH.

We requested the dreams tower at check-in (DTD view). It was not avail (water/plumbing issues as far as I know). We were put into the Wonder tower on the east end (second to the last from end of hall) facing the other towers. We had a great fireworks, park, and DTD view! Good enough for me.
We have one dd5 that used a stroller, but we did take the monorail back mid-day a couple of times to rest/swim.

Remember that you have to fold up your stroller to go on the monorail, so have an extra totebag to put everything from the stroller basket into! We ended up buying one (6.95, available in almost all of the shopping venues at the registers in both parks). They are thin and fold up to the size of a PDA and has a little clip to attach to the stroller or whatever when not in use.

I have stayed in both and have always had a good experience at DLH. I try not to view either one as being better or worse, just different. I love the pool at DLH; it feels like I'm swimming in Disneyland! (I didn't really get that same feeling at the GCH.) I also liked the Lost Bar, Croc's Bits & Bites, and the closeness of the monorail. We usually walked to the main gate the first day, but then rode the monorail to and from the park after that.

Have fun!