Paradise Pier or not?

[mjjpower]

I am struggling with which hotel to stay in in January. My dream would be to stay in the GCH but that probably won't be happening at $300 plus a night. I have read better review on tripadvisor for Paradise Pier than the Disneyland Hotel. That said, I have reservations that I can cancel at the Candy Cane Inn which seems nice and they have a free breakfast and shuttle. We have stayed in the past at the BW Park Place Inn and it was fine but a little dark for my taste. I noticed that the Disney Resort Hotels are offering a $150 credit if you book 4 nights there so that might help with breakfast costs (at least part of it). Has anyone used the concierge level at Paradise Pier? Is it worth the extra money? I know, lots of questions! Thank you so much in advance for any suggestions!
Mary Jane

[Tiggette]

Cannot tell you about the GCH or DLH, but I would take PPH over any off site hotel. Enjoyed our stay at PPH last year, we are staying again this year.

I booked through AAA and have the Stay 3 nights get the 4th night free. I do not know what sort of deals they will have in January, but it might be worth looking into.

[Rhiannon8404]

We like the PPI. We like the Candy Cane Inn. When we have a bit more money to spend, we stay at PPI. When we don't, we stay at CCI (cheaper room plus free breakfast). I don't know about Concierge rooms, though.

[hlbtimes2]

We did conc. at PP last Oct. "Worth" is different for everyone, so its not a cut and dry answer. It was nice to not have to worry about breakfast. It was simple, but it was free and easy. The staff was very nice. We enjoyed the pop/juice/ water in our room and to take to the park with us. We never did have time to use the DVD players/movies. Turn down service was nice, but not something that I would normally pay for. So, if are looking at it to "save" money, its probably not worth it. It takes a lot of snacks and drinks to make up for the cost. If you like to feel special and a bit more pampered, then yes its worth it. It also would be more financially worth it if we spent more time at the hotel. We rarely used the evening snacks/beverages.

Its a nice hotel. But, it is a bit of a walk at the end of the night. We stayed at the CCI in March, so just a few months after our PP stay. We will return to the CCI- it really fits our needs. Close, clean and very affordable! And the shuttle is a really big thing for us.

[twist1980]

If you can stay on-site, do it. I've stayed at PPH and DLH and loved both! The walk is short to the parks from each, especially if you are coming from PPH and cut through the GCH.

I loved each resort for a different reason. The DLH just had that Disney feel (I'm actually staying there again in February). Plus it has so much history, that for a Disney nut, it is like heaven.

With PPH, I had a resort view room, so my room overlooked DCA. Amazing. Not only could I see DCA, but the GCH and I also got some great shots of the Matterhorn, Space Mt. and Thunder Mt. The theming is less Disneyfied, but the carpets in the hallways have the Sun Wheel on them and there are other random things.

So I would recommend either, but again, if you can stay on-site DO IT! There is nothing like waking up and walking through DtD in the morning. It is purely magical!

[ftroop6]

We stayed at the PP with an awsome themepark view. I couldn't believe how close we seemed to be to DCA! The view can't be beat. The walk to and from the parks was way to long by the end of day 5. Also the elevators at the PP are horrible. Half of our stay they weren't working and the other half of the time it would have been faster to walk up to the 12th floor. Even with the view I would not stay there again.

[Barbossa]

Our stay at PPH was a terrible experience. Outrageously bad service. We've since become die-hard HoJo customers.

[backsthepack]

PP is our favorite out of all of the hotels in the area. The views are amazing. We didn't have one ounce of trouble when staying there. I don't think the walk was that bad. Especially when you can use the "secret gate" (as our son calls it) to get into DCA.

[Katran]

Have you checked into rates through Expedia.com? I always book my trips through them and have never had any problems. I find that their prices tend to be cheaper than any other travel service's, and you can often get special deals through them as well. Check into it and see what you think, if you haven't already done so.

[Gilliegrl]

Ive stayed at PP three times now all at concierge. I really enjoy pp and being on property, the magic begins there, however I too am now considering staying elsewhere due to cost.

PP is a great hotel. Concierge is hard to explain as to whether or not its worth it. We are a family of 4 with a 3 and 6 year old. The breakfasts were great and really came in handy as did the extra juices, snacks and drinks throughout the day and to take in the park. They do have a hot entree in the late afternoon, early evening. Depending on our day this served as a meal in some cases. The desserts are awsome too and they do have wine and beer in the evening. We have used the movies and the games too. The turn down is nice and the kids loved getting the disney chocolate coins.

Its a tough call, if you can afford it Id say go for it. Im at a crossroad myself with planning the next trip. I may have to omit it but now that Ive been spoiled its hard. If you dont plan on making time to get back to the hotel during the day or have some down time it may not be cost effective for you.