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CoasterChickie
01-03-2005, 06:48 AM
I've now stayed at all three and I like them in this order:

1. Disneyland Hotel
2. Paradise Pier Hotel
3. Grand Californian Hotel

To me, being at the DLH feels like being right in DL from the moment I arrive at the front door. I love the giant Mickey Mouse, the lobby with its decor and shops and Disney videos for the kids to watch while the parents are checking in. I love the Neverland pool with Hook's restaurant overlooking it and the other pools too. And it's fun to walk all over the grounds and look at all the special Disney touches. I like the big rooms with the tall comfy beds and the Tinkerbell wall paper. I also like the big bathrooms with a seperate toilet area. And I like that if you stay in the Sierra Tower , you can have a DTD view or a pool view and when you come down the elevator, you can step out the back door, walk across the street , and be right in DTD. I also like that you can see both parks from your room and you can hear the music from DTD if you open your window.

The PPH also feels very Disney-ish to me. The lobby layout is kind of strange , but has lots of nice touches. The PCH Grill is much more laid back than Goofy's Kitchen. The pool is pretty nice and I like that you can watch the fireworks and listen to the music. The rooms and bathrooms are smaller but the beachy theme is very cute. The walk to DTD and DL?DCA isn't too bad.

The Grand Californian is very beautiful so I'll give it that. The lobby is pretty amazing , especially with the huge Christmas tree for the holidays. But the rooms don't feel Disneyish except for the shower curtains that have Bambi and Thumper on them. (I'd love to do one of my bathrooms at home with that decor) One of our rooms was so far away from the lobby and entrance into DTD that it was as if we had walked the entire length of DTD to get to and from it. Also that room was very tiny. Our other room was bigger only because it had handicapped access. And I think it's weird that if you need an extra bed for the 5th person and don't get a room with a daybed , all they give you is a sleeping bag with a thin uncomfortable pad. I guess I don't "get" GCH the same way some people don't "get" DCA. My sister and I both thought the same things. We would probably never stay there again because we think the DLH is way better, especially for little kids!!!

stan4d_steph
01-03-2005, 06:51 AM
I've only stayed at one, the GCH. I like it the best due to the Arts & Crafts style architecture. The lobby is the best of the 3 by far. The pools are nice and the dining selections are fantastic, from Whitewater Snacks for a quick, economical bite to Napa Rose for a wonderful gourmet meal.

Matt Hamand
01-03-2005, 06:56 AM
We've stayed at DLH and GCH. We liked the Grand Californian better. The rooms were nicer, the pools way nicer.

More expensive though. Way more.

rentayenta
01-03-2005, 06:59 AM
I have stayed at only one, The Disneyland Hotel. I too, loved all of the Disney touches. I loved running into Goofy Christmas morning in the lobby. The Sierra Tower was cool and I liked the view of DTD and the fireworks.

I think DH would like the PPH because of the beach theme.

I have only walked through the GC. It felt like I was in Jackson Hole again. It's breathtaking but it doesn't seem have the magic of the DLH.

Saratoga75
01-03-2005, 11:15 AM
I am going with Grand Californian on this one, especially with a room overlooking DCA. We enjoyed the pools at GC especially during our trips over the summer (june & august), and the rooms are really nice. Of course the lobby is the best of all 3 Resort hotels no argument there. Yes in the end it costs more, the most expensive of the three hotels, but in the end it's a great hotel. I would choose DL hotel second, its been a long time since we stayed there last, but recently went up to see a friends room in Sierra Tower and i liked the room. Still havent stayed at Paradise Pier Hotel, just havent gotten the interest to stay there yet.

disney jones
01-03-2005, 12:00 PM
I prefer the GCH over DLH because it's nicer and newer. One perk that the GCH has that went over great with the girls is 'bunk beds" - that made their stay there. I also like the quick entrance to DCA and the lobby.

the pools to me are equal - Neverland vs. the stunning view of the lodge at GCH. I have no preference there.

One good thing about the DLH is that its a closer walk to the Monorail station, especially from the Sierra Tower. With two little ones, at the end of the day, they usually both want to be carried, so every step counts.

AlxVision360
01-03-2005, 12:05 PM
Our family stayed at the PPH on the 22nd. It was our first time staying "on property" and we absolutely loved it! I made the reservation a few months back at Expedia.com. It is usually the least expensive of the 3 hotels. In mid-November I made it a point to request a park view room. Not only did we get park view, but it was on the 10th floor with 2 beds and sofa sleeper, microwave, and fridge. We left DL via the Monorail and the walk to the hotel from the DTD station was not far at all. The staff was really nice too!

The next morning, we found Santa down stairs next to the snack shack lounge area (does it have a name? I don't remember). There was NO line, my kids just went right on up for a visit with ol Saint Nick. We decided to save $$ and had pastries for breakfast right there at the coffee/snack bar area. I discovered some flavored milk drinks in the vending machine. Mmm, good stuff! Next time tho I'll get them at Vons instead and bring them with us ($2 vending machine price vs $1.50 at the store). We liked the Vanilla flavor best. We had no trouble finding a spot to sit down.

The pool was heated and I took the younger ones down for a swim before we checked out. Of course, it was freezing cold out of the pool, but at least the kids had fun in the water. The slide was closed tho.

If we ever decide to stay at the resort again PPH will be our hotel of choice.

Emma
01-03-2005, 01:30 PM
My favorite is the Disneyland Hotel. It's nostalgic for me.

GCH is also beautiful.

IMO, Paradise Pier isn't worth the money. I'd rather stay at the Coast Anaheim if given the option, to be honest.

3894
01-03-2005, 01:34 PM
Thank heavens for the choices, I say! There's something for everyone.

pisces
01-03-2005, 02:23 PM
I've only stayed at the GC, but I've been in the common areas of DLH. I'd say the GC is far superior to the DLH. Again, I've not been inside of an actual Sierra Room, at the DLH, but I just don't like the location of DLH. It seems very much out of the loop what with the GC being right there in the center of everything.

DLH, seemed a significant walk farther away from the original Park, than GCH.

I don't know how anyone can say that DLH is in the center of all the action. It seemed very far away to me.

Also the common areas of DLH seemed a little cold compared to the warmth of GCH.

I wonder why Walt built DLH so far away from the maingate? Maybe they just didn't build hotels close in those days.

As for Paradise Pier: I can't say a thing about it, since I didn't get over there during my stay. I don't know where it is or what the walk is like; however, I know people who swear by it. One of my best friends, who is quite wealthy stays only at the Paradise Pier, even though they could easily afford GC. Go figure. So, Paradise Pier does have many fans, it seems.

I just don't know about the Disneyland Hotel----it seemed very isolated to me.

sierranevada
01-03-2005, 04:44 PM
Gotta agree with CoasterChickie - my preference is:

DLH
PPH
GCH

We just stayed at GC a few weeks ago for the second time - yes, it is a beautiful hotel but I feel like I am in Yosemite - not Disneyland. I love feeling completely immersed in the Disney Magic when I visit and stay at DLH. But what is nice, is that all three hotels offer different choices - different strokes for different folks!!

SCUBAbe
01-03-2005, 04:48 PM
I like the GCH...I feel like I'm getting away from all the DL stuff for a bit. Thats why I like staying off property also. I can only take so much looking at cartoon characters then I need a break. This may sound like I don't like the park, but I do. I do have issues witht he characters though. I ahve nver really liked them...even when I was a child they freaked me out....LOL...OH, and there's nothing worse than that high pitched mouse voice waking me up in the morning. I ahve taken to just picking up the receiver and replacing it. That voice is sooo annoying...especially first thing in the morning...LOL

SCUBAbe
01-03-2005, 04:52 PM
I wonder why Walt built DLH so far away from the maingate? Maybe they just didn't build hotels close in those days.

.

from what I understand he didn't build it. He did buy it out at a later date. Also, it's kinda tall and he had this idea that nothing larger should be built around the park. He didn't want peopel to see outside buildings while they were in the park.

CoasterChickie
01-03-2005, 05:18 PM
Yep, this is definitely a personal choice question. It doesn't have a right or wrong answer and it's interesting to hear who likes which hotels for which reasons.


Didn't the Monorail used to go directly to the Disneyland Hotel and you could get off at the 4th or 5th floor or something like that?

TrekkieDad
01-03-2005, 06:22 PM
Didn't the Monorail used to go directly to the Disneyland Hotel and you could get off at the 4th or 5th floor or something like that?

The monorail has not moved. DTD took over areas that used to be part of the DLH. Remember the transportation center that used to be under the monorail platform? Remember the multi-story retail building that used to be where the ESPN Zone now sits?

TrekkieDad
01-03-2005, 06:37 PM
The GCH gets my vote. We stayed there Jan 2003. Our room overlooked DCA, and it was close to the entrance, so we went through DCA a lot. I tried out the health club, much better than at other hotels. Our room was spacious enough for 2, and the bathrobes were a nice touch.

To be fair, it's been a long time since we stayed at the DLH. We honeymooned in the Sierra Tower in '76 and stayed in the Bonita Tower with our kids when they were little. It wasn't over-the-top with Disney touches and had a more relaxed pace.

I think we stayed at the Pan Pacific once (long before Disney acquired it), and I don't recall anything special, but that was a very long time ago.

SoCalDude
01-03-2005, 06:38 PM
I've now stayed at all three and I like them in this order:

1. Disneyland Hotel
2. Paradise Pier Hotel
3. Grand Californian Hotel

Ditto for me.

DH and PPH are veeery close in the running and oftenflip-flop in the standings. If we want to be a tad more 'laid back' we stay at the PPH, if not then its the DH. But the PPH lost one of its major attractions - the private PPH only entrance. Walking thru the GC is not somehting I want to do - so, when we stay there again, we will walk over to DD and either get on the monorail or just walk up to the main gate.

The GC is a far distant 3rd for us. The only thing we really like about it is the view of the park. We do not like the lobby (too large, dark and crowded), we do not like the theme of the hotel and we can get much more joy from one of the less expensive on-site hotels.

To borrow a phrase from my Mother - "We stayed there two times in one visit - our first and our last"

Darkbeer
01-03-2005, 07:21 PM
Actually, Jack Wrather built the Disneyland Hotel (The person who came up with Lassie, and many other TV shows) and ran the hotel until March of 1988.... Walt never did won the hotel in his lifetime. In fact, as part of the deal, Jack Wrather got the exclusive rights to building and running Disney hotels in Southern California. It was the main reason why Disney never did build or buy any hotels in the area. After Jack Wrather passed on, it became a corporation, and then thru a couple of deals, Disney took control of the DLH and the contract, allowing them to buy the Paradise Pier hotel from the former owners based in Tokyo, and then build GCH.

http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/W/htmlW/wratherjack/wratherjack.htm

http://www.queenmary.com/html/factsandhistory.php4?section=1983to1997

stan4d_steph
01-04-2005, 07:03 AM
Didn't the Monorail used to go directly to the Disneyland Hotel and you could get off at the 4th or 5th floor or something like that?You're probably thinking of the Contemporary Resort in WDW where the monorail runs right through it.

dsny1mom
01-04-2005, 08:19 AM
Our Hotel of choice is DLH. We have stayed in all three (actually we checked out of the other two after only one nights stay) and niether comes close to the magic that lies in the DLH.

Here are some of the reasons *we* perfer DLH (and apparently the majority of DLR guests agree with us as it sells out MUCH faster than the other two)

1) Location: Closest to the monorail. View of BOTH parks (from Sierra that is). You never have to go out of your way to get to the couple of good retaurants at the GC, as you pass by it on the way to the parks.

2) No maze of hallways to navigate to just get out of the hotel or long waits for slow moving elevators.

3) The pool. Nuff said.

4) The lobby isn't so big that day guests come just hang out there, making you feel as if you are still in the parks. LOL

5) The rooms are light, bright and Disney themed. They also offer you not only more room but actual *normal* beds (as oppossed to bunk beds or sleeping bags).

6) The grounds are actually *resort* grounds, something niether of the other two can offer.

7) History abounds at the DLH. Like DL it is the original. It wasn't a parking lot or the Pan Paciffic when Walt still walked.

8) It *is* Disnelyland's hotel, IMHO. The GC is DCA's hotel and the PP.....is well....... like an add on. Again my personal opinion.

9) The prices for the DLH are fair for what you get. For what you get at the other two I feel they are BOTH overpriced.

10) If I want the rustic lodge feel I'll head to the mountains, if I want a beach themed hotel I'll head to beach communities. If I want a Disneyland hotel I head to the DLH.


Our stays are in the range of 2 - 3 weeks. I can't imagine staying at the GC or the PP for that length of time. Just not enough *Disney* to make us feel as if we are...well....at the DLR!

dsny1mom

slydini
01-04-2005, 08:33 AM
My favorite is DLH. We stayed at the GCH for one night and did not care for it. I love the DLH for its Disney touches.

Tinkerbelle923
01-04-2005, 10:53 AM
Paradise Pier gets my vote.

Contrary to what a lot of people feel, we felt like we never left the Disney "bubble".
I like the themeing, not so over done (in my opinion) as DLH and I'm not so crazy about the rustic GC. I like the subtle disney touches in our room (we had framed painting of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy) but the rest was very subtle (hidden Mickey in the bedspread, etc.)
The walk took about 6 minutes from hotel to main gates, The Monorail was very convienent.
And it fits the budget the best.
I would definatly stay there again!

rentayenta
01-04-2005, 10:56 AM
dsny1mom's post made my eyes water. I miss the DLH and I want to go back-NOW!

dsny1mom
01-04-2005, 11:38 AM
I hear ya Rentayenta!

I can't wait to get back to my *home away from home* too!

I read your trip reports and I'm so happy that you had a wonderful time!

My brewd will be there July 3rd-18th 2005, at the DLH, of course. :)

Any chance you and yours will be out there during a portion of our stay? I'd love to meet you and that little ball of fire, Coaster Chickie too!

Maybe we could ditch the hubbies for a few hours and my two girls will be 19.5 and 22 by then (and they both know the parks like the back of their hands) so we can pawn all the little ones off on them, because I'm betting the three of us would have a BLAST in the park together!

dsny1mom

sami869
01-04-2005, 11:42 AM
Well we've only stayed a the GC so I can't really say which one is best. I can say that we really enjoyed our stay there. Our room had a king bed and a sofa bed which worked perfectly since I was staying there with my boyfriend and a frined of ours. We thought the room was actually quite large. We were given a free upgrade to a room with a view of DCA. It was too cold to enjoy the pool but we sure loved the large fireplace in the lobby. Eventually I'd like to stay at the other two Disney hotels but we usually stay at the Best Value Suites because of their price and size.