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View Full Version : How inconvenient is DLH?



smuie
02-08-2005, 10:18 AM
GC is out of my league at $355-$550 per night. It was listed at $265 on Expedia, etc. but now is only available on one night of my stay. Likewise, Paradise Pier is sold out. Disneyland Hotel seems to be my best bet for a resort hotel. However, I read on here that it is not a convenient location. How inconvenient is it? I am traveling with a toddler and a 5 year old who will require naps. Is the DLH truly not any more convenient than the cheaper hotels within walking distance? Please share your thoughts. I appreciate it -- it is our first trip to DL; we have been to WDW 3 times.
Thanks!

Also, will 70 degree weather be warm enough to use resort heated pools?

tlovesdis
02-08-2005, 10:33 AM
We stayed at the DLH in December and I did not find it inconvinent at all! I would say the walk from the front gate to the hotel is the same as walking across the street to some of the hotels on Harbor. If you take the Monorail from Tomorrowland Station, your walk to the hotel will be very short.

We used the pool in December! It was heated to 85 degrees so if it's 70 outside, you should be fine!

Have fun!!

Surfingstitch
02-08-2005, 10:34 AM
It just depends on what you want to spent on your stay.

rentayenta
02-08-2005, 10:51 AM
We were there is Dec. as well and I didn't find the walk inconvinient at all. To me, walking across Harbor, away from the Disney magic, is more of pita ;)

The old man
02-08-2005, 11:17 AM
I'll go the other way. It's twice the walk from the hotel we stay at--Best Western Park Place. And even though it's lousy, the BWBP has a continental breakfast that at least gets you going. I also thought that access to the monorail would help, but with so many cars out of service the wait can be interminable--our record, a 40 minute wait.

David

pisces
02-08-2005, 11:56 AM
Ok, once and for all:

Is there, or is there not, a monorail stop right in front of DLH????

Why do I keep thinking the monorail stops right in front of DLH??? Could it be that years ago there was one?

Shortiemetoo
02-08-2005, 12:04 PM
Years ago you just went out of the motel....I think on the second floor and there was a loading area. Now it is a short walk from the lobby, toward DTD.

tlovesdis
02-08-2005, 12:10 PM
Years ago the hotel had the Monorail Cafe and a building that had shops in it. That building was right by the monorail station. The building is gone now and Rainforest Cafe sits where it once was. The monorail station never moved and the hotel towers never moved. It is the same distance to walk from the monorail to your hotel room as it always has been. It just seems like it is farther becasue there are no shops and restuarants there anymore!

Rouxe1688
02-08-2005, 12:16 PM
It's about a ten minute walk thru downtown disney to the front gate, it's not horendouse (can't spell, my appologies) but it's not fun at the end of the day. There is no monorail that stops for the DLH. Despite this walk i've always stayed at the DLH, it's so disney. the neverland pool is adorable, there's music playing in the backround and the cheeseburgers at the Croc's Bits n Bites stand are fantastic. Your kids will probably befriend some of the sparrows, they're so friendly one hopped in my hand when i was little.
So, yes, it's a little inconvenient but it's not bad. I recommend DLH, the memories are great.

Stupid_American
02-08-2005, 01:32 PM
This photo (http://home.pacbell.net/dagravy/disneyslide/pages/05)dt4_jpg.htm) was taken from in front of the Monorail Station.
That's the Disneyland Hotel in the background.
This entrance is less crowded that the main entrance too.

The hotel, itself, has plenty of interesting things to check out (see rest of site).

SCUBAbe
02-08-2005, 02:08 PM
MY Opinion...LOL...I would stay on harbor off site. Only because, I would rather walk past the bus stops and right to the DL gates than to trudge through DTD...even though it may be the same amount of walking ...it just seemed to take forever to walk through DTD...of course there is always the monorail in...which is what we did when we weren't going to DCA first...:)

disney jones
02-08-2005, 02:14 PM
DLH is the most convenient DLR hotel, on or off property. It is closer to the Monorail Station than the GCH is. Get the Sierra Tower - that's the closest. The Marina Tower (the main tower is close too, that'd be my second choice)

GCH is right at the entrance to DCA and closer to the Main Gate to Disneyland, but DLH is closer to the Monorail station - i have two small girls - i know! DLH is closer to the Monorail station than GCH is to the Disneyland Main Gate.

Using the Monorail station is very convenient to enter with toddlers, and you can get a stroller in the Star Trader (big Tomorrowland gift shop), without having to walk all the way to the front of Main Street to rent one.

Walt'sbirthdaygirl
02-08-2005, 02:23 PM
We stay at the DLH whenever we go (about twice a year for ovenight stays), I would love to stay at the Grand again , but my husband will not budge. He loves the DLH and will stay at no other. (plus as he told me yesterday, why spend another 50 dollars a night when the DLH has perfectly nice rooms and we can stop at the Grand to look at the lobby, enjoy the fire, etc)

I would say it is not at all inconvenient, we have a 4 year old and a 1 year old and we go back around midday for naps and sometimes lunch or a swim. It's close enough to leave and go back to the parks. Plus, it's super cute and so totally Disney.

CoasterChickie
02-08-2005, 02:53 PM
Stupid American... I love the way you include photos with your posts!!! :)

It is really not that long of a walk from the DLH to the main gate through DTD unless you stop along the way. The monorail station is closer to the back entrance of the Sierra Tower than it is to the side entrance of the GCH.

SCUBAbe
02-08-2005, 03:00 PM
Stupid American... I love the way you include photos with your posts!!! :)

It is really not that long of a walk from the DLH to the main gate through DTD unless you stop along the way. The monorail station is closer to the back entrance of the Sierra Tower than it is to the side entrance of the GCH.

it's not really a long walk if it's not crowded, but when DTD crowds up it can take a while to wade through it. That may be why I prefer going the other way...:)

BQ2
02-10-2005, 07:56 PM
We stay at the DLH whenever we go. I would say it is not at all inconvenient, we have a 3 year old .We go back around midday for naps and sometimes lunch or a swim. It's close enough to leave and go back to the parks. Plus, it's super cute and so totally Disney.

tjaa
02-10-2005, 08:26 PM
GC is out of my league at $355-$550 per night. It was listed at $265 on Expedia, etc. but now is only available on one night of my stay. Likewise, Paradise Pier is sold out. Disneyland Hotel seems to be my best bet for a resort hotel. However, I read on here that it is not a convenient location. How inconvenient is it? I am traveling with a toddler and a 5 year old who will require naps. Is the DLH truly not any more convenient than the cheaper hotels within walking distance? Please share your thoughts. I appreciate it -- it is our first trip to DL; we have been to WDW 3 times.
Thanks!

Also, will 70 degree weather be warm enough to use resort heated pools?
Go for the DLH for your 1st time experience, if your tired ride the Monorail, if not stroll though DTD. ZERO inconvenient, unless the monorail is down :mad: (been there). At 70 degrees bring your suits.....

The old man
02-11-2005, 08:30 AM
I don't think you can count on the Monorail. When I've been there the service has been very uneven due to repair issues and the number of cars operating. The time we stayed at the DLH we waited over 40 minutes to use the Monorail to the hotel. When we returned to DL we waited 10 minutes. This is not as convenient, nor as reliable, as the 5 - 6 minute walk from the Best Western Park Place.

David

tlovesdis
02-11-2005, 08:45 AM
The walk from the front gate to the DLH is only about 10 minutes through downtown disney if you don't stop and shop, look, etc...

Darkbeer
02-11-2005, 08:49 AM
^ But the walk can be less than 5 minutes if you stay just across the street on Harbor...

Plus the vast majority of the non-Disneyhotels even provide a shuttle, or the ART service. Disney does not offer a shuttle to any of its hotels.

sierranevada
02-11-2005, 09:49 AM
IMHO, there is nothing inconvenient about the DLH! Short walk to the monorail station and walking through DTD is fun! Remember at the end of the day, if you are taking the monorail back, DLR hotel guests have a prior entrance to the monorail so you do not have to wait in line! The entrance is right by the Autotopia shop. If you miss it, just ask the CM's. And yes, bring your swimsuits! Your kids will the DLH - two favorite things to do at the DLR - leave the curtains open all day so the pixie dust glows at night and request wake up calls and have the kids answer - it is Mickey calling!

Alex S.
02-11-2005, 09:51 AM
In a "purely walking to the entry gates" consideration, the close hotels on Harbor have Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier Hotel, and (depending on room location and time of day) Grand California Hotel beat.

Disneyland Hotel's proximinity to the Monorail is good, but only if there is little line and you don't mind ending up in Tomorrowland (if you're going to DCA, obviously the monorail doesn't help). The Paradise Pier gate at DCA is closed now so it has no advantage for either park. Depending on where you are in Grand California it can be a surprisingly long walk to the Disneyland gate (having to walk the entire length of the hotel (away from the gates) to get out to Downtown Disney and then walking back half the length of Downtown Disney to get to the gate.

Walking quickly through Downtown Disney on a Saturday night can be difficult once the various performers set up and attract crowds.

If DCA is open then obviously Grand California has everybody beat for that park, and you can use that entrance to walk a straighter line to the Disneyland entrance.

Personally, unless the theming and experience of a Disney hotel (I never use hotel swimming pools, for example) is what you want I would recommend staying at a close hotel on Harbor, which also provides greater convenience in off property dining (IHOP, Denny's, Tony Roma's, McDonald's, Millie's, etc., within a block)