Afraid to stay offsite

[theluckyrabbit]

Thanks for the info, a constant temperature of 68F would be perfectly acceptable to me.

Did you have a room on the north side, with a view of Disneyland? I wonder if the south facing rooms tend to be hotter because of the greater sun exposure. I think what I might do next summer, if there is a good rate at the Sheraton Park, is pay the extra $ for a north facing room, under the assumption it will be a bit cooler. Also, as @SteveH points out, room temperature may only be a problem during extreme heat waves.

Our room faced south, with a pool view. When we returned in the evening, the room was quite cool.

 

[ray3127]

WDW veteran and family planning on taking 2nd Disneyland trip in May. For our first trip last year we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, which we really liked. Was hoping to stay at the Grand Californian this year, but at the least stay again at DLH. The cost is concerning me. I've done more research than I care to about all the hotels up and down Harbour Blvd. We want to be within easy walking distance, but also want to stay in the bubble. I know many people will say it's not as important at DLR as it is at WDW, but I disagree. I loveed not having to leave Disney property. And the ease of walking through that short security line as opposed to all these nightmare stories I'm reading about getting through security at the main entrance off Harbour. Also, my kids love a nice pool, which are few and far between outside of the DLH and GCH. I just loved the feeling and immersion at both parks so much and I don't want spoiled knowing I'd have to head offsite each evening. I'm seriously considering not going if I can't swing the cost of staying at the above mentioned just not to set myself up for disappointment. Anyone ever felt like this at DLR and what did you do about it?

My 2 cents, in reading your post it is clear what you want to do. You will be disappointed if you stay off-site.

We did DLH summer 2018, and it was the best trip we've ever had. Towards the end when we would pass GCH we would say "we're staying there next time." After researching hotel rates, we now own DVC points at Grand Californian... and seriously, if you think this might be a regular trip (or at least once every couple years), you might consider that. Because a week at the Grand can go a long way towards enough points for an annual stay in a studio.

As others have noted, the max ticket is a 5-day ticket. While you could purchase an extra couple days, those 2-day tickets aren't cheap. So maybe you could defray some of the cost by shortening your trip by a night or two, doing the 5-day ticket, and staying where you really want. I think you would appreciate that more than staying for longer off-site (again, based solely on reading between the lines of your post). Your heart is set on GCH.

 

[SteveH]

We just stayed at the Sheraton Park last weekend. Our room stayed at a fairly constant 68*F. No problems with the temperature at all.

Yeah I could keep my room at 68° before temps went up, then it was 74° but I will say I question if that was accurate I think it was off a bit. I live in the desert so I'm used to 100° temps we keep our house around 73-74° and its very comfortable, but the room at 74° was not. I really liked the Sheraton and for the price I paid I loved it, just wish they would correct this issue, and they obviously know the problem exists if they were so willing to bring fans to my room.

Based on your pool view and I had a fireworks view on the 11th floor I wonder if that side of the building has issues.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Yup. Water park is fine, but the pool is ridiculously small.

As WDW veterans we were super unimpressed by GC's pool. So don't stay there for that. The DLH pool is much much better.

 

[disneycat321]

I could never be bothered staying on site at Disneyland. There are several nice hotels within easy walking distance, and Disneyland doesnt discriminate against offsite guests anywhere near as much as WDW. Sure, the onsite guests can enter earlier, but it isn't that big a deal IMO. I hate what WDW has done with that heir totally unfair Fastpass+ system. At Disneyland anyone can get Max pass (or not) and have equal shot at the best rides. I love it there.

Staying on site at WDW is actually what makes me never want to do it at DLR. Just not enough perks to justify the cost for us. In July, we stayed at Yacht Club - walking distance to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios - for literally half the price of DLH or GCH at the same time of year. And YC is in an amazing resort area with an unparalleled pool and newly refurbished rooms. At DLR, we can stay just as close to the parks for far less than YC was. We’re doing BWPPI for our trip in October. We also tend to do shorter breaks and tour harder at DLR, so a nice resort isn’t a priority for us there.

Side note: Anaheim is not even remotely like Las Vegas. I lived in Orange County for several years and I despise Vegas. There are homeless and people living with very little in Anaheim, yes. If you don’t want to see them, stay at GCH. Maybe DLH.

Honestly, OP, it sounds like you’ll be disappointed staying off property. This is all about personal preference, so I don’t think others’ opinions will give you your answer. You mentioned you do longer trips and I imagine you spend more time at the resort than many of us responding here. It’s probably a bigger deal to you, so it would be more worth the cost.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Reading what is important to you and trying to think from that point of view, I don't recommend cancelling your trip. I recommend booking a stay and keep checking pricing. If you can get it for less at some point, change it to that. I know you said that you want to stay 7 or 8 days. Would you consider doing a split stay? If you buy one annual pass, you'll get the discounts not only for the hotel, but for almost everything in the park and in the hotels. Check carefully, but it used to be that you could buy an AP today to lock in the price and then activate it on your first visit, which would start the 12 months at your first visit.

The problem with that immediate area is that there aren't any high end full service hotels. Everything is more like an overpriced motel in my opinion. Personally, it doesn't matter for me because I only use the room to sleep and to shower. I like staying about a mile away in the Hilton brands that have a full hot breakfast in the morning. If there's any chance you'd be willing to do a split stay, you can get a Hilton American Express now and between the sign up bonus and points that earn between now and your trip ( literally charge everything on it that you'll pay off each month), you can get a few free nights at any of the Hilton brands near DL. That might make the $ you are paying for the DL Hotels more manageable.

If there's any way you can change your trip dates, Dapper Days is going on in the Spring sometime. You can get a rate of around $300 - $400/night. Only book it if you are sure you can go, because if you cancel, you lose one nights fee. Dapper Days is an easy event to join. Just dress up dapper for a day and go to a couple of the events.

While I rarely stay on property (the cost just isn't worth it to me), if money was no object, I would stay at the Grand every time because of the convenience. There's nothing else close by that's any good. Staying 7-8 nights, you might consider staying off site for a couple nights at the start of the trip and then moving into the DL hotels. It would also give you a feel for what it's like to stay somewhere else and maybe the next time, you won't mind it.

 

[DizMe]

As WDW veterans we were super unimpressed by GC's pool. So don't stay there for that. The DLH pool is much much better.

This is a matter of personal preference, I suppose. I don't like the DLH pool since the remodel and very much prefer the pool at GCH.

 

[Brett Wyman]

This is a matter of personal preference, I suppose. I don't like the DLH pool since the remodel and very much prefer the pool at GCH.

The very recent remodel? I haven't seen it since then.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... If there's any way you can change your trip dates, Dapper Days is going on in the Spring sometime. You can get a rate of around $300 - $400/night. Only book it if you are sure you can go, because if you cancel, you lose one nights fee. Dapper Days is an easy event to join. Just dress up dapper for a day and go to a couple of the events...

Absolutely. Going to Dapper Day events = buying a DD Expo ticket and/or DD merchandise. Expo tickets are very affordable (well under $20/person) and the merchandise is cute. The Expo itself is fun, too -- takes place in one of the ballrooms of the DLH. Highly encourage anyone using the DD discounts to support the convention by buying Expo tickets and merchandise. This helps prevent abuse of the discount rates.

 

[DizMe]

The very recent remodel? I haven't seen it since then.

It's great for kids; the monorail waterslides are cool looking. But they divided up the pool and there is only one small hot tub. It's mainly geared to kids, IMO, which is wonderful if you have young ones but I do not.

ETA: Which is also why I like GCH. While they have the waterslide for kids, it's much more adult-oriented than the pool at DLH, and they just put in a brand-new outdoor dining/bar area. I found the poolside service at GCH to be really nice when I used it. My kids loved the old DLH pool (actually, DLH in general) but when the got to be around 10+ they preferred GCH. They're older teens now and less interested in swimming where there are lots of little kids

 

[Brett Wyman]

It's great for kids; the monorail waterslides are cool looking. But they divided up the pool and there is only one small hot tub. It's mainly geared to kids, IMO, which is wonderful if you have young ones but I do not.

ETA: Which is also why I like GCH. While they have the waterslide for kids, it's much more adult-oriented than the pool at DLH, and they just put in a brand-new outdoor dining/bar area. I found the poolside service at GCH to be really nice when I used it. My kids loved the old DLH pool (actually, DLH in general) but when the got to be around 10+ they preferred GCH. They're older teens now and less interested in swimming where there are lots of little kids

Yes we have two under 5 that's why we DIDN'T like GC's pools. No splash pad and no beach entry.

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

WDW veteran and family planning on taking 2nd Disneyland trip in May.

You're afraid to stay offsite because as WDW'ers, we're programmed that way. Staying off-site means being away from the magic and not having extra magic hours... As I'm planning our Cali trip, I'm learning that staying off-site is totally normal for DL and different from WDW. In WDW, you're away from it all.. you're somewhere on I-4 and have to sit in traffic... your room is removed from any disney magic... you get home later... you're away from it all.

In DLand, staying "off site" means staying across the street from Disneyland...or a few blocks away. It means rather than spending $800/night on a room, you could spend $350/night and save the rest for park tickets or snacks. Don't be afraid to go offsite.

 

[Maxpowers]

I was just in DLC for the 2nd time earlier this month. My first stay was at the Disneyland Hotel and I loved it. This time around we picked the Best Western Plus Anaheim Inn, it's certainly not the DLH or the GC, but it was clean and close. I totally get the bubble thing, when I go to WDW I'm 100% for the bubble. So much so that I don't even like staying at the convention resorts, just seeing the schlubs in business casual conventioning it up takes me out of it (too easy to imagine myself being that schlub). As someone else mentioned, the security coming in from that side was really easy (it never took longer then 2-3 mins) and thee Best Western is closer to the park entrances than the DLH. But I will say just the crossing the street and the 1/2 block of walking certainly take you out of the bubble a bit, there are some homeless and rando street hawkers right on the corner. With that said, it's a very small part of the whole day. I would certainly take it over not going.

 

[Mike_M]

Having spent the majority of my Disney park experience going to DL, the concept of the bubble that is talked about escaped me for a long time (or at least, the definition of the bubble for myself has always been different). As such, this is how I see things:

The Bubble referred to by many is, I believe, simply another name for the “Resort” experience. You get off the shuttle at the resort entrance and are fully immersed in the amenities of the resort at every turn, seeing nothing of the outside world until you head back to the airport at the end of the trip. Your meals, entertainment, sights and sounds are all delivered to you and controlled by the resort.

Using that definition, at DLR, the only way to truly experience this is by staying at the GCH and utilizing its private entrance to DCA. Even the DLH in my opinion doesn’t exactly fit the title of a resort experience due to its path to the parks shared by visitors coming from the west, and the need to traverse through DTD and its security gate before getting to the parks.

In my opinion, even with adding the word “Resort” to the title of the site, Disneyland has never really been a true resort and hoping to find that experience there is a disappointment in the making. Especially if WDW is the bar you’re setting as the standard.

To the OP, I would say this.
WDW and DLR are not just different sites, but different experiences all together. WDW is the resort, DLR for the most part is just the parks. It sounds to me that a Disney resort is the main experience you want. If anything less is not worth the trip, then why try and put a square peg in a round hole?

IMHO, this is what WDW is for.

WDW has what you’re looking for, and probably has a pricing option that is closer to your budget, all while staying in the “bubble”.

I love DLR. it’s my preferred site and preferred vacation experience. But that’s because I don’t need a resort experience in my Disney vacations. If I did, I think I would look to Orlando more often.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

To the OP, I would say this.
WDW and DLR are not just different sites, but different experiences all together. WDW is the resort, DLR for the most part is just the parks. It sounds to me that a Disney resort is the main experience you want. If anything less is not worth the trip, then why try and put a square peg in a round hole?

IMHO, this is what WDW is for.

WDW has what you’re looking for, and probably has a pricing option that is closer to your budget, all while staying in the “bubble”.

I love DLR. it’s my preferred site and preferred vacation experience. But that’s because I don’t need a resort experience in my Disney vacations. If I did, I think I would look to Orlando more often.

I think this is very pertinent advice. A lot of WDW regulars post about their first trips to DLR very concerned about the bubble and finding the most resort-like experience possible when they get here. I fear that these folks may be disappointed in their trips, even if they can swing staying at GCH, because they may be looking at DLR from the wrong perspective. It's not a resort destination, it just isn't. It's not that kind of vacation. If I were looking for a relaxing, resort-like vacation I would never think to put Disneyland near the top of that list.

It's all about the parks, all day every day. It's a busy, exhausting, but ultimately very rewarding kind of vacation. I often return to work the next week feeling like I was hit by a truck, with sore legs and a lot of steps on my pedometer, but a full heart. Even on trips where I swear we're going to "take it easy this time," I find it impossible to justify time spent sitting at the hotel or next to so-so pools when I could be in the parks. Especially when a walk into the parks is only about 5-10 minutes.

This isn't to say that I can't take relaxing vacations. I love sitting around doing nothing on cruise ships. I'm planning a trip to WDW in the future and am building non-park days into my itinerary (which I would never think of doing at DLR). WDW is indeed the more resort-like experience.

But I still think that a DLR trip is definitely worth it for OP and others who prefer resort vacations. Just be aware of the differences and what you should expect at DLR.

 

[superdeluxe]

WDW veteran and family planning on taking 2nd Disneyland trip in May. For our first trip last year we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, which we really liked. Was hoping to stay at the Grand Californian this year, but at the least stay again at DLH. The cost is concerning me. I've done more research than I care to about all the hotels up and down Harbour Blvd. We want to be within easy walking distance, but also want to stay in the bubble. I know many people will say it's not as important at DLR as it is at WDW, but I disagree. I loveed not having to leave Disney property. And the ease of walking through that short security line as opposed to all these nightmare stories I'm reading about getting through security at the main entrance off Harbour. Also, my kids love a nice pool, which are few and far between outside of the DLH and GCH. I just loved the feeling and immersion at both parks so much and I don't want spoiled knowing I'd have to head offsite each evening. I'm seriously considering not going if I can't swing the cost of staying at the above mentioned just not to set myself up for disappointment. Anyone ever felt like this at DLR and what did you do about it?

I've never been a Bubble person, I wouldn't cancel a trip because you couldn't afford to stay at the GC. It is literally a 6-7 minute walk from the gates to Harbor Hotels. There are a couple of Nicer pools/waterslides on Harbor Blvd.

Agree with others saying that it is not a 'Resort' But a park.

 

[Captainkidd76]

I've never been a Bubble person, I wouldn't cancel a trip because you couldn't afford to stay at the GC. It is literally a 6-7 minute walk from the gates to Harbor Hotels. There are a couple of Nicer pools/waterslides on Harbor Blvd.

Agree with others saying that it is not a 'Resort' But a park.

Which pool is nicer on Harbor Blvd?

 

[Aurora0427]

I totally understand how you feel... we went to WDW annually when we lived in Texas, and I felt like we were slumming it when we stayed at the Polynesian instead of the Grand Floridian. I just loved taking magical express to the resort and everything that goes along with being at a deluxe hotel on Disney property. Although I am now a poly fan for life after they treated us like family during Harvey when we couldn’t get back to Houston. Anyway, we moved to Southern California (SD) this summer and my husband put his foot down and said NO WAY to staying on Disney property. We go at least once a month, and there’s no way we could stay at the GCH or DLH every trip. I actually don’t even want to because I know I’ll never want to go back to the Park Vue Inn. I’m a self admitted hotel snob and I’ve had to adjust. I don’t like harbor and there’s always some creepy person begging for money making me feel like I’m back in Houston. There is a beautiful Westin Resort opening in 2020, and I’m HOPING it’s cheaper than GCH or DLH.

But we love Disneyland and staying at the Park Vue inn is better than not going at all. It’s the closest hotel to the parks unless you’re at the GCH.

 

[twodogs]

For reference, we live in Texas, and we hit WDW and DLR several times each, each year. We have done this for about the last 8 years. We always stay in a Deluxe in WDW, and we have stayed in both the GCH and DLH.

Many of the comments on this thread are trying to explain the difference between the WDW bubble and the DLR bubble. But the OP ALREADY knows that difference (or similarity, as it sounds like it is for OP) because she has already stayed at the DLH last year. It sounds like the DLR bubble was a worthwhile experience for her last year, and she is trying to keep that going, despite the high price differential between on and off site at DLR.

As others have said, onsite can be less expensive if you watch for Disney to have a special, go during Dapper Days, go during a convention that you are attending, etc. There are few true “deals” to be had for these resorts in my opinion because the demand is high for reasons that you already know, OP. Others have given great advice about getting one AP so that you might be able to get discounts elsewhere to help drive down the cost (I’ve heard AP hotel rates are uncommon, as another poster said). You could do less park days to save on park tickets, and have a few hotel days to enjoy what you are paying for by staying onsite. Pack a lunch/snacks, bring in a water bottle and refill it etc. No these are not game changing money savers, but they can all help. There are ticket resellers that do have legitimate discount park tickets (there are many threads). Maybe forgo things like park hoppers or Max Pass since you are there for many days and will have time to do a lot without hoppers.

I choke every time we pay to stay at the GCH (we are going for our 4th stay of 2019 in October...) but I so enjoy it, and for us and for now, it is our go-to hotel. The service has been top notch, the location is unbeatable, the bar is great, the pool is great especially with older kids now. When we come in from SNA and drive down Harbour, I always comment that I am so grateful that I do not have to walk down that street to get to and from my hotel every morning/night. We sometimes let our kids go back to the room for a break while we stay in the parks since they are teens, and I would never be comfortable doing that if we did not stay at the GCH or DLH. So I hear what you are saying OP! We do shorter trips to make it work, but one longer trip sounds like what you are planning. A longer trip would make GCH even more worth it to me since you will have more time to enjoy the resort offerings (pin trading, tour of the resort Art of the Craft, etc).

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

When we come in from SNA and drive down Harbour, I always comment that I am so grateful that I do not have to walk down that street to get to and from my hotel every morning/night. We sometimes let our kids go back to the room for a break while we stay in the parks since they are teens, and I would never be comfortable doing that if we did not stay at the GCH or DLH.

I'm not sure I understand this sentiment. I'm not really used to city life myself, having grown up in the sleepy suburbs, but I can't say I've ever felt unsafe on Harbor. It seems like a normal street to me. I've walked it by myself many times, even as a teen. You're surrounded by many people going to/coming from the same place, so there would be dozens if not hundreds of witnesses if something were to happen to you, which is why nothing does. I just don't get it, it's really not unsafe or dirty. Unless you're used to only walking around a gated community, it's not much different than many streets in many hometowns. Heck, I see more homeless people in my local Target parking lot, even in an up-scale suburban neighborhood, than I do on Harbor Blvd.