crazyj4488 said:
Wow! This all sounds discouraging to me. After my first time visit to DL in Oct., I returned a mere three weeks later because I had not had enough. I just got an AP for DL on my last trip and was eyeing the $89 a night special for the DL hotel in Jan.
During my last two trips, I have stayed at the HoJo Anaheim Plaza and LOVED LOVED LOVED everything about the place. Now I'm doubting the DLH and thinking about the HoJo once again.
Is the Paradise Pier, typically, any better than the DLH?? It looks to be located quite far from the resort itself versus the short walk from the HoJo. Does everyone walk from Paradise Pier or take a shuttle of sorts?
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I wouldn't be discouraged! I know the OP had a miserable stay and that is a shame but many (most in fact or they would be out of business) enjoy their stays there. Even my incredibly picky brother and his wife loved the DLH when we went with them last year! I have stayed at the HoJo once, the
Disneyland Hotel 5 times, Paradise Pier twice. My family has loved each and every one of our stays at the onsite hotels at Disneyland. We have also loved our stays at the All Stars, Port Orleans, and Saratoga Springs and liked (but not loved) our stay at Pop Century which felt like being in a crowded dorm! The HoJo is very nice but to me it cannot compare to either the DLH or PP. That is just my opinion and some might disagree. For starters, I much prefer the walk up and down DTD each day and night as opposed to busy Harbor Blvd. It just increases the magic to me and makes me feel like we have truly left the real world behind. Also, we travel off season when we can, so with the parks closing early, hanging out and dining at DTD in the evening is very convenient when you stay onsite. I have found the cm's at Disneyland to always be very nice and have never had any problems, especially with the hotel staff at both onsite hotels we have stayed at. I think what brings the ratings of the onsite hotels down is the value of your dollar. For sometimes over $200 people really expect exceptional service with no mix ups as they should. The HoJo offers great rates, especially with an Entertainment card and has the prettiest grounds of any of the hotels on Harbor near Disneyland, making it much more charming and relaxing. We had a fine stay there but it was hard to be too impressed after staying at the DLH several times. I found the rooms to be a tad dated and hated the fact that our building did not have an elevator, especially when we checked in with two kids and about a million pounds of luggage. I also did not like the fact that the "interior" corridors were open on the ends which didn't make them feel anymore secure than exterior corridors. I would still stay there again but I guess I was just surprised it rated higher on tripadvisor than the onsite hotels (except for GC) because to me it was maybe a two star motel in a great location with a great staff but still a motel. Also, there are places even closer to the main gate of Disneyland for about the same money so if I do stay offsite again I might try one of those or most like the Candy Cane. I actually found the walk to the HoJo a bit long, especially at night. I have recommended the HoJo for people who want a clean, decent place to stay near Disneyland. But when people ask me if staying onsite is worth it I say yes, because to me and my family it is when I can at all justify the cost. And incidentally, the HoJo has come under fire lately from many people who did not like their stays there at all. Yet it still gets good reviews overall.
The walk to PP is is probably no more (give or take a bit) than the walk to the HoJo. There is no shuttle and I would say the walk is right around 15 minutes and thats with two kids. Again, it is a very nice walk up DTD and you can also cut through the Grand Californian's entrance to DCA if you are at that park or going to it. You can also take the monorail, although I think that is going down for refurb sometime soon. The DLH has really lovely grounds and koi ponds and an awesome Peter Pan themed pool. PP has no grounds and a boring pool with a fabulous slide. When I have stayed at PP that is the thing I miss the most about the DLH, the pool area. Although my kids will generally be happy swimming in any pool, DH and I just missed the pool bar at the DLH! The one at PP has never been open when we have stayed there. We enjoy PP but consider the DLH our favorite. We have decided to use our DVC points to stay at the Grand Californian in June so maybe we will have a new favorite, who knows? If you can get an $89 rate at the DLH you should definitely take it and run! I have seen many posters who frequent WDW who have really enjoyed their stays at the DLH. Like any large hotel it has its fans and critics but for that rate you cannot go wrong in my book!
