Disneyland Hotel vs. Grand Californian vs. Paradise Pier

[Boba Fett]

So I decided to start a new thread for this subject... by now all of you common thread viewers have seen that I've been asking a ton of questions about my first ever trip to Disneyland Resort, but this question is purely on the hotels.

So here it is, which Disneyland Resort hotel and why?

I am leaning towards DLH (for price and monorail), can anyone give me reviews of it from personal experience??

 

[Wilt Dasney]

If personal experience includes walking through all of them, I'll pitch in.

I would pick the GCH personally. I really like the rustic feel, as well as the fact that it has entrances directly into Downtown Disney and California Adventure. I hear good things about the bar and Storyteller's Cafe too.

DLH would be my second choice, due to the history behind it and all the fun touches inside, like photos of visiting celebrities and the delightful Disneyland memorabilia room.

However, DLH is not as convenient to the monorail as it once was, since you did mention that. Off the top of my head, the hotel used to literally exit right next to the monorail station, but with the construction of Downtown Disney, that changed. It's a bit of a walk now (although nothing at the DL Resort is very far apart from anything else there).

PPH just didn't appeal much to me during my time exploring it.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[TP2000]

of visiting celebrities and the delightful Disneyland memorabilia room.

However, DLH is not as convenient to the monorail as it once was, since you did mention that. Off the top of my head, the hotel used to literally exit right next to the monorail station, but with the construction of Downtown Disney, that changed. It's a bit of a walk now (although nothing at the DL Resort is very far apart from anything else there).

Um, you do realize that the monorail beam and hotel station is in the exact same location today as it was 50 years ago when Walt extended the monorail to the hotel in 1961? :lol:

When they built Downtown Disney, they didn't move the monorail or station platform one inch, nor did they move those 15 story hotel towers. Instead, they just put in a Rainforest Cafe and an ESPN Zone in where the old shopping center and restaurant complex used to be in the 20th century.

This original Disneyland Hotel beam and station...

Is in the exact same position as this current Downtown Disney station...

The distance from the monorail station to any hotel room in the three Disneyland Hotel towers hasn't changed any since the 1960's and 70's when the towers were built.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

^ I will happily bow to your correction, sir. I was under the misapprehension that the Rainforest and ESPN restaurants sat on former hotel facilities space.

 

[TP2000]

^ I will happily bow to your correction, sir. I was under the misapprehension that the Rainforest and ESPN restaurants sat on former hotel facilities space.

It's a common mistake actually, made by the best of 'em.

This was the old "Travelport" complex of shops and services that sat directly east of the original Disneyland Hotel monorail station.

That exact space is now occupied by the Rainforest Cafe, as seen from this shot taken in nearly the exact spot as the picture above.

Here's the original eastern edge of the Disneyland Hotel grounds in the 20th century, as viewed from the original Disneyland Hotel tower.

And the same basic view from the same Disneyland Hotel tower today.

As much as I miss the 1950's charm of the old Disneyland Hotel, even in its late 1990's shabby state it was in before it was demolished, you have to admit that the current Downtown Disney offerings that now stand in their place are far more attractive and useful to the average 21st century tourist.

 

[Boba Fett]

great information, I learned a lot just by the history lesson itself. I've eliminated Paradise Pier from my decision, but the wife doesn't like the "Wilderness Lodge" theming of the GC, so we may go with DLH still.

Should the construction on the DLH be completed by this September? And what exactly are they doing to the hotel?

 

[worldfanatic]

Stayed at all of them many times.
I won't get into details, but I can't imagine a more clear cut order of preference for me.

The Grand Californian is far and away the best, probably the the best Disney owned resort anywhere. (Apologies to my beloved Boardwalk Resort)

The Disneyland Resort is a distant second. But still awesome. With the new additions on the way, it will close the gap.

Paradise Pier is a distant, distant third. Not even in the same league.

 

[Deadmanwalking]

So I decided to start a new thread for this subject... by now all of you common thread viewers have seen that I've been asking a ton of questions about my first ever trip to Disneyland Resort, but this question is purely on the hotels.

So here it is, which Disneyland Resort hotel and why?

I am leaning towards DLH (for price and monorail), can anyone give me reviews of it from personal experience??

Stayed in the DLH a few months ago. I wouldn't do it again... they are under renovations and that means two big problems. Pools weren't all open, noise was an issue. You can also add to that some other small details, they apparently removed the laundry room in the tower we were in (which was actually supposedly finshed with the renovations) and the only option that they gave us for washing some clothes was to drag out clothes over to paradise pier... Do you want to have to drag your stuff to another hotel? Not me.

GCH would be our choice next time. It is not only closer to the California adventure but frankly it is quicker to get into DIsneyland, yes you can walk to the monorail, but it isn't like the monorail at WDW where you have a stop at your hotel, it is about 1 to 2 blocks away. Add to that the monorail in Disneyland is not very dependable. A little lightning and they shut it down.... I'm not sure but we also got the impression that they only ran 1 monorail (which would explain why they still let people ride in front)... If you don't happen to get to the monorail as it just arrives you can actually get to DIsneyland quicker by simply walking (and GCH is closer if you are walking).