JW Marriott or DLH/VDLH - cost not a factor

[VicgirlBC]

Oh, definitely! You can't beat it for being in the bubble, especially if you go directly into DCA instead of through Downtown Disney.

But you'll have a wonderful time at the Disneyland Hotel if you stay there, I'm sure!

I’m really starting to be swayed about GCH, but coming from Canada the price is so much more expensive with the exchange rate and I’m not sure I can justify that big of an expense. Or can I? ;-)

 

[VicgirlBC]

I have stayed at both hotels (but not DLH lately, only Villas at DH last weekend), wanted to add a few points:

If you are morning people, I believe you will get early entry staying at DLH, PP, or GC— keep in mind that security lines can be long in the AM so you want to plan to arrive well before official park opening time.

For Disney hotels, I think Grand Cal is worth far more than an extra 10-25% for convenience to both parks, but if it’s 2x as much I would probably stay at Pixar Pier, then the Disneyland hotel as 3rd choice. I haven’t been to the PP pool since they rethemed everything, it’s probably not that calm. My husband (the earlier riser in our family) did complain there was nowhere to get coffee quickly at Disneyland Hotel Villas, and that even mobile order for coffee/breakfast didn’t have return windows within 30m of when he was looking to order (he can be dramatic, but I also suspect it was at least 15-20m for him to whine about it).

As another poster mentioned, we prefer the Westin over the J.W. Marriott (have stayed at Westin 5-10x and JW 3 times since they opened)— if rope dropping from the Westin I would take an Uber to the Disneyland entrance rideshare drop off. The Westin has an elite/club lounge that makes breakfast extremely fast and easy, the JW Marriott has some sort of coffee place and my husband has never whined about the wait.

Thank you for this feedback about breakfast wait times, it’s exactly the type of info I was hoping to learn on these boards. I am definitely an early riser, so is DD. DS we will have to drag out of bed with the promise of a breakfast sandwich. LOL.

I am definitely going to check out the Westin after all the recommendations on here. But I think the Villas may be our top pick at the moment.

 

[VicgirlBC]

I vote for the DLH Villas! We stayed in a 1-bedroom in January. Loved it! For breakfast, there is a Keurig pod coffee maker in the kitchen and to-go cups with lids. We ordered Amazon Fresh for our arrival day and made bagels to-go or had cereal while we got ready. A full kitchen, washer/dryer and 2 full bathrooms!

I agree with SFMommy, go with DLH. We also stayed in a 1 bedroom Villa in January (lol, great minds think alike) and absolutely loved it. We loved the room itself and the new tower in general. We did miss GCH for proximity, but I wouldn't hesitate to stay at DLH Villas/VDH again. I also like the DLH normal rooms.

As another poster mentioned, we prefer not to have to walk down Harbor. It sort of kills the vibe for us. We live in an area with a big homeless population, and it was depressing to encounter that on a vacation. Hopefully that doesn't sound harsh, I mean it in a way that we are compassionate people and it hurts us to see human suffering. It's hard to flip the switch after that to having fun at DLR. Just my two cents.

Thank you both. The villas look fantastic. I hadn’t considered ordering some groceries to keep in the room, but that’s a great idea. Even something small to get us through until 10 or 11am.

I understand your comment about the vibe, and realize you don’t mean anything harsh. We visited in January and stayed at the Courtyard Themepark Entrance. We only encountered a few folks living on the streets, but I understand the situation may be worse at various times.

 

[gmi3804]

Any JW Marriott is going to be a much more luxe experience than any Disney hotel. If that's what you're looking for, go with that.

 

[crystal1313]

I would agree the westin is a nicer property than the JW. They are both nice, but we really loved the Westin.

I looked up the coffee house, it’s currently closed for refurbishment. But on Yelp, it lists it opens at 6am. I’m not sure how accurate that is.

Yes, you are correct. Earl doesn’t open until 8am. We usually rope drop for a couple hours then pop out and pick up sandwiches at Earl and mobile order from Starbucks. You can also order earl online ahead of time too. Having 2 teen boys, I get the struggle of waking them up in the morning!! If you stay at a villa and have a microwave, we order the Jimmy dean breakfast sandwiches and entice our boys to wake up by heating up the sandwiches. Haha. Our oldest also enjoys having coffee on vacation, so we make him a cup to get him up and going. (To be clear when the kids are with us, they eat in the room and then eat again if we go to earls later. Lol)

Sounds like you’ll have a fun trip no matter where you stay! Have a great time

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

When you stay at the Westin, do you use rideshare or walk to get to and from the parks?

We have a reservation at the Westin for this coming June. Now that a possible hotel discount is on the horizon, I am wondering if I should change my mind about our hotel choice due to the walking distance.

You didn’t ask me but I wanted to mention that we historically have walked from the Westin and it’s not too bad (but make sure to map it out on your phone because the detour though DTD adds steps)— but I have a spine injury that limits the total time I can be on my feet each day, so we take a car to allow a bit more time in parks before I need to be off my feet…I think it’s also 15-20 minutes plus any security wait (but it’s maybe one large city block or 2-3 suburban blocks further than the Villa tower to Disneyland) if you are brisk walkers.

Re: coffee — the Disneyland villa hotel definitely has a coffee maker in room and a drink cooler/mini fridge (not sure which), so you can easily bring a simple breakfast without waiting around the hotel— sorry I forgot to mention it— it is harder to make coffee in the room if one person wakes up before the rest of the family and is trying not to wake them.

 

[BriannaRuth]

Haven't stayed at the Villas, but we will always book one of the DL properties whenever we can just because being "in the bubble" is a big deal to us. The GCH would always be my top choice, but sometimes that works for us and sometimes it doesn't, either due to cost, or going with others that are staying elsewhere, whatever. Not only is it closer, but it has a much more adult vibe (and that includes the pool).

Having said that, we still love the DLH. My daughters are 20 and 24 and they still love the DLH and would probably chose to stay there over the GCH. We all love Trader Sam's, which is right there, and getting to the parks in the morning via DTD instead of walking down Harbor or from somewhere else is a big factor as well. We also like taking the monorail back and forth if we return to the hotel midday and are going to or from DL (as opposed to DCA). Doesn't always save a lot of time, but it's fun. Not a great option at closing -- too crowded.

If you do stay at the DLH, you might consider renting a cabana for half a day if you can swing the cost and if the pool experience is important to you. We usually stay 5 or 6 days and taking half a day at a cabana by the pool makes a really nice break. It gets you away from the action if there are too many kids and you can either stay inside the cabana in the shade or outside in your own designated lounge chairs in the sun. Comes equipped with a refrigerator and I believe a safe as well. You can bring your own food and drink, but they do have waiter service We usually do a combination of both.

 

[Aladora]

I’m really starting to be swayed about GCH, but coming from Canada the price is so much more expensive with the exchange rate and I’m not sure I can justify that big of an expense. Or can I? ;-)

First off, hello to a fellow Victorian!

I hear ya on the cost including the exchange rate, it really is horrific. Now, having said that, we have stayed at all three onsite hotels (although PP was before the re-theme) and GCH is by far our favourite, to such a point that we really don't consider anywhere else now. The convenience of such a short walk back to the room is so important to us. On my recent trip with my sister we ended up walking to and from our room 5 times a day! It was cold in the mornings so we were in leggings and hoodies, by 10am it was hot so we popped back to the room to change, if we bought anything we would go drop it in the room, a short rest at the hotel lounge in the afternoon, and then back to change into leggings when it got cold at night. We stayed at the DLH on our previous trip and the walk felt SOOOOOOOOO long!

As you can see in my signature, we have not shied away from staying at some of the lower cost motels on Harbor Blvd, but if you can swing it, GCH is amazing.

 

[Pluto468]

I would stay at DLH unless GCH is an option. If GCH is at all possible, stay there. The walk is so short and the hotel itself is just amazing. There are a few nice restaurants right in the lobby for coffee and breakfast. Or could also consider room service at either hotel for that.

Being in the bubble is wonderful and will make such a difference for your trip. I'd choose a resort hotel over the Westin.

 

[boscoj]

When you stay at the Westin, do you use rideshare or walk to get to and from the parks?

We have a reservation at the Westin for this coming June. Now that a possible hotel discount is on the horizon, I am wondering if I should change my mind about our hotel choice due to the walking distance.

We walked both ways. In the morning we went through the DD security and when heading back we cut through GC (which saved a few steps). Again, if you can get the discount I'm definitely in favor of always staying on site, but if it doesn't work out you can't go wrong with the Westin! We really enjoyed their rooftop bar/grill too....

 

[VicgirlBC]

I would agree the westin is a nicer property than the JW. They are both nice, but we really loved the Westin.

I looked up the coffee house, it’s currently closed for refurbishment. But on Yelp, it lists it opens at 6am. I’m not sure how accurate that is.

Yes, you are correct. Earl doesn’t open until 8am. We usually rope drop for a couple hours then pop out and pick up sandwiches at Earl and mobile order from Starbucks. You can also order earl online ahead of time too. Having 2 teen boys, I get the struggle of waking them up in the morning!! If you stay at a villa and have a microwave, we order the Jimmy dean breakfast sandwiches and entice our boys to wake up by heating up the sandwiches. Haha. Our oldest also enjoys having coffee on vacation, so we make him a cup to get him up and going. (To be clear when the kids are with us, they eat in the room and then eat again if we go to earls later. Lol)

Sounds like you’ll have a fun trip no matter where you stay! Have a great time

Thanks so much! I'll have to try your enticement trick with the Jimmy Dean sandwich to get my son out of bed, lol.

First off, hello to a fellow Victorian!

I hear ya on the cost including the exchange rate, it really is horrific. Now, having said that, we have stayed at all three onsite hotels (although PP was before the re-theme) and GCH is by far our favourite, to such a point that we really don't consider anywhere else now. The convenience of such a short walk back to the room is so important to us. On my recent trip with my sister we ended up walking to and from our room 5 times a day! It was cold in the mornings so we were in leggings and hoodies, by 10am it was hot so we popped back to the room to change, if we bought anything we would go drop it in the room, a short rest at the hotel lounge in the afternoon, and then back to change into leggings when it got cold at night. We stayed at the DLH on our previous trip and the walk felt SOOOOOOOOO long!

As you can see in my signature, we have not shied away from staying at some of the lower cost motels on Harbor Blvd, but if you can swing it, GCH is amazing.

Hello fellow Victorian! Thank you for your feedback on GCH. I'll check prices once the sale starts on the 29th and hopefully I can make it work!

 

[Aladora]

Starbucks is my go-to for an americano. Should I plan at least a 15 minute wait for mobile ordering in DTD? I'm assuming the place is PACKED at 7am. My goal is to make it to rope drop or EE most days.

I meant to reply to this comment.

Do not go to the Starbucks in DTD on your way to rope drop. It will take you forever to get through the line and as a Canadian, I have never been able to get the mobile order to work at this location even though it works at other ones in the States.

Better bet is to either wait until you are in the park and go to the SB there or get coffee somewhere at the hotel.

Have you been to DL before and if yes, were you able to drink the tap water? I can't stand the taste of the water so we always order flats of bottled water to be delivered to our hotel. I even use bottled water to make coffee in the hotel room!

 

[VicgirlBC]

I meant to reply to this comment.

Do not go to the Starbucks in DTD on your way to rope drop. It will take you forever to get through the line and as a Canadian, I have never been able to get the mobile order to work at this location even though it works at other ones in the States.

Better bet is to either wait until you are in the park and go to the SB there or get coffee somewhere at the hotel.

Have you been to DL before and if yes, were you able to drink the tap water? I can't stand the taste of the water so we always order flats of bottled water to be delivered to our hotel. I even use bottled water to make coffee in the hotel room!

Thank you so much for your comment about Starbucks! I’ll avoid it too, unless I can get the app to work for mobile ordering. I think we will grab coffee from somewhere else to get us through the first couple of hours and then eat breakfast in the park at one of the quick service spots after we have done a few rides.

Yes we have been to DL before, most recently in January of this year (with DH and my two little ones). I’m very excited to do this trip with my two eldest as it will have a whole different vibe, and no whiny kids!

I agree about the water, oh my gosh it’s terrible. We are so fortunate in Victoria. I think I’ll either Uber to a grocery store or order groceries for delivery to have some bottled water, snacks and breakfast items in our room. I like the suggestion about a hot breakfast sandwich as a way to convince my 19 year old son to get out of bed. Haha.

 

[ahintz]

I've stayed at the Grand California, Disneyland Hotel, and the new Villas and love them all. I've also stayed at other hotels in Anaheim. I highly recommend staying at any of the Disney hotels over a non-Disney hotel. Never leaving Disney always feels better than catching a Lyft or walking on Harbor. Between the hotels, we really enjoyed our stay at the Villas in January (and we own there now, so we'll be staying there a lot going forward). Grand Californian is great (and the lobby is amazing) and super close, but it doesn't feel as Disney as either the Disneyland Hotel or the Villas. But I honestly think any Disney hotel you pick you'll be happy with! Good luck!

 

[Iceman93]

It's funny to hear all the people talking about "staying in the bubble" or a shorter walk to and from the parks, because while those might be important to THEM, the OP made their priorities clear. And based on THEIR priorities, not my own, the JW Marriott is pretty clearly the superior choice to the Disneyland Hotel or Villas.

 

[BriannaRuth]

She was asked about atmosphere and said it was important, which is why the bubble is a big positive for the DLH, or the GCH if she wants a more upscale hotel experience and "cost not a factor." Evidently she was ok with being provided that additional information since it appears she's now considering the GCH.

 

[BlancheNeige7]

Something to consider... we just used Marriot's Best Price Guarantee and booked the JW for 127usd (plus taxes and fees) a night in August! We used the Expedia rate.

 

[ChipTheRescueRanger]

Something to consider... we just used Marriot's Best Price Guarantee and booked the JW for 127usd (plus taxes and fees) a night in August! We used the Expedia rate.

Thanks for this tip. Going to give it ago. Have a reservation from hotels.com thats $50 cheaper than direct so if they can match it and take 20% off. Will mean more money for snacks !

 

[MillauFr]

Not walking the Anaheim streets is priceless.
My order of choices near DL are Grand Californian, DLH then Villas at DLH. I’ve stayed at all 3. I have not stayed at the JW.

Why? Orange County California is inside a bubble. It certainly isn't the real world.

 

[VicgirlBC]

Something to consider... we just used Marriot's Best Price Guarantee and booked the JW for 127usd (plus taxes and fees) a night in August! We used the Expedia rate.

That’s an amazing deal!

It's funny to hear all the people talking about "staying in the bubble" or a shorter walk to and from the parks, because while those might be important to THEM, the OP made their priorities clear. And based on THEIR priorities, not my own, the JW Marriott is pretty clearly the superior choice to the Disneyland Hotel or Villas.

Atmosphere is definitely important but the priorities I listed are more important, you’re correct. It sounds like the JW does not have a hot tub so I’ve shifted focus to the Westin instead. Truly I know we will happy at any of the properties recommended and I feel so fortunate to be taking my older two on a mom and “kid” trip, just us.

She was asked about atmosphere and said it was important, which is why the bubble is a big positive for the DLH, or the GCH if she wants a more upscale hotel experience and "cost not a factor." Evidently she was ok with being provided that additional information since it appears she's now considering the GCH.

I have enjoyed hearing about how much people love staying “in the bubble” as I have not yet stayed on property in my five previous trips to DLR. I have stayed at Aulani though, and the vibe was delightful (I loved the discrete Disney touches).

On our most recent stay to DLR this January (with our two youngest), we stayed at Courtyard Marriott Themepark Entrance and being so close was lovely, however we rarely went back to the room as we were having so much fun in the parks. This trip will be different as it’s just me and the “big kids” (adults) and walking further isn’t so much of a pain, plus we are all in excellent shape. But I do love the idea of staying within the Disney atmosphere the entire time. My biggest worry with staying on property is forgoing some luxury and being inundated with little kids. I’m definitely torn. But these are great “problems” to have ;-)