First DLR trip

Disneyland
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If it were up to my DW she’d never leave the house. I have friends of 10+ years that have never seen her!

IMHO - She like the rides. She hates getting up, waiting in queues, crowded spaces and she can’t walk all day as she’s out of shape.

Out of ALL the Orlando trip I took over 2022-2024 she only went once. We were there Sun. - Sat., by Wednesday she couldn’t walk anymore at all.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I’m gonna talk to her soon about how hard this has been and get her to either lower her expectations or not go.

She’s my BFF, but she’s incredibly shy and like books far more than people. However, now that we’ve been empty-nesters for a couple years we HAVE to do things together. We’ve known each other for 33 years & have run out of things to talk about. I want her to go & have a nice time. We need things to talk about other than the same old work conversations…

I’m going to DLR b/c I’ve never been. I LOVE that it’s on scale with UOR - including how close the hotels are.

To be 100% clear - money is no object. If I want to stay at GCH or DLH I can. However, every review I see is that these rooms are dated and very “basic” especially for the $$$

Right now, I’m already planning on get her an Uber for every back & forth if we stay anywhere that isn’t directly across the street

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Book a 1 bedroom villa at the new Disneyland Hotel Villas. It is not dated, nor basic and the room and resort is just beautiful. @Julianne_fki and I have both bought DVC there in just the last 5 months. We took a tour of the 1 bedroom in April, and were blown away. It won’t be cheap, but it will definitely meet both of your needs 100%. For a one time trip to DLR, splurge. :rofl:

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This 1000%!!! If the budget doesn’t need to be minded so closely, absolutely get the onsite accommodations. I personally love the decor of the regular ole DLH rooms, but they are darker colors which I don’t think are as modern or in so that might be why people feel the rooms are dated. I also loooooooove the FWs headboard and all the Walk artwork & Mickey touches. The new DVC at the DLH Villas is also in the same vein of classic Disney but with more modern touches.

The GCH rooms aren’t dated, I don’t feel. But they are all craftsman woodwork so some people may feel that’s dated. But I never felt that our room was dated (dusty in obvious places in all the little niches in the wood? Yes, but not dated). The lighting in either the DLH or GCH wasn’t amazing though & I know you mentioned your wife wants good lighting. But of all the rooms I’ve stayed at around DLR, the onsite rooms were definitely the nicest. I think a lot of reviews also consider how much they pay for the rooms too, which is absolutely a valid way to weigh it. But you do have to weigh against that the convenience that the onsite hotels give you too. You get a nice room, a very quick jaunt away from DL and if your wife needs to walk less, I definitely recommend considering GCH or DLH & using the monorail to get back & forth when she needs the break off her feet. (My DH has similar struggles with needing to take it easier on his feet because of health issues and so that is very main reason we pick Park Vue).

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Thanks for all the help!

I’ve been home sick with a flu or something for a couple days. It’s made me grumpy! I know I was venting a lot and I appreciate having people who listen! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts::smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Have you considered the Club Wyndham? That would still be walkable for you but an Uber for DW. It’s next to the GardenWalk, for nice meals out of the parks. :slight_smile:

That would give you a nice, 2-bedroom unit for probably about half of renting DLH points!

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I’ll check it out!!! THANKS!!:smiling_face_with_three_hearts::smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Hope you’re feeling better!

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I stayed home today. Better, but sick. Thanks!

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Buy a $20 lamp (and bulb) and plug it in for her. Wa. La.

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We talked a bit last night and she really stressed “comfort” above all else.

I’m weighing some options now!

Thanks everyone for all the advice!!

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This has been a very entertaining read, taking me back to what DLR and prices were like before Covid, seeing @darkmite’s trip planned way ahead and then thwarted by Covid, and now seeing that DW wants to go, after all.

Thinking of DW’s desires and that cost is not a concern, I would totally go with GCH. It’s luxurious, quiet, and enters right into DCA. You can"t get any closer to the parks, and it would allow her to easily return to the room or or you to jet out for some rides and entertainment and not feel like you are deserting her miles away. On the other hand, unless you splurge on a suite, the snoring issue is unresolved.

I’ll second the post above re Club Wyndham. I am a Worldmark owner (Worldmark is owned by Wyndham) and I have stayed in both the Anaheim resorts countless times. (I’m even in one right now.) You can purchase one-time use credits for far less than any hotel would cost you, and then book your time. You can get a one or 2 bedroom, and if you are booking far enough ahead, a 2 bedroom Presidential Suite at the Anaheim resort would be super nice. The Anaheim Resort has nicer rooms than Dolphin’s Cove. All rooms have full kitchens and a livingroom area, and the beds are very comfy (though not the couch bed).

Here are links to a couple of websites where you can purchase one time credits use.

You can go onto the Worldmark by Wyndham website to get info on the resorts and see photos without being an owner before deciding if you want to purchase use of someone"s credits.

It’s about a mile to the parks from both resorts. You can take the ART bus, but it"s not very convenient. For that reason, I still think you’d both like GCH or DLH better, IF you can find a way around the store issue.

You should definitely purchase Genie Plus for you and your wife since she (like me) doesn"t like standing in lines. It works very well at DLR.

Many people rent scooters at DLR, including people who just get too tired after being on their feet. I do at least 10,000 steps in half a day in the parks. You can arrange scooter rental from the on site hotels. Staying further from the resorts would make use of a scooter more cumbersome.

Just a forewarning: Crowds at DLR are pretty unpredictable. Disney offers ticket deals that cause crowd swelling, so best to expect high crowds and just be pleasantly surprised if they are lower. Your plan for end of April/ early May sounds good, but you never know for sure. I do discourage Feb, as with the short hours, everyone comes for RD and stays til close. Locals flood in for the Food Festival. Skip Feb.

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