Hotel Choices

I am currently struggling with my hotel decision. Right now I have the Castle Inn booked, but the Hilton is only $100 more total and I’m guessing a much nicer hotel. The Castle is closer walking distance (I’m lazy) but I know I can get the ART shuttle right outside the Hilton for when I’m feeling super lazy. I stayed at the Courtyard in 2018 and walked to that ART stop so I know the drill.

What would you do? Castle or Hilton?

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I’m assuming the Hilton you’re referring to is the one by the Convention Center?

I would personally stay at the Hilton I think. It’s walkable (I did that several times during Star Wars Celebration) but you will probably end up using ART, I would guess. Castle Inn is just far enough away that proximity isn’t a completely overriding issue.

But I’m a stickler for brand name hotels due to trust issues. Others with an opinion on Castle may have a different view.

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Everything I’ve read and seen makes the Castle seem 100% adequate and most of those motel/hotels along that strip seem the same-ish and safe enough. I could spend another $400ish for the hotel directly across from the DL walkway, but then it’s still motel quality you know? For $100 to have a Hilton and inside corridors it seems like a no brainer, but I do lose a little of the walking convenience.

Or for another $1700 I could stay at Paradise Pier. :rofl:

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FWIW, my two DLR stays were at Best Western Park Place Plus (or whatever the order of the words are) that is right at the traffic light at Harbor and the path to Downtown Disney, and the other was the Fairfield a few doors down.

After being able to literally walk across the street to DLR… I would always strive to be as close to doing that every trip

For ME, it isn’t worth internal hallways or a brand name hotel if I have to walk a lot further or rely on a bus or tram.

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Very fair points.

Of course if anyone would like to subsidize a stay at the Grand Californian, I would be more than happy to have a name hotel paired with the close proximity. :rofl:

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Oh same! I wish I could crowdsource the funding for a stay at any of the DL resort hotels.

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I’m another vote for proximity over brand all day long. The motel/hotels right across the walkway are all clean & safe and I would personally spring extra to be closer. The only issues we’ve had with motels in the DLR area are when when we branch out for super cheap rates at motels that are farther out (Castle Inn is not one of the ones we’ve had issues with and is just as good as a lot of the ones we frequent & we would frequent it more if it were just a tad closer, but it’s close enough that we consider it).

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I’ve still postponed my first ever Disneyland trip from 2019. However, I did soooo much hotel research over the last few years. I have watched so many YT videos with in-room “tours”.

I highly recommend this couple:

If they haven’t been to the hotels on your list there are a couple other YT ppl that I can show you too.

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I’ve actually watched a ton of their videos including their walk from XYZ to DL for a lot of the hotels on my list. It’s helped rule out quite a few places. My bigger question now is more about the value proposition.

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Let me know when you figure it out!!! I’m still undecided!! (almost 3 years later!!)

I was going to splurge & stay on-site, but there’s not a single benefit being offered by DLR to stay there. No early hours or anything… :man_shrugging:

I debated the same, especially since they opened the new walkway from Paradise Pier to CA. I’ve read some recent articles that the early hour benefit was back, but then others to the contrary. Even the DL website contradicts itself so I don’t know. Also limiting for me is the fact I’d prefer to book direct with DL so I can spread out my payments.

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I can confirm that it was not back in early June. All guests had the same rope drop time. Hopefully it is back by my September trip.

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I have read that as the case for regular ticket holders, but there is some contradictory statements being made about the early hour access for guests of the 3 DL resorts. My trip is still 5 months away so I’m putting a ton of weigh into current conditions, but it would be nice to have it back by then.

Did you book a package through DL?

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I booked a hotel only reservation at DLH for my upcoming stay. Previous stay was off site.

But at rope drop time, there were no people already in any of the lands, and no one directing hotel guests to a special entrance. We arrived in time to be among the first through the taps. So I’m fairly confident there was no early entry going on.

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Gotcha. If WDW can do it for 4 parks, DL should be able to do it for 2. Makes you wonder why that hasn’t come back.

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I’ve stayed at both and they are adequate.

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So am I crazy to pay roughly $2400 for 5 nights at Paradise Pier? It looks like early entry is returning some time this summer along with other perks including charging purchases to the room and having packages sent to the room. I also read about the new walkway from PPH to DCA and that you can cut through GCH on the way back to PPH from DL. This all sounds kinda nice to me, but I’m balking at the price (vs. $800 at Castle Inn & Suites).

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That does seem like a lot! It’s about as far as the closest hotels on the Harbor Blvd side, though definitely closer than Castle Inn, especially with the gate to DCA.

How would you feel about 2 nights at PPH and the rest at Castle Inn?

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So the Castle is only so cheap as part of a package. It’s actually $1281 for 5 nights plus 5 day hoppers with G+. PPH is $2999 for the same.

Let me play around with the split stays. You know how much I love them :rofl:

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