[Chat] We Need to Talk About the Hotels

[Spongeocto4]

(Warning Long Read)

Regarding the reopening of the Disneyland Resort' reopening, I feel there is one topic that needs to be addressed. And that is how lopsided the reopening of DLR's Hotels has been.

First some good news. All 3 resorts have reopened. The opening of Tenaya Spa. DCA's Hotel Entrance has reopened for allHotel guests. Disneyland Hotel rooms & halls were refurbished. And the DVC tower at the Disneyland Hotel has finally began construction.

And then we get to the disappointing news...

Despite being open for nearly 4 months, Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel is still offering no dining on site. Nor has Club Level rooms & the lounge been reinstated for the Paradise Pier. We had the unexpected closures of Steakhouse 55 and PCH Grill and Disney just letting both restaraunts sit there unused. They haven't even bothered to remove them from online or the App!

The hotels are also suffering from the employee rehiring process (see the attatched article below). This has likely led to suspension of Room Service or Laundry Service being offered. And how the rooms are only receiving "a light cleaning service offered every other day".

And finally, Extra Magic Hour* for Hotel Guests has not returned. This a bit odd, considering you would think TDA would use this as a selling point to bring Tourists back. Instead, they chose to bring back the pricey after-hours parties, which doesn't appeal to the average tourist who already has spent around $1000 or more on a trip.

My concern is that Disney is being too complacent with the hotels. As a tourist, I'm not impressed. As a Disney fan, I'm baffled by their decisions, as they are acting with ignorance over their decline in quality. This could even hinder their profit gain and lead to the possibility of Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel losing its current 3 Star AAA
rating.

Your thoughts?


*Not to be confused with Magic Mornings. EMH is only offered to hotel guests, while MM is offered to all Muti-day ticket holders.

[Eagleman]

My self ...I would not stay at at Disney-Disneyland Resort-Hotels........
I feel one can do better, and cheaper at a off site place.
IMO
Disney reputation is not there......
Once again another BAD PRESS- LA Times

[Stormy]

I stayed at the Grand for my multi-day trips for the 'perks', the bubble, and the closeness. The perks are gone and there are offsites just as close. So what remains is 'the bubble'. But as a solo older female guest that bubble represents physical safety, especially after dark. I'm still weighing the 'worth it or not'.

[DisneyIPresume]

I stayed at the Grand for my multi-day trips for the 'perks', the bubble, and the closeness. The perks are gone and there are offsites just as close. So what remains is 'the bubble'. But as a solo older female guest that bubble represents physical safety, especially after dark. I'm still weighing the 'worth it or not'.

I wouldn’t trust walking anywhere around the DLR at night alone, especially in today’s times with its increased rate in violent crime. What I would suggest is staying at a hotel in Irvine, which is ranked as one of America’s safest cities and driving the roughly 20 minutes to and from the park.

[Captain Andy]

I stayed at the Grand for my multi-day trips for the 'perks', the bubble, and the closeness. The perks are gone and there are offsites just as close. So what remains is 'the bubble'. But as a solo older female guest that bubble represents physical safety, especially after dark. I'm still weighing the 'worth it or not'.

Honestly, you bring up the only reason why I too would be inclined to stay in the bubble. So with that… +1 for this post.

[JoFi]

The hotels immediately across Harbor are a relatively safe walk - since they are literally across the street. Especially if you are headed back to your hotel with the masses. I like the Tropicana because it is literally only a two minute or less walk off Disney property, and it is WAY cheaper than a Disney hotel. We used to be Disneyland Hotel people - for all the reasons you mentioned. The perks are all gone and it is farther away than the harbor hotels. We can't stomach paying three times as much with little benefit, as much as I love the bubble!

[Sonicrumpets]

I actually looked at the state of the hotels about a month ago and it deterred me from visiting right now staying at the Disneyland Hotel has been a bucket list item for me for a long time but Paying a premium with none of the perks and hamstrung service didn't whet the appetite especially when I can stay cheaper nearby and still come out ahead even if I do dive in and pay for parking.

[DisneyPilot]

Those issues are not unique to Disney Resort Hotels...many properties are unable or still struggling to get back to full operations nation wide.

[JLee1226]

I'm a guy and from a city with its own significant population of unhoused residents, so YMMV, but I've always stayed in off-site hotels and never felt particularly unsafe walking back at night. The past few times I stayed at a place on Katella (Anaheim Discovery Inn, good budget choice, family owned too), which is just a bit farther than staying at Paradise Pier, it's right across from the Disneyland Dr. entrance/exit. You're off the property for about half a block.

I was always swayed by the cost of the Disneyland hotel versus what you can find across the street. The magic morning was not worth the extra $200+ per night.

[savarese04]

Watching the Behind the Attraction on DLH reminded me just how many food options there used to be at the hotel (14!) and now there's barely 2 (Tangeroa and Goofy's). Embarrassing.

[Stormy]

I wouldn’t trust walking anywhere around the DLR at night alone, especially in today’s times with its increased rate in violent crime. What I would suggest is staying at a hotel in Irvine, which is ranked as one of America’s safest cities and driving the roughly 20 minutes to and from the park.

I have family roughly 26 minutes drive away, so if I were inclined to drive I'd stay with them. With the trams not running the idea of parking and walking the distance from M&F or waiting for a bus at TS is not appealing. Staying onsite does represent safety if you walk from DL across the Esplanade into DCA then to the entrance at the Grand at closing. No place is completely safe, but I feel I'd be safer amidst the 'closing crowd' in DTD than I would walking down Harbor.

[Starcade]

The Disneyland Hotel and grounds from the 80’s still beats all three hotels combined. What was once an actual resort is now just three Hotels attached to a strip mall that is connected to a theme park. It seemed for while they were going to bring it back to it’s previous grandeur though differently than before. But even Iger couldn’t figure out that puzzle. Smh just how depressing this swift destruction of such an amazing place. The house is on fire and cheapark keeps filling the hoses with gasoline. I keep having visions of a flashback where Mickey Mouse made fun of a little boy named Bobby and at that moment he vowed to dedicate his life to one day take it over and destroy it from within.

[Mr_IvanStark]

In August I stayed at Disney's Paradise Pier for 2 nights. In all the years of going to both DLR and DCA, I have never stayed at any of their hotels. It was always a dream of mine to stay at any Disney Hotel ever since I first saw the Disneyland Hotel arriving at Disneyland (when the parking was up in front ) when I was a kid. I mean, I stayed at one of their resorts when I went to Disneyland Paris. But that's different...

But honestly, staying there wasn't that bad. Granted I had reservations to eat at the both parks, on the both days I went- I didn't mind paying to only sleep there. Plus they let me cut through the Disney Grand California Hotel to avoid the big lines when I went to DCA. Would I stay again at any Disney hotel? Most likely! I think everyone should stay at any of their hotels at least once. Of course if its in the budget. But I won't be staying there anytime soon as I only live 45 min north of Anaheim. Just did it for my birthday .

[Starcade]

Anybody notice how DLR has changed the way they have you pay and the delay in refunds when you cancel? We just recently cancelled a stay at the DGC back in Aug. for November before they announced the MK incase the MK’s were worth it (they weren’t) anyway in past years when you booked they simply put a hold on your card and charged half of your stay at booking and charged the rest upon checking in. Now they simply charge the full amount up front?!? Also when we cancelled they said it could take as long as two billing cycles ( aka 2 months!!! ) for the refund when before they would refund the charge within a day or two. We stayed as recent as Fall 2019 and these policies were not in place back then.

[Stormy]

Anybody notice how DLR has changed the way they have you pay and the delay in refunds when you cancel? We just recently cancelled a stay at the DGC back in Aug. for November before they announced the MK incase the MK’s were worth it (they weren’t) anyway in past years when you booked they simply put a hold on your card and charged half of your stay at booking and charged the rest upon checking in. Now they simply charge the full amount up front?!? Also when we cancelled they said it could take as long as two billing cycles ( aka 2 months!!! ) when before they would refund the charge within a day or two. We stayed as recent as Fall 2019 and these policies were not in place back then.

Wait, what?? I thought hotel only bookings only required a deposit of one night's stay with the rest due at checkin. And that packages required a $200 deposit with balance due 30 days before checkin.

Has that policy changed? If so that's a HUGE change and really affects the way I pay for our WDW FtW packages!

[Starcade]

Wait, what?? I thought hotel only bookings only required a deposit of one night's stay with the rest due at checkin. And that packages required a $200 deposit with balance due 30 days before checkin.

Has that policy changed? If so that's a HUGE change and really affects the way I pay for our WDW FtW packages!

I am not sure when this changed or if they made an error with our reservation but it cost me like $35 in interest charges on my CC because I did not realize they would charge the full amount months in advance. In past years they only seem to charge either the first night or half the charge if we were staying one night. I think the CM handling the cancellation also made an error in how long it would take to get refunded as we were refunded within 2 business days like before not the 2 billing cycles that she seemed to want to make very clear on our call.

[Stormy]

I am not sure when this changed or if they made an error with our reservation but it cost me like $35 in interest charges on my CC because I did not realize they would charge the full amount months in advance. In past years they only seem to charge either the first night or half the charge if we were staying one night. I think the CM handling the cancellation also made an error in how long it would take to get refunded as we were refunded within 2 business days like before not the 2 billing cycles that she seemed to want to make very clear on our call.

That's just crazy and very sloppy of them if it was an error on their part. TBH if there has been such a huge policy change it should have been made very clear when you reserved. It's pretty bad PR not to have said "Are you aware of the new/current reservation policy changes?".

I do know that people have been given absurdly long refund times lately for various purchases from tickets to tshirts.

[tarheelalum]

If that is the new policy then you are giving Disney an interest free loan. Or rather, you are paying the interest for them and they are using your money as they wish in the meantime. But 2 months for a refund is some of the worst customer service I've ever heard of. That takes the cake.

[Starcade]

If that is the new policy then you are giving Disney an interest free loan. Or rather, you are paying the interest for them and they are using your money as they wish in the meantime. But 2 months for a refund is some of the worst customer serve I've ever heard of. That takes the cake.

Yeah that was one of many things that kind of ticked me off is I ended up paying $35 in interest on the charge before I realized they had charged me upfront. I generally do not carry balances on my credit cards and prefer to pay them off asap. So when my statement came in and I saw the balance I was then realized what they had done. Made cancelling our visit just that much easier.

[Stormy]

Yeah that was one of many things that kind of ticked me off is I ended up paying $35 in interest on the charge before I realized they had charged me upfront. I generally do not carry balances on my credit cards and prefer to pay them off asap. So when my statement came in and I saw the balance I was then realized what they had done. Made cancelling our visit just that much easier.

I will say that with the Disney Chase Visa* IF you book directly with Disney and put it on the card it's interest free for 6 months. Normally, we just book with WDTC and put the minimum down and pay it off directly to Disney in monthly installments. But if what happened to you is the 'new policy' I think we'll be doing it via Disney Chase in the future and just pay it off in the allowed 6 months.

*From the Chase website (but do read the fine print on the website):

"Receive a promotional APR of 0% for 6 months on select Disney vacation packages, Disney cruises, Adventures by Disney® packages and Aulani®, A Disney Resort & Spa, vacation packages from the date of purchase with your Disney® Visa® Credit Card when booked through the Walt Disney Travel Company, online at Disney sites or through other eligible travel agents or sites. Your standard purchase APR will apply after the promotional APR expires."