JW Marriott or DLH/VDLH - cost not a factor

[VicgirlBC]

Which hotel would you choose for a party of 3 (Mom, DS 19 and DD 21) out of the following: JW Marriott, Disneyland Hotel or Villas at Disneyland Hotel? We have no preference for having a view from our room and we aren't interested in club level rooms. I would love your input, without using cost as a factor.

Must haves:
Excellent gym facility for DS
Able and comfy pool loungers (and a quiet, more adult oriented spot would be a bonus)
Hot tub in pool area
Easy and nearby spot to grab morning coffees and grab n' go breakfast items for rope drop
Close proximity to restaurants
Great room service menu

Thank you!

 

[irlandaise]

Are atmosphere and proximity to the parks not factors in your decision?

It's a lot shorter walk from the DLH than the Marriott, which could be important to you for early-morning rope drop and slogging back to your hotel room at the end of the day.

 

[crystal1313]

Disneyland hotel. I’m not sure what their gym is like though.

I’m pretty sure JW only has a pool and not a spa if I remember correctly. (Someone correct me if I am wrong) The pool at the JW is lovely, but also is on the east side, so not a lot of Sun in the afternoon.

The Disneyland hotel pool is busy, but if you can snag chairs further away, it can be fairly quiet and relaxing. We did this last time at the DLH and it was great.

The DLH has the coffee house and tangaroa terrace for breakfast. Plus if you walk to the parks, you walk past Starbucks too. Earl of Sandwich also has yummy breakfast sandwiches in downtown Disney.

Plus the DLH has trader sams and the new palm breeze bar for snacks/meals as well.

JW is a beautiful hotel and we enjoyed our stay, but if we can afford the DLH, being so close to the parks and in the bubble, we stay there.

 

[VicgirlBC]

Are atmosphere and proximity to the parks not factors in your decision?

It's a lot shorter walk from the DLH than the Marriott, which could be important to you for early-morning rope drop and slogging back to your hotel room at the end of the day.

Atmosphere is definitely important. Excellent point. Have you stayed at either that you can share your thoughts?

The difference in the walk from DLH and the JW is negligible to us, but I doubt I would want to be much further than the JW. I would not have picked the JW if travelling with my younger two though

 

[VicgirlBC]

Disneyland hotel. I’m not sure what their gym is like though.

I’m pretty sure JW only has a pool and not a spa if I remember correctly. (Someone correct me if I am wrong) The pool at the JW is lovely, but also is on the east side, so not a lot of Sun in the afternoon.

The Disneyland hotel pool is busy, but if you can snag chairs further away, it can be fairly quiet and relaxing. We did this last time at the DLH and it was great.

The DLH has the coffee house and tangaroa terrace for breakfast. Plus if you walk to the parks, you walk past Starbucks too. Earl of Sandwich also has yummy breakfast sandwiches in downtown Disney.

Plus the DLH has trader sams and the new palm breeze bar for snacks/meals as well.

JW is a beautiful hotel and we enjoyed our stay, but if we can afford the DLH, being so close to the parks and in the bubble, we stay there.

Thank you for all this!

My daughter is a sun lover so having some sun will be important for her, while I am content to stay in the shade to hopefully stop any further wrinkles from happening. Haha. I appreciate your tip about loungers further back from the action. This trip will have a more adult vibe, as we are leaving my 6 and 9 year old at home with DH.

Is Earl of Sandwich open at 6:30am? I thought I saw it didn't open until later in the morning.

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.

Do you know what time the Coffee House opens? It sounds like it would be super convenient as we are heading out for the day.

I'm willing to splurge on this trip for accommodations as this is likely the last time I will be taking my eldest two to Disneyland. DLH will be double the price of the JW, even considering the 25% off deal coming this summer. But I'm willing to spend it, if we think we will enjoy it more than JW.

Thanks again for your reply.

 

[irlandaise]

Atmosphere is definitely important. Excellent point. Have you stayed at either that you can share your thoughts?

No, the only DL-area hotel in that price range I've stayed at is the Grand Californian, which is beautiful.

 

[VicgirlBC]

No, the only DL-area hotel in that price range I've stayed at is the Grand Californian, which is beautiful.

It's gorgeous! I just don't think I'm willing spend that kind of money. Did you enjoy being in the Disney bubble while there?

 

[kristensideaoffun]

Thank you for all this!

My daughter is a sun lover so having some sun will be important for her, while I am content to stay in the shade to hopefully stop any further wrinkles from happening. Haha. I appreciate your tip about loungers further back from the action. This trip will have a more adult vibe, as we are leaving my 6 and 9 year old at home with DH.

Is Earl of Sandwich open at 6:30am? I thought I saw it didn't open until later in the morning.

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.

Do you know what time the Coffee House opens? It sounds like it would be super convenient as we are heading out for the day.

I'm willing to splurge on this trip for accommodations as this is likely the last time I will be taking my eldest two to Disneyland. DLH will be double the price of the JW, even considering the 25% off deal coming this summer. But I'm willing to spend it, if we think we will enjoy it more than JW.

Thanks again for your reply.

As someone previously said, the JW doesn’t have a spa at the pool and also doesn’t get a lot of sun during the day. Between the breeze and the shade, it can get pretty cold on the pool deck. We like spending time at the pool and the JW is our least favorite hotel for that.

 

[VicgirlBC]

As someone previously said, the JW doesn’t have a spa at the pool and also doesn’t get a lot of sun during the day. Between the breeze and the shade, it can get pretty cold on the pool deck. We like spending time at the pool and the JW is our least favorite hotel for that.

I should have said we are planning to come in August, so hopefully it won't feel cold even in the shade. But since the JW doesn't have a spa then it may not work. I'm assuming the kids will be keen to soak after a long day in the parks.

 

[ParkHopper1]

JW is a nice property but not even on my radar for park visits due to lack of proximity.

DLH is an absolute no brainer if that is an option.

 

[irlandaise]

No, the only DL-area hotel in that price range I've stayed at is the Grand Californian, which is beautiful.

It's gorgeous! I just don't think I'm willing spend that kind of money. Did you enjoy being in the Disney bubble while there?

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!

 

[kristensideaoffun]

I should have said we are planning to come in August, so hopefully it won't feel cold even in the shade. But since the JW doesn't have a spa then it may not work. I'm assuming the kids will be keen to soak after a long day in the parks.

It still feels cold in August. The pool only gets full sun a few hours a day because of its location. It’s really unfortunate because it’s a beautiful pool but I like to at least have the option of being in the sun for at least a few minutes before I duck back under an umbrella. Have you looked at the Westin? That is my new favorite Marriott hotel in the DLR area. Much better pool area with a spa and I personally think the gym is slightly nicer than the JW. We also like the Residence Inn Convention Center. It’s a more upscale RI and has a pool with comfortable loungers, cabanas with big couches, a huge hot tub, and a lounge area with fire pits. It also gets sun all day long. It’s still family oriented but I’ve found it to be a quieter pool environment than DLH, especially at night. There are some great restaurants at the Westin which are easily walkable from the Residence Inn.

We really like DLH but the pool area is definitely not quiet. We enjoy renting a cabana as they are a nice buffer against the noise.

 

[veginaz]

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.

 

[boscoj]

Although I’m definitely in favor of staying on property, if we stay offsite we love the Westin! & our son really enjoyed their gym. He said they had all the latest equipment as well as a wide range of free weights…

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Which hotel would you choose for a party of 3 (Mom, DS 19 and DD 21) out of the following: JW Marriott, Disneyland Hotel or Villas at Disneyland Hotel? We have no preference for having a view from our room and we aren't interested in club level rooms. I would love your input, without using cost as a factor.

Must haves:
Excellent gym facility for DS
Able and comfy pool loungers (and a quiet, more adult oriented spot would be a bonus)
Hot tub in pool area
Easy and nearby spot to grab morning coffees and grab n' go breakfast items for rope drop
Close proximity to restaurants
Great room service menu

Thank you!

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.

 

[disneyfan150]

Although I’m definitely in favor of staying on property, if we stay offsite we love the Westin! & our son realy enjoyed their gym. He said they had all the latest equipment as well as a wide range of free weights…

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.

 

[SFMommy]

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!

 

[StarlitNight05]

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.

 

[VicgirlBC]

It still feels cold in August. The pool only gets full sun a few hours a day because of its location. It’s really unfortunate because it’s a beautiful pool but I like to at least have the option of being in the sun for at least a few minutes before I duck back under an umbrella. Have you looked at the Westin? That is my new favorite Marriott hotel in the DLR area. Much better pool area with a spa and I personally think the gym is slightly nicer than the JW. We also like the Residence Inn Convention Center. It’s a more upscale RI and has a pool with comfortable loungers, cabanas with big couches, a huge hot tub, and a lounge area with fire pits. It also gets sun all day long. It’s still family oriented but I’ve found it to be a quieter pool environment than DLH, especially at night. There are some great restaurants at the Westin which are easily walkable from the Residence Inn.

We really like DLH but the pool area is definitely not quiet. We enjoy renting a cabana as they are a nice buffer against the noise.

Thank you for this insight! From what you and others are saying, perhaps the Westin is a better choice for us if we feel the DLH properties aren’t our top pick. I had a look at pictures and it does seem that the gym is much better at the Westin. Thanks again.

 

[VicgirlBC]

JW is a nice property but not even on my radar for park visits due to lack of proximity.

DLH is an absolute no brainer if that is an option.

Thanks! I love your directness about which I hotel we should pick. I’m leaning towards DLH but was worried my two kids wouldn’t appreciate it as much as I would, especially if there are little kids running around everywhere (but it’s Disneyland, so of course there are kids).