Your Disney Hotel History

[dizfan]

Have you been to Tokyo yet?

[Loomis]

Have you been to Tokyo yet?

Not sure if this was directed to me, but no I haven't been to Tokyo.

Only California (twice, 18 years apart!), and a planned HK trip in September. The original plan would have taken us to Paris as well, but we are *trying* to save

Would love to go to Tokyo one day (I plan to see them all before I shuffle off this mortal coil), but Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world to stay, so we'll hold up for a while

Dizfan - when are you planning your Disney's Hollywood Hotel (HKDL)? I wouldn't mind hearing about it before I go, although the reports I have read paint it as a very classy establishment. It also appears to be cheaper than the Disneyland Hotel, and certainly cheaper than similar Disney properties elsewhere around the world.

[dizfan]

Not until early next year. I am going to Tokyo again and then heading to Hong Kong.

[AwallaceUNC]

Looks like I'm taking a fairly impromptu trip to WDW next weekend with some friends. 1 day in the parks, and we're going to attempt all 4 within about 13 hours. The question is- which value hotel? Hmmm.

-Aaron

[gadgetmobile]

Walt Disney World

All-Star Sports (1)
Dixie Landings/Port Orleans Riverside (2)
Pop Century (1)
Old Key West (2)

We bought into DVC last year and OKW is our home resort, so that's our current favorite. We have liked all of the Disney resorts in which we have stayed. We are going to stay at the Beach Club in June.

[Escapay]

Looks like I'm taking a fairly impromptu trip to WDW next weekend with some friends. 1 day in the parks, and we're going to attempt all 4 within about 13 hours. The question is- which value hotel? Hmmm.

-Aaron

All-Star Sports. It's the cheapest, and the buses are reasonable enough. It's closest to Animal Kingdom, so do that park first (there's little to do there anyway), when you're done with Animal Kingdom, take a bus from there to MGM, and when you're finished there take a bus from MGM to EPCOT, then from EPCOT to TTC, and from TTC to Magic Kingdom. That way you'll save the best for last and you'll go in the most convenient order of parks with amount to do in a little time.

When you're in Magic Kingdom, remember to do the following:

First and foremost, go to the Adventureland Nut Wagon (by Jungle Cruise and Enchanted Tiki Room). If an elderly blonde woman named Anne is working there in the morning or afternoon, tell her Albert says Hi! If it's someone else, just ask if they knew of an Asian kid named "Albert" who was on the college program from January to August 2005. If they know who you're talking about, tell them I say hi! If they don't know, tell them to tell the managers that Albert Gutierrez says hi!

Once you finish that little Adventureland escapade, you can have fun, so long as you also...

Piss off a castmember in Main Street by asking "Where's the castle?"

Piss off a Fantasyland castmember and ask how many kids you need to ride Peter Pan.

Piss off a Haunted Mansion castmember and ask how much to rent the place on Halloween!

Piss off a Tomorrowland castmember and say, "Hey, your clothes aren't very futuristic!" or "Where's Star Tours?" or "Why the hell did you get rid of Alien Encounter? I hate Stitch!"

Piss off an Adventureland castmember and say their pants look like a clown's or that they look like an extra from The King and I.

Piss off a Frontierland castmember in the bottleneck area (the Mountains and the Railroad area) and complain that it's too hot and the lines are too long!

And finally, if you just wanna rest during your brief 13 hours and you happen to be in Magic Kingdom, go to Exposition Hall and watch Steamboat Willie, Flowers and Trees, and Mickey's Band Concert in the back of the building.

Escapay

[MinnieMe]

My history...

Polynesian (1)
Wilderness Lodge (1) - I'd LOVE to go back here!! We went when it was brand new and I'm hoping they'd have better bus service by now!
Caribbean Beach (2, although it may have been 3)
All Star Sports (1)
Dixie Landings/Port Orleans Riverside (6)

My favorite is definitely Dixie Landings but the last four times we went to Disney we stayed here. I'd like to see another resort, but after staying there so many times I'd almost think it wouldn't feel like Disney if we didn't stay there!

I have no desire to stay at the Grand Floridian, Contemporary, PO French Quarter or Coronado Springs (mom stayed there once) but would love to try out the Animal Kingdom Lodge or stay in the Wilderness Lodge again. I didn't enjoy the All Star resort (it might have been the cheerleading trip ) but the next time I go most likely would be with my BF and we'd have to stay at a value to be able to afford it!

I have heard good things about Pop Century (among the value resorts) so we'd probably try that out. Or of course, spring for Riverside again

[Loomis]

Here is a follow-up story to my post of Tue Jan 31, 2006 4:29 pm :

Disneyland Resort plans to ban smoking in hotels

http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel ... usat_x.htm

By Gary Stoller, USA TODAY

The growing trend of smoke-free hotels is spreading to Disneyland.

All 2,224 rooms at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., will be smoke-free on March 1, says Disney Vice President Rob Doughty. Last month, Westin became the first big chain to adopt such a policy, banning smoking throughout its 77 U.S., Canadian and Caribbean lodgings.

Disney is making the move because of "steadily declining requests" for smokers' rooms at the three Disneyland hotels at the resort, Doughty says. Only 35 rooms for smokers have been reserved through 2010.

The 990-room Disneyland Hotel and the 489-room Paradise Pier Hotel will become smoke-free in March. The 745-room Grand Californian has been smoke-free since it opened five years ago.

The hotels have a high occupancy rate, and a smoking ban ensures that non-smokers are accommodated in a smoke-free room, Doughty says. Smoky rooms cost more to clean, but Disney didn't decide to go smoke-free to save money, he says.

At Walt Disney World in Orlando, there are no plans to switch to smoke-free hotels, says spokeswoman Kim Prunty. Smoking, however, is not allowed in about 95% of more than 24,000 rooms at 22 hotels there, she says.

Walt Disney World and Disneyland allow smoking only in designated areas at their theme parks. That's also the rule at the company's parks in Tokyo and Hong Kong, says Donn Walker, spokesman for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts.

Disney's two parks in Paris, however, allow smoking everywhere outdoors except in lines for attractions. All Disney hotels abroad have rooms for smokers.

"Our policy is to let each resort determine its own smoking policy," Walker says.

Jacque Petterson, a non-smoking advocate who runs a website that lists smoke-free hotels, says the move to smoke-free rooms in Disneyland sets "a good example for the hotel industry."

At least 200 North American hotels now ban smoking in rooms and other indoor areas, according to a recent survey of major chains and an analysis of media reports by USA TODAY.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says children are most affected by secondhand smoke, because their bodies are still developing.

"Exposure to the poisons in secondhand smoke puts children in danger of severe respiratory diseases and can hinder the growth of their lungs," the CDC states on its website. "The effects can last a lifetime."

[Loomis]

More smoke-free Disney:

Disney World Hotel Goes Smoke-Free

For the first time ever, a Disney World property is going 100 percent smoke-free.

Guests can't smoke in the Swan Hotel anymore, either in rooms or public areas.

The Swan is a Westin hotel, and is now among 77 Westin hotels banning smoking.

In preparation, the hotel has had an intensive cleaning process that includes replacing all linens, bedding and drapes.

[Alan]

[We bought into DVC last year and OKW is our home resort, so that's our current favorite

I'm also in DVC, and my fav. is also Old Key West. We just stayed at the Saratoga Springs (also available only to DVC members), and the rooms weren't as good and as private as Old Key West.

When my family planned the vacation, there were no spare rooms in old key west, so we could only go to saratoga springs...

[pinkrenata]

The first time my family went we stayed at a Holiday Inn (I think), but that was my only Disney World stay off-site. Since then:

Travelodge (Not a Disney-themed hotel, I know, but at the time it was part of the then-titled Disney Village.)
Caribbean Beach
Port Orleans
All-Star Music
All-Star Movies

And then the last time I went, I was with my friends family who belong to the Disney Vacation Club and do the whole home-away-from home thing with other family members. We stayed at Old Key West and also a few nights at Wilderness Lodge. Both of our hotel "rooms" had a kitchen, living room with pull-out couch, and 2 bedrooms and bathrooms. It was quite cool.

As for Disneyland, the park itself is so close to the rest of the city that an off-site hotel has always seemed an equally convenient, as well as much cheaper option. Therefore, I have never stayed at a Disney resort while visiting the Disneyland park.

[Loomis]

Port Orleans

Is this Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter? Or are they the same thing?

The only reason I ask is that when I do eventually get there (the plan is 2008 at the moment), we were hoping to stay at the Port Orleans French Quarter. (Especially given we were meant to stay in the REAL French Quarter, NO last year but had to cancel due to a certain hurricane). At this point, it is just the curiosity of an incessant planner.

[pinkrenata]

I believe it was the French Quarter. I wasn't particularly aware that there was a Riverside section, but I was only 12 at the time, so didn't generally pay attention to things like that.

[jwa1107]

Port Orleans Riverside used to be called Dixie Landings

it opened in 1992 and the named changed in 2001

[pinkrenata]

Port Orleans Riverside used to be called Dixie Landings

it opened in 1992 and the named changed in 2001

So that would explain it. I knew they were doing some work on the resort the last time I was there (2002) but didn't realize that the two hotels had combined names. Well, they were awfully close to one another and related in theme so I suppose it wasn't that big of a change.

[Loomis]

Animal Kingdom Lodge gets state environmental certification

The certification, presented to Disney officials March 6 by DEP Secretary Colleen Castille, makes the Animal Kingdom property the sixth at Disney to be certified.

The statewide program requires hotels to go through a 10-step process that includes the development of a hotel-wide Green Team responsible for ensuring that all environmental practices at the hotel are performed timely and correctly, assessing the hotel's environmental environment and setting goals to improve specific areas. The process is monitored by the state, which evaluates the team's goals and conducts on-site inspections to approve the process.

Among the programs implemented by the hotel, according to state officials, are several dozen additional systems or programs, ranging from automatic faucets in guest areas, using programmable thermostats and a variety of recycling initiatives.

Information on the program is available at www.FloridaGreenLodging.org.

[Kram Nebuer]

Awesome! That's great, considering what Animal Kingdom Lodge is. After taking my Enivronment and Natural Resources class, I'm totally into conservation and hugging trees and RECYCLING!!! Though I've always believed in recycling. Thank goodness this is an electronic messageboard and not a real messageboard with thumbtacks and post its. Think of all the paper we'd waste and all the pollution created by us driving to post notes, lol.

[Loomis]

Well, I've just booked my Hong Kong holiday for September.

I will be staying, at least in part, in Disney's Hollywood Hotel at the Hong Kong Park on Lantau Island. Very excited now that the wheels are in motion. Never stayed in a Disney hotel before!

[TishaMoon]

I have never stayed at a Disney hotel!

The only Disney parts I've been to are Disneyland and DCA in Anaheim and it's about an hour drive from where I live, so no need for hotels.

I would love to go to Disney World and stay at one of those hotels though!

Oh and I also took a vacation to Tokyo last year, and I totally regret not going to those parks while I was there.

[Karushifa]

I've stayed at the Buena Vista Palace (high-rise hotel near Downtown Disney) several times. It's very nice, with a good sized swimming pool and great views of WDW from the upper floors...you can even (kinda) see the various parks' fireworks displays at night. I can't vouch for the service or staff there now, since I think they've switched management since I've stayed there.

I have also stayed at:

- Coronado Springs: very pretty resort with Spanish mission-style architecture and lots of recreation facilities
- Boardwalk: this resort is very close to Epcot and MGM (in fact, you have to take a shuttle boat to Epcot instead of a bus) and has its own shopping facilities and lots of restaurants, including the ESPN Club where some ESPN shows (including Baseball Tonight) are filmed.

I recommend both of those, but the other resorts are probably the same when it comes to service and staff quality. It all depends on what kinds of "extras" you want: swimming pools, shopping, dining, or proximity to the parks?