Originally Posted By TDR_Fan For me, room size or amenities are not the biggest priority. Like I said above, I stay in huge suites at the nearby Sheratons and Hyatts all the time because I have a membership card. When I say huge, I'm talking its own living room, dining room, and TWO bedrooms! Since I get discounts, I always stay in the third best suite next to the Presidential Suite. However, I expect the Disney magic all the way when I make a trip solely for Disney. This includes everything from the hotel to the dining. I don't care if the rooms are not as big; I only care about theming and immersion which the MiraCosta delivers very strongly in. Sitting by the window looking out into Mediterranean Harbor and listening to the background music is so romantic and awe-inspiring that I would gladly pick it over the other hotels I've stayed at any day of the week (and I've stayed at numerous hotels in Las Vegas).
Originally Posted By Mr X To each his own. The only Disney hotel I ever really fell in love with was the Boardwalk...and I stayed there which was awsome and yes, I understand your point very well because that's how I felt at the Boardwalk. But like I said, I have a much better, more relaxing, enjoyable stay at the Brighton and would stay there if I had to make a choice...of course, I live here, so it doesn't matter much , stayed at the Brighton twice though for 2 week stints each time on my way into Japan which was awsome. The only other Tokyo area hotel I've stayed at was the New Otani which was also awsome, but the Brighton had better bathrooms. Only place I know besides onsen where taking a bath was a HUGE priority.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan I think the main reason why I love the MiraCosta so much is because I've always dreamed of staying inside a Disney park. And no, the Disneyland Hotel (Paris) and Grand Californian don't count because they are located outside the park. Anyways, I love not having to leave the park at all and having the whole park so close to me. The action is literally only a few feet below you; it adds a feel of intimacy not found in any other hotel. When I was there, I couldn't get over how the park was sitting right outside the window. I was thinking about how someone could literally jump out into Mediterranean Harbor.
Originally Posted By leemac <<And no, the Disneyland Hotel (Paris) and Grand Californian don't count because they are located outside the park.>> HUH? Disney would disagree with you entirely on both those counts. They are both within the park. If the Miracosta can form the architecture of Med Harbor I don't see why DLH should be discounted when it forms the entry plaza.
Originally Posted By leemac <<The only Disney hotel I ever really fell in love with was the Boardwalk>> X the Boardwalk is the real gem of WDW.
Originally Posted By leemac <<instead you make it seem overrated which it's definitely not. I've stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Bay once, but found the MiraCosta staff even a step above that of the Hilton. >> Maybe not overrated but definitely overpriced. The three restaurants are expensive for what you get (especially the lounge), the fact you have to pay for the pool and spa and the steep premiums for park views. On the CM front I'm with the Goddess there. The Hilton is exceptional when it comes to guest service. Highly attentive and far better than anything I've ever received at a TDR hotel. The lines for check-in at the Miracosta are almost always unbearable at 3pm. The Hilton is a far more efficiently run hotel. It may not have Disney touches but when you are there to visit the parks it just becomes a place to rest your head anyhow.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo "X the Boardwalk is the real gem of WDW. " Really? I would say that is the Animal Kingdom and Wilderness Lodges. Boardwalk has some nice pockets and a great location, but it doesn't do much for me. I suppose that's what great about Disney resorts. There's something for everyone.
Originally Posted By leemac THe selling point for me is being able to walk to Epcot/D-MGM and the close proximity of three (four if you don't count BC/YC as one) resort hotels with oodles more restaurants to choose from. I love DAK Lodge but its remoteness (and lack of direct access to the park - not even a walkway) are frustrating. Overall what DAK Lodge has makes it the best (ie. Boma/Jiku, pool area, savannah etc) but it is too isolated really. Boardwalk is such a treat. Especially during the holidays. The Inn is just super.
Originally Posted By leemac ^^ and I never get the buses (always have a rental) and I'm sure that would frustrate me even more! Especially in light of your experiences.
Originally Posted By The Goddess Mara Our favorite hotel at Walt Disney World is the Beach Club. I've heard people complain about it and I'm mystified by that. Beautiful place, great pool, one of the best buffets on property, and a quick walk to Epcot and a slightly longer one to Disney-MGM Studios. We also love the Wilderness Lodge, but taking that boat is, frankly, a pain in the keister. The three monorail hotels are simply beyond our means as far as cost. (We are DVC members and restrict ourselves to those hotels covered by our membership.) When we stay at the Grand Californian, I certainly feel like I'm staying inside California Adventure! Perhaps that's because even I AM.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< I love DAK Lodge but its remoteness (and lack of direct access to the park - not even a walkway) are frustrating. Overall what DAK Lodge has makes it the best (ie. Boma/Jiku, pool area, savannah etc) but it is too isolated really. >>> That's pretty much my take on DAK as well. BTW, you might know the answer to this: why did they decide to build it that way? Since the hotel and park were newly built at the same time, it would seem that they certainly had the option to put DAK near the park entrance but chose not to for some reason. I'd be interested to know what factors went into that decision.
Originally Posted By leemac <<why did they decide to build it that way? >> The accessibility between the two savannah areas was paramount and as Africa is at the back of DAK that drove the location for DAK Lodge. There were originally plans for a second resort next door to the Lodge too but this got scrapped post-9/11.
Originally Posted By Mr X Haven't been to WDW since they built that hotel, so I can't compare...but it sounds nice. After Boardwalk, I like all the MK hotels too. Even though people complain that the Poly is old and dated, there's still something cool about that place that I love (maybe it's the lobby lounge ;p). And Contemporary too...sure it's dated now...but come on, a MONORAIL running right through it. That's too cool. I think that many of the newer efforts have fallen short on the imagination scale, but that's just me.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<HUH? Disney would disagree with you entirely on both those counts. They are both within the park. If the Miracosta can form the architecture of Med Harbor I don't see why DLH should be discounted when it forms the entry plaza.>> Although they are both very close to the park, they both sit outside the park borders. The MiraCosta is almost entirely inside the park border. I guess I can count the Disneyland Hotel though, since the entrance plaza is (for me) a part of the park. It's just that the MiraCosta is located even deeper within the park. By the way, why don't they have a guest-exclusive turnstile at the Disneyland Hotel? Though it's not far from the main entrance, it's not as convinient as the Grand Californian or MiraCosta to enter the park (unless you happen to be a member of the Castle Club and have your own private elevator to the main entrance).
Originally Posted By The Goddess Mara Sorry, but the Grand Californian is in California Adventure, with it's own guest exclusive park entrance (just like the Miracosta).
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<Maybe not overrated but definitely overpriced. The three restaurants are expensive for what you get (especially the lounge), the fact you have to pay for the pool and spa and the steep premiums for park views.>> I have to agree with you here. The MiraCosta is too expensive, especially how they charge you for the pool/spa. Although I don't mind the price as much, I'm sure many people are turned away because they cannot afford it. <<On the CM front I'm with the Goddess there. The Hilton is exceptional when it comes to guest service. Highly attentive and far better than anything I've ever received at a TDR hotel.>> Maybe for you, but I had much better service at the MiraCosta. The Hilton was attentive and caring yes, but the CMs at the MiraCosta were a step above in my opinion. I'll see about the Ambassador when I visit this July. >>The lines for check-in at the Miracosta are almost always unbearable at 3pm. The Hilton is a far more efficiently run hotel.>> Maybe the MiraCosta is just a lot more popular? I had a tough time booking it, as compared to the Hilton because it was almost always full. I called multiple times before they had an extra room.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<Sorry, but the Grand Californian is in California Adventure, with it's own guest exclusive park entrance (just like the Miracosta).>> Thanks. It makes me happy to know that I've stayed at three hotels located inside parks =]. But while the Grand Californian and Disneyland Hotel are lcoated on the very border of the park, the MiraCosta is located even deeper within the park and more distinct. Since Mediterranean Harbor is beyond the DisneySea Plaza and the main entrance, it's a lot clearer to see that the MiraCosta is completely located inside the park.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Maybe the MiraCosta is just a lot more popular? >> Nope. The reason is that the average length of stay is very short so there is constantly a line for check-in and check-out. As the hotel isn't able to handle express check-out (or anything else that is technologically advance like WiFi) I'm not surprised they struggle to do with it. I don't like waiting up to an hour for my room keys when I'm there for the weekend.
Originally Posted By TDR_Fan <<Nope. The reason is that the average length of stay is very short so there is constantly a line for check-in and check-out. As the hotel isn't able to handle express check-out (or anything else that is technologically advance like WiFi) I'm not surprised they struggle to do with it. I don't like waiting up to an hour for my room keys when I'm there for the weekend. >> I checked-out with little difficulty. It took me about 30 seconds to successfully check-out by phone. Very easy. And for me, checking-in was very quick and efficent as well. The fact that there were lots of elegant theming to look at helped make the wait go a lot faster. And I arrived around 3:30 p.m. for your information.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Although they are both very close to the park, they both sit outside the park borders. >> You had better tell Disney that as they believe that both hotels sit within the park.
