Originally Posted By utahjosh Does Disneyland still offer "Early Entry" for DL Resort guests? We're staying at the Disneyland hotel for the first time EVER, and we don't want to miss out on any benefits. Are there any other benefits or suggestions that a first-time Disneyland Hotel guest should know about? Thanks!
Originally Posted By hlbtimes2 If you have a 3 day or more park hopper you get one day of early entry. Its offered on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Currently Fantasyland is the open area. You might also be able to ride Space and Buzz. Early entry is one hour before the park opens. They have been testing a program for guests of the 3 resort hotels. They have been letting them have early entry each day that is offered regardless of the type of ticket used. No one knows how long they will continue to offer the program. Other things for resort guests: You can have your purchases take back to the hotel for you, rather then carry them around the park. Just be sure you dont do it on the last day there, because it might not get back in time. I've heard that it gets taken to the hotel and you have to pick it up, and I've also heard it taken to your room- not sure which is true. You can also have purchases (meal or merchandise) charged to your room while in the park. You will have priority boarding for the monorail. Don't know all the details on that, someone else might be able to add more about it.
Originally Posted By mickeynewe From our experience, in the past they used to put your purchases in the room. The last few times we have sent things back we had to go down to the lobby to pick them up.
Originally Posted By crazy4mickey2 My experience with delivered purchases is that you can pick them up at the bell station in your hotel after 7:00am the following morning. Just remember when you're paying for the items to let the cashier know before hand that you'd like them delivered. They have some special paperwork that they fill out for you.
Originally Posted By tinks-lover This is great info I will keep this in mine for my stay at DPPH. Thanks everyone!
Originally Posted By utahjosh Has anyone stayed at the DL hotel lately? What are the highlights os staying there? Oh, and has anyone done the early entry lately, too? What was it like? Oh..and one more (I'm full of questions,) How convenient in the monorail? If i'm wanting to be one of the first people in the park, wouldn't the front gates be better?
Originally Posted By Darkbeer I am not a big Disney hotel fan, they seem to be overpriced, don't like to give guarantees (such as asking for a King Bed, they will only place the request in the file, and many times, you won't get it). Go to TripAdvisor and read the reviews from people actually staying there... <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g29092-Anaheim_California-Hotels.html" target="_blank">http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hot els-g29092-Anaheim_California-Hotels.html</a> You wil find mixed reviews... I think you can do a lot better staying off property for usually half the price, if not less. Early Entry is most of the Fantasyland Rides, plus Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear. The Monorail is not the way to go if you want to be the first folks in, just get to the Main gates about 20 minutes before opening (or 1 hour and 20 minutes for Early Entry). Besides having a limited capacity, sometimes the Monorail are not running due to mechanical problems. So you walk all the way to the station in DtD, just to find out you have to walk back to the Main Gates.
Originally Posted By Neverland You know, I've never actually done early entry- I've always been an AP and stay off property kind of guy, so I just never qualified. For the first time we are going on park hoppers because the numbers changed for me- I can do better for two trips a year now getting tickets discounted at E-Bay than with an AP; So I really don't know what the deal is with early entry- how many people get early entry? Is FL crowded to the point it doesn't matter? It would be great to get the rugrats through their two peter pan visits without the half hour wait.
Originally Posted By junglejoy We just stayed at the DLH last week and had a fantastic stay! We got the $89 rate so felt we got a great deal. And being APers the Early Entry benefits were completely worth it! We rode everything in FL, SM and Buzz (IASW and Storybook Land were closed - made my DD very sad) before opening. It was sooooo great! I would agree with Darkbeer - go to the front gate. One day it was advantageous to take the monorail, but the other days the front gate was the place to be (of course we were always at the wrong place on the wrong day - ah well). Everyone recommends the Sierra Tower, but we were in Marina and had a great view of the park. We could see Knott's Berry Farm, the beautiful hills - it was lovely. And having the stores and Goofy's just an elevator ride away was nice. We also loved the pools but even with our little kids preferred the Cove Pool to the Neverland. Neverland was just too crowded. The service was great, there were so many other Disney touches we loved. The room was large, clean and smelled nice (I hate the rancid hotel smell). Later in the week we moved to the Park Place Inn. We had never stayed there before and will never stayed there again. I won't go into details, but the extra five minute walk to HoJo's is soooooooo worth it! Park Place Inn is skanky, dishonest, filthy, dark - ewww... we didn't like it at all. HoJo's is clean, honest, great pool, nice staff, helpful staff - all the antithesis of Park Place. Enjoy your stay at the DLH. We will go back someday. It was a fantastic experience. We loved taking the Monorail to enter the park (although I did miss the main entrance and Main Street), the pool, the stores and restaurants, walking through Downtown Disney - it was so fun! I can't wait to hear your how you loved it - I'm sure you will.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 Was that the Best Western Park Place? I've read mostly good reviews of the place (largely along the lines of "nothing special, but clean and cheap). There's another one right next door with "park" in its name too - maybe I'm confused.
Originally Posted By junglejoy Yep. Best Western Park Place Inn. I had high hopes. I really wanted to like it because it is so close to the crosswalk, but nope, it was so ewwww.... Dark rooms, rude staff and they increased the cost of my room. I have no way to prove that they did so I'm just stuck. I booked the room in Feb and got $59 a night rate. When we checked out the total seemed high so I looked at reciept and they had charged me $79 a night and $98 on Friday. I went back inside and told the person at the desk (I was very nice) that it seems there was a mistake made. She agreed that there probably was a mistake but unless I could prove it, the charges stood. It is my fault for not printing out the rate when I made the reservation, but I have never had this problem before. The only reason we moved was the DLH was going up to $140 a night and wanted so save some money. Never again... I will either do Hojo's or DLH. Not BWPPI or GC (not worth the outrageous prices IMHO). Also, the floor was gross. My white socks were filthy from walking around in them. I made my kids wear their shoes until they got in bed! And the pool - so tiny. We didn't even try it out. We are so spoiled by the great pools at HoJo's. And Willie of course. He always makes certain we're well taken care of.
Originally Posted By jodiefra We were at DGH September 15-19. We used early entry on Saturday (which meant 7 a.m.) and it was FABULOUS! We walked on every ride in Fantasyland before 8:00. Then at 8 we headed over for early entry into Toon Town and walked on all those rides. We got great character pictures, etc., and a "Toon Town Honorary Citizen" button. Those early entry tickets were in our Disney Travel Co. package, so I'm not sure who all gets them. The rest of Saturday was pretty busy, so we went over to DCA and slowed the pace a little. Made for a great day!
Originally Posted By inlandemporer Can all DLR hotel guests get early entry? Or just if you book through Disney travel? We're in Ontario so we always do day trips, but friends of ours are coming (2 adults and 6 kids; too many or we'd put 'em up ourselves) and they're relying on us to give them "inside" scoop on good DL deals. None of them have ever been to DL before, and most of their kids are small, so getting a jump on Fantasyland would be great for them. But do they have to book through Disney travel or just stay at one of the Disney hotels?
Originally Posted By ssturgeo Stayed at the DLH in June for eight days, staying again in November for eight days...LOVE IT...everything about it!!! From when I begin planning the trip until I check out...everyone goes out of their way. The package delivery from the park, charging to my room, monorail to the park...just a few of the perks. If you want to be first in the park...Main Gate often has long lines. I enjoy hopping off the monorail and being in tomorrow land...and will really enjoy it in November when we can head to Space Mountain!
Originally Posted By Darkbeer The current "experiment" has any person staying at one of the three Disney owned hotels getting Early Entry during their stay (on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday), no matter who they booked thru. This offer can be revoked at any time. If they want to stay off-property, just get a 3 day or more Advance Purchase ParkHopper for one Early Entry.
Originally Posted By utahjosh Thanks, Darkbeer. Your help is wonderful. I just ordered my 3-day passes, which include an early entry. I'm also staying one night (Wed) at the Disneyland Hotel. Do you think i'll be able to somehow get 2 early entry days from this?
Originally Posted By Darkbeer josh, yes, Use your room check in card (charge card) Thursday morning (the one day you are eligible), and then use your PH Early Entry for Saturday or Tuesday. I would hold onto your room charge slip, just in case you need to explain it later on (they will stamp your PH on Thursday morning).
Originally Posted By utahjosh Awesome! Thanks very much, I hope they are still doing this experiment when I go in 2 weeks. I'm so excited!
