I have stayed at both - last time I divided my stay between the two hotels. Without using the monorail to go into Disneyland, the walk from DLH and the Courtyard are close to equal. Going through security from DLH is faster than going through security from the Harbor side. The biggest benefit is the extra early morning hour in the parks. If you are early risers, this is a HUGE benefit. We never make it right when it starts, but last time we made it 30 minutes before DCA opened up to regular guests and were able to ride Guardians and Incredicoaster twice each before the park opened. AND if you have MaxPass, you can start pulling FastPasses before the park opens to everyone else. Because of this, we were able to ride every single ride in DCA (all of the headliners at least twice) before 11am. We then had lunch at the Lamplighter, rode 5 rides in Disneyland, and went back to the hotel pool for a few hours before returning to the parks for the evening.
As far as the two hotels compare, our room at the Courtyard was much larger than the one at DLH. The kids had a separate “nook” with bunk beds far separated from the room with the king bed so I could watch television without disturbing them. We also had a bathroom with a tub/shower combo in one room with two sinks and another shower in the room with the toilet. We were on the top floor with a balcony and a view of the park. The balcony was a bit of a disappointment because there was no patio furniture. The Courtyard room was definitely newer than our DLH room.
But I absolutely loved our room at DLH. DLH is my favorite hotel (I have stayed there at least 40+ times) and, if it is financially doable, I will always choose it over the Courtyard (but the Courtyard is now a very close 2nd). We have never had a bad experience with the staff, we have never experienced small rooms that others have complained about. In fact, it’s rare for us to not get upgraded. Last time, we had a room on the top floor overlooking Downtowns Disney and the parks. We also upgraded to Concierge level access which is always a pleasure for us at DH. And the rooms have that special Disney magical touch that I love.
If your family enjoys pools, both pools have their benefits. The Courtyard pool is more enjoyable for kids than adults, in my opinion. The bummer is that you cannot use the pool by yourself if you are 16 or under. My 14 year old and two 12 year olds were told they had to sit on the chairs and weren’t allowed in the water until I got there (I was finishing up packing up the room). This seemed a bit ridiculous to me but rules are rules. Because it is not on the ground floor and there are not a lot of plants/trees, we also found it to be quite windy and hot. The DH pool has more for everyone. Water slides for kids and teens (and if you’re like me, adults will enjoy them, too), two pools deep and large enough to swim in, and two large hot tubs. There is also food and beverage service at the pool. The DH pool also has fresh water showers to rinse off in. The Courtyard pool does not, which is a huge design flaw, in my opinion.
So... It just depends on what your family values and whether or not you will use all of the benefits that come with staying at a DLR hotel.