What hotel???

[DC1DC1]

We are just starting to plan our first trip to DLP (possibly Feb/march 06) & I would like if anyone can help with choosing the best hotel for a family of 4 (2 x DD aged 9 & 7).

We have some friends that stayed in the sequoia lodge & liked it very much. Are there any great difference between this & the Newport Bay Club where kids are concerned as the pool looks good & that always gets their vote?

We want to stay onsite as we will be going via train & want to be able to walk or bus it to parks & I don’t think our budget will stretch any higher then a mid range hotel.

Any good reasons why we should choose one hotel over another would be greatly appreciated….

Thanks,
Dave

 

[eileds]

I've only stayed at Newport Bay and Santa Fe. I much preferred NBC - it is a much more attractive hotel and is situated right next to the lake which is lovely. I loved the walk past the lake, through the village into the parks. It is a very large hotel and can be a bit of a walk from reception and other general areas to your room - quite a long walk to breakfast. We never had time to use the pool while we were there so can't comment on that.

A lot of people on here seem to like Cheyenne and S.L. - I'm no longer able to stay at any of these as we are now a family of five and so we are staying off site this year.

Lots more people will add to this. Good luck with your planning and hope you have a great time!

 

[Miffy2003]

Hi Dave!

Have you checked on our DLP Hotels thread ?

We loved the Sequioa when we stayed there. It's a maximum 10 minutes walk to the parks, by the Hotel New York and through the Disney Village.

I recommend it!
But I have nothing to compare it to. I'm sure others will chip in

 

[Bexx]

There's no difference in facilities between SL and the Newport Bay - so it's mainly about your preference in the decor!

The Newport Bay is also a convention hotel, so can get crowded with business men.

The pool is a bit more fun at SL - I think it has a slide, while the NB doesn't.

SL is a slightly quicker walk to the parks.

So, unless your really taken with the Newport Bay, I would go for Sequoia.

 

[nicola]

IMHO The Hotel New York is by far the superior. It has such a nice atmosphere and much better theming than NPB. It is marginally more expensive but rooms are bigger, room service, a couple of mins to park, better breakfast, more frequent visits from characters, in winter there is a lovely ice skating rink outside with music piped through. I couldn't say a bad word about it-honestly!!! We obviously all have our own favourites on this board but IMHO HNY is a class above NBC and SL and well worth the little bit extra. Let us know what you decide.

 

[Bexx]

LOL nicola - I was going to recommend our favourite hotel, but my only reservation is I don't know how interesting the HNY pool is compared with the SL pool, as I've never used either!!

Otherwise, if your budget will stretch, the New York is a great hotel.

 

[Dee8197]

We stayed at the NPB the Cheyanne and kast week at SL.We loved the SL and so did our DS. It was relaxed, there was qften a character to be had and the customer services was good.
We found the staff at the NPB to be less than helpful, and very french in their attitude.
It is also a much longer walk to the NPB than SL, I guess in terms of time there is little in it, but after a long day in the parks your legs and feet would certainlt appreciate a shorter walk. The bus service was very good to the SL too. It left SL and went straight to the park, on the return journey it went via HNY but still only a little over 5 minutes I would have thought.
I've never stayed at the HNY but it certainly seems to have a lot of votes when it comes to popularity

 

[nicola]

HNY has the best pool in the park IMHO. I read this recently I think in Simon's Brit guide?!! Becky, You and I will have to convert some more over to our side .

 

[Bexx]

I've never stayed at the HNY but it certainly seems to have a lot of votes when it comes to popularity

I've always seemed to me that the HNY is most people's last choice of DLP hotel!! It seems to be an either love it or hate it place!!! And I think the "love it" people are those who've stayed there!! But a lot of people are put off by the rather unusual decor, and less "Disney" look of the place, and don't fancy staying there.

Becky, You and I will have to convert some more over to our side .

We are trying, aren't we Nicola!!

 

[Dee8197]

I must admit we went to have a look at it because the people we were talking to in Salon Mickey were saying how nice it is. We weren't taken with it at all, but the VIP FP's may sell it to me in the future. I much preferred the feeling at SL

 

[emmaness]

If you're on a budget I highly recommend the Cheyenne. Obviously none of the Disney hotels are what you could call "good value", but the Cheyenne isn't that much dearer than the Santa Fe, and despite the fact that I haven't stayed in the Santa Fe, I personally think the Cheyenne seems SO much nicer, much nicer atmosphere and all that. Plus it's ideal for kids as it's basically a little village with playgrounds and such.

I can't really input on any of the hotels with pools as I haven't stayed in any of them (yet )!

 

[NJBlackBerry]

We just got back from the Newport Bay Club and were very disappointed there. The lobby was all torn up for renovations, and both restaurants and the bar were closed for renovation (AT THE SAME TIME). We spent a lot more time at The Sequoia Lodge and should have stayed there. We also thought the NYH was very nice when we walked through it.

 

[nicola]

That is terrbile!!! How can they get away with closing both restaurants and bar all at same time I am sure that did not do much for the atmosphere. Personally I would have been looking for some compensation. As for your comment about HNY-IT IS Really nice and has a wonderful theming and don't listen to any of the sceptics on this board

 

[Dee8197]

Nicola

I take it that you like the HNY just a bit then !

 

[NJBlackBerry]

We live 50 miles from New York, so going to a New York themed hotel didn't sound appealing at the time we booked. When I asked DW why we chose Newport Bay, she reminded me that (from the web site) we really liked the restaurants! Of course, since they were closed, that went out the proverbial window. We ended up eating at the places in SL, which were very good!

I complained to the manager and wrote a very harsh comment card - which is my way of extracting revenge - and wrote a letter when we got home.

To be honest - we REALLY enjoyed the parks - much more so that we had been led to believe we would, so the hotel was more an inconvenience than anything else. But I would never stay at Newport Bay again.

 

[Dee8197]

NJBlackberry
Glad you enjoed your trip, shame about NPB though
What did you think of the themeing at SL?

 

[DC1DC1]

Thanks for every reply, not sure if I’m any wiser as so many differing opinions!!!!!

I’m all for going with a budget hotel & spending the money saved in the parks but the female side of the family (3 votes to 1) want to go the other way.

At what time do the pools in the hotels shut?

 

[Bexx]

Don't know what times the pools close at. But the cheapest onsite DLP hotel with a pool is Sequoia Lodge - and it's also very nice! I still think that would be your best bet - much as I love the Hotel New York, and this thread went a little off track!!

 

[NJBlackBerry]

NJBlackberry
Glad you enjoed your trip, shame about NPB though
What did you think of the themeing at SL?

We are big fans of the Wilderness Lodge, so we felt very much at home at SL. It doesn't have the wonderful lobby that WL does, but it was very nice. We did not see any rooms, but I'd imagine they are similar is size to the NPB, but darker/wood/green, as is the WL.

We enjoyed sitting in the lobby, people watching and planning the next day's adventure.

 

[Dee8197]

Be warned, the pool in the SL is freezing or at least it was last week. DS went in once. DH got in but had to get out pretty soon because it was too cold, and I didn't even get my feet wet. Would have loved the Jacuzzi but in order to get to it I would have had to go out of my depth and in cold water, getting out would have been the same. Jacuzzi to cold water ........ not likely!