This subject reminds me of the time I stayed at the GCH at the beginning of this decade (when it was brand new, but still expensive!), during the holidays, with my friend and her husband. I was thrilled to be staying there since I had previously stayed at the DLH and the PPH and wanted to experience a different theme, but my friend was displeased and disappointed to be staying at DLR's brand new luxury hotel because she preferred to stay only at the DLH! She liked the DLH because that symbolized 'Disney' to her, in whatever way she sees Disney. She was not that impressed with the GCH at all.
I have always been a 'theme girl.' I loved the sci-fi movies "Westworld" and "Futureworld" as a kid because they were all about a sort of amusement park experience for adults with different themed areas (Medieval, Roman, Western, etc.), and it was like the guests were being transported to another time and place. I like the fantasy involved in heavy theming, so that's why Disney is in my blood, because it taps into fantasy and theming so well.
While I can see that the DLH has what may be considered the classic Disney touches due to the strong presence of characters - and a lot of folks do think that Disney IS simply Mickey, Goofy, Minnie, Donald, Pluto - and, therefore, it is the 'most Disney,' I do appreciate the other 2 hotels. I love them all, really. I have absolutely no problem with the beach/sun/surf/nautical theme of the PPH, as I have always loved ocean-y things, but I wish they had more space upon which to build and expand that 'theme' because I think they could do some really great things with it. And I love the rustic elegance of the GCH, with the dim lights and the warm colors, dark wood and interior. If I had the $$$ to do so, I would just keep rotating and stay at all 3 hotels every year or every other year.
However, I must admit that when I have stayed at GCH in the past, I was not all that impressed with the rooms (I think I like the lobby/hearth area better than the rooms themselves) and I missed seeing the adorable Mickey ears bath products in the bathroom that you can find at DLH or PPH. After all....it all started with a Mouse!
