First time in DL

[smcd]

My brother has been after us to come to CA for a visit - so, looks like will be there in July.

Of course, we have to visit Disneyland since we've never been.

So, which Disney hotel do ya'll suggest? There are 5 of us - DH, DD(29), DS(18), DS (15) and myself.

[tinkwest]

For a first time visitor I would usually say the Disneyland Hotel. But with ongoing construction a factor, you might want to consider the Grand Californian Hotel in the heart of Downtown Disney and with direct access to DCA. The one drawback to the GCH is room size. You may have to splurge and upgrade for a family of your size. If that is deal breaker I suggest Paradise Pier which has good size rooms and could comfortably sleep five in most cases.

I would check with hotel staff/your travel agent about construction plans and how it might be affecting the DH in July.

[BrerGnat]

How much can you spend? Typically, summer time is peak season for DLR hotels. Prices will be high.

If you think pool time will factor in, as all adults, primarily, you will not really enjoy PPH's pool. Grand Californian would be my recommendation first if you can afford it.

You will probably want to get two rooms wherever you stay, as it will be a tight fit in any standard room on property given everyone's ages.

I'd recommend two rooms at either PPH or GCH. "Upgrading" to a suite is ALWAYS going to cost more than two rooms and at DLR, the "suites" do NOT come with Club Level access...you have to add it on for an additional $150/night.

And, you will end up paying $25/night for each of your two adult children staying in the room with you. So, having two rooms is a better deal.

My personal favorite is the Grand Californian. I just love it...the whole place is great. PPH is okay, but nothing special. Compared to other chain hotels in the area, it's rather pathetic, actually. It's in need of a major refurbishment to bring the room decor/furnishings up to this side of the 21st century. The building is old, and while nicely themed inside, does suffer from "old building" issues, such as poor insulation in the rooms, and a general "run down" appearance (both times we stayed there, wallpaper was peeling, we had water stains on the ceiling and mildew in the bathrooms, etc.) It's fine for a place to lay your head at night, but if that is truly all you want, you're actually much better off staying in a Good Neighbor hotel on Harbor. You'll save TONS of money and the walk could be shorter than to the PPH. Just a thought.