a few million questions....

[SCohen]

We will be at DL April 23-25. We are staying at the DLH! Yippee! Can you ride the monorail to and from DL like you used to? I grew up in LA and always envied those kids getting on and off the monorail at the hotel..haha. Where does the monorail go to now, and where is it going to since it may be in refurbishment during this time?

Are there busses that take you to and from the parks like at WDW? We always stay onsite now for this convenience, just wondering if its the same at both complexes?

POTC will be down and so will the Blue Bayou (our absolute fav)- bummer! We absolutely loved the pork chop/apple dish. Is there anywhere else to get it? What other restaurants are comparable to Blue Bayou?

We will be spending one - two days at the parks. Where is the cheapest place to buy hopper tickets?

Thank you to anyone who can answer any of these questions!

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

We will be at DL April 23-25. We are staying at the DLH! Yippee! Can you ride the monorail to and from DL like you used to? I grew up in LA and always envied those kids getting on and off the monorail at the hotel..haha. Where does the monorail go to now, and where is it going to since it may be in refurbishment during this time?

The monorail stations have not changed locations. The one that was "at the hotel" is now "in Downtown Disney". The physical location is the same, the surroundings are different (they removed part of the hotel grounds for DTD).

When the monorail is in refurb it is either not running or doing one way trips from Tomorrowland to DTD.

Are there busses that take you to and from the parks like at WDW? We always stay onsite now for this convenience, just wondering if its the same at both complexes?

The DLR hotels do not offer transportation. All are within walking distance. If you stay at the DLH or the PP you can hop on the monorail in DTD. There are off-site hotels that offer shuttles, there is ART (Anaheim Resort Transportation) and there are quite a few hotels with a shorter walk then the DLR hotels.

POTC will be down and so will the Blue Bayou (our absolute fav)- bummer! We absolutely loved the pork chop/apple dish. Is there anywhere else to get it? What other restaurants are comparable to Blue Bayou?

Sometimes the other restaurants in NOLA SQ. will have a few of the BB items. It's not often so don't count on it. The other sit down restaurant in DL is Carnation Cafe (I think there is one more but I'm blanking on it). None offer the same atmosphere as the BB.

 

[dopeyfanatic]

The monorail is not "right at the hotel" like you remember. It hasn't technically moved, but since they've redone things it doesn't feel like it's at the hotel, rather just outside it a little. Still close and still fun! Have fun staying there....

 

[disneegrl4eva]

[/QUOTE]The other sit down restaurant in DL is Carnation Cafe (I think there is one more but I'm blanking on it). None offer the same atmosphere as the BB.[/QUOTE]


Will Carnation Cafe be open before spring break?

 

[SCohen]

Wow this totally blows my mind! They moved the hotel but didn't move the monorail.... kinda like Poltergeist (you moved the headstones but you didn't move the bodies)
Thanks for the info!!!! I was thinking that it was set up like the Contemporary at WDW. I guess this just gives us a good reason to have to go to DTD. (twist my arm)

 

[sters]

Wow this totally blows my mind! They moved the hotel but didn't move the monorail.... kinda like Poltergeist (you moved the headstones but you didn't move the bodies)
Thanks for the info!!!! I was thinking that it was set up like the Contemporary at WDW. I guess this just gives us a good reason to have to go to DTD. (twist my arm)

I used to go to DL a lot as a child, and I remember the monorail going "right to the hotel" but it never went inside like it does at the WDW Contemporary. I seem to remember coming to a landing of sorts, which seemed to be near the front door. . . and oh, how I longed to stay there instead of dragging my tired bones to the car!!! It's been over 15 years since I've even been to DL, and I'm sure my child's mind perceived things differently. I'm trying to picture all of this!!! I'll see for myself in April, when I get to finally stay at the DLH.

 

[SCohen]

Sters!! My sentiments exactly! And how lucky I was to live there- I got to go all the time and didn't realize how privileged I really was. It will be fun to stay at DLH instead of dragging my tired bones to the car for once!!

 

[stampinshauna]

We will be spending one - two days at the parks. Where is the cheapest place to buy hopper tickets?

With only a 1 or 2 day ticket, you will likely have to pay regualar price.

 

[jlmarr]

Wow this totally blows my mind! They moved the hotel but didn't move the monorail....

You can see the transformation by looking at this Terraserver link. The link shows a 1995 view of DLH and the monorail station, and by clicking on the Urban Areas tab you can see what the area looks like now.

 

[WatchinCaptKangaroo]

Wow this totally blows my mind! They moved the hotel but didn't move the monorail....

They didn't move the hotel either. They removed a few parts of the hotel (bungalow, monorail cafe...) but the main towers are still there.

DTD is maybe 500ft from the main entry of Disneyland and DCA.

 

[SCohen]

thanks for the great info! I will share the link with my DH tonite, he is a Disney affecionado too and will get a big kick out of it.

 

[denyd]

Just in case cost is an issue. For the price of 2 nights in the DLH you could spend 3 nights in the Candy Cane Inn. I think you'll find the the walk from the your hotel room door to the DL turnstyle is within 100 yards difference. I'll admit that the ambiance is not anywhere near DLH, but if you're going to be at the park from 8am to 1am, I doubt you'll notice the difference.

 

[SCohen]

Thanks Denyd!
I grew up in Los Alamitos and I always dreamed of staying at the DLH. We lived within 20 miles or so, so it was never feasible to stay there. Now I live in TX and much to my DH's dismay, we are going to stay there for this trip. As a matter of fact, I am trying to upgrade to Concierge. I did get a really good rate for it though. It's not really about the cost- its about the experience. Thanks for the info- btw, we plan on bringing the kids out for spring break, is the Candy Cane Inn the way to go, or the HOJO? I've heard good about both. When I lived there Disney was surrounded by run-down mobile home parks and sleazy motels- so I really have no clue where a good place to stay offsite is at.
Thanks again!