Hilton vs Disney

[Haley R]

We’re going in May this year and already have a family room booked at the Hilton. We booked it through the Chase portal with points. We’ll be there for 5 nights. I’m trying to decide if we should try for a Disney room for early entry or just not fool with it. We’ll have 4 park days. Ds will be 4 and won’t be able to ride everything so I’m not sure if we even need early entry. Does anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Agent 86]

I'd stick with the Hilton.

 

[Haley R]

I'd stick with the Hilton.

That’s what I’m leaning towards too. I’m not sure we would even use early entry.

 

[eandt]

We’re going in May this year and already have a family room booked at the Hilton. We booked it through the Chase portal with points. We’ll be there for 5 nights. I’m trying to decide if we should try for a Disney room for early entry or just not fool with it. We’ll have 4 park days. Ds will be 4 and won’t be able to ride everything so I’m not sure if we even need early entry. Does anyone have any

 

[soniam]

When in May are you going? It’s not during Golden Week is it?

 

[Haley R]

When in May are you going? It’s not during Golden Week is it?

No, we won’t be there until the end of May

 

[gelatoni fan]

If the cost for Toy Story is similar to what you would value those Chase points as, it could be worth considering. The theming is fun for kids, the rooms are newer and it's a bit closer to the station. But since you've already made the booking, it may not be worth the extra trouble to change everything.

 

[Haley R]

If the cost for Toy Story is similar to what you would value those Chase points as, it could be worth considering. The theming is fun for kids, the rooms are newer and it's a bit closer to the station. But since you've already made the booking, it may not be worth the extra trouble to change everything.

I was looking at both the Toy Story hotel and the ambassador. I don’t love the rooms at the ambassador but it gets early entry to DisneySea right and Toy Story doesn’t? We’ll be there right before fantasy springs opens so I’m not sure if we need early entry at all

 

[gelatoni fan]

I was looking at both the Toy Story hotel and the ambassador. I don’t love the rooms at the ambassador but it gets early entry to DisneySea right and Toy Story doesn’t? We’ll be there right before fantasy springs opens so I’m not sure if we need early entry at all

It's probably not worth booking Ambassador because you could just buy Disney Premier Access for Soaring instead of doing Early Entry.

 

[Haley R]

It's probably not worth booking Ambassador because you could just buy Disney Premier Access for Soaring instead of doing Early Entry.

Okay cool. I’m not sure if we’ll even ride soarin. I was hoping we’d get lucky and fantasy springs might have a soft opening to Disney resorts only but maybe that’s wishful thinking.

I think we would only consider Toy Story hotel then. I need to see if it’s worth it vs using our chase points at the Hilton. We have a family room booked there which gives us more beds

 

[djmeredith]

I think you and I are going to be there some of the same dates. I'm May 26-29. I have a room booked at the Hilton, but it's a cash room. Therefore, I have decided to book at a Disney hotel if I can get it. We are going to do one night at Toy Story and 2 at DLH (still debating on which room type there). The price difference was negligible between Toy Story and HIlton. I decided to splurge on DLH because I want the experience and the Happy Entry because we are rope droppers. If I were you, I would consider staying at the Toy Story hotel so your son could enjoy it (assuming he likes Toy Story). He seems like the perfect age for it. It stinks that you have to stay there to experience it (although I also understand there would be huge crowds if they didn't limit access to guests).

 

[Haley R]

I think you and I are going to be there some of the same dates. I'm May 26-29. I have a room booked at the Hilton, but it's a cash room. Therefore, I have decided to book at a Disney hotel if I can get it. We are going to do one night at Toy Story and 2 at DLH (still debating on which room type there). The price difference was negligible between Toy Story and HIlton. I decided to splurge on DLH because I want the experience and the Happy Entry because we are rope droppers. If I were you, I would consider staying at the Toy Story hotel so your son could enjoy it (assuming he likes Toy Story). He seems like the perfect age for it. It stinks that you have to stay there to experience it (although I also understand there would be huge crowds if they didn't limit access to guests).

We’ll be there May 26-31. I think we might consider staying at the Toy Story hotel. I’m gonna look more at it tonight. Saving our chase points for something else instead of the Hilton might be a good idea. Toy Story isn’t Ds’s favorite but he would still like the hotel I think. I don’t think we’ll know until we get there if we’ll actually use early entry or not. It really will depend on what time we wake up each morning. Since we will have 4 park days I don’t feel like we really need to rush in the morning

 

[gelatoni fan]

Okay cool. I’m not sure if we’ll even ride soarin. I was hoping we’d get lucky and fantasy springs might have a soft opening to Disney resorts only but maybe that’s wishful thinking.

I think we would only consider Toy Story hotel then. I need to see if it’s worth it vs using our chase points at the Hilton. We have a family room booked there which gives us more beds

May 27-31 are preview days for vacation packages which sold out in less than 5 minutes so there shouldn't be regular guests allowed in on those dates. Based on the sneak preview dates for Soaring and more recently World of Frozen, my best guess is that sneak previews would be on June 1st and 2nd for all guests, not just Disney hotel guests pending further leaks of the press schedule.

 

[Haley R]

May 27-31 are preview days for vacation packages which sold out in less than 5 minutes so there shouldn't be regular guests allowed in on those dates. Based on the sneak preview dates for Soaring and more recently World of Frozen, my best guess is that sneak previews would be on June 1st and 2nd for all guests, not just Disney hotel guests pending further leaks of the press schedule.

Do you think it’ll be more busy because of the previews? I didn’t realize they were having them for people who got vacation packages. I hate that we’re just barely missing the opening of fantasy springs

 

[gelatoni fan]

Do you think it’ll be more busy because of the previews? I didn’t realize they were having them for people who got vacation packages. I hate that we’re just barely missing the opening of fantasy springs

I doubt it'll make much difference for crowds in the rest of the park. The only potential impact I would expect is the Vacation Package viewing area for Believe to be a bit bigger and thus, the Disney Premier Access viewing area to be shifted back and/or shrunk.

 

[Haley R]

I doubt it'll make much difference for crowds in the rest of the park. The only potential impact I would expect is the Vacation Package viewing area for Believe to be a bit bigger and thus, the Disney Premier Access viewing area to be shifted back and/or shrunk.

Where did you find those dates for previews? I can’t find it anywhere. I’ve looked on a bunch of different blogs. All I found was that there’s a lottery system on may 14 and 21-22 for people who got a vacation package or hotel booking on those dates.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Where did you find those dates for previews? I can’t find it anywhere. I’ve looked on a bunch of different blogs. All I found was that there’s a lottery system on may 14 and 21-22 for people who got a vacation package or hotel booking on those dates.

You can find the Fantasy Springs preview vacation package on the Japanese Vacation Package site. A few smaller Japanese blogs posted about it but bigger blogs didn't.

I actually forgot that since the first day of the package is Disneyland, then the tickets for Fantasy Springs would actually be for May 28-June 1. So I'm not sure if anything is happening on May 27 right now.

 

[Haley R]

You can find the Fantasy Springs preview vacation package on the Japanese Vacation Package site. A few smaller Japanese blogs posted about it but bigger blogs didn't.

I actually forgot that since the first day of the package is Disneyland, then the tickets for Fantasy Springs would actually be for May 28-June 1. So I'm not sure if anything is happening on May 27 right now.

Is there anything being offered for people staying at a Disney hotel without a vacation package or just packages?

Dh is trying to convince me to stay at the Disneyland hotel so we’re close to at least one park lol.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Is there anything being offered for people staying at a Disney hotel without a vacation package or just packages?

Dh is trying to convince me to stay at the Disneyland hotel so we’re close to at least one park lol.

Other than what's already been covered, Disney hotel guests get a little bit of priority for restaurant reservations. I don't know of anything related to Fantasy Springs that would be offered outside of the preview vacation package.

If you anticipate returning to your hotel room in the middle of your Disneyland days, then proximity will make a difference. I wouldn't pay extra for the Disneyland hotel if I planned to stay in the park the whole day.

 

[Haley R]

Other than what's already been covered, Disney hotel guests get a little bit of priority for restaurant reservations. I don't know of anything related to Fantasy Springs that would be offered outside of the preview vacation package.

If you anticipate returning to your hotel room in the middle of your Disneyland days, then proximity will make a difference. I wouldn't pay extra for the Disneyland hotel if I planned to stay in the park the whole day.

Thanks for your help! We will most likely be taking a mid day break every day. Ds still naps but I’m not sure if he will in May. We would probably still have some kind of quiet time after lunch in the room though.

We looked at Miracosta also but don’t love that there’s no convenience type store inside