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[onceuponadream]

Hello!

This is our first visit to stay at DLP (although we've been for day trips before), and I'd like some advice please! We're looking at going just before Christmas this year.

We were very taken with the Newport Bay Club when we first saw it online, and the refurbished rooms look fantastic. However, having spoken to a few different Cast Members using the chat function, there seems to be quite a shaky idea of when the renovations will be finished. This morning I was told that all rooms would be completed by November, that Cape Cod had reopened but that the Yacht Club was closed and they didn't have a new date, and that the gift shop had closed for good. We really like the look of the place and the quite 'luxury' feel, but are concerned that the renovations will disrupt our (fairly expensive!) trip. Any advice please?

We've also been looking at the Sequoia Lodge, which comes in at around £100 cheaper for a standard room but doesn't look quite as nice. I've heard a few reports saying it just doesn't feel very 'Disney', and the rooms just don't look as nice (although very difficult to tell from photos!). However, do you think it's worth booking here instead to avoid the upheaval of staying in a hotel with work going on?

Would also appreciate any tips in general - am trawling through threads on the forum though and picking up helpful tips as I go . It's likely to be our only stay there for quite a while, so I'd quite like to get this right and not make a mistake with the hotel choice!

Thanks in advance.

[TappyFish]

Asked a similar question myself earlier this year and was given some great advice. That, and my own personal experiences, I'd have to say:

Stay at Sequoia Lodge.

SL has always been a popular place to stay. The general atmosphere, the staff and the relaxing theme make your experience wonderful. Although the hotel isn't massively "Disney Themed" to be fair, none of them are; the exception being The Disneyland Hotel. When I asked my question, the general consensus was that there is just "something" about SL that pulls people in and I would have to agree with that completely. The Montana rooms in the main building are great if you don't mind paying slightly more for them over a standard room. If choosing a standard room, the Yellowstone Lodge is the place to stay. Then again, you could opt to upgrade to the Golden Forest rooms, something that seems to be very popular on here. I personally haven't stayed in a GF room so I'm unable to give an opinion there, however they come highly recommended by forum users.

Then there is the Newport Bay Club. I've never liked the hotel. I, like some others, feel that it is missing something. The rooms always felt odd and dreary. Getting to some rooms in the hotel always seemed to take ages and involved walking through more and more corridors with the same plain and boring decor. That is how I felt when we stayed there, though that is my own opinion and views. Many other people have stated they like the hotel.

My fiancee and I are going to Disneyland Paris in November. We initially looked at staying in Hotel Cheyenne to save money, however we opted to stay in SL instead as we wanted the use of a pool and I love the feel of the place. When we went to make the booking for a Montana Room, we discovered that the swimming pool was closed from November "until further notice". For us, this was a deal breaker. If you can live without the pool, I recommend still choosing SL. We really wanted a pool, so made our booking with Newport Bay Club instead. We knew that the refurbs were going on and had seen pictures of the new rooms which looked much, much better. The pool was also open so we decided to go for it.

A week or so after booking Newport Bay, we read that the refurb work being done was affecting some guests enjoyment. Most of the windows in one of the wings were covered with scaffolding giving little to no view for example and with one of the restaurants being closed, breakfast was a nightmare. Some guests complained that it was noisy, however I imagine that they were just looking to complain. When I asked our travel agent when the work would be finished, she told me next year at the earliest.

With the pool being closed, my past negative experiences and the refurb work being carried out, we decided to upgrade to Hotel New York.

So, if it wasn't for us wanting the use of a pool, we'd happily be staying in SL in a Montana Room. We were originally going to choose a lake view room, but after forum users advised us that at that time of year (November), you wouldn't see much anyway. SL at Christmas is also a fantastic experience and in my opinion, can rival even the Disney Hotel for atmosphere (prepare for incoming disagreements in 3... 2... 1... lol).

To sum up, I would highly recommend staying at SL anytime of the year, but even more so around Christmas time. Upgrading from a standard room to a Montana room is worth it but consider the time of year when opting for a lake view. If wanting the use of a pool from November however, look elsewhere. While the Newport Bay Club has a grand look, I couldn't recommend it myself. When the refurbs are complete, I would be interested in staying in one of the new rooms in the hopes that it changes my mind, but at this time, I couldn't recommend it.

I hope this somewhat helps you make a decision. If I can think of a few specific tips, I'll add them to the comments when I get home - currently typing this in between checking guests in

~ TappyFish~

[onceuponadream]

Thank you for such a detailed reply - that's really helpful! Definitely given us something to think about.

A couple more quick questions - is the Montana room just the same room/facilities but in the main hotel, or are there other extras? Although I'd love to go for GF it's a lot more expensive then than even NPB, so I think that's probably out.

With regards to breakfast, when you arrive are you given a time slot for the whole stay, or is it done per day? If the former, does this cause real issues if you arrive and get a 9.30 slot but want to use EMH - is there any way to guarantee an early slot or to change it once it's been allocated?

The DLP website is currently showing the pool at SL to be open from DAecember 1st, so we might get lucky - if not it won't make a huge difference to me, but might be an issue for my husband. Think I'll have to make a list of pros and cons!

Thanks so much for the advice - hugely appreciated. Now off to think some more!

EDIT: Literally just re-checked and it's now showing pool as being closed from 1-22nd November. Doesn't sound like a particularly reliable source if it changes from one day to the next!

[daddyof2]

When you arrive you get allocated a breakfast slot for the duration of your stay, but they're not very strict about it, and if you want the earliest slot, just turn up and you'll get seated no problems. We were allocated a 9.30 slot or something (we'd used Disney Express so went straight to the park and didn't check in until 5pm) but wanted the 7am slot and were told just to turn up, which we did every day.

[TappyFish]

Thank you for such a detailed reply - that's really helpful! Definitely given us something to think about.

A couple more quick questions - is the Montana room just the same room/facilities but in the main hotel, or are there other extras? Although I'd love to go for GF it's a lot more expensive then than even NPB, so I think that's probably out.

With regards to breakfast, when you arrive are you given a time slot for the whole stay, or is it done per day? If the former, does this cause real issues if you arrive and get a 9.30 slot but want to use EMH - is there any way to guarantee an early slot or to change it once it's been allocated?

The DLP website is currently showing the pool at SL to be open from DAecember 1st, so we might get lucky - if not it won't make a huge difference to me, but might be an issue for my husband. Think I'll have to make a list of pros and cons!

Thanks so much for the advice - hugely appreciated. Now off to think some more!

EDIT: Literally just re-checked and it's now showing pool as being closed from 1-22nd November. Doesn't sound like a particularly reliable source if it changes from one day to the next!

You're most welcome. Montana rooms in SL are a little bigger than a standard room and are located in the main building rather than one of the lodges. This means you are closer to the hotel's facilities (and more importantly) closer to breakfast. It also means you don't have to go outside the hotel for it which is nice, especially if it rains. The only exception to this is the swimming pool and facilities. The pool is in a lodge of its own opposite the Yellowstone Lodge. If you want a lake view, then you want a Montana room or better.

Regarding breakfast, honestly I couldn't tell you – this will be our first trip in over ten years and the first together. You used to be able to choose a timeslot for each day when you first booked breakfast. Maybe a kind forum user could better enlighten us on this however? From what I've heard, most people get the timeslots they want with little to no hassle.

*EDIT* Before posting, daddyof2 answered this question

Funnily enough, we made a PROs and CONs list when deciding on a hotel. We were looking at Cheyenne and Sequoia Lodge (and then later) Newport Bay Club. We then looked at the different rooms, facilities and people's experiences from breakfast, night time and impression of atmosphere.

Regarding the pool at SL, we were told that it was "ongoing" and at this time, no end date has been released. Off topic ever so slightly, there seems to be talk about a fair few attractions being shut down between November and January. These include (but are not limited to) BTM, Adventure Isle, Peter Pan, IASW, Star Tours and the Railroad. I'm eagerly looking for updates but every "official" source seems to vary on when the work is starting/ending.

[TappyFish]

While browsing the forum, I came across this. Might be of some use to you onceuponadream:
https://forum.dlpguide.com/index.php?topic=18419.0

[onceuponadream]

Thanks, both! TappyFish, we are aware that a few rides seem to be closed, but it's the only time that we can go this year, and we did go last October, so have resigned ourselves to miss out on a couple of faves if necessary.

Having said that the Golden Forest rooms were out of the question, I've just had a (very!) long discussion with my husband and we think we're going to go with one of those. He's v keen on the hot breakfast, and I'm not a big fan of overcrowding so it sounds better to be away from things a bit with a separate lounge (to be honest, something which really put me off NPB). Just about every review I read suggests going with this option, and for an extra £70 on top of what NPB would have been, it doesn't seem particularly unreasonable (or any more than the other prices, at least!).

Thanks so much for all your help - I've been going back and forth between hotels for the last few days and it's nice to actually be able to make a decision! Looks like we're booking this afternoon! 

[TappyFish]

Thanks, both! TappyFish, we are aware that a few rides seem to be closed, but it's the only time that we can go this year, and we did go last October, so have resigned ourselves to miss out on a couple of faves if necessary.

Having said that the Golden Forest rooms were out of the question, I've just had a (very!) long discussion with my husband and we think we're going to go with one of those. He's v keen on the hot breakfast, and I'm not a big fan of overcrowding so it sounds better to be away from things a bit with a separate lounge (to be honest, something which really put me off NPB). Just about every review I read suggests going with this option, and for an extra £70 on top of what NPB would have been, it doesn't seem particularly unreasonable (or any more than the other prices, at least!).

Thanks so much for all your help - I've been going back and forth between hotels for the last few days and it's nice to actually be able to make a decision! Looks like we're booking this afternoon! 

We have the same issue. November is the only time we can go, though it actually works out as it'll be my fiancee's 26th birthday on the second day of our trip. We're just going to have to accept that some of our favourites won't be available this time around. Just means we'll have to go again haha. I'd love to say "let's wait until the 25th Anniversary and go when everything is really nice" but I can't wait that long!

Glad you were both able to make a decision Have fun booking your trip - it's always one of the best bits!

[onceuponadream]

Booked! Golden Forest room at the Sequoia for 5 nights just before Christmas . Glad we finally came to a decision!

Still toying with idea of a Half-Board Meal Plan but will do some research first.

Thanks for helping us make up our minds!

P.S. We'll definitely be going back for the 25th Anniversary if I have any say in it...

[justlikeidreamedit]

If it helps you at all with half board plan. The parks will close earlier in the Winter so unless you are early eaters there will be less choice of places to dine at, with your meal plan vouchers, for evening meal. We enjoy the restaurants in Disney Village and that fills the evening after 7 by going to Rainforest Café or Ludwigs followed by a spot of retail therapy!!

[onceuponadream]

Ooh, good point actually - hadn't thought of that. We have a list of places we'd like to go (Walt's, Blue Lagoon, Bistro Chez Remy) but are pretty open as to other places. I'm assuming those will only be open for lunch though - will need to check things out nearer the time. I hadn't realised you couldn't trade vouchers for face value at Planet Hollywood and The Rainforest Cafe though, so that might change things a bit. I'm also not really such a pudding person so don't know if we'll end up paying for food I won't eat, hence why we've hesitated.

We made our booking on the French site and the half-board option works out at about £25/person rather than the £28 with the exchange rate as good as it is at the moment, which is why we were tempted, but then again if we'll have less choice in terms of restaurants, maybe we're better just waiting. Thanks for the heads up!

[TappyFish]

Booked! Golden Forest room at the Sequoia for 5 nights just before Christmas . Glad we finally came to a decision!

Still toying with idea of a Half-Board Meal Plan but will do some research first.

Thanks for helping us make up our minds!

P.S. We'll definitely be going back for the 25th Anniversary if I have any say in it...

Enjoy your holiday SL at Christmas - I'm not even slightly jealous

If it helps you at all with half board plan. The parks will close earlier in the Winter so unless you are early eaters there will be less choice of places to dine at, with your meal plan vouchers, for evening meal. We enjoy the restaurants in Disney Village and that fills the evening after 7 by going to Rainforest Café or Ludwigs followed by a spot of retail therapy!!

Some good advice there. I never thought about the parks closing earlier affecting food. Might have to look over our dining plans to be on the safe side now.

[Zee79]

You can use your half board vouchers in majority of the eating places & just have to pay the extra. We do this a lot & haven't found an issue when the park closes early. You could always use them in the hotels on an evening.