Thanks for all your responses!
We'll be flying in from Hawaii - so my first step is to decide if I want to come in at 5:30 am after an overnight flight or arrive at LAX at 10:30 pm which souds like I wouldn't get to my hotel until after midnight. So that's the 1st decision. Do you make advance reservations for the airport shuttle?
On the way home I am going to fly Southwest, so is it easier to fly out of the Orange County airport? If so is there a shuttle from the hotels to that airport?
I really do want to stay at the DLH. I am going to wait until the rates come out for next year to defiantely decide - but it is only for 3 nights so what the hay!!
At WDW I never consider off-property b/c I want the "whole" Disney experience, but from what I read the off-property hotels at DLR are just as good. We'll have to see what the $ difference is. I just don't want to stay at a "yucky" place!
Mousesavers seems to recommend the Howard Johnson's, so I'll have to look into that too.
I'm really looking forward to being able to walk everywhere - that sounds great! We'll only have 2 full days there.
Thanks again for the help and I'm sure I'll have many more questions b/f April
!