I have never stayed at the Desert Inn, but stayed at the Park Vue Inn in summer '94 (when it was an Econo Lodge) and again in 2005. I would probably stay there again if I was on a "tight budget" trip and couldn't find anything else available.
The service from the staff wasn't bad, either time, but the room we were in in '05 seemed like it was falling apart. The beds were hard as rocks, the sink faucet ran (didn't drip . . . it trickled water) all the time and the water came out of the bathtub faucet a ind of rust color. The pool looked kind of funky that trip too.
We didn't mind the breakfast area and really enjoy watching the park fireworks from the deck.
We've got it on the list of "If we can't get _____" hotels for our trip next summer, but our plan as of right now is tat if we can't do the Disneyland Hotel again, we will get a room with the rest of my family at the Carousel Inn a couple of doors down from the Park Vue.
