The Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Owners & Lovers Group - 2.0

[XMom]

I know the lady we purchased our contract from at the Disneyland location said there is a wait list for VGC. I would guess you could call DVC and just ask to be put on the wait list. She said it takes about 6 months.

Thanks so much!

 

[ACDSNY]

Where are you all purchasing your contracts from? We would like to add a small contract as we only have 100 pt's now and would like to be able to stay in a 1br for a long weekend every year.

This add on is direct from DVC. You can call your guide and be put on the waitlist. I've been watching the resale site for several months for a small add on in our Aug UY with no luck. By the time I'd check in the evenings the few that showed up were all sold.

 

[XMom]

This add on is direct from DVC. You can call your guide and be put on the waitlist. I've been watching the resale site for several months for a small add on in our Aug UY with no luck. By the time I'd check in the evenings the few that showed up were all sold.

Do you mind sharing how much they are currently charging per point?

 

[Breyean]

Do you mind sharing how much they are currently charging per point?

Direct from Disney - $165/point.

 

[Breyean]

We're owners at VGC and have stayed at studios and 1 bedrooms in the past. Thanks to Nonsuch's floor plans we've been able to get great views and the rooms we requested on most trips.

Now we're looking at bringing another family for a trip early next year so we'd need a 2 bedroom. Since we've never had a 2 bedroom before, and since for some reason the clickable floor plans in Nonsuch's signature aren't working for me right now, I have a couple of questions.

1. The differences between a dedicated and a lock off 2 bedroom, other than the extra entrance for the latter. Are there any within the rooms that would make one better for two families than the other?

2. Room requests. As I stated, we have our preferred studios and 1 bedrooms that we usually request. I can see giving MS a similar list of room numbers for a dedicated 2 bedroom, but how do you request a specific lock off, since there are really two rooms involved (studio and 1 bedroom)?

Again, we'll be traveling with another family with 4 kids, from 14 to 6 years old. Only other time we did this with them we had a GV at OKW but a GV at VGC is out of the question, so we're trying to get ideas which w/b the best alternative in a 2 bedroom.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[bigAWL]

We're owners at VGC and have stayed at studios and 1 bedrooms in the past. Thanks to Nonsuch's floor plans we've been able to get great views and the rooms we requested on most trips.

Now we're looking at bringing another family for a trip early next year so we'd need a 2 bedroom. Since we've never had a 2 bedroom before, and since for some reason the clickable floor plans in Nonsuch's signature aren't working for me right now, I have a couple of questions.

1. The differences between a dedicated and a lock off 2 bedroom, other than the extra entrance for the latter. Are there any within the rooms that would make one better for two families than the other?

2. Room requests. As I stated, we have our preferred studios and 1 bedrooms that we usually request. I can see giving MS a similar list of room numbers for a dedicated 2 bedroom, but how do you request a specific lock off, since there are really two rooms involved (studio and 1 bedroom)?

Again, we'll be traveling with another family with 4 kids, from 14 to 6 years old. Only other time we did this with them we had a GV at OKW but a GV at VGC is out of the question, so we're trying to get ideas which w/b the best alternative in a 2 bedroom.

Thanks for any advice.

In a lock-off 2BR, the Studio portion has a kitchenette area and a queen bed/ queen sofabed combination, whille the dedicated has two queen beds.

See this post for details: Room Layouts and Descriptions

 

[Breyean]

In a lock-off 2BR, the Studio portion has a kitchenette area and a queen bed/ queen sofabed combination, whille the dedicated has two queen beds.

See this post for details: Room Layouts and Descriptions

Thanks. Very helpful. Never saw those layouts before.

I figured there had to be a reason the dedicated 2 bedrooms always seem to be taken before the lock offs whenever I check the on line booking page.

 

[Chereya]

We were in room #4506 (Thank you Nonsuch for all of your uber helpful room info!!) and LOVED IT! This is a 2 bedroom dedicated unit and was 4th on my list of room number requests. I posted the balcony view pics on the other thread and here are my pics of the room. Forgot to take a good pic of the bedroom part of the master bedroom. We let my in-laws stay there and shared the 2nd bedroom with our kids. My BIL slept on the sofa bed and my older boys took turns sleeping with him or in the pull down bed in the TV cabinet.

Room #4506 Balcony View Pics

Kitchen


Living Room


3rd Bathroom off of the Kitchen


2nd Bedroom with 2 Queen Beds


Ensuite 2nd bathroom in 2nd bedroom


Master Shower & Sink


Master Jetted Tub & Sliding wood panels to bed side of the room

 

[Nonsuch]

...for some reason the clickable floor plans in Nonsuch's signature aren't working for me right now...

The links are fixed
The mobile app might not show my signature, so here are the links:

1-page 6-page

 

[ACDSNY]

Do you mind sharing how much they are currently charging per point?

We went on the waitlist prior to the last price increase so it was $130 per point.

 

[Breyean]

The links are fixed
The mobile app might not show my signature, so here are the links:

1-page 6-page

Thanks. Yep, they worked.

If we went with a lock off, how would I make my room request to MS since there are two room numbers (for the studio and for the 1 bedroom) associated with a 2 bedroom lock off? Which would I say I wanted?

 

[Nonsuch]

If we went with a lock off, how would I make my room request to MS since there are two room numbers (for the studio and for the 1 bedroom) associated with a 2 bedroom lock off? Which would I say I wanted?

You might try a list of "pairs":
6502/6504, 5502/5504...

Good luck with your request

 

[Breyean]

You might try a list of "pairs":
6502/6504, 5502/5504...

Good luck with your request

We'll give it a try. Still trying to decide if the lock off is better suited for us than a dedicated.

We've had great success in the past getting a room toward or at the top of our request list, so hopefully the trend will continue!

 

[Breyean]

I've been crunching some numbers, looking at our points and upcoming vacation plans into next year.

I can't believe it, but I guess it makes some sense after all, because we can swing a GV for 3 nights on an upcoming stay. It will probably be a once in a lifetime thing, since the main reason we can do it is because our resale contract we recently closed on was pretty loaded. So instead of our usual borrowing status, we have extra points!

So. On line booking show the dates we want are available for all room types, including the GV. It's still outside the 7 month window so that's good.

Question is - which GV should I request, if I have a choice? I THINK the one facing the park is HA while the one facing the pool is not. We don't need a HA room, and in fact, when we had one a few years ago (a 1 bedroom at OKW) we didn't like it as much as the other rooms.

If I'm correct, are there big differences between the HA GV and the other as far as the changes made to MAKE it HA?

For those of you who have stayed in GV at VGC, which would you pick and why?

I know this was a ramble, but the stars are aligning, what with the extra points available and another family of close friends being available for these dates, making a GV both doable and realistic (there will be 9 of us).

And if I have a choice, I'd like to be able to at least make the right request even though I know it's just that - a request.

 

[Nonsuch]

If I'm correct, are there big differences between the HA GV and the other as far as the changes made to MAKE it HA?

Handicap Accessible Grand Villa
The master bath has a separate room for the toilet and roll-in shower, but there is still a jacuzzi tub in the usual location.

For those of you who have stayed in GV at VGC, which would you pick and why?

The HA GV has an amazing park view, the best view in the entire hotel
This is the Disney version of a Rainman Suite

...I'd like to be able to at least make the right request even though I know it's just that - a request.

HA bookings are not a request, they are guaranteed

 

[leinalani]

We just dropped June 8th from our reservation for a studio, if anyone wants it. :0)

 

[hjgaus]

I've been crunching some numbers, looking at our points and upcoming vacation plans into next year.

I can't believe it, but I guess it makes some sense after all, because we can swing a GV for 3 nights on an upcoming stay. It will probably be a once in a lifetime thing, since the main reason we can do it is because our resale contract we recently closed on was pretty loaded. So instead of our usual borrowing status, we have extra points!

So. On line booking show the dates we want are available for all room types, including the GV. It's still outside the 7 month window so that's good.

Question is - which GV should I request, if I have a choice? I THINK the one facing the park is HA while the one facing the pool is not. We don't need a HA room, and in fact, when we had one a few years ago (a 1 bedroom at OKW) we didn't like it as much as the other rooms.

If I'm correct, are there big differences between the HA GV and the other as far as the changes made to MAKE it HA?

For those of you who have stayed in GV at VGC, which would you pick and why?

I know this was a ramble, but the stars are aligning, what with the extra points available and another family of close friends being available for these dates, making a GV both doable and realistic (there will be 9 of us).

And if I have a choice, I'd like to be able to at least make the right request even though I know it's just that - a request.

We have stayed in BOTH Grand Villas @ VGC and they are both great BUT if the view is the most important to you or your guests then try for the view!
The view side is HA and is not that big of a deal but I DID have to get use to the beautiful shower not being there in our master bathroom or that the kitchen is a bit smaller. All those things mean nothing when you get THE VIEW!!! the BEST IMO My guest were in TOTAL AWE when they stood at the front door & just dropped their bags when they saw the Mickey wheel all lit up at night!! The noise from the park is also not a big deal if you shut the sliding glass doors. Saw WOC 6 times and by that 6th time we just kept the door open to hear it but had a poker game going on at the large dining table! The pool side is nice and you get the view facing the cabanas so we got to see a private party for what I think may have been for Adam Sandler's kid! Not 100% sure but it was during the time of the last Pirates movie premiere! Either grand villa is fine but for obvious reasons the VIEW wins my vote!! I'm MAYBE thinking of having a double graduation party in the Grand villa for my kids in 2015 or for a Thanksgiving dinner! We are only 20 minutes away so bringing food HAS NOT been any problems for us or our guests! Whichever you choose should be AWESOME! ENJOY!!!

 

[hjgaus]

Sorry just looked at my message and noticed a little red mad face at the top left hand corner which I DID NOT ADD so please disregard that little red mad face in the corner.

 

[Breyean]

Sorry just looked at my message and noticed a little red mad face at the top left hand corner which I DID NOT ADD so please disregard that little red mad face in the corner.

We did in fact book the GV with the views. Thanks for your input. We're keeping the details a secret from our friends whom we are bringing so we're hoping for that exact reaction you described. They have 4 youngish kids and I know they will be floored when they see the views.

One question - does the GV have entrances on both floors?

 

[Nonsuch]

...One question - does the GV have entrances on both floors?

Yes.