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

[Nonsuch]

Originally Posted by aroundtheriverbend

...Turns out that despite my submitting my requests through the online tool and getting a confirmation, they were not on the record at all. I would suggest anyone who submits that way double check...

What "online tool" you are referring to?

I have had good results emailing request to member services.

[mdsd8700]

Originally Posted by PoohsFan1

I'm interested in this myself....my 7 month mark will be coming up in about 2 weeks. We are more interested in a 1-bedroom but we will take a Studio if it is available and a 1-bedroom is not. We will be going the first week of June.

Same for us. Prefer 1 bedroom but will take a studio. Looking for 5 days in early June. I checked last night around this time and there was a week available for both a studio and 1 bedroom that included the Memorial Holiday weekend. Haven't checked today. Hopefully the availbility will stay good. Definately a good idea to get on-line and do it ASAP as soon as the window opens.

We were able to stay at VGC 2 years ago on points. We had stayed at the hotel portion before but somehow the DVC was even better. We have been in love with the villas ever since!!

Good luck getting your reservation!

[jerseygal]

Thanks for your replies!

If we decide to go ahead, I will be sure to do it at exactly the 7 mo mark first thing in the morning!

[Garthilk]

Some quick feedback I experienced during my visit 10/19 regarding the two bedroom dedicated unit #6500.

The public viewing patio adjacent the room is accessible via one very loud metal door that slams shut every time someone accesses the patio. If you're in the bedroom adjacent that door, be prepared to be woken up if you happen to have put your kids down, or gone to sleep early yourself. It's extraordinarily loud for the rooms having such relatively good sound proofing.

I can't hear anyone entering or existing their rooms on the opposite side, but the door to the patio you will hear every single person who uses it.

[PoohsFan1]

Originally Posted by bigAWL

From what I've seen, the studios tend to book the fastest. 1BRs are next. Of course, the actual dates of your trip will be the biggest factor in whether or not there's availability for you. My guess is that for the most days during the end of May or beginning of June you will find a 1BR at the 7-month mark. But I'm not sure what effect Memorial Day weekend will have if those days are during your trip (or if there are any other events going on).

We are looking at a 6 night stay from 6/6 to 6/12. Your words are very encouraging, however I will still be planning on getting up bright and early on my 7 month mark waiting for MS to open . Just wondering, have you booked via online booking through MS or do you call, if you have done both, which do you prefer better?

Originally Posted by sechelt

PoohsFan1, we're past the 7 month mark for most of May yet 1 bdrms are still available. First week of June might be more in demand but should be far enough past Memorial Day. Not too many people stay more than a week.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my dates will still be opened. I have been watching the 1-bedrooms for the last week and it seems like there is availability, I even saw availability for a studio for a check in date of today for 6 nights, before when I checked there were only a few dates out of the week that were available. Like I mentioned before I am more interested in a 1-bedroom over a studio but I will take whatever I can get.

Originally Posted by mdsd8700

Same for us. Prefer 1 bedroom but will take a studio. Looking for 5 days in early June. I checked last night around this time and there was a week available for both a studio and 1 bedroom that included the Memorial Holiday weekend. Haven't checked today. Hopefully the availbility will stay good. Definately a good idea to get on-line and do it ASAP as soon as the window opens.

We were able to stay at VGC 2 years ago on points. We had stayed at the hotel portion before but somehow the DVC was even better. We have been in love with the villas ever since!!

Good luck getting your reservation!

Good luck to you too, depending on your dates, we may be there at the same time .

[Nonsuch]

Originally Posted by Garthilk

Some quick feedback I experienced during my visit 10/19 regarding the two bedroom dedicated unit #6500.

The public viewing patio adjacent the room is accessible via one very loud metal door that slams shut every time someone accesses the patio. If you're in the bedroom adjacent that door, be prepared to be woken up if you happen to have put your kids down, or gone to sleep early yourself. It's extraordinarily loud for the rooms having such relatively good sound proofing.

I can't hear anyone entering or existing their rooms on the opposite side, but the door to the patio you will hear every single person who uses it.

Thanks for the information

There are 2 doors leading to the viewing patio. The headboard of a queen bed in the 2 bedroom villa is on the other side of the wall of the glass door in the background of the photo

I suspect the glass door creates the noise, but whatever the cause I would avoid 6500 (although I have yet to book a 2 bedroom). Of course, I would be in the king bed on the other side of the villa

(sorry about the blurry picture)

[aroundtheriverbend]

Originally Posted by Nonsuch

What "online tool" you are referring to?

I have had good results emailing request to member services.

It's where you can click to contact Member Services, you submit it from the web page. Next time, I'll try email.

[bigAWL]

Originally Posted by PoohsFan1

We are looking at a 6 night stay from 6/6 to 6/12. Your words are very encouraging, however I will still be planning on getting up bright and early on my 7 month mark waiting for MS to open . Just wondering, have you booked via online booking through MS or do you call, if you have done both, which do you prefer better

I used to call MS in the past, but since they starting the online booking, it's the only one I've used. I prefer it because if you are checking different options for your stay (different nights, different size rooms, different resorts), you can more quickly compare those options yourself online than you can talking to a MS operator over the phone. This is probably more pronounced when booking a WDW DVC than it is in Disneyland with only one DVC option. But the other advantage of doing it online, is that your 7-month window opens at 8am online, while the MS phone line doesn't open until 9am (eastern time, I mean).

If you've never booked online, I suggest playing with the online interface a bit before trying it out of the morning of you 7-month window. Get comfortable with navigating the options and making changes. This link shows the search function that helps you find the availability you are looking for.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread....g#post43784601

After you select the exact room and dates you want, there are four steps to completing the booking:

1. Selecting the contract points you want to use, including borrowing points from a future UY in necessary.
2. Entering guest information (name, ages of children, addresses, etc) for each guest in the room.
3. Reviewing the booking details.
4. Getting a confirmation of the booking.

I believe on the page for the final confirmation, you still have an option to "undo" the booking, and put all your points back where they were. But once you navigate away from that page the booking is set, and any changes will need to be made through MS on the phone, and cancellations are subject to the regular cancellation policies.

[Nonsuch]

Originally Posted by aroundtheriverbend

It's where you can click to contact Member Services, you submit it from the web page. Next time, I'll try email.

The email request will result in an immediate automatic reply, followed by a confirmation. Confirmations were taking several days a year ago, but recently I have received confirmations in a few hours

[PoohsFan1]

Originally Posted by bigAWL

I used to call MS in the past, but since they starting the online booking, it's the only one I've used. I prefer it because if you are checking different options for your stay (different nights, different size rooms, different resorts), you can more quickly compare those options yourself online than you can talking to a MS operator over the phone. This is probably more pronounced when booking a WDW DVC than it is in Disneyland with only one DVC option. But the other advantage of doing it online, is that your 7-month window opens at 8am online, while the MS phone line doesn't open until 9am (eastern time, I mean).

If you've never booked online, I suggest playing with the online interface a bit before trying it out of the morning of you 7-month window. Get comfortable with navigating the options and making changes. This link shows the search function that helps you find the availability you are looking for.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread....g#post43784601

After you select the exact room and dates you want, there are four steps to completing the booking:

1. Selecting the contract points you want to use, including borrowing points from a future UY in necessary.
2. Entering guest information (name, ages of children, addresses, etc) for each guest in the room.
3. Reviewing the booking details.
4. Getting a confirmation of the booking.

I believe on the page for the final confirmation, you still have an option to "undo" the booking, and put all your points back where they were. But once you navigate away from that page the booking is set, and any changes will need to be made through MS on the phone, and cancellations are subject to the regular cancellation policies.

Thank you so much for the great information. I haven't done online booking yet, but planned on doing so this time around. My main question was when I do online booking, I was going to have to borrow into next years points, and I wasn't sure if I was allowed to do it then or if I had to call. Thank you for setting my mind at ease and telling me what to expect when doing it .

[Nonsuch]

Another thread has noted that new thermostats are being installed, that automatically shut of the air conditioning.
In some cases while guests are still in the room

I have not encountered one of these thermostats, but a solution was posted:

Originally Posted by Sgtfox

Hold the temp down button and the system power button simultaneously. "BP" will display on the screen. The motion sensor requirement is now bypassed for 24 hours. Enjoy!

[dcfromva]

Originally Posted by Nonsuch

These are the amenities found in the "master" bath of a 1 bedroom villa in October 2012:

The bottles contain: Sea Salt Body Wash, Sea Salt Hydrating Body Lotion, Refreshing Mouthwash, Sea Marine Collagen Conditioner, Sea Marine Revitalizing Shampoo.

Oh no! They got rid of the Spa H2O peppermint body wash? I am so sad. That was my favorite.

[Susie63]

What kind of bedding is used in the Villas? Are they duvets or quilts?

[cpster]

Woohoo...just got my waitlist to add on a 5th night to our first stay in February as DVC members...can't wait! Have stayed on the hotel side before, but the microwave will be a nice addition as we have two little ones.

[jockotaco]

I am sure this is posted somewhere but I am looking for 2 bedroom villa suggestions. Would like park/ world of color views.