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

[Fellowship9798]

Can you turn in your eticket in during hotel check-in for the regular one instead of waiting for the turnstiles?

Yes you can. I've done it a few times before.

 

[czmom]

How is the wifi at VGC? I just realized my 11 month window will open for BLT while I am staying at VGC. This will be my first booking as a member, so is the wifi dependable enough to book online? Or would it be easier for me to go to the DVC office there? Or just call MS?

Thank you!

 

[Nonsuch]

How is the wifi at VGC? I just realized my 11 month window will open for BLT while I am staying at VGC. This will be my first booking as a member, so is the wifi dependable enough to book online?

WiFi in the villas works fine. The hotel (except the rooms built with VGC) have older WiFi hardware and have more problems.

I stay in both the hotel and villas, and bring along my own WiFi router (Airport Express) just in case -- all rooms have hardwire ethernet.

 

[carissa1970]

How is the wifi at VGC? I just realized my 11 month window will open for BLT while I am staying at VGC. This will be my first booking as a member, so is the wifi dependable enough to book online? Or would it be easier for me to go to the DVC office there? Or just call MS?

Thank you!

We stayed in a studio just last week and all three of us on the Internet each night. It works wonderfully! Our 11 month at Aulani opens up while we are on our DCL cruise. I am trying to figure out how to handle that with no Internet!!

 

[kerickson]

Hi! Just wondering if my fellow DVC owners can shed some light. I want to have my hubby take the kiddos to Build-A-Bear during their special private event for hotel guests. I'm wondering if our DVC discount (20% according to the Portable Perks) will apply at that time? If anyone has done this, please let me know. Any experiences with this perk would also help. Thank you!

We used this perk a few years ago and it was great! I think there was only one or two other families with us, such a more relaxed Build A Bear experience! I'm sure the DVC discount works then, but it was a few years ago so I can't remember exactly.
I've enjoyed all the guest perks we've participated in,especially the power walk through DCA in the am. Looking forward to doing this in a few weeks now that Cars Land is open, if I can get up early enough!

 

[leinalani]

We used this perk a few years ago and it was great! I think there was only one or two other families with us, such a more relaxed Build A Bear experience! I'm sure the DVC discount works then, but it was a few years ago so I can't remember exactly.
I've enjoyed all the guest perks we've participated in,especially the power walk through DCA in the am. Looking forward to doing this in a few weeks now that Cars Land is open, if I can get up early enough!

Awesome, thank you!

 

[leinalani]

Hi! One more question: if we're checking in on Sunday for a full week, will housekeeping come on Wednesday or Thursday?

Thanks!

 

[Checkers]

Hi! One more question: if we're checking in on Sunday for a full week, will housekeeping come on Wednesday or Thursday?

Thanks!

Trash & Towel service will be on Wed. (4th day).

 

[leinalani]

Trash & Towel service will be on Wed. (4th day).

Awesome, thank you!

 

[czmom]

WiFi in the villas works fine. The hotel (except the rooms built with VGC) have older WiFi hardware and have more problems.

I stay in both the hotel and villas, and bring along my own WiFi router (Airport Express) just in case -- all rooms have hardwire ethernet.

Great to know!

 

[czmom]

We stayed in a studio just last week and all three of us on the Internet each night. It works wonderfully! Our 11 month at Aulani opens up while we are on our DCL cruise. I am trying to figure out how to handle that with no Internet!!

Awesome! Thanks.

That's a tough one on the cruise! But what a great problem to have. I can't wait to check out Aulani one day. Hopefully we can get in at the 7 month mark sometime!

 

[PoohsFan1]

Just wanted to give a huge Thank you to everyone on this board especially Nonsuch for helping my family get the best view at VGC. We just returned last night and really enjoyed the resort. We were staying in a studio in room 6504 with a WOC view. It was awesome. Every morning and night we would sit out on our balcony watching Screamin, Mickey's Fun Wheel, Goofy's Sky School, Jumpin Jelly Fish, and the Swings, then of course WOC. We loved listening to the sounds of the park too. We had never had such a view before and again we are really thankful for everyones help here. You all helped make our once in a lifetime trip so magical . Once I get my photos onto our computer I will post our balcony view.

 

[SplashMom]

We just returned from two incredible weeks at Aulani! We had no trouble booking at the 7 month mark. We booked one week and then called daily to add a day until we had two weeks (in a studio).

We are now thinking about VGC for next March...I'll read through this thread but anyone have any major tips??

 

[mdsd8700]

We were staying in a studio in room 6504 with a WOC view. It was awesome.

Hi PoohsFan1, seems as though we were literally neighbors for a couple of days anyway. We were in the 1 bedroom next to you 6502. We left on June 7th. Agree that the view is amazing Our first DVC stay ever was at VGC with a nearly the same view, but on the 5th floor. Since then VGC has been my favorite DVC room for the view (and the room set up). So glad to hear that you enjoyed your DLR trip. We simply love it there and already talking about our return in the summer of 2015.

 

[mdsd8700]

We just returned from two incredible weeks at Aulani! We had no trouble booking at the 7 month mark. We booked one week and then called daily to add a day until we had two weeks (in a studio).

We are now thinking about VGC for next March...I'll read through this thread but anyone have any major tips??

VGC is probably the most difficult DVC to get into. It is very small, only 50 rooms. So the best advice is book the second the on-line system opens. We have been lucky to be able to twice book there but have done so exactly as 7 months. We simply love it there!

 

[Cinderpamela]

We just returned from two incredible weeks at Aulani! We had no trouble booking at the 7 month mark. We booked one week and then called daily to add a day until we had two weeks (in a studio).

We are now thinking about VGC for next March...I'll read through this thread but anyone have any major tips??

I will echo the advice that mdsd8700 gave. We were lucky enough to snag a one bedroom over last Thanksgiving weekend for 4 nights right at the 7 month window.

Some tips for booking:
-I was online about 15 minutes before the 8 am EST opening (which was 5 am here in the PST zone!) and queu'd up the site so that I was ready to hit the book button right when the clock struck 8 am est.

-I also read the tip here to just book it for one person to begin with. That way you don't waste any time entering all the names in your party. Then just call MS later and add all the other people to the reservation by phone once you have it. This worked well for me because right after I booked I went back and looked and many of the nights were already showing full.

-I had the site opened in firefox as well as IE just in case one didn't work I could jump to the other but it wound up working fine so didn't need this.

-also... studios are the hardest to get so maybe have some flexibilty there if you can.

 

[PoohsFan1]

Hi PoohsFan1, seems as though we were literally neighbors for a couple of days anyway. We were in the 1 bedroom next to you 6502. We left on June 7th. Agree that the view is amazing Our first DVC stay ever was at VGC with a nearly the same view, but on the 5th floor. Since then VGC has been my favorite DVC room for the view (and the room set up). So glad to hear that you enjoyed your DLR trip. We simply love it there and already talking about our return in the summer of 2015.

How cool, too bad we didn't know you guys were so close. Talk about a small world . Our trip was really great and we all loved the closeness that DLR is compared to WDW. The only negative that we had about the trip was that we were there during a few Grad Nights....lets just say we won't be going during that time again . For the most part the teens were just typical teens that we could overlook, but then there were a couple of times that we had to either wait awhile while getting on a ride because security were escorting obnoxious teens out (Space Mountain) or had to be walked off the Autopia ride because there were a few teens that literally were ramming the cars back and forth into each other and then jumped the track and cracked the axle (DH and older DD witnessed it all). Not to mention that while dining at Blue Bayou, we had to put up with obnoxious teens yelling, standing up and screaming from POTC Other then those few incidences, we had a great time.

 

[mdsd8700]

How cool, too bad we didn't know you guys were so close. Talk about a small world . Our trip was really great and we all loved the closeness that DLR is compared to WDW. The only negative that we had about the trip was that we were there during a few Grad Nights....lets just say we won't be going during that time again . For the most part the teens were just typical teens that we could overlook, but then there were a couple of times that we had to either wait awhile while getting on a ride because security were escorting obnoxious teens out (Space Mountain) or had to be walked off the Autopia ride because there were a few teens that literally were ramming the cars back and forth into each other and then jumped the track and cracked the axle (DH and older DD witnessed it all). Not to mention that while dining at Blue Bayou, we had to put up with obnoxious teens yelling, standing up and screaming from POTC Other then those few incidences, we had a great time.

It definitely would have been neat if we had known we were neighbors. I know it is a small resort, but still it really is amazing and we are even both from Illinois!

I have read a lot of bad reports of the Grad Nights this year. They were going on when we were there as well however the only time we experienced it was on Thursday the night before we left. We did Fantasmic that evening and our kids (16 and 19) meet us at our spot. They left the room at VGC at 8:20 and it took them nearly 30 minutes to make it over to us. They were actually patted down upon entry. A Disney first for them to say the least. They made mention of the craziness in the entry lines as well as down Mainstreet. They were quite surprised by some of the antics. It sounds like some of what you saw was really out of line. I'm glad that it didn't color your view of DLR.

 

[mdsd8700]

Some tips for booking:
-I was online about 15 minutes before the 8 am EST opening (which was 5 am here in the PST zone!) and queu'd up the site so that I was ready to hit the book button right when the clock struck 8 am est.

-I also read the tip here to just book it for one person to begin with. That way you don't waste any time entering all the names in your party. Then just call MS later and add all the other people to the reservation by phone once you have it. This worked well for me because right after I booked I went back and looked and many of the nights were already showing full.

-I had the site opened in firefox as well as IE just in case one didn't work I could jump to the other but it wound up working fine so didn't need this.

-also... studios are the hardest to get so maybe have some flexibilty there if you can.

Excellent tips. I follow most of these as well even when I am not booking at a hard resort or popular time.

 

[Breyean]

I will echo the advice that mdsd8700 gave. We were lucky enough to snag a one bedroom over last Thanksgiving weekend for 4 nights right at the 7 month window.

Some tips for booking:
-I was online about 15 minutes before the 8 am EST opening (which was 5 am here in the PST zone!) and queu'd up the site so that I was ready to hit the book button right when the clock struck 8 am est.

-I also read the tip here to just book it for one person to begin with. That way you don't waste any time entering all the names in your party. Then just call MS later and add all the other people to the reservation by phone once you have it. This worked well for me because right after I booked I went back and looked and many of the nights were already showing full.

-I had the site opened in firefox as well as IE just in case one didn't work I could jump to the other but it wound up working fine so didn't need this.

-also... studios are the hardest to get so maybe have some flexibilty there if you can.

This is not true.

Once you select the nights and you go into the next screen which says this:

Warning: Your Session Will Time Out in 20 Minutes*

*Although we will hold your offer for up to a total of 60 minutes, your booking session will end after 20 minutes of inactivity. If your session expires due to inactivity, then we will release your offer at that time so that other members may have an opportunity to book. This is the only warning you will receive regarding your offer expiration. Please also note that if you start a new search, the offer you are currently holding will be released. Only one room may be held per Membership at a time. Availability is continuously updated and subject to change.

If you NOTHING except let the screen sit idle, you get 20 minutes to decide.

If you are actively booking the details, like contracts or points to use, and then the names of the guests, you get 60 minutes.

I'm a VERY bad typist and I've been able to type in all 9 guests' names, addresses and phone numbers w/o any issue while doing on line booking.

Now, calling might save some typing on your part, and if you're going to call to make a room request anyway you could just have MS do this as well, but timing out the session should not be an issue.