$95.00 hotel booking fee-Does NOT apply to DLR hotels? Is this correct?

[justkeepswimmin]

Hi all,

I have some developer points I am considering using at DLR. I have heard there is not the $95 fee to use your points there like there is in Orlando. Is this correct? Will this change now that GCV are there and if so, when will the change take place? Sorry, we are total DVC newbies and trying to figure all this out is starting to make my head spin!

 

[kerickson]

Correct, currently the $95 fee is not charged for DLR bookings. We are pretty sure that you won't be able to book GCH rooms once the Villas are open (see a footnote on the current DLR Point Chart stating GCH bookings are only allowed through Dec 31, 2009)
Nothing has been announced regarding the $95 fee, though. Many hope they won't start charging the fee given there will be so few VGC units available.

 

[DebbieB]

I stayed at PP twice last year and GCH once on points and can confirm no fee. You are also not charged the resort fee, which I think is around $10 per day (includes self parking and free internet).

 

[justkeepswimmin]

Great! Thanks for this confirmation.

I hope they do not charge it in the future either as even though VGC will be our home resort, I have a feeling trips here will need to be planned well in advance (like the 11 month window) so if I want to use my points for a more spur of the moment trip, the other hotels would be a nice option. I am also very fond of the DLH and would like to stay there every once in a while and the point rate there seems very reasonable to me.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

The other difference with booking DL hotels is that you currently can book in the last 4 months of your UY. That isn't allowed at WDW. The thing of course is that all of this could change but I too am hopeful that they won't do that since GCV is the only DVC option on the west coast and if they limit PP and DH then people will head to the Candy Cane or Hojo's.

 

[nunzia]

I stayed at PP twice last year and GCH once on points and can confirm no fee. You are also not charged the resort fee, which I think is around $10 per day (includes self parking and free internet).

$13.80 per night. I called to see how much my room would cost (to help justify buying points I'm tracking what the same trip would cost to discover my break even point...yes, I know it is probably not the most mathematically correct way to do this, but it works for me)..and for three nights at the GCH concierge (Sun, Mon and Tues) the total with all taxes and resort fees would be $2,104.50. Nice start to breaking even I would say

 

[justkeepswimmin]

$13.80 per night. I called to see how much my room would cost (to help justify buying points I'm tracking what the same trip would cost to discover my break even point...yes, I know it is probably not the most mathematically correct way to do this, but it works for me)..and for three nights at the GCH concierge (Sun, Mon and Tues) the total with all taxes and resort fees would be $2,104.50. Nice start to breaking even I would say

Wow! You sound like me . I totally used the resort fee rate and the extremely high hotel tax of 14% in Anaheim to help my mathematical calculations that I presented to my dh. But, I seriously think this is a huge factor in making the price of the villas an even better deal than the Orlando properties. DLR has only 3 on site properties to begin with and NONE of them are even what I would call moderate and definitely not value priced. To me, anyone who prefers to stay on site at the DLR (and we do!) is well served by the villas even when you factor in "AP nights" as those "deals" are still subject to the very high room tax and resort fees. Thats why I still plan to stay at the DLH on points from time to time as I see it as a decent value compared to room rates.

 

[jerseygal]

Glad I already have a confirmation for Dev.Points this summer at Grand Californian Hotel!

Reading that GCV incentives are being offered and part of the incentive is a stay at Grand Californian Hotel...I think it will get harder and harder to stay there as the year progresses...I think I read that as of Dec.31st 09, DVC points will not be able to be used there.

Can't wait to try the GCH! First trip to California!