Girlstar30
Indirectly Direct 🌴
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2025
- Messages
- 5,907
Before I became a DVC member, I decided to rent points to stay at the Polynesian. Lo and behold, we became members and no longer needed the rental, but ofc we were stuck with it! Being locals, we just decided to make things easy and use it at a resort that we are blocked out of and make it a birthday weekend!
As many of you probably know already, ive been interested in direct but wasn't too crazy about Riviera after staying there. This trip to vdh was really going to seal the deal on how much these restricted resorts really mean to me right now!
We arrived at VDH bright and early. I got a text message saying that our room was ready at 7:30 am!!! Major score! Finding the parking lot was quite a challenge. The GPS took us somewhere entirely different and I found that finding the parking and finding the dvc building was confusing at first, combined with asking a passing cm how to get there and him mumbling "i dont know." Alas, we found our way!
Our second encounter was from the bellman, complaining about how heavy our luggage was, that he has a bad back, and "joking" that hes not trained to handle such heavy things. I was irritated and told him we would do it ourselves. I was having Vero beach flashbacks all over again. I think the bellman have a very important job. They are often the first point of contact and set the tone for the trip.
Our first stop was breakfast at Trader Sam's. The food fell flat for us and our server was super awkward. Im talking he would tell jokes, but his face was so serious when telling them, I didnt know if he was joking or not
The coconut macadamia pancakes almost had a sour taste to it and my wife thought that pulled pork in a breakfast sandwich was an odd combination.
We had an issue getting into the room, but this was not DVC's fault. The rental put my best friend as the lead guest and not me and she wasnt there yet. I just noticed this two days before and I emailed them and received no response. I really hate being a renter and having no control over my reservation. This being another reason on the list. The very minor issues ended there, we got our keys and were off to our new adventure!
We got a Sleeping Beauty studio with the worst view ive ever had in my dvc history Yes, worse than my pool and bush bwv room This was expected, however. I dont even know what contraption outside the view was of, but the curtains could definetely stay closed
The studio felt big and was very nice and new. We loved the light up castle in back of the bed and the sleeping beauty murphy bed. We also loved the long counter under the tv and the bathroom. I love me a good rain shower as well as bench seating. This was a studio we wouldnt mind staying at for our local trips and I mind staying at studios, so that says a lot! We preferred this room over the studio at vgc. The little kitchenette with the dishwasher was also a huge plus and the fact that they had actual plates, mugs, utensils and amenities that the one bedrooms usually have was fabulous.
This hotel has such a fun and colorful vibe! I felt happy like I did when I stayed at Boardwalk. We happened to go downstairs as soon as a member update was beginning. They lured me in with the reindeer Pluto I told my wife, "Why do they have these presentations, who would just walk in there after half an hour and buy on the spot if they weren't planning to before?"
I appreciated that the update was fast and ended when they said it would. It ended with what I call the Disney Vacation Cult "Welcome Home" Song and video. I tried not to laugh and roll my eyes as the guide presenting it started tearing up and sobbing in the middle of it and then I found myself tearing up with her towards the end as well I got my Pluto and some magic band sliders and we were free!
We were about to head to the parks after using the restroom for the Disneyland 70th anniversary tour inside the park that I had booked. I thought it would be something fun to do and different and it certainly was! Our tour guide was excellent, I learned some fun disney facts i never knew, and it came with a bright and special popcorn mix made just for tour participants, lightning lane, pin, and reserved viewing for Wondrous Journeys, which is one of my favorite firework shows! Unfortunately it was too windy to see it, but seeing the projections was still very entertaining!
The monorail was down because some guests got stuck for hours the day before so we assumed it would be down the whole trip and it was. That walk back to the hotel seems LONG at the end of the day. Im the type that doesnt mind walking through nature (I love my Poly and AKV walks) but an outdoor shopping center is not my jam. I trudged along and looked enviously at vgc as we passed
We decided to order room service and it was delicious. Every single cast member we encountered at the Villas was phenomenal. I was impressed by the service, kindness and attentiveness. Many wished me a happy birthday along the way. One bent over backwards trying to find me nail polish
The next day our friends came and we had a really, really fun pool day. One of the best, really. The monorail slide was so fun and my new favorite! Another thing i liked better than vgc. Its hard not to compare the two Cali resorts! I just loved the laid back vibe of this pool and resort and so did everyone else. Our friends were impressed that cast members were walking by seeing how we were doing and even giving us complimentary snacks. More family and friends came to have lunch with us at the Palm Breeze Bar and my niece had a blast splashing around in the Steamboat Willie Splashpad! The adults enjoyed the large Jacuzzi and we appreciated that everything was heated and enjoyable!
The Palm Breeze bar was giving all of the ladies free refills of our Strawberry lemonades that day just because and we didnt even tell the CM's it was my birthday and they brought us out two free complimentary desserts for my birthday! They must have seen my button and gifts! And im not talking about the usual small afterthought dessert. These were the beignets and the molten chocolate cake that were on the menu! The whole table got to share and my family and friends were so impressed by this resort and the amazing day we had. I felt very proud to be a member that day and so happy that Disney gave us these memories we will never forget!
I was smiling on our way to the room when I saw the guide that gave the presentation earlier. She started chatting with me and I was telling her about our positive stay and that we were very interested in being direct, but our guide told us we needed to wait for our one year anniversary to sign on the dotted line to get the more favorable financing rate we wanted.
This guide quickly sprang into action She asked for my phone number, looked me up, and told me that she could ask her regional manager if we could get the process started two months early so I could add on to my February use year, get the 2025 points so I can do magical beginnings and still have access to two years of points, beat the price raise, lock in the lower financing, straddle the incentive in case the next one was better, and have the points right after signing. I was stunned. Was this actually happening? This was not on my bingo card to happen on this trip and so quickly.
I told her to call me and let me know what he says. I felt a little guilty like I was betraying my Florida guide who had just wished me a happy birthday But all is fair in love and DVC and this lady was HUSTLING and i appreciated that. She was giving me some offers no one else had and ones that I was finding very hard to refuse!
I got a phone call some minutes later from her that it was approved early as long as we gave a 20% down payment. I told her while we love VDH and plan to come many times, VDH's ToT was a huge turnoff for me especially because the mf are already high and since we like staying in one bedrooms, I just felt like it was a lot to ask to fork over hundreds after the stay as a home resort. If this wasnt the case, I just might have gone with this resort! I told her our heart was with Polynesian and that was going to be our direct purchase. My wife was in the background giving me her approval to buy Poly and the official decision word was given. The last words from our guide before she hung up was "Congratulations and happy birthday!" I was in a state of shock. Talk about best birthday EVER!" I really couldnt sleep that night!
The rest of our stay I was on cloud 9. We enjoyed the Broken Spell Lounge and another delicious Room service breakfast! I did notice they had an almost identical menu for every dining place (Palm breeze, broken spell, and room service had many of the same food items) and that was a turn off to me. It felt a bit lazy not to have some different menus, but luckily many things were something we would want to eat again!
The Disneyland hotel has that classic nostalgia that only the original location can. The Villas at Disneyland hotel is a vibrant and happy edition in the sea of blue that is the Disneyland hotel its a great addition for DVC! We plan to spend many summers here, hopefully in one bedrooms and garden views!
I will miss the soft carpets, comfy robes, and those amazing beds that we slept so well in! But not for long!!! We're big blue now baby!!
And for those following me on my "How should I split up Poly thread" we split it up 100/50. After some research and consulting with my DVC fairy Godmother (she knows who she is) , we came to the conclusion that those fifty pointers are a hot ticket for future proofing in case the need arises. I have to laugh at what I told my wife before we walked into that update, "Who actually walks out of here and buys a contract."
I would say this was an overall very successful trip, of course! We're already talking about booking our Welcome Home Stay here for the summer and now I can say those famous words when we book with those beautiful unrestricted points, "I'm going to Disneyland!"
As many of you probably know already, ive been interested in direct but wasn't too crazy about Riviera after staying there. This trip to vdh was really going to seal the deal on how much these restricted resorts really mean to me right now!
We arrived at VDH bright and early. I got a text message saying that our room was ready at 7:30 am!!! Major score! Finding the parking lot was quite a challenge. The GPS took us somewhere entirely different and I found that finding the parking and finding the dvc building was confusing at first, combined with asking a passing cm how to get there and him mumbling "i dont know." Alas, we found our way!
Our second encounter was from the bellman, complaining about how heavy our luggage was, that he has a bad back, and "joking" that hes not trained to handle such heavy things. I was irritated and told him we would do it ourselves. I was having Vero beach flashbacks all over again. I think the bellman have a very important job. They are often the first point of contact and set the tone for the trip.
Our first stop was breakfast at Trader Sam's. The food fell flat for us and our server was super awkward. Im talking he would tell jokes, but his face was so serious when telling them, I didnt know if he was joking or not
The coconut macadamia pancakes almost had a sour taste to it and my wife thought that pulled pork in a breakfast sandwich was an odd combination. We had an issue getting into the room, but this was not DVC's fault. The rental put my best friend as the lead guest and not me and she wasnt there yet. I just noticed this two days before and I emailed them and received no response. I really hate being a renter and having no control over my reservation. This being another reason on the list. The very minor issues ended there, we got our keys and were off to our new adventure!
We got a Sleeping Beauty studio with the worst view ive ever had in my dvc history
Yes, worse than my pool and bush bwv room This was expected, however. I dont even know what contraption outside the view was of, but the curtains could definetely stay closed The studio felt big and was very nice and new. We loved the light up castle in back of the bed and the sleeping beauty murphy bed. We also loved the long counter under the tv and the bathroom. I love me a good rain shower as well as bench seating. This was a studio we wouldnt mind staying at for our local trips and I mind staying at studios, so that says a lot! We preferred this room over the studio at vgc. The little kitchenette with the dishwasher was also a huge plus and the fact that they had actual plates, mugs, utensils and amenities that the one bedrooms usually have was fabulous.
This hotel has such a fun and colorful vibe! I felt happy like I did when I stayed at Boardwalk. We happened to go downstairs as soon as a member update was beginning. They lured me in with the reindeer Pluto
I told my wife, "Why do they have these presentations, who would just walk in there after half an hour and buy on the spot if they weren't planning to before?"I appreciated that the update was fast and ended when they said it would. It ended with what I call the Disney Vacation Cult "Welcome Home" Song and video. I tried not to laugh and roll my eyes as the guide presenting it started tearing up and sobbing in the middle of it and then I found myself tearing up with her towards the end as well
I got my Pluto and some magic band sliders and we were free! We were about to head to the parks after using the restroom for the Disneyland 70th anniversary tour inside the park that I had booked. I thought it would be something fun to do and different and it certainly was! Our tour guide was excellent, I learned some fun disney facts i never knew, and it came with a bright and special popcorn mix made just for tour participants, lightning lane, pin, and reserved viewing for Wondrous Journeys, which is one of my favorite firework shows! Unfortunately it was too windy to see it, but seeing the projections was still very entertaining!
The monorail was down because some guests got stuck for hours the day before so we assumed it would be down the whole trip and it was. That walk back to the hotel seems LONG at the end of the day. Im the type that doesnt mind walking through nature (I love my Poly and AKV walks) but an outdoor shopping center is not my jam. I trudged along and looked enviously at vgc as we passed
We decided to order room service and it was delicious. Every single cast member we encountered at the Villas was phenomenal. I was impressed by the service, kindness and attentiveness. Many wished me a happy birthday along the way. One bent over backwards trying to find me nail polish
The next day our friends came and we had a really, really fun pool day. One of the best, really. The monorail slide was so fun and my new favorite! Another thing i liked better than vgc. Its hard not to compare the two Cali resorts! I just loved the laid back vibe of this pool and resort and so did everyone else. Our friends were impressed that cast members were walking by seeing how we were doing and even giving us complimentary snacks. More family and friends came to have lunch with us at the Palm Breeze Bar and my niece had a blast splashing around in the Steamboat Willie Splashpad! The adults enjoyed the large Jacuzzi and we appreciated that everything was heated and enjoyable!
The Palm Breeze bar was giving all of the ladies free refills of our Strawberry lemonades that day just because and we didnt even tell the CM's it was my birthday and they brought us out two free complimentary desserts for my birthday! They must have seen my button and gifts! And im not talking about the usual small afterthought dessert. These were the beignets and the molten chocolate cake that were on the menu! The whole table got to share and my family and friends were so impressed by this resort and the amazing day we had. I felt very proud to be a member that day and so happy that Disney gave us these memories we will never forget!
I was smiling on our way to the room when I saw the guide that gave the presentation earlier. She started chatting with me and I was telling her about our positive stay and that we were very interested in being direct, but our guide told us we needed to wait for our one year anniversary to sign on the dotted line to get the more favorable financing rate we wanted.
This guide quickly sprang into action
She asked for my phone number, looked me up, and told me that she could ask her regional manager if we could get the process started two months early so I could add on to my February use year, get the 2025 points so I can do magical beginnings and still have access to two years of points, beat the price raise, lock in the lower financing, straddle the incentive in case the next one was better, and have the points right after signing. I was stunned. Was this actually happening? This was not on my bingo card to happen on this trip and so quickly.I told her to call me and let me know what he says. I felt a little guilty like I was betraying my Florida guide who had just wished me a happy birthday
But all is fair in love and DVC and this lady was HUSTLING and i appreciated that. She was giving me some offers no one else had and ones that I was finding very hard to refuse! I got a phone call some minutes later from her that it was approved early as long as we gave a 20% down payment. I told her while we love VDH and plan to come many times, VDH's ToT was a huge turnoff for me especially because the mf are already high and since we like staying in one bedrooms, I just felt like it was a lot to ask to fork over hundreds after the stay as a home resort. If this wasnt the case, I just might have gone with this resort! I told her our heart was with Polynesian and that was going to be our direct purchase. My wife was in the background giving me her approval to buy Poly and the official decision word was given. The last words from our guide before she hung up was "Congratulations and happy birthday!" I was in a state of shock. Talk about best birthday EVER!" I really couldnt sleep that night!
The rest of our stay I was on cloud 9. We enjoyed the Broken Spell Lounge and another delicious Room service breakfast! I did notice they had an almost identical menu for every dining place (Palm breeze, broken spell, and room service had many of the same food items) and that was a turn off to me. It felt a bit lazy not to have some different menus, but luckily many things were something we would want to eat again!
The Disneyland hotel has that classic nostalgia that only the original location can. The Villas at Disneyland hotel is a vibrant and happy edition in the sea of blue that is the Disneyland hotel its a great addition for DVC! We plan to spend many summers here, hopefully in one bedrooms and garden views!
I will miss the soft carpets, comfy robes, and those amazing beds that we slept so well in! But not for long!!! We're big blue now baby!!
And for those following me on my "How should I split up Poly thread" we split it up 100/50. After some research and consulting with my DVC fairy Godmother (she knows who she is
) , we came to the conclusion that those fifty pointers are a hot ticket for future proofing in case the need arises. I have to laugh at what I told my wife before we walked into that update, "Who actually walks out of here and buys a contract." I would say this was an overall very successful trip, of course! We're already talking about booking our Welcome Home Stay here for the summer and now I can say those famous words when we book with those beautiful unrestricted points, "I'm going to Disneyland!"
We stayed at VDH last summer and loved it as well - so happy becoming a direct member happened in such a magical way!! 
