Booking 7 month out at GCV

[Soarin Fan]

DH and I recently bought into DVC and are thinking about taking a trip to Disneyland. I have a few questions regarding this and need some help/advice.

1. What would be a good time to visit? We can go anytime but prefer September or possibly May. Are those good times to go?

2. How hard is it going to be to book a studio at 7 months out? Would a 1br be easier to book? It really doesn't matter which we stay in I was thinking of cheaper points.

We really would love to see Disneyland and stay at GCV but is this something that is possible or not?

 

[MODBL]

We just booked GCV at 7 months for July of this year. So it is definitely possible. We booked a 1-BR, didn't even check if a studio is available. I have three kids 5 and under so the extra room is a must for us!

I'm sure other people have more experience and can chime in too! Good luck.

 

[tjkraz]

It's hard to give any concrete advice because VGC is so small and relatively new. There have been a fair number of reports of success at 7 months, but it's hard to put those into any real context. Any one caller who successfully got a room right at 7 months could have gotten the last room.

Generally speaking, I don't think May or September are particularly busy. Studios do tend to book up sooner than One Bedroom villas so a 1B would be a good backup plan.

Best thing you can do is pick your dates and call right at 7 months. If you have a range of dates you would consider, call and try to get the first available dates and then switch to something more ideal as that booking window opens. In other words, if you're open to arriving on Sept 10 but would prefer to arrive on Sept 25, book the Sept 10 trip first and then switch as the new booking date arrives.

I assume you're looking toward at least 2012. CarsLand is supposed to be open by the summer. If you plan for May, you run the risk of just missing CarsLand. Of course, September could be that much harder to book if CarsLand succeeds in drawing more guests. And the Haunted Mansion closes around September for its Halloween conversion so you'll want to check those dates if HM is a must-do.

DL is a great place to visit and I would encourage any WDW fan to give it a shot. One of WDW's biggest blessings can also be one of its biggest curses: size. At Disneyland you don't have to deal with bus trips, boat trips or exceedingly long walks. Everything is very compact.

One of our favorite things to do is grab a FastPass at California Adventure then go back to the Grand Californian to relax by the pool. When the FP time arrives, we slip on some shoes and duck into the park via the private entrance. There's just nothing at WDW to compare to that easy park access.

 

[utahkennedys]

We bought at GCV because there are so few rooms and the on-site hotels are getting more and more expensive. We knew we'd need the 11 month advantage there as opposed to for WDW where there are more resorts. I would say if you can be flexible on dates and room size, as with any DVC, you have a good shot at 7 months. I am too much of a planner to risk it!

 

[Snurk71]

Not in relation to whether VGC rooms might be available, but we've loved our early May trips (3 or 4 of them). Weather has been great and crowds aren't too bad (other than Mother's Day).

 

[DebbieB]

I got a studio for the first week of May at 7 months for this year.

 

[Soarin Fan]

Thank you everyone for your responses. I think we are going to try and book at 7 months. Now we just have to figure out which month, but are leaning towards September 2012. I'm already planning next years vacation and haven't even taken our Disney vacation this year. I love planning about as much as I love Disney.

 

[JaneSparrow]

We joined last October and booked our first DVC stay last month. It was a 1BR since we like the space and we have friends joining us on some days. So we got a room way beyond the 7 month mark.

I just asked what days in February they have a 1BR available. I did observe though that you have to book on the spot since the room may not be available the next time you call which in our case was just a few hours.
I love the proximity and I love the non-existence of wait lines. I am so surprised that we just walked straight to It's Tough To Be A Bug and the seats are mostly vacant - this is after lunch time. Love, love, love it!

 

[honeymo78]

We too got a 1 bedroom for the first week of May with no problem at 7 months.

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

We got two studio reservations for September at the 7 month window (we are stopping by on our way to and from Aulani).

I called immediately at the 9:00AM EST at exactly the 7 month window.

 

[GetGlowing]

I have the same general questions, but we aren't owners and would be renting points. We've rented points before for a WDW stay. Would renting at Grand Californian be any different?

 

[Lexxiefern]

Very glad to read of the success booking at the 7 month window. We too are planning to go Sept 2012 (hopefully on the way to Aulani!). I would prefer a 1 bedroom but will book a studio if that is all that is left.