Buy into DVC, mainly for Disneyland visits?

[Meldev]

I understand that GC is sold out, so would it make any sense at all to buy into DVC, if our primary interest is visiting Disneyland Resort? Not that we wouldn't get going to Orlando at all, but every year or every other year we'd be heading to California. Is using points at the Disneyland resorts a good use of points?

TIA

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If you can find a suitable VGC contract via resale, that would be fine.

VGC is hard to get at 7 months. Resale points cannot be traded for other Disneyland properties (and direct points are a poor value to do so).

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Many people feel that onsite isn't as important at DL as WDW. If you're happy staying close by then no, VGC probably isn't going to be a great benefit. But if you like onsite then yes, it might be. You would need to be able to book in the home resort priority window though. Anything else won't work well at DL.

 

[bwvBound]

Buying DVC with use "only at DLR" is a tough use case.

• The only existing DVC resort at DLR, the Grand Cal, has relatively few units and high demand. As such, it is best to have 'home resort' advantage when booking. It isn't impossible to use other DVC points for Grand Cal reservations if you are willing to take larger units (often 1BR) for "just a few nights here and there." I live ~2 hours drive from DLR and book the Grand Cal using SSR points pretty frequently but am happy using the Waitlist, booking a stay of only 1 or 2 nights, booking a stay "whenever available" vs "specific dates," etc.
• If your DVC purchase is via resale, you won't be able to use the DVC points for the DLR hotel units. Your points will work at any DVC resort stay -- but not for Disney hotels.
• There are other timeshares nearby ... even within walking distance of the DLR park gates.
• There are a bevy of hotels nearby ... even within walking distance of the DLR park gates. How was your stay at Homewood Suites?

Unless you absolutely must have the Disney theming -- I'd suggest looking at other timeshare clubs that offer a nearby-DLR property along with locations in other areas that interest you and your family. Worldmark the Club works splendidly for us ... with two properties w/in walking distance to DLR theme parks, many near US and Canadian National Parks, many Pacific Coastal locations, solid desert locations, etc. Worldmark works well for us -- especially for DLR visits!

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

We've own at VGC and bought direct not long after it went up for sale (2008?). We just closed a few days ago on a VGC resale what will double our points there. We love VGC, and find it to be nicer than the GC hotel (which is the nicest property in the area). But to put it in perspective, it's the best four star in an area that doesn't have any five star hotels nearby. Pre-DVC our family of four was staying in two rooms at the Grand Californian so for us it made--and still makes--tons of sense. But if you are fine staying at different hotels or prefer more moderate accommodations, I don't see a reason to buy DVC for use at DLR. For us, given the accommodation costs we were paying (figure two rooms at $350-550+ EACH), 8-12 days a year and we paid for our VGC points pretty quickly. Now we book a one bedroom or two bedroom and it is so much better--love the kitchen, extra bathrooms, and Jacuzzi tub. We primarily use our points for DLR. In our 8+ years we've stayed a couple nights at WDW pre-cruises, but that's the only non-VGC use we've had. We bought more points because I've started doing the RunDisney half marathons, and our 160 points quickly evaporated

Here is my $.02:
--If you like to stay on-sight and/or usually stay at the Grand Californian hotel, it can make sense to buy VGC resale points (they are not currently available direct).
--I wouldn't buy other DVC resale points to use primarily at VGC. It's very hard to get rooms at VGC 7 months out unless you don't care when you go as PP mentioned. My friend who owns BLT but uses her points at VGC was pretty successful for years but has been completely shut out on reservations the past couple years. Her BLT points are direct so she uses them at the Disneyland hotels even though they aren't the best usage. The "buy where you want to stay" really comes into play at VGC--probably more than anywhere else.
--Using direct points to stay at Disney properties is not a good use of points especially at today's prices.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Meldev]

Thanks everyone I appreciate this input.
We enjoyed our visit to the Homewood, it was a bit of a walk to DLR, but we preferred to walk rather than wait for the bus. As a family of 6 we always require 2 hotel rooms or suites when we travel. Often times at WDW we get two connecting rooms at a moderate. Looking at 2 bedroom prices at the GC, it wouldn't take long for points (resale to VGC) to pay for themselves so to speak. We often travel in the fall: October, November, early December...
Not that the Homewood wasn't wonderful we truly enjoyed the family suite; however, we would likely only stay 3-4 days and do what we did last time and leave for more of a luxury property on the beach. It would be nice to have villa accommodations (with a washer and dryer) during our theme park visit.
Much to consider here - thanks for the input! There's a nice direct DVC offer with the 100 points to use at SSR which could help if my DD competes again next year at WDW... but if buying Poly wouldn't help get us into VGC very much it's not worth it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I agree. Don't buy a WDW DVC resort (or an offsite resort) if your plan is to mainly book the Grand Californian Villas. You will be disappointed.

 

[Shellyred8]

I agree with the other posters: don't buy non-VGC points to use mostly at VGC. It's very hard to get in at the 7 month window. And with the travel dates you listed, it's even harder. Those are popular times at Disney.
By some weird stroke of luck, we were able to get in at VGC for 4 nights in early November. I must've been in there right at the time that someone else released those dates, because they weren't there just a few days earlier and their wasn't anything else available after I got them.