GCV full - what are my chances?

[dsquarednz]

Hi all! Haven't posted in a while because we thought a Disney vacation wasn't in the cards for this year. Found a good deal on flights, though, so we are headed to see family in MD for a while, then back to LA before heading back home.

Since we have to go through LA anyway, we decided to spend a few days at Disneyland. Called today, and all the studios and one bedrooms are booked for the GCV (we're going Aug 23-27).

Has anyone been on the wait list and had luck getting a room? I guess if all else fails, we can stay at the Disneyland Hotel...(But we'd rather stay at the GCV!) Just wondering what our chances are, since we're just about a month away already!

 

[bumbershoot]

Not really an answer, but you could also stay at PPH. Bigger rooms than DLH, right across the street from the Grand (so you walk through their lobby each day on the way to DCA or DL)....

Good luck with the wait list if you go that route.

 

[Quilter007]

We had the same issue -- didn't know exactly when we would be here -- so couldn't make the reservation. Wait list didn't come through. So, we got a reservation @ PPH, but by the time I made it, only the park view was available, which was more points (grr!) Checked in today. The park view was a great move! We are on the 11th floor and we have a fabulous of World of Color -- just saved ourselves the price of the dining package! Saw it 3 times tonight -- the sound is piped into the room. Kids didn't have to wait 2 hours in line, we didn't have to mess with the fast pass thing -- they can dance around in the room, etc. We had dinner downstairs -- was fabulous! Kids can't wait to try the pool tomorrow -- they can't believe it's on the roof (3rd floor). The staff has bent over backwards to make us feel welcome. They brought up rice krispy treats tonight. It's a little thing, but my kids love those -- and they were free. So I'm thinking that the next time I need a studio, I just might stay here instead of VGC, because the Grand Cal just doesn't make that big of deal over us. Oh, and we've got reservations for the Mickey breakfast on Monday am, which is downstairs. The breakfast at Storytellers is good, but the characters are weird. The restaurant downstairs here is really good, less expensive than Storytellers and definitely less crowded. The kids also loved the glass elevator, the beach theme, etc....right in the middle of the dinner -- we got a "this is the best day of my life" out of DS6. And we didn't even go to the park today! I was nervous about PPH. I've always felt like it was the ugly stepsister of Disney's hotels, but I think I might finally have discovered the best kept Disney secret.....

 

[Longhairbear]

We love PPH. We always used our points there before the villas opened.

 

[DebbieB]

I love the park view at PPH, it should be even better now with WoC.

This was December 2008:

 

[CADisneyMom]

That was my view too when I stayed at PPH. I've tried 2x now to get into GCV (my home resort) but was unable to get in. I stayed at PPH and my daughter stayed at DLH, she loved DLH. I love the fact that you can go on the roof of PPH and see the fireworks and the music is piped in, I didn't know that they pipe in the music to your room for WoC, but this could be an option for me when I try and go down there in August. Does anyone know if they do this also at GCV if you have a park view? Or is there somewhere you can go to watch it in the hotel.

 

[biolabetty]

We also couldn't get GCV and did PP, which I also enjoy. However, I also learned that if I made reservations at PP, I could not transfer those points over to GCV if a room became available since they are different categories. I hadn't realized that when I made the PP reservations, but we were still happy there.

 

[DebbieB]

We also couldn't get GCV and did PP, which I also enjoy. However, I also learned that if I made reservations at PP, I could not transfer those points over to GCV if a room became available since they are different categories. I hadn't realized that when I made the PP reservations, but we were still happy there.

When you book PP, your points become reservation points because it's not a DVC hotel. Once points become reservation points, they cannot be brought back to a DVC resort. They also cannot be banked.

 

[biolabetty]

When you book PP, your points become reservation points because it's not a DVC hotel. Once points become reservation points, they cannot be brought back to a DVC resort. They also cannot be banked.

Yep, that's what I learned. Now I know not to do that anymore.

 

[dcfromva]

I love the fact that you can go on the roof of PPH and see the fireworks and the music is piped in, I didn't know that they pipe in the music to your room for WoC, but this could be an option for me when I try and go down there in August. Does anyone know if they do this also at GCV if you have a park view? Or is there somewhere you can go to watch it in the hotel.

Yes--they have a fireworks channel and a WOC channel (and a bedtime story channel) at the VGC

 

[CADisneyMom]

Yes--they have a fireworks channel and a WOC channel (and a bedtime story channel) at the VGC

That is so cool because then if I'm not feeling well, or if I'm tired, then I can just watch it on TV instead. I know it's not the same as being there but it will do. LOL