Grand Californian Booking Tips???

[bks9581]

We are planning our first trip to Disneyland next year and our 7 month booking window opens in a few days. I have been watching the booking for Grand Californian (studio) and it seems right at 8am, there is no more availability. Are that many people able to book it before it even gets to 8:01am? I'm getting nervous that we aren't going to be able to book it at all.

Does anyone have any tips on how I can better my odds? TIA!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The "availability" you see in advance may be a single unit. VGC is extremely small and it is hard to get studios at 7 months. 1BRs are more common at that window.

 

[marx]

I just mentioned in another thread yesterday that the hardest reservation at 7 months (with availability showing in the Resort Availability Tool) for me was at the Grand Californian. The way I did it was by walking the reservation. I saw that Studios were available from mid August on, and I was looking for specific dates in late August. I started trying to book a room about a week before I actually wanted it. Four days and no dice. Others always snatched the available rooms before me. But on the fifth day I finally lucked out. I then walked the reservation until I got my desired dates.

 

[bks9581]

Thank you for your replies. Sounds like this is going to come down to luck!

 

[DisBuckMan]

I booked a 6 night stay for a studio at VGC at the 7 month mark 2 days ago. My first time attempting to book at VGC, and i was a bit apprehensive, knowing how difficult they are to get. I had been watching availability for studios go poof by a couple of minutes after 7 (I'm on CDT) for several days prior. It actually went right through on my first try.

My best advice is to just be signed in online on a computer, ready to snag it as soon as your cell phone's time hits 8am eastern time.

Walking a reservation at 7 months is far from foolproof. Anyone with home booking privileges at VGC can snag the back end days from you before you can get them.

 

[bks9581]

I booked a 6 night stay for a studio at VGC at the 7 month mark 2 days ago. My first time attempting to book at VGC, and i was a bit apprehensive, knowing how difficult they are to get. I had been watching availability for studios go poof by a couple of minutes after 7 (I'm on CDT) for several days prior. It actually went right through on my first try.

My best advice is to just be signed in online on a computer, ready to snag it as soon as your cell phone's time hits 8am eastern time.

Walking a reservation at 7 months is far from foolproof. Anyone with home booking privileges at VGC can snag the back end days from you before you can get them.

So I guess I should be mad at you for stealing the days I need!

I'm hoping for some of that beginners luck too! This morning when I looked, the 18th was gone an hour before online booking opened!

 

[DisBuckMan]

So I guess I should be mad at you for stealing the days I need!

I'm hoping for some of that beginners luck too! This morning when I looked, the 18th was gone an hour before online booking opened!

The 18th disappeared yesterday, at 7 months and a day.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

So I guess I should be mad at you for stealing the days I need!

I'm hoping for some of that beginners luck too! This morning when I looked, the 18th was gone an hour before online booking opened!

It wasn't I who took the 18th but with my VGC points I have been known to book a trip just a day before the 7 month booking window opens.

 

[Orsino]

Here is my advice:
(1) Be flexible on your dates. If you need a certain date, then you need more luck. I was able to get a 5 night stay at GCV by not being too focused on a particular day. I wanted to check in on a Sunday, but I lost out that morning. The next day I tried for a Monday check-in and got it.
(2) Practice the online interface. I don't remember the details exactly any more, but you should go in and figure out precisely at what step the online-booking interface locks a room for you (I think there is a timer or something). It is NOT when search results are presented. When your search results come up IMMEDIATELY click to reserve. If you need to know where to click, you should have tested that days before. Do not wait, do not read the page, just click. If you messed something up and the reservation is not correct, you've already lost. CLICK right away, THEN check to see if you messed something up. If you have everything right, then Yay, the room if be yours. If you messed up, then sorry, but proofing your search would not have helped you anyway.

If you spend too much time on the search results, by the time you click... poof, room is already taken. That's what happened to me when I tried for my Sunday Check-in. So for Monday I clicked right away and got what I wanted.

It also does not hurt to have a fast internet connection. I had my VPN on the first time I tried. That was a silly mistake.

I was fully prepared to try again for a Tuesday check-in.

 

[CaliAdventurer]

I tried for February and wasn’t open to any room type and 5 mins before 5am there was avail and by the exact moment of 5am it was gone. I got up 3 nights ina row to play this game and said forget it. But then if o had wanted April, that was avail for 7 mos plus a few days so it just depends. Of course as things would have it, I want WDW for April!

 

[bks9581]

I just got my reservation! I was super bummed this morning when the site was down, but maybe it worked in my favor since I was reloading it every minute all morning

I'm ecstatic and just hope they didn't screw something up with all the site troubles! I have a confirmation number so I assume I'm good to go..

Now to start researching Disneyland - I have no idea how anything works there compared to Disney World.

 

[marx]

I just got my reservation! I was super bummed this morning when the site was down, but maybe it worked in my favor since I was reloading it every minute all morning

I'm ecstatic and just hope they didn't screw something up with all the site troubles! I have a confirmation number so I assume I'm good to go..

Now to start researching Disneyland - I have no idea how anything works there compared to Disney World.

Congratulations!

As to where to start planning your DL trip look here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/a-dlr-guide-for-wdw-vets.1162599/

 

[bks9581]

Congratulations!

As to where to start planning your DL trip look here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/a-dlr-guide-for-wdw-vets.1162599/

Thanks for this link! I had looked at the info thread on the Disneyland forum but there's so much info, it's overwhelming. This thread seems like it will be very helpful for me!