Grand Californian/DL advice needed

[NoleFan]

Hi,

We are considering a trip to DL. We are from Florida and it is a long plane ride & the 1st plane ride for my special needs son. We have the airfare on reward points, already have park tickets, and was able to book 3 nights with DVC points at the Grand Californian. I haven't done much research yet. We love WDW & normally stay at BC or BW. Is it worth the long plane trip to Cali? Does the Grand Californian have a community hall? Any advice/tips appreciated.

 

[hakepb]

A stay in GCV will make you wonder why BC and BWV are so far from any parks
I can't recall a community hall

In general, I think any Disney fan should experience both parks. Hopefully you can do a little more Cali sight-seeing. (Or at least visit In-N-Out )

This is a great, general guide for DL provided by Hydroguy
http://www.disboards.com/threads/a-dlr-guide-for-wdw-vets.1162599/

 

[NoleFan]

A stay in GCV will make you wonder why BC and BWV are so far from any parks
I can't recall a community hall

In general, I think any Disney fan should experience both parks. Hopefully you can do a little more Cali sight-seeing. (Or at least visit In-N-Out )

This is a great, general guide for DL provided by Hydroguy
http://www.disboards.com/threads/a-dlr-guide-for-wdw-vets.1162599/

Thanks so much. Super helpful.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

No community hall. DVC is a very tiny portion of DL.

 

[quinnc19]

We went last year for a once in a lifetime trip and are returning this year

 

[czmom]

We also went "just once". And now it's our preferred park

VGC is superb! And nothing beats the convenience- no buses, boats, or cars. You will love it!

 

[NoleFan]

Thanks all. We are super excited.

 

[bumbershoot]

But just three nights?

(Hydroguy's primer is great but last times I checked there are some very outdated parts.)

 

[disneymath]

VGC is awesome ... we've only been out to DL once, but one of our favourite memories is going back to VGC one afternoon to swim. After a bit, we put on coverups, used the VGC park entrance to re-enter DCA, rode Grizzly River Run (very close to VGC entrance), got soaked, and then went back to swim at VGC. I can't recall if we had FPs or not, but we were gone from the VGc pool area for maybe 30 mins.

The compactness of the DL resort, compared to WDW, makes it so easy to pop back to your room for a mid-day break or walk to an offsite eatery for a change of pace.

 

[NoleFan]

But just three nights?

(Hydroguy's primer is great but last times I checked there are some very outdated parts.)

We were able to pick up a 4th night so will will have 3 full days & 2 travel days.

 

[AshleeH]

We stayed at Grand Californian on our Disneyland trip - we were not DVC owners at the time, but we stayed in a 2 bedroom DTD view. It was a gorgeous room, very close proximity to the front gates, very peaceful - I would stay there again in a heartbeat. The DTD view was nice - and you could see portions of the parks. We drove across the country and spent the whole week in Anaheim and it was such a relaxing resort to be in after that travel time. Out of all the resorts we've stayed in, it beats them all for proximity to the theme parks. For comfort/looks - it rivals any we've stayed in at WDW.

 

[Lauren in NC]

I don't know the age of your son or his needs, but the VGC has worked out great for us with my SN 3yo (autism). Some random things off the top of my head - they have a TV in the lobby that shows old cartoons with a row of little chairs in front of it, great place to stop and zone out for my little guy; easy access to get back to the hotel room; park hopping is super simple, so if we're in DL and it's getting too busy for him, we can easily park hop back to DCA for a break. Feel free to PM me if your son's needs are similar and you have any questions.

 

[Supplanter]

Disneyland is the best, we go there all the time, like literally once a week to get dinner and go on a couple rides and often for full day visits too. Just understand everything here is more relaxed and you'll have a blast... There are only a couple things you need to get fast passes for early- radiator springs racers is usually gone by 11am and space mountain around 3pm. For everything else just wander the parks and enjoy. If you have any questions just ask, id be happy to help out

 

[DebbieB]

I love DL! I've stayed at VGC 4 times, each time booked at exactly 7 months. Will be going next year.

 

[Baklava]

I love DL! I've stayed at VGC 4 times, each time booked at exactly 7 months. Will be going next year.

Can I ask what time of year you book? I'm having a little trouble getting dates, and we're here in CA and flexible, in fact we prefer off-season. Any tips you can offer would be great!

 

[DebbieB]

Can I ask what time of year you book? I'm having a little trouble getting dates, and we're here in CA and flexible, in fact we prefer off-season. Any tips you can offer would be great!

I've booked studios in early May (2011) and late September (2012).

I booked 1 bedrooms twice in August, the Sunday through Wednesday nights before the D23 Expo in 2013 & 2015. Studios were taken.

 

[Baklava]

I've booked studios in early May (2011) and late September (2012).

I booked 1 bedrooms twice in August, the Sunday through Wednesday nights before the D23 Expo in 2013 & 2015. Studios were taken.

Thank you. May and September are both good travel times for us and we're looking for a 1 bed room. This helps!