Newbie trying to figure it all out - VGC??

[Epcot Forever Forever]

At least coming from LAX with a family for Disney you can take the HOV lanes. It’s that first hour to go the 4 miles to leave LAX that adds so much time

A couple more years and they tell me LAX will be much faster to leave.

 

[nalabear]

If you and others don't mind sharing, which part out west are you from? My husband grew up in Southern California, mostly Orange county. And when I lived out there, we were in the city of Orange.

SoCal - San Diego - Carmel Valley

 

[CarolynFH]

At least coming from LAX with a family for Disney you can take the HOV lanes. It’s that first hour to go the 4 miles to leave LAX that adds so much time

A couple more years and they tell me LAX will be much faster to leave.

Can you take the HOV lanes with a party of 2? Anticipating a DL visit next year, would prefer to fly into SNA but will probably be stuck with LAX, and I’m already dreading the drive!

 

[Epcot Forever Forever]

Can you take the HOV lanes with a party of 2? Anticipating a DL visit next year, would prefer to fly into SNA but will probably be stuck with LAX, and I’m already dreading the drive!

Most of them yes, but there are a few 3 person minimum scattered about, so if you wander about, pay attention. I don’t think there’s any 3s on any of the conventional ways you’d go from LAX to DLR.

Waze I think is the only mapping app that uses HOV lanes and so it’s important that if you use HOV lanes you use Waze and enable HOV in settings; the exits from the HOV lanes are often in different spots from the conventional lanes and you can’t always get from one to the other; the HOV lane is often a separate, parallel roadway altogether.

 

[CarolynFH]

Most of them yes, but there are a few 3 person minimum scattered about, so if you wander about, pay attention. I don’t think there’s any 3s on any of the conventional ways you’d go from LAX to DLR.

Waze I think is the only mapping app that uses HOV lanes and so it’s important that if you use HOV lanes you use Waze and enable HOV in settings; the exits from the HOV lanes are often in different spots from the conventional lanes and you can’t always get from one to the other; the HOV lane is often a separate, parallel roadway altogether.

Thanks - hopefully we won’t have to drive it ourselves (BTDT) but if so I’ll open up my trusty Waze app. Google Maps usually routes us onto and off of the combination tolled/HOV Express Lanes in the DFW area, but it sounds like Waze is more dependable in LA.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Our deed showed up on the recorder's website yesterday. Woohoo!! Only a few more steps to go!

Before school this morning, our son was watching a youtube video of Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. He also has been watching a lot of other ride videos this past week - Pirates, Haunted Mansion, etc. We're holding strong on our next Disneyland trip being our road trip in June 2024. But...a shorter WDW trip in January isn't totally off the table yet. Ha!

 

[CarolynFH]

Our deed showed up on the recorder's website yesterday. Woohoo!! Only a few more steps to go!

Before school this morning, our son was watching a youtube video of Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. He also has been watching a lot of other ride videos this past week - Pirates, Haunted Mansion, etc. We're holding strong on our next Disneyland trip being our road trip in June 2024. But...a shorter WDW trip in January isn't totally off the table yet. Ha!

You shouldn’t have trouble finding studio or 1BR availability “somewhere” at WDW in January. We have some nights booked at BWV that we hope to modify into one of the DLR DVC resorts that month, and I would be surprised to find that we’re the only ones with such plans. I can’t wait until June!

 

[ClaraOswald]

I was hoping to wait and see what direct flight options Southwest has for January and then go from there. Not sure what month they will release late January flights though. Looks like next month they are only releasing through early January so I'm guessing I'll have to wait until maybe July for that. And not sure what kind of studio availability at WDW will exist by then.

I did the math and I'm also still not sure if we'll want to spend that amount for an extra vacation or not. I do plan to gradually start buying Disney gift cards with our new Target card to get the 5% off. And then it will be like our food will be pre-paid.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Back in February when I started my research, I used the DVC chat feature to ask if they had any VGC direct or about a waiting list. The guy I spoke to told me no then told me about VDH. I gave him my email address and asked him a few other questions but that was pretty much it.

I just got a phone call from him. He started to tell me about how VDH will be available for new members soon and he's going to send me the prices. I let him know we decided to purchase the Grand Californian resale instead at this time. That ended the call pretty quickly. Ha! He was very nice though.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I was hoping to wait and see what direct flight options Southwest has for January and then go from there. Not sure what month they will release late January flights though. Looks like next month they are only releasing through early January so I'm guessing I'll have to wait until maybe July for that. And not sure what kind of studio availability at WDW will exist by then.

I did the math and I'm also still not sure if we'll want to spend that amount for an extra vacation or not. I do plan to gradually start buying Disney gift cards with our new Target card to get the 5% off. And then it will be like our food will be pre-paid.

I would book the room you might want when the 7m window opens up in June and you can always cancel if the flights don’t line up. With your June UY I don’t believe that you are in danger of a banking window closing.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I would book the room you might want when the 7m window opens up in June and you can always cancel if the flights don’t line up. With your June UY I don’t believe that you are in danger of a banking window closing.

Yeah, I might do that. If we decide to cancel, can I then bank those points into 2024? (Not those 25 that have already been banked though, obviously.) Because we'll need 2024 points for our June 2024 VGC trip as well as a January 2025 WDW trip.

My husband's top choice for WDW would be Boulder Ridge. Then Beach Club. We know the chance of those at 7 months are slim to none. We need to decide if our 3rd choice is Boardwalk or SSR.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Yeah, I might do that. If we decide to cancel, can I then bank those points into 2024? (Not those 25 that have already been banked though, obviously.) Because we'll need 2024 points for our June 2024 VGC trip as well as a January 2025 WDW trip.

My husband's top choice for WDW would be Boulder Ridge. Then Beach Club. We know the chance of those at 7 months are slim to none. We need to decide if our 3rd choice is Boardwalk or SSR.

You can always book a little early and try to walk the reservation as well if one of your preferred options is there.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Is that complicated for a first timer? How far in advance do people usually do that? A couple days? A week? We're looking at late January if that makes a difference.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Knowing my husband, wherever we end up, he'll probably fall in love and want to buy points. So I kind of wish we'd end up at SSR just because it's cheapest. Ha!

 

[ClaraOswald]

I have access to the DVC site so I immediately searched January dates (can't book it yet, obviously) and studios are pretty much gone at most places. I told my husband that if we ever want to stay at BR, we'd need to rent points or get a contract for there.

So if we do decide to go in January, it would be SSR....if that's even available!

 

[Sandisw]

I have access to the DVC site so I immediately searched January dates (can't book it yet, obviously) and studios are pretty much gone at most places. I told my husband that if we ever want to stay at BR, we'd need to rent points or get a contract for there.

So if we do decide to go in January, it would be SSR....if that's even available!

Up until marathon weekend, and then around MLK day, those do go pretty fast.

But things can and do change, so keep trying!

A friend and I just decided a week ago to do a quick 2 njght trip in June to celebrate end of the school year for her.

Of course, the only thing I could get in a studio was SSR. which was fine because we haven’t decided if we will do Epcot one day.

Well, over the course of the week, I was able to switch to BLT, then BwV, and just yesterday snagged both nights at RIV!!! My favorite!!

Now, I checked several times a day, but it’s why I love we have an online system now.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I have access to the DVC site so I immediately searched January dates (can't book it yet, obviously) and studios are pretty much gone at most places. I told my husband that if we ever want to stay at BR, we'd need to rent points or get a contract for there.

So if we do decide to go in January, it would be SSR....if that's even available!

Animal Kingdom, Old Key West, and Saratoga should have some rooms. They all have their charms.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I think the bus rides from AK Lodge seem so long to the parks, though I do like the look of those resorts. As it is, we have no idea how our son will do with the bus system. We like to take breaks in the afternoon and I'm already worried it will be a massive hassle.

I've never looked at OKW much. But I do like what I've seen of SSR. I'll have to check out OKW to see what I think of that.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Dumb question...when I search dates on the DVC site, I just click the actual nights I want...not the check-in/check-out date like on a regular hotel site?

 

[HIRyeDVC]

Dumb question...when I search dates on the DVC site, I just click the actual nights I want...not the check-in/check-out date like on a regular hotel site?

its Usually from check in to check out initially. But sometimes when you’re trying to edit the days, it’s the actual nights only. I know. It’s confusing. Typical Disney IT. But it’s not so bad. You just gotta play with it for a bit to get used to the system.