Planning for Grand Californian

[bnlbebes]

Here's the dilemma...

DW, DS, and I are planning on purchasing a small interest in GCV when they become available, just enough to go for 4-5 nights every 3 years. We don't have a lot of expendable cash, so we need to be creative moneywise to afford such a thing. We own 150 pts. at BWV which we use or rent successfully year after year. We own 52 points at HH, which we have never used to go to HH in the 8 years we have owned there. We like having the HH points as extra in case we need to reserve something at the 7 month window, or in case we'd like to take a driving trip to SC one summer.

The dillemma...

Should we sell our HH points in preparation for our GCV purchase? Is anyone else planning on selling other DVC points to make room for one of the new DVC ventures?

 

[wdw4life]

I sold my SSR add-on in anticipation of buying GCV points. In fact, it just closed Monday. Once GCV opens I won't be spending as much time at WDW and did not need those extra points. I also want the 11 month window at GCV because I think it will be dificult for non-owners to book at and I'd rather not take the chance of not getting the dates I want.

 

[ACDSNY]

We've been on the fence about selling some of our SSR points to purchase GCV. My guess is we'll add-on first then decide to sell if we seem to have extra points. My extended family seem to keep up in a constant state of borrowing points.

 

[nunzia]

We won't sell anything, in fact we bough in to DVC to be able to do GCV as an add on. That said, we are planning on using the OKW points in 2010 to go to WDW for the first time since 1993 to see what the hullaballoo is about since on our previous trip no one was too impressed. I hope we like it this time

 

[eva]

We won't sell anything, in fact we bough in to DVC to be able to do GCV as an add on. That said, we are planning on using the OKW points in 2010 to go to WDW for the first time since 1993 to see what the hullaballoo is about since on our previous trip no one was too impressed. I hope we like it this time

I'm not sure why you bought OKW. If you aren't too impressed with WDW, why did you buy there? If you wanted GCV, why didn't you wait until they went on sale there? I've never seen a resort sell out before it was opened to the public. This resort is going to be tough to get at the 7-month window. And buying an add-on isn't going to help you use the OKW points there.

 

[nunzia]

I'm not sure why you bought OKW. If you aren't too impressed with WDW, why did you buy there? If you wanted GCV, why didn't you wait until they went on sale there? I've never seen a resort sell out before it was opened to the public. This resort is going to be tough to get at the 7-month window. And buying an add-on isn't going to help you use the OKW points there.

I bought at OKW because after much research here and other places I decided that OKW was the resort most suited to my liking. I decided to buy into DVC because we have always done Disney and the pre paid lodging aspect is appealing. I want to experience WDW without kids in a slow pace and really get to know the place unlike our first insane trip, probably every 2-3 years which my OKW points will cover.
I do not want to buy 160 at GCV either. Our average DLR stay is only 3-4 days and a smaller than 160 point contract should certainly cover that even if points are high (we are more studio/off season types). That is the main reason I bought resale first, to avoid the minimum DVC buy in.
I don't plan to ever use OKW points to stay at GCV...I agree 7 month reservations there will probably not be possible.

 

[rsinj]

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[BWV Dreamin]

As with every other resort, 7 month reservations are not only going to be possible, they are going to be extremely easy to get until a good number of sales have taken place - definitely the first 2 years the resort is open.

I realy hope this is true. I want a ressie for Sept. '10, so if they open end of 2009, I'm hoping I can get it at the 7 mos. mark. Those of you familiar with Disneyland, will 5 days be enough? My son also lives in LA, so this would be a great way to see him!!

 

[wildernessDad]

There are only going to be 50 2-bedroom 'equivalent' units at GCV.

I also heard that California DVC members will get first crack at it, or those that buy in California. I believe that GCV will sell out very quickly.

 

[SSRFred]

As with every other resort, 7 month reservations are not only going to be possible, they are going to be extremely easy to get until a good number of sales have taken place - definitely the first 2 years the resort is open.

I wouldn't count on it if AKV is any indication. GCV will have around 50 2Br lock offs.
AKV has sold an equivalent amount of points/rooms in about 1 year and look at the availability. Based on AKV and the current GCV interest, I would expect it to sell out in 1 year.

 

[rsinj]

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[rsinj]

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[BWV Dreamin]

You will be fine.

In 5 days, you will have had more than enough of Disneyland CA. If you use WDW as a comparison, you will be disappointed.

How long of a stay at Grand Californian do you think will be long enough? Will that Garden Walk have enough there to visit also? Thanks for all your info!!

 

[nunzia]

3-4 nights is plenty to do DL and DCA, as long as lines aren't awful, and if your first day starts eaarly and last day ends late.. It's so easy to park hop you can just bop back and forth with no problem, and GC is literally smack dab in the middle..so easy. I don't know what all is in Garden walk..in fact, is it a walking distance from DLR? I'm looking forward to seeing what this will offer.
You will love DL and DCA IMO..lovely parks.

 

[wingkng]

You will be fine.

In 5 days, you will have had more than enough of Disneyland CA. If you use WDW as a comparison, you will be disappointed.

This actually brings up a great point about GCV. In Anaheim, there are only 2 parks, compared to 4 in WDW, and both parks are smaller in scale than in Florida. Disney can only keep your attention for so long in California. If the sole intention for staying at GCV is to be close to the parks (not accounting for side trips to Hollywood and such), your length of stay at GCV may be shorter.

So, what I am saying is:

1) shorter stays... more room availability for everyone

2) only a small add-on is necessary for those who wish to go there every other year

With LA being so big, if I were there on a vacation, and Disneyland is only part of my trip, I may want to stay elsewhere for the non-Disney portion of my trip.

 

[tinkryansmom]

OK so I have been lurking on the DVC boards for a couple of years. This thread raises a few good questions.

We live in CA and do Disney at least once a year. We went to WDW for our first time last year and we were totally overwhelmed. We also Cruise Disney. So DVC seems to be right up our alley. When I heard GCV announced I thought "finally! I can convince DH to do this".

But we also don't need 160 points which I understand is minimum contract right?

So should I be looking at resales at WDW as someone else said and do an add on for GCV? So an "add on" is different that buying a small contract? Can you just call up any old time and "add on"?

 

[Dean]

Given that HH sells for so much less than a new purchase would be, you would likely end up with somewhere around 60% of the points you started out with for the same $$$. I think you'd be better just buying a minimum amount of points and renting out the others you have. If you do decide to sell, you should likely try to sell on your own to try to get more per point rather than paying a commission. Most of the resale sites will list non exclusively so you could offer both ways and take the first offer that fits your needs.

 

[Dean]

OK so I have been lurking on the DVC boards for a couple of years. This thread raises a few good questions.

We live in CA and do Disney at least once a year. We went to WDW for our first time last year and we were totally overwhelmed. We also Cruise Disney. So DVC seems to be right up our alley. When I heard GCV announced I thought "finally! I can convince DH to do this".

But we also don't need 160 points which I understand is minimum contract right?

So should I be looking at resales at WDW as someone else said and do an add on for GCV? So an "add on" is different that buying a small contract? Can you just call up any old time and "add on"?

You could buy a small contract as small as 25 points and do an add on of 25 points if you wanted assuming you pay cash, 50 points to add on if you finance.

 

[nunzia]

...and once you're in the DVC system, yes, you can call Disney any old time to add on until the resort is sold out. Then you can be on a list to buy points as they may come available from Disney getting points back trhough ROFR, or you could buy from the resale market when people start selling their points, but you'd have to wait until the right size contact came along, as contracts can't be broken up. So if you wanted 25 more points you'd have to either buy from Disney or wait until a 25 point contract showed up on the resale market.
I hope everyone is right and that there is plenty to go around and plenty of availablility at 7 months, but I just feel like it's real smart to buy in as soon as possible and to also have that 11 month advantage.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

This actually brings up a great point about GCV. In Anaheim, there are only 2 parks, compared to 4 in WDW, and both parks are smaller in scale than in Florida. Disney can only keep your attention for so long in California. If the sole intention for staying at GCV is to be close to the parks (not accounting for side trips to Hollywood and such), your length of stay at GCV may be shorter.

So, what I am saying is:

1) shorter stays... more room availability for everyone

2) only a small add-on is necessary for those who wish to go there every other year

With LA being so big, if I were there on a vacation, and Disneyland is only part of my trip, I may want to stay elsewhere for the non-Disney portion of my trip.

Since my son lives in LA, but his place is way too small, thought we'd fly out on Friday, visit Sat thru Monday and stay somewhere in LA, then check into GCV Tuesday, and fly home Friday. Thinking this would give us time to visit Hollywood and still give us 2 1/2 days to see Disneyland. Does this seem like a good plan?