POLL: Are you considering a new or add-on purchase at The Villas at Disneyland Hotel?

[pineapplepalms]

We go to DLR for several trips a year, and since we drive and have MKs, our main cost is the room. Even though we’re in the process of closing on a VGC resale contract right now, I was still considering buying VDH since ideally we’d have more points at DLR. I’ve stayed on Harbor and the Westin but still prefer being “in the bubble” there. Now with the dues/fees info I need to do some calculations and figure out if it’s still worth it for us.

 

[tfc3rid]

Still considering a 50-60 point purchase. I had originally budgeted a 75 point purchase assuming $250 per point with a starting $7.50 MF. The calculus has changed, with a lower price point than my original plan, and based on the point charts, it is decreasing the points I'll need for my proposed stays. However, the dues, which are not static, are $1.50 higher than I though, and the transient tax at check out is a tough additional cost when you factor in the costs for park tickets since we don't get any real discounts for owning...

So, for now, I am certainly on the fence more than before and might slip into adding a small direct purchase at RIV instead and hope if I want to stay here, to get a 7 month window reservation.

 

[ajiuo]

I was until the tax and no free parking info came out… now it’s a hard pass.

 

[storey13]

I am still on the fence. The maintenance fees are pretty high and I can only imagine what they will be per point in 10 years from now. Probably leaning towards a pass at this point.

 

[Yankee626]

With the cost of the flight, extra cost of taxes and parking and no DVC discount for Park passes; what would be a reason me as an east coast DVC member to go to DL and stay at the DLT ? maybe I can see a stay at the VGC ; but not at the DLT.

 

[take36]

I know its not an investment but do you guys think the price will hold up well in resale say 10+ years down the line? Buy it and use it for 10 years then sell it for about what we paid for? I know with inflation and time value of money its not the same, but for a luxury purchase I think that would still make VDH a good buy.

 

[BlueIsis]

I remember staying at the DLH over ten years ago wistfully saying that I wish the rumor of a fourth tower would come to fruition, so to say that I was excited about this is an understatement. I was planning on 200 points. I just can't get past that tax however. I cannot imagine paying $150 a night in taxes if we stay in a 2 bedroom. My heart says Disneyland Hotel Forever. My head says very happy I bought resale VGC.

 

[Bucketfoot]

Went from a very clear yes to pretty unlikely following the ToT disclosure.

That said I am still looking at numbers and if I compare annualized costs that include ToT to what I would pay resale for a VGC contract of the same size, the numbers are pretty much spot on due to the 13 extra years that VDH will have. Not that I will live to use them

 

[Paul Stupin]

My wife and I were perfect candidates to buy VDH. We live in LA, own Aulani, CC, and VGF with a mix of resale and direct, and love Disneyland, but always have trouble booking VGC at 7 months or earlier. I would have been almost willing to swallow the high pp cost, since we would have bought 100 points or maybe less. But isn’t $230 kind of ridiculous? And the incentives, whatever they are, won’t mean anything because I think most contracts will not have a huge point count.

But that’s not all. The tax, which is more than Aulani (which I don’t mind paying because the amount isn’t egregious and I love Hawaii), is unreasonable, greedy on the part of city government, and let’s face it Anaheim ain’t Hawaii. But lack of clarity on parking could mean another substantial per stay fee, not to mention particularly high dues that will only get higher, which are hard to understand because the building is brand new and sits on a particularly small footprint.

Also, I had kind of convinced myself that the architecture had a nice streamlined moderne feel while still respecting its surrounding hotel buildings. But now I see it more as a bit of an unthemed block of boringness, with mostly parking lot and unscenic residential neighborhood views. No grounds to speak of, no immersive escapist environment. Riviera is controversial because its theming is more understated (though I still love it!) but, aside from a fun grand villa which I’d never book in a million years, and what looks to be a mildly fun kids splash area, and maybe a few fanciful touches in the rooms, there’s really nothing here.

In a way I’m glad. We’ll pass on this one and hope DVD does better with Poly 2.

 

[PirateBrigade]

I was 100% yes last year, but after the reveal, i'm down to 30-50%, to be quite honest. We live in Northern California and we have a 100 point contract at VGC already that's mostly sufficient for our 2x/yr trips.

As of right now, I'm pretty content just paying for Disneyland Hotel in cash when we want, with no commitments. I also don't know what our travel/DL cadence will be as the kids grow up. Plus, with so many hotels nearby (Westin and JW Marriott being the new 4* options), VDH just doesn't feel right for the commitment that comes with deeded timeshare.

I'll look again once sales actually begin, but I'm pretty "meh" about it.

 

[PirateBrigade]

Okay 2nd post, I went from 100% yes last year, 30-50% after the reveal, now down to about 0-10% after reading everyone's posts & actually looking at that horrid TOT chart.

I'm just going to save my money and casually poke around for VGC resales to add on to my existing VGC contract, or maybe I'll add to my baby AUL contract instead.

There's just so many other options (Disney and non-Disney) in Anaheim.

 

[BlueIsis]

This Anaheim occupancy tax...are all hotels in Anaheim city limits subject to it? Regardless of age of the building? And it's approximately 15%?

 

[anonymousegirl]

I was 1000% ready to buy. Now, I'm not so sure. I live on the West Coast, own 160 direct points at BLT and now finally have my WDW AP. I just don't get to DLR as much as I wanted to because of high accommodation pricing. The three Disney hotels are astronomically priced. The Good Neighbor hotels are pricing high for older, dated, sometimes grungy motels with no ambiance, lounges, or dining options. The nicer ones are not within walking distance. So, with the high cost of a DLR AP, and the high cost of rooms, I ended up at WDW more.

I wasn't in a position to buy when VGC was initially offered. I thought that was okay, because the small number of rooms meant my 3 day trips booked 2 weeks to 2 months out had me locked out of VGC. I thought that the significantly more rooms at VDH would translate to more availability for such trips, even booking so far in.

Now, with a DLR AP at $1600, $35 per night parking fee, the additional cost for the Anaheim transient tax, and the dues, I am thinking I'm going to be at WDW a lot as I am getting way more value.

 

[D-Trick]

75% yes.

Even with the transient tax and parking fees I'm still considering it. I live in NorCal but own at WDW and AUL. DVC-Y from grandfathered contracts with enough pre-2019 resale/direct that I really don't have FOMO for VDH.

I very rarely visit DLR, but I believe that's because I don't have any points there (never tried for 7mo VGC). The times we do go to Anaheim, we stay offsite using Hilton points. No objection to continuing this going forward.

With that said, I may buy 50-70 VDH points strictly as SAP, with the occasional use on site. Since most years I don't plan on staying at VDH, then thankfully the ToT and the possible parking fees really don't apply.

 

[Paul Stupin]

75% yes.

Even with the transient tax and parking fees I'm still considering it. I live in NorCal but own at WDW and AUL. DVC-Y from grandfathered contracts with enough pre-2019 resale/direct that I really don't have FOMO for VDH.

I very rarely visit DLR, but I believe that's because I don't have any points there (never tried for 7mo VGC). The times we do go to Anaheim, we stay offsite using Hilton points. No objection to continuing this going forward.

With that said, I may buy 50-70 VDH points strictly as SAP, with the occasional use on site. Since most years I don't plan on staying at VDH, then thankfully the ToT and the possible parking fees really don't apply.

If you just want SAP points, why go a resort with such monumentally high dues? Those you’ll have to pay year in and year out.

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

The tax and parking not being included sucks man. I am going to keep an eye on resale a few years from now and though a may get a little something. As a Coloradan Disneyland is easier for us to fly to for a short weekend stay. Esp since my sons birthday is in Jan and that point chart in Jan looks good.

 

[D-Trick]

If you just want SAP points, why go a resort with such monumentally high dues? Those you’ll have to pay year in and year out.

I'm not bothered by the higher dues on a smaller contract.

I want the 11mo booking window at DLR, with the ability to have an advantage at the 7mo mark (subject to availability).

 

[Ashlotte]

100% no. We are resale Aulani owners who live in Oregon. DLR is our preferred location due to proximity, weather, and magic. I initially wanted to add-on here, but after seeing that the rooms were mostly studios, I started to think it wasn't a great fit for our family. After seeing the costs associated (and the confirmation of the resale restrictions), we are definitely out. We will continue to stay at the inexpensive WorldMarks in town, or maybe we will get lucky with a VGC stay someday.

 

[Ruttangel]

It would have been interesting to ask if you had changed your mind about buying after getting this new info. I bet if there are steep incentives then a few people might sway back though

 

[Sandisw]

I know its not an investment but do you guys think the price will hold up well in resale say 10+ years down the line? Buy it and use it for 10 years then sell it for about what we paid for? I know with inflation and time value of money its not the same, but for a luxury purchase I think that would still make VDH a good buy.

I would not buy DVC expecting to get any level of purchase price back.

There are just too many variables that can impact things.

IMO, anything one can sell for should be seen as a bonus, and not something that needs to be there to make it work.