Purchasing DVC for Disneyland mostly?

[jimmymc]

I'll weigh in.
We stayed off site for years when the kids were little. Nothing wrong with it, and it was much less expensive.
Along the way we bought in to VGC and honestly, it is awesome. When the kids were teens and tweens, they could come and go as they pleased and we never had to worry. Can go back to the room any time. It is 100 times more convenient than any of the WDW DVC resorts even.
It really is hard to beat VGC. Even the new DLH option with be a bit more of a hassle to get to and from.
I know it is expensive now, but for ease and relaxation it cant be beat.

I agree with @TeamRiley that owning at DL is spectacular. But you have to buy at GC, you can't buy anywhere else and hope for a room at 7 months.

 

[PirateBrigade]

I'll weigh in.
We stayed off site for years when the kids were little. Nothing wrong with it, and it was much less expensive.
Along the way we bought in to VGC and honestly, it is awesome. When the kids were teens and tweens, they could come and go as they pleased and we never had to worry. Can go back to the room any time. It is 100 times more convenient than any of the WDW DVC resorts even.
It really is hard to beat VGC. Even the new DLH option with be a bit more of a hassle to get to and from.
I know it is expensive now, but for ease and relaxation it cant be beat.

I didn't even think of that, my kids are 7 and < 1... the benefit to VGC for us is the midday nap and not wasting time walking off-site (even if it's Harbor across the street).

Now I'm looking forward to teenager Disneyland trips as you've described (maybe not the teenager part, lord help me with that, lol).

 

[Brian Noble]

I would have been perfectly happy to let my kids cross Harbor unsupervised as teens. Then again, we live in a college town, and it would have been much easier for them to get into mischief at home.

 

[longboard55]

If you have the cash, I would buy a small amount, you can combine years so are not in the situation of have to go every year. Price only goes up, it is expensive now, it will be more next year. I really do not think the new tower will lower prices. Too much demand in California.

It is not just the room, it is also not paying parking and taxes, hard to find any room at The Grand C under $700 a night in the hotel once you add all the extras.

 

[TeamRiley]

It's not a safety issue for us, it is just pure convenience. The kids knew they could come and go as they pleased and if we wanted to meet up it was only a few minutes away. Time and space shrink enormously when your don't ever have to leave the bubble.

 

[PirateBrigade]

It's not a safety issue for us, it is just pure convenience. The kids knew they could come and go as they pleased and if we wanted to meet up it was only a few minutes away. Time and space shrink enormously when your don't ever have to leave the bubble.

There’s definitely a price premium, I can’t overlook that and it’s a challenge for many folks.

I kind of justify it in that I don’t drink, smoke, or gamble…I just DVC it

 

[limace]

We own GCV and love it. However, the Best Western Park Place Inn is basically no farther and I wouldn’t hesitate to let responsible teens walk from either location. If money is an object-and GCV prices are pure insanity right now-I wouldn’t see GCV as your only option.

 

[sethschroeder]

If it follows the RIV pattern, its 1BR will be stupid expensive on points, which might make them easier to book.

It's not a RIV pattern it actually started with AKV where Savana Studio rooms are 47.5% of the points vs a 1BR. Even dating back to Boardwalk Standard View and even Boardwalk you have this breakdown but in the 48% range.

Grand Floridian would have been the same way likely but seems they just decided to jack up the price of all room categories there instead.

 

[Canam]

Hi there fellow AZ DVC owner here first welcome to the discussion. We bought in 2006 at Saratoga then added VGC. We don’t do DL the same way we do WDW. Since we are so close to DL we go for the weekend Friday to Sunday four times a year. We own 225 points at VGC. We in the past were annual pass holders so this worked well for us. We have been going since our kids were 2 and 4. They are now 19 and 17. We have never regretted our purchase. We wanted to stay at VGC but quite frankly without DVC would not have been able to afford it. Happy to answer any questions you have fellow Arizonian

 

[Canam]

TeamRiley well said!