The Official VILLAS at DISNEYLAND HOTEL (Discovery Tower) Owners and Fans Info Thread

[Mardigras2025]

Very doable for a midday nap! Our trips are usually only 3 days and I refuse to go without a midday nap for my toddler lol The walk isn’t bad at all.

Ok, great! I had my heart set on GCH for this reason and am probably being unreasonably worried about VDH! They will likely love the theming, the new rooms, the pools, etc. Thank you!

 

[VGCgroupie]

Ok, great! I had my heart set on GCH for this reason and am probably being unreasonably worried about VDH! They will likely love the theming, the new rooms, the pools, etc. Thank you!

Everyone has their own opinion on this, I am personally in the "the walk is pretty far" club especially compared to GCH the walk is not great maybe more than double. If you are accustomed to WDW then it wont seem far, if you are only used to GCH then its pretty far. You can take the monorail though to shorten the distance and its always fun for the kids to take the monorail.

 

[Mardigras2025]

Everyone has their own opinion on this, I am personally in the "the walk is pretty far" club especially compared to GCH the walk is not great maybe more than double. If you are accustomed to WDW then it wont seem far, if you are only used to GCH then its pretty far. You can take the monorail though to shorten the distance and its always fun for the kids to take the monorail.

I can keep hoping for that waitlist to come through! But we have never stayed at either (or been to Disneyland), so hopefully the walk and monorail will still seem relatively convenient and the theming will still make us feel like we are at Disney.

 

[PiratesOfTheSea]

I can keep hoping for that waitlist to come through! But we have never stayed at either (or been to Disneyland), so hopefully the walk and monorail will still seem relatively convenient and the theming will still make us feel like we are at Disney.

I find the walk to the Esplanade to be on the longer side but at least you will be in the Disney bubble. You can also save yourself some steps by cutting through GCH to exit DTD which is in more of a direct path to VDH. If you are going to DCA, the PPH private entrance will be especially convenient as well.

As for the mid-day rest/nap/pool break, it shouldn't be an issue at all.

 

[AstroBlasters]

At VDH right now, does anyone else find the new Downtown Disney security location and setup a huge PITA?

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

At VDH right now, does anyone else find the new Downtown Disney security location and setup a huge PITA?

Hm, how so? I was there 3 weeks ago and thought it an improvement. But we were only at VDH one night before moving to GCH and didn't rope drop, so maybe we went through it at less busy times.

I think mostly I liked the way it looked.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Hm, how so? I was there 3 weeks ago and thought it an improvement. But we were only at VDH one night before moving to GCH and didn't rope drop, so maybe we went through it at less busy times.

I think mostly I liked the wait it looked.

UPDATE: Entry by Hat is open and walls are down!

This was walled off yesterday.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

UPDATE: Entry by Hat is open and walls are down!

This was walled off yesterday.

Well, that will certainly alleviate congestion

 

[Brian rhymes with dyin]

UPDATE: Entry by Hat is open and walls are down!

This was walled off yesterday.

Huge improvement for DLH hotel guests.

 

[VGCgroupie]

UPDATE: Entry by Hat is open and walls are down!

This was walled off yesterday.

Anytime Ive ever been to DL this has always been open. Cant imagine it being walled off. Good thing is wasn't in April or I 100% wouldn't have bought VDH.

 

[Disfamwa]

I can keep hoping for that waitlist to come through! But we have never stayed at either (or been to Disneyland), so hopefully the walk and monorail will still seem relatively convenient and the theming will still make us feel like we are at Disney.

Heads up that you have to fold strollers for the monorail at Disneyland, but the walk is not bad at all and the weather in March will make the walk even more pleasant!

 

[ehh]

UPDATE: Entry by Hat is open and walls are down!

This was walled off yesterday.

Still old-school metal detectors and manual bag checks? Sigh.

I know I'm the 55th person to say this, but DL security really needs to adopt WDW's tech.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Anytime Ive ever been to DL this has always been open. Cant imagine it being walled off. Good thing is wasn't in April or I 100% wouldn't have bought VDH.

Yeah, it was a big disatisifer on the way in and out….

 

[superlarz]

Hi all! Is a midday break for pool or nap possible here, or not worth the walk back during a three day trip? We have a four and six year old who may be jet lagged or exhausted during some of the trip. It would also be nice to try some of the fun pools.

We were on the waitlist for GCH that I am beginning to give up on, but may have found a reservation here at the new villas instead in a two bedroom with our two kids and their grandparents. The rooms look beautiful! We are going in mid-March (is this too cold for the pools?).

When I took my young niece and nephew we went back to the room every day. They LOVED the monorail. My sister and her husband grumbled that it was too far (they had a stroller they didnt want to fold up but ultimately they were happy we went back the first day and were happy to go back and take a break the other 2 days. Especially now with a hotel specific checkpoint, going back to the room is a lot easier.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Trying to plan out my 2025 trips and something crossed my mind. I became a direct member buying VDH (I have resale VGC). I am overall new to DVC and have a question about Moonlight Magic. With the very low availability at VDH is getting MM for CA basically you have to be lucky enough to already have a reservation booked on days of MM before you even knew MM was occurring?

 

[ehh]

Trying to plan out my 2025 trips and something crossed my mind. I became a direct member buying VDH (I have resale VGC). I am overall new to DVC and have a question about Moonlight Magic. With the very low availability at VDH is getting MM for CA basically you have to be lucky enough to already have a reservation booked on days of MM before you even knew MM was occurring?

There's a two-stage booking process:

1. Guests with existing reservations for those dates can book MM
   • Considering how small VGC and VDH are (compared to DCA event capacity), if you want to attend it's basically guaranteed
2. Guests without existing reservations
   • This is more of a Queue It battle, but the odds are better than WDW MM events as the 'existing reservation' bucket didn't take all of the availability

If you do want to fall into the 'existing reservation' bucket, you do need to guess the dates.

 

[VGCgroupie]

There's a two-stage booking process:

1. Guests with existing reservations for those dates can book MM
   • Considering how small VGC and VDH are (compared to DCA event capacity), if you want to attend it's basically guaranteed
2. Guests without existing reservations
   • This is more of a Queue It battle, but the odds are better than WDW MM events as the 'existing reservation' bucket didn't take all of the availability

If you do want to fall into the 'existing reservation' bucket, you do need to guess the dates.

Thanks!

 

[Wedgeout]

Moonlight Magic for the California DCA has been only one open reservation day for all qualified. Different from WDW, without the resort stay pre registration day. This year’s event was a Monday January 29. Last year a Wednesday February 1.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Moonlight Magic for the California DCA has been only one open reservation day for all qualified. Different from WDW, without the resort stay pre registration day. This year’s event was a Monday January 29. Last year a Wednesday February 1.

That could make things easier. How have past years been? Seems like maybe booking a room is harder than snagging MM tickets?

 

[Wedgeout]

That could make things easier. How have past years been? Seems like maybe booking a room is harder than snagging MM tickets?

Went to last two events. Registration day was very smooth with not as many in the queue trying for it. We live an hour away. I’ll stay at an outer rim hotel when don’t want to drive home late.