*The Official VILLAS AT DISNEY'S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA Owners & Lovers Group*

[mrsap]

Hi all. Just closed and received our points as a Grand Floridan owner. So excited!
question for all you owners out there. I just was playing around trying to book and virtually everything (referring to studios here), is booked. So I went out to the 11 month out which takes us to December 21st and already full. I realize that it’s Christmas week and probably tough anytime. Is it always difficult getting studios here or is this a result of holidays, 50th anniversary and built up COVID points people have?
any insight as to booking tips appreciated

and Congrats!! I’ll be happy to add you to the Owners List!

*WELCOME HOME!*

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

Hi all. Just closed and received our points as a Grand Floridan owner. So excited!
question for all you owners out there. I just was playing around trying to book and virtually everything (referring to studios here), is booked. So I went out to the 11 month out which takes us to December 21st and already full. I realize that it’s Christmas week and probably tough anytime. Is it always difficult getting studios here or is this a result of holidays, 50th anniversary and built up COVID points people have?
any insight as to booking tips appreciated

Yes, VGF can be a challenge when you book studios, especially in December. We travel in December and August and need to book at exactly 11 months in order to get what we want. There's also a glut of points right now that need to be used before they expire due to practically no one using their points during the pandemic so until that glut decreases lots of DVC owners will be trying to book very early to increase their chances of getting what they want. Try calling member services to see if they can sprinkle some fairy dust or waitlist what you need. You can also wait and book for a less demanding time of year (Jan/Feb).

 

[Luvears]

Hi all. Just closed and received our points as a Grand Floridan owner. So excited!
question for all you owners out there. I just was playing around trying to book and virtually everything (referring to studios here), is booked. So I went out to the 11 month out which takes us to December 21st and already full. I realize that it’s Christmas week and probably tough anytime. Is it always difficult getting studios here or is this a result of holidays, 50th anniversary and built up COVID points people have?
any insight as to booking tips appreciated

I can relate as I am too a recent VGF owner. I have been watching inventory in December while waiting for my resale points to load... get more and more discouraged around my Dec plans materializing. While I'm looking for Grand Villa availability for just a couple of nights, I can see overall how much of a demand there is... I speculated if this is all "walking" but inventory early in month has not freed up. December early up until XMas Eve is a very low point month- so between the racked up points, low points requirments- and perhaps Dec use years kicking in- people are starting to feel more comfortable with idea of travel by this time of year. All you can do is wait list it asap. Tip- split up your wait list w. shorter nights- more realistic in coming through.

 

[Salf777]

So actually I just looked and was able to get 4 nights in a row in studio late September which happens to be the week of my birthday and mine and my wife’s 25th wedding anniversary! So excited love this and hopefully Victoria & Albert’s will be open!

 

[Marionnette]

Hi all. Just closed and received our points as a Grand Floridan owner. So excited!
question for all you owners out there. I just was playing around trying to book and virtually everything (referring to studios here), is booked. So I went out to the 11 month out which takes us to December 21st and already full. I realize that it’s Christmas week and probably tough anytime. Is it always difficult getting studios here or is this a result of holidays, 50th anniversary and built up COVID points people have?
any insight as to booking tips appreciated

Yes, studios are tough to book. Fall Frenzy (late September thru NYE) is especially difficult in all but a few DVC resorts when it comes to studios. VGF is small - only 47 studios, 30 std view and 17 lake view - and DVC sold a lot of small contracts. That means that there are some owners who don’t have enough points to book something larger.

But having said that, it’s not impossible. If you haven’t been able to get the nights that you want right at 11 months, there’s still hope. People cancel their plans all of the time. The waitlist and stalking the RAT are your best tools. I was able to pick up 4 nights and another lone night in a LV studio in early December by stalking the RAT a week after the 11-month window opened. This past week, I was able to add to that lone night when, for a brief period before the waitlist swept them up, inventory was added to the RAT. And last night, my waitlist came through for the last night that I needed for this trip.

 

[Salf777]

Yes, studios are tough to book. Fall Frenzy (late September thru NYE) is especially difficult in all but a few DVC resorts when it comes to studios. VGF is small - only 47 studios, 30 std view and 17 lake view - and DVC sold a lot of small contracts. That means that there are some owners who don’t have enough points to book something larger.

But having said that, it’s not impossible. If you haven’t been able to get the nights that you want right at 11 months, there’s still hope. People cancel their plans all of the time. The waitlist and stalking the RAT are your best tools. I was able to pick up 4 nights and another lone night in a LV studio in early December by stalking the RAT a week after the 11-month window opened. This past week, I was able to add to that lone night when, for a brief period before the waitlist swept them up, inventory was added to the RAT. And last night, my waitlist came through for the last night that I needed for this trip.

Yes I’m learning we are flexible with travel dates so we can also just look and see what’s available and go. Truth be told VGF is our absolute favorite but also a little excited to try other resorts as well maybe split stays etc.
but I wanted our first stay to be at our home VGF! So glad we got it

by the way what is RAT? I have seen that mentioned several times. Is that just the online reservation system?

 

[Marionnette]

Yes I’m learning we are flexible with travel dates so we can also just look and see what’s available and go. Truth be told VGF is our absolute favorite but also a little excited to try other resorts as well maybe split stays etc.
but I wanted our first stay to be at our home VGF! So glad we got it

by the way what is RAT? I have seen that mentioned several times. Is that just the online reservation system?

RAT = Resort Availability Tool

It's the acronym for the old online reservation system.

 

[kboo]

I can relate as I am too a recent VGF owner. I have been watching inventory in December while waiting for my resale points to load... get more and more discouraged around my Dec plans materializing. While I'm looking for Grand Villa availability for just a couple of nights, I can see overall how much of a demand there is... I speculated if this is all "walking" but inventory early in month has not freed up. December early up until XMas Eve is a very low point month- so between the racked up points, low points requirments- and perhaps Dec use years kicking in- people are starting to feel more comfortable with idea of travel by this time of year. All you can do is wait list it asap. Tip- split up your wait list w. shorter nights- more realistic in coming through.

I have been trying to book a 1br, typically easier to get at 11 months and Christmas, and have been shut out of a 1BR standard the last 2 days at 8am. It doesn't seem to be walking because I am piecing together a stay, and I've managed to get a few bookings in here and there in ways that don't really make sense. I own at 2 other resorts, and they are not showing as booked as you'd expect. If it helps, October and September at VGF are wide open, which is sort of unusual too. Maybe everyone has banked points to burn and is going to try Christmas ...


Also - for some reason they keep taking out a room or rooms *past* the 11-mo window, not sure why that is. Yesterday after lots of site crashing I was able to book 12/23-25 in a 2br (way more than I needed), but the night of the 25th was showing as blocked. Later in the day I booked 12/23-12/30 to make sure we had a room. Now today, I am stalking 1br (managed to downsize to a 1br lake view) but the 1br are now showing blocked on 12/25.

 

[Joseph_TX]

Hello,

We are a recent VGF owner and have found this very helpful. Thanks for everyone who posts and moderates the site/page.

 

[mrsap]

Hello,

We are a recent VGF owner and have found this very helpful. Thanks for everyone who posts and moderates the site/page.

and Congrats! Thank you for the kind words. I’ll get you up on the Owners List!

 

[LadybugsMum]

I just added on another night for our spring break trip; so we now have 7 nights in a standard view 1 bedroom. I decided to just drop the single night at SSR so that we wouldn’t have to move. That way if we end up driving instead of flying, I only have to unpack the car once.

 

[mrsap]

Hey guys! Thought I’d share.

https://dvcnews.com/dvc-program/member-benefits/news-66853/4948-dvc-virtual-event-begins-thursday

 

[mrsap]

It was just announced that the Member Lounge will remain open through 2021!

https://blogmickey.com/2021/01/epcot-imagination-dvc-lounge-to-remain-open-through-2021/

 

[JennSH]

I'm excited that I was able to get a studio for next weekend. Not owners there (yet haha), but at Riviera, and VGF will be our first stay as DVC, lol.

 

[tgarre06]

Occasionally, the spa will offer deep discounts for DVC (up to 40% off) instead of our regular discount of 15% so keep an eye out for that. I love the leg and foot intensive massage, I get that at the end of my trip after spending a few days in the parks.

Is that just for blue card members?

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

Is that just for blue card members?

Not sure, we have a blue card.

 

[mrsap]

Hi all! Hope you are well!

Some DVC News to share:


DVC Website Adding 2-Factor Authentication

https://dvcnews.com/dvc-program/pol...72-dvc-website-adding-2-factor-authentication

 

[Bellecruiser]

Yes! Looking forward to next year at the Grand.

 

[ain0004]

Anyone have suggestions on room locations for 2 bedroom lake view? I don’t see how any view is better than another. I would rather have standard but there was none available.. I am going to add we do not want handicap room. We had one at riveria and do not want one ever again!

 

[mrsap]

Anyone have suggestions on room locations for 2 bedroom lake view? I don’t see how any view is better than another. I would rather have standard but there was none available.. I am going to add we do not want handicap room. We had one at riveria and do not want one ever again!

Piggybacking on this, our wait list for two bedroom standard view (originally booked lake view) just came through at some point yesterday so I would appreciate any room location suggestions for that.

I personally have not stayed in a 2 br yet, but here are some room views from past stays. Maybe you’ll have some luck finding something you like here.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/vgf-villas-views-revised-07-22-2017.3192814/