The Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Owners Group

[ACDSNY]

ACDSNY: You'll have to post if you were able to get one in Oct. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Maybe we'll be able to get a couple of extras for you and GrumpyGrandpa since we have two separate memberships, I'll see if I can get two and then later I'll send my DH to try too.

 

[Grumpygrandpa]

Maybe we'll be able to get a couple of extras for you and GrumpyGrandpa since we have two separate memberships, I'll see if I can get two and then later I'll send my DH to try too.

That would be great! If it works out. Still working on DW about Oct. She says I have certain financial goals to meet. It will be a close thing.

 

[toocherie]

Maybe we'll be able to get a couple of extras for you and GrumpyGrandpa since we have two separate memberships, I'll see if I can get two and then later I'll send my DH to try too.

I tried that and they said "no"=--hope you have more success!

 

[ACDSNY]

Still working on DW about Oct. She says I have certain financial goals to meet.

Darn financial stuff...DH says I need to sell our last small SSR contract if I want to go on the Panama Canal cruise. On the upside it will be nice to get down to one membership again.

 

[ACDSNY]

I tried that and they said "no"=--hope you have more success!

Maybe if I space it out several days apart...our two memberships are under different primary names so maybe they won't catch it.

 

[nunzia]

Am I the only one who can't see the picture? Just a red "x" comes up..help please. would love to see it!!

Nope...I can't see it either, and I can see everything else people post

 

[nunzia]

I'm getting the same "X" so I went to the properties and brought it up by the URL. Try this...

www.greenearth.com/images/DSC_3262S.JPG

I don't normally collect pins, but I want one of those. I hope there are some left on Oct. 13th.

Oh thanks..that worked. Yep, I like one but bet they will be gone by May

 

[tjkraz]

Here's some info on recent DVC pin releases including the Grand Cal pin:

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/news-program-information-165/1024-upcoming-dvc-pin-releases

Edition size is only 1000. Click on the pin title and you'll get a list of locations where the pin was stocked. My understanding is they spread the supply around to different outlets so you can try each location to see if they have any left.

 

[thelionqueen]

I'm sure you could get at least 2 of the pins, whether or not you have 2 memberships. Just go at different times if they don't allow you to do it the right way (makes no sense to me that they would care, but anyhoo). I'm a big pin collector and would love one of these. I'm sure one will be on ebay in awhile-worst case scenario.

I hate it when DH makes sound financial goals for us that interfere with my Disney addiction. I'm working on getting him out of that terrible habit, am almost there! He did let me get my DL commemorative tile, so I'll let him slide for now

 

[justkeepswimmin]

Hi all,

We checked into a studio on Tuesday and while the crowds have been a little heavier than we expected we are really enjoying our 1st ever DVC stay. I took a TON of pics of our studio but may not have time to post live as I am also mothering 1 'lost boy' husband and 3 little girls (one is under 3 for those on the occupancy police squad ;-) but will definitely post when we get home. Some initial impressions:

-Hotel is still getting used to how DVC works. Everyone has been very nice but a lot of our questions required some work to get answers.

-We have a 3rd floor paradise pier view and as others have said, that Mickey Sun Wheel is RIGHT there. Very cool!

-The view has some drawbacks if you are noise sensitive. Construction work is ongoing after hours so there is a lot of that kind of noise in the middle of the night/ early morning on this side of the villas.

-Kids got free DVDs last night from guest services. In general, the guest services desk appears to be the best DVC trained and I reccommend going there first for questions

-The laundry room is not done, as mentioned. We asked for tokens for the other machines and guest services ended up giving us actual quarters to do our laundry, which I thought was kinda strange.

-The villas feel really accessible. Fast elevators, near lobby, super easy pool access. To get to the special DCA entrance, going through the pool complex is a nice little shortcut. When we stayed at GCH before, it seemed we had to walk through more corridors and hallways to get to our room but the Villas just seem more convenient.

-We got our Limited edition pin at the pin place across from the Lego store. We had to show DVC membership card. The pin is really cute.

-Studios are a little cozy for us (we needed to conserve points) but feel a little bigger than the standard rooms are here at GCH. The closet is HUGE! I love that because we can hide all our crap. I took pics of it and will post them when we get home.

 

[Grumpygrandpa]

-The villas feel really accessible. Fast elevators, near lobby, super easy pool access. To get to the special DCA entrance, going through the pool complex is a nice little shortcut. When we stayed at GCH before, it seemed we had to walk through more corridors and hallways to get to our room but the Villas just seem more convenient.

I am glad to hear how accessible the VGC rooms are to the rest of the resort. I was a little worried that we might feel on the outskirts. Can you enter the pool area from the Villas directly or do you pass through a new gate on the Villas side of the pool? TIA.

 

[toocherie]

I am glad to hear how accessible the VGC rooms are to the rest of the resort. I was a little worried that we might feel on the outskirts. Can you enter the pool area from the Villas directly or do you pass through a new gate on the Villas side of the pool? TIA.

There is a walkway and new gate that gets you to the pool--then you walk across and out the gate by Whitewater.

 

[Disney Princess]

Thanks for the trip report. It is just DH and me, so we are excited to see "real" studio pictures. I can't wait.

The closet is HUGE! I love that because we can hide all our crap.

This excites me as well. I love hiding crap!

 

[funatdisney]

Thank you so much, I was able to purchase two (the limit) at the WoD store. I had to present my DVC card; they had the pins in a small bin behind the counter. Again, thanks, otherwise I would have missed the pins!

You are welcome. I guess I got lucky. I was able to purchase three pins and I didn't have to show my DVC card. Like I mentioned, a lot of the CMs didn't know anything about them. I guess they do now.

 

[funatdisney]

Sorry some had trouble getting the picture of my pin to post. I was using a different server than the pictures I posted from our opening day trip. I will be more careful next time I post pictures.

It seems that the CM are getting the training and info about the pins. Last Monday, I did check at the pin trading store near the Lego Store and they said they didn't think they had any. It seemed like he really didn't know much about them. When I went to the WoD, same thing with that CM, but this time I made a point for him to check behind the counter. There was a bag full of them. I was able to purchase three without my DVC card. Now I am reading that they are limiting and requiring ID. Hope all of you that want one will be able to get one!

 

[jweiss]

We were there from the 23rd to the 28th, and just got home yesterday, so haven't have time to read this whole thread. I was appalled at the total lack of DVC spirit, attitude, etc. Our room was beautiful, but as far as service, we could have been staying anywhere. When an issue came up about my ressie, there was NO one from DVC who could talk to me, consult, etc. It was like staying in a nice room at any old hotel. Actually, worse. We were there on the 23rd and not even so much as a balloon to "celebrate". Compare that to the, what, three full day event they had when Saratoga Springs opened up? I felt like the trip was a waste of a lot of points for this year. Well, not a waste, but a huge disappointment and certainly not worth the full cost!!!!

 

[LyndaC]

I too was disappointed by the very lukewarm welcome we received. The wine and cheese tasting was a nice touch, but I wonder how a fire marshall would have felt about the number of folks in the Grand Villa.

I know that there were several folks there who weren't either owners or guests, they just saw a group lining up and joined it.

However, having said that, I LOVED our 1 BR Villa and booked another stay before we left.

 

[BeccaG]

We were there from the 23rd to the 28th, and just got home yesterday, so haven't have time to read this whole thread. I was appalled at the total lack of DVC spirit, attitude, etc. Our room was beautiful, but as far as service, we could have been staying anywhere. When an issue came up about my ressie, there was NO one from DVC who could talk to me, consult, etc. It was like staying in a nice room at any old hotel. Actually, worse. We were there on the 23rd and not even so much as a balloon to "celebrate". Compare that to the, what, three full day event they had when Saratoga Springs opened up? I felt like the trip was a waste of a lot of points for this year. Well, not a waste, but a huge disappointment and certainly not worth the full cost!!!!

So, just curious, did you miss the opening ceremony with the doves and ribbon cutting? And did you attend the cheese and wine reception?

 

[LyndaC]

I got there and checked in at 11am, the ceremony was long over. Or if it was going on then, there was nothing to indicate it. Had I known about it, I would have tried to get there in time to see it. I did see them removing a couple of butterflies from the pool area.

 

[SanDeeKath]

Just uploaded lots of pictures of the 1 bedroom to WebShots for all to see. Hope this works:

http://community.webshots.com/user/kath000?vhost=community