The Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Owners & Lovers Group - 2.0

[ajiuo]

Hi fellow VGC owners. Talk to me about MagicBand+..anyone using it at Disneyland? We've never been to WDW so we have no experience with them in general.

I was use to using MagicBand at WDW. There was a MagicBand+ I really liked so I got it and tried it out at Disneyland.

It works pretty much like Disney world for scanning into lightninglanes but the scanners are kind of bland looking and don’t have Mickey Mouse on them. They also have a barcode scanner which Disney world does not have.

You can also scan in to the parks but they use a mobile phone that will display a photo of you on it to scan your MagicBand instead of the scanners and fingerprints readers that Disney World has. I honestly like the experience at Disneyland a little bit better. I like not having to deal with the finger print readers…. I kind of wish they would install a hybrid system, where it has the scanners from Disney world and shows a photo to the person working at the entrance…. I missed my purple DVC light.

At Disneyland you can’t open hotel rooms or make purchases that charge to your hotel room like you can at Disney World. While Disney photographers can scan them, there are no scanners for attraction photos, neither in the ride or under the screens. MagicBands are new to Disneyland. Hopefully they expand their usability in the future. I kind of wonder if the new DVC tower at the Disneyland hotel might be the first rooms to utilize them for door locks… they are all new anyway, so they might as well.

I honestly have no idea what all the flashing stuff the MagicBand+ does is all about. I will look into it before I got to WDW in late October.

 

[pineapplepalms]

I have used my MB+ at Disneyland a bunch of times. I would probably not get one, but I had one from my WDW trip in September, so I have been using it. It is definitely nice to use to scan into the park and lightening lanes. And my bonus is that I am often pushing a wheelchair, so it is easier for me to whip out the band than try to fish out my phone and open the app while pushing a wheelchair. That was definitely a nice surprise plus. The cons right now is that it does not open the doors at the 3 resort hotels and cannot be used to charge back to the room. I am hoping those features get added.

Same, I preordered mine for my WDW trip and ended up using it a bunch at DLR first. I’m usually pushing a stroller or holding a toddler, so it is more convenient using it to scan into parks and LL rides. It’s also easy for Photopass scanning rather than pulling up the code on your phone. You can use it for Bounty Hunters in SWGE but we haven’t tried that yet. My kids got really excited whenever the band would light up during shows or while in line for some rides like WS.

 

[elenex]

As someone who really enjoys MB at WDW, I just don't see it as very useful at DLR and after wearing it once, we no longer even bring them. The problem is it's essentially just your ticket/fastpass. No room key, no charging. In WDW it can replace your wallet, in DLR it just doesn't offer anything that's worth having it on your wrist all day.

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

Yes, in 2024, and now all talk of it has mysteriously vanished. I am not impressed the scheduled refurbishment was neither discussed or placed on the calendar at the condo association this year. They're being tricky.

Right!? I was like wait - did I imagine that? I get it when they have to push dates but just be upfront about it instead of pretending it never happened. I do think they are going to displace people to the new tower when it happens but it seems like you could do that in 2024 since it opens in 2023. At the same time I know it will happen eventually (looking at you Boulder Ridge) and I’m buying at Tower so have that bright shiny new toy to distract me from the much needed refurb at grand cal. Waiting until 2025 would also make the refurb schedules for the two properties offset which I’m sure is nice.
All that said.. was looking forward to 2024 and now it looks like tbd later.

 

[Royal Consort]

Right!? I was like wait - did I imagine that? I get it when they have to push dates but just be upfront about it instead of pretending it never happened.

Disney avoids 'negative' news but are content for their spin to tarnish trust. The optics aren't good. Disney justified the significant increase in maintenance fees on the upcoming refurbishment and then dropped it like a lead balloon. I am curious whether the budget set aside for the refurb is substantial enough, and if not, be upfront about it if it needs to be delayed.

 

[ajiuo]

When they do the referb does anyone think it will be similar to the hotel side with the chip and dale wall art?

 

[ajiuo]

Is there a DVC Unit map (not room map) for the grand cal? I want to see what unit I’m buying a small interest in.

 

[mathgeek]

I received a City of Anaheim notice of public hearing about proposed increases to some water systems. Did anyone else get this? Is this b/c I'm an owner at VGC? I can't think of any other reason I'd be getting this in the mail.

 

[senoragilbert]

Is the balcony on the 6th floor still open to DVC guests? I had read a report from April 2022 that club guests were able to access the area but not VGC.

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

Is there a DVC Unit map (not room map) for the grand cal? I want to see what unit I’m buying a small interest in.

I believe you are looking for the maps on page 82-87 on the public offering statement here:
https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.disney.com/media/dvc/en/collateral-docs/gcal-pos-rev-12_30_13.pdf

 

[ajiuo]

I believe you are looking for the maps on page 82-87 on the public offering statement here:
https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.disney.com/media/dvc/en/collateral-docs/gcal-pos-rev-12_30_13.pdf

Awesome, thank you!

 

[Nonsuch]

I believe you are looking for the maps on page 82-87 on the public offering statement here:
https://cdn1.parksmedia.wdprapps.disney.com/media/dvc/en/collateral-docs/gcal-pos-rev-12_30_13.pdf

Thanks for sharing the link, much better than a printed copy (which I have filed away—somewhere)

 

[ajiuo]

I don’t generally have a car at Disneyland, but. If you are staying at GC on DVC points do you get free parking like you did at the Orlando resorts? I know they recently made all the Orlando resorts free for all guests… i’m assuming they didn’t do that for the Anaheim resorts?

 

[Nonsuch]

I don’t generally have a car at Disneyland, but. If you are staying at GC on DVC points do you get free parking like you did at the Orlando resorts? I know they recently made all the Orlando resorts free for all guests… i’m assuming they didn’t do that for the Anaheim resorts?

VGC guests receive free self-parking for 2 cars

 

[ehh]

VGC guests receive free self-parking for 2 cars

But you can't get DVC's free parking during online check-in. But since we need to go to the front desk for room keys anyway, we make sure we get the free parking then.

 

[Mathmagicland]

But you can't get DVC's free parking during online check-in. But since we need to go to the front desk for room keys anyway, we make sure we get the free parking then.

I’ve gotten the free DVC self-parking when using online checkin, While it shows pricing during the online checkin process, since I’m guessing that is standard screen wording, I have not been charged as it recognizes the DVC points booking. Am I missing something?

 

[LilyJC]

I’ve gotten the free DVC self-parking when using online checkin, While it shows pricing during the online checkin process, since I’m guessing that is standard screen wording, I have not been charged as it recognizes the DVC points booking. Am I missing something?

No, that’s been our experience as well. We just click self park and have not been charged.

 

[ehh]

I’ve gotten the free DVC self-parking when using online checkin, While it shows pricing during the online checkin process, since I’m guessing that is standard screen wording, I have not been charged as it recognizes the DVC points booking. Am I missing something?

Ah, interesting!

I also click the paid self-parking and have assumed I was agreeing to paid parking. We've never had a stay where we didn't go to the front desk to get room keys (at which point we also make sure our parking will be free) so I've never let it play out to see if I got free parking after selecting paid.

Hopefully adding ~350 more DVC rooms at VDH gets DL IT to update this process and DVC members can just select free parking.

 

[nalabear]

Confusing for the first time back home; but system recognizes self parking is free for DVC. No charge happens.

Next step forward: Phones and MB+ for keys and bypass the front desk altogether.

And MB+ bellhop lockers!

 

[ajiuo]

Confusing for the first time back home; but system recognizes self parking is free for DVC. No charge happens.

Next step forward: Phones and MB+ for keys and bypass the front desk altogether.

And MB+ bellhop lockers!

I would not be surprised if the new Disneyland Hotel DVC tower is the first part of Disneyland that gets magic band compatible door locks installed. It would also make sense for them to be install at Pixar Place during the renovation. Perhaps VGC will get them during the referb (whenever that happens) I imagine that regardless of what is being installed that nothing will come online until everything is ready to come on line.

If I were to guess it will probably be upon the completion of the VGC referb, as that will be the last of the construction between the 3 hotels… they could probably just update the locks at Disneyland hotel towers and hotel rooms at grand cal at that point.