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

[ClaraOswald]

So...I know it's hard to get a studio through rental sites.

But just how hard is it for owners to get a studio at the 11-month mark? I mean, if you aren't going over a holiday or during an event like races and whatnot. I seriously don't want to become an owner just to be unable to get the room/nights we want. I know some people "walk" reservations but that seems like a huge pain in the butt to me. I don't want to have to stress about getting a room. And unfortunately, we are a bit pickier about when we like to go.

 

[AstroBlasters]

So...I know it's hard to get a studio through rental sites.

But just how hard is it for owners to get a studio at the 11-month mark? I mean, if you aren't going over a holiday or during an event like races and whatnot. I seriously don't want to become an owner just to be unable to get the room/nights we want. I know some people "walk" reservations but that seems like a huge pain in the butt to me. I don't want to have to stress about getting a room. And unfortunately, we are a bit pickier about when we like to go.

The 2nd week of June is easier than the 1st week. I don’t know if this link will work:

https://www.dvchelp.com/page/the-villas-at-grand-californian-hotel-availability-charts

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

So...I know it's hard to get a studio through rental sites.

But just how hard is it for owners to get a studio at the 11-month mark? I mean, if you aren't going over a holiday or during an event like races and whatnot. I seriously don't want to become an owner just to be unable to get the room/nights we want. I know some people "walk" reservations but that seems like a huge pain in the butt to me. I don't want to have to stress about getting a room. And unfortunately, we are a bit pickier about when we like to go.

We been able to get whatever we wanted @ VGC whenever we've tried right at 11 month mark though we do it right when it becomes available (and we've not gone at the craziest of times other than NYEve).

 

[AstroBlasters]

So...I know it's hard to get a studio through rental sites.

But just how hard is it for owners to get a studio at the 11-month mark? I mean, if you aren't going over a holiday or during an event like races and whatnot. I seriously don't want to become an owner just to be unable to get the room/nights we want. I know some people "walk" reservations but that seems like a huge pain in the butt to me. I don't want to have to stress about getting a room. And unfortunately, we are a bit pickier about when we like to go.

If you want to be in a studio with more flexibility and are cost conscious, VDH might be a much better way to go. They will have 253 deluxe studios compared to 23 at VGC. We’ll know the pricing and point chart soon.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

So...I know it's hard to get a studio through rental sites.

But just how hard is it for owners to get a studio at the 11-month mark? I mean, if you aren't going over a holiday or during an event like races and whatnot. I seriously don't want to become an owner just to be unable to get the room/nights we want. I know some people "walk" reservations but that seems like a huge pain in the butt to me. I don't want to have to stress about getting a room. And unfortunately, we are a bit pickier about when we like to go.

No issues booking at 11 months, even the studios. I've only seen people walk studios for NYE and maybe during Spring Break but rarely. Besides, once you go 1BR at VGC, you won't go back to a studio!

 

[ClaraOswald]

The 2nd week of June is easier than the 1st week. I don’t know if this link will work:

https://www.***********/page/the-villas-at-grand-californian-hotel-availability-charts

Thanks. We've done late June but might try early June next time. The early December days look more iffy and every few years I would like to go during that time to see the decorations. We do avoid the candlelight weekend though.

If you want to be in a studio with more flexibility and are cost conscious, VDH might be a much better way to go. They will have 253 deluxe studios compared to 23 at VGC. We’ll know the pricing and point chart soon.

I keep going back to that. But my husband said he thinks he'll really wish we were at VGC every time we walk by. Ha!

No issues booking at 11 months, even the studios. I've only seen people walk studios for NYE and maybe during Spring Break but rarely. Besides, once you go 1BR at VGC, you won't go back to a studio!

I've heard that. I could see us spacing trips out more and banking in order to get a 1-bedroom sometime. But I think we'd start with several trips in the studios while our son is still young-ish.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Thanks. We've done late June but might try early June next time. The early December days look more iffy and every few years I would like to go during that time to see the decorations. We do avoid the candlelight weekend though.



I keep going back to that. But my husband said he thinks he'll really wish we were at VGC every time we walk by. Ha!



I've heard that. I could see us spacing trips out more and banking in order to get a 1-bedroom sometime. But I think we'd start with several trips in the studios while our son is still young-ish.

You probably would want VGC, but a VDH studio will still be better than staying off property IMHO. Buying direct is also a million times less stressful than resale.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

I've heard that. I could see us spacing trips out more and banking in order to get a 1-bedroom sometime. But I think we'd start with several trips in the studios while our son is still young-ish.

How old is your son? With only the three of you, a studio more than suffices. I have two kids (8,6) and it's already a little tight, having them share the pullout couch. But in a 1BR, my kids always fight over the little murphy bed underneath the TV. And that laundry, kitchen, and extra full bathroom at VGC is heaven.

I keep going back to that. But my husband said he thinks he'll really wish we were at VGC every time we walk by. Ha!

Just keep in mind, early June maybe lower in points chart, but it's also prime season for Grad Nights at DLR. That means, the parks close early for most of the first two weeks in June, and are overrun with High School seniors. Yuck!

 

[DisVDS]

I posted in the ROFR thread, but recently had an offer accepted for 180 pts. I was also contemplating waiting on VDH and buying direct, but decided to pull the trigger on a $230/pt contract at VGC.

One of the main reasons I decided to just go ahead with VGC was that we stayed at Disneyland Hotel last week and the restaurants were completely over-run. We had to wait 2 hours for a table at Trader Sams, and the to-go counter was a 30+ minute wait to order, and then another 45 minutes for the food to come out. This is going to substantially worse when VDH opens, since they are adding a ton of capacity without additional restaurants. We have stayed the same week with similar, near full, occupancy at VGC in the past and never had these sorts of problems. Just seems like it has a much better Rooms-to-Amenities Ratio.

Add this to the fact that VGC has a better location and is nicer (especially after it get a refurb next year), it was worth the extra $13 per point (assuming VDH matches the going rate for other resorts).

Now, the grand villa at VDH does look amazing with that outdoor living room, but I'm sure it's going to be a crazy amount of points.

 

[ClaraOswald]

You probably would want VGC, but a VDH studio will still be better than staying off property IMHO. Buying direct is also a million times less stressful than resale.

Yeah, that makes sense. Though the VDH do seem like a long walk compared to where we stay offsite. The walk is probably more pleasant though.

How old is your son? With only the three of you, a studio more than suffices. I have two kids (8,6) and it's already a little tight, having them share the pullout couch. But in a 1BR, my kids always fight over the little murphy bed underneath the TV. And that laundry, kitchen, and extra full bathroom at VGC is heaven.

Just keep in mind, early June maybe lower in points chart, but it's also prime season for Grad Nights at DLR. That means, the parks close early for most of the first two weeks in June, and are overrun with High School seniors. Yuck!

He's 9. Since he has autism and a developmental disability, there's a pretty good chance he will be vacationing with us even when he is an adult. Sadly, I don't see us ever having enough points for a proper 2-bedroom when that happens but I still think having a bed in the living area is good enough for his "own" space. And 2 bathrooms would be fantastic. (And the laundry! We drove last summer so the whole trip was almost 2 weeks and we had an insane amount of laundry when we got home.)

I posted in the ROFR thread, but recently had an offer accepted for 180 pts. I was also contemplating waiting on VDH and buying direct, but decided to pull the trigger on a $230/pt contract at VGC.

One of the main reasons I decided to just go ahead with VGC was that we stayed at Disneyland Hotel last week and the restaurants were completely over-run. We had to wait 2 hours for a table at Trader Sams, and the to-go counter was a 30+ minute wait to order, and then another 45 minutes for the food to come out. This is going to substantially worse when VDH opens, since they are adding a ton of capacity without additional restaurants. We have stayed the same week with similar, near full, occupancy at VGC in the past and never had these sorts of problems. Just seems like it has a much better Rooms-to-Amenities Ratio.

Add this to the fact that VGC has a better location and is nicer (especially after it get a refurb next year), it was worth the extra $13 per point (assuming VDH matches the going rate for other resorts).

Now, the grand villa at VDH does look amazing with that outdoor living room, but I'm sure it's going to be a crazy amount of points.

Thanks for writing about your experience at the DLH. I've never stayed there. How were the lines for security getting into DTD to head over to the parks? When we were at the GC in early February, we never waited in lines of more than a few people (though, we never did rope drop.)

Before we went to the GC, people had told us that we might end up with crazy long waits for breakfast at Craftsman Grill so I was expecting what you mentioned at DLH. I'm not sure if we just got lucky or what...but we never waited in lines to order, we always had a table (though usually outside), and our food came out quickly.

 

[DisVDS]

Thanks for writing about your experience at the DLH. I've never stayed there. How were the lines for security getting into DTD to head over to the parks? When we were at the GC in early February, we never waited in lines of more than a few people (though, we never did rope drop.)

Before we went to the GC, people had told us that we might end up with crazy long waits for breakfast at Craftsman Grill so I was expecting what you mentioned at DLH. I'm not sure if we just got lucky or what...but we never waited in lines to order, we always had a table (though usually outside), and our food came out quickly.

We always do rope drop, so maybe this is biased towards early in the morning, but from my experience the lines to get through security from DLH are substantially better than GC. That's the only knock I have from my stays at GC is that it would always take 10-15 minutes to get through security to get into the park or downtown disney. At DLH we never had to wait more than a couple of people, so 1-2 minutes max. Early morning monorail lines can get long, so we usually go to the main gates.

Also, can't comment on breakfast at Craftsman grill, as we always eat breakfast in the room, since we are trying to make magic mornings at 7:30 AM .

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

Yeah, that makes sense. Though the VDH do seem like a long walk compared to where we stay offsite. The walk is probably more pleasant though.

I used Google Earth and the ruler tool and it looks like VDH to the ticket gates of Disneyland is approximately 3,000 feet. So a little more than half a mile. The closest hotel directly across the street from Disneyland entrance is around 1,200 feet. Not sure how far from there you stay but yes certainly some hotels are closer. We sometimes stay at Worldmark Anaheim which clocks in just under a mile. I wish it were closer but it's not too bad so I'm looking forward to half that walk and walking through Downtown Disney instead of along Anaheim city streets. All "Bubble" except the hotel. That said.. I don't mind my Grand Cal stays and want more points there - tee hee.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Can anyone tell me if the studio refrigerators have a freezer area that we’d be able to freeze our ice pack in before heading to the airport? We’re in a 1-bed but have to move to a studio the last night so I’m hoping it has that little freezer box that could fit an ice pack in. I tried searching but no luck. Thanks!

Yes, there is a small freezer area. You should be OK with freezing your ice packs. I have frozen a plastic water bottle in the studio freezers overnight. It is maybe a 2.5-3 inches high space,

 

[DisVDS]

Once our resale purchase hopefully goes through, I plan to immediately try to book a 2 bedroom in Feb '24. I'm wondering what the difference is between the lock-off 2 bedrooms vs the standard 2 bedrooms? Traveling with small kids so not concerned with the ability to close it off for privacy, but seems the lockoffs have less availability? Are they better in some way, or is that just because studio + 1 bed reservations take them up?

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

Once our resale purchase hopefully goes through, I plan to immediately try to book a 2 bedroom in Feb '24. I'm wondering what the difference is between the lock-off 2 bedrooms vs the standard 2 bedrooms? Traveling with small kids so not concerned with the ability to close it off for privacy, but seems the lockoffs have less availability? Are they better in some way, or is that just because studio + 1 bed reservations take them up?

Dedicated 2 bedrooms would have two queen beds rather than 1 bed and a pull out couch in a lock off. But yes it’s totally because the studios book quickly due to low points and would be part of a lock-off. So the more booked studios = less lock off 2 bedrooms available.

 

[ehh]

Once our resale purchase hopefully goes through, I plan to immediately try to book a 2 bedroom in Feb '24. I'm wondering what the difference is between the lock-off 2 bedrooms vs the standard 2 bedrooms? Traveling with small kids so not concerned with the ability to close it off for privacy, but seems the lockoffs have less availability? Are they better in some way, or is that just because studio + 1 bed reservations take them up?

A lockoff is a combination of a 1BR and a Studio. The 1BR includes the full kitchen, living room, laundry, etc. The secondary bedroom in a lockoff is just a Studio and will have a permanent queen bed, a pullout sofa, and a kitchenette. As @UrsulaWantsYourSoul mentioned, studio and 1BR bookings will reduce 2BRLO inventory, so they will probably book faster even if the 2BRLO configs aren't being booked.

A standard 2BR is a purpose-built 2BR. It will have a primary bedroom similar/identical to a 1BR, a living room, a kitchen, laundry, but the secondary bedroom will have 2 permanent queen beds with no kitchenette and no sofa bed. There are doors to the bedrooms that can be closed for privacy.

Generally, the dedicated 2BR config is a better config for families.

 

[PortlandFan]

Generally, the dedicated 2BR config is a better config for families.

Same thinking here ... the lockoff has that additional door to the hallway and the kitchenette that I'd rather not worry about with younger kiddos. Plus, for us, the 2nd bed in that room better than a pullout couch.

Tip: If you have kids in the 2nd room, you may want to avoid 6500. The door to the common balcony is right on the other side of it and it bangs against the wall very loudly. I thought it was an exaggeration when I first read about it, but it only took 2 stays before we put that room low on our request list.

 

[HIRyeDVC]

Same thinking here ... the lockoff has that additional door to the hallway and the kitchenette that I'd rather not worry about with younger kiddos. Plus, for us, the 2nd bed in that room better than a pullout couch.

Tip: If you have kids in the 2nd room, you may want to avoid 6500. The door to the common balcony is right on the other side of it and it bangs against the wall very loudly. I thought it was an exaggeration when I first read about it, but it only took 2 stays before we put that room low on our request list.

That's interesting! I thought that room would be highly sought after for the high balcony views of DCA and WoC. But considering it's right next to the viewing deck, I can see the noise being a problem. I stayed in 6502 in a 1BR next door and it was amazing, without the noise.

 

[pineapplepalms]

That's interesting! I thought that room would be highly sought after for the high balcony views of DCA and WoC. But considering it's right next to the viewing deck, I can see the noise being a problem. I stayed in 6502 in a 1BR next door and it was amazing, without the noise.

We’ve been in 6500 a couple of times with little ones in the second bedroom and didn’t have any issues with noise, but our kids are pretty deep sleepers. We love that view!

 

[ClaraOswald]

So people actually request specific rooms? Is that something you call about ahead of time or can you put it in online? I wonder if there are specific rooms we should avoid due to noise issues like the door slamming mentioned or if most of the studios are just the same.