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

[CarolynFH]

When do you make room requests? When you make the reservation or right before check-in? Do you do it online or do you have to call?

You have to submit requests to MS, which you can do via the member website chat or email, or you can call. I usually submit them as soon as I’m sure what they are - but I don’t ask for much, usually just High Floor if I have BW view or View of Quiet Pool if we have P/G view. Some guests submit lists of room numbers or have multiple requests - if so, it’s best to tell MS which is most important, 2nd most important, etc. And some use an online 3rd party. Both MS and the 3rd party seem to have equal success in having the request granted, as near as I can tell from posts here. Room assignments are made 5-7 days before checkin, so in any case you should submit them before that. And remember it’s just a request, not guaranteed!

One last thing - if you submit a request via any other method, leave the room location request section blank when you do online checkin. And doing online checkin does not prevent you from going to the front desk on arrival to ask about your request’s chance of being filled.

 

[NVDISFamily]

Does anyone know if I can have food from Black Tap in downtown Disney delivered to our room at VGC?

 

[DebbieB]

Does anyone know if I can have food from Black Tap in downtown Disney delivered to our room at VGC?

Probably to the lobby. When I was there last September, there were a lot of people in the lobby waiting for deliveries.

 

[nalabear]

back in the early COVID reopening, yes. Don't think so anymore.

 

[NeutralNovice]

So...VGC owners, how do you feel about the VDH reveal?

I, for one, am really happy that I bought VGC resale at $236pp. I could have done better probably but oh well!

Those VDH points charts and hidden fees are pretty atrocious. From my understanding, they will have to pay a tax on top of the points they use for their stay. I understand the same tax is there for VGC but at least it's built in to the dues--and it seems like the dues pp is still less than VDH; however I imagine that VGC will leapfrog VDH in 2024 when renovations due to take place.

Oh and apparently you have to pay for parking now if you're at VDH? Yikes,

 

[nalabear]

nice gamble and grab at 236$. Wished we grabbed more when we bought just before covid. Plenty of SAP though and being local like to use for 1night stays while saving our VGC for high demand weekends that we don't cancel.

VDH luster wore off REAL quick with those point charts and MFs+taxes

 

[NVDISFamily]

how do you feel about the VDH reveal?

It’s a real letdown. I’ve already reached out to my guide and said I have many concerns. I’m also strongly considering stalking for a second UY for VGC points in the years to come.

As a side note, almost no disappointment at all with our first stay at VGC. It’s as magical as we dreamed. Did a quick run out to the esplanade tonight to watch the throwback fireworks, cut back through California Adventure to play with the 100 statues with the magic bands, got some great shots with the photo pass people at some spots, and were back in our room in about 40 to 50 min total including the fireworks. Awesome is an understatement.

 

[lsutigers03]

My wife and I have a 1 bedroom villa booked for February 2024. Are there any requests regarding the location of the room that can be made?

 

[ehh]

So...VGC owners, how do you feel about the VDH reveal?

We've moved from "definitely buying" to "on the fence".

We want more Disneyland points so we can switch to 1BR for all of our stays and we're like 80% of a stay short with our current VGC points.

We could shorten our stays, add on to VGC, or we can add on at VDH.

Bulletpoint thoughts about where I stand about VDH:

• The VDH points chart doesn't bother us
• The first year dues don't bother us (VGC will be level in 2-3 years, DVC has slow-rolled dues increases at new resorts)
• The upfront cost doesn't bother us
• The tax is a bummer, and a shock, but the 'DVC math' still works
• Disneyland Forever is an intriguing 'What if?' down the road that could improve VDH's location
• We love VGC but hotel variety is a plus, and VDH appears to meet our minimum requirements for niceness
• I'm concerned how hard it will be to book a VDH 1BR, even at 11m
• Ironically, the time of year we're targeting I've seen VGC 1BR available in decent quantity at 7m, so I might even be able to switch to VGC at 7m somewhat regularly

 

[vacay77]

So...VGC owners, how do you feel about the VDH reveal?

I, for one, am really happy that I bought VGC resale at $236pp. I could have done better probably but oh well!

Those VDH points charts and hidden fees are pretty atrocious. From my understanding, they will have to pay a tax on top of the points they use for their stay. I understand the same tax is there for VGC but at least it's built in to the dues--and it seems like the dues pp is still less than VDH; however I imagine that VGC will leapfrog VDH in 2024 when renovations due to take place.

Oh and apparently you have to pay for parking now if you're at VDH? Yikes,

I was intrigued but crossing it off my list now. My family bought VGC direct after being on a waitlist or a long time, and before they stopped putting people on the waitlist. No regrets. We love VGC. Maybe that’s how VDH owners will feel in the future, though, about VDH.

 

[Nonsuch]

My wife and I have a 1 bedroom villa booked for February 2024. Are there any requests regarding the location of the room that can be made?

Search this thread for “6502” (only 6th floor 1 bedroom) which will be included in lists of preferred views.

 

[lsutigers03]

Search this thread for “6502” (only 6th floor 1 bedroom) which will be included in lists of preferred views.

Thank you very much. I'll ask my friend to contact member services.

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

We've moved from "definitely buying" to "on the fence".

We want more Disneyland points so we can switch to 1BR for all of our stays and we're like 80% of a stay short with our current VGC points.

We could shorten our stays, add on to VGC, or we can add on at VDH.

Bulletpoint thoughts about where I stand about VDH:

• The VDH points chart doesn't bother us
• The first year dues don't bother us (VGC will be level in 2-3 years, DVC has slow-rolled dues increases at new resorts)
• The upfront cost doesn't bother us
• The tax is a bummer, and a shock, but the 'DVC math' still works
• Disneyland Forever is an intriguing 'What if?' down the road that could improve VDH's location
• We love VGC but hotel variety is a plus, and VDH appears to meet our minimum requirements for niceness
• I'm concerned how hard it will be to book a VDH 1BR, even at 11m
• Ironically, the time of year we're targeting I've seen VGC 1BR available in decent quantity at 7m, so I might even be able to switch to VGC at 7m somewhat regularly

You are basically me. That defines about exactly what we are thinking Re VDH. We paused briefly yesterday with the unexpected news and then for those reasons we are forging on. Not quite the value as anticipated but still in. We are used to transient tax for Worldmark just had gotten used to paying zero to small (VGC) for DVC.

 

[bobbiwoz]

You are basically me. That defines about exactly what we are thinking Re VDH. We paused briefly yesterday with the unexpected news and then for those reasons we are forging on. Not quite the value as anticipated but still in. We are used to transient tax for Worldmark just had gotten used to paying zero to small (VGC) for DVC.

Oh, happy for your decision, more points.

 

[nalabear]

Moved From 'buying' to 'probably wait for resale VDH pricing'.

We're not opposed to locked into VDH and ToT may actually lower resale even further which is fine for us

Have plenty of SAP beyond our home VGC -- probably won't have VDH access since after 2019.

 

[ClaraOswald]

We originally (only briefly) considered waiting and buying VDH direct instead of VGC resale. But then we decided we'd just be much happier at the Grand Californian. And now that prices and everything are released...I'm REALLY happy we got our resale contract this past month!

 

[mathgeek]

We originally (only briefly) considered waiting and buying VDH direct instead of VGC resale. But then we decided we'd just be much happier at the Grand Californian. And now that prices and everything are released...I'm REALLY happy we got our resale contract this past month!

I went through that same exact thought process almost a year ago, then somehow found the small contract I wanted on the same day I started looking and put in an offer. Closed last summer, and my first trip using my points coming up soon! Can't wait!

 

[ClaraOswald]

Might be a weird question...

But does anyone here have a public Instagram or Twitter account where they post pics while on Disneyland trips? If so, I'd love to follow along! It's always nice to live vicariously through others between trips.

 

[mathgeek]

Might be a weird question...

But does anyone here have a public Instagram or Twitter account where they post pics while on Disneyland trips? If so, I'd love to follow along! It's always nice to live vicariously through others between trips.

If nobody replies, maybe search #disneyland on Instagram and Twitter and see if there are public accounts you can follow? Or just follow that hashtag - I think there's an option to do that on Instagram.

 

[Chili327]

So...VGC owners, how do you feel about the VDH reveal?

I, for one, am really happy that I bought VGC resale at $236pp. I could have done better probably but oh well!

Oh and apparently you have to pay for parking now if you're at VDH? Yikes,

Excellent choice, & looking even better now, i bet the price starts going back up steadily.

It’s a real letdown. I’ve already reached out to my guide and said I have many concerns. I’m also strongly considering stalking for a second UY for VGC points in the years to come.

As a side note, almost no disappointment at all with our first stay at VGC. It’s as magical as we dreamed. Did a quick run out to the esplanade tonight to watch the throwback fireworks, cut back through California Adventure to play with the 100 statues with the magic bands, got some great shots with the photo pass people at some spots, and were back in our room in about 40 to 50 min total including the fireworks. Awesome is an understatement.

Curious about the Fireworks, did it feel different, or anything special calling back to a different time.?

We've moved from "definitely buying" to "on the fence".

We want more Disneyland points so we can switch to 1BR for all of our stays and we're like 80% of a stay short with our current VGC points.

We could shorten our stays, add on to VGC, or we can add on at VDH.

Bulletpoint thoughts about where I stand about VDH:

• The VDH points chart doesn't bother us
• The first year dues don't bother us (VGC will be level in 2-3 years, DVC has slow-rolled dues increases at new resorts)
• The upfront cost doesn't bother us
• The tax is a bummer, and a shock, but the 'DVC math' still works
• Disneyland Forever is an intriguing 'What if?' down the road that could improve VDH's location
• We love VGC but hotel variety is a plus, and VDH appears to meet our minimum requirements for niceness
• I'm concerned how hard it will be to book a VDH 1BR, even at 11m
• Ironically, the time of year we're targeting I've seen VGC 1BR available in decent quantity at 7m, so I might even be able to switch to VGC at 7m somewhat regularly

I agree with both...
Positive
Negative

I think it may have pushed out a lot of prospective buyers, but its not like no one will buy. I just hope a lot of people buy & split their contracts up into smaller ones, so the resale market is flourishing in a couple years. Also VGC value just went back up because of it.