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

[LilyJC]

Part of me wishes Disney would ROFR a few VGC contracts and sell direct points for $350+ so that they would have some skin in the game…. the only problem is they would sell out as soon as they got them…

Same! I’ve considered reaching out to our guide to try to find us even just 50 more VGC points!

 

[Nonsuch]

Interesting I could have sworn that in the villa I stayed in last month we had the dispensers.

Checked my photos, and villa 6502 had the dispensers on 29 May 2023

I’m honestly concerned about the VGC remodel if this is going to be DVC quality and am glad Aulani is not scheduled for a full refurb for a number of years.

I'm also concerned about the VGC remodel. While villas certainly can use a refresh, the bathrooms don't need a "to the studs" remodel that GCH received. Bathrooms floors currently have a "border and field" design that is rather expensive to install, which might be eliminated to same money.

As an Anaheim local, I have loved the lobby at the Grand Cal since the day it opened. The rooms, however, are just about the darkest and dreariest DVC rooms I've had the misfortune of staying in...

GCH rooms are considerably brighter after the 2007 remodel. VGC received the same lighter carpets and drapes, and perhaps the upcoming remodel will include the indirect lighting (a crown moulding with lighting)

 

[DonMacGregor]

GCH rooms are considerably brighter after the 2007 remodel. VGC received the same lighter carpets and drapes, and perhaps the upcoming remodel will include the indirect lighting (a crown moulding with lighting)

Didn't make it any better in my eyes. I have a degree in architecture and have been a HUGE fan of Greene & Greene, FLW, and the Craftsman Style since I was a kid. As I said, I'm a massive fan of the lobby and other common area spaces, and am a fan of Peter Dominick's other work at Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge, but it doesn't translate well into guest rooms with the subdued and earth-toned decor. The picture rails along the tops of the walls give the room too much horizontality in my mind, and make the room feel too deep and the ceilings too low.

 

[ClaraOswald]

We stayed on the hotel side and didn't find the room to be dark/dreary at all. I actually really loved it! I suspect we might find our VGC studio to be more rundown and drab this summer so I have my expectations set a bit lower. It's a good thing there are all types of DVC resorts for all types of tastes.

I am a bit worried they will cheap out and the refurbishment will not be great. Will that make me regret purchasing a contract? Nope! The location really can't be beat. And after years of being a local and never staying in hotels in the area (well, except for the old Anabella once) followed by over a decade of staying off-site on Harbor......I'm really happy that future trips will be at VGC. The whole "feel" of our Grand Cal trip last year was so different than staying other places.

I'm excited to see BRV in a couple weeks (though I never saw it pre-refurb) and hopefully I'll like the room and it will give me hope for a good VGC refurb!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We stayed on the hotel side and didn't find the room to be dark/dreary at all. I actually really loved it! I suspect we might find our VGC studio to be more rundown and drab this summer so I have my expectations set a bit lower. It's a good thing there are all types of DVC resorts for all types of tastes.

I am a bit worried they will cheap out and the refurbishment will not be great. Will that make me regret purchasing a contract? Nope! The location really can't be beat. And after years of being a local and never staying in hotels in the area (well, except for the old Anabella once) followed by over a decade of staying off-site on Harbor......I'm really happy that future trips will be at VGC. The whole "feel" of our Grand Cal trip last year was so different than staying other places.

I'm excited to see BRV in a couple weeks (though I never saw it pre-refurb) and hopefully I'll like the room and it will give me hope for a good VGC refurb!

I found the hotel side rooms to be quite bright after the refurb. I have no problem with dark in homes or hotels though if well done and always loved VGC's decor and design much like the old VWL/BRV darker tone and AKV. It's calm and seems both cooling when it's warmer and warm when it's cooler. I'd hate to see it change drastically in the refurb.

 

[The_MT]

Went in last night and they are all gone.

Oh nooooo Hope they get more

 

[ClaraOswald]

I found the hotel side rooms to be quite bright after the refurb. I have no problem with dark in homes or hotels though if well done and always loved VGC's decor and design much like the old VWL/BRV darker tone and AKV. It's calm and seems both cooling when it's warmer and warm when it's cooler. I'd hate to see it change drastically in the refurb.

I'm hoping they don't brighten the villas rooms anymore than they did on the hotel side. I want there to still be darker wood and whatnot. They put that murphy in one of the studios and it was in a similar wood tone so hopefully that's a good sign!

 

[Rex1993]

I really like the feel of the current VGC rooms. They just feel homey. Maybe that's because I'm an older millennial and the furniture is the kind of stuff I grew up with but there's just something comforting about the rooms. Don't get me wrong, the condition of carpets, wallpaper and furniture definitely show their age but I hope the new feel isn't drastically different. It certainly would be nice if there was actual communication from the association about the refurb but that's never going to happen...

Does anyone know what happens to the furniture and fixtures? Are they just sent to the landfill?

 

[Mathmagicland]

Does anyone know what happens to the furniture and fixtures? Are they just sent to the landfill?

Sometimes it somehow ends up in auctions or on eBay, where you can end up with a little bit of VGC in your own home!

 

[Rex1993]

Sometimes it somehow ends up in auctions or on eBay, where you can end up with a little bit of VGC in your own home!

That's good to know. I was thinking that even though the furniture and furnishings are showing their age, they are definitely higher quality than most of the stuff sold today. I'm positive people would pay something and maybe even a good amount for a piece of the Grand Cal. I'd love two of the bedside lamps. It seems like there has to be some sort of auctioneer or wholesaler that would take the entire lot and then resell.

 

[PortlandFan]

Same! I’ve considered reaching out to our guide to try to find us even just 50 more VGC points!

We did this about 6 years ago ... we called to see if we might be able to add points even though they were not taking anyone for the waitlist. Our guide happened to be out of town, and the person we got told us emphatically "no" and then tried to, in my opinion, give us a hard sell for aulani. I re-iterated that it wouldn't help us and ended the call. I followed up a week later with our regular guide, somewhat sheepishly explaining that I had already been rejected, and our guide was on it! He told us that there was nothing currently available, but sometimes blocks become available and they allow them to be purchased by existing owners; we just had to describe what we might be looking for -- so we said we'd take as many as 125, or several smaller, and that we wanted to match our use year. About 2 months later we got a call that we could have up to 125 or we could go smaller. We were pretty happy we persevered.

 

[LilyJC]

We did this about 6 years ago ... we called to see if we might be able to add points even though they were not taking anyone for the waitlist. Our guide happened to be out of town, and the person we got told us emphatically "no" and then tried to, in my opinion, give us a hard sell for aulani. I re-iterated that it wouldn't help us and ended the call. I followed up a week later with our regular guide, somewhat sheepishly explaining that I had already been rejected, and our guide was on it! He told us that there was nothing currently available, but sometimes blocks become available and they allow them to be purchased by existing owners; we just had to describe what we might be looking for -- so we said we'd take as many as 125, or several smaller, and that we wanted to match our use year. About 2 months later we got a call that we could have up to 125 or we could go smaller. We were pretty happy we persevered.

Yes! The last time we were able to add on direct VGC points was 2017, and it was a definite mad grab by our guide. She is no longer there, but our current guide was somewhat recently able to get direct VGC for someone else. Definitely tempted… even though we REALLY don’t need any more points.

 

[ClaraOswald]

We did this about 6 years ago ... we called to see if we might be able to add points even though they were not taking anyone for the waitlist. Our guide happened to be out of town, and the person we got told us emphatically "no" and then tried to, in my opinion, give us a hard sell for aulani. I re-iterated that it wouldn't help us and ended the call. I followed up a week later with our regular guide, somewhat sheepishly explaining that I had already been rejected, and our guide was on it! He told us that there was nothing currently available, but sometimes blocks become available and they allow them to be purchased by existing owners; we just had to describe what we might be looking for -- so we said we'd take as many as 125, or several smaller, and that we wanted to match our use year. About 2 months later we got a call that we could have up to 125 or we could go smaller. We were pretty happy we persevered.

Can I ask who your guide is?

Before we purchased resale, I had communicated via email with a west coast guide but obviously VGC wasn't available and he did call me once VDH opened but I told him we weren't interested. Would that guy still be considered "my" guide? Or do I not even really have one??

 

[PortlandFan]

Can I ask who your guide is?

Before we purchased resale, I had communicated via email with a west coast guide but obviously VGC wasn't available and he did call me once VDH opened but I told him we weren't interested. Would that guy still be considered "my" guide? Or do I not even really have one??

Sadly, Doug retired this past Spring. He was incredible. You do not really have a guide assigned at this point. (They lock you into your guide as a courtesy for consistency, but you can switch at any time.) There was a guide that we met at Aulani just before pandemic; he was awesome. If I find his card, I'll send you his info.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Can I see pics of your ornaments, hat, and spirit jersey?? (Probably all of these things, including that backpack will be gone by the time we get there in June but I want to see anyway.)

ornaments

 

[ClaraOswald]

Thanks! I have that first one but now I need that 2nd one too.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Thanks! I have that first one but now I need that 2nd one too.

I’m a huge fan of the classic Chip n Dale / Donald Duck cartoons…. I love that they are the mascots of the resort!

 

[Lorana]

We just got back from a short stay at the Grand Cali ourselves -- a whirlwind little getaway of 2 Nights at Universal (really just for Super Nintendo World for our boys) and 3 nights at Disneyland. We hadn't been again since well before Covid, and both my husband and I had forgotten JUST HOW MUCH WE LOVE this resort and its feel, and deeply regret only having a small contract here. I'm not sure how much we really will visit in the future, but at least before we got on the plane with the very bumpy flight home, DH was saying that we need to plan more stays out there.

So of course I made the mistake of looking at resale sights, saw a contract with the same UY as our existing VGC points, and made an offer... I really shouldn't be adding on, but it's so impossible to book if you don't own most of the time. If it gets accepted, I may need to consider which of our existing contracts I may try to sell to offset the cost addition, lol, since VGC is so much more.

We DID visit the new Disneyland villas while there, and admittedly they are BEAUTIFUL. But they aren't the Grand Californian. And I don't like those point charts, or transient taxes, so looking to add on again at VGC is the way to go.

I definitely cannot wait to go back!

 

[Chili327]

Same! I’ve considered reaching out to our guide to try to find us even just 50 more VGC points!

I had my guide searching for anything under 100 points for me, she couldn't come up with any, but always checked in to see if I was interested in VDH. lol

 

[Lorana]

I had my guide searching for anything under 100 points for me, but couldn't come up with any, but always checked in to see if I was interested in VDH. lol

I'm on the waitlist, and have been for years. So resale is how I've had to go. I'd prefer direct, if only so that on a whim we could use them at VDH if we wanted, but I do have direct points on my Sep UY I can use for that if I really wanted.