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

[bethy]

You are very considerate


No rooms open directly to the pool area.
1509 faces the pool, but there many plants outside the patio to give the room some privacy. This will make it difficult to walk out from from the patio.
1516 faces Redwood Creek, and you could easily walk out from the patio to the sidewalk leading around the villas. Your room key will open little used pool gate. This is the handicap accessible studio.
1520 faces Paradise Pier and is below the grand villa. The patio also has easy access to the sidewalk.
1504 and 1510 also face Paradise Pier, but plants and a lawn form a mound between the patio and the sidewalk.

I would recommend 1516 or 1520
The distance from any villa to the elevators is short, so you don't need to worry

Thanks so much for the personalized and detailed info. Thanks for taking the time.

After more consideration I went ahead and requested an upper floor, park view. I'm going to be spending SO much time in the room with a napping, nursing baby who will need regular doses of air conditioning. Therefore being able to see DCA might help me feel a little more like I'm on a Disney vacation. A little less abandoned by my DH and and older kids. Luckily I'll truly be happy and content with any view though.

Another little logisitical question: I've never stayed in a studio before (we are points poor for this trip since we are using so many points for Aulani in December ). Are the dishes ceramic or disposable? Today I'm ordering the groceries. Thanks!

 

[Nonsuch]

...I went ahead and requested an upper floor, park view.

May you get villa 6504

Are the dishes ceramic or disposable?

Paper plates

 

[PoohNFriends]

Best of luck!!

Also sending pixie dust to Homemom, VGC resale must be a hot commodity to come by!

nunzia - I saw an IL licesnse plate with nunzia 7 and thought why does that sound familiar and remembered your name from DIS so thought I'd let you know there's a "nunzia" driver out here!

 

[karylrocks]

How comfortable are the sofa sleepers in the villas? I have experienced some that are terrible and some that are almost as comfortable as beds (as much as can be with thinner mattresses and no box springs).

 

[Nonsuch]

How comfortable are the sofa sleepers in the villas? I have experienced some that are terrible and some that are almost as comfortable as beds.

Closer to terrible than comfortable
My guests found the sofa bed "backbreaking"
Another guest thought the murphy bed was "OK"

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

. Another little logisitical question: I've never stayed in a studio before (we are points poor for this trip since we are using so many points for Aulani in December ). Are the dishes ceramic or disposable? Today I'm ordering the groceries. Thanks!

It's paper plates and bowls and plastic utensils. You will have real glasses and coffee mugs though.

 

[TLPL]

Hey everyone, do those X510 rooms have view of the World of Color show? or how about X520??
Thanks

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Hey everyone, do those X510 rooms have view of the World of Color show? or how about X520??
Thanks

The WOC is partially blocked when you are in the x510 rooms. I was in the 5th floor 5510 for the opening weekend of WOC but went to the platform viewing area rather than watch from the room. The night before the opening they had a special viewing for CM's and VIP's and I was able to listen to the music and see a few lights. They had the platform viewing area locked off and guarded that night!

The position of the x520 rooms would be MUCH better - except those are only on the 1st and 2nd floor and my guess is they will probably be too low to see much of the show. Hopefully someone who has stayed in them will chime in.

 

[TLPL]

so basically out of the 23 studio, only maybe 3 has the perfect view of the pier? hummm... We are going to stay at VGC for this first time, and some friends are going to visit us when we are there. I hope we will get one of those studios so we and our guests can watch the show from the room after dinner.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

so basically out of the 23 studio, only maybe 3 has the perfect view of the pier? hummm... We are going to stay at VGC for this first time, and some friends are going to visit us when we are there. I hope we will get one of those studios so we and our guests can watch the show from the room after dinner.

Yes, that's about it. Just so you can see - here's the view from 5510. Taken a year ago so lots of construction stuff going on at that time. If I could have chopped off part of the GV it would have been practically perfect!

 

[nunzia]

Also sending pixie dust to Homemom, VGC resale must be a hot commodity to come by!

nunzia - I saw an IL licesnse plate with nunzia 7 and thought why does that sound familiar and remembered your name from DIS so thought I'd let you know there's a "nunzia" driver out here!

LOL..I'm always surprised when I try to use Nunzia for a user name and it's already taken but that seems to happen alot. My Dad called me Nunzia, which I was told means Nancy in Italian, so that's why I use it

I'm surprised to hear that someone thought the sofa bed was uncomfortable. More than one of my group of guests thought it was really comfortable.

There is really no perfect view of the show from the VGC..I've been able to see it from a couple different rooms, but you miss a good view of the projections, both in any room and from the viewing platform as well. You should make an effort to see the show from the park, and then just enjoy the water and lasers from the room a different night.

 

[TLPL]

Oh we are planning to see the show in the park ourselves, but it would be great if we can show our visiting friends how awesome the show is after we meet for dinner that evening. Our friends aren't Disney fan like us and one of them are handicap so he doesn't like to go to the park.

 

[kikiq]

Oh we are planning to see the show in the park ourselves, but it would be great if we can show our visiting friends how awesome the show is after we meet for dinner that evening. Our friends aren't Disney fan like us and one of them are handicap so he doesn't like to go to the park.

We were in room 3506 over Memorial Day weekend. Had a mini family reunion and they watched WOC from the master bedroom balcony. They could sort see the projections on the water screens, but it was still spectacular.

This is the view from the master balcony during the day

This is a WOC "close up" from the balcony

My sil does not like crowds but loves Disney. She watched it the first night from the balcony and agreed the second night to go into the park to watch it even with crowds.

 

[TLPL]

My sil does not like crowds but loves Disney. She watched it the first night from the balcony and agreed the second night to go into the park to watch it even with crowds.

That's my plan! I hope my friends will change their minds about going to the park after they see how cool it is from our room.

 

[jkkldisney]

Was it a lockoff or dedicated?
It is more difficult to change a lockoff, since a studio and 1 bedroom pair must be available.

Please post you villa number and the view

We were in 2505. It was a dedicated 2 bedroom. I didn't take any pictures of our view. Probably because I wasn't excited about it.

 

[Disney Princess]

That's my plan! I hope my friends will change their minds about going to the park after they see how cool it is from our room.

Even if you don't get the studio with the perfect view, you can always take your friends to the viewing platform on the 6th floor. Still not as great as in the park, but it may be enough to entice them to go the next night.

 

[Nonsuch]

We were in room 3506 over Memorial Day weekend...

This is the view from the master balcony during the day

The trees just beyond the fence are new. While they further obstruct the WOC view, they also cover the "backstage" area
I'm impressed that Disney made the effort to landscape behind the buildings, since only the VGC look into that area.

 

[kikiq]

We'll be in a studio in 10 days for our anniversary. I decided not to make a request. Just take what they give us, as my DH says, it would be nice to see the Mickey Wheel BUT we're at Disney and that's all that counts. I also figure we can add another studio view picture where ever it is.

 

[Nonsuch]

We'll be in a studio in 10 days for our anniversary. I decided not to make a request. Just take what they give us, as my DH says, it would be nice to see the Mickey Wheel BUT we're at Disney and that's all that counts.

If you think it would be "nice to see the Mickey Wheel", you should request that view
I have had good results making room requests

 

[franandaj]

We'll be in a studio in 10 days for our anniversary. I decided not to make a request. Just take what they give us, as my DH says, it would be nice to see the Mickey Wheel BUT we're at Disney and that's all that counts. I also figure we can add another studio view picture where ever it is.

Wow! I don't think I could do more than a few days there just because I would be worried about my cats, the house and other things. It would be too easy to pop home for a couple hours and waste my precious relaxing time!