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

[ClaraOswald]

Yeah...I'm like 97% sure we're going to push our June 2025 trip to December 2025 instead. Now I just need to figure out if/when I should start walking it since I know early December studios were walked this year.

 

[MartyParty]

It appears I will be staying at VGC during the middle of the refurb (and before, and after...).

We considered trying to VDH at 7m, but only studios are available at VDH and our VGC points are resale

Ehh, you’re a master of all things Disney data. Any forecast for when DVD might declare more rooms? Like you I’ve got wait lists in for a 2 bedroom in mid January and it’s looking full at both resorts.

 

[nalababybear]

Yeah...I'm like 97% sure we're going to push our June 2025 trip to December 2025 instead. Now I just need to figure out if/when I should start walking it since I know early December studios were walked this year.

1st weekend is highly popular due to low points AND candlelight procession.
2nd weekend too as a lot of colleges get out and before the holiday surge.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Yeah, we want to avoid the candlelight processional. Is that just on the 1st Saturday of the month? We also don't want to be there too close to Christmas. We did the first week of December in 2018 and had a good time.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Yeah, we want to avoid the candlelight processional. Is that just on the 1st Saturday of the month? We also don't want to be there too close to Christmas. We did the first week of December in 2018 and had a good time.

Candlelight will be both Saturday and Sunday of the first weekend of December. The staging goes up a few days before, which can affect access to the Main Street RR station.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Hmm....so I'm thinking, depending upon what flights look like, we'll try to arrive on Sunday and then our first park day would be Monday. Or we could arrive Monday and first park day Tuesday. I kind of hate that with DVC, I have to book the room so far in advance of flights being released.

 

[nalababybear]

W

Hmm....so I'm thinking, depending upon what flights looks like, we'll try to arrive on Sunday and then our first park day would be Monday. Or we could arrive Monday and first park day Tuesday. I kind of hate that with DVC, I have to book the room so far in advance of flights being released.

That's when you book a few extra days and rebook when the tickets get released. That's the challenge with airlines like southwest and point hungry vgc

 

[AstroBlasters]

Hmm....so I'm thinking, depending upon what flights looks like, we'll try to arrive on Sunday and then our first park day would be Monday. Or we could arrive Monday and first park day Tuesday. I kind of hate that with DVC, I have to book the room so far in advance of flights being released.

“Flights” you say…. this seems to be a positive change…..

 

[ClaraOswald]

W
That's when you book a few extra days and rebook when the tickets get released. That's the challenge with airlines like southwest and point hungry vgc

Yeah, hopefully I'll have enough points to book some extra days. I should this time around since I have 128 points left in 2024 that I plan to bank over to 2025.

“Flights” you say…. this seems to be a positive change…..

How do you mean?

 

[AstroBlasters]

Yeah, hopefully I'll have enough points to book some extra days. I should this time around since I have 128 points left in 2024 that I plan to bank over to 2025.



How do you mean?

Flying > Driving

 

[ClaraOswald]

Oh. Yeah....we never drive for winter trips. Partly because we have to drive through the mountains. And also because we don't want to pull our son out of school all those extra days. I seriously hate flying though. And it's getting more and more expensive!

 

[nalababybear]

Oh. Yeah....we never drive for winter trips. Partly because we have to drive through the mountains. And also because we don't want to pull our son out of school all those extra days. I seriously hate flying though. And it's getting more and more expensive!

Southwest Airlines business card has a very good promotion on and it'll garner a companion pass with it...the holy grail of family travel

 

[AstroBlasters]

Southwest Airlines business card has a very good promotion on and it'll garner a companion pass with it...the holy grail of family travel

Is it the holy grail to travel if the airline that doesn’t guarantee your family can sit together?

 

[nalababybear]

Is it the holy grail to travel if the airline that doesn’t guarantee your family can sit together?

Sure it does. Between a and b. Family seating.

Have you not been able to find a middle and asile/window between a and b groups?

 

[AstroBlasters]

Sure it does. Between a and b. Family seating.

Have you not been able to find a middle and asile/window between an and b groups?

We tried flying SW once and my wife hated it so much that she has never let me book it again. She wants to know exactly where we are sitting and that the 4 of us will be on the same row next to each other.

Same thing with Alaska’s “saver” class fare class.

The worst is when someone comes up to you and asks you to trade seats with them…. “No, I will not”. It’s not my fault that you chose a cheeper fare and didn’t want to guarantee you can sit with your friends/family.

 

[nalababybear]

We tried flying SW once and my wife hated it so much that she has never let me book it again. She wants to know exactly where we are sitting and that the 4 of us will be on the same row next to each other.

Same thing with Alaska’s “saver” class fare class.

The worst is when someone comes up to you and asks you to trade seats with them…. “No, I will not”. It’s not my fault that you chose a cheeper fare and didn’t want to guarantee you can sit with your friends/family.

All the companies have their saver/basic economy that don't assign or include bags to beat the low price flight trackers.

At least southwest is clear about its policies and baggage and pricing. Yes, it's a cattle call. but it's a nice one and most understand how it goes.

As for family seating - southwest gets it right.

How do four sit in same row in most domestic narrow bodies? When we were four, we did 2+2 back to back so one didn't get stuck in the middle seat pelted by the two kids while the other adult in the aisle seat across sipping their poison of choice.

 

[AstroBlasters]

All the companies have their saver/basic economy that don't assign or include bags to beat the low price flight trackers.

At least southwest is clear about its policies and baggage and pricing. Yes, it's a cattle call. but it's a nice one and most understand how it goes.

As for family seating - southwest gets it right.

How do four sit in same row in most domestic narrow bodies? When we were four, we did 2+2 back to back so one didn't get stuck in the middle seat pelted by the two kids while the other adult in the aisle seat across sipping their poison of choice.

If it’s a 3x3 then my wife my wife and I take the aisle seats and the kids sit in the row with my wife.

If it’s a 2x2 then my wife and I take the aisle seats and the kids take the window seats.

My wife gets nervous during takeoff and landing, so we are the annoying couple that are holding hands across the aisle during those times.

 

[AstroBlasters]

All the companies have their saver/basic economy that don't assign or include bags to beat the low price flight trackers.

At least southwest is clear about its policies and baggage and pricing. Yes, it's a cattle call. but it's a nice one and most understand how it goes.

As for family seating - southwest gets it right.

How do four sit in same row in most domestic narrow bodies? When we were four, we did 2+2 back to back so one didn't get stuck in the middle seat pelted by the two kids while the other adult in the aisle seat across sipping their poison of choice.

This is not “getting family seating right” to me:

If you are traveling with a child age seven to 13 years old:

• If you need and request assistance, Southwest will endeavor to seat a child next to one accompanying passenger (14 and older) to the maximum extent practicable and at no additional cost.
• Families can speak to Gate Agents or Flight Attendants to request assistance.

 

[CastAStone]

The worst is when someone comes up to you and asks you to trade seats with them…. “No, I will not”. It’s not my fault that you chose a cheeper fare and didn’t want to guarantee you can sit with your friends/family.

That’s why you have to ask the gate agent before boarding lol. I got my seat reassigned at the gate just this past weekend while flying solo for work, presumably to accommodate some family. I have found I almost always wind up with a better seat when they bump me.

 

[nalababybear]

This is not “getting family seating right” to me:

If you are traveling with a child age seven to 13 years old:

• If you need and request assistance, Southwest will endeavor to seat a child next to one accompanying passenger (14 and older) to the maximum extent practicable and at no additional cost.
• Families can speak to Gate Agents or Flight Attendants to request assistance.

Vs paying $50 for it on a regular company for that assigned seat.

If you're going to pay, then apply equally for the a1-15 seat on southwest to guarantee your seating 4 across.....same cost as legacy carriers.

You can easily ask for the accommodation and seat across. We've found southwest to be one of the more accommodating families and requests than any other carrier.