The Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Owners & Lovers Group - 3.0

[ClaraOswald]

We are not cruising people, but if you are then there are certainly more off of Florida.

The only cruises that sound interesting to me are the the ones off the coast of Alaska.

 

[NVDISFamily]

Should be renovated by then…i am so enthused…especially after seeing the early pics of the BLT reno.

The BLT reno is another one I would mark as "more good than bad" column that seems to be the case of many of the recent refurbs. I'm also happy with how they got it to work in the "different" space you see at BLT. Gives me some hope they may be able to figure it out at CCV too.

But…. it costs more….

In the long run the only thing that seems like it will cure my needs at VGC is more and more points at great expense to my retirement plans.....

 

[nalababybear]

Murphy beds. Looking forward to them

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Most want to be in SoCal in August…. no one wants to be in Orlando in August…..

I’ll have you know we traveled from SoCal to WDW *on purpose* in August— but yes, it was brutally hot in the parks, still worth a few days on the way to boarding the Disney Dream.

We are not cruising people, but if you are then there are certainly more off of Florida.

It’s not just that there are more in FL but they stop in Castaway Cay and Lighthouse Point.

I personally don’t think Disney’s onboard experience justifies the insane price premium over other mid-market lines, but their private islands are so beautiful (and so clean).

 

[nalababybear]

I’ll have you know we traveled from SoCal to WDW *on purpose* in August— but yes, it was brutally hot in the parks, still worth a few days on the way to boarding the Disney Dream.

It’s not just that there are more in FL but they stop in Castaway Cay and Lighthouse Point.

I personally don’t think Disney’s onboard experience justifies the insane price premium over other mid-market lines, but their private islands are so beautiful (and so clean).

Do they still comb the beaches? Crazy fun when we went so many years ago on the Magic. Still one of the best cruises we've been on over the many decades of cruising.

 

[KPeterso]

Should be renovated by then…i am so enthused…especially after seeing the early pics of the BLT reno.

I am apprehensively hopeful. We love the current setup so much…. I would absolutely buy some of the artwork and lamps if it ends up in a liquidation store.

The BLT reno is another one I would mark as "more good than bad" column that seems to be the case of many of the recent refurbs. I'm also happy with how they got it to work in the "different" space you see at BLT. Gives me some hope they may be able to figure it out at CCV too.


In the long run the only thing that seems like it will cure my needs at VGC is more and more points at great expense to my retirement plans.....

And I feel the opposite. I like the artwork at BLT from the refurb but there is not much else I like about those rooms. The actual bedrooms are beige and white. So blah looking to me. It makes me even more worried about the refurbs at my 2 beloved resorts - VGC and AKV. Those 2 better keep the charm and ambiance that they currently have and no beige on beige on beige rooms/features.

 

[Canchaser143]

Most want to be in SoCal in August…. no one wants to be in Orlando in August…..

I found the FL humidity somewhat uncomfortable in December My Utah soul is not used to moisture it would seem. Idk how people survive in August/September! BRUTAL

 

[ClaraOswald]

The BLT reno is another one I would mark as "more good than bad" column that seems to be the case of many of the recent refurbs. I'm also happy with how they got it to work in the "different" space you see at BLT. Gives me some hope they may be able to figure it out at CCV too.


In the long run the only thing that seems like it will cure my needs at VGC is more and more points at great expense to my retirement plans.....

I know that after 1 stay in a VGC 1-bedroom, I'll be on the hunt for more points to be able to do it every single time. I dread the price tag. Hoping we can put it off a couple more years though. We will be doing a studio on our next visit (December 2025.) And then with banked points, we will have enough for our first 1-bedroom stay at VGC in June 2026. So yeah...the hunt for some extra points in my UY will be on after that!

And I feel the opposite. I like the artwork at BLT from the refurb but there is not much else I like about those rooms. The actual bedrooms are beige and white. So blah looking to me. It makes me even more worried about the refurbs at my 2 beloved resorts - VGC and AKV. Those 2 better keep the charm and ambiance that they currently have and no beige on beige on beige rooms/features.

I don't mind beige and white when it brightens up the room a bit. But VGC needs to keep the medium-toned wood and general "feel" of the rooms or I'll be super sad. (I really like the new BLT rooms though. Especially the art work, bright rug, and bright kitchen tile.)

I found the FL humidity somewhat uncomfortable in December My Utah soul is not used to moisture it would seem. Idk how people survive in August/September! BRUTAL

As a kid, we went to WDW in June and it never bothered me. But as an adult...I could never! We go in January or February and sometimes it's cold enough for jackets but other times I sweat my butt off. So yeah...I'd die in August.

 

[Chili327]

I found the FL humidity somewhat uncomfortable in December My Utah soul is not used to moisture it would seem. Idk how people survive in August/September! BRUTAL

Yep, i feel the same, almost any amount just seems too much. lol

 

[Canchaser143]

Yep, i feel the same, almost any amount just seems too much. lol

Glad I’m not alone lol

 

[AstroBlasters]

I know that after 1 stay in a VGC 1-bedroom, I'll be on the hunt for more points to be able to do it every single time. I dread the price tag. Hoping we can put it off a couple more years though. We will be doing a studio on our next visit (December 2025.) And then with banked points, we will have enough for our first 1-bedroom stay at VGC in June 2026. So yeah...the hunt for some extra points in my UY will be on after that!



I don't mind beige and white when it brightens up the room a bit. But VGC needs to keep the medium-toned wood and general "feel" of the rooms or I'll be super sad. (I really like the new BLT rooms though. Especially the art work, bright rug, and bright kitchen tile.)



As a kid, we went to WDW in June and it never bothered me. But as an adult...I could never! We go in January or February and sometimes it's cold enough for jackets but other times I sweat my butt off. So yeah...I'd die in August.

If it would help me sweat my winter hibernation tummy off then I might go just as a boot camp

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

It’s funny, I’m generally in the same boat as all of you about Florida summers, couldn’t have paid me enough a year or two ago. But this last year we had a July 4th trip and Labor Day weekend trip and honestly, we kind of loved it. It forced us to take it easier and spend more time at our resorts and actually enjoy the pools and things.

Just spent the whole day at DLR on Monday and we were freezing. It was almost as bad as being overly hot we just couldn’t get warm enough and it wasn’t even that bad, it was in the high 40s-mid 50s. Made me a little less harsh on Florida summers lol still a nightmare if you want to spend all day in the parks but just a little more tolerant

 

[nalababybear]

It’s funny, I’m generally in the same boat as all of you about Florida summers, couldn’t have paid me enough a year or two ago. But this last year we had a July 4th trip and Labor Day weekend trip and honestly, we kind of loved it. It forced us to take it easier and spend more time at our resorts and actually enjoy the pools and things.

Just spent the whole day at DLR on Monday and we were freezing. It was almost as bad as being overly hot we just couldn’t get warm enough and it wasn’t even that bad, it was in the high 40s-mid 50s. Made me a little less harsh on Florida summers lol still a nightmare if you want to spend all day in the parks but just a little more tolerant

Early sept post labor day you can sell me with split days and beach club

July? No thank you.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Early sept post labor day you can sell me with split days and beach club

July? No thank you.

Maybe we just got lucky (likely) but the first week of July was pretty tolerable. The downside to post Labor Day is so much more rain. We had so much rain that multiple days we couldn’t even walk over from BWV to Epcot to HS for a good 2hrs in the afternoon. And then again in the evening. Even the boats weren’t running during that weather so we either had to wait for a bus or just wait out the rain; and the unscheduled park buses from the Crescent Lake resorts are the worst. But again, this could’ve just been a fluke so ymmv

We’re gonna see if we can make a mid-July trip work this year for a few days, as well as a labor day/sept trip, so we’ll see how we feel about summers this time. Sept was amazing at Disneyland though.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

Do they still comb the beaches? Crazy fun when we went so many years ago on the Magic. Still one of the best cruises we've been on over the many decades of cruising.

I think they comb the primary beaches but on at least 2 of our visits to CC last year the Serenity Bay beaches had a lot of seaweed and/or algae.

And I feel the opposite. I like the artwork at BLT from the refurb but there is not much else I like about those rooms. The actual bedrooms are beige and white. So blah looking to me. It makes me even more worried about the refurbs at my 2 beloved resorts - VGC and AKV. Those 2 better keep the charm and ambiance that they currently have and no beige on beige on beige rooms/features.

VGC is already pretty beige, it’s just beige with dark wood.

It’s funny, I’m generally in the same boat as all of you about Florida summers, couldn’t have paid me enough a year or two ago. But this last year we had a July 4th trip and Labor Day weekend trip and honestly, we kind of loved it. It forced us to take it easier and spend more time at our resorts and actually enjoy the pools and things.

Yes, it’s lovely and the parks tend to be less packed at the end of the day as less strategic visitors wilt between lunch and dinner… but M&tM, should we really be telling people about this? I’m enjoying the reasonable point charts, lower crowds, and afternoons indoors or by the pool.

Just spent the whole day at DLR on Monday and we were freezing. It was almost as bad as being overly hot we just couldn’t get warm enough and it wasn’t even that bad, it was in the high 40s-mid 50s. Made me a little less harsh on Florida summers lol still a nightmare if you want to spend all day in the parks but just a little more tolerant

We are DLR locals and I completely agree. I’ll take 90 degrees and humidity over 45 degrees and dry as a desert. Also, you’re making me feel a lot better about not making it to DLR for the holidays one last time last week.

Maybe we just got lucky (likely) but the first week of July was pretty tolerable. The downside to post Labor Day is so much more rain. We had so much rain that multiple days we couldn’t even walk over from BWV to Epcot to HS for a good 2hrs in the afternoon. And then again in the evening. Even the boats weren’t running during that weather so we either had to wait for a bus or just wait out the rain; and the unscheduled park buses from the Crescent Lake resorts are the worst. But again, this could’ve just been a fluke so ymmv

I swore off RIV after waiting over 45m for a bus while the skyliner was down, but at least to BCV you can dash back if you don’t mind soaking your shoes. I really need to find a good shoe with arch support made from rubber or quick dry materials. Crocs work in a pinch but I can’t wear them for more than a mile or two a day.

 

[kboo]

Even at a not-especially-rigorous public school with a bright child, we're finding it to be much harder to miss a week in 4th grade than it was in 2nd/3rd grade. It's not just that they are learning fundamental math skills but they are taught in a way that is not intuitive to us and she needs to be able to do them the way the school wants.

YIkes. We were told (public school east coast) that student attendance is a factor in $ allocations the next year, etc. We pulled our 8th grader for M-W before Thanksgiving and she missed out on being selected for the city all-star volleyball team and an all-star game on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving (which was her sister's birthday and the reason for the extended trip). But it was a reminder that we'll have to be more careful about the school calendar, including pre-season obligations, etc.

I have a two bedroom booked for next year and I was interested into looking at room requests. From the map of the resort, I'm having a hard time determining which rooms are two bedrooms, especially if some one bedrooms and combined with a studio. Does anyone have information on where two bedrooms can be located across the resort?

As others posted, @Chili327 has some great info. I went on DVC chat (but I think an email or call would be fine as well; they will remind you that nothing is guaranteed, of course) and asked for "park view, highest floor possible". The one other time we stayed we got that pixar pier studio on the 6th floor so we knew we wouldn't duplicate it (2br this time). We got 2nd floor, technically park view of the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. It was awesome. Also was super close to the pixar pier entrance/exit.

I'm thinking about WDW in Aug and it's nice to see that there are a lot of 2BRs at a far lower cost than a 2BR at VGC in the same timeframe1

We go in late August almost every year - it's like a steam bath. But no crowds and cheap in points.

more and more points at great expense to my retirement plans.....

isn't "more points" consistent with retirement plans? I plan to use those points for longer stays in smaller units!

 

[lilsonicfan]

The only cruises that sound interesting to me are the the ones off the coast of Alaska.

We have cruised quite a bit, including two Alaskan cruises in the last couple of years. I'm very over Alaska, but - just like how we can or can't accept humidity based on where we live/grew up - I live and grew up in BC, the scenery that most Alaskan cruises hit is essentially my "backyard"! So, not interesting at all - but conversely, a good option when we want a relatively cheap cruise since we don't have to fly!

I’ll have you know we traveled from SoCal to WDW *on purpose* in August— but yes, it was brutally hot in the parks, still worth a few days on the way to boarding the Disney Dream.

It’s not just that there are more in FL but they stop in Castaway Cay and Lighthouse Point.

I personally don’t think Disney’s onboard experience justifies the insane price premium over other mid-market lines, but their private islands are so beautiful (and so clean).

I've mostly given up on DCL due to price. For 5 people on a regular cruise, it's a lot. But my best ever cruise experiences were on DCL, on the 13 night EBTA and the 14 night WBPC. I wish I could do those again!

I know August will be ridiculous at WDW, but I am kinda looking forward to less crowds

I know that after 1 stay in a VGC 1-bedroom, I'll be on the hunt for more points to be able to do it every single time. I dread the price tag. Hoping we can put it off a couple more years though. We will be doing a studio on our next visit (December 2025.) And then with banked points, we will have enough for our first 1-bedroom stay at VGC in June 2026. So yeah...the hunt for some extra points in my UY will be on after that!

The 1BR at VGC is really nice for sure, I love the 2nd full bathroom. But it is not cheap!! our 4 night trip = 142 points in the lowest season.

 

[ClaraOswald]

We have cruised quite a bit, including two Alaskan cruises in the last couple of years. I'm very over Alaska, but - just like how we can or can't accept humidity based on where we live/grew up - I live and grew up in BC, the scenery that most Alaskan cruises hit is essentially my "backyard"! So, not interesting at all - but conversely, a good option when we want a relatively cheap cruise since we don't have to fly!


I've mostly given up on DCL due to price. For 5 people on a regular cruise, it's a lot. But my best ever cruise experiences were on DCL, on the 13 night EBTA and the 14 night WBPC. I wish I could do those again!

I know August will be ridiculous at WDW, but I am kinda looking forward to less crowds


The 1BR at VGC is really nice for sure, I love the 2nd full bathroom. But it is not cheap!! our 4 night trip = 142 points in the lowest season.

I live in Nebraska so to take a cruise anywhere requires flying....or a long drive. If we ever decide to take a cruise, I'll need to do so much research first!

As for humidity, we get a ton here in a summer. And we get super cold winters so kind of all over the place. But I still prefer a theme park in cold weather over hot anytime. We're heading to WDW last this month and I'm hoping for mild or cooler temps. Though one warmer day to swim would be nice.

Yeah, we like to do at least 6 nights (5 park days) at Disneyland and I'd actually love to start adding in a 6th "break" day to use the pool, do laundry, relax, walk around DTD. We mainly travel in the two lowest tiers but it's still 235-291 for a week. Right now, we only have 160 VGC points.

 

[upritbass]

The 1BR at VGC is really nice for sure, I love the 2nd full bathroom. But it is not cheap!! our 4 night trip = 142 points in the lowest season.

Swapping digits? 4*31=124

Right now, we only have 160 VGC points.

But that is enough for 5 nights S-TH low season 155 points. Sometimes we just have to make sacrifices...

 

[lilsonicfan]

Swapping digits? 4*31=124

No, it's 142 because there are two weekend nights at 40 pts, so 40+40+31+31 = 142.