Villas at GCH?

[Monica D]

I tried to find a thread but didn't see anything--please let me know if this has already been asked, but I was wondering if anyone has checked out the new villas at GCH? I saw the ad for them in the elevator at the DLH but never got over there to ask. Any idea on cost? Is it a regular room like the others or more like a suite?

Not that dh would go for it, but I'd love to have a "permanent" room at the GCH!

 

[bumbershoot]

They aren't open yet, but you can run over to the DVC center and have a tour of their model. It is lovely!

 

[maberlyne]

Well, it's a DVC property (timeshare). I'm still pretty new to the whole thing, but I believe you can still get rooms on a cash basis. I don't believe you have to be a member. If not, I know you can rent points from members and then stay there. However, the availability is anticipated to be very tough to get considering it's the only DVC property on the West coast.

All of the rooms have at least a kitchenette. The smallest, the "studio," is more like a regular room with the bed (queen), a couch (pull out), then a kitchenette. The one bedrooms have a king bed, a huge, gorgeous, fancy bathroom, then a full kitchen, and at least a 6 person kitchen table. Oh, and a laundry. They are really beautiful.

Like bumbershoot said, you can take a tour. You just go up to any of the DVC kiosks in the park or hotels and they'll make you a time. Just be warned, however, it will actually be a sales pitch to buy into DVC. A very well presented, makes you want to buy sales pitch, lol . If you have APs, or are staying on site at the hotel, they do offer a Disney gift card incentive per person who attends, so that's cool. Pays for dinner at least!

You can also go to the DVC boards, I'm sure somewhere there there are pics of the rooms!

 

[nzdisneymom]

I tried to find a thread but didn't see anything--please let me know if this has already been asked, but I was wondering if anyone has checked out the new villas at GCH? I saw the ad for them in the elevator at the DLH but never got over there to ask. Any idea on cost? Is it a regular room like the others or more like a suite?

Not that dh would go for it, but I'd love to have a "permanent" room at the GCH!

The model is beautiful. There are less than 50 units being built, so availability will definitely be tough to get, especially at first. They are opening September 23rd. They have studios and one-bedrooms which combined make two-bedroom units. If you hop over to the DVC boards, you may find some pictures or schematics of the units.

We were just out there and ended up adding on 100 DVC points so we own a little piece of California now!

 

[Monica D]

Thanks!!

 

[Mouseaholic!!!]

We have a freind with too many DVC points and he gives us his points now for birthday and christmas gifts.

After all the whoo haa about how the Grand Cali Villas haveing almost sold out....I noticed a new sales incentive recently. With grave worry (since they are nearly sold out), we called to make reservations yesterday.

Well, worry not - EVERYTHING WAS WIDE OPEN. I understand waitlists are common at WDW. We will be staying in a 2 bedroom villa in December.


I am sure Disney wll take the $$$$ for cash reservations. We have never seen as many DVC choices as we do now on the castmember portal at WDW. Sounds like it will be easy to get a room....it was for us!

 

[roxy72]

Well, it's a DVC property (timeshare). I'm still pretty new to the whole thing, but I believe you can still get rooms on a cash basis. I don't believe you have to be a member. If not, I know you can rent points from members and then stay there. However, the availability is anticipated to be very tough to get considering it's the only DVC property on the West coast.

All of the rooms have at least a kitchenette. The smallest, the "studio," is more like a regular room with the bed (queen), a couch (pull out), then a kitchenette. The one bedrooms have a king bed, a huge, gorgeous, fancy bathroom, then a full kitchen, and at least a 6 person kitchen table. Oh, and a laundry. They are really beautiful.

Like bumbershoot said, you can take a tour. You just go up to any of the DVC kiosks in the park or hotels and they'll make you a time. Just be warned, however, it will actually be a sales pitch to buy into DVC. A very well presented, makes you want to buy sales pitch, lol . If you have APs, or are staying on site at the hotel, they do offer a Disney gift card incentive per person who attends, so that's cool. Pays for dinner at least!

You can also go to the DVC boards, I'm sure somewhere there there are pics of the rooms!

Out of curiosity, how much is the gift card for Annual Passholders who tour the model room?

 

[DizMe]

Out of curiosity, how much is the gift card for Annual Passholders who tour the model room?

I was wondering the same thing. Also, if my adult daughter and I (both pass holders) go together, do we each get a card?

 

[bumbershoot]

FWIW, I don't think they always offer a gift card, or ANY promo, to meet with the DVC people.

When we stayed there in Sept '07, there was a card in our room offering us one, and we did end up taking them up on the offer. In our case, it was $50, which was absolutely lovely, especially since we were all pretty tired, and they have a free kid's play area with supervision, so hubby and I got a nice 2 hour rest (2 hours b/c we loved the guy we met with, who 1.5 years later became our guide when we bought in, and just chatted and gossiped and had a great time) while DS got a nice 2 hour playtime...we all felt MUCH better about each other when we left, LOL.

But I haven't seen such an offer since, and I know that WDW doesn't always offer ANYthing...sometimes people get giftcards, sometimes fast passes, sometimes an ice cream...sometimes nothing.

So it's not a given.

 

[DizMe]

Thanks, Molly!

 

[drag n' fly]

When we did the tour in 2007 we received a 100.00 gift card and some fastpasses. There really is no rhyme or reason for when they give out swag it just happens. If you stay onsite the swag is nicer

 

[JoRo]

Hi

I dont know abount in person DVC meetings but we called and talked with Fernando, sounds like they at least give out free passes because we tried to get him to send us a few because we bought VGC DVC.

We have always stayed at good neighbor across street BW PPI, Carasoul, never at GC and once at DL way before GC was ever built. We decided to invest in our DL and our every other year WDW trips and buy DVC. Now we get to stay at the GC.

There are good prices for the DVC Villas right now I am thinking because they are not selling as many as they would have liked. We are not to worried about getting in because we usually travel in Oct. until they kids are in school several years from now. I would be happy to be a referral too for DVC if you purchase (it would be our first referral) and would split the $$ with you so just let us know.

Good luck

 

[pycees312]

we took a family with us two weeks ago to tour and we only got fast passes before it was the gift card but i think disney is feeling the pinch and not offereing that anymore but you never know.. the fast passes are great and good for both parks! the dates on my passes spanned 2 weeks.

 

[Halle]

Well, it's a DVC property (timeshare). I'm still pretty new to the whole thing, but I believe you can still get rooms on a cash basis. I don't believe you have to be a member. If not, I know you can rent points from members and then stay there. However, the availability is anticipated to be very tough to get considering it's the only DVC property on the West coast.

All of the rooms have at least a kitchenette. The smallest, the "studio," is more like a regular room with the bed (queen), a couch (pull out), then a kitchenette. The one bedrooms have a king bed, a huge, gorgeous, fancy bathroom, then a full kitchen, and at least a 6 person kitchen table. Oh, and a laundry. They are really beautiful.

Like bumbershoot said, you can take a tour. You just go up to any of the DVC kiosks in the park or hotels and they'll make you a time. Just be warned, however, it will actually be a sales pitch to buy into DVC. A very well presented, makes you want to buy sales pitch, lol . If you have APs, or are staying on site at the hotel, t hey do offer a Disney gift card incentive per person who attends, so that's cool. Pays for dinner at least!

You can also go to the DVC boards, I'm sure somewhere there there are pics of the rooms!

The studio doesn't have a stove, only a microwave and small refrigerator, not really a kitchenette.

 

[maberlyne]

The studio doesn't have a stove, only a microwave and small refrigerator, not really a kitchenette.

Huh, really? I was just so enamored by the pretties that I conveniently missed that! LOL, like I'd really cook anyway!

And when we took the tour, it was only like $15 per AP. But I do remember when we stayed onsite, probably 2007 also, they were offering the $50 gift card.