When is DVC at Grand Californian ...

[beachblanket]

The GCH does concierge check in differently than the other 2 hotels. I've been met the majority of the times I've checked in at the valet parking area by a concierge CM. The CM made sure my luggage was taken care of, and then took us directly up to the concierge floor where we checked in at the desk up there. My family got to go into the lounge while I checked in, and one time I even checked in in the lounge itself. If it is crowded upstairs, sometimes it is difficult for a concierge CM to get loose to meet you downstairs, and at those times I've checked in at the regular desk downstairs.

So the approach at the GC is to have "ad-hoc," rental-car return style concierege check in, on-the-fly, maybe you get it, maybe you don't. Given that hotel is the supposed "Tiffany" property at Disneyland, that's somewhat surprising, given the other two "lesser" properties have the full service, full time approach shown below:

 

[m4travel]

Here's the "artists' conception" of what the DVC addition to the GC will look like. Given the size of those balconies (no larger than the ones at the hotel), we're definitely talking teeny-weeny villa-land.

The smaller balconies, I believe, are the additional hotel rooms that are being added - hence the smaller balconies. It would appear (and somewhat confirmed by the link in Zeke Kelso's post) that the left side of the building is the DVC side.