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

[ehh]

I don’t know if that would work in California though. In Florida there are a lot of other resorts to choose from in California there will only be 1… and 0 if you are a resale member, which many people at VGC are. I’m actually just closing on a vgc contract. 2024 is supposed to be my first trip. I won’t be super happy if I have to skip because of this…. I want to visit in May… perhaps I’ll start walking a reservation as soon as my points are loaded

They could close 1 floor at a time and we'd barely notice the inventory drop (except for GVs, which are on the same floor). Maybe a bit more "those went faster than I expected" but nothing dramatic.

 

[nlenguyen]

I finally was able to secure one night that worked for me. It was in May. Not sure if I want to add on a day at the park, it will depend what is opened in May. I mainly want to do resort specific things as I would assume this might be our one chance to get into there (school and work schedules). I assume the weather will be nice enough to relax to the pool. My family will be driving from Arizona and have not made definite plans to have a night before or a couple nights after somewhere else. I would love to just walk into the park, but we might need to save our park days when I am coming back later this year will a bigger family and we are hoping for VDH to be opened as well. I believe we will be able to see World of Color from the top balcony.
Any suggestions for resort-specific things to do at VGC? I know one night is not enough to soak everything in so maybe one or two of your top favorites

 

[Nonsuch]

...Anyway, VGC is due for a "full refurbishment" next year, or whenever it happens. That means they'll probably take all the villas down to the studs and replace flooring, wall coverings, furnishings, kitchen appliances, etc. They'll also replace the sofa beds with the Murphy bed/sofa combos, which are gradually going into all DVC villas and are much more comfortable than the sofa beds because they're real mattresses.

GCH rooms needed to be taken "down to the studs" to significantly upgrade the rooms, but some details in VGC villas are better than those renovated hotel rooms. In particular, the tile work in the bathrooms has a "border and field" treatment that the hotel rooms lack.

The Murphy bed/sofa combos will be a welcome change, some of my guests find the current fold out very uncomfortable (as an owner, I get the king )

 

[ajiuo]

Is the hotel side on the same 7 year soft goods 14 year hard referb schedule that DVC is on? If so I wonder if the hotel side might receive a soft goods update at the same time that the DVC rooms get a hard update.

Another thing I’ve been wondering about. Paradise pier is receiving a renovation, there is a new DVC tower at DLH… and an upcoming grand cal DVC referb… I wonder if all these new rooms are receiving updated door locks and maybe they will just go ahead and replace the rest of them… would be cool to get more MagicBand support at Disneyland. Hopefully food ordering and ride photos are also added eventually.

 

[nlenguyen]

Is the hotel side on the same 7 year soft goods 14 year hard referb schedule that DVC is on? If so I wonder if the hotel side might receive a soft goods update at the same time that the DVC rooms get a hard update.

Another thing I’ve been wondering about. Paradise pier is receiving a renovation, there is a new DVC tower at DLH… and an upcoming grand cal DVC referb… I wonder if all these new rooms are receiving updated door locks and maybe they will just go ahead and replace the rest of them… would be cool to get more MagicBand support at Disneyland. Hopefully food ordering and ride photos are also added eventually.

I believe they are on different schedules, the hotel side just got a refurbishment not too long ago

 

[ajiuo]

I believe they are on different schedules, the hotel side just got a refurbishment not too long ago

Wasn’t it in 2017? That will be 7 years ago in 2024

 

[AZMermaid]

I just dropped 1/11 in a 1BR if anyone is looking for that day. Now waitlisting for the 14th!

 

[pineapplepalms]

Really regretting not walking a reservation for race weekend as my experience trying to book the last 2 days has been the same as everyone else. Through sheer luck, I was able to grab an accessible 2 bdrm yesterday morning after hanging out on the website a half an hour or past booking opening but I am really wanting a 1 bedroom save points .

I also have my eye on VDH for race weekend. What are the odds that could become a booking possibility for race weekend? We love the Disneyland Hotel and that feels like it will be a great place to stay with the expo being right there and the classic Disneyland theming that matches the feel of the race.

Hope you got your races! I'm really hoping I can add on and book at VDH. As a non-VGC owner I'm not getting in for race weekend. Just waiting for them to announce more info...

 

[justkeepswimmin]

I'm in for all the races I wanted! I'm kind of settling in to just keeping the 2 bdrm accessible room I was able to snag. I know this is a specific room, pool view side and we usually request park side but that's not a guarantee anyway and I'll probably sleep better on the pool facing side. We are a family of 5 and our 3 'kids' range in age from 23-16 (my thumbnail pic is 10 years old lol) so having the extra space will be nice and I can always buy some one time use points for our Aulani stay to help offset the difference/ borrow less.

Edited to Add: Okay, 10 year old thumbnail updated, it looks like us now

 

[AZMermaid]

We were supposed to travel with my sisters family in Dec and had a 2BR. They had to cancel and we kept it. We were so spoiled with no one sleeping in the living room! I bet that space will be awesome race weekend!

 

[justkeepswimmin]

We were supposed to travel with my sisters family in Dec and had a 2BR. They had to cancel and we kept it. We were so spoiled with no one sleeping in the living room! I bet that space will be awesome race weekend!

So true! My husband gets super frustrated with the kids crap flung everywhere, he will love being able to close off their mess. We go to DL a lot so we tend to spend more time in the room than most and we are both pretty serious runners so we are more likely not to do much park time the day before the half. It'll be nice to have an actual living room that isn't a bedroom for a change. Congrats to all that got into the race and got a room at VGC. Fingers crossed there is a VDH announcement soon that opens up some more DVC options over race weekend!

 

[nlenguyen]

If you bring an RV to park at GC, being DVC do you get free parking still?

 

[ClaraOswald]

I have a couple parking questions too. Is self parking free even if you have resale instead of direct membership?

Looking at the map, is the parking lot a really long trek like it seems? Just thinking about how we'll easily get our groceries (including a case of bottled water) in. Ha!

 

[AstroBlasters]

I have a couple parking questions too. Is self parking free even if you have resale instead of direct membership?

Looking at the map, is the parking lot a really long trek like it seems? Just thinking about how we'll easily get our groceries (including a case of bottled water) in. Ha!

1) Yes, parking is part of your dues so it is covered.

2) You can always pull up to the valet to unload the groceries on a cart and then go park the car.

3) If you “Instacart” the groceries before check in then they will hold them for you, including keeping cold things cold on a best efforts basis.

 

[bigAWL]

If you bring an RV to park at GC, being DVC do you get free parking still?

According to the Disneyland page, RV parking at the hotels is not permitted.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/parking/

Recreational and Oversized Vehicle Parking​

Parking for recreational and oversized vehicles is available at the Toy Story Parking Area. Follow signs to available entrances from South Harbor Boulevard, West Katella Avenue and South Haster Street.

Parking at any other location designated for the theme parks, hotels or Downtown Disney District is not permitted. Accommodations for overnight parking are not available.

Recreational and Oversized Vehicles

• Buses
• Dually trucks
• Motor homes
• Passenger vehicles with a trailer
• Recreational vehicles (RV)
• RV campers
• Tractor-trailers

 

[nlenguyen]

According to the Disneyland page, RV parking at the hotels is not permitted.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/parking/

Recreational and Oversized Vehicle Parking​

Parking for recreational and oversized vehicles is available at the Toy Story Parking Area. Follow signs to available entrances from South Harbor Boulevard, West Katella Avenue and South Haster Street.

Parking at any other location designated for the theme parks, hotels or Downtown Disney District is not permitted. Accommodations for overnight parking are not available.

Recreational and Oversized Vehicles

• Buses
• Dually trucks
• Motor homes
• Passenger vehicles with a trailer
• Recreational vehicles (RV)
• RV campers
• Tractor-trailers

Thank you

 

[disland7]

Super mad at myself that I didn't walk for race weekend. I've never had a problem at any time of year at 11 months for a 2-bedroom. I waitlisted Feb 14. Anyone have opinions on the likelihood of getting that waitlist (Fri-Tues)?

 

[nalabear]

weekend going to be hard. See very few folk dropping it even if not in the race; rents very easily that weekend.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I read on a different thread that the VGC studios now only have the beverage fridges (just like the rooms on on the hotel side.) Is this what others have noticed too?

As dumb as it sounds, that makes a big deal to me when it comes to considering buying/renting with the intent to stay in a studio. (And I wonder if it will be the same at the VDH studios too.)

 

[KPeterso]

I read on a different thread that the VGC studios now only have the beverage fridges (just like the rooms on on the hotel side.) Is this what others have noticed too?

As dumb as it sounds, that makes a big deal to me when it comes to considering buying/renting with the intent to stay in a studio. (And I wonder if it will be the same at the VDH studios too.)

When we were in VGC studio in November, it was a regular mini fridge. It was definitely not a beverage cooler.