Grand Californian Super Thread

... one thing to remember is that low season for DVC is not the same as low season for the parks-point cost per night drops when the parks are less busy so those are often higher demand times for owners to go as their points go farther.

Yes, that makes complete sense! That's why if I owned VGC I would go then and use my own points for greatest value.

...I am a VGC owner and those points will never be available from me to rent. I use them all and if I don't, I will bank them for an extra visit for the next year.

As an owner at the Kaanapali Marriott, I completely agree. We bought there because it was the first timeshare presentation where we said "I would like to come back here every year". That has held true. We didn't buy it as an investment to rent out. But as PP said, they were able to get one at 9.5 months out, so maybe it will work for us.

We've stayed at GC probably for 4 trips now and my wife says its her favorite because of the location and ease of popping in or out of the room. Also have stayed just across the street which is not much farther away, but that extra distance plus nothing compares to the GC, that just puts it over the top for us.
 
Only time I ever got into VGC on the DVC side was last October. My wife had a friend coming in from Australia. About 27 days before the friend is set to arrive, my wife says, "we should use our points and take her to Disneyland." Heavy eye roll. I tell my wife we should probably get a room off property for cash. My wife says no.

I call up Member Services. No hotel space for points at the Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier, or Grand Californian (three conferences were overlapping). Cast Member says, "I know it might be useless, but you want me to check VGC space?" Sure, why not. He comes back with 3 nights for a 2-bedroom villa. It was perfect! My wife and our son and I slept in the master and my wife's friend had a bedroom area all to herself.
 
For all you locals of VGC and others -- how is waitlisting close in on studios/1br clear say 2-8 weeks out? I'm trying to gauge how well the waitlist works vs needing to troll the reservation site daily at 5am
 
My understanding is that VGC is the toughest resort to get into. I'm not sure if it's still true but I believe at one point they even closed the waitlist to buy VGC points direct
Still true as of July 2019.

Thats when the DW and I took a DVC Tour at Aulani and the guide explicitly said the waitlist at VGC is closed. I’ve also read more than a few posts on here since I joined, of people actually on the waitlist and have been (and still are) waiting 18-24 months!
 


For all you locals of VGC and others -- how is waitlisting close in on studios/1br clear say 2-8 weeks out? I'm trying to gauge how well the waitlist works vs needing to troll the reservation site daily at 5am
How many nights?

Studio for one night ~1%. More than one consecutive -0%.

1BR for one night ~10%. -2% and less for more.

*wild estimate / speculation from a VGC stalker.😉
**Just saw a studio avail this afternoon for 20 pts for this Sunday 10/27.
 
Just wanted to post this because I was amazed it happened, but about three weeks ago we put in a request for a studio June 27-30 2020. The dates were available but they didn’t have an owner. A couple of days ago we got the rental agreement. I was blown away because it was a total, shot in the dark. We were alway planning on staying PP as a backup. I’ve rented many times for WDW, and this was the first for VGC. Your miles will vary, but I did want to post a recent success story.
 
Since OP has been answered, thought I’d ask a different question. Do they have room to build any additional vacation club space at the Disneyland Resort? I’d love to see DVC at the Disneyland Hotel. I’d be first in line to buy!
 


Since OP has been answered, thought I’d ask a different question. Do they have room to build any additional vacation club space at the Disneyland Resort? I’d love to see DVC at the Disneyland Hotel. I’d be first in line to buy!
Yes and no. Any new construction at the DLR pretty much has to involve removing existing structures and getting creative with layouts (which also has to take into consideration zoning laws that affect what kind of thing they can build on different parts of their property).

I mean, they probably could find a way to build a “4th Tower” for DVC at DLH, but it would involve reconfiguring, demolishing, and/or building over existing structures.

There were short term plans to build another hotel on property, and while everybody wants another on-property hotel, the location and design was interesting to say the least - basically right on top of the west side of DTD and “blocking” the DLH).

Disney does own some property outside the main resort area, so I’d speculate that those are the most likely for a new hotel/DVC property, but building one there is not likely to happen until a major decision is made about the future expansion of DLR (like adding a 3rd park, for example).
 
We had no trouble renting there for May 2019 through Davids. But we had our request queued up a couple of weeks before the 11th month window. So at least a few owners rent there : )
 
All good points above. I will probably never rent out my points for VGC, I actually think David’s, et al need to set a wholly different pay scale for this resort.

The retail cost of a hotel room here for my three night stay this weekend was north of $2700. It cost me 68 points for a studio stay (2nd lowest on the scale) but October has turned into one of the busiest times at DL. Even renting at $16pt, that would net me only $1088. Owners who are listing on David’s either a) do not realize this or b) don’t care and just want the security of David’s handling everything.

side note: I bought at $150/pt resale some years ago, I’ve seen current pricing at $200/pt. I read here once that, at the heart of the recession when VGC opened, prices were as low as $81/pt with incentives.

it’s unlikely there will be another DVC property in Anaheim as the number of units in the resort district are strictly capped because these units are not subject to the hotel tax (only property tax, which itself is preferably capped under prop 13....unless split roll is approved by voters in the coming elections, so watch for that).
 
Yes and no. Any new construction at the DLR pretty much has to involve removing existing structures and getting creative with layouts (which also has to take into consideration zoning laws that affect what kind of thing they can build on different parts of their property).

I mean, they probably could find a way to build a “4th Tower” for DVC at DLH, but it would involve reconfiguring, demolishing, and/or building over existing structures.

There were short term plans to build another hotel on property, and while everybody wants another on-property hotel, the location and design was interesting to say the least - basically right on top of the west side of DTD and “blocking” the DLH).

Disney does own some property outside the main resort area, so I’d speculate that those are the most likely for a new hotel/DVC property, but building one there is not likely to happen until a major decision is made about the future expansion of DLR (like adding a 3rd park, for example).

This is all very interesting. I didn’t even realize they had room for a 3rd park. I think a 3rd park would be pretty neat and we’d definitely love another DLR hotel or dvc.
 
How many nights?

Studio for one night ~1%. More than one consecutive -0%.

1BR for one night ~10%. -2% and less for more.

*wild estimate / speculation from a VGC stalker.😉
**Just saw a studio avail this afternoon for 20 pts for this Sunday 10/27.
Thanks for a the data point. So snowballs in SoCal do exist :)

We're in the process of getting a small AUL contract in place to give this methodology a go and kicking around a larger AUL and VGC contract for distance extended stays locally and AUL both (and of course WDW too).

There WAS an expansion of DVC planned on the west side of DTD and they even closed AMC and Rainforest Cafe in anticipation of construction of it, but Anaheim changed the terms and Disney wasn't having anything of it. Canceled the building plans for now. Still no word on the what that portion is and remains an empty spot unfortunately. At least they have a stage there for entertainment.
 
This is all very interesting. I didn’t even realize they had room for a 3rd park. I think a 3rd park would be pretty neat and we’d definitely love another DLR hotel or dvc.

It would theoretically be the Fujishige property under long term lease south of Harbor/Katella, currently a parking lot.

But they passed on buying GardenWalk which would have provided some continuous land to the property.

My best guess is Angel Stadium...if that property hits the market, it’s the largest continuous block of land in the area that can be developed. Perhaps in my lifetime
 
Disney has plenty of surface lots to convert over for development before jumping over to Angel's. Toystory lot (Fujishige Farm) would be interesting smallish 3rd park. I could easily see that develop over this century and hinges on how Gardenwalk fleshes out with all the new hotel build around it coming online this year with the Pumba lot's future

More interesting is the immediate DTD development and what they have in plans for the new terrible DTD parking behind PP.
 
Disney has plenty of surface lots to convert over for development before jumping over to Angel's. Toystory lot (Fujishige Farm) would be interesting smallish 3rd park. I could easily see that develop over this century and hinges on how Gardenwalk fleshes out with all the new hotel build around it coming online this year with the Pumba lot's future

More interesting is the immediate DTD development and what they have in plans for the new terrible DTD parking behind PP.

Probably low priority until they can get a sweetheart deal with city council (they’ll wait it out until a friendly one is seated). At least my beloved Earl of Sandwich was able to reopen!

With JW Marriott opening at AGW in February, I will have another four diamond option in the area (but VGC still my preferred for the location).
 
I heard Anaheim does not want anymore time shares because they lose the 15% tax. We own at the Grand, I use to think anyone who owned a time share was crazy, but just the savings on parking and taxes is pretty significant. I know the point price is high, but look for a small buy and figure on going every 2 or 3 years, its still a great deal at current prices. You really need the 11 month to get a room, not hard at 11 but long gone at 7
 
I have rented out a reservation at VGC to another member here, but it was booked with WDW points. I own at VGC, and those points are for family trips to VGC only (would never use them on another resort).. I was able to add a day to one of our family trips by renting points from a member here, but it was just a day tacked on, and unfortunately, we had to move rooms, which was a pain. I have not had trouble booking prior to the 7 month window and have been successful twice getting a reservation at 7 months on non-VGC points.
 
I have rented out a reservation at VGC to another member here, but it was booked with WDW points. I own at VGC, and those points are for family trips to VGC only (would never use them on another resort).. I was able to add a day to one of our family trips by renting points from a member here, but it was just a day tacked on, and unfortunately, we had to move rooms, which was a pain. I have not had trouble booking prior to the 7 month window and have been successful twice getting a reservation at 7 months on non-VGC points.

Don’t you love when that happens? It’s like hitting the lotto! I used my $100/pt AUL points to waitlist last month and it triggered on day 7.

Woe is the VGC member who cancelled and has points in holding, as its slim pickings at month 7.
 
It seems like every time I try to rent DVC points to get a one bedroom villa at Grand Californian I have no luck. I have only successfully rented DVC at WDW. Has anyone ever had any luck? Is it something you have to do at 11 months or does 7 or less work out sometimes? We're generally looking for a 1 bedroom mid-week during off peak seasons.

Thanks!

I rented points for a 1 bedroom this past August for 5 nights. I found someone who was willing to rent the points out and he was online bright and early exactly 11 months out. I'm not sure if there would have been an issue trying to book less than 11 months out but there were absolutely none at exactly 11 months. We were booking for our 20th wedding anniversary so I made sure I had someone lined up well in advance of the 11 month date.
 
Don’t you love when that happens? It’s like hitting the lotto! I used my $100/pt AUL points to waitlist last month and it triggered on day 7.

Woe is the VGC member who cancelled and has points in holding, as its slim pickings at month 7.
we had some points we were going to lose because I did not get the rollover timing perfect, so off to Aulani which is easy to book, but you are right, not many options for late bookings
 

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