I Wish There Was More DVC at Disneyland

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Kristen K.'s picture
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Joined: 09/01/2011
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I Wish There Was More DVC at Disneyland

Even though the Villas at Grand Californian are one of my home resorts - I don't always plan a Disneyland Vacation at 11 months out. Now - last time I was able to book a 2 bedroom at 5 months, but last week when I tried to book at studio or 1 bedroom at 6 months I had no luck. I was even booking in the second slowest season.

That means that instead of paying 17 points a night for the studio that I wanted, I'm now paying 33 points a night for a premium view room at the Disneyland Hotel. Though I LOVE the Disneyland Hotel, that was a giant jump in points! The Villas at Grand Californian only have about 50 total rooms, roughly half of which are dedicated two bedrooms, the other half being lock-offs. That makes it much more difficult to book a 1 bedroom or studio if you're not booking at 11 months out.

I would absolutely love it if they could come up with some sort of solution to put more DVC rooms at Disneyland. But where should they put them? If they opened up more DVC there would you be interested in buying or adding on in California? D you think we'll ever see this happen?

Eeyore's picture
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Joined: 11/22/2012
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I have never visited DL and people keep telling me it is a huge disappointment. I probably would not ever purchase DVC via DL because we are on the East coast and never plan on moving West. I don't see myself needing a week long vacation at DL either, where as WDW is different. We are only 7.5 hours away and there is so much to see and do I could take a two week trip!

Becks534's picture
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Joined: 12/17/2011
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I hate to say it but I seriously doubt if you'll ever see more DVC at Disneyland. There are so many really good non-Disney lodging options, I just don't see it being viable. Disneyland is great and I'd love to see Carsland and the new additions to California Adventure but I just don't get the immersion into another world that I get at WDW and honestly, I don't think I'd choose to spend more than 3 or 4 days there.

Kristen K.'s picture
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Eeyore wrote:
I have never visited DL and people keep telling me it is a huge disappointment.

I always hate to hear people say that, but I know that it's the attitude that most people leave with when they go in comparing the two. I think that happens because they go expecting something to be a certain way and when it's not they are disappointed. WDW fans that go to Disneyland really need to go in not expecting to be at "their" Disney just on a different coast.

It's not an oranges to oranges comparison, the two are actually very different parks. There is a lot to love about each of them that the other doesn't have.

The kids and I did 5 nights at Disneyland in 2012 and wished that we had been booked for 6. One of the best vacations I've ever taken. I have a very relaxed touring style though, and it's not generally ride driven. I can completely understand how it's different for people that are more on the go.

Becks534 wrote:
I hate to say it but I seriously doubt if you'll ever see more DVC at Disneyland. There are so many really good non-Disney lodging options, I just don't see it being viable.

Villas at Grand Californian sold out FAST - seriously, you blinked and they were gone. Plus they fill up super quickly because there is so few of them. I don't think that there not being a market for them is the case. I think that the issue is really where to put them/how to work them in with the limited space that is available.

Becks534 wrote:
I just don't get the immersion into another world that I get at WDW

I am completely the opposite. At WDW everything is so vast that I don't feel like I'm connected to it. At Disneyland I feel like I'm a part of the story rather than just moving through or past it. It's that intimacy I get at Disneyland is what makes it my favorite park.

Breaufam's picture
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Kristen K. wrote:
I am completely the opposite. At WDW everything is so vast that I don't feel like I'm connected to it. At Disneyland I feel like I'm a part of the story rather than just moving through or past it. It's that intimacy I get at Disneyland is what makes it my favorite park.

This is exactly how I feel. To me, you just can't lump WDW and Disneyland into the same category. The only similarities between the two are MK. Disneyland is and will always be THE Disney park for me, it's more intimate, and all Disney. I still have issues with AK and EP, HS being 'Disney'. They're just parks with 'Disney' flavor.

I would love for DVC to add more rooms to the GCV. I've tried more than once to get a couple of nights and every date I've checked is booked even up to 7 months out. I should caveat that last sentence and add that there was a 3 bdrm villa available, however I was not looking for something quite that large lol.

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Courtney's picture
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DL & WDW are not really comparable. I love that at WDW its so easy to stay on property and be completely immersed. but I also love that you can completely experience DL in a shorter visit. I like them both but for different reasons. My first Disney vacation was to DL for my honeymoon 9 years ago, and I foresee many more trips to DL for us than WDW. Travel is just to far for us to get to Florida more than once every few years.

After the last 2 trips being to WDW I am longing for DL. Because it was my intro to Disney, I think it will always be my favorite, and besides only DL has the Indiana Jones ride. banana

Our plans for this year (now on hold due to being laid off sad ) were an 8 day trip to DL in October (getting an annual pass), with a 4-5 day trip in march, & another longer trip in September 2014.

As for DVC, again because of travel distance, we would likely only ever buy at DL.

Our first DL visit we stayed at the DLH, the last one was at the Sheraton park, & it sure seems like some of those off property motels are a lot closer to the gates than the DLH was. It would be awesome if Disney bought up a few of those dive motels on South Harbour & built a new DVC resort.

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Mase's picture
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Joined: 03/02/2011
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This is my opinion but first about the DVC bit... Id personally love to see more at Disneyland as well. The options are just so slim. Now... for what they have available... its probably comparable to what we have at Disney World... but we do need more options.

I am in agreement that I doubt we will see much more of DVC in Disneyland. They would need to build more hotels, and they are pretty stretched as is. But I hope I get proven wrong though.

As for the argument of you cant compare the two... I would normally agree with this, but if that was the case... why does it seem almost anything popular thats at Disneyland seems to appear in Disney World. If Cars Land DOES in fact come to Disney World... you almost have to compare the two parks at this point. Right now that is what stands out between the two in my opinion. That to me makes Disneyland... Disneyland.

Walt wanted Disneyland basically in Florida, but bigger. What he got was the Magic Kingdom and if you set those two down and looked at ride per ride. We have two parks that are very similar. What started setting them apart is the obvious stuff and I dont really need to say it. But I think we should compare the two. Actually... we should compare them all. I think once we compare all of the theme parks then we start hitting differences. Again... just my opinion.

Now... I have never been to Disneyland because honestly... I havent seen the need because ive always seen the two places as the same, but Disney World is bigger. Living over on the East Coast makes it difficult to go to Cali just for it. Now... Cars Land makes me want to go there... but with the impending HS growth.... its going out the window.

Ok... enough about that... lol... I probably rambled more than anything. But one more thing that Kristen said... for me. As soon as I see the Welcome to Disney World arch. Im there. The whole place I feel like im a new state and im in the magic. I bet Disneyland is probably better because everything is so close. But to me its like visiting a new country or state. Just the whole area to me is magic. Being on the bus... even driving from location to location is awesome. But thats just a matter of opinion... which is why this place rocks so much

awesome

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Breaufam's picture
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Joined: 02/21/2012
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We managed to snag a 1 bedroom on 18 November for the night. We love to go to Disneyland around the holidays but have always been so disappointed with the crowd levels as we've tended to go closer to Christmas. This time we'll bypass the close-to-Christmas crowds as well as the Thanksgiving weekend crowds AND get to stay at the Grand Californian. muchlove muchlove

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Kristen K.'s picture
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Whoo hoo! Nice grab.