The official GCV press release!

[squidmo]

18 September 2007
DISNEYLAND RESORT EXPANDING DISNEY’S GRAND CALIFORNIAN HOTEL & SPA


First West Coast Disney vacation villas planned

ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept 18, 2007 – Responding to a growing demand for guest accommodations in Anaheim, the Disneyland Resort today celebrated an expansion of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa that will increase accommodations by more than 30 percent and will include the first Disney Vacation Club villas in Anaheim.

This expansion, scheduled for completion in late 2009, will involve 300 union construction jobs and result in 100 new hotel jobs. It underscores Disney’s long-term commitment to growing and investing in Anaheim. The expansion also marks the latest in a series of major additions to the Resort that include the newly launched Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s California Adventure.

“This expansion underscores our commitment to growing and investing in both the Disneyland Resort and the Anaheim Resort Area,” said Ed Grier, president of the Disneyland Resort. “These new hotel rooms and villas will give more people the opportunity to enjoy the immersive vacation experience Disney is known for. We know that our guests value being able to stay in the middle of the magic with our world-class theme parks, shopping and dining just steps away.”

The 2.5-acre expansion on the hotel’s south side will add more than 200 new hotel rooms and 50 two-bedroom equivalent vacation villas. Those vacation villas, to include kitchens, living and dining areas and other home-like amenities, will mark the West Coast debut of Disney Vacation Club, Disney’s innovative vacation-ownership program.

“For more than 50 years, the Disneyland Resort has been investing in our community and they have helped us build a world class resort destination in which all of Anaheim can be proud,” Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle said. “Thanks to Disneyland and the Anaheim Resort Area, Anaheim boasts one of the fastest growing markets in the country for hotel occupancy.”

Other elements planned for the project include a rooftop deck for viewing fireworks, a new swimming pool and about 300 underground parking spaces. Peter Dominick of 4240, architect for Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa as well as Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is designing the ambitious expansion. It will reflect the same California Arts & Crafts architecture of the existing hotel, which immerses guests in a turn-of-the-20th-century California experience.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa currently features 745 guest rooms, including 44 suites. Upon completion of the expansion project, the hotel will feature 945 guest rooms, including 44 guest suites, and 50 Disney Vacation Club two-bedroom equivalent vacation villas.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is an architectural and artistic celebration of California’s renowned Arts & Crafts style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

One of three hotels at the Disneyland Resort (others include Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel and the Disneyland Hotel), Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is home to the nationally renowned and award-winning Napa Rose restaurant, where Wine Country cuisine tempts taste buds and expert sommeliers help guests make selections from one of the world’s finest collections of California wines. The nearby Storytellers Café lets kids and adults alike enjoy a dining experience that only Disney can do, complete with an array of popular Disney characters.

These dining experiences, coupled with a luxury spa, onsite shopping and other amenities, helped the hotel earn the No. 3 spot on Travel & Leisure Family magazine’s list of the top family-friendly resort destinations.

Disney Vacation Club

The development of 50 two-bedroom equivalent vacation villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa represents the first dedicated Disney Vacation Club accommodations on the West Coast. Disney Vacation Club is a vacation-ownership program that helps families enjoy flexibility and savings on vacations for decades to come. By purchasing a real estate interest in a Disney Vacation Club resort, families enjoy flexible vacations at Disney destinations worldwide as well as more than 500 other popular Member Getaways vacation locations around the globe.

Disney Vacation Club, currently celebrating its milestone 15th anniversary, has grown to serve more than 350,000 individual members from more than 100 countries and all 50 U.S. states.

“We are excited to bring our hugely popular Disney Vacation Club to the West Coast for the first time,” said Jim Lewis, president of Disney Vacation Club. “Our member community has more than doubled since 2003, which illustrates families’ deep desires to enjoy quality vacations for years to come. Like most Disney fans, our members have great affection for the original Disney vacation destination, and we’re thrilled that this expansion project will allow our members to call the Disneyland Resort ‘home’ for the first time.”

The expansion project marks the latest growth for Disney Vacation Club, which recently opened the first phases of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The new Disney Vacation Club resort, located at the popular Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, is scheduled to open in phases through early 2009.

Construction is already underway on the new Kidani Village building and amenities, with completion scheduled for late 2009.

About the Disneyland Resort:

Located on approximately 500 acres in Anaheim, Calif., the Disneyland Resort includes the Disneyland® and Disney’s California Adventure® Parks, three hotels with a total of 2,224 rooms and the 310,000 square foot retail, restaurant and entertainment Downtown Disney® District. With 20,000 employees, the Disneyland Resort is Orange County’s largest single-site employer and a $3.6 billion annual contributor to the local economy. In January 2004, the Resort welcomed its 500 millionth guest since opening on July 17, 1955.

About Disney Vacation Club:

The Disney Vacation Club family of resorts also includes five other Walt Disney World properties as well as resorts in Vero Beach, Fla., and Hilton Head Island, S.C. Disney Vacation Club has sold out of inventory at its first six resorts, and sales remain ahead of schedule at its seventh property, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, which opened in May 2004 near the Downtown Disney area at the Walt Disney World Resort, as well as at the aforementioned Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas.

###

Media Contacts:
Disneyland Resort
Bob Tucker 714-781-4614

Disney Vacation Club
Rena Langley 407-566-3648

 

[Granny]

I'll post the same thing here that I posted on the other GVC announcement thread.

I can't believe there are only 50 2BR units! Just dipping their toe in the water I suppose.

 

[dwelty]

I am happy that they are adding another pool. And a rooftop fireworks viewing site, how cool is that!!!!

 

[dwelty]

Notice the wording on this release. This is aimed at Anaheim voters. The vote on the housing complex in the resort district goes to voters June 08.

 

[squidmo]

I am happy that they are adding another pool. And a rooftop fireworks viewing site, how cool is that!!!!

Me too- I'm so excited!!! Hopefully when they release "more info" on October 9th it will contain concept art. And wasn't it you who suggested that they might be doing underground parking? Looks like that's part of the plan too.

I wonder how long it will be before they can start selling them...

 

[MinnieGi]

I'll post the same thing here that I posted on the other GVC announcement thread.

I can't believe there are only 50 2BR units! Just dipping their toe in the water I suppose.

That was my same thought too as I read the press release! I'm in shock!

 

[dwelty]

My guide told me that they received a packet with concept art. Has anyone seen this? She said it basically looks like the existing hotel, so I am glad about that.

 

[JimMIA]

I'm left wondering what a "two-bedroom equivalent villa" is. Seems like if they were two-bedrooms, they'd say two-bedroom...not "equivalent".

Maybe a one-bedroom with a laundry room large enough that you can accommodate 8 with air mattresses? Anybody know?

 

[squidmo]

That was my same thought too as I read the press release! I'm in shock!

I know- it doesn't seem like nearly enough units. I don't understand why they wouldn't do a larger number of DVC units, perhaps making a higher than usual percentage of studios. Then until they sold out, Disney could treat the studios as "enhanced" hotel roooms- I doubt they would have any trouble renting them out. I'll definitely be buying, but it does annoy me to know that I'll have to book my Disneyland vacations day-by-day at the 11 month window, and will probably NEVER be able book after 7 months. So I guess I'll have to hope they follow up quickly with a second Disneyland DVC to spread out the demand.

 

[dvc_john]

I'm left wondering what a "two-bedroom equivalent villa" is. Seems like if they were two-bedrooms, they'd say two-bedroom...not "equivalent".

Maybe a one-bedroom with a laundry room large enough that you can accommodate 8 with air mattresses? Anybody know?

I read 'two-bedroom equivalent' as combination of 'two-bedroom dedicated' and 'two-bedroom lock-off'.

It does seem like with only 50 units, 7-month booking will be hard to get. Especially since they've been selling a lot of SSR/AKV to west-coasters who will be trying to use those points at GCV.

 

[squidmo]

I'm left wondering what a "two-bedroom equivalent villa" is. Seems like if they were two-bedrooms, they'd say two-bedroom...not "equivalent".

Maybe a one-bedroom with a laundry room large enough that you can accommodate 8 with air mattresses? Anybody know?

My guess is "equivalent" = "lock-off". If they just called them two bedroom units, someone might read it as ONLY having two-bedrooms available, no 1br or studio units.

 

[SoCalKDG]

One thing that should be noted is that 2-5 days might be a normal stay at the resort. Maybe out of town visitors going Sunday-Thursday while more locals going Friday to Sunday. 3-4 full days at the DLR is a normal stay with the two parks.

This could effectively double the amount of rooms available each week, putting it in the same class as VWL.

Using myself as an example I'll be staying just offsite Friday, October 26th to Sunday, October 28th as I'm local, and have an AP. We are making it a mini-vacation combined with DCA Halloween party Friday night. We might have used points that weekend instead if the DVC's were available and priced around 26 points per night for a studio.

If and when a 3rd park were to open I'd expect more DVC units to be built.

 

[Entropy]

I can't wait.
If the math from my purchase holds up, it looks like they'll be selling the equivalent of 10,150 150 point memberships*. They're going to go fast.

(*Based on min 150 point purchase bought .2463% of a 4-room block. GCV is 25 4 room architectural blocks)

 

[buckylarue]

I'm left wondering what a "two-bedroom equivalent villa" is. Seems like if they were two-bedrooms, they'd say two-bedroom...not "equivalent".

Maybe a one-bedroom with a laundry room large enough that you can accommodate 8 with air mattresses? Anybody know?

I'm sure that is referring to the 1BR + Studio combos that connect to form a 2BR. Not sure how many of these lock-offs there will be, or indeed, if there will be any dedicated 2BR units. Guess we'll wait and see! I also imagine this is just Phase 1 of the DVC in Anaheim, and that more will come, either added on at GCV or elsewhere.

 

[MagicalPins]

I'm sure that is referring to the 1BR + Studio combos that connect to form a 2BR. Not sure how many of these lock-offs there will be, or indeed, if there will be any dedicated 2BR units. Guess we'll wait and see! I also imagine this is just Phase 1 of the DVC in Anaheim, and that more will come, either added on at GCV or elsewhere.

I just got off the phone with my guide who is based out of Disneyland and they mentioned that the 2 BRs would all b able to be split between 1 BR and studios. Plus they mentioned that they were told there would be grand villas

 

[dwelty]

I'll definitely be buying, but it does annoy me to know that I'll have to book my Disneyland vacations day-by-day at the 11 month window, and will probably NEVER be able book after 7 months. So I guess I'll have to hope they follow up quickly with a second Disneyland DVC to spread out the demand.

I don't think you will have any more difficulty booking at 11 months than any other resort. Between 11 and 7 months you are only in competition with other GCH owners. I do not think you will have to book day by day unless there is a special event going on at the park during the time you want to go. 7 months will be a different story.

 

[squidmo]

I don't think you will have any more difficulty booking at 11 months than any other resort. Between 11 and 7 months you are only in competition with other GCH owners. I do not think you will have to book day by day unless there is a special event going on at the park during the time you want to go. 7 months will be a different story.

OK, perhaps not day-by-day at the 11 month mark for every reservation, but I do think you are going to have to call sooner, rather than later. GCV owners are going to be so worried about getting shut out, I think they are going to book earlier on the average than other DVC members. A BCV owner may be bummed out if they can't get a ressie at 8 months, but in almost every season they are going to have another WDW alternative open to them at 7 months. It may not be exactly the vacation they wanted, but it will be very similar. If a GCV owner can't get a ressie at 8 months, they are going to have to seriously rethink their vacation plans, because there isn't another DL DVC.

 

[mello]

I was wondering about grand villas, since it only mentioned "2br equivalents" (which I also interpreted as lock-offs).

 

[AKV707]

Well, I have to believe that this is just the beginning of DVC at DLR. It sounds that way from the press release. They ultimately will have to have more DVC there so that those who own in CA have options like those of us who own at WDW do.

It is exciting to see this happening.

(Hey, this is my 200th post!)

 

[disney-super-mom]

As a Disneyland vet who's been patiently waiting for a DL DVC, I'm very disappointed. Being such a small DVC addition, points will likely sell out to the 350,000 current DVC members before us west-coast-non-members get a chance to buy in.

I think I'm going to have to change our plans of buying in and instead go to plan B.