The Official VILLAS at DISNEYLAND HOTEL (Discovery Tower) Owners and Fans Info Thread

[kes601]

I think the answer is going to depend on how much time you plan on spending in the room. If you're going to have park/pool heavy days where only a minimal time is spent in the room, I would go with #2. Otherwise, I would suggest #1. The Duo can feel really cramped, especially when the bed is down. But the extra large balcony with the Garden Duo can be used as extra lounging space (weather permitting).

Unless you know you'll be claustrophobic or if you'll know you'll be hosting guests in the room, I would avoid the split stay. (extra points, extra stress)

We hate split stays, that's why we currently have the 9 in the duo, we are figuring with the size of the patios / balcony's that will help with the cramped feeling. We bought 10 days worth of tickets (before the price increase) so don't plan on any resort only / heavy days.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[The_MT]

Thanks. Right now we are in a garden duo for 9 but are nearing the 7 month mark when we know we won't be able to change easily. The ideal situation is that 2 days into the 7 month booking period the standard view studio is still available and we can use our SSR points to cover the 19 we are short with our VDH points.

If you book the first 2 days of your stay with VDH points then once the 7 month mark hits you should be able to add on more days to that stay with your SSR points and beat out others who only have non-VDH points. As long as nobody with VDH points books the nights you need before the 7 month mark.

 

[Wedgeout]

For those of you have stayed in a Duo Studio, what would you do for a 9 night stay (we are a couple in our 30s/40s):

1. Do 9 nights in a Garden Duo Studio
2. Do 9 nights in a Non-Garden Duo Studio
3. Split 4 nights in a Non-Garden Duo Studio and 5 nights in a Non-Garden Deluxe studio

With the garden duo you are guaranteed the outdoor space. Each of the other duo categories have some with no balcony. If can do all garden you will feel special in those units. The two upper floor duo’s have the huge balcony/patios! We put the bed up each morning and down to sleep. We didn’t feel cramped. The bathroom is very spacious to make the entire room perfect for 2 for any length of stay.

 

[Fangorn]

The pool bar is now open. Well, in the process of opening anyway. Scrims and construction walls are down and CMs appear to be training and familiarizing themselves with the new digs. You can't actually get to it at the moment, as all the walkways are currently blocked off.

DVC pool is closed today as well. Forced to use the monorail pool.

Steve

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

I saw a video and the bar looks so much bigger than I thought in pics. Same with the mural behind it. Excited!

 

[Fangorn]

We've been here 4 days now. I know it's still new - hasn't been open a month yet - and bugs are still being worked out, but there is one thing that is absolutely driving us insane. Opening the door to you room!.

You can use your phone or get a card at the front desk. BUT. Wifi is iffy at best. Anytime we leave VDH, all our phones change wifi connection to the parks' wifi from the Disneyland Hotel wifi. No problem. But coming back from the parks, it doesn't switch automatically to the resort wifi. The Disneyland app has a button to "open door" but if you're not connected to the hotel wifi, it doesn't open the door. So now you have to change the wifi, probably refresh the app, and hope that it'll open the door. Four people, all very Tech savvy, standing in front of the door all trying to get someone's phone to work.

After a day of that, I went to the front desk and got key cards. They worked exactly once, and never worked again. Went back to the front desk. CMs couldn't get their systems to work properly to create new cards. 3 different CMs tried on 3 different workstations. The third one was (supposedly) able to create them. 4 cards. None of which actually worked to open the door.

Very frustrating.

Another trip to the front desk yielded no solution. I questioned why didn't they just use magic bands. The response was "from your lips to God's ears". She strongly recommended that when we get the survey, we need to make that suggestion there, as this has been a problem from the beginning.

And of course, the same thing happens when you want to access the fitness room or the laundry room.

So annoying.

Steve

 

[AstroBlasters]

We hate split stays, that's why we currently have the 9 in the duo, we are figuring with the size of the patios / balcony's that will help with the cramped feeling. We bought 10 days worth of tickets (before the price increase) so don't plan on any resort only / heavy days.

Thanks for your feedback.

We love Disneyland, but almost all 5-day tickets go like this:

Day 1: Super pixie dust! Motivated to do everything we can! Afternoon break in the hotel room, but everything else is in the parks!
Day 2-3: More relaxed, wake up a little later, walk a little slower, still very energized. Stay till park closes every night!
Day 4-5: Looking for short lines or G+ walk on, more merchandise shopping. More shows, pool time. Absolutely ready to go by after 5-days.

I can not even imagine trying to go for 9-10 days…. We average 20-25k steps a day and our bodies are ready to break down after 5…. even with pool time, afternoon naps, etc…

9-10 days at Disneyland in a row and in a duo… I would have to make sure the internet router could filter out all searches for divorce attorneys….

 

[CarolynFH]

@Fangorn why wait for the survey? Send an email now to dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com and also include this in the survey. It’s ridiculous and needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

 

[kes601]

We love Disneyland, but almost all 5-day tickets go like this:

Day 1: Super pixie dust! Motivated to do everything we can! Afternoon break in the hotel room, but everything else is in the parks!
Day 2-3: More relaxed, wake up a little later, walk a little slower, still very energized. Stay till park closes every night!
Day 4-5: Looking for short lines or G+ walk on, more merchandise shopping. More shows, pool time. Absolutely ready to go by after 5-days.

I can not even imagine trying to go for 9-10 days…. We average 20-25k steps a day and our bodies are ready to break down after 5…. even with pool time, afternoon naps, etc…

9-10 days at Disneyland in a row and in a duo… I would have to make sure the internet router could filter out all searches for divorce attorneys….

We typically spend 16-17 days in the summer at WDW. We’ll be good.

 

[MartyParty]

We typically spend 16-17 days in the summer at WDW. We’ll be good.

Jealous!

 

[AstroBlasters]

We typically spend 16-17 days in the summer at WDW. We’ll be good.

I get it, but they are so vastly different. Have you been to Disneyland before?

 

[limace]

I get it, but they are so vastly different. Have you been to Disneyland before?

I could totally spend 10 days at Disneyland, especially staying DVC. Wander in for the morning, just ride a couple rides and soak up atmosphere, do other things for part of the day. It sounds heavenly.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I could totally spend 10 days at Disneyland, especially staying DVC. Wander in for the morning, just ride a couple rides and soak up atmosphere, do other things for part of the day. It sounds heavenly.

To each their own.

Could you do 10 days at Disneyland in a duo being solely Disney bubble focused?

I’d have to be in at least a 1Bd with a full kitchen and have a car to do some other things in SoCal….

 

[bbeagle]

I can not even imagine trying to go for 9-10 days…. We average 20-25k steps a day and our bodies are ready to break down after 5…. even with pool time, afternoon naps, etc…

We're typical 14-17 day WDW travelers, and are planning an 9-day vacation to Disneyland on our upcoming trip. We went 6 days last time at Disneyland, and it wasn't enough.

We usually go crazy the first 3 days. Rope drop to park closing. Then take it easier. Walk around, soak in the atmosphere, pool time, plan some tours, ride the rides over and over again. Hit all the shows, including Dapper Dans, make sure you visit every shop, store, chat up the CMs, oh.... and 1 day at Universal Hollywood. We might spend a couple 1/2 days in SoCal at the beach as well.

 

[AstroBlasters]

We're typical 14-17 day WDW travelers, and are planning an 9-day vacation to Disneyland on our upcoming trip. We went 6 days last time at Disneyland, and it wasn't enough.

We usually go crazy the first 3 days. Rope drop to park closing. Then take it easier. Walk around, soak in the atmosphere, pool time, plan some tours, ride the rides over and over again. Hit all the shows, including Dapper Dans, make sure you visit every shop, store, chat up the CMs, oh.... and 1 day at Universal Hollywood. We might spend a couple 1/2 days in SoCal at the beach as well.

With kids or without kids?

 

[upritbass]

Could you do 10 days at Disneyland in a duo being solely Disney bubble focused?

I’d have to be in at least a 1Bd with a full kitchen and have a car to do some other things in SoCal….

Abso-freaking-lutely! Especially a Garden Duo during Holiday season. We spent 16 years in Lakewood/Redondo Beach, so I've already done everything in SoCal. When we park the car, that's it -- the only time I move the car is when we are driving back home.

 

[limace]

To each their own.

Could you do 10 days at Disneyland in a duo being solely Disney bubble focused?

I’d have to be in at least a 1Bd with a full kitchen and have a car to do some other things in SoCal….

I’ve done a week at the HoJo before with two kids and was ready for more. Would I do it in a duo studio? Probably not but I’ve never been in one and always have more than two people with me. And with Uber and Lyft it’s easy to do a lot else if you don’t rent a car-we do on some trips and others we do Lyft and all have been fun.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I’ve done a week at the HoJo before with two kids and was ready for more. Would I do it in a duo studio? Probably not but I’ve never been in one and always have more than two people with me. And with Uber and Lyft it’s easy to do a lot else if you don’t rent a car-we do on some trips and others we do Lyft and all have been fun.

People should do whatever makes them happy.

5-day park hopper with G+ is plenty for us.

If we had to do Disney for 10-days in a row then we’d rather do 5-days at DLand and then 5-days at Aulani and explore Oahu. The flight to Hawaii would probably be the same or less than the second 5-day park ticket.

 

[bbeagle]

With kids or without kids?

With 2 kids, now 15 and 7.

 

[kes601]

People should do whatever makes them happy.

Then I'm not sure why we are even having this debate? 5 days is enough for you. Others would like more. We've never been and want to take everything in and enjoy the resort we bought into.