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

[AstroBlasters]

Arrival night…. Got in around 10:45pm. Quiet lobby and Downtown Disney. Salt and Straw is open and with a short line…Perfect!

No tree in the main lobby, but a nice arrangement of orange flowers.

Display piece is a confectionary display from Coco.

 

[CastAStone]

Price increases, holy smokes! Higher ticket prices, higher genie+, higher park hopping for multi-day!

Luckily I was able to go to GetAwayToday.com and purchase my family’s January and March multi-day tickets with park hopper and genie plus at the old prices. I’m sure there are lots of other travel agents who can get the same pricing for a while…

This is all a bit annoying too because I was going to convert my family’s October tickets to MK’s…. But then they stopped selling MK’s…..

They really need a DVC pass @ DL like they have at WDW….

Yeah I locked in my adult tickets for January yesterday morning with aRes travel, which I’ve always found to be a couple bucks cheaper than the others for Disneyland, but I held off buying child tickets in hopes this “coming soon” child offer is worth it.

It’s nearly a $500 increase for 4 day PH with G+ for my family of 4. Absolutely bananas.

 

[limace]

Yeah I locked in my adult tickets for January yesterday morning with aRes travel, which I’ve always found to be a couple bucks cheaper than the others for Disneyland, but I held off buying child tickets in hopes this “coming soon” child offer is worth it.

It’s nearly a $500 increase for 4 day PH with G+ for my family of 4. Absolutely bananas.

The coming soon offer is out-discussed on Len Testa’s Disney Dish this week (meaning details are out, not that you can buy it yet I think)-$50 ish a day for child tickets.

 

[AstroBlasters]

They have the medallions at Star View Station.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Glad I purchased my DL tickets a month or so ago. I went with Get Away Today for the 5-day hopper at the 4-day price. I also purchased my WDW tickets since I suspect those will go up soon. Used a Target Circle deal for tickets on Trip Advisor. Never done that before so hopefully it works out okay.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I was looking on the DLR website to find the Grand Californian room service menu...even though I think we're too cheap to ever order from it. And I really enjoyed this typo...makes it sound like it's made using water from the garden hose.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I was looking on the DLR website to find the Grand Californian room service menu...even though I think we're too cheap to ever order from it. And I really enjoyed this typo...makes it sound like it's made using water from the garden hose.

It’s nice if you are getting in late and the restaurant and store are closed. They do room service until midnight.

 

[DonMacGregor]

It’s nice if you are getting in late and the restaurant and store are closed. They do room service until midnight.

I had a staycation back in September. Everyone else had things to do one morning (work, school, etc.), so I ordered dad up some room service and it was a really good meal. Plenty of food, well-presented. I had the eggs any style (came with bacon and toast) and a pot of coffee. Sure, $37.00 isn't cheap for breakfast, but I've spent far more than that just to sidle up to a breakfast buffet in a packed restaurant for a character meal, and ate less food and saw Mickey for the 6,432nd time. Sitting alone and enjoying my breakfast was worth the price.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I had a staycation back in September. Everyone else had things to do one morning (work, school, etc.), so I ordered dad up some room service and it was a really good meal. Plenty of food, well-presented. I had the eggs any style (came with bacon and toast) and a pot of coffee. Sure, $37.00 isn't cheap for breakfast, but I've spent far more than that just to sidle up to a breakfast buffet in a packed restaurant for a character meal, and ate less food and saw Mickey for the 6,432nd time. Sitting alone and enjoying my breakfast was worth the price. View attachment 805564

My wife usually sends me down to the GCH Craftsman Grill to pickup some hot breakfast if we are not in a cereal or peanut butter toast mood. The food has always been very good and so far it has never been too crowded at 7 to 8am-ish.

I’m the one that gets antsy to get moving in the morning and I think she wants to get my nervous energy out of the room while she gets everyone else ready at a more leisurely pace.

 

[ClaraOswald]

We are leisurely pace people in the morning, for the most part. We went down to Craftsman grill for breakfast each morning and it was nice. We'll probably eat breakfast in our room most days next time though. Maybe. Ha!

 

[AwfulWaffle]

Price increases, holy smokes! Higher ticket prices, higher genie+, higher park hopping for multi-day!

I finally get my shot at the infamous Grand Cal resort so I guess I better get started on those tickets today! Can't wait, our first trip out west as a family and first ever to Disneyland! Still hoping for a waitlist for two days on the tail end

 

[ehh]

I finally get my shot at the infamous Grand Cal resort so I guess I better get started on those tickets today! Can't wait, our first trip out west as a family and first ever to Disneyland! Still hoping for a waitlist for two days on the tail end

View attachment 806830

The "I need to catch a plane" split stay!

 

[AwfulWaffle]

The "I need to catch a plane" split stay!

We will have a newborn so it was more about breaking up the flight then to actually visit Disneyland. Disneyland is just a plus

 

[AstroBlasters]

I finally get my shot at the infamous Grand Cal resort so I guess I better get started on those tickets today! Can't wait, our first trip out west as a family and first ever to Disneyland! Still hoping for a waitlist for two days on the tail end

View attachment 806830

Fabulous trip! Congratulations and Aloha!

 

[AwfulWaffle]

Fabulous trip! Congratulations and Aloha!

Thanks we are looking forward to it. We are CCV owners and GCV gives us that same vibe from the videos we have seen of the resort. Only two days but I plan on spending every moment of it with the baby while the girls go play at Disneyland

 

[Chili327]

I finally get my shot at the infamous Grand Cal resort so I guess I better get started on those tickets today! Can't wait, our first trip out west as a family and first ever to Disneyland! Still hoping for a waitlist for two days on the tail end

View attachment 806830

2 day waitlist at the end for Aulani or DLR (VGC or VDH) ?


*Trip Report*
I just got back from DLR this past long weekend, & it was just as great as always.

• First time trying Genie+, wasn't worth it on the day we used it, but wish we had tried it the day before.. would have been a life saver.
• First time at LampLight was awesome,
• First time eating at Tangeroa (breakfast), wasn't bad, but was sort of disappointing.
• First time on Runaway Railway was great!!

Can't wait to use my VGC points where I wont feel so rushed... it never fails trying to get to the next ride or attraction, & never just sit & people watch.
Also not making the trek back to Hilton/Hyatt/other short walk or Uber/Lyft afterwards will be amazing.

 

[Lorana]

We’re so excited to finally be getting back to the Grand Californian - first time since pre-Covid, and my kids actually haven’t been back 2018. We picked early January (4-9) as my oldest is still on Winter break from college, and January allowed me to stretch my small contract points enough by banking & borrowing to book a 1BR instead of a studio to give us more room. We’re doing Universal for 1.5 days (mainly for Super Mario World) and then Disneyland for 2.5 days. We got tickets on Undercover Tourists adults-for-kids prices but still, ouch, those prices have gone UP since our last visit.

Normally I’d be excited that Christmas was extended through 1/7, as we love the Nightmare Before Christmas and all things Christmasy, and I can never get enough of that holiday cheer. But our original intent was to catch the end of the 100 Years Celebration and all the special shows for it, so I’m a little bummed, and it’s sadly too late to change our travel plans.

Will the 100 Years celebration “return” on Jan 8, or does it essentially end when all the Christmas parades and shows start? I am sad because we won’t be able to catch both DL and CA 100 nighttime shows (we only have the night of 1/8 as we fly back the afternoon of 1/9), but we’ll catch one if it returns 1/8. If so, which one should we see? I’m leaning towards Disneyland, but wanted opinions!

 

[AstroBlasters]

Did anyone read the LA times article this morning: “Disneyland workers primed for big salary bump after winning living-wage legal battle” https://apple.news/AXqNcXxkNT1SbOqSG9dBdIA

I’m happy the cast members will be earning more, but I am wondering the following things:

1) Did this play into the larger than average dues increase?

2) Will this help with attracting more cast members into the hotel and parks or will Disney run things with even a lower number of staffing?

3) Since Disney knew this was going to happen, is it fair to assume the higher cost of labor was baked into the higher ticket prices and cost of food increases?

 

[Mathmagicland]

Did anyone read the LA times article this morning: “Disneyland workers primed for big salary bump after winning living-wage legal battle” https://apple.news/AXqNcXxkNT1SbOqSG9dBdIA

I’m happy the cast members will be earning more, but I am wondering the following things:

1) Did this play into the larger than average dues increase?

2) Will this help with attracting more cast members into the hotel and parks or will Disney run things with even a lower number of staffing?

3) Since Disney knew this was going to happen, is it fair to assume the higher cost of labor was baked into the higher ticket prices and cost of food increases?

I can’t speak to your questions about Disneyland workers & pricing, but sharing this as additional info for California-

The minimum wage in California for most fast food workers is going up to $20 per hour in 2024. Both McDonald’s and Chipotle have already said they will be raising prices here as a result. The consumers ultimately end up paying for the wage increases at some point, so I think we can expect more price increases at Disneyland Resort.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...onalds-raising-prices-california/71408254007/

 

[ClaraOswald]

I have some dues questions since this is our first year.

When do they release what the dues will be per point in 2024?

And when will the show up under the dues section of my account online? I assume I can just pay them from there once they show up?