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

[nalababybear]

I'm joining the VGC club! Just got an offer for 100 points accepted today! Happy to get some options for the west coast, especially with Disneyland Forward happening!

Welcome.home

 

[ClaraOswald]

I'm joining the VGC club! Just got an offer for 100 points accepted today! Happy to get some options for the west coast, especially with Disneyland Forward happening!

Welcome to the club!

 

[tx911]

I'm joining the VGC club! Just got an offer for 100 points accepted today! Happy to get some options for the west coast, especially with Disneyland Forward happening!

You're killing me, Smalls!

Sounds like you got a fantastic deal, congratulations!

 

[KPeterso]

So I know self-parking is free when staying in the villas. But I assume if you do valet, you still have to pay the full $70 per day for that?

You can valet park for villas paying just the difference between the self park price and the valet price. It has been so long since I paid the parking fee that I really do not remember what it is. But let's say the self park is $35 and valet is $70. You will pay $35 ($70-$35). We actually often get the valet for free as we have a handicap placard and we have been told that since there is never any handicap parking available in the lot in front of the hotel that we get the valet for the self park price and since we are DVC that our self park is $0 that they will waive the charge.

 

[nalababybear]

You can valet park for villas paying just the difference between the self park price and the valet price. It has been so long since I paid the parking fee that I really do not remember what it is. But let's say the self park is $35 and valet is $70. You will pay $35 ($70-$35). We actually often get the valet for free as we have a handicap placard and we have been told that since there is never any handicap parking available in the lot in front of the hotel that we get the valet for the self park price and since we are DVC that our self park is $0 that they will waive the charge.

We never knew the handicap in that small lot is available to us. I thought that was for convention use only.

 

[KPeterso]

We never knew the handicap in that small lot is available to us. I thought that was for convention use only.

I guess it is. But there are never any open spots. I have had them look over to see if there are any before saying to use the valet. I think it has been 10+ years since I have been able to park there. Will be interested to see what the handicap parking situation is like at VDH next week.

 

[franandaj]

I think that the biggest change in the bathroom will probably be the removal of the jetted tubs which will probably be replaced with soaker tubs..

Nooooooo!!!! I love the jetted tubs. Soakers are just meh.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Nooooooo!!!! I love the jetted tubs. Soakers are just meh.

I love my jetted tub at home. But only after I cleaned it 1000 times after buying the house. I don't like the idea of using one in a hotel room though. Even with a soaker tub (or a regular tub when our son was younger), I clean it before use. But I'm not about to bring tub jet cleaner with me. Ha!

 

[CarolynFH]

I love my jetted tub at home. But only after I cleaned it 1000 times after buying the house. I don't like the idea of using one in a hotel room though. Even with a soaker tub (or a regular tub when our son was younger), I clean it before use. But I'm not about to bring tub jet cleaner with me. Ha!

Yes, I think cleaning between guests is the issue. Over the years I’ve read some reports here that were quite disgusting.

 

[jjanne]

You can valet park for villas paying just the difference between the self park price and the valet price. It has been so long since I paid the parking fee that I really do not remember what it is. But let's say the self park is $35 and valet is $70. You will pay $35 ($70-$35). We actually often get the valet for free as we have a handicap placard and we have been told that since there is never any handicap parking available in the lot in front of the hotel that we get the valet for the self park price and since we are DVC that our self park is $0 that they will waive the charge.

@KPeterso - on the $0 rate VGC valet gave you for handicap/DVC, was this for a recent stay? Thank you!

 

[KPeterso]

@KPeterso - on the $0 rate VGC valet gave you for handicap/DVC, was this for a recent stay? Thank you!

Reasonably recent - last July and last November were our last 2 stays at VGC and we got the $0 valet for both of those stays.

 

[Rex1993]

Yes, I think cleaning between guests is the issue. Over the years I’ve read some reports here that were quite disgusting.

This is a management issue that the association needs to address. I spoke with one of the housekeepers who told me that she has roughly 40mins to turn over a 2bed villa for new guests. One person doing two bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a kitchen in 40mins isn’t getting anything truly clean. The housekeepers do a great job with the time they have but the department is pathetically understaffed for the amount of work that should be getting done.

 

[AstroBlasters]

This is a management issue that the association needs to address. I spoke with one of the housekeepers who told me that she has roughly 40mins to turn over a 2bed villa for new guests. One person doing two bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a kitchen in 40mins isn’t getting anything truly clean. The housekeepers do a great job with the time they have but the department is pathetically understaffed for the amount of work that should be getting done.

What is the best way to address it?

 

[CarolynFH]

This is a management issue that the association needs to address. I spoke with one of the housekeepers who told me that she has roughly 40mins to turn over a 2bed villa for new guests. One person doing two bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and a kitchen in 40mins isn’t getting anything truly clean. The housekeepers do a great job with the time they have but the department is pathetically understaffed for the amount of work that should be getting done.

Well, cleaning a soaker tub takes a lot less time than cleaning a jetted tub, if you're going to clean the jets every time a guest checks out of that villa. So the conversion from jetted to soaker tubs does help with this. But part of the problem - possibly a greater part of the problem - that you describe is that they may have had trouble hiring enough housekeeping staff to reduce their workload, despite the increase in wages.

 

[jjanne]

Reasonably recent - last July and last November were our last 2 stays at VGC and we got the $0 valet for both of those stays.

that's awesome....

 

[PortlandFan]

@KPeterso - on the $0 rate VGC valet gave you for handicap/DVC, was this for a recent stay? Thank you!

We did this last month - just make sure to have the convo with the valet and assert that the way you recall it, they have to handicap valet for free since you are DVC. Our valet said that we should remind them at the front desk when we checked in. The front desk was very amenable and nodded their heads - they did want to note the name of our valet, but that was it.

 

[jjanne]

We did this last month - just make sure to have the convo with the valet and assert that the way you recall it, they have to handicap valet for free since you are DVC. Our valet said that we should remind them at the front desk when we checked in. The front desk was very amenable and nodded their heads - they did want to note the name of our valet, but that was it.

This is super helpful @PortlandFan Do you speak with the valet taking your car in or do you have to go to the valet desk?

 

[PortlandFan]

I spoke with the person who greeted us in the driveway - If you rented a mobility device they will also help you with that. (and they had a person come fetch our bags and groceries for storage until our room was ready). Very efficient teamwork - no need to scout out the multiple parts on your own!

 

[franandaj]

I love my jetted tub at home. But only after I cleaned it 1000 times after buying the house. I don't like the idea of using one in a hotel room though. Even with a soaker tub (or a regular tub when our son was younger), I clean it before use. But I'm not about to bring tub jet cleaner with me. Ha!

I read some horror stories about the jetted tubs when I first joined DVC, and so I would bring bleach with me whenever I stayed. I'd run the tubs through a 15 minute cycle as soon as I checked in. Not once did I have a bad experience, so eventually I stopped doing it. I've never had any bad surprises since I stopped cleaning the tubs.

I would be very sad to see the jacuzzi tubs go. That's one of my favorite reasons for staying in a one bedroom.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I read some horror stories about the jetted tubs when I first joined DVC, and so I would bring bleach with me whenever I stayed. I'd run the tubs through a 15 minute cycle as soon as I checked in. Not once did I have a bad experience, so eventually I stopped doing it. I've never had any bad surprises since I stopped cleaning the tubs.

I would be very sad to see the jacuzzi tubs go. That's one of my favorite reasons for staying in a one bedroom.

They have yanked them out of every other remodel along with walling up the window.