| A couple of month's ago I had a chance to stay at | | | | & Crafts motifs and the idea is that you should |
| Disney Vacation Club's new resort, the Villas at the | | | | feel like you are staying in a great lodge in Northern |
| Grand Californian. Located right near the entrance to | | | | California. |
| Disneyland, this is a great place to stay if you are | | | | There's been a lot of talk on the various Disney |
| planning a visit to the Anaheim parks. You can | | | | forums that if you want to stay at the Grand |
| actually enter California Adventure right from inside | | | | Californian Villas then you better own there and buy |
| the hotel grounds and Downtown Disney is just on | | | | soon as there are only 48 villas total. But I own at |
| the opposite side of the lobby, so all of the Disney | | | | Saratoga Springs at Disney World and still had no |
| magic is close at hand. | | | | problem booking a stay in the Villas at the Grand |
| Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is, in my | | | | Californian for a few nights in November, only a few |
| opinion, Disneyland's best resort hotel and it has been | | | | weeks after they were officially opened for |
| around for several years now. I used to see them | | | | reservations. I suppose that may change in the |
| building it when I was living in Los Angeles and visiting | | | | future, but I think if you really want to visit and are |
| Disneyland on a regular basis. Now though, they have | | | | flexible with your dates and unit sizes, then it |
| expanded the resort and the expansion is all Villas for | | | | shouldn't be a problem. |
| the Disney Vacation Club. | | | | Now there is one change at the Grand Californian |
| What this means for DVC owners is reduced costs | | | | that I don't care for too much. As a result of needing |
| for staying at The Grand Californian. I've stayed | | | | the extra room to build on the property, self-parking |
| there before on points in one of the hotel rooms, but | | | | for the resort is no longer directly in front of the |
| now that the DVC Villas are open, it cost fewer | | | | resort. You have to cross Disneyland Drive now to |
| points per night to stay in a studio, which gives you a | | | | get to and from the parking lot. It's nearby, but still a |
| bit more room than the standard hotel rooms. The | | | | hassle. Valet parking, however, will set you back $17 |
| lay-out for the villas, as far as I can tell, is virtually | | | | a day plus tips, so if like to spend your money on |
| the same as the rooms at my other favorite Disney | | | | better things that parking the car, then self-parking |
| resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas. The difference is | | | | will just have to do! |
| in the soft furnishings. They features lots of Arts | | | | |