Reviews of Grand Californian Villas (Disney Vacation Club)

Reviews

7

Rating

9.43 / 10

Recommended By

100%



Reviewed by Kagibson Review Date: 09/16/2021

Rating: (10)
Recommended

We stayed at the Grand Californian villas 2 bedroom suite 1-6 August 2021 and it was awesome! So beautiful and relaxing. we enjoyed every minute and the view of the California adventure Park from our 4th floor windows made it very memorable. Grandkids loved it!

Pros:

walk in gate to Californian Adventures

Cons:

check in and out lines were too long and stayed long, they need to add more people to the front desk.
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Reviewed by Diana K Review Date: 09/28/2018

Rating: (9)
Recommended

We stayed in a 2 bedroom with an amazing view of the pier. I was concerned that it might have been noisy, having Goofy's Sky School right out the window, but I never heard any more noise than I'd expect from a hotel. The rooms for DVC are a little far from the lobby, but as everything in Disneyland is closer than at Walt Disney World which I'm used to, it was not too bad. The private entrance to California Adventure was great, but I learned not to use it if you arrive to late the morning or it backs up, giving you a longer wait than you'd have at the main gate. It was also great to have the hotel so close when exiting the park late after seeing World of Color.

Pros:

Proximity to park, views

Cons:

DVC wing is a bit far from lobby
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Reviewed by bigrigol23 Review Date: 07/25/2016

Rating: (10)
Recommended

Stayed in a 1 bedroom villa 7/17-7/24 room was ready when we arrived. Hotel is beautiful and within walking distance to Disneyland with it's own entrance to California Adventure. All the cast members were great and very helpful. The villa was clean and well equipped, beds very comfortable and good size bathrooms. Pools (3) were nice but the slide needs to be redone to slow. Hotel is also right next to Downtown Disney which is nice.

Pros:

Beautiful Hotel, Nice Size Villas, Great Staff

Cons:

None
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Reviewed by disfam4 Review Date: 07/01/2015

Rating: (8)
Recommended

Stayed in a deluxe studio with our DVC points for five nights. The rooms are comparable in size to Wilderness at WDW, but do not have the pull down twin bed. Resort was very clean and staff was more than friendly and helpful.

Pool area did not impress. All three pools are right next to each other, which is different from the WDW DVC resorts that have a separate pool area for DVC Villas. Also the area seemed to lack any good theming. The pools didn't seem full, however, there were no loungers to be had. Every one of them were full with more than 50% just having towels laid across them. Not sure if people were saving or not, but got lucky and saw a couple leaving two chairs. My two kids were swimming and so they shared sitting on the extra lounger I nabbed when they did get out of the pool.

The WiFi was poor at best. Not that I used it alot, but when we were back in the room and I tried checking emails or using the internet, it was slow and sometimes would not load at all. My other negative point was that I was surprised to have to pay to do my laundry. I ran down to throw in a quick load without any money since the WDW DVC buildings all have free laundry facilities. I'm not sure why GC is any different.

Pros:

Very clean, beautiful

Cons:

Poor WiFi, small pool area
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Reviewed by west1818 Review Date: 04/16/2013

Rating: (10)
Recommended

I am a DVC member and stayed here April 7-11, 2013 (4 nights) in studio room #5516. Loved it! This was our first trip to Disneyland and what a great way to end the trip (we couldn't get in here the first two nights and stayed off property). What a great location being right next to Downtown Disney and having a private entrance to California Adventure. I wish there were more rooms available here for DVC but would stay here if I ever get back to Disneyland! Highly recommend!!

Pros:

Location, location, location!

Cons:

Too few rooms
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Reviewed by colinlyoung Review Date: 02/01/2013

Rating: (10)
Recommended

We are DVC members and have stayed at nearly all of the WDW resorts. This was our first stay at the Villas, and we loved it. The rooms are beautiful, and our studio had the same layout as most of the WDW properties. The only annoyance is why do you you only get 1 bedside table and light for double beds?
Our room had a view of California Adventure, which was a nice bonus, and despite the noise from the park as soon as you close the sliding door you can hardly here it.
One of the best perks in California is that you can walk to everything (both parks and downtown Disney). You can also get early magic hotel admission which is brilliant for Cars Land and a must use if you want to avoid the queues.

Overall a great resort and a great vacation.

Pros:

Great location, beautiful rooms.

Cons:

Only 1 bedside table!
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Reviewed by mom2boys2 Review Date: 01/30/2013

Rating: (9)
Recommended

We stayed in a 1-BR unit (5502) 1/22-26, 2013. I believe the location of the Villas cannot be beat. The ability to walk everywhere on the Disney property quickly and easily makes the trip more enjoyable. There were many times we either left something in the room and were able to quickly retun and fetch it or ran back for a quick snack or change of clothes (for the ever changing weather!).
We stopped at the Target near the Orange County Airport for breakfast food when we arrived. With the time difference from Kansas and the parks opening (relatively) late each day we had plenty of time to eat breakfast in the room. The kitchen is well equipped and comfortable for fixing meals.
We had a perfect view of California Adventures and the Paradise Pier area. We were able to watch World of Color at night without fighting the crowds or getting too cold at night. Our boys could even sit on their beds to watch and went to sleep right after! That was definitely a great perk!
The units are beginning to show their age. The wood in the bathroom is showing water damage where guest probably are not as careful as they are in their own homes. The shower drain in the master bathroom was very rusted and the tile grout was showing mildew. But overall it looked pretty good for its age and the fact that every unit is booked every night!

Pros:

Location and space

Cons:

Showing age (but not bad!)
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