Disney Vacation Club's New Resort - The Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

A couple of month's ago I had a chance to stay at Disney Vacation Club's new resort, the Villas at the Grand Californian. Located right near the entrance to Disneyland, this is a great place to stay if you are planning a visit to the Anaheim parks. You can actually enter California Adventure right from inside the hotel grounds and Downtown Disney is just on the opposite side of the lobby, so all of the Disney magic is close at hand.

Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is, in my opinion, Disneyland's best resort hotel and it has been around for several years now. I used to see them building it when I was living in Los Angeles and visiting Disneyland on a regular basis. Now though, they have expanded the resort and the expansion is all Villas for the Disney Vacation Club.

What this means for DVC owners is reduced costs for staying at The Grand Californian. I've stayed there before on points in one of the hotel rooms, but now that the DVC Villas are open, it cost fewer points per night to stay in a studio, which gives you a bit more room than the standard hotel rooms. The lay-out for the villas, as far as I can tell, is virtually the same as the rooms at my other favorite Disney resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas. The difference is in the soft furnishings. They features lots of Arts & Crafts motifs and the idea is that you should feel like you are staying in a great lodge in Northern California.

There's been a lot of talk on the various Disney forums that if you want to stay at the Grand Californian Villas then you better own there and buy soon as there are only 48 villas total. But I own at Saratoga Springs at Disney World and still had no problem booking a stay in the Villas at the Grand Californian for a few nights in November, only a few weeks after they were officially opened for reservations. I suppose that may change in the future, but I think if you really want to visit and are flexible with your dates and unit sizes, then it shouldn't be a problem.

Now there is one change at the Grand Californian that I don't care for too much. As a result of needing the extra room to build on the property, self-parking for the resort is no longer directly in front of the resort. You have to cross Disneyland Drive now to get to and from the parking lot. It's nearby, but still a hassle. Valet parking, however, will set you back $17 a day plus tips, so if like to spend your money on better things that parking the car, then self-parking will just have to do!

Of course, once you own at the Grand Californian, that opens up possibilities to stay at Disney's other resorts as well. So if you've been thinking about becoming a member, you can find out how DVC works on Disney Vacation Club page.

Planning a trip to Disneyland? If you find that the Grand Californian is just a little too expensive for you, there are plenty of other options. Check out some of the other hotels near Disneyland.