Disney’s Grand Californian

[bhrungo]

Just curious if anyone has seen exchange availability at the Grand Californian recently? I know it’s a difficult trade, as there are very few units at this particular resort.

I do recall a few fellow Worldmark owners that were able to exchange in, but that was several years ago.

Anyone heard of recent exchanges here? I’m debating whether or not to start an ongoing search.

Thanks!

 

[frank808]

Have a vgc ogs in rci since 2012 and it is still running. Haven't hit yet so that might give you a time frame. Nowadays it is a unicorn.

Just curious if anyone has seen exchange availability at the Grand Californian recently? I know it’s a difficult trade, as there are very few units at this particular resort.

I do recall a few fellow Worldmark owners that were able to exchange in, but that was several years ago.

Anyone heard of recent exchanges here? I’m debating whether or not to start an ongoing search.

Thanks!

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Cyberc]

Just curious if anyone has seen exchange availability at the Grand Californian recently? I know it’s a difficult trade, as there are very few units at this particular resort.

I do recall a few fellow Worldmark owners that were able to exchange in, but that was several years ago.

Anyone heard of recent exchanges here? I’m debating whether or not to start an ongoing search.

Thanks!

Sorry but that is very unlikely to happen.

There are a total of 50 villas, 48 2br lock-offs and 2 3br villas.

All units get booked no later than 7 months prior to checkin. Sometimes few units open up later on because owners cancel but those units get scooped up very fast.

If you wish to stay at vgc contact an owner and do a rental that’s your best bet. A studio rental in summer goes for $442 - $544 per night. Not bad compared to Disney.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Actually, 23 lockoff two bedroom villas, 23 dedicated two bedroom villas and 2 grand villas (three bedroom villa).

You'll never get GCV via exchange.

 

[bhrungo]

Thanks you guys! I think we will stick with exchanging into DVC Animal Kingdom Villas & Beach Club. Those have worked in the past with an ogs.

Appreciate the help!

 

[frank808]

At wdw the only exchanges that have been reported for the past few years have been 1br at ssr. Once in a while an okw deposit shows up. Have not seen open inventory of anything else but ssr for a few years. Maybe it is matching to ogs for akv and bcv. If you get a match please report back here and in the dvc thread in the sightings forum.

Thanks you guys! I think we will stick with exchanging into DVC Animal Kingdom Villas & Beach Club. Those have worked in the past with an ogs.

Appreciate the help!

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[bhrungo]

At wdw the only exchanges that have been reported for the past few years have been 1br at ssr. Once in a while an okw deposit shows up. Have not seen open inventory of anything else but ssr for a few years. Maybe it is matching to ogs for akv and bcv. If you get a match please report back here and in the dvc thread in the sightings forum.

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Yes, we’ve exchanged into 2 bedroom units at AKV and Beach Villas. We were lucky enough to have a savanna view, which I thought would have been impossible for exchangers. We loved it! We set up my sister & her family at the Beach Villas.
Love our Worldmark!

 

[frank808]

How many years ago were these exchanges?

Yes, we’ve exchanged into 2 bedroom units at AKV and Beach Villas. We were lucky enough to have a savanna view, which I thought would have been impossible for exchangers. We loved it! We set up my sister & her family at the Beach Villas.
Love our Worldmark!

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[paxsarah]

Yes, we’ve exchanged into 2 bedroom units at AKV and Beach Villas. We were lucky enough to have a savanna view, which I thought would have been impossible for exchangers. We loved it! We set up my sister & her family at the Beach Villas.
Love our Worldmark!

We exchanged into 2BRs at Beach club in 2012 and BLT in 2014, and a 1BR at BWV in 2016. Have you exchanged into a 2BR since the 2014-15 timeframe?

 

[bhrungo]

Several years! I’m glad we had a great time as it looks like, from the sound of things, that it’s going to be awhile, if ever, for those exchanges to happen again.

 

[bhrungo]

No. Haven’t even tried an ogs since 2012

 

[TravelTime]

Disney seems to have reduced the incentive for Disney Vacation Club owners to exchange on RCI and The Registry by making the cost of an exchange too expensive. For example, I own at 5 DVC resorts. When I look at exchanging, everything is either inferior to my DVC resorts or the few I like on RCI charge too many points for me to consider it a good exchange. I am able to exchange into many of The Registry resorts I like for less using other programs I have access to. Some of the Registry resorts I like and that I might be willing to use points to stay at have huge resort fees on top of the cost per point for the exchange. Then my average cost goes higher than the maintenance fees at these resorts. I have not considered exchanging for any Hiltons because I am also a Marriott Vacation Club owner and I like their resorts well enough that I would not want to bother exchanging for a Hilton.

 

[Dean]

Disney seems to have reduced the incentive for Disney Vacation Club owners to exchange on RCI and The Registry by making the cost of an exchange too expensive. For example, I own at 5 DVC resorts. When I look at exchanging, everything is either inferior to my DVC resorts or the few I like on RCI charge too many points for me to consider it a good exchange. I am able to exchange into many of The Registry resorts I like for less using other programs I have access to. Some of the Registry resorts I like and that I might be willing to use points to stay at have huge resort fees on top of the cost per point for the exchange. Then my average cost goes higher than the maintenance fees at these resorts. I have not considered exchanging for any Hiltons because I am also a Marriott Vacation Club owner and I like their resorts well enough that I would not want to bother exchanging for a Hilton.

This has always been the case to some degree or another. When we stayed in Cabo the resort would have been 600 DVC points for week 1 (1BR) and 900 for week 2 (2BR), this was maybe 8 years ago. Most exchanges in II or RCI will be a downgrade and even if it's a somewhat lateral move, giving up the view preferences and other benefits of direct often makes it a downgrade. That's why I'm a big fan of upgrading so that even if I get a bad view or there are unexpected issues, it's still a win. 150 DVC points for a 1 BR is not a bad deal for many resorts during prime time though but studios and 1 BR for most are a poor choice.