Villas at the Disneyland Hotel point charts

[ljmiii]

The VDH 2023 and 2024 point charts are now on the DVC website. We can't make 7 months reservations yet...but it will be interesting to see availability.

 

[RX8]

Lots of discussion out there about pricing. Starting at $230/point with dues higher than VGC but the real kicker is an additional Anaheim transient tax equal to $2.73 per point (goes up to $2.84 in 2024). So, in addition to the annual dues that are already higher than VGC, one has to pay at time of checkout $546 in taxes for a 200 point reservation. Also, there is some question as to whether or not DVC members will have to pay for parking at VDH as well. If all that wasn’t bad enough, when ready to sell the resale buyer can only use the points at VDH. I know Disney has the “magic” but everything considered, this may be a very tough sell.

 

[Huskerpaul]

You forgot the initial $9+ Maintenance Fees. That is the one that really stuck out to me with other hotel attached DVC resorts at WDW are all under $9 except Old Key West. VGC is $8. I just don't get that high starting MF.

 

[TheHolleys87]

You forgot the initial $9+ Maintenance Fees. That is the one that really stuck out to me with other hotel attached DVC resorts at WDW are all under $9 except Old Key West. VGC is $8. I just don't get that high starting MF.

Yes, there’s some consternation over the MFs but overshadowed by the TAT. Recent new DVC resorts (Riviera, for example) have tended to start out with high (overestimated) MFs that then don’t increase much the first few years while the other resorts’ MFs grow to match or exceed them. Some refer to this as the “Jim Lewis effect,” after the DVC VP who was caught by the state of Hawaii intentionally underestimating initial Aulani MFs in order to attract buyers. He and a couple of other high ranking executives lost their jobs as a result. So there’s been some shrugging of shoulders and comments of “eh, it’s California, everything costs more there.”

I just wanted to mention that a lot of the current conversation reminds me of when DVC announced that Poly would be all studios (and expensive bungalows). Many who had been waiting eagerly for a DVC resort at the beloved Poly changed their minds about buying there because they wanted/needed larger villas.

 

[bnoble]

...which did not stop the resort from selling out. It's okay if the target market is not "Everyone who goes to Disneyland."

 

[heathpack]

Wow, I have had an amazing run with my VGC ownership. We bought 85 points resale for $82/pt and have enjoyed using our ownership for 1-2 night stays, mostly in studios. We are local and thats enough Disneyland for us at a time.

The value of the VGC rose to $300/pt. I assumed it was going to drop with the opening of the DL Hotel DVC. But boy, there’s a lot not to like about this DVC:

1. Location is pretty far from park entrances vs VGC
2. So many tiny rooms. I don’t need much space but ugh on rooms too small for a bed + sofa, and the need to Murphy-bed your stay. Although I guess these rooms must be popular with others.
3. High MF + this high transient tax. As I understand it, VCG has it too but it’s 5x lower. We owners pay it with our dues, so maybe the DLH version is better for owners- if you rent, the renter pays this fee, not you. But wow the fee is high.
4. Parking- I’ve heard lots of people comment that DLH DVC reservations will have to pay for parking. I’m not sure where this is coming from, but a big negative if true.
5. Resale restrictions

So you are really nickel and dime with this ownership: purchase costs + high MF + transient tax if you use it + parking fee if you use it + resale restriction theoretically limiting future value (although at DL it may not, people will likely buy to use there).

I think VGC value may very well hold after all. Thank you Disney. I guess.

PS Despite all the negatives from my perspective, I think this DLH DVC will sell like hot cakes. There seems to be no limit what folks will spend at Disneyland, even irrational poor value expenses are desirable as being “unique”. But for folks who do the math, resale contracts at VGC will make more sense, I think. And there’s so few, demand will remain high. Only time will tell though.

 

[nomoretslt]

@heathpack sounds like a nice variety of rooms. Those “for two” studios sound a lot like the tower studios at Riviera, except Riviera does not really have a kitchenette. Has micro, mini fridge, Keurig, and REAL dishes. However, washing them in the sink in the bathroom was a challenge. They were too big to fit under the faucet and there was no way to drain them except to use a clean towel on the vanity. The bathrooms are huge in the Tower rooms (no tub). For us, one night is the limit. It’s a good point saver when we spend 5 or 6 nights there in a one bedroom and switch to the Tower room for our last night, since we are on the road by 7 am. They are compact, but we had a nice view of Epcot fireworks. Those smaller rooms are good for those that eat most meals out, spend lots of time in the park or pool.
Definitely will not be adding on at that new place. If I’m flying that far I’ll just stay on the jet and go to Aulani. I can see where locals would love it though.

 

[TheHolleys87]

Parking- I’ve heard lots of people comment that DLH DVC reservations will have to pay for parking. I’m not sure where this is coming from, but a big negative if true.

In the points chart footnotes is a statement that owners “might” have to pay for parking. Sounds like DVC might still be negotiating with DLH management or even higher up at Disney to determine whether VDH owners will support the existing parking via MFs, in which case parking would be “free” at time of stay, or not, in which case they’d presumably have to pay when they stayed there.

Before the announcement, resale VGC was around $250, I think. Within hours after the announcement, resale contracts were rapidly disappearing from listings, and the price is rising. So you could make quite a profit if you wanted to divest yourself of those 85 points!

 

[heathpack]

In the points chart footnotes is a statement that owners “might” have to pay for parking. Sounds like DVC might still be negotiating with DLH management or even higher up at Disney to determine whether VDH owners will support the existing parking via MFs, in which case parking would be “free” at time of stay, or not, in which case they’d presumably have to pay when they stayed there.

Before the announcement, resale VGC was around $250, I think. Within hours after the announcement, resale contracts were rapidly disappearing from listings, and the price is rising. So you could make quite a profit if you wanted to divest yourself of those 85 points!

I am only vaguely aware of resale prices so I shouldn’t have stated the specific $300/pt number- all I really knew accurately is that it was much more than we paid for it. As long as we live in SoCal, we won’t sell, so resale prices are a theoretical thing to us right now. We’re around 1:15 from Disneyland in no traffic (but there’s usually traffic) so an overnight stay is much less exhausting than a day trip. But still we are mostly rope dropping day trippers.

But... we might sell it if we left SoCal. I’m not sure coming back to visit Disneyland would be a huge priority for us. So the resale value might be theoretical right now but still it’s nice that DVC did not crush resale demand for VGC by offering a really sweet deal at DLH. I may not like the direction DVC is moving, but at least this aspect of it is working in my favor for now.

 

[ljmiii]

Wow, I have had an amazing run with my VGC ownership. We bought 85 points resale for $82/pt and have enjoyed using our ownership for 1-2 night stays, mostly in studios. We are local and that's enough Disneyland for us at a time. The value of the VGC rose to $300/pt. I assumed it was going to drop with the opening of the DL Hotel DVC. But boy, there’s a lot not to like about this DVC...

I am only vaguely aware of resale prices so I shouldn’t have stated the specific $300/pt number

The average price of VGC peaked at $301/pt in Feb of 2022 (obviously smaller and 'loaded' contracts went for more). I was tempted to sell at that point and buy VDH when it came available...but the projected scarcity of VDH villas larger than studios, inferior access to California Adventure, and the fact that we *love* the theming and quality of materials at VGC kept me from doing so.

Now that I see the full details of VDH I couldn't be happier to have kept our VGC. I probably will try to book VDH for a 2 person stay at some point just to try it...but maybe not.