My DVC Points

Grand Californian owners review the DVC studios, 1-Bedroom, 2-Bedroom, and Grand Villas at the Grand Californian. The studios are fairly typical DVC. The 1 and 2 Bedroom villas have an awesome kitchen with a space-efficient booth-style kitchen table, a third bathroom with a walk-in shower, and the Grand Villas include a billiards table. The general consensus is that the room's decor and design elements are slightly elevated above most DVC rooms; however, the real "star of the show" is the proximity to Disney's California Adventure theme park and a quick walk to Disneyland. Episode 214

Jeff Barnes, Ph.D., also known as "Dr. Disneyland," joins the podcast to discuss Disneyland history circa the 1990s and early 2000s when Disney's California Adventure and the Grand Californian Hotel opened up. Disney wanted to transform Disneyland from a single-day park to a multiple-day destination in Southern California. DCA and Grand Californian were essentially built in the parking lot for Disneyland. After Disney acquired the land for the current Mickey and Friends parking lot, the City of Anaheim paid to have the parking structure built to revitalize the 2-mile area surrounding Disneyland. The city wanted to transform the area into a tourist and convention district. The city used hotel taxes to fund the clean-up efforts. Disney was also considering building a second gate a few miles away in Long Beach. The city successfully kept the second park within its city limits and was able to meet its revenue goals.

Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) stress out almost every guest visiting Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Dustin Checketts, content creator, and owner of the website MouseDining.com joins Chad Pennycuff to help you secure the dining reservations that will make your trip even more magical. Whether you’re trying to score a rare and highly coveted signature restaurant or just missed your 60-day mark and need some help, your Walt Disney World or Disneyland experience will be rocked to the core when you learn about how MouseDining can unlock your best Disney meals. After all, some of us are just here for the snacks! Episode 212

Linda Smit from DVC Resale Market joins the show to share her backstory. She was an opening day guide at Vero Beach and officially retired after decades of helping families create vacation memories as a Disney Vacation Club guide. Episode 211

Copper Creek reviews were some of our very first podcast episodes in 2018. We're updating our Wilderness Lodge resort activities review show to include Storybook Dining reviews and what's changed since we first started our podcast over four years ago. Join Chad, Gina, Caleb and Annelie as we discuss the Wilderness Lodge resort activities, and […]

DVC Members Roxanne Steele, Holly Austin, and Heather Knecht join Chad in this lively discussion about the key differences between Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge Villas. Both are under the Wilderness Lodge umbrella, but if booking there, which should you choose? After this episode, you'll have a much clearer idea of which would be the better fit for you. However, the gang concurs that when at Wilderness Lodge, you really can't go wrong. Topics covered include room types and vibe of the rooms, amenities for each side of the resort, pool areas, proximity to restaurants, and lobbies. As a result of this episode, you'll want to put Wilderness Lodge at the top of your list for your next trip to WDW. Episode 209

April 2022 set a new record high for the number of contracts Disney Vacation Club bought back through the Right of First Refusal process. The ROFR monster was set free and gobbled up 41.61% of the contracts sold in April. Average sales prices saw a decrease of about 3.1% or $6 per point on average. Numerous sellers also offered free closing costs. Episode 208

Our Boulder Ridge review series continues with a discussion about the rooms themselves. Boulder Ridge offers Deluxe Studios, One-Bedroom, and Two Bedroom rooms. Tune in to find out what Chad calls the Boulder Ridge floorplan, "the Beverly of DVC." Episode 207

In Episode 206 we continue the conversation with Jim Korkis about the history and backstories of Disney’s Copper Creek Cabins and Villas at the Wilderness Lodge.  This blog post is a high-level summary for show notes and photographs of things discussed in the podcast.  For more information, you may want to see the articles Jim posted on MousePlanet.com. “The Wilderness Lodge Saga – Part One” and “The Wilderness Lodge Saga – Part Two.”

As we kick off the Boulder Ridge review series, we're rebroadcasting a show with legendary Disney historian Jim Korkis about the history and backstories of one of my home resorts: Wilderness Lodge. Jim is a former cast member at Disney in numerous roles. At one time, Jim led tour groups for Disney at Wilderness Lodge. In part one, Jim covers the history of the resort from the original concept of Cypress Point Lodge to what became Wilderness Lodge. Episode 205