Villas at Disneyland Hotel DVC Tower: Opening Date, Photos, Pricing & Points Charts
The Villas at Disneyland Hotel will open this fall, with bookings now available and DVC memberships on sale. This covers all of the points, prices & tax details about the tower, plus new room photos and what you need to know before making reservations or buying into Disney Vacation Club’s newest resort. (Updated August 27, 2023.)
Let’s start with the press release details. According to Disney, the Villas at Disneyland Hotel will blend Walt Disney Animation Studios classics with contemporary designs, offering a celebration of Disney history in the place where it all started. Every space in the 12-story tower at Disneyland Hotel will immerse you in the storytelling process, bringing some of your favorite Disney stories to life in a variety of themed accommodations.
This will be the fourth tower at the AAA Four Diamond resort, located just steps from the Downtown Disney District, Disneyland, and Disney California Adventure. The Villas at Disneyland Hotel will open to guests on September 28, 2023. Cash bookings are now open to all guests.
Similarly, Disney Vacation Club sales for the Villas at Disneyland Hotel are now open to both existing DVC Members and the general public. The Villas at Disneyland Hotel will cost $230 per point, and fairly aggressive add-on incentives are also available for existing Disney Vacation Club Members those who purchase VDH. The savings are far less significant for new buyers, unfortunately.
Although it’s only the second DVC property in California, there should be absolutely no concerns whatsoever about the Villas at Disneyland Hotel “selling out” anytime soon. Although we anticipate this DVC addition being incredibly popular, it’ll still take years for the Villas at Disneyland Hotel to sell out.
Disney’s Riviera Resort went on sale 4 years ago, and is currently about 50% sold. A better comparison might be the Resort Studios at the Grand Floridian, and those have also sold about half of their inventory in the year since they’ve gone on sale. Grand Floridian is proving to be the most popular DVC resort (again) as of Fall 2023, surpassing the Villas at Disneyland Hotel for the #1 spot.
If you’re wondering why that’s happening, it’s because there’s simply less tourist demand for the California parks than Walt Disney World. There are a dozen DVC resorts at Walt Disney World, and that sprawling complex is well-established as a vacation destination for many members.
By contrast, many Disney fans make occasional pilgrimages to Disneyland, but don’t visit annually. And the most diehard Disneyland fans live in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, and aren’t really in need of accommodations. Suffice to say, the Villas at Disneyland Hotel will take more than a year to sell out, but will still be an incredibly popular property over time. Just like the Grand Californian before it.
The latest official update from Disney Vacation Club shares a first look at the lobby mural created for the tower by Lorelay Bové, associate production designer on Disney Animation’s Academy Award-winning “Encanto.” Bové has contributed artwork and design to “Big Hero 6” and “Zootopia,” as well as other fan favorites such as “The Princess and the Frog,” “Tangled,” “Winnie the Pooh” and “Wreck-It Ralph.”
Next, let’s turn to new construction photos of the Villas at Disneyland Hotel tower as of August 27, 2023…
From these, you can see that the exterior of the Villas at Disneyland Hotel is pretty much finished. I noticed some construction workers standing on balconies, but it pretty much appears ready to roll. (That’s the monorail water slide at the E-Ticket Pool behind scrims in the first photo; that’s part of the existing Disneyland Hotel and is not part of the DVC construction.)
Finally, here’s a look at the new-to-us model of the Villas at Disneyland Hotel:
This model is on display in both the lobby of Disneyland Hotel and in the new Star View Station DVC Member Lounge in Tomorrowland at Disneyland.
It’s nice to see the backside of the new tower, as there aren’t many good angles of this around Disneyland Resort. Even though we know this is what it’ll look like from the concept art and off-angle glimpses from around Anaheim, the dimensional view provides added perspective.
The bigger advantage for earlier buyers will be booking their stays at Disneyland Hotel in late 2023 and 2024. Owners of the Villas at Disneyland Hotel are now able to reserve stays subject to the 11 month rule. Meaning early buyers will have easier access for booking through April 2024.
Disney Vacation Club owners with different home resorts are also able to make reservations for the Villas at Disneyland Hotel subject to the 7 month window. (We already have our first stay at VDH on the books!)
Disney Vacation Club has also released the 2023 (partial) and 2024 points charts for the Villas at Disneyland Hotel, which are pictured above.
A few things will stick out for those who are familiar with the Villas at Grand Californian. First, there are many more seasons for this property (7 as opposed to 4). Second, the points totals are pretty consistent with the Grand Californian. Some rooms and seasons are higher and others are lower; without crunching the numbers, I’d hazard a guess that it comes close to netting out.
Finally, the fine print caught my eye and is a potentially significant change from the Grand Californian: “City of Anaheim imposes a nightly transient occupancy tax based upon the number of Vacation Points required for the stay. This tax must be paid by check-out. The amount of the tax will vary from year to year, and the tax rate is subject to change. This information is also available under ‘Booking Guidelines’ which is found in the ‘Plan Vacation’ tab on DisneyVacationClub.com. A per vehicle parking fee may apply to all stays at this resort.”
Disney Vacation Club has since released a chart showing the transient occupancy tax rates for the Villas at Disneyland Hotel and they are quite high! The tax is currently estimated at $2.73 per point for stays in 2023 and $2.82 for stays in 2024. You can see the estimated totals above–that adds another ~$40 to $75 per night for most average stays in studios, and significantly more for other room categories.
On top of that, the annual dues for the Villas at Disneyland Hotel are estimated at $9.06 per point.
We were never in the market to buy into the Villas at Disneyland Hotel, so I’m probably not the best judge of this. The higher per point cost was to be expected; the average sales price for the Villas at Grand Californian (VGC) is around that.
The transient occupancy tax would be the dealbreaker for us, as that adds up quickly and is built into the point chart at VGC. Paying for parking is another concern; it’s not entirely clear there will definitely be a charge for that, but it would be another big expense that does not exist for the DVC side of the Grand Californian.
Even with all of that said, the Villas at Disneyland Hotel will undoubtedly be popular. This is newer and more modern than VGC (which is overdue for a room reimagining) and the rooms look thoughtfully designed, practical, and have enough stylistic flourishes to give them appeal to modern Disney fans. Most importantly, buying into Disney Vacation Club is not actually a “math problem” for most people–it’s an emotional decision.
Nevertheless, look for Grand Californian contracts to quickly vanish from the resale market, as there are enough members from whom DVC is an economic, rather than emotional, decision. Between that and the likelihood of significantly improved rooms in 2024 or 2025, now might be a savvy time to buy into the Grand Californian.
The lobby will feature a one-of-a-kind mural created exclusively for The Villas at Disneyland Hotel by Disney Animation artist Lorelay Bové, known for her work on The Princess and the Frog and Encanto.
The Villas at Disneyland Hotel will have 344 whimsically themed rooms, including duo studios, deluxe studios, one- and two-bedroom villas, and grand villas. Each includes modern just-like-home amenities with touches of Disney magic sprinkled throughout, themed to Walt Disney Animation Studios films like The Jungle Book, Sleeping Beauty, The Princess and the Frog, Fantasia, and more.
Now let’s take a sneak peek inside the various room types at the Villas at Disneyland Hotel, from the 2-person Duo Studios to the Grand Villas…
You can discover the “bare necessities” alongside Baloo and Mowgli in the Duo Studio, which features design inspired by “The Jungle Book.”
The Villas at Disneyland Hotel will offer 38 of these two-person studios that are similar to those introduced at Disney’s Riviera Resort, which we reviewed here. (Apparently, “Duo Studio” will be the name for these at Disneyland Hotel.)
The Villas at Disneyland Hotel’s Deluxe Studios sleep up to four guests and are themed to the tales of “Sleeping Beauty” or “The Princess and the Frog.”
Of the 344 rooms at the Villas at Disneyland Hotel, 253 are Deluxe Studios. (Assuming the documents Disney filed with the City of Anaheim are correct and nothing has changed since then, which is probably a safe bet.)
If you’re looking for more space, you and your family can spread out in a one- and two-bedroom villa, sleeping up to five and nine guests, respectively. These rooms are inspired by the vibrant colors of “Fantasia” or “The Princess and the Frog.”
The Villas at Disneyland Hotel should feature 20 two-bedroom villas and 19 one-bedroom villas. These villas include a washer and dryer, comfortable living area, plus a full-size kitchen equipped with all the cookware you need to prepare meals.
Finally, the Villas at Disneyland Hotel will offer a handful of multilevel three-bedroom Grand Villas that sleep up to 12 guests.
The first floor features a full-size kitchen, large dining area, and a double-sided fireplace connecting the living area to a private outdoor balcony. The first floor is also home to the primary suite, inspired by “Bambi.”
The Grand Villa also features a spiral staircase leading to the second floor, which features two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms inspired by “Frozen” and “Moana,” as well as a full washer and dryer.
Accommodations at the Villas at Disneyland Hotel are limited in availability, and restrictions apply. Subject to change or cancellation without notice.
Ultimately, I don’t have much more to say about this new tower that I didn’t already address in our main post about the Villas at Disneyland Hotel. The short version of that is this reminds me a lot of Disney’s Riviera Resort–a bland property that fails on the thematic front, but provides highly-functional accommodations with the appropriate amount of “Disney” touches, while delivering exactly what actual guests want.
It’s disappointing to me that Imagineering doesn’t get a chance to be more ambitious with the overall design and caliber of immersion, but Disneyland Hotel is probably the last place to complain about that. Its theme is literally “Disneyland,” and this is in keeping with how the existing hotel is a self-referential love letter to Walt Disney and his original magic kingdom in a pretty ordinary package. A tower lavishly-themed to Catalan Modernism or whatever next door to Disneyland Hotel would be even more out of place.
The practical reality is that most existing and future Disney Vacation Club members are going to absolutely love this. It checks the boxes for what modern fans want from accommodations and is a stark contrast to the existing DVC room inventory at the Grand Californian.
Even if the big box doesn’t do a ton for me, the rooms look really nice. Beyond that, not everything needs to appeal to me, personally! I can still appreciate the functional enhancements to the rooms…while also hoping that this makes it slightly easier to book the Villas at Grand Californian. That’s probably just wishful thinking, but I can dream.
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you looking forward to the Villas at Disneyland Hotel? Glad that Disney Vacation Club is adding another property at Disneyland Resort? Would you like to see something built elsewhere in Southern California? Hope Disney will resume plans to build more hotels in Anaheim? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I’m staying at the DVC Discovery Tower at the Disneyland Hotel right now in a regular studio. I have to say this is a huge let down. This is the most uncomfortable DVC room I’ve ever stayed in. There is no table, but there is a long table height shelf along one wall. There are no chairs!!! There are two really short stools (they might be comfortable for a 8 year old but not for an adult over 4’6″). That’s it and the resort refuses to bring up anything approximating a regular chair when I enquired. I really wish I had researched this better before booking a stay here. I’ve been happy with every DVC room I’ve ever stayed in at WDW. But there is simply no place to relax, or eat in this room. Heck the moderate resorts at WDW would beat this studio. Next time I visit DL I’ll go back to staying at the nearby Hilton or Marriott instead and I’ll save my DVC points for WDW stays or rent them out instead.
“there is no place to relax or eat in this room”
confused, can you not use the Murphy bed in the sofa configuration with the coffee table?
Joey C,
You can sit on the sofa bed, but you can’t pull it up to the ledge that substitutes for a table. Trying to use the sofa with the coffee table is impossible for using a laptop. You can eat there so long as you want to hold your plate or sit very hunched over and you can dislodge your other family members from using it as a bed. 🙂
It’s very odd they didn’t go with the upwards-extendable top to the coffee table, as they have with all the new rooms at WDW DVC resorts. Sorry that you’re not finding it to your liking.
I have points at the Grand Californian. We go every 3 years and I rent my points in the off-years. Do you think it will more challenging to rent the points at Grand Californian, now that there is a new resort? It has always been so easy to rent my points. I don’t want to have to work at it!
I had planned to buy more points here when it was announced. Had even set the money aside. Being in Western Canada we tend to visit DL more often. With the US$230 per point, plus transient tax, plus possibly parking, and restrictions on resale, this just doesn’t make sense. I was only buying 100 pts so this contract wouldn’t have blue card privileges anyway. I already get those from my VGC contracts. We will live with the points we have, or buy resale at a WDW resort. It’s too bad really.
IMHO the Mouse got too greedy with VDH. $9+ MF from the outset, adding per night taxes, paid parking, +$13 per point opening sales price above the other new DVC resorts, high point chart with new California seasons that don’t apply to VGC (I was expecting the higher point chart).
I was hopeful but should have known better with Disney+ losing billions. The Mouse needs more money and it needs it now.
You lost me at: “I was hopeful but should have known better with Disney+ losing billions. The Mouse needs more money and it needs it now.”
They were always going to try to maximize revenue on this, and there being so much unsatiated demand for DVC in California allowed them to push prices higher. It has nothing to do with Disney+ losing billions. Not like prospective buyers will say, “I’m willing to pay more because their streaming service is doing badly and I feel sorry for them.”
I agree with you to the extent that I’m personally disappointed about what I perceive as nickel & diming (which definitively rules it out for me), but I think VDH will still sell well despite that–which is precisely why they’re doing it.
It has truly become for the rich only. The added per night taxes and parking kills this. They’re doing it because they know with this property they can get away with it. I wonder if they try and thwart the professional renters.
“I wonder if they try and thwart the professional renters.”
I suspect they’ve allowed that beast to grow too large to tame. If they cracked down on professional rentals, a flood of DVC inventory would hit the resale market, crushing those prices in the process. Can’t see how that’s a desirable outcome for Disney.
Looks like the opening price is $230 per point. Was that higher, lower, about the same as people expected?
Have you heard any rumors about whether or not this will have the same resale restrictions as The Riviera?
Yes it has the same restrictions. Disney put it in bold in tge announcement
I do like the art touches in the rooms, but the bland modern condo of the building does nothing for me. Staying at the Disneyland Hotel has always been a bucket list dream, but considering I’m on the other end trying to figure out the cheapest place to stay within walking distance it will likely never happen. That said, if my dream became reality I would choose the regular rooms over these in a heartbeat. The standard hotel rooms, with their LED fireworks, are exactly the kind of Disney touch I love.
The new Disneyland DVC studio, with the dark wood paneling and gold couch (in a very long wearing and sturdy fabric) reminds me of our living room in the 70’s and NOT in a good way.
My big complaint at VGC was how dark and dismal everything was (even though the quality of the materials was good) and so they have built another place with almost no appeal to me, so for all of you looking forward to book there I won’t be standing in your way. I won’t be taking up reservations you desire.
There are so many dark and dismal Disney locations. Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom, Villas at Grand California, the old rooms at the Poly, and the Royal Rooms at Riverside all come to mind.
I love how Wilderness and AKL are both “proper” contained resorts, with restaurants and stores and the front desk all under one roof, my preferred resort configuration. However, both of them are very dark and BROWN.
Assuming the concept art is more or less spot on, are the interior of these Villa rooms themed very differently from those of the standard Disneyland Hotel?
I’m not even making a preference right now, as I find that so peculiar in a modern Disney Resort & Villa. (I still prefer the external colors and window shapes of the Disneyland Hotel, and I hope they tone down the “fake city rowhouse” look of the right side of the exterior concept art. It’s not like they can turn around and make the DH towers look that similar.)
Totally different.
Our new discount post (https://www.disneytouristblog.com/spring-summer-2023-hotel-discounts-disneyland/) has two photos of the current rooms at Disneyland Hotel, which were lightly refreshed (new carpet with fireworks, can’t remember what else) a couple years ago.
do you think it’s likely that non-DVC guests will be able to book these? seems like they will be permanently booked by DVC members, at least for a while.
At the beginning, it’ll be entirely possible. Disney turns inventory over to the condo association as DVC sales dictate, which means that there will be more inventory for cash guests at first, and less later.
Even if this sells really well, it’s not going to sell out in only a few months. It’ll have plenty cash booking options for non-DVC guests early on.
This will go fast with many like me who have been waiting since it was announced. Additionally those people who buy very large contracts to rent points out, because it’ will be impossible to stay there without owning/renting points there. I sat on a waitlist for seven months at VGC last September and ended up having to stay at Disneyland Hotel that I had booked as a backup.
“Additionally those people who buy very large contracts to rent points out, because it’ will be impossible to stay there without owning/renting points there.”
This is a really great and underappreciated point. Unlike at Walt Disney World, the ‘professional’ renters will NEED to buy here because it’ll be impossible to book consecutive nights without owning or getting lucky with a waitlist.
After seeing these pictures, I fully believe that the points chart will be higher than those of VGC. Gird your loins!
Hi Tom DVC members here. We are trying to book one of the 9 person rooms with our points at the grand Californian for sometime in mid to late September perhaps October. Haven’t been able to lock down dates because there has been 0 availability. Do we basically have zero chance of getting one of those rooms? Will this opening somehow lead to cancellations at the grand Californian that would benefit us? We are starting to feel there’s a zero % chance of getting a room to fit our party on Disney property.
I own at VGC, mixed up my dates and missed the 11-month window by a week, and all of the 1-bedrooms were gone for the first week of October by then. It sounds like you’re looking for a 2-bedroom which does historically have less demand so you may get lucky with a waitlist.
Since pretty much everything is gone by 7 months I’m guessing most people booking VGC rooms own at VGC, so there wouldn’t be much incentive for them to cancel their “paid for” booking to pay cash.
Most of my firsthand experience booking VGC is the studios, so I can’t speak from personal experience on the 2BR. Still, I’d say your odds are exceedingly low–especially if you’re trying for multiple nights. It’s by far the most competitive DVC resort.
The rooms do look nice! My favorite is the Sleeping Beauty one!
I’m still surprised at the large percentage of studios – or perhaps not, given Poly at WDW. This one’s not a retrofit, though, so I guess they must have data indicating most folks want (or can only afford) a studio. Champagne and caviar problems, but once our family stayed in a 1br, it’s been hard to go back!
We already own at VGC but are contemplating adding on, depending on how bad the price point/point charts are. Though I’m sure no matter how crazy they are it’s going to sell like hotcakes! Who’s taking bets on how quickly they let it sell out?
I would imagine that total contract sizes (in points) are decreasing with increases in per point costs, making the studios (and “Duo Studios”) more popular by default. So your comment “or can only afford” is probably accurate.
Between the smaller size and low total DVC inventory at DLR, I’d expect this to sell quickly even at a higher price point. How quickly it sells out is the real question–it’ll be interesting to watch!
I’m surprised the studios only sleep 4. I’ve appreciated the under TV pulldown mini bed in several of the Florida resorts. We own at BLT, and this is my chief complaint of it and why we stayed at Poly during our last trip.
I was surprised by that, too. I really wonder what the rationale is; if it’s due to guest feedback or a desire by Disney to push larger parties to larger rooms?
May just be the photos, but the rooms look a bit too dark for my tastes. Dark wood, dark colors.
But the Grand Villa looks amazing. I’m guessing it will immediately become the most expensive “point” booking in DVC.
I think it’s probably just the art, all of which is at dusk/dawn. Keep in mind that these all have huge windows and it’s sunny in Southern California most of the time, so that should “offset” the dark woods of the interior. I think this will present pretty well in-person.
I would agree with the assessment about this becoming the most expensive point bookings in DVC. Also very curious to see what the per-point cost is–seems like that’ll also set a new record.
I like more theming in the rooms. This looks too much like a normal hotel room. I am missing the Disney magic!
Hmmn. I was actually very happily surprised by how much Disney is IN these rooms; it’s almost on the border of too much, I would imagine, for some.
There is actually a ton of Disney theming in these rooms – the dresser beneath the TV, for example, in the illustration of the one/two bedroom is very Tiana/Princess and the Frog and there’s practically a MURAL of her behind the dining table. The colors are also very New Orleans inspired.
In the Sleeping Beauty room example, the art above the queen bed is very clearly her castle (and gorgeous), and the murphy bed looks to be imprinted with imagery of Disneyland itself.
I do think how available it will be for non-home resort members is going to be the million dollar question. If this does allow the ability for those who bought in Hawaii or Orlando to have even a slight chance of a villa in California (currently pretty much an impossibility) I think that could make all existing and new non-California memberships much more valuable and appealing.
I think it’ll move the needle, but barely. This is still very few units in the grand scheme of things, and it’s going to be extremely popular. They could probably build a 1,000+ unit standalone resort at DLR and demand would still be through the roof.
If anything, this will drive demand up more than the supply. Anecdotally, both my dad and my father-in-law asked me recently about what the chances of getting a reservation would be, as they’re both current DVC members.