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Renting DVC Points at Disneyland: The Grand Californian Guide

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FrankH
Aug 16, 2026
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Disney Vacation Club has one resort at Disneyland: the Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa. It's one of two DVC properties outside of Florida (the other being Aulani in Hawaii), and it operates quite differently from anything at Walt Disney World.

What Makes the Grand Californian Unique

The Grand Californian is built into the theme park complex itself. The resort has three entrances: the main lobby entrance from Downtown Disney, an entrance into Disney California Adventure, and an entrance into the Disneyland Hotel promenade. The Disney California Adventure entrance is exclusive to resort guests, and it opens into the park near Buena Vista Street, bypassing the main entrance entirely.

The resort's architecture is Arts and Crafts style, inspired by the lodges of Yosemite and the Adirondacks. The six-story atrium lobby has exposed timber beams, a massive stone fireplace, and a scale that feels genuinely grand. It's one of Disney's best hotel designs, and it fits naturally into the California resort setting.

Room Types

The DVC villas are in a dedicated section of the hotel. Studio rooms at the Grand Californian are on the smaller side, with a queen bed, a queen murphy bed, and a kitchenette. One-bedrooms add a full kitchen, washer and dryer, and a separate bedroom with a king bed. Two-bedrooms and grand villas are available for larger groups.

Garden view rooms overlook the courtyard and pool. Woods view rooms look toward the resort grounds. Theme park view rooms overlook Paradise Pier and are the most coveted and most expensive category.

How Booking Works Here

The Grand Californian is a small resort with limited DVC inventory compared to Walt Disney World properties. Studios sell out fast at the 11-month window during peak periods, which at Disneyland include spring break, summer, holiday weekends, and marathon events.

Because there's only one DVC resort at Disneyland, members who own there have 11-month priority exclusively for the Grand Californian. Any other DVC member renting points can only book at 7 months, at which point desirable dates are often gone.

If you want to rent DVC points for Disneyland, focus your search on Grand Californian owners. Browse our listings filtered for California owners.

Can DVC renters use the private entrance to Disney California Adventure?

Yes. The Grand Californian Hotel has a dedicated entrance directly into Disney California Adventure, available only to resort guests. This includes DVC renters staying in the hotel villas. You still need a valid park ticket or annual pass to enter the park, but you bypass the main entrance plaza entirely.

How many points does a studio at the Grand Californian cost?

A studio at the Grand Californian costs approximately 12-18 points per night depending on season, with garden view being less expensive and theme park view costing more. A 7-night regular-season studio runs roughly 90-110 points total. Point costs are comparable to mid-tier Walt Disney World resorts, though availability is more limited due to the smaller resort size.

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