Unplugging the solenoid disables it completely. The vvt runs off oil pressure which is fed by the solenoid, so if it's not opperational it will rattle constantly.
It may be a faulty solenoid, but it could also be the sprocket itself. They're not hard to change, if it is the sprocket, you just need to make sure you time the cams up properly. The easiest way is to mark up the chain with the sprockets so you don't lose the original timing.