Coping with small living quarters for a week

[newserenity]

I'm curious how well most are able to cope with being in such close proximity to their family if they share one room for a week or longer. We are going to be a "legal 5" at POFQ which we decided on because of the refurb so we could have queen beds.

Our two older girls will share a bed and DH, I and 2 year old will share the other unless the 2 year old wants to snuggle up with my 5 and 10 year old.

We have always rented a condo at the beach for vacation and the smallest was still a private bedroom, a bunk area, a living room, kitchenette and bathroom and a small balcony. That was tight too.

Any tips on coping with the space on our trip? We have never stayed in single hotel room with our kids!

Also, I believe there are shower facilities at the pool at POFQ, right? So, I could shower the kids off there after swimming before coming back to the room instead of trying to share one shower with 5 people before dinner each night?

 

[Sue M]

The resort provides a pack & play for children 2 & under to sleep in.

I don't think FQ has private showers at the pool, just an outside one. Not sure, we stayed at POR- Riverside and the pool there had outside showers just meant to rinse off before or after swimming. So if your just looking to rinse them off after a swim, sure, that will work.

We saw the new rooms in Jan while we were staying at Riverside, a friend was at FQ, and the rooms are beautiful. The did a great job on the renos.

 

[brekin67]

Take the over the door shoe organizer, so you are not too crowded for space. Yes, there are showers near the pool in the restroom.
In December we brought a blow up mattress with suede covering for our son (don't forget the airpump.) The mousekeeper kept sheets, blankets, and pillows on it each day. We had planned to just prop it up on the wall, but it looked so nice coming home to an extra bed, we just left it. I paid $8 for it at wal mart.
We also brought a drop down shelf that hangs from the closet rod. It folds easily in the suitcase and had about 5 fabric boxes to put clothing in. I think it was also $8 at dollar general.
We also brought a dvd player with headphones so we were not arguing over the tv.

 

[newserenity]

Take the over the door shoe organizer, so you are not too crowded for space. Yes, there are showers near the pool in the restroom.
In December we brought a blow up mattress with suede covering for our son (don't forget the airpump.) The mousekeeper kept sheets, blankets, and pillows on it each day. We had planned to just prop it up on the wall, but it looked so nice coming home to an extra bed, we just left it. I paid $8 for it at wal mart.
We also brought a drop down shelf that hangs from the closet rod. It folds easily in the suitcase and had about 5 fabric boxes to put clothing in. I think it was also $8 at dollar general.
We also brought a dvd player with headphones so we were not arguing over the tv.

Thank you! Great tips!

 

[patclairesmom]

Also take one of those pop up hampers to put the dirty cloths. I know that's my biggest problem is dirty cloths all over the place. Also, since the dresser space isnt much, if you can, hang as much as you can up.

 

[sassyredhead]

My #1 tip: don't spend much time in the room! This has never been hard for my family, as we love spending time at the parks, exploring the resort, etc.

If possible, get ready in shifts so the bathroom is not an issue. My DH takes a shower at night so we don't have quite so many shower feuds in the morning. I like to get ready early and wander over to the food court for coffee, thus leaving the bathroom free for DH and DD to use.

Have a great trip! POFQ is a wonderful resort!

 

[maxiesmom]

We have always rented a condo at the beach for vacation and the smallest was still a private bedroom, a bunk area, a living room, kitchenette and bathroom and a small balcony. That was tight too.

I have to say, that if those accomodations were considered tight, you will feel like sardines in one room. Unless you plan on spending next to no time in your room, I am actually worried for you.

Have you given any thought to a Family Suite at the All Star Music? There is a seperate bedroom with a queen sized bed, a kitchenette, and 2 bathrooms. Plus a living room with furniture that convert to comfy fold out beds for sleeping. It would cost a bit more than one room at POFQ, but you would gain a lot of space. Plus you could do some quick meals in your room and save money that way.

 

[anniegsu]

We are a family of 5 and did 9 nights a few years ago at POR and that was way too long. It is really tight. I recommend buying a bottle of Febreeze! Take advantage of the laundry room at the quiet pool. I hate doing laundry on vacation, but a room that small with 5 people's worth of dirty laundry starts to stink!

 

[mickeynut1]

I've never done it personally (we are a family of 4), but a friend of mine is a family of 5 (3 boys ages 14,12,&11) and they always stay in 2 bedroom rooms when they vacation. They stayed at POR w/a trundle bed this past December and while she was worried about them all being squeezed into that room for a week, after their trip she told me she worried for nothing because she loved the resort and it wasn't as bad as she imagined it would be . This was their 3rd trip to Disney with previous stays at FW cabins and a 2 bedroom villa at OKW. With that said, POFQ might be a little tight, but I think it's doable .

 

[bunkkinsmom]

You can rent points from a DVC member and stay in a 1 bedroom. Some of them are HUGE!! We are a family of 5 and stay in a 1 bedroom on points every year. We get a king bed, HUGE bathroom with jetted tub, separate shower, divided vanity so getting ready is much easier. It also has a separate laundry room. The great room is a full kitchen, pull out sofa, pull out chair, and a love seat. Dining seating for 4 and then seating for 4 on the balcony around a large table as well. During the season that we go, that is actually comparable to the POFQ room as far as price goes, and we are on property!

 

[Deb & Bill]

You can rent points from a DVC member and stay in a 1 bedroom. Some of them are HUGE!! We are a family of 5 and stay in a 1 bedroom on points every year. We get a king bed, HUGE bathroom with jetted tub, separate shower, divided vanity so getting ready is much easier. It also has a separate laundry room. The great room is a full kitchen, pull out sofa, pull out chair, and a love seat. Dining seating for 4 and then seating for 4 on the balcony around a large table as well. During the season that we go, that is actually comparable to the POFQ room as far as price goes, and we are on property!

But they aren't going to get that in six days from now when their trip starts.

 

[sukhakuli]

We're a family of 5 also, and I just can't do one room. It is tight. Even when we are just staying somewhere for one night, like on a driving trip, we have to have a suite. If by chance we can't get one and have to have one room, dh, older dd, and I are forced to sit in the bathroom while the younger 2 try to sleep. It sucks.

But, the good thing about DW is that everyone should be so dog gone tired that they will be able to sleep anywhere, lol.

However, every family is different. My sister is a family of 5 as well, and they love being in one room on vacation because they really enjoy being together in a way that they aren't at home. Her kids love to sleep together, and they have a blast. So, it might go much better than you are expecting!

 

[jjsmom]

Have a bathroom plan. And with humid, hot, rainy Florida weather there is no need to over-do the hair and makeup (we always crack-up at the Mary-Kay moms all "doneup" in the mornings. That just screams "first-timer"). Smaller children may do better with a soothing bath at night, one adult shower at night, the other adult showers in the morning. Night time shower adult will watch the kids so that the other adult can get ready and make sure everyone else is ready for the parks (no forgotten tickets or other items, diaper bag packed, sunscreen applied to all, etc). This will avoid the proverbial "I thought YOU had the..." fight among parents.
I know it's supposed to be vacation, but a midweek laundry chore is a must for our family. The clothes at Disney get very smelly!
You all will be so tired, you wont notice the cramped quarters!

 

[newserenity]

Thanks for the tips. As a PP mentioned our trip starts in 6 days and we actually leave in 5 days, as we are staying at a cheap hotel the first night since we will arrive late. So, there will be no changing of plans at this point.

 

[kaligal]

LOL, we don't.

We add 5 minutes to our commute and for the price they'll charge at a WDW moderate, we get 2-4 bedrooms, multiple baths, kitchen with all the crap, living room, dining area, washer and dryer, patio or balcony...and sometimes our very own pool.

Worst case, we have to share a pool with fewer people than we would at WDW.

Aside from having a ton of space, the washer and dryer is a huge plus.

 

[Snappy in OK]

I think a lot of it is based on you & your families mindset. We are a family of 4 and we stayed at POP on our last trip - a bit smaller than POR, but we are only a family of 4. We didn't feel crowded for our week long trip. We didn't spend a lot of time in our room, we utilized the over the door shoe rack for storage, we brought laundry bags to keep the dirty laundry together, and I think keeping the room tidy in general helped.

When traveling with my family, or a girls trip, we generally say that the person who takes the longest to get ready gets up first to keep everyone else from waiting on them. I agree with a PP that said keeping the hair & make up to a minimum is better. The heat & humidity won't help keep them like they are when you leave the room in the morning.

Go & have fun. We travelled with friends of ours who had 5 in their room. They stayed in a DVC studio (legally, DS was 2 at the time), and they felt cramped. But, they left the sofa sleeper out each morning - which didn't leave much room. When we stopped by, they had dirtly clothes in piles, etc. The room just seemed to be a disaster when we were there. I know I would not be happy if our room were in that state for the entire week!