Family of 4...1 boy, 1 girl...what to do?

[jeniferg]

When we go down in November, we'll be getting 2 DVC rooms. 1 for us, 1 for our inlaws. My sis in law has a son, age 22 & a daughter, age 13. Plus my mother in law to make 4 in the room. Can we truly not get a cot in this room for my nephew to sleep in? We aren't putting any other people in the room than the allotted 4. I just don't know why I would need to spend more points to get a bigger room when a studio can accomodate 4 & that's what we have. But my nephew sleeping w/any of the other 3 occupants would just be highly uncomfortable. Any advice? Short of using more points on a bigger room? I thank you in advance for your help.

Jen

 

[rlovew]

They will not provide a cot even if you aren't over occupancy. Depending on what studio you are staying in most won't even have room for a cot with the sofa bed out from what I have seen (DH and I stay in studios). You can bring your own air matress for someone to sleep on- you will need to bring sheets for it as well since they won't provide the bedding for an extra bed.

 

[jeniferg]

That's a shame. We can't be the only ones with this predicament. Dragging an air mattress on the airline is gonna be a pain in the butt. You'd think it would be something they could do. I'll let the family know. Thank you so much for your prompt answer!!

 

[DMKEDM]

Don't know if this will make you feel better or worse...but a one-bedroom won't solve your problem...you'll still have only two beds (a king in the bedroom plus a pull-out sleeper in the living room)...

And Disney doesn't provide cots for one-bedrooms either...

To get an actual extra bed you'd have to move up to a 2-bedroom...

You can get reasonably portable (and easy to blow up) air mattresses at Target or WalMart or KMart or places like that (we got one for $30 a couple of years ago)...They do take up some luggage space, of course...but not too bad...

There is enough room in a studio to lay one down...and you can prop it against a wall if you don't want to inflate/deflate each day...

Good luck!

 

[LIFERBABE]

BLT, AKV, and OKW refurbished 1 bedrooms will have the sleeper chair in most units.

DVC has never provided cots or extra bedding as a rule.

 

[dianeschlicht]

That's a shame. We can't be the only ones with this predicament. Dragging an air mattress on the airline is gonna be a pain in the butt. You'd think it would be something they could do. I'll let the family know. Thank you so much for your prompt answer!!

For that group, I would want to have a 2 bedroom. It just would not be convenient or comfortable for me to have that group sharing a studio. Just not enough privacy. DVC is not for hotel room dwellers, but for people who enjoy the benefits of timeshares where you have actual condo type accommodations.

 

[3 Hobbits 2 Disney]

To the OP -- I would ask you to consider how you "value" your points. You bought them to have guaranteed vacations in luxury accommodations. I don't know how many times you have used them or been the World, but I hazard a guess that you won't get the "luxury" value if you do not size your accommodations according to need, not according to a body count (the room holds 4 and I'm bringing 4). Studios are good for couples or for people with children under 3 IMHO -- after that, too much humanity in too small a space.

If you are worried about expending the points, remember the principles of borrowing and adding!

Hope you have a great trip.

 

[DenLo]

I think you have discovered the problem of a DVC villa. Cots are not an option. If either group is going to have a car, it would be that easy to swing by Walmart and pick up an air mattress. If that's not an option, I think you might want to consider a two bedroom for your entire group. That would take less points than a 1 BR and separate studio. And if you are staying at one of the resorts with a sleeper chair in the living room, it will give your group even more options.

Some people fly Southwest Airlines because that way they can pack an air mattress into a suitcase and check it for free. Others join owner's locker and add the air mattress to the items they keep at WDW.

 

[Cee]

How about a good 'ol fashion sleeping bag?

 

[bobbiwoz]

I wrestled with the idea of even buying into DVC because of the sleeping accomodations. I don't consider 2 on a pull out as acceptable. I don't even want to sleep 2 in the queen if they are DGFs. In the end, we bought, and I generally get accomodations with 1 bed per person or 2 on a real queen if it's a couple.

I have a gals weekend in September. I've booked a value 2 bedroom for 4 of us and a studio for 2. Would value accomodations be possible to get an additional unit?

Bobbi

 

[DenLo]

How about a good 'ol fashion sleeping bag?

That might work in November but not during the summer.

 

[Starr W.]

. Studios are good for couples or for people with children under 3 IMHO after that, too much humanity in too small a space.

, I've always gotten 2brs for the 4 of us, that's why we bought DVC, everyone has their own bed.

I've only stayed in a studio once, on a solo trip. Not much room for 4 people and their stuff.

 

[rcchello]

You can always buy a cheap inflatable mattress at target or walmart a couple miles from Disney and toss it at the end of your vacation ( cheaper than the extra luggage fee both ways, even if you buy sheets there also).

 

[GoofItUp]

The comments on this thread crack me up. I can see what some of you are saying -- I know people who need a bed per person to be comfortable. But, believe it or not, there are some of us who can be just fine piling in together. We had 5 in a BWV studios last summer. My under-2 son slept on a kids Aerobed that we brought along in our luggage on the plane without hassle. My 4 yr old took turns sleeping with whichever of my 11- and 14- yr old cousins wanted to stay with us that night. (My aunt/uncle and 2 of their 3 kids stayed in a separate studio.) We really enjoyed being there. We're the "more-the-merrier" type, I guess.

BTW -- there is a/c in the room. Sleeping bags can be used year round.

OP -- since you can use ME to haul the luggage, bringing an air mattress is not that bad. But, make it work for whatever makes you and your group most comfortable. For some, that's bringing an air mattress or sleeping bag, for others it's getting bigger accomodations.

 

[Brian Noble]

I have a DS10 and DD12. I would book a 2BR for the four of us in most cases. In a pinch, I could probably make do with a 1BR with the extra sleeper chair at OKW, BLT, or AKV-Kidani. And, BLT/AKV pull ahead of OKW due to the second bath.

I would NEVER book a studio for the four of us---even when they were younger. If I am sharing a bedroom with my children, I am "in transit", not "on vacation".

 

[Sandisw]

We just brought a pool raft a few years ago. My DD tried it out at home first and said it was fine. I packed an extra sheet in the suitcase as well and then we were able to use the blankets, etc. we had in the rooms to supplement.

It traveled well and worked out without issue.

 

[hakepb]

The comments on this thread crack me up. I can see what some of you are saying -- I know people who need a bed per person to be comfortable. But, believe it or not, there are some of us who can be just fine piling in together. We had 5 in a BWV studios last summer. My under-2 son slept on a kids Aerobed that we brought along in our luggage on the plane without hassle. My 4 yr old took turns sleeping with whichever of my 11- and 14- yr old cousins wanted to stay with us that night. (My aunt/uncle and 2 of their 3 kids stayed in a separate studio.) We really enjoyed being there. We're the "more-the-merrier" type, I guess.

BTW -- there is a/c in the room. Sleeping bags can be used year round.

OP -- since you can use ME to haul the luggage, bringing an air mattress is not that bad. But, make it work for whatever makes you and your group most comfortable. For some, that's bringing an air mattress or sleeping bag, for others it's getting bigger accomodations.

Well said.
If you don't mind the sleeping arrangements of a studio and bought DVC more for the resort amenities instead of the size of room, more power to you!

If you planned on using DVC studios then there is a huge percentage points increase in a 1BR upgrade, so a 2BR seems completely out of reach. (The percentage jump from a 1RB to a 2BR is much smaller, especially most 1BR's to an OKW 2BR.). I don't mind anyone that prefaces a 2BR upgrade with an "if you can manage the points". But an unqualified demand just doesn't seem fair.

 

[BoardwalkSuzy]

Same problem we had. We changed our reservation from our reserved 1BR BWV with premium boardwalk view over to Kidani 1BR standard (no savannah views left). We changed our reservation over to Kidani so we could have the 2 separate fold-outs for boy & girl that Kidani offers because has a fold out chair - as realized no way kids were willing to share bed any longer. I was advised by MS that there just wasn't room for a cot or an air mattress at BWV in a 1 BR. BLT also has fold-out chairs, but no way was there availability there. Kidani also has benefit of 2 bathrooms instead of 1.

If want to stick with studio size, other optoin is OKW that has studios with 2 dedicated beds and larger rooms where can maybe have more space to bring an air mattress. We like the self-inflating type air mattress with built in battery pack instead of the separate blower device - much easier, available at sporting good stores. Maybe pack sheets too so don't have to ask housekeeping for those, but in bright colors so don't accidently leave them - should be enough pillows and blankets already in room, so should not need to bring those (although we always travel with throw blankets and tiny pillows for airplane).

Good luck!

 

[LSchrow]

we used an aerobed for DS (in a 1 bdrm - we will only have 2 ppl max in a studio).
we put it in its included duffle, then packed a sheet set with it in a rolling carryon.
DS loved the comfort (at almost 6' tall) and we were amazed at how quickly it infalted and deflated....just a few seconds. the pump is built-in, along with a pillow bump.
thst was some of the best money we've ever spent - it has lasted years and years, and is still incredibly comfortable

 

[quirty30]

Count me in with the group who likes a little more space on vacation. I am a single mom with DS12 & DD9. We always get a 1BR, preferably at BLT or AKV so we get the sleeper chair and all have our own bed. I can't imagine being in a studio - I only did that once for a solo trip. When we brought my former MIL with, we got a dedicated 2 BR at BLT and we all really appreciated the extra space.