1BR or 2BR

[Cyberc1978]

Hi Everyone

I'm in need of some advice.

We are a family of 5, 2adults and 3 childern, aged 5,11,11

The family and I are going to visit AKV and VGF next summer. My question is will a 1BR be larger enough for all of us or do we need the larger 2BR?

I assume it comes down to matter of preference, but I dont want us to be too cramped up in the unit. My 5yo will sleep together her mother and I and the 2 older childern will be sleeping in the living room.

I have looked at the square footage and at AKV kidani its 807 for at 1BR vs 1152 for the 2BR. Its always nice to have more room to wrigle your ears but it also comes with an extra cost.

 

[hakepb]

I'm generally on the side more days at Disney than larger units, so I would lean 1BR.

But I would have an extremely hard time paying my DVC dues just to sleep on a pull-out chair.

Technically, 807sqft is 3x+ larger than a (260sqft) value room, so it's a good amount of space. With 2 full bathrooms, that space is quite useable for 5.

The other factor is usage, some like the ability to watch tv in the living room or make coffee while others are sleeping...and that depends on your family's schedule.

FYI at VGF, the 5th bed is the smaller Murphy bed, which is not full adult sized.

 

[DenLo]

VGF and AKV one bedrooms both sleep five and have beds for five. VGF has a murphy bed (bunk bed size) and a pullout out queen in the living room. AKV has a pullout chair plus the pullout out couch. If you stay at AKV-Kidani Village you will also have two full bathrooms. So all three children could sleep in the living room. However with a living room will be the kids bedroom, so you really won't be relaxing there much as a family. Also making coffee in the morning means walking through the living room to kitchen.

 

[puffkin]

We travel regularly in a 1 bedroom unit with 5 people and it is enough room for us. 2 bedrooms are nice, but not a necessity. We try to stick with the resorts that have 2 bathrooms though in a 1 bedroom unit, that makes a huge difference. My DH and I sleep in the bedroom with my DS4. We bring a twin sized air mattress for him and push it up against the slider in the bathroom and we have plenty of room. My DS10 sleeps on the pull out chair and my mom sleeps on the pull out couch. They both say the pullouts are pretty comfortable and we close them up first thing and have plenty of room during the day.

 

[Cyberc1978]

I'm generally on the side more days at Disney than larger units, so I would lean 1BR.

But I would have an extremely hard time paying my DVC dues just to sleep on a pull-out chair.

Technically, 807sqft is 3x+ larger than a (260sqft) value room, so it's a good amount of space. With 2 full bathrooms, that space is quite useable for 5.

The other factor is usage, some like the ability to watch tv in the living room or make coffee while others are sleeping...and that depends on your family's schedule.

FYI at VGF, the 5th bed is the smaller Murphy bed, which is not full adult sized.

Agree I too dont want to sleep on a pull out chair.

260sqft for a room, makes it a very small room, or maybe I have just become too choosy during my 8 years of timesharing. DW thinks a 1BR is fine, me one the other hand would like the 2br but the additional cost in points are high for the extra space. So I lean toward the 1BR.

Luckly we normally dont use the tv when we vacation, but kids do use their iPads. We might just ask them to go into the master bedroom after everyone is awake.

VGF and AKV one bedrooms both sleep five and have beds for five. VGF has a murphy bed (bunk bed size) and a pullout out queen in the living room. AKV has a pullout chair plus the pullout out couch. If you stay at AKV-Kidani Village you will also have two full bathrooms. So all three children could sleep in the living room. However with a living room will be the kids bedroom, so you really won't be relaxing there much as a family. Also making coffee in the morning means walking through the living room to kitchen.

Would the 1br at Kidani have less floor space compared to the 1br at jambo since jambo only has one bathroom?

True we wont have an available livingroom only one which is converted to a kids bedroom.

 

[Cyberc1978]

We travel regularly in a 1 bedroom unit with 5 people and it is enough room for us. 2 bedrooms are nice, but not a necessity. We try to stick with the resorts that have 2 bathrooms though in a 1 bedroom unit, that makes a huge difference. My DH and I sleep in the bedroom with my DS4. We bring a twin sized air mattress for him and push it up against the slider in the bathroom and we have plenty of room. My DS10 sleeps on the pull out chair and my mom sleeps on the pull out couch. They both say the pullouts are pretty comfortable and we close them up first thing and have plenty of room during the day.

I'm so glad to hear that.

One of my "problems" is that we are also Hilton owners and that have spoiled us and our kids. We always book 2br but as you mention 2br are nice but not a necessity. At home we are used to a bed which is sized somewhere between a kingssize and queensize bed. Since we have the kingssize bed my DD5 will sleep together with her mother and I in the master bedroom, so no need for the air mattress, nice option though.

 

[cvjw]

My family of 4 stays in 2 bedroom units. We like everyone having their own bedrooms and leaving the den/kitchen area open for when someone wants to stay up late or get up early. It just makes our vacations much more enjoyable when we aren't on top of each other in the villa.

 

[hakepb]

Kidani 1BR are about 100sqft larger than Jambo (I think the 2nd bathroom is a 6x9 as it's a little wider than a 5'tub ~55sqf)
Some of that extra sqft also goes to the huge master bathroom.

I never felt Kidani's living room was smaller.

 

[Cyberc1978]

My family of 4 stays in 2 bedroom units. We like everyone having their own bedrooms and leaving the den/kitchen area open for when someone wants to stay up late or get up early. It just makes our vacations much more enjoyable when we aren't on top of each other in the villa.

I see your point, but the 2br is IMHO much more expensive pointwise. I would opt for the 2br, if they weren't that expensive, also if my family had opted for others resorts which had a cheaper point structure we might also go with the 2br.

Just out of curiosity how old are your kids?

 

[Cyberc1978]

Kidani 1BR are about 100sqft larger than Jambo (I think the 2nd bathroom is a 6x9 as it's a little wider than a 5'tub ~55sqf)
Some of that extra sqft also goes to the huge master bathroom.

I never felt Kidani's living room was smaller.

Oh I see. regardless of unit size would you opt for the 1br at Kidani or Jambo? - knowing that jambo have more facilities than Kidani.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Kidani.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Kidani.

Based on size, location or ?

 

[puffkin]

I also would also choose Kidani. The rooms are bigger and you get the extra bathroom. I like the pool better at Kidani and since we always have a rental, I like the option to park right under the unit in the little parking garage area. It is a very quick walk over to Jambo house. If you use the busses, Kidani is usually the first stop.

 

[hakepb]

Oh I see. regardless of unit size would you opt for the 1br at Kidani or Jambo? - knowing that jambo have more facilities than Kidani.

For a 1BR or 2br, Kidani.

Jambo's master "suite" layout is sub-standard compared to other DVC's. There's a hallway between the master bedroom and bathroom (so it's not en-suite) and there's no seperate shower, so you have to step into the Jacuzzi tub to shower.

 

[drusba]

As to 1BR or 2 for five at Kidani and VGF, it does boil down to personal preference. I agree with many of the comments above, most of which demonstrate that many are fine with the 1 BR (despite, e.g., that you cannot get up in the morning to make coffee if kids are sleeping) but others highly prefer the extra space and comfort the second second bedroom provides with five. But five can be done in those 1BRs when your preference is to save points rather than add extra comfort.

I also consider for five in a 1BR that Kidani has the edge over Jambo and even VGF though it is smaller in sq ft than VGF. That extra bathroom makes a huge difference and Kidani is actually about 100 sq ft larger than many of the others (Jambo, BWV, BCV, VWL, and SSR). If you have younger kids (any under 11) the Kidani kids water play area cannot be beat. Its 1 and 2BRs beat Jambo in a number of other areas rather than just size and extra bathroom. The Kidani master bath has a separate tub and shower while the one at Jambo is combined (and it is a very high step-over to get into the Jambo tub); Kidani has more closet space, the living room/kitchen area is much more doable during awake hours with 5 than Jambo (its living room is actually larger than Jambo's despite the extra bathroom); Kidani's master bath is connected to the bedroom, while at Jambo you need to cross over a hallway that can seen from the living room to get from the master bedroom to the master bathroom. Personally, if I was going to do five in a 1BR but insisted on getting a monorail resort I would choose BLT over VGF because of the importance of the second bathroom (which BLT has); you can also request high floor with a lake view at BLT (whiich costs significantly less than VGF) and get a fantastic view.

 

[Granny]

My family of 4 stays in 2 bedroom units. We like everyone having their own bedrooms and leaving the den/kitchen area open for when someone wants to stay up late or get up early. It just makes our vacations much more enjoyable when we aren't on top of each other in the villa.

 

[Cyberc1978]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'll have a talk with DW and we will make a decision - which I assumed will be for a 1br.

Regards

 

[Brian Noble]

I'm with Granny and cvjw. When we traveled as a foursome, we considered a 2BR the minimum acceptable size. We did do a 1BR at OKW the very first time, but it stunk not having the living room available once the kids were asleep, and that's with OKW's huge balconies.