2 bedroom or two rooms?

[Jacquaman]

I am pondering a stay with my wife, my children and my parents.

Would you all suggest the 6 of us stay in an 2 bedroom suite or two adjoining room? And of course, why?

My parents need a separate space, but maybe not a separate bathroom.
They may also not be able to "keep up" with us all day. Perhaps a suite would offer a nicer retreat than a room with a desk chair.

What resorts have 2br suites?

What experience have others had with this type of family travel?

Thanks!

 

[maxiesmom]

I think your budget will be a huge factor. Anything with 2 true bedrooms will be a villa,and they are pretty pricey. I've stayed in one at the Beach Club, and it work very well for your family. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms (I'm pretty sure you will bet 2 bathrooms with all Disney suites or villas) and a full kitchen. Plus washer and dryer. If you want something much cheaper Disney does have 2 value resorts with suites, but they only have 1 real bed. The rest are fold outs or pull outs.

If budget is a factor, go with 2 rooms at any resort that appeals to you. Ask for rooms that connect (have the inside door between them). That way if your parents need space, all they have to do is shut the door.

 

[MarBee]

Personally, I would rather two separate spaces from my parents or my in-laws (definitely ask your wife how she'd feel about sharing with the in-laws). Days can be very hot and long and sometimes people that you love can get on your nerves. It may be nice to have a separate space from them. It's also much much cheaper to do two rooms than a two bedroom. All of the DVC resorts have two bedrooms and are very nice. We've stayed with our best friends at BLT (the Contemporary DVC resort), and we loved it. However, had it been anyone else I would've stayed in two rooms instead.

 

[VAfamily1998]

I think your budget will be a huge factor. Anything with 2 true bedrooms will be a villa,and they are pretty pricey. I've stayed in one at the Beach Club, and it work very well for your family. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms (I'm pretty sure you will bet 2 bathrooms with all Disney suites or villas) and a full kitchen. Plus washer and dryer. If you want something much cheaper Disney does have 2 value resorts with suites, but they only have 1 real bed. The rest are fold outs or pull outs.

If budget is a factor, go with 2 rooms at any resort that appeals to you. Ask for rooms that connect (have the inside door between them). That way if your parents need space, all they have to do is shut the door.

There are also 2 bedroom suites at some of the Deluxe resorts. I have stayed in one at BWI. They are club level. It had a master bedroom with a King bed and luxury bathroom (huge soaking tub, separate shower, television in the bathroom, etc.) The second bedroom had 2 Queen size beds and a standard bathroom. There was a living room with a sofa and a table with 4 chairs. There was a kitchenette but not a full kitchen, and no washer and dryer. There was also a half bathroom.

 

[danceteachermom]

Just so you know...Disney will not guarantee connecting rooms. You can request it but it may not happen. Two rooms will be cheaper than a two bedroom suite. So, it depends on budget. I love the DVC rooms but can't justify the expense these days as compared to two rooms.

 

[Minniedap]

I am the grandmother in our group and I vote for separate rooms. We have done all the different choices, suites, condos and separate rooms. I like my own space. I tend to get up early and go to bed earlier than the rest. I can keep up with my teenage granddaughters but if I couldn't there are plenty of areas at all the resorts to relax.

 

[Hopefully]

I like a 2 BR DVC Villa. It has been described, but you have the best of both worlds. If the Grandparents want some space to themselves they can close the door to their bedroom. They will have chairs and a TV to watch if they wish. But you have the common area with a LR/DR/Kitchen to gather as a family when you choose. Having the full kitchen for at least cold drinks and snacks is great. We also order from Garden Grocer and do breakfast in the room while getting ready. And with the washer and dryer you can pack less, which is great.
Good Luck

 

[2forMe]

Huge price difference... Have you looked at prices?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

If price is a factor, 2 rooms even at a mod will be cheaper than a 2BR, even on points rental, and definitely on cash.

 

[wdwthanksgiving]

We travel with our whole family and have found that separate rooms work best for us--while Disney does not guarantee connecting rooms, we have always had this request met (we have them make note of that on our initial reservations, then I call again a week out and double check that request)..we also have asked for adjoining rooms (because of the 3rd room we get)--that request has also always been met. If you do get connecting rooms, we leave the door open during most of the time we are in the rooms, but close it at night for the different bedtimes. We also like having our own bathroom -- sharing with 6 people is harder and more time consuming!
As other posters have mentioned, there is a difference in price - those 2 bedroom villas can be pretty expensive--so, my vote is for separate rooms!

 

[kmb584]

We like the 2 bedroom villas at BLT. The villas have 3 bathrooms (important when traveling with a gaggle of female family members!) and the living space is decent in size. I also do laundry on our vacations and it's much easier, for me, to have the washing machine and dryer in our room compared to having to lug everything to a laundry room. I get our room on a cash reservation, but renting points is incredibly economical and often times cheaper than or comparable to a room with nowhere near the amenities (I've had no luck with renting for our dates, hence the cash reservation). When we vacation, we like to be together, but not on top of each other. We'd look into booking 2 rooms, but there's no guarantee that they'll be connecting, or even adjoining, so we opt for the 2 bedroom villa route. We're together, but with plenty of room to spread out.

 

[gatormom2tots]

As others have said....the difference is several hundreds dollars a night! I am not sure of exact prices(you can easily look up the prices on Disney's site) , but a 2 bedroom at DVC resort can be $800 a night vs. getting 2 rooms at a value resort for $120 ($240 for both). When we stay on site we do a 2 bedroom DVC using rented points (it saves some) because we are a family of 6. We would probably kill each other in anything smaller. For our longer trips (7+ days) we go offsite in a 4 bedroom condo at a fraction of the price. We love staying on site, but make some sacrficies so we can do longer trips.

 

[Regan117]

There is a difference between a 2-bedroom suite and a 2-bedroom villa. A suite at any deluxe resort will be club level, and is generally much more expensive than a villa.

That being said, There would be plenty of space for all of you in a 2-bedroom SUITE if that is what you prefer. The ones at GF for instance, have a living room, wet bar, dining table for 4, foyer and powder room. The master bedroom has a king bed and a full bathroom. The second bedroom has two queen beds, a sleeper sofa and a full bathroom. So you could take the room with two beds with your kids, if you don't mind sharing, and use the master for your parents. At the CR, the 2-bedroom has 2 queen beds in each bedroom, a kitchenette with a full-size fridge, living room, dining area, and 3 total bathrooms.

All of this depends on your budget, of course. Villas are usually a better fit for people because they are less expensive (still expensive, but less than a suite), and if you know you won't need to cancel, there's always the option of renting DVC points. Also remember, some of the 2-bedroom villas don't have two beds in the second bedroom...so that is always a risk. We don't like anyone sleeping in the living room.

I don't like separate rooms, because I like to all be under "one roof"...and Disney won't guarantee connecting rooms.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

And, of course, your timeframe for the booking matters for DVC. If you are booking for this fall, pickings are slim. 11 month advance planning matters a lot to rent DVC.

 

[mnamna]

Just so you know...Disney will not guarantee connecting rooms. You can request it but it may not happen. Two rooms will be cheaper than a two bedroom suite. So, it depends on budget. I love the DVC rooms but can't justify the expense these days as compared to two rooms.

Disney won't guarantee connecting rooms in this instance, but we have guaranteed connecting rooms on our reservation that starts in less than two weeks. If the two rooms are split between two parents/a couple and their kids/stepkids, they WILL guarantee connecting rooms. In this case however, with there being parents and grandparents wanting the separate rooms, they likely will not.

 

[bhencey]

We are four adults and we are doing a 2-bedroom suite at GF (the Grand Suite). No kitchen, but with 2200 sq ft, gives us enough space to be apart, while still in the same room.

 

[Hopefully]

Disney won't guarantee connecting rooms in this instance, but we have guaranteed connecting rooms on our reservation that starts in less than two weeks. If the two rooms are split between two parents/a couple and their kids/stepkids, they WILL guarantee connecting rooms. In this case however, with there being parents and grandparents wanting the separate rooms, they likely will not.

I hope very much that you are not disappointed in 2 weeks. Although you may have been told you are guaranteed connecting rooms, even if you have it in writing, you are NOT GUARANTEED CONNECTING ROOMs. There are several frequent posters here with similar circumstances as yours who have horror stories to tell. As long as there are 2 adults you can be split. It happens all the time. Folks also do get connecting rooms upon request. But it is not guaranteed and can not be counted on.
Good Luck

 

[klacey1]

Disney won't guarantee connecting rooms in this instance, but we have guaranteed connecting rooms on our reservation that starts in less than two weeks. If the two rooms are split between two parents/a couple and their kids/stepkids, they WILL guarantee connecting rooms. In this case however, with there being parents and grandparents wanting the separate rooms, they likely will not.

No, they won't. Connecting rooms at Disney is never a guarantee, no matter what a phone CM says.

 

[maxiesmom]

Disney won't guarantee connecting rooms in this instance, but we have guaranteed connecting rooms on our reservation that starts in less than two weeks. If the two rooms are split between two parents/a couple and their kids/stepkids, they WILL guarantee connecting rooms. In this case however, with there being parents and grandparents wanting the separate rooms, they likely will not.

Unfortunately in reality there is no such thing. Disney's own web site states connecting rooms are just a request. I don't know why they put "guaranteed" on some reservations, but there is no possible way for them to be guaranteed. Disney does not block out rooms as we book them, they can only assign you rooms from what is available. And they have no way of knowing ahead of time if connecting rooms will be available.

And truly, if you read all of the fine print, nothing about your room is guaranteed by Disney. Not room type, not location, not even that you will end up with a room at the resort you booked. I've twice shown up to my resort and found I'd been downgraded, as the room type I booked wasn't available.

Odds are good you will get connecting rooms when requested, but there is no way they can guarantee them 100%. Best to not depend on it.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Other hotel companies do guarantee connected rooms but WDW does not.

I guess their logic is if you really need to be connected get a suite of some sort