2 weeks from 2nd DVC Trip...Opinions??

[kevmag]

We're 2 weeks from our 2nd DVC trip. We bought into BLT last year and did our first trip last October (5 days, all at BLT, except for our first night at OKW).
Before buying DVC, we visited WDW for years, mostly staying at the Wilderness and Contemporary.

So we still have DVC rookie enthusiasm, and this trip we wanted to sample different resorts, so we are going to bounce around a lot. We're curious what DVC vets think of what we're doing (and we should note that we will have a car the entire time). What do you guys think??

Day 1
BWV Studio
just my wife and me, our flight arrives late morning

Day 2,3
Kidani Studio
again, just wife and me

Day 4,5,6
SSR 1 Bedroom
toward the end of this part, our niece, husband and our granddaughter join us

Day 7,8,9,10
BLT 2 Bedroom
2 more adults join us for this part

Day 11
VWL 1 Bedroom
back to just wife and me (admittedly a nostalgia visit....we have great memories at the Wilderness...we stayed there a lot in earlier years)

Except for the BLT part, where we will spend a lot of time with our granddaughter at MLK, we intend to enjoy the resorts, and we WILL have a car.
Ok, let me have it!!

 

[Tara]

I hope you have an enjoyable trip. That said, I would never, ever change resorts that many times in one trip!

 

[CharmedLife]

Have to agree with PP... this upcoming trip will be our first-ever split stay - between AKV and OKW (both for the first time) and even that move was met with some whining from DH. We like to get into a room, unpack our bags, and not pack again until it's time to go home. On a trip to Sweden a few years ago we stayed in 4 hotels in 11 days and it was just too much moving around for us.

The fun of DVC is knowing that you're going back, so we can always hit another "new" resort on the next trip! We joined in 2005 and after this trip we will have finally been to all of the Orlando DVC resorts (except the Treehouses). It's been fun going back each year and trying something new!

One thing is for sure - you're at Disney and will have fun! Having your own car will certainly make it easier to move around as well!

 

[ToddyLu]

It looks daunting at first glance, but it is basically You and wife moving around most of the time. I think it looks fun. As WDW vets, you already have the lay of the land and probably will enjoy experiencing the resorts at this point. I think this is a great trip in which to do that. Next time you will have a better idea of where you want to stay or at least know what you like about each place. You never know when booking at other resorts may be taken away, so I say go for it. I would just play like I was getting a tour of the United States....from the redwood forrest to the Gulf Stream waters...WDW was made for you and meeeee!!


of course everyone has to go on safari in Africa, too.

 

[tammydel]

It is a lot of moving, but if you really know it going in and accept the packing and unpacking, it could be fun to try. As someone else said kind of like getting in the car and driving across country, not staying in any one place too long, just getting a feel for it.
I think so many of us DVCers like to "settle in" and feel at home, so this idea is very different to most of our travel patterns. But really it should be fun so long as you really have your expectations clear on what it will be like.
The only other thing I'll add is to consider the times that you will be "roomless". You don't want to need to get ready for a nice meal and not have access to a room, for example.

Good luck! Have fun and let us know how it goes, weather and crowds should be on your side!

Tammy

 

[Swayhoover90]

I think it sounds great! I assume that this is something you are looking forward to doing so have at it!

You could live out of your suitcase for the shorter stints since you know that you will be headed to a new resort soon. I will echo Tammy's point though...realize that check-out at DVC resorts are at 11:00 with check-in being at 4:00. With the possible exception that your room might be ready early you will have a 5 hour period each move day where you will be "homeless".

I think this is a great plan to get to know the resorts and will make planning much easier in the future. Have fun!!!!

 

[johnsonville5]

We have stayed at all the resorts and each one offers a different and unique experience. You will love AK for the setting and animals. The staff at Kidani Village were terrific. Our kids and grandkids loved the pool area here more than any other resort.

 

[nolanboys]

It's quite a bit of moving around, but I love the resorts almost as much as the parks. I sure hope you plan on doing a trip report. I would love to hear your resort comparisons. Have fun with your granddaughter.

 

[allshookup]

It is a lot of moving, but if you really know it going in and accept the packing and unpacking, it could be fun to try. As someone else said kind of like getting in the car and driving across country, not staying in any one place too long, just getting a feel for it.
I think so many of us DVCers like to "settle in" and feel at home, so this idea is very different to most of our travel patterns. But really it should be fun so long as you really have your expectations clear on what it will be like.
The only other thing I'll add is to consider the times that you will be "roomless". You don't want to need to get ready for a nice meal and not have access to a room, for example.

Good luck! Have fun and let us know how it goes, weather and crowds should be on your side!
Tammy

ITA with everything Tammy said and I will also add that if you don't really "settle in" for the entire time & "come home" to your same villa every night, to me, it makes the trip feel like it is going by faster. However since you are changing room types due to the amount of people joining you, I can see why you are doing it & it should be fun to experience all the different resorts. We just prefer to experience different resorts on different trips, but that's just us. Good luck!

 

[friends with mickey]

I think your trip sounds fantastic and you may have created a new trip catagory, Resort Hopper points. We do it with park hoppers or APs so why not with resorts. By the way, after 18 great years of DVC membership, we still have that rookie enthusiasm! Enjoy your trip.

 

[kevmag]

It's quite a bit of moving around, but I love the resorts almost as much as the parks. I sure hope you plan on doing a trip report. I would love to hear your resort comparisons. Have fun with your granddaughter.

I will DEFINITELY do a trip report, I feel its the least I can do, as I get so much from other reports.

I'm actually surprised, I expected to get 'flamed' more than I have (for jumping around so much), thanks for the support all!

I'm pulling the same stunt on my wife that I've been doing since we first took our son to WDW somewhere around 1991...I would always talk her into flying down a day earlier than the start of our WDW stay, and staying in the cheapest off-site hotel I could find (I would convince her that this way we can hit WDW first thing in the morning, and not miss out on most of the first day)! And then I would do the same thing the day we went home (stay in the park all day...spend the last night off property...and fly home in the morning).
Truth be told, I was just trying to milk 2 more days in WDW.

Now as a DVCer..i'm doing kind of the same thing on this trip...i got a 10 pt studio at BWV the first day, and the last night in VWL. And i sold it to my wife using the same rationale as above. (I CAN'T be the only one who does this, am I??)

 

[Sandisw]

Very ambitious, I must say! But, at least you will get a feel for the different resorts as well as decide whether or not you like doing THAT many split stays.

We did a 3 way split last year for or 7 day trip and did a two way split this summer on a 6 day stay.

One move a trip is enough for me as that feeling of having to be out by 11:00 and not having a room until 4:00 would not be something I would want to do that many times. We also had a car but there is just something about not having a place to go if you need it.

Of course, we travel in August when it is super hot so that might make a difference.

Good luck and I know you will have a great time!!!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Sounds like a real nightmare to me. I lke to move in, unpack and stay in one place until it's time to go home.

 

[beccasmom]

It sounds ambitious, but fine to me. Having a car is a big plus, just pack and go. With kids, I would be wary of changing more than once. But this sounds adventurous and fun to me!

 

[mdsd8700]

I like the adventurous nature of it as well. I think most of us have done similar trips on vacation before and by that I mean a lot of hotel changing. It seems like it will be daunting but somehow it holds its own appeal when you arrive someplace "new". Have fun and can't wait to hear about it.

 

[TiaMaria]

Wow!! While I'd like to sample more DVC resorts, we travel with too much sh... er, umm, I mean stuff to ever contemplate more than 1 move every 4 days. I used to travel quite a bit for a living, but my days of living out of a suitcase are behind me - on purpose.

We have 2 Owner's Lockers filled to the brim. We like to unpack - and especially with 2 middle schoolers, we need to unpack so they can find all their necessary items. If we're not organized, we're lost.

I would also be loathe to be possibly w/o a room until after 4PM on these moving days. While we are no longer "Park Commandos", we do like to get out in the mornings and sometimes stay out until after dinner. Many times we come back to the resort to rest or swim and change before dinner, but I would not like to spend that time finding luggage and getting settled into another villa and trying to find toiletries, clothing etc.

No flames here - I just know my clan, and I know it would be too much moving for us. It DOES sound like fun (if someone else was doing all the moving and organizing for me!). I will just live vicariously through you and your family if you don't mind!

I hope you have a wonderful stay and that it goes as smoothly as possible for you.

Keep us posted with the good, bad and ugly!

 

[wbl2745]

I will DEFINITELY do a trip report, I feel its the least I can do, as I get so much from other reports.

I'm actually surprised, I expected to get 'flamed' more than I have (for jumping around so much), thanks for the support all!

We're doing something a little similar, not jumping between resorts, but between rooms. Getting a two bedroom for us and my brother's family at 7 months out from the first week of December at AKV was not possible so for the first three nights we have a 2 bedroom, then we jump every night for three nights to another room since we can't get consistent reservations. I've got wait lists to make things better, but I figure that this is better than no reservations at all.

I'm going to be very interested in hearing your trip report!

 

[Lexxiefern]

I think it sounds very fun, but I don't think I could do it. I too need to have a room to come back to midday. But I love the idea of getting to stay in so many different resorts in one trip! I look forward to reading your report. Have fun!

 

[DVC_Corrys]

I LOVE this itinerary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a huge fan of traveling so being in a new place every few days to me is fun.

This is a great way to see the different DVC resorts. I bet this will make future planning both easy and hard trying to pick where to stay.

I think the advantage is that there is two of you most of the trip.