6 Person family in a studio?

[Pickles516]

Hey y’all! I’m in the initial stages of planning a trip for My wife, our 4 children (9,7,4,&2 at time of travel), and myself. I’m considering renting DVC points to get us into deluxe digs for the same(or in many cases cheaper) than a moderate or value resort room booked through Disney.

According to the booking sites, some studios( Poly, Beach club, etc) will sleep 5 plus a two year old in a crib. Is this feasible? I don’t see us spending a whole lot of time in our room, but the Beach Club studios look really cramped when the 5th sleeper bed is open.

Beach club is my first choice, followed by Poly, but I can only really afford to stay in those places if I can get us all into a studio. What do you all think? Anyone have any experience putting this many people in a dvc studio?

 

[Brett Wyman]

Since they’re all your kids I think it will work. Go with the poly for the two bathrooms, though still just one toilet. But you can fit the crib in the bigger one. It’s two queens, one is a Murphy bed. And the Poly studios are much bigger to give you kids some room to play one the floor.

 

[Pickles516]

Since they’re all your kids I think it will work. Go with the poly for the two bathrooms, though still just one toilet. But you can fit the crib in the bigger one. It’s two queens, one is a Murphy bed. And the Poly studios are much bigger to give you kids some room to play one the floor.

I love to hear this! Are the BC studios that much smaller? We’re big pool people and SAB looks sooooooooo amazing.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I love to hear this! Are the BC studios that much smaller? We’re big pool people and SAB looks sooooooooo amazing.

Yes 447 sq feet vs 356 sqft. The poly studio has the second bathroom with a sink and walk in shower and much more floor space.

 

[Pickles516]

Yes 447 sq feet vs 356 sqft. The poly studio has the second bathroom with a sink and walk in shower and much more floor space.

That is significant indeed. The Poly Pool looks nice too, and I think the kids will enjoy being so close to MK. Thank you so much for your help. Are there any other studios you’d recommend I look into?

 

[Kickstart]

Yes 447 sq feet vs 356 sqft. The poly studio has the second bathroom with a sink and walk in shower and much more floor space.

Does that square footage include the bathrooms? I'm wondering how much different the floor space is in the sleeping/living area (considering Poly has the second bathroom).

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Stormalong Bay with 4 kids and only 2 adults is hard. Very hard. Kids need supervision throughout the area which is pretty large. You also have to walk through the lobby to get to the pool from the villas.

 

[drusba]

That is significant indeed. The Poly Pool looks nice too, and I think the kids will enjoy being so close to MK. Thank you so much for your help. Are there any other studios you’d recommend I look into?

The WDW DVC resorts that allow 5 plus an infant (the 2-year old) are limited to Poly, VGF, Riviera (standard and preferred view), BCV, BWV, and BRV. The others, SSR, OKW, AKV, BRV, BLT, and CCV allow a maximum of 4 plus an infant.

BCV, BWV and BRV studios are close to the same size and design and, in reality, are too small for 6 despite the ability to do 5 plus an infant. If you are limited to a studio, Poly is a good choice with the extra bathroom and large room size. VGF has an extra shower room but is smaller than Poly at 374 sq ft. Riviera studios would also be a possible choice at 423 sq ft, with two bathroom areas, one with the toilet and a shower and the other with a tub/shower and sinks. It’s bedroom is comparable in size to Poly and possibly a bit larger. Poly has a huge amount of studios and tends to have more availability than the others that allow 5 plus an infant even at 7-months out many parts of the year.

 

[Pickles516]

The WDW DVC resorts that allow 5 plus an infant (the 2-year old) are limited to Poly, VGF, Riviera (standard and preferred view), BCV, BWV, and BRV. The others, SSR, OKW, AKV, BRV, BLT, and CCV allow a maximum of 4 plus an infant.

BCV, BWV and BRV studios are close to the same size and design and, in reality, are too small for 6 despite the ability to do 5 plus an infant. If you are limited to a studio, Poly is a good choice with the extra bathroom and large room size. VGF has an extra shower room but is smaller than Poly at 374 sq ft. Riviera studios would also be a possible choice at 423 sq ft, with two bathroom areas,one with the toilet and a shower and the other with a tub/shower and sinks. It’s bedroom is comparable in size to Poly and possibly a bit larger. Poly has a huge amount of studios and tends to have more availability than the others that allow 5 plus an infant even at 7-months out many parts of the year.

Thanks for this. It’s starting to sound like choice 1. Poly, choice 2. BCV and choice 3. Is a toss up between VGF and BRV depending on if convenience to MK or theming is more important to me and DW.

 

[BamaGuy44]

Thanks for this. It’s starting to sound like choice 1. Poly, choice 2. BCV and choice 3. Is a toss up between VGF and BRV depending on if convenience to MK or theming is more important to me and DW.

Sounds like a solid plan. You won't regret going for a deluxe resort! Poly allows you to get to and from MK/Epcot without having to take a little one out of a stroller or fold it up to get on a bus, since you can roll it right on/off of the monorail. That's a feature DW and I didn't even think about, but turned out to be a huge plus of the monorail resorts. Have a great trip, WDW with 4 kids that young sounds like a blast!

 

[Brett Wyman]

Does that square footage include the bathrooms? I'm wondering how much different the floor space is in the sleeping/living area (considering Poly has the second bathroom).

It does but there is also a lot more floor space between the couch and the other wall. It’s significant enough that in other studios we roll the coffee table out of the way so the kids can play, but in the larger studios it’s not necessary.

 

[DeeBee3]

I would also consider your personal preferences and how your family operates now. I am a very light sleeper and I have 2 small kids and they constantly wake me up. I would not be able to sleep at all with all those bodies. However, I am very annoying as a sleeper because a feather falls in the hallway and I can hear it. It's ridiculous. I use ear plugs and everything. If you all are used to living in smaller spaces and sharing rooms, then it's probably not an issue.

I just know that I'm always exhausted after the parks and even just going to pools, etc. Since everyone in my house wakes up early, then I need a decent sleep to be a "happy" person the next day. That's totally me though.

Maybe price out places that have larger suites if you think that's an issue - I hear AoA is great with the family suites but it's obviously not gonna have the luxurious feel of the deluxe resorts. All depends on you.

 

[justadreamaway77]

A couple of things.....SAB would be a nightmare IMO with kids that age....especially the 2, 4, & 7 year olds. There are parts of that pool that are 8 feet deep. It is also super sectioned off and there is nowhere you can have a sightline across the whole pool because of all the bridges. Also, the slides are actually not in the pool area...you have to leave the pool area and walk across the lake walking path to get to the two slides. This is just my opinion but it is the worse set up of any Disney resort pool.

The second thing is, have you considered a one bedroom? Yes, they are more points/money BUT you would have a separate bedroom (perfect to tuck away nappers) and then a full TV room for the rest of the family to enjoy so you are not tip-toeing around a sleeping child. They also have their own w/d which is awesome for bigger families AND a full kitchen! This is where you can recoup some of the $$$ you spent on a 1 bedroom. You could easily save $60 a day by making your own bfast in the kitchen with a 1 bedroom....add in an occasional lunch or dinner and you have just made up the difference in cost. Plus the comfort of a 1 bedroom is beyond worth it with 5 people!

 

[sethschroeder]

I honestly just couldn't do it.

I would opt for a 1BR at the cheapest options like AKV (Standard View) so that you have the extra space, the kitchen, the laundry, and the bedroom to put kids to sleep for naps/night time.

If I couldn't go 1BR I would like just look at Disney Springs where you can get 1 Bedroom Suites I am pretty sure for cheaper.

I COULD deal with it, its just that there are options that for the same money would be better.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Make sure you ignore any private messages you get offering you points to rent or reservations to buy. That is how the scammers get you. Report those to the moderators.

 

[Pickles516]

I would also consider your personal preferences and how your family operates now. I am a very light sleeper and I have 2 small kids and they constantly wake me up. I would not be able to sleep at all with all those bodies. However, I am very annoying as a sleeper because a feather falls in the hallway and I can hear it. It's ridiculous. I use ear plugs and everything. If you all are used to living in smaller spaces and sharing rooms, then it's probably not an issue.

I just know that I'm always exhausted after the parks and even just going to pools, etc. Since everyone in my house wakes up early, then I need a decent sleep to be a "happy" person the next day. That's totally me though.

Maybe price out places that have larger suites if you think that's an issue - I hear AoA is great with the family suites but it's obviously not gonna have the luxurious feel of the deluxe resorts. All depends on you.

That’s more my wife than me lol. I can sleep on the floor, sleep through a stampede for 5 hours, and once I have my morning coffee around sunrise I’m fine as long as I start moving right away. My wife is less….flexible lol. AoA looks fun, but

A couple of things.....SAB would be a nightmare IMO with kids that age....especially the 2, 4, & 7 year olds. There are parts of that pool that are 8 feet deep. It is also super sectioned off and there is nowhere you can have a sightline across the whole pool because of all the bridges. Also, the slides are actually not in the pool area...you have to leave the pool area and walk across the lake walking path to get to the two slides. This is just my opinion but it is the worse set up of any Disney resort pool.

The second thing is, have you considered a one bedroom? Yes, they are more points/money BUT you would have a separate bedroom (perfect to tuck away nappers) and then a full TV room for the rest of the family to enjoy so you are not tip-toeing around a sleeping child. They also have their own w/d which is awesome for bigger families AND a full kitchen! This is where you can recoup some of the $$$ you spent on a 1 bedroom. You could easily save $60 a day by making your own bfast in the kitchen with a 1 bedroom....add in an occasional lunch or dinner and you have just made up the difference in cost. Plus the comfort of a 1 bedroom is beyond worth it with 5 people!

These are valid considerations. For me personally, convenience to the parks is more important than space. My wife may not feel the same though. I would love to do a 1bedroom if I have the money when the time comes.

SAB looks amazing, and I was hoping I could pull it off. My 7 year old (who will be the 9 year old by the time of the trip) is already deep water rated. The (7 or 8 at time of travel depending on the date) is not really a strong swimmer, but I’m hoping that will change a bit by then. I figured I’d put my wife with them and then I’d stay with the little guys and have them in vests as I’m red-cross certified. It does sound like a lot of unnecessary effort though, especially if we get park hopper+ and hit the water parks on the trip also. So much to think about!

 

[Donna M]

Don´t know how many days and parks days you have planned, but having a resort day in the middle is something to consider. Kids love the pools. If you planned one less park day that would give you some money to help bump up to a one bd at BC. The kitchen could be used for meals that day saving even more. The washer and dryer would save on the amount of luggage you need to check since you could pack half the clothes and throw in a load mid week.

 

[Judique]

Yikes! 6 in a studio, even little kids, tight.

SAB - for kids, I hate that pool. Keeping eyes on one, difficult. Trying to manage the needs of 4, way too unrelaxing. It's your vacation also. Give yourself a break.

Washer and dryer in room in a villa is really nice! But, there is a 'free' laundry room for studio people as well, and I've often used it. Sometimes busy, sometimes empty.

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

Since they are kids it could work (especially if the 2 yr old is in a pack and play or crib, which lets the 4 year old be on the Murphy bed, the older two on the pull out couch and you as the parents on the bed). 3 kids could also easily fit on that pull out couch.
I would definitely look up some room tours though to make sure you as a family are comfortable with that

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Since they are kids it could work (especially if the 2 yr old is in a pack and play or crib, which lets the 4 year old be on the Murphy bed, the older two on the pull out couch and you as the parents on the bed). 3 kids could also easily fit on that pull out couch.
I would definitely look up some room tours though to make sure you as a family are comfortable with that

I think the problem is less the beds and where the actual hell you put the luggage and stuff.