beach club capacity misunderstanding

[Judique]

Man that post was quite a journey.

Yeah, it probably was.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I don’t get this “I’d rather not go if I have to squeeze into a studio” or “studios are like hostels” stance. Do you all hate your family that much lol? We usually stay in 2 bedrooms but we’ll sometimes squeeze 5 into a studio and not only do I not mind it but it’s nice to have some forced togetherness with my older kids who otherwise would be in their room on their phone. The only thing we miss in studios is the washer and drier. The way the “never studio” people feel about studios is how I feel about cooking on vacation, so we never even use the kitchen. And our next trip will be 14 nights in a Poly longhouse studio, because I love Poly but refuse to stay in that tower abomination.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I don’t get this “I’d rather not go if I have to squeeze into a studio” or “studios are like hostels” stance. Do you all hate your family that much lol? We usually stay in 2 bedrooms but we’ll sometimes squeeze 5 into a studio and not only do I not mind it but it’s nice to have some forced togetherness with my older kids who otherwise would be in their room on their phone. The only thing we miss in studios is the washer and drier. The way the “never studio” people feel about studios is how I feel about cooking on vacation, so we never even use the kitchen. And our next trip will be 14 nights in a Poly longhouse studio, because I love Poly but refuse to stay in that tower abomination.

Villa = Adult activities
Studio = No adult activities
Villa > Studio

Villa = Multiple bathrooms (the ones we get)
Have 1 stomach bug go through your family on a vacation and tell me how great the “forced togetherness” is.

Also, showering after pool time. 4 showers in 1 shower (and no access to toilet) vs 2 bathrooms and 2 toilets. Cuts the turnaround time in half.

Villa > Studio

Sleeping. Love does not block out tossing/turning/snoring.
More Space = Better Sleep = Better Vacation

Villa > Studio

So, yes, I feel like 4 to 5 adults/older kids staying in a studio is equivalent to staying at a hostel and want nothing to do with it.

 

[sndral]

I think this was just an unfortunate misunderstanding on the part of OP and there's no point in belaboring everyone's room preferences.

Amongst people who've been around awhile, it's pretty well known that the 2nd gen resorts (VB, HHI, BWV, WLV (now BRV), BCV, SSR, AKL (now AKL-jambo)) only have dedicated sleeping space for 4 in the one bedroom. They've always given you the option of bring your own mattress for a 5th person. Okw used to be the same, but because the living room is massive, they were able to add the sleeper chair later. The studios for all these resorts originally only had a 4 person capacity too, Disney just identified a desire on the part of the member base to add an additional sleep surface, and the room layout lended itself to it at later date. (Although I've seen some people post over the years that they're upset at this change.)
…

Most of the AKV Jambo 1 br.s have always provided sleeping surfaces for 5 in the 1 br.s AFAIK - king bed in the master + Queen sofa bed & single fold out sleeper chair in the living room. The value 1 br.s on Giraffe & Zebra trail OTH, only sleep 4 adults & I believe that’s max occupancy w/ no option to bring your own bedding for a 5th in those value villas - they’re around 100 sq. ft. smaller than the standard/savanna/concierge 1 br.s.
AKV in general has the most complicated set of villa booking options among the DVC resorts IMO, there are 23 possible villa types you can book!

 

[VGCgroupie]

Villa = Adult activities
Studio = No adult activities
Villa > Studio

ohhhh now i know why my husband has declared no more studios. That actually was a big part of why he agreed to more points, to stay only in 1 bed and up

 

[kilik64]

ohhhh now i know why my husband has declared no more studios. That actually was a big part of why he agreed to more points, to stay only in 1 bed and up

Aka the nookie tax.

 

[Novatrix]

Most of the AKV Jambo 1 br.s have always provided sleeping surfaces for 5 in the 1 br.s AFAIK - king bed in the master + Queen sofa bed & single fold out sleeper chair in the living room. The value 1 br.s on Giraffe & Zebra trail OTH, only sleep 4 adults & I believe that’s max occupancy w/ no option to bring your own bedding for a 5th in those value villas - they’re around 100 sq. ft. smaller than the standard/savanna/concierge 1 br.s.
AKV in general has the most complicated set of villa booking options among the DVC resorts IMO, there are 23 possible villa types you can book!

Whoops you may be right. Honestly, I mentally always put the end of the gen 2 builds at SSR since that was the last one custom built of that gen, but for some reason I thought during the initial conversion from hotel rooms to 1 bedroom at jambo there wasn't a sleeper chair and that was only added later.

 

[AstroBlasters]

ohhhh now i know why my husband has declared no more studios. That actually was a big part of why he agreed to more points, to stay only in 1 bed and up

1000% We are a simple gender….

 

[AstroBlasters]

Aka the nookie tax.

Quote from my wife after our first ever DVC rental ( 2BD BLT): “Things can happen on vacation behind a locked door that will never happen without a locked door”…. it was later clarified that a living room and 2 doors was even more preferred…

Just tell me where to sign….

 

[Girlstar30]

I was wondering why you had to call or chat with MS to add a 5th person on the reservation and now I know why.

Im not sure how it let you do this online or if this is a recent policy change, but it definetely doesnt allow me.

Only 4 people can be added to the room yourself and if MS adds a 5th and you try to modify it, it will tell you that there are too many people in the room and you need to contact them again.

I think it was nice of them to offer the blow up mattress as they do state that they wont provide bedding for the 5th guest, but I also see how this whole thing is confusing and im sorry that happened to you and this was the way you found out.

 

[CarolynFH]

Im not sure how it let you do this online or if this is a recent policy change, but it definetely doesnt allow me.

It's relatively recent - for many years, DVC members were able to book 5 into a BWV/BCV 1BR online via the member website, but cash guests could book only 4 via the WDW online booking system or when calling. It seems that way too many guests didn't understand what "no bedding, linens, or towels will be provided for the 5th person" meant, or didn't see that at all. I think I remember frequent posts here on DISboards answering questions about what the statement meant and explaining why the discrepancy between DVC and cash capacity of those 1BR villas.

 

[Girlstar30]

It's relatively recent - for many years, DVC members were able to book 5 into a BWV/BCV 1BR online via the member website, but cash guests could book only 4 via the WDW online booking system or when calling. It seems that way too many guests didn't understand what "no bedding, linens, or towels will be provided for the 5th person" meant, or didn't see that at all. I think I remember frequent posts here on DISboards answering questions about what the statement meant and explaining why the discrepancy between DVC and cash capacity of those 1BR villas.

Yes I was one of the posters asking for clarity on how many people can stay in the room so I def can see where a mixup can happen!

 

[Noodlez]

Some of the responses in the 2nd page, especially, of this thread are pretty annoying. Elitist, and self-serving. It's as if you all started out with a silver spoon and no tolerance for those starting out with young families.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking this! As a child we stayed in a tent less than half the size of the smallest studio and had the most amazing times! I couldn't even have imaged staying somewhere as luxurious as Disney. We also only had one bathroom in our house for 5 of us! I'm very fortunate that my husband and I can now afford to stay in studios or 1 bedrooms by ourself, but likening staying in a studio to to staying in a hostel seems completely out of touch with reality. For the vast majority of people this is still completely out of reach, and the families that manage to do this are the lucky ones.

 

[Chuck S]

Studios are great for families that have young kids, as generally the parents are also fairly young, and they have the stamina to go, go, go and stay in the parks rope drop to closing. When I first bought into DVC in 1992, with the minimum (at the time) 230 points my mom and I usually shared an OKW studio, and often with a cousin as well, as OKW Studios have 2 real queen size beds, but no additional sleeping space for a 5th person. And we slowly added on over the next 4 years we added to bring the total to 345 points, we usually alternated between a studio and one bedroom. Now as I am considered a Senior Citizen, I no long go to the parks open to close. and return to the room about mid-afternoon, and go out for dinner later in the day. So I really prefer the one bedrooms, even for solo trips, now. The convenience of the in room laundry, and the kitchen to make a light meal, if I don't want to go out that evening, can't be beat. But I still occasionally stay in studios if I'm saving up points for a large group trip or something. Every family is different. If they are comfortable in a studio, great! If they want the comfort of a larger room, with the afore mentioned amenities, great. But they do need to realize that not every resort has the ability/space to add a dedicated sleeping space for a 5th person in one bedroom units, as was the case with the OP. I think it was generous of the BCV to offer them a blow up mattress. The take away of the story is be sure to check the online floor plans of one bedrooms before choosing your resort, if you've never stayed in a one bedroom there before, as one bedroom units vary greatly resort to resort.

 

[ilovebassets]

I think if you have more than two kids (we do), you learn very quickly that only two resorts sleep 5 comfortably in a one bedroom: BLT and AKV (and now DLV). And— if your kids do not want to share beds, you basically need a 2 bedroom. Once our kids hit 12+ we started booking 2 bedrooms, unless we were only traveling with two of them.

FWIW, we've stayed in a one-bedroom at SSR a couple of times as a family of five and felt fine. Last time we went, kids were 13, 11, and 6. I'd do it again. We get an air mattress for the youngest so they all have their own beds, but you could easily put two in the Murphy if they didn't mind being together.

 

[Chuck S]

I think if you have more than two kids (we do), you learn very quickly that only two resorts sleep 5 comfortably in a one bedroom: BLT and AKV (and now DLV). And— if your kids do not want to share beds, you basically need a 2 bedroom. Once our kids hit 12+ we started booking 2 bedrooms, unless we were only traveling with two of them.

OKW also has a fold out couch and a single fold out chair in the one bedroom units, giving it sleeping space for 5.

 

[kilik64]

FWIW, we've stayed in a one-bedroom at SSR a couple of times as a family of five and felt fine. Last time we went, kids were 13, 11, and 6. I'd do it again. We get an air mattress for the youngest so they all have their own beds, but you could easily put two in the Murphy if they didn't mind being together.

SSR 1 BR sleeps 5 native. 2 in bedroom, 3 in living room, two on murphy and 1 on the pull down under the tv. Same set up as all the studios that sleep 5 but mom and dad get their own room.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I think if you have more than two kids (we do), you learn very quickly that only two resorts sleep 5 comfortably in a one bedroom: BLT and AKV (and now DLV). And— if your kids do not want to share beds, you basically need a 2 bedroom. Once our kids hit 12+ we started booking 2 bedrooms, unless we were only traveling with two of them.

Depends on the nature of your kids and on your budget. RIV 1 bedrooms are 1 bathroom but 3 sleeping surfaces so if 2 of the kids can share you’re still good to go without having to splurge up to a 2 bedroom.

And let us not forget the thousands of families of 5 who stay in a single hotel room so “only X, Y, Z is comfortable” is a rather niche perspective.