best home resort for family of 6?

[Dean]

Dare I suggest offsite as a option. It not unlikely to get more room for a large family for less money offsite. Even after paying for parking

I love staying on property but also enjoy off property. I'd rather have a good unit (say 1 or 2 BR) off property than say a studio on property even though we rarely cook and the studio kitchen would be fine. We just enjoy the extra space. Some of the off property timeshares in the area are as nice or nicer than the DVC options and some have better pools than all but maybe SAB.

 

[Brian Noble]

Dare I suggest offsite as a option. It not unlikely to get more room for a large family for less money offsite. Even after paying for parking

You are right, and I agree with you 100%. But, I've learned not to suggest it around these parts, else I'll be tarred and feathered!

 

[dbs1228]

If you decide not to go the DVC route I recommend trying the cabins at Ft Wilderness for a family of 6 especially with younger kids. The outdoor space, playgrounds, bikes, walking trails, pools, outdoor movies every night with chip and dale, picnic tables and grills are all a great plus! The units are compact but have full kitchen and bedroom has a double bed with bunk beds (sleeps 4) living room has a murphy bed for 2. Even after staying in a 2 bedroom at BLT, 1 bdrm AKV and 2 bdrm OKW my 3 DD's still say they want to go back to the Ft. and stay in the cabins. Two are now in college and actually prefer the cabins well actually we all do in a weird way and I know we will stay there again! Great location to MK short boat ride away, also easy access to CR and monorail.

 

[crisi]

I love staying on property but also enjoy off property. I'd rather have a good unit (say 1 or 2 BR) off property than say a studio on property even though we rarely cook and the studio kitchen would be fine. We just enjoy the extra space. Some of the off property timeshares in the area are as nice or nicer than the DVC options and some have better pools than all but maybe SAB.

I used to be an onsite snob - I liked being surrounded by Disney and I HATE driving on vacation. But I had a few business trips to Orlando and there are plenty of nice hotels - and driving isn't bad once you learn the routes. Plus, Disney isn't what it was.

 

[nolanboys]

As a family of 6, thought I'd post abut what we decided. We hemmed and hawed about how many points we wanted, and finally went with 200. We only plan on going every other year because we generally take one big vacation a year and want to be able to do different things (like this year we are going on a cruise, and not Disney, over spring break). By banking and borrowing, we can stay at least a week, and every 4 years dh and I can get away by ourselves for a long weekend ( we just did this past September and it was great). We debated about which resort. We were between OKW and SSR because of the added dues cost of some of the other resorts. We knew we also wouldn't be able to book with the 11 month window often, so paying a premium for my favorite BCV just didn't make sense. We had done OKW twice before buying our resale contract and loved the size of the units. We also knew the points to stay there were good. But we wanted and extended contract and couldn't find one. A loaded SSR one came along with the UY we wanted and a good price, so we went for it. We stayed in the THV this past March for 4 nights and then a 2 bdrm at BCV for 3 nights and had a blast. We are trying to stay at all the resorts if possible and have loved them all for different reasons. Have to say that for a family of 6, the THV and great. It was fantastic to be able to split the kids up and it made bed time easier. Good luck with your decision. We've only been members for a little less than 2 years, but are happy with our decision and the fact that we took our time and fully researched all options. The hardest part is waiting to plan our next trip, which won't be until next spring break. But we plan on going 8 to 10 days, our longest trip so far, so I have that to look forward to.

 

[Dean]

I used to be an onsite snob - I liked being surrounded by Disney and I HATE driving on vacation. But I had a few business trips to Orlando and there are plenty of nice hotels - and driving isn't bad once you learn the routes. Plus, Disney isn't what it was.

Overall I prefer on site, I just feel comfortable and at peace staying at Disney properties. It's emotional I know. However, to be honest, there are some VERY nice timeshares that side by side are really better than DVC resorts in many ways. DVC has very nice resorts and no one does theming like Disney but unit size, many amenities, activities, pools, studio appointments are areas where other resorts tend to better Disney. The other areas including fulfilling requests and general responsiveness to one's needs/desires.

 

[arthur06]

OP didn't mention the gender of the children. If they are going to a 2br, then as the children get older SSR would be a nice choice. The THV with the 3rd bedroom for the price of a 2br is a nice plus. It would get parents the master and then 2 kids in each room. That is also an option to consider.

As was mentioned before, BWV and the Standard rooms are a nice value AND walking distance to two parks. With 4 kids, that location is hard to beat!

If you really want DVC, then you really need to to find where your most comfortable and happy more then which accommodations are the cheapest right now. There is a point reallocation coming in Jan for 2013 and what you buy today, doesn't mean you get the same a couple of years from now.

We love being able to walk to the parks, which is why we own where we do. We have had great stays at SSR and OKW, but we love the walk at BLT and BWV!

 

[PatMcDuck]

I have 4 kids; like others have said, you will need the 2BR. OK, it may sleep 8, but not 8 all that comfortably. And you want 2 full bathrooms (nice that some of the newer resorts have 2 baths in the 1BR )

As they get older, it gets harder, we had to bring 2 Aerobeds even for the 2BR. (teen aged boys will not share a bed!) and my daughter did not want to sleep with one of her brothers either.

When the kids are young, it is hard to have them sleep on the living room couch. I like to USE the kitchen after they go to bed, and do laundry etc. I have read that some families put their kids in the master bedroom, and they take the couch..... but hard to sleep 4 kids in a king size bedroom, I guess that is for 2 kids..... I never wanted my kids sleeping near an outside door though (I have a special needs son who is autistic)

I guess I am saying you will want that space when they are young AND when they get older.... WELCOME!

 

[vandy]

Many criteria are involved in picking a resort, location, type of resort, theme and amenities are some of the big ones. Our 4 kids are now adults and we've stayed at several of the resorts, and I must say the best ROOM for us to stay in is the 2br villa at AKL Kidani Village. There is a little more room in the living area (not as much as OKW though) and having a third full bathroom is crucial. The two daughters stay in the 2nd bedroom and the boys stay in the living room. The room is important to us as we usually do a 10 day vacation and relax a lot in it. If you are on a shorter vacation and don't spend that much time in the room, then maybe the resort features or location will be more important.