Best Options for 9, including young kids?

[Golden Rose]

We have fallen into the habit of often traveling to WDW with friends... OK, our friends have figured out that we have DVC, and have started regularly asking to come along. We love sharing our DVC with friends and family, and we enjoy having the company. We have developed a habit of getting a 2 bedroom and sharing it with another family. But now I find myself faced with a dilemma.

My best friend has triplets. We love my BFF and her family, but bringing them along means that we'll have a party of 9 (me, DH, DS, DD, and my BFF, her DH, and their 3 DSs.) By the time we put this trip together, it is unlikely we'll still have a child in a pack and play. I would guess that by the time we try this, the kids will be a minimum of 9, 5, 5, 5, and 3, and probably a little older.

Is a Grand Villa the only reasonable option for a group that size? We own at BWV and AKV, so that's where we have the 11 month booking window. We've never gotten a Grand Villa because the point cost is so high. It would be doable, but would involve banking and borrowing almost all of 3 years points at a particular resort, or waiting until the 7 month point so we can combine our contracts and perhaps being too late to book anything. I know technically some of the resorts (AKV and BLT) can have 9 in a 2 bedroom, but would we be insane to try it?

Any advice would be appreciated, but "DON'T DO IT!" isn't an option...

 

[Sandisw]

We just did 9 in a 2 bedroom but most of the kids were older--teens. It was all girls and it worked out without issue. We were either at the parks or the pool for most of the time so when we were all there, it was late at night and pretty much when everyone was getting ready for bed.

I will say that it was better at BLT when there were 3 bathrooms vs. the few nights at BWV when there was just two.

Now, having said, that, have you considered just doing two 1 bedroom units instead of the grand villa. It would save points and give each family their own space. The drawback, obviously, is that you won't be together the entire time but certainly you could make it work.

Good luck!

 

[disneynutz]

Book the 2 bedroom and hope for a GV at 7 months when you can combine your points.

Bill

 

[Granny]

I think Sandi nailed it with her suggestion of two 1BR reservations. If you really need to all be in the same villa, I can't imagine that crowd in anything less than a Grand Villa.

That's just me, of course. Five children in one 2BR just seems a little too much like the dwarves' house in Snow White.

 

[dgaston]

The Treehouses also sleep nine -- but you'd have all the beds in the living area open and only 2 baths.

 

[hakepb]

The separate 1BR's sound best. (Well a GV is best, but may not be reasonable)

Next I would only consider 2BR's at BLT, KIdani and OKW. Although OKW only has 2 bathrooms, the loong hallway to the master seems like it would give you a bit of peace vs the masters right on the living room of other resorts. I would probably also insist on an air bed for a triplet in the 2nd room ecause your children need the separate beds (couch/chair)

 

[shortypots]

I don't know, I think you would be fine in a Kidani 2 bd. They sleep 9 and they have 3 bathrooms. Let's face it, we spend so little time there, that you will only be there all together for a short period of time at night. I don't know that I would waste the points on a grand villa or even 2 1bds (but I am cheap with my points)

 

[jodifla]

I think you can do a 2 bedroom with young kids.

I think BLT, Kidani or OKW would be best. I'd take the master and have them take the studio portion. An airmattress would fit easily in the studio (and at BLT, there are dedicated 2 bedrooms.

 

[crisi]

I'd also do separate rooms. One thing is that with separate rooms (it never happens, but well, sometimes its unavoidable), if the other family backs out you'll have more options.

 

[cel_disney]

BLT, AKV (not value), OKW, or THV would all work to give everyone a place to legally sleep!

2 bathrooms vs. 3 is an important question to ask yourselves.....

Enjoy!!!

 

[SusieBea]

I just wanted to say that we did that scenario twice with another family in a 2 bdrm at OKW. The other couple had a daughter 14, son 12, and son 9. We had two daughters, 14 and 11. It worked fine, and I think it would work fine-er now at Kidani with that extra bathroom, although the great room in OKW is roomier.

 

[Anal Annie]

I would just use my 11 month booking window advantage at AKV - they have some of the best pool options for all those little kids. I don't think you need a Grand Villa - esp. if it's going to cost you 3 years worth of points. I HATE being out of points. I don't think a GV would be worth it unless you're one of those folks who own tons of points & you have them to burn. Being point challenged ourselves we only ever stay in studios so we can go more often.

Good points were already brought up on the plan of booking two 1-bedroom villas so that each family could have their own space and if the other family backs out you're not quite as stuck. Although I personally think that the 1 bedrooms are the worst point values there are anywhere. Two AKV Std. view 1 bedroom units in Magic season would run you 456 points while one Std. view 2-bedroom unit would only cost you 287 points. For 372 points you could have a Savanna View 2-bedroom. Still 84 pts. less than 2 1-bedroom units. Think about that. A 2-bedroom unit is only 59 points more than a 1-bedroom unit.

I don't know how many points you have to play with or what season you're going in but I wouldn't burn all of them on just 1 trip. I would book a Std. view 2-bedroom so I could go again next year (selfishly alone, with just my own family). JMO.

 

[Breyean]

We have a group of 9 going in January, but the kids range from 13 to 6.

We booked a GV at OKW at the 11 month window for as many nights as our OKW points would allow. Then at 7 months we added on a two bedroom, wait listed the GV for the extra nights. The wait list came though so that was a relief that we don't have to change rooms!

 

[jdmn2010]

Sounds like you'd be fine in a 2 bedroom and since one of your homes is AKV, I would book at Kidani for the extra bathroom. We stayed at a 2 bedroom at VGC which would be similar with 3 bathrooms with 9 people and it was no problem. We had 5 adults and 1 teenager and 3 small children (all too old for pack n play). With the extra bathroom, even the teenager was happy.

 

[disneybirds]

I just posted this on another thread, but we had 9 in a BCV 2 bedroom in April. There were 4 adults and 5 kids. Since you don't spend alot of time in the room, I think you will be fine. The kids took turns sleeping on the floor. Sometimes they were in the main room and sometimes in the 2nd bedroom.

 

[Patty3]

We own at BCV and BWV. We will be a party of 13 going in April 2013. I will rent a 2 bedroom at each resort. One son is a party of 5 and DD is a party of 4. They would like to share a 2 bedroom. Ages of children will be 11, 9,3, 2 and 1. I thought that the 2 bedrooms in these resorts hold a max of 8. Am I wrong about this? Thanks.

 

[hakepb]

Max official occupancy in any BWV/BCV 1 BR is 4 plus 1 infant under 3 (in the pack n play). Max in a 2 BR is 8 plus 1 infant under 3. You will be OK.

AKV(except Value), BLT, and OKW officially sleep 5 or 9 because there is also a sleeper chair in the living room.

 

[hakepb]

Max official occupancy in any 1 BR is (at least) 4 plus 1 infant under 3 (in the pack n play)

AKV(except Value), BLT, and OKW officially sleep 5 because there is also a sleeper chair in the living room.

 

[Golden Rose]

This is the OP again.

Just to clarify a couple of things...

It wouldn't take all our points for 3 years to get a Grand Villa, as we have two contracts. It _would_ take almost 3 years of our AKV points, or all our BWV points, to get the grand villa for most of a week at the 11 month mark. We'd still have the other contract for other trips. We're also planning to add on at GFV, if it is really built, since the GF was one of our favorite resorts before buying DVC. So a grand villa is doable, but still a stretch. This is one reason we're planning at least a couple of years in advance.

We've brought friends with us in the past, and stayed in a 2 bedroom at BWV and a 2 bedroom at AKV - Jambo, but both times, we were just 7, not 9. We didn't find 7 people too overwhelming, but 9 really worries me. I don't know if our friends will feel the same way, since they haven't been to WDW in years, but we spend a lot of time at the resort, and a fair amount of time in the room, particularly when we're at AKV. In the past, when we've had friends along, we gave the the studio to retreat to, we retreated to the master bedroom, and it worked well enough. I just have some concerns about 9. Kidani and BLT are the only ones with the 3rd bathroom, but they do have it... does that 3rd bathroom really help? (We haven't stayed at Kidani yet.)

 

[My5Mouseketeers]

We have 5 (16,14,14,10.75, 8.75) and always bring my parents with us. We do just fine with 5 kids in a 2 bedroom. Have done SSR& VWL (when littlest was under 3). Last trip was AKL and November we are in a treehouse. I would put your friends and their 3 kids in the 2 bed room with a blow up on the floor. And probably your 2 kids in the master bedroom and DH and I would take the pull-out. That way the grown ups can hang out together at night.

Having different "sides" to escape to seems to help. It's all attitude. Either you laugh things off or you let them ruin your trip!