Boardwalk Villas - Studios 3 adults, 2 kids.... are we crazy?

[DisneyTwins5thBDay]

First time staying at a DVC, we rented the points. Added my Mom at the last minute and I now I'm regretting it after reading up on it on this board. However, we do not spend a lot of time in the hotel room and normally get out of the room early for PPO's. One option is to get a room for my Mother at Swan/Dolphin but that kind of defeats the purpose of saving money this trip. Thoughts?

 

[disneynutz]

It all depends on you and your tolerance for packing people into one room. We are the opposite, we spend time in our room and at the resort, get a one bedroom for two adults and a two bedroom for three.

Bill

 

[kniquy]

If you are going for a week it might be tight with that many in one room. I guess some things to consider are -- will your mom want to share a bed with a kid? With having the pull down bed it might be possible for her to sleep there and have the kids share the pull out, it is pretty long but it is narrow. There really isn't much storage space so there might not be any unpacking. If your mom is easy going and can deal with things with the right outlook then you will be fine. If she is high maintenance and needs things to be a certain way and if not you will hear complaints then i might reconsider.

 

[DenLo]

That is a lot of people on one room. Hopefully everyone will get along together. In the future I would do 2 studios and when your mom wants the grandkids to sleep in her room she can invite them over.

 

[Marionnette]

First time staying at a DVC, we rented the points. Added my Mom at the last minute and I now I'm regretting it after reading up on it on this board. However, we do not spend a lot of time in the hotel room and normally get out of the room early for PPO's. One option is to get a room for my Mother at Swan/Dolphin but that kind of defeats the purpose of saving money this trip. Thoughts?

Too crowded, IMO. Five people sharing one bathroom...and not even a split bathroom...is not a vacation that I would care to take. But if you're fine with squeezing in a tight space in order to save money, that's your call.

 

[Cyberc1978]

IMHO no dvc studio should hold 5 people not even poly it will be too cramped YMMV

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Yes you're crazy... but plans are made, roll with it and have fun!

 

[4luv2cdisney]

How old are the kids? What's the plan for sleeping arrangements? How much do you (your spouse) like your mother (lol)?

I know that we were absolutely fine with 3 adults in a SSR studio and I can imagine adding in 2 small-ish kids would not have been a dealbreaker if it had the pull down bed like BWV does as long as 1 adult is small enough to be comfortable on the pull down bed. If that adult is not your mom, then you're probably going to choose to put 1 adult and 1 kid in bed and 1 adult and 1 kid on sleeper sofa. Is everyone OK with that?

We felt we were getting cramped with 4 adults (teenagers) in a regular hotel room, but I feel like we would have been fine with a 4th in our SSR studio. We may need to sleep 5 adults in a BWV studio for 1 night occasionally but I wouldn't even attempt it for an entire stay. Mainly because of the 1 bathroom. When staying 4 to a room, we require 2 to shower at night and 2 in the morning to relieve chaos. My husband is almost never in the room at all. He's antsy and a smoker, so he's up and out ASAP (seriously - ready in 10-15 minutes and gone) and then only back in the room to sleep. It's not uncommon for us to meet up with him in the lobby, at the bus stop... he's even gone ahead to the parks and we meet him there.

So, it very much depends on your overall traveling habits IMO. I'd think of and discuss a plan to "stay out of each others way" when possible. Even if that's just taking turns entertaining the kids on the balcony while the adults rotate getting ready, etc. Or get ready in pairs, 1 adult 1 child and they head off first... My problem is when everyone is trying to be "in motion" at once. We have always just made it so that we're not all trying to do the same exact thing at the exact same time. Dividing the showers (night / morning) makes a huge difference IMO!

We had a problem sharing an entire house with my MIL for a short time, let alone a hotel room. It's not something I would attempt.

But, I'm sure you'll all survive!!! Enjoy!

 

[BillPA]

Boardwalk Villas - Studios 3 adults, 2 kids.... are we crazy?

Maybe not crazy. but you might be by the time the trip is over. Good luck, stay mellow and have fun.

 

[crisi]

I wouldn't spend that much time in a room with my husband, children and mother-in-law (who I love, but a week in a hotel room with her and the rest of my family?)- and I wouldn't expect my husband to put up with my mother and our children in that small a space. My own experience is that tempers get short at Disney, its a time when differences cause friction (who showers first? Who wants to go to bed early? Who wants to sleep in? Who wants to spend more time in the parks? Who wants to spend time by the pools? and "oh my God, I didn't realize you snored like that!") - and so we tend to book more space - like we'd do the trip you are doing in a two bedroom. But what is done is done, and perhaps your husband and mother get along great.

 

[jo-jo]

As a grandma, I need some time away from the grandkids. Maybe your mom has tons of energy and patience, but with our trip last week, I was very glad to say "good night , see you tomorrow" at 7 or 8 pm.

 

[DisneyTwins5thBDay]

haha, we have done a standard GF room with the same people but I understand this will be smaller. We were going to put 2 adults on bed (my husband and I), my Mom on pull out with small 6 year old and then the other 6 year old on the murphy bed. A little more context... we've stayed at GF in same room, separate rooms at Wilderness lodge and my Mom requested to stay with us on this trip to save $. Husband and I both shower in the morning, the girls bathe at night and after that my Mom showers. AND my husband agreed that Mom should stay with us and yes, they get along well. We leave early and stay out most of the day, no one sleeps in. I am the one that keeps mentioning it husband and Mom, like are you guys sure we can do this? No one seems to mind but me.

 

[gr8tdame]

For a short stay you could probably manage it. The problem with the studios is there is no place to put your stuff. It is just 3 of us 2 adults and college aged son and we always book a one bedroom. We usually stay 10-14 nights.

 

[jo-jo]

haha, we have done a standard GF room with the same people but I understand this will be smaller. We were going to put 2 adults on bed (my husband and I), my Mom on pull out with small 6 year old and then the other 6 year old on the murphy bed. A little more context... we've stayed at GF in same room, separate rooms at Wilderness lodge and my Mom requested to stay with us on this trip to save $. Husband and I both shower in the morning, the girls bathe at night and after that my Mom showers. AND my husband agreed that Mom should stay with us and yes, they get along well. We leave early and stay out most of the day, no one sleeps in. I am the one that keeps mentioning it husband and Mom, like are you guys sure we can do this? No one seems to mind but me.

Well, the fact that you've done staying in the same room already changes the picture. I thought this was a whole new experience, not just doing a stay in a smaller room.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I hope you have a great time!

 

[Granny]

Well, the fact that you've done staying in the same room already changes the picture. I thought this was a whole new experience, not just doing a stay in a smaller room.

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I agree with this. If you've put 5 in a regular resort room then this shouldn't be that much different. And if DH and your Mom are cool with it, then I'd just go and enjoy the trip. It sounds like you guys have figured out schedules and how to travel together so I'm sure you'll have a wonderful trip.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

I think you’ll be fine! There is so much to do and so many places to relax in the Boardwalk area so I doubt you’ll all be in the room all that much.

My suggestion - request a ground floor room - the doors leading to the outside make it easy to come and go and somehow makes the room seem larger (at least for me). The patios usually seem more spacious than a lot of the balconies.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I think you’ll be fine! There is so much to do and so many places to relax in the Boardwalk area so I doubt you’ll all be in the room all that much.

My suggestion - request a ground floor room - the doors leading to the outside make it easy to come and go and somehow makes the room seem larger (at least for me). The patios usually seem more spacious than a lot of the balconies.

There really isn't anywhere to go from the patio at BWV. The patios are surrounded with shrubbery and you're not supposed to cut through them.

 

[Marionnette]

haha, we have done a standard GF room with the same people but I understand this will be smaller. We were going to put 2 adults on bed (my husband and I), my Mom on pull out with small 6 year old and then the other 6 year old on the murphy bed. A little more context... we've stayed at GF in same room, separate rooms at Wilderness lodge and my Mom requested to stay with us on this trip to save $. Husband and I both shower in the morning, the girls bathe at night and after that my Mom showers. AND my husband agreed that Mom should stay with us and yes, they get along well. We leave early and stay out most of the day, no one sleeps in. I am the one that keeps mentioning it husband and Mom, like are you guys sure we can do this? No one seems to mind but me.

GF rooms are 440 sq. ft.

BWV studios are 359 sq. ft. and they include a kitchenette in that space.

That's big difference in the size of the room. Only you can judge whether your family can tolerate sleeping together in such close quarters. Just know that it will be a much smaller space than what you got at GF.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

There really isn't anywhere to go from the patio at BWV. The patios are surrounded with shrubbery and you're not supposed to cut through them.

Thanks! I haven’t stayed on the ground floor at BWV, so that’s good to know.