Can you recommend a DVC/room for us (renting points)?

[buckler]

We are gradually getting sucked under the Disney spell. Wouldn't be surprised if we bought a DVC someday! Anyway, we are considering another trip in May 2006. We have never stayed on property and I'd like to look into renting points to stay at a DVC resort. We have been to Disney 2 times before and stayed in Lake Buena Vista at the Embassy Suites and the Homewood Suites in a 1 bedroom suite using our Hilton HHonors points (I'm out of points so no more free trips! ). Both times we had 2 queen beds in the bedroom, a living room and either a kitchenette (small fridge/microwave) or full kitchen. I would like to stay at something comparable onsite.

Must haves:
1) Seperate bedroom so the kids can go to sleep and grownups can stay up later.
2) 2 queen size beds in bedroom if one bedroom (2 bedrooms is ideal but probably too costly!). I don't want anyone sleeping on a pullout couch.
3) Refrigerator and microwave

My kids are 4 and 6. They also like to swim after a day in the park. I think all the resorts have good pools but if some are more kid friendly than others I'd appreciate that info.

We have stayed at the Hilton Head Island resort on a Disney Visa rate in a 2 BR villa. I don't think we can afford something that nice at WDW though.

Thanks!

 

[CarolMN]

There are no rooms at any of the DVC resorts that meet your requirements, since you have ruled out a 2 bedroom unit.

The DVC one bedroom units all have a king bed in the bedroom and a sleep sofa in the living room.

The studios (one room units) at OKW do have 2 queens, but all of the other DVC resort studios have 1 queen bed and a sleep sofa.

If you are willing to rent a 2 bedroom unit, you can get two queens in the second bedroom at OKW, BCV, SSR or VWL. There are limited numbers of those units - most two bedrooms have 1 queen bed and a sleep sofa in the second bedroom. There will be a king in the Master bedroom and a sleep sofa in the living room for all of the units.

If you still want suggestions on the DVC resort, let us know -

Best wishes -

 

[OneMoreTry]

The cost of DVC units varies greatly from season to season. In May the "points" required are:

studio: 10 per non-weekend night, 24 on Fri/Sat

1BR: 20 per non-weekend night, 48 on Fri/Sat

2BR: 27 per non-weekend night, 64 on Fri/Sat

They usually go for $10 per point. I think it might be cheaper to pay cash on a weekend than rent points.

The 2BR are fantastic!! Especially at OKW.

 

[dianeschlicht]

All of the 2 bedroom units at OKW have 2 queens in the second bedroom and a king in the master with a queen size pull out sofa in the living room. There is a full kitchen and a full laundry room inside the unit. Depending on when you would want to travel, you could get five nights in a 2 bedroom at OKW for 110 points up to a high of 205 points during the highest season. This translates into $1100 to $2050 at the $10/point usual renting fee. The lower cost point seasons are: January, September October, November (excluding holiday) and December (excluding Holiday week).

If you decided to go for a 1 bedroom at OKW, you would get the king in the master and a queen sleep sofa in the living room/kitchen with an additional love seat that is not a pull out. You could easily put the kids in the pull out, and you would have the whole master suite with whirlpool to yourselves. Yes, there is also a TV in the master suite.

 

[Alexander]

Since you don't want anyone sleeping on a pullout, you'll need to rent a two bedroom. Consider a 5 day trip using points, and stay the weekend on cash. Be warned that it is very, very costly to pay cash for the DVC accomodations. Or you could consider doing a 6 day trip and only use points or cash for one weekend night. This is what we usually end up doing. We fly in Friday evening and stay at a moderate or value resort. Check into our DVC villa on Saturday morning and leave on the following Friday.

 

[buckler]

Thanks for the input. I'm torn. The 2BR's are more expensive than I wanted but we did love the 2BR at HHI. I'll think about this a bit. We just decided to plan another trip yesterday. My DH tried to pretend it was "all my idea" but he sure agreed quickly. He kept claiming he planned for us to go back in several years but finally confessed he was hoping to go sooner too! He tries to pretend it is for the kids .

 

[OneMoreTry]

Another thought. The benfits of a 1BR DVC unit far exceed the inconvenience of a pull-out sofa. Unless your kids are real big, I don't think they would mind the trade-off. Mine don't. In fact my oldest (16yo) prefers the pull-out and lets her 4 sibs have the second BR.

In my opinion, you should give it a try. But then I love staying on property and having a separate BR with my wife.

Check out the virtual tours of the DVC rooms on the Disney web site.

 

[buckler]

Thanks for suggesting I rethink the pullout. We have one at home that we never use. I opened it up this afternoon and the kids thought it was great. They pulled out blankets, pillows and stuffed animals and moved in! They made me promise they can sleep on it later this week. I didn't tell them why we are trying it out.

 

[tjkraz]

I'd go with a 1B at Old Key West or Saratoga Springs. All units at SSR and most (if not all) units at OKW have a new design sofabed in the living room that is pretty much the same as sleeping in a regular bed comfort-wise.

Regardless, I doubt a 4yo and 6yo are going have any unpleasant reactions to a sofabed. Put the kids down in the living room and you'll have the master suite all to yourselves for the night.

 

[Cruelladeville]

Your kids are young enough that if you stayed at OKW in a one bedroom villa, they could even sleep with one on the love seat and one on the couch, and you wouldn't even have to use the pull-out at all!

 

[murphy t]

If you decide to go with a 1 bedroom, you could always put the kids to bed in the king bedroom and move them to the couch when you are ready to go to bed. If they are anything like mine were, after a long day at Disney nothing would wake them up! You could also bring an aerobed and put it on the floor for them in the bedroom or in the huge closet, they would probably think that was great. We always liked having the living room empty in the evening as well as in the morning for the early risers (me)!

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

The main thing is to really try and avoid Fri & Sat nights to conserve on points (regardless of size villa you decide to rent). That alone makes a huge difference on how many points you need to rent. Good luck with your decision...don't forget that planning is half the fun!

 

[spiceycat]

there have been several suggestions to DVC - to make the master a queen with bunk beds - but so far DVC is not doing bunk beds.

I also suggest a muphey bed in the livingroom instead of the sleeper sofa and was ignored - again a NO.

 

[buckler]

Is the master BR at OKW or SSR the same size as the master at HHI? I didn't think the HHI master would have room for an air mattress. I don't think moving the kids from the master to the pull out after they fall asleep would work. My kids wake up to easily. I envy the people that have kids that fall asleep in the car and can be moved to their beds without waking!

Tomorrow night the two have reserved our sleeper sofa for a pajama party. They think it is the coolest thing ever . We'll see how they do.

Thanks for everyones help!

 

[Deb & Bill]

there have been several suggestions to DVC - to make the master a queen with bunk beds - but so far DVC is not doing bunk beds.

I also suggest a muphey bed in the livingroom instead of the sleeper sofa and was ignored - again a NO.

I'm sure glad they are not listening to you. I'd hate to lose my king sized bed in the master. The Murphy bed, well, I don't know. But DON'T MESS WITH MY KING SIZED BED!!!!!!!

 

[spiceycat]

don't worry Deb - DVC will probably never do bunk beds or murphy beds - why - they aren't upscale.