Did you buy into DVC thinking you would only stay in studios?

[RossK]

Yes, we bought-in thinking we will only ever stay in a studio. We love the Poly so we didn't really have much choice in the matter (and the bungalows just don't represent a good use of points imo). We purchased the exact number of points we need in order to vacation for 2 weeks during October in a Studio at the Poly (306 points - so I won't be too pleased if they do even the most minor reallocation of points!). We have no kids, so we don't really need lots of space. We don't want to regularly cook on vacation, so we don't need a proper kitchen. For the few occasions we may not want to go out to eat, then we always have the option of ordering the glorious Polynesian feast for 2 from Room Service, or have a BBQ using the grills outside. So right now, this works out great for us.

I can see this changing later in life, where we might want to spend a lot more time in the room relaxing, for example. Then perhaps we'd want to look at a 1BR. But that's fine, if we do end up wanting to do that, then we can always look at purchasing more points later in life!

 

[Bronte]

We bought in a few years ago (270 ssr and 200 bcv)
We still fit into a studio with our two daughters ages 21/23 but we are a very close family. We all argree more room would be great but we much rather have as many days at Disney as possible (we live two hours from the mouse and still can not get enough disney time .... Our friends say we are addicted)
We have stayed in one and two bedroom units but only when more people traveled with us.

 

[Julylady]

We did the opposite as well. First several stays were two bedrooms as we traveled then with 6-8 people. Kids are older and now we are usually just a party of 2-4. We reserve a 1-bedroom if we plan to spend a lot of time in the room. If we are just using the room to sleep/shower, we will go for a studio. Every stay is different.

 

[davper]

I bought enough points in each of my 2 resorts to stay in a 1 bedroom for a week every other year at each resort.

To me, a studio is a hotel room. I wanted more from owning.

 

[DebbieB]

I bought with plans for my mom and I and planned to stay in 1 bedrooms. To me, a studio was just like a hotel room. She passed away 11 years ago and my trips now are solo or with friends. Almost always get a studio, especially at the new resorts where the points are so high.

 

[DougEMG]

When we bought I used a studio as a comparison vrs the hotel rooms to see if it made sense. Sense we've owned we've stayed probably half the time in a studio and half the time in a 1 bedroom (3 people). I'm always torn between staying twice as long in a studio over staying in a 1 bedroom. Staying twice as long wins for me, but not for the wife! If 1 bedrooms weren't twice the price, I'd stay in them a lot more.

 

[bumbershoot]

We bought teh 160 minimum at the time and figured we would do what we had to do. That's worked very well. We are also totally willing to stay at WDW hotels, and now that we're in love with Universal a lot of our time is spent there, too. We had to buy the OTU points once, and right now for the first time some points will expire 1/31. A whole 2 points. Ugh.

Everyone is different, but the thought that our usage right now defeats the purpose of buying DVC is odd to me.

Try to remember that we each have our own definition of the points of DVC. I don't mind a normal hotel room; therefore I don't mind a studio. Others do mind those things.

larger rooms add a full kitchen and an in room laundry. I'm on vacation--I don't want my time at WDW to be spent doing things I routinely do at home such as cooking or doing laundry.

And see, there, your definition of something doesn't match mine. If I still have to sleep and breathe and use the bathroom while on vacation, I might as well (have DH) cook and do laundry as well (I quite like doing laundry...I like it more than paying extra baggage fees!!!).

And that one in parentheses about DH? He's the BEST cook while we're on vacation. When we have an extended family vacation in an OKW 2 bedroom and there are two manly-men there, we all make them cook for us. It's awesome. It's like being on a cooking show or at a restaurant or something. They seem to love it, too. Maybe this year the 14 year old and 12 year old young men can get in there and help out, too. While the females and the 2 year old boy take it easy.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

Given that the average cost for my family to fly from Western Canada to DL is $1200-1500 and $1500-2500 to fly to WDW, longer stays are more important to us than additional space.

Given that we would be staying in an ordinary hotel room were it nor for DVC, we're perfectly fine staying in a studio and knew that when we bought in. That being said, now that my daughter is 12 1/2 and almost 5'5", pull out sofas/murphy beds are getting less comfortable for her every trip, but she'll just have to tough it out.

I'm not fussed about not having in-room laundry (I'm ok hanging out by the laundry room with a good book for a couple of hours one day, while my wife and daughter are at the pool or after they go to sleep), and the bar fridge is more than sufficient for us to stock up on yogurts and juice (and a granola bar) for breakfast during our stay, so no need for a full kitchen.

 

[socababy]

Yes and no. Originally bought AKL with the intention of staying in at least a 1 bedrm. Then bought a guaranteed week at GFV in a lake view studio. We bought Thanksgiving week knowing that my kids have that week off every year. This Thanksgiving will be the first time staying here during our guaranteed week. It will be tight with 5 but this trip we don't plan on spending a ton of time in the room.

 

[CupcakeLisa]

There are only two of us and bought planning to stay in studios - we bought at Poly!

 

[LostNWonderLamb]

Yes. I bought into bay lake tower with the intentions of only staying in studios since we don't like to cook during vacation and it was just my boyfriend and I.

 

[toolmanjan]

Thanks for the great responses!

I started this thread after reading someone asking about squeezing 5 people into a studio. It made me think I wouldn't try fitting 3 into a studio. Make one of my adult kids sleep on an uncomfortable foldout sofa not!

We love OKW, SSR & BWV our points are at BWV and VWL. We rarely stay at the WL or VWL anymore it seems like every time we stay there one or all of us get sick. I don't blame the resort its just a coincidence. But do you thing my family will want to stay there again? LOL

Our favorite is OKW. The rooms are much bigger. Plus we have been lucky enough to be close to the main pool every time we have stayed there.

To us once you have the washer dryer in your room it's hard to stay in a room that doesn't. We use the kitchen mostly for breakfast.

 

[anonymousegirl]

I bought the minimum number of points (BLT 160 at the time) because my DH wasn't a fan of time shares or Disney, and hates debt so we paid in full at time of purchase. It is a testament to my powers of persuasion that I got him to buy in at all!

If I had my way, we would have bought enough points for a 1BR two weeks a year. I often go solo (we don't have kids) so I normally get a studio so I can go to WDW a couple of times a year.

 

[DizDaD7]

We bought into the DVC back in 2000. Our idea when purchasing was to stay in a 1 or 2 BR unit all of the time. As a family of 4 staying in a studio kind of defeats the purpose of staying at a DVC resort.

When its me and my DW we stay in a 1 BR with our Kids 2 BR

My wife and stayed in a studio at VB and hated it.

What did you think when you bought?

While we're young and the kids as well, Yes We figured Studio, but eventually we will most likely bump up to a 1 br for sure.

 

[Anal Annie]

We bought with the intention of using studios. We intentionally bought enough points to take 2 week-long (7 night) trips a year during "Magic" season points at SSR OR 1 week a year in a 1-bedroom. We have found that with careful planning and just a little borrowing we can do 2-3 trips a year usually with a combination of "adventure" and "dream" seasons with an occasional few nights overlapping in "magic" season. Our summer trips are usually 8-9 nights and our other trips are usually anywhere from 4-6 nights. We resort hop from trip to trip and frequently use SSR and AKV to maximize and stretch our points. We throw in the occasional splurge at resorts like the Poly or Aulani every few years. So far we have only stayed in a 1-bedroom once and that was a total fluke (an unfortunate last minute cancelation we had to make at VGC & Aulani left us with the only option of driving to FL instead as DS was not allowed to fly). Since we canceled at 8 days out we had to take what was available and it ended up being almost an even points wash to spend 9 nights in a 1-bedroom at SSR. While it was NICE it wasn't nice enough to convince us to give up multiple trips / year to do it again. DS still had to sleep on a pullout sofa so it's not worth it to us on a normal basis.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The only studio we will stay in is OKW and then only for shorter stays. Five days or less. Most of our stays were one bedroom villas.

 

[zavandor]

I travel alone most of the time and I'm used to european hotel rooms. In comparison, a DVC studio is a palace! I've stayed in a single room in an hotel in London that wasn't much bigger than the closet in a DVC room.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

We plan on staying in studios. We are a couple, with a grown son.

When our son comes with us, he sleeps on the fold out. He doesn't mind, claims it is comfortable.

We don't want to do elaborate meals. The microwave and grill fill our needs.

We might be interested in a larger place after our son gets married. He isn't dating anyone, so we have some time. If they want to vacation with us, we would want two sleeping spaces.

 

[bumbershoot]

I travel alone most of the time and I'm used to european hotel rooms. In comparison, a DVC studio is a palace! I've stayed in a single room in an hotel in London that wasn't much bigger than the closet in a DVC room.

So true!

@zavandor, in case you didn't realize, the link in your signature is blocked. It literally shows up like this, with all the asterices:
"********************************************************/SSR1.png"

In case it's not supposed to look like that, I thought you'd like to know.

When our son comes with us, he sleeps on the fold out. He doesn't mind, claims it is comfortable.

My 70-something year old aunt thinks the sofabeds at OKW and SSR are comfy!

 

[zavandor]

So true!

@zavandor, in case you didn't realize, the link in your signature is blocked. It literally shows up like this, with all the asterices:
"********************************************************/SSR1.png"

I know, I'm too lazy to change it