Do You Find Yourselves DVC Resort Hopping?

[mom2cobysyd]

Hi- We are new to DVC (our first vacation 'Home' will be in July at BLT). I am getting so excited to see and stay at our home resort but also am looking ahead and thinking that it would be nice to try the other DVC Resorts on future visits (maybe even do a split stay at BLT and another one). I expect that we will love BLT for many reasons but also have interest in trying other resorts because they are all different.

Is this what everyone does or do you typically stay at your home resort for most of your visits?

Do you ever feel like you are 'betraying' your home resort when you stay elsewhere?

What are your favorite resorts for days that you don't do the parks?

 

[fers31]

I feel that having the flexibility to hop from resort to resort is one of the things I love most about DVC!

 

[jmcdonnell04]

We have been members for 13 years and we always enjoy trying the new resorts after they have been built. After staying at OKW the first couple of years, we made the rotation around the park and probably did not stay at OKW for 6-7 years. We also used our points to stay at the Polynesian & Grand Floridian (not wise use of points but if you got them use them). We own at OKW and SS and have not had any problems with getting what we want at the 11-month or 7-month windows. This included getting New Years Eve week last year, BCV at 7-months for Spring Break (week after Easter) this year, Grand Villa during Spring Break a couple of years ago and this week I called for BLT at 7-months and got a dedicated 2-bedroom.

We love:
OKW for its quiet charm and huge rooms.
BWV for its location and family fun on the boardwalk.
BCW for its location and pool.
AKL for the animals and Boma.
VWL for the Grand Hall and pool and boat ride to the MK.

 

[mom2cobysyd]

That is great that you have always been able to get the locations that you wanted (and stayed at so many). I had wondered how hard it would be to get reservations at the 7month mark but you seemed to have had no problems!

 

[dvcdisney]

We have stayed at our home resort more than the others. We do make a point of making sure we stay at 2 (out of 3) of our home resorts - BCV and AKV at least once a year. We have been to VWL , BWV, and OKW in the past and we'll be trying BLT for the first time this Spring.

And at this point, we find that we can do a lot at both BCV and AKV if we decide not to go to the parks.

 

[DVC Grammy]

I tend to take longer vacations and I love to switch resorts, usually to DVC resorts that are themed very differently (e.g. BWV to AKV, or OKW to BLT). If I choose ones that are NOT my "homes", I make the hardest-to-get one first (at 7 months), and plan the other one around it (of course, I first book my own homes at eleven months, just in case it doesn't work out). The great thing about having all the choices is that you're bound to get availability somewhere!
One of the reasons I've been able to do this is that I vacation off-peak.

 

[mom2rb]

We love to resort hop. In fact we have done split stays every trip.

Our trip in May we are staying at BCV for the whole trip. I think it will be nice to not have to pack up and move, but I wonder if we will get bored being in the same place for ten days.

 

[bwvBound]

Purchased DVC in May 2004 and haven't yet visited our home resort. No, I haven't felt like I've "betrayed" it ... just haven't felt any need to visit it. We've done split stays (2 down, 1 booked for Jan 2010) ... but I'm not altogether keen on "moving day." It is doable -- but I'll only book it when I need to conserve points by booking a studio for either our first or last 2 nights.

I do spent a good deal of time w/out the parks. Favorites:

• Animal Kingdom Lodge: I love wandering through the public spaces at Animal Kingdom Lodge, sitting in the rocking chairs watching the animals or those around the fire pit.
• Wilderness Lodge/Fort Wilderness: I enjoy the walk between these two.
• Boardwalk/Beach Club Villas: Lots to do along the board walk ... or nothing to do on a beach chair.
• OKW: Rent a water bike and race ...

 

[Kris10luvsDisney]

I feel that having the flexibility to hop from resort to resort is one of the things I love most about DVC!

I couldn't agree more! So far we have stayed at VWL, BCV and BWV and in 2 weeks we are staying at our home resort SSR for the first time! I don't feel like I am betraying SSR at all, we are happy wherever we stay, although we would like to stay at all DVC resorts at least one time. It's what I love about DVC, not being "stuck" at a particular resort...there is always a chance of staying somewhere else!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Guilt for resort hopping, absolutely none!

We love OKW, our home resort, but at times other resorts lend themselves better for different activities. This June and for the last 3 years we've done Star Wars Week-End. The 1st year we stayed at OKW but soon discovered the ease of staying at BWV or BCV to access DHS & Epcot. In August we only do TL, BB, DTD & Disney Quest so we stay at OKW. For non park long week-ends it has to be OKW, but this Feb we couldn't get in at the 4 month mark so we'll be staying at SSR.

Also, though I personally find the theming of AKV to be a bit dark, staying in a villa on the savanna should be experienced at least once. We only return to AKV to introduce family/friends who have never been, it's a fabulous experience.

I don't enjoy split stays, I don't like to unpack and repack etc., unless last minute timing as made it such that it's the only way to get the length of stay we want.

In the beginning we stayed strictly at OKW, but then we started exploring the other resorts and now we typically frequent OKW,BWV, & AKV (in that order). In 2010 I hope to try your home resort BLTw/ a MK view, that's something to look forward to.

Congrats on your new purchase and Welcome Home

 

[Deb & Bill]

Split stays are a waste of time and space. We enjoy unpacking and settling in until it's time to go home. And I hate being homeless from 11AM until after 4PM. I hate packing and unpacking. As a DVC member, you will have lots of time to try out the other resorts on future trips.

 

[franandaj]

I love resort hopping, but as I think about it, we haven't done it since we joined DVC yet! We have always split our stays in the hotels just to experience the different resorts, restaurants and proximity to the parks.

Our first DVC stay, last year, we didn't know anything about planning and booked a May vacation in March, our home SSR was the only place available for our 8 day stay. In 2009 we had two different trips planned for earlier this year which would have been split between SSR and AKV - Jambo, but had to cancel them both due to family health issues.

We lucked out to get a 1 br at the BWV for F&W only 5 mos out (and I felt no guilt not staying at the home resort because BWV made it easy to get to Epcot). I am looking forward to our split stay in January at the Treehouse Villas and then over to Kidani. It will be nice have the seclusion of the Treehouses for the first half, and the entertainment by the animals for the second half.

We only plan to visit the parks 5 of the 10 days we are there. There will be plenty of things to do on our days off, grocery shopping, DTD, movies from the Community Hall, going to the pool, walking through the resort, or just sharing some family time that we don't get often with my parents.

I don't mind packing up midway through because it then we are forced to clean up our mess before we have thoroughly spread our stuff throughout the villa. It makes the final packing effort a little easier too.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Hi- We are new to DVC (our first vacation 'Home' will be in July at BLT). I am getting so excited to see and stay at our home resort but also am looking ahead and thinking that it would be nice to try the other DVC Resorts on future visits (maybe even do a split stay at BLT and another one). I expect that we will love BLT for many reasons but also have interest in trying other resorts because they are all different.

Is this what everyone does or do you typically stay at your home resort for most of your visits?

Do you ever feel like you are 'betraying' your home resort when you stay elsewhere?

What are your favorite resorts for days that you don't do the parks?

For our first DVC stay, I called up and just told MS "Put us at any other DVC resort {than the one we were staying at for the rest of the trip] for one estra night". Then it got to be a habit, to stay one night at a new DVC resort just to try them all. DH would be happy to stay at OKW (our home resort) all the time, but sometimes I like to change. However, although split stays are relatively easy, it's not as much fun as it used to be. Staying put is getting more appealing.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We are a couple, and I like split stays. Often, DH can't stay as long as I can and I'll switch resorts before/after him, or sometimes even with him for just a day. He says he's happy "anywhere." We stay in studios and have very little food to move. Another reason, is that the resort we most often move "to or from" is BCV and we have use of SAB for the day, room ready or not. It's easy to change, and just enjoy the day while waiting for the room at whatever resort.

My DSis doesn't like to move, she unpacks and wants to stay put. We tried BW view once, then moved to BCV, she stayed at BCV for that trip.

Our extended family, with the 3 DGC have not had split stays, and I've never even considered asking them to do it, because I just wouldn't want to be involved with moving all the food. The only time we all changed resorts was in May, when we were at BCV, then a DCL 3 night cruise and we ended that vacation at AKV, Kidani. That was a great vacation. Our next stay as "all family" is in January in BLT. So, we do like to try all of the resorts, but not necesarily during one trip.

Bobbi

 

[AnnaS]

One at a time - I want to try them all! We have also loved each one we have stayed in. We also always miss the other resorts. We have yet to stay at WLV, Vero and BLT.

 

[FindTheMickeys]

I have been a DVC member since 2005. I have stayed at my home resort (SSR) every stay including next year's THV. I don't, at this point, have any interest in staying any where else (except maybe BLT for the fireworks). I absolutely love SSR. Split stays - only if I'm forced too! I hate packing to go home and having to pack in the middle of my stay would be stressful... Maybe when I have enough points to do a very long stay I'll consider it but for my 5 day vacations, one room is plenty...

 

[Sammie]

We have stayed at all of them and are now very content to spend all our time at SSR or HHI.

 

[liznboys]

We stayed at our home resort, SSR, for our first 6 DVC trips (the last of those being at the THV). And then we branched out, and have since stayed at VWL, OKW, BCV, BLT and HHI. We love them ALL and want to go back to all of them! And we still have more to try out...

 

[avamadison]

We have never done a split stay yet, but we are about to in April 2010.

The plan:

WL
BWV
AK
VB

We are going for 13 days. We didn't want to do this many, but we worked it out so we can save on points. I am ok with this and we are all very excited.

I don't plan to completely unpack until we get to VB for the last 4 days. We plan to keep our bags neat and ready to be moved.

I hope it goes well. I have heard many happy stories on here with split stays. Sounds easy with a car and sounds like cast members are there to make it easy on you as well.

Enjoy!

 

[stopher1]

We're only into our third year as members, but so far we've enjoyed 4 of the WDW DVC resorts (AKV, BWV, OKW, SSR), and will experience the VWL (in March) for our anniversary. We definitely love our home resorts, but the flexibility of DVC makes it so we can and do enjoy the others as well. Our goal is experience all of the DVC properties - while enjoying our home resorts the majority of the time. And if that means having a split stay, so be it. While others may, we don't really mind. Sure packing up mid-stay is not the most convient, but it's not that big of a deal either. I just takes me back mentally to my childhood when my dad, brother, grandpa & I would go tent camping in the Sierra Nevada for 3-4 days before my mother & grandmother would then arrive and we'd move in to the rented cabin for a week. We still get lots of enjoyment and relaxation out of our vacation, even if it does include a bit of disruption one day.

While we've experienced the GC when it was just the hotel, we haven't yet experienced the villas there yet - but I will in a couple of weeks, for which I'm excited about too.

Our next stay at WDW will take us to the THV & AKV, experiencing Kidani Village this time around.