Does anyone buy DVC to stay in studios only?

[TDC Nala]

Well, I do that, but I'm single. If you have more than a couple going you might want a bigger room.

 

[brianm27]

Once you have the small contract you can always add more. Once you are a member, you can add on as little as 25 points at a time. If you do add on in small increments, you can also sell off in small increments if you find you have too many points at some time in the future.

We have 50 points and stay in a studio on one trip, we spend our second Disney vacation each year at a non DVC resort (cash, not points). Fort Wilderness cabins and POFQ are our two non-DVC favorites, OKW and BCV would be the DVC favorites.

With the current DVC discounts (which may change in the future), we save $300 each year on our Annual Passes. That more than pays for our annual DVC dues. We use an AP discount and Disney Dining Experience Card (available for prchase to AP holders) for the other vacation to save even more.

 

[DukeStreetKing]

So far all of our visits have been in studios. I'm afraid if we try a one-bedroom, we'll never go back. I will admit that sometimes the studio seems a bit crowded with two adults, a teenager and a youngster so it might be time to start using larger rooms. When it's just GF and I, a studio works out great.

 

[Lenc324]

If I had small children I would alway want a one bedroom for the washer and dryer and for the kitchen to make breakfast and lunches. We stayed at VB with my parents in a studio which was nice but next yr I will get a 1Brm because of wet towels and to be able to come back to the room for lunch. When we go to WDW a studio is fine since we will have the dining plan and will not eat in the room or be around much to use it.

 

[Disney Doll]

Buy what you can afford. You can always buy more points down the road. But, once you stay in a 1 BR, you'll never go back.

 

[Boas]

Agree w/ Disney Doll... pay w/ cash and get what you need for now. It has hard to predict future needs.

You can always add on more points in the future (as a DVC member you can buy in 25 point increments if you pay cash from DVC Direct).

Remember you can also borrow and bank... so if you want a larger room for some or all of trip, you can manage your points.

E.g. we do a 1 BR for 5 nights... and then a studio the last night since we are just getting up for a flight back home.

Good luck

 

[DVC Mary]

We've never stayed in anything but a studio for DVC property & love it. We have splurged to use our points/cash w/ AP or DVC discount to stay at AKL & even AKL Concierge for a few nights.

If you are ok w/ a pull out sofa for the 2nd bed, go for it. We take turns sometimes. I find the sofa beds comfy & plenty big. I'm 5'7" & DH is 5'10". We don't mind them.

I don't need more than a fridge & microwave on vacation for minimal cooking.

Go for whatever makes your comfortable.

 

[n2mm]

Studio for us too. We have enough points to stay in a studio more than 6 weeks a year. When the kids come with us, we get them their own studio. I don't cook on vacation and I don't do laundry on vacation. We really enjoy what we get with the studios. If we need more towels, then we gladly pay the extra $6 to order another towel package. We stayed at WL for a week in Feb.; 2 weeks at BWV in April; and will be at WLV for 2 weeks in October; and still had points enough to get daughter and family a studio for a week in April and a week in October, and still have a ton of points to bank. I'm glad to see so many folks like the bigger units, as it frees up the studio availability for us. However, if we had all of the adults kids going, we might look into a 2 bedroom, but still not sure I want to spend that much time with them. Studios are prefect for us...the more time we get to spend on vacation, the happier we are.

 

[IleneF]

We are point conservers, LOL! We use a studio almost always and only Sun-Thur then switch to ASMo or PopCnty (they switch your luggage while your busy having fun at the park and you go back to a fresh room). We can get in more vacations this way. At some point I think we'll take a longer vacation and use points but not now. Also we have had both 1 bed and 2 bedroom when we have taken my MIL and/or my DS and his girlfriend. It works out great, nice to have the flexibility. I don't cook or do laundry if Idon't HAVE to on vacation anyway but the big tub is really nice.

 

[Scratch42]

I had originally thought that way, it's just DD and I.........

Then we stayed in a One Bedroom...........

Add-On-Itis!

As long as you stay away from staying in a one bedroom, it's doable!

j

 

[MdmMim]

I usually stay in a studio, although when necessary, I have been in a 1 and 2 bedroom. (NOTE: For me, the "once you stay in a 1-bedroom, you can never go back" philosophy does not apply. I have no problem switching from one type of accommodation to another, then back.)

Last year, while in a 2-bedroom, I looked around and told my DH how nice the rooms were. His reply was, "Well, would you rather have this room-type for a short trip, or a studio for a loooong vacation?" Since I like to take several extended trips per year, I choose a studio!

 

[THEDISFANS]

Hi, there! Not a member yet, but actively saving $$ towards it (we want to pay cash). We plan to buy a small contract and stay only in studios. How realistic am I? I just figure that we stay in studios now when we travel (even with the kids) and stay in hotels. Why get a 1+ bedroom and spoil it for other vacations (what other vacations?) Besides, we don't cook when we're on vacation so the full kitchens will just be taking up space.

Do you think I'm kidding myself? Will I regret a small contract? Did anyone plan to do this and later realize it didn't work out and get frustrated? I don't want to regret my decision to buy in. And I really don't want to buy more points later.

We have 150 points we always stay in studios, We love them and I would say most are much larger than a reg hotel room.
It is two of us and we always take at least one or two other people with us and have a great time.

Plus there are lots of DVC pearks, like the annual pass discount.

 

[lovinthemouse]

I think it is a personal decision. We do both 1 bdrm and studios. I love both. I do like having a washer and dryer. I pack less and can wash the towels and such. The kitchen is nice to have if you cook on vacation. We only use it for snacks and breakfast. Which the kitchenette in the studio is good for that too. So it really comes back to what you will be happy with. Good Luck!!

 

[IleneF]

Molly2004,
I certainly understand the wanting to pay cash, it's really the only way that makes sense BUT prices are going up and you may want to buy now on credit and continue to save and pay it off fast as the difference in price will make up for the interest you may be charged in the short run. Something to think about!

 

[Laurajean1014]

Small contracts are nice if you ever want to sell or give them to your kids. We have 8 contracts (not small) but don't mind them at all. Our points are fully paid and the maintenance is clumped together.

I'm not fond of the studios but when my son no longer travels with us, it will be a great way to frequently go to WDW.

Small isn't bad.

 

[MaryJ]

I usually stay in a studio, although when necessary, I have been in a 1 and 2 bedroom. (NOTE: For me, the "once you stay in a 1-bedroom, you can never go back" philosophy does not apply. I have no problem switching from one type of accommodation to another, then back.)

DH and I prefer a studio when it's just going to be the two of us. We have never had a 1BR, but we have had a 2BR several times. And yes, I do haul the towels and other laundry down to the laundry room to wash them. Yesterday I called MS to check on availability for the first week in January. I really would have prefered to save points and have a studio, but since there was a 1BR available for all but one day of our trip, I took it and waitlisted for the one day. We can easily go from one to the other!

 

[crisi]

If I were only going to stay in studios, I wouldn't have bought DVC. The studios are a queen bed and a full sized pull out (except at OKW), and I want two real queen sized beds in a hotel room for a week - which means at WDW we are in Deluxes.

For now, we have the king, and the kids have the pullout in the living room. We will eventually move to a two bedroom (and with kids that are different genders, that still means one of them ends up on a pullout - but one teen on a full sized pullout is better than two.)

OKW's room configuration would work for us, but I wouldn't want to spend every trip there, I like the "hotel, close to park" DVCs.

 

[Pocahantas]

We have only stayed in studios and I don't see us staying in anything else in the near future. We are just 3 people (me, my husband and our 8 year old daughter) and studios are a perfect fit for us. I really can't justify using so many more points for a 1 bedroom and really don't mind doing a couple of batches of laundry in the laundry room during our stay. We definately don't need a full kitchen since one of the things we love most about Disney is the wonderful resturant options.

 

[pouncingpluto]

Honestly, not having a king in a studio is a big downer for us. We are both tall people, and we just don't sleep very well in anything smaller. But that's ok... the one bedrooms feel so luxurious to us!

However... sometime when we want to save points, we may well try the OKW studios and just sleep in separate beds.

 

[MonkeyPants]

I'll be using my newly purchased DVC mostly for studio rooms for forseeable future.