DVC Studio Rooms vs Rooms Booked thru Disney

[WDW or Bust]

is there any difference between DVC studio rooms vs ones you book directly through Disney? For example - AKL two queen savannah view room. How would DVC studio with savannah view differ? Or lets say a room at Port Orleans - Riverside (one of the themed rooms) vs DVC room?

This is our first trip to Disney so I want it to be amazing for the kids (11 & 9) but I want to keep budget in mind. The DVC studio rooms seem like a pretty good way to upgrade your stay without breaking the bank, but wondering if the rooms are smaller or not as nice.

I recognize the drawbacks in the sense of non-refundable, money up front aspect. Just wondering if there’s anything else I should know and how the rooms compare.

 

[KidaniZen]

is there any difference between DVC studio rooms vs ones you book directly through Disney? For example - AKL two queen savannah view room. How would DVC studio with savannah view differ? Or lets say a room at Port Orleans - Riverside (one of the themed rooms) vs DVC room?

This is our first trip to Disney so I want it to be amazing for the kids (11 & 9) but I want to keep budget in mind. The DVC studio rooms seem like a pretty good way to upgrade your stay without breaking the bank, but wondering if the rooms are smaller or not as nice.

I recognize the drawbacks in the sense of non-refundable, money up front aspect. Just wondering if there’s anything else I should know and how the rooms compare.

DVC rooms are deluxe villas and are larger (most of the time, other than BLT) than regular hotel rooms. The difference in DVC rental vs DVC cash through Disney direct is price. You can usually score a room with DVC rental cheaper than cash Disney (depending on time of year you are going and what size room you want and what resort you want).

 

[bobbiwoz]

is there any difference between DVC studio rooms vs ones you book directly through Disney? For example - AKL two queen savannah view room. How would DVC studio with savannah view differ? Or lets say a room at Port Orleans - Riverside (one of the themed rooms) vs DVC room?

This is our first trip to Disney so I want it to be amazing for the kids (11 & 9) but I want to keep budget in mind. The DVC studio rooms seem like a pretty good way to upgrade your stay without breaking the bank, but wondering if the rooms are smaller or not as nice.

I recognize the drawbacks in the sense of non-refundable, money up front aspect. Just wondering if there’s anything else I should know and how the rooms compare.

A DVC studio with savannah view has one queen bed and a double sized sofa bed. It also has a kitchenette that has a microwave, coffee pot, toaster and refrigerator. There are paper plates, plasticwear,mugs and glasses.

 

[SarahC97]

Old Key West is also the only DVC studio you'll find with two queen beds. The studios at the other DVC resorts will be a queen bed, a pull out couch, and a small murphy bed (in some, not all -- AKL doesn't have it). DVC rooms also have a small kitchenette area in them, which you won't find in a regular hotel room.

Personally, I have yet to stay in a DVC studio I found more comfortable than the standard hotel room. Sure, you can save money, but I found the pull out couches to be very uncomfortable. If you're going to have more than 2 in your room, then you may want to take that into consideration. My kids, who are 8 and 11, hated the pull out sofa bed.

As the PP mentioned, you cannot get DVC studios at any resorts but the DVC deluxe resorts.

 

[Marionnette]

Bathroom configurations in DVC studios can also be different than regular resort rooms. Some may only have a single sink compared to a Deluxe Resort room that may have 2 sinks. Some have split baths with a toilet and shower in one side and a tub and sink on the other.

The new Riviera Resort will have a Tower Studio that features only one queen size pull-down sofa/bed and a mini-kitchette hidden in the cabinets. It only sleeps 2.

CCV has some alt. studios that feature a sitting area in addition to the studio bedroom. There are only 8 of them and they are not a booking category (IOW, they are luck of the draw).

AKV-Jambo has some Value Studios that are smaller than a regular studio but still have the same furnishings as other AKV-Jambo studios. They are a separate booking category and are extremely difficult to reserve.

 

[mountdew1]

I'm going to assume you are looking at renting points to book a DVC Studio. They can be booked direct through Disney as well, but are usually much more than a normal hotel room. If you are renting points, keep in mind that you won't get daily Mousekeeping. Depending on the length of stay you may just get trash & towel service, or you may get one full clean.

Room size will depend on what two resorts you are comparing. For instance, the DVC units at AKL Jambo House are converted hotel rooms, so a studio is the same exact size as some of the room at AKL Jambo.

The room/resort will typically be a higher "quality" at a DVC resort as those are on par with (on built into) deluxe resorts. So you should have the deluxe style amenities, IE pool with water slide, table service dining at the resort, etc. That doesn't necessarily make them "better" than a room at a moderate. If your kids aren't going to be comfortable on a pull out, then you may do better off staying in a normal room.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If my choice was between a DVC studio and a hotel room, I'd go with the hotel room. That said, the only studio we will book is the OKW studio because it has two queen sized beds (no sleeper sofa). The two of us sometimes book the OKW studio for a short trip (like two or three nights - we live 3.5 hours away and have APs). Most of the studios have the queen bed and double sleeper sofa (a few of the resorts have a queen sleeper sofa, but not AKV).

The main thing to remember about "renting points" is that you don't get daily full cleaning unless you pay the extra costs. DVC villas are timeshares and timeshares are not hotels, so the services are different. If you only stay seven nights or fewer, you won't get a full cleaning any of those days. You'll just get your towels replaced and any supplies replaced on day 4. If you stay eight nights or more, you get a full cleaning on day 4 and towels and supplies replaced on day 8. You don't ask for more towels or more supplies without paying for them.

 

[WDW or Bust]

If my choice was between a DVC studio and a hotel room, I'd go with the hotel room. That said, the only studio we will book is the OKW studio because it has two queen sized beds (no sleeper sofa). The two of us sometimes book the OKW studio for a short trip (like two or three nights - we live 3.5 hours away and have APs). Most of the studios have the queen bed and double sleeper sofa (a few of the resorts have a queen sleeper sofa, but not AKV).

The main thing to remember about "renting points" is that you don't get daily full cleaning unless you pay the extra costs. DVC villas are timeshares and timeshares are not hotels, so the services are different. If you only stay seven nights or fewer, you won't get a full cleaning any of those days. You'll just get your towels replaced and any supplies replaced on day 4. If you stay eight nights or more, you get a full cleaning on day 4 and towels and supplies replaced on day 8. You don't ask for more towels or more supplies without paying for them.

 

[WDW or Bust]

Thanks all! That really helps. We’re planning on going the 2nd week in December so maybe I’ll wait to see what kind of room discount promos disney comes out with for that time frame before we decide to go DVC or not.

 

[Brett Wyman]

If my choice was between a DVC studio and a hotel room, I'd go with the hotel room. That said, the only studio we will book is the OKW studio because it has two queen sized beds (no sleeper sofa). The two of us sometimes book the OKW studio for a short trip (like two or three nights - we live 3.5 hours away and have APs). Most of the studios have the queen bed and double sleeper sofa (a few of the resorts have a queen sleeper sofa, but not AKV).

The main thing to remember about "renting points" is that you don't get daily full cleaning unless you pay the extra costs. DVC villas are timeshares and timeshares are not hotels, so the services are different. If you only stay seven nights or fewer, you won't get a full cleaning any of those days. You'll just get your towels replaced and any supplies replaced on day 4. If you stay eight nights or more, you get a full cleaning on day 4 and towels and supplies replaced on day 8. You don't ask for more towels or more supplies without paying for them.

Small caveat is studios can be A LOT cheaper than rack rate Deluxe rooms, and sometimes even cheaper than Deluxe rooms with discounts. Also free parking at the resort!

 

[WDW or Bust]

Small caveat is studios can be A LOT cheaper than rack rate Deluxe rooms, and sometimes even cheaper than Deluxe rooms with discounts. Also free parking at the resort!

Aah I see I have much to contemplate!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thanks all! That really helps. We’re planning on going the 2nd week in December so maybe I’ll wait to see what kind of room discount promos disney comes out with for that time frame before we decide to go DVC or not.

Second week of Dec is pretty popular with DVC members. And studios go first. You might not find any to book that late.

 

[Lynne M]

Thanks all! That really helps. We’re planning on going the 2nd week in December so maybe I’ll wait to see what kind of room discount promos disney comes out with for that time frame before we decide to go DVC or not.

The second week of this December? 2019? That's during the busiest period of the year for DVC reservations, and owners started booking that week back in January. You're probably already too late for some resorts and room categories. so I would definitely finalize your decision very soon. As in, the next few weeks. Currently, owners can only book their home resort for that week, but at seven months out (second week of May in your case), they can make reservations at any resort. Your chances of getting any DVC studio diminish rapidly at that point.

 

[LizGirl]

Second week of Dec is pretty popular with DVC members. And studios go first. You might not find any to book that late.

Yes, this for sure. You have to commit many months out. That's getting more difficult for us since airfares are just getting more and more expensive.

We've booked regular hotel rooms, DVC units paying cash and DVC units on rented points. We like having the kitchenette to make coffee and have a snack but the sofa bed is pretty inconvenient - you end up with no where to sit unless you fold the bed up every morning. I also tire of not getting fresh towels on a daily basis. The upside is that, obviously, the deluxe villa resorts have more amenities and offer higher quality linens, toiletries, etc.

Our next two stays will be hotel stays but we just came back from 10 days in a studio. I guess my point is that both are great!

 

[WDW or Bust]

Yeah my biggest hangup is the foldout bed issue. I asked the kids if they would rather stay at a nicer hotel but sleep on a pull out or have an actual bed. They both said a bed. And Im not overly fond of the idea of folding up their bed and re-arranging the room every day for a week.

In fairness though I didnt tell the kids the difference b/w the “nicer” hotel vs a regular one.

 

[Brett Wyman]

The second week of this December? 2019? That's during the busiest period of the year for DVC reservations, and owners started booking that week back in January. You're probably already too late for some resorts and room categories. so I would definitely finalize your decision very soon. As in, the next few weeks. Currently, owners can only book their home resort for that week, but at seven months out (second week of May in your case), they can make reservations at any resort. Your chances of getting any DVC studio diminish rapidly at that point.

Just checked. All studios are sold out for that week with the exception of SSR and even that has a couple of walkers.

 

[westie55]

When comparing DVC studios to a hotel room at the same resort, the hotel room at the resort would be my preference due to the beds. I think the standard resort rooms may be slightly larger, although they do not include kitchenettes. Sofa beds are simply not comfortable and the DVC studios only have 1 read bed that isn't a sofa bed or a smaller murphy bed which is really only appropriate for children or very small adults. However, RENTING a DVC studio can get you into that resort for considerably cheaper than it would be to book a hotel room (or a DVC studio) through Disney. This can be a GREAT value if you want to experience a deluxe resort but don't want to pay Disney's rates. For example, I have rented a DVC studio at the Grand Floridian for just under $400/night; the hotel room price for those same dates was around $600/night. I did the same thing at the Grand Californian in Disneyland and had positive experiences renting points both times. I would definitely do it again. You can rent points at the Boardwalk certain times of the year for under $300/night for a studio. You won't be able to find those kind of prices through Disney. Be prepared that if you do rent and want to stay in a resort that is in demand, you would need to do it 11 months in advance. Old Key West and Saratoga Springs tend to be easiest to get if you wait.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Just checked. All studios are sold out for that week with the exception of SSR and even that has a couple of walkers.

I figured as much. I booked a three night stay at OKW in a studio the second week of Dec back in January. Then I cancelled it in February because I need the points. Last month I decided to go ahead and rebook it and only got one of the three nights and had to waitlist two of the three nights.

 

[Minniesgal]

DVC rooms are deluxe villas and are larger (most of the time, other than BLT) than regular hotel rooms. The difference in DVC rental vs DVC cash through Disney direct is price. You can usually score a room with DVC rental cheaper than cash Disney (depending on time of year you are going and what size room you want and what resort you want).

The more important point is that the DVC Studio will actually only have 1 real bed

 

[Deb & Bill]

The more important point is that the DVC Studio will actually only have 1 real bed

Except for OKW which has two queen beds (no sleeper sofa).