DVC with 2 under 2?

[MagicalMeg]

Hi all! I'm planning on DVC stay for next summer! Alas we now have to travel in summer instead of December because DH just landed a teaching job.

Next summer will be our first trip with two kids, ages next summer: 2 years & 4 months. We've taken DS several times & studios worked fine (SSR, BLT) and a regular hotel room at POFQ. But with two kids I'm not sure a studio will work, though I hope so! We really want a long trip, ten days approximately, since we plan on driving.

We don't have the points for a 1 bedroom for ten days, so we'd have to rent if a one bedroom is really necessary.

Any experience with kids this age? Advice on studio vs one bedroom? I dont want to kick myself the whole trip. Would studios at some resorts work better than others? We own at BLT, and are spoiled by it! Love walking back from MK. We will have a car (most likely driving, if not we will rent).

 

[hakepb]

Yes, some wouldnt do it, but 10 days in a studio with 2 young kids works OK.

I'm slightly hesitant on BLT because they have the smallest studios, but its sooo easy to MK and roll a stroller to EPCOT via monorail (not fast but easier than folding a stroller onto a bus)

VGF would be an interesting option. The 2YO could use the little Murphy bed, and you'd never have to pull out the couch (more floor space)

But a 1BR is really really nice, if just for the in room laundry for spills and a dishwasher for bottle duty...

 

[JAG107]

We just did a 9 nighter in Nov with DD2.9 and DS8months, in a studio at akl jambo. It worked out just fine, but would have preferred our "home" studio at BLT. Yes it's a little tighter but we like the floor plan better and the walk/monorail to our 2 favorite parks is huge since we were struggling with a giant double stroller on the buses. You will do just fine in the studio as long as you're ok with the paper plates and no in room laundry.

 

[Deb & Bill]

VWL is a short boat ride or a dedicated bus ride to the MK. Try the VWL studio.

And if you are trying to get the baby to sleep, you can always take the little one down to the Carolwood Railroad Room on the first floor of the villas. It's smaller, so you aren't far from anything at WL.

 

[owensamo]

There are benefits for a 1 bedroom vs. a studio for small children:

1) In-room laundry
2) Full kitchen
3) Living room so that you can watch tv and do stuff while the kids nap in the bedroom

However - if you didn't miss these things on your previous trip with the 2yo, I don't think you'd miss them with 2 young children.

The downsides?

1) Only 1 bed in the bedroom - you'd end up with the 2yo on a pull-out in the living room (with kitchen attached!) unless you want to share the king bed or put a blow-up mattress in the bedroom. If the kids are in the living room, you're stuck in the bedroom once they go to bed!
2) Full kitchen - you have to baby-proof the villa! This might be easier in BLT with the galley kitchen - maybe you can put a baby gate across the end?

We only have 1, but when she was small we traveled with family in 1 bedrooms and it was always difficult to have people sleeping in both rooms in the morning/evenings, and having a place for DD to sleep in the master bedroom after she outgrew the pack-n-play meant for transporting air mattresses - mostly because we didn't want her in the living room area alone! She's 11 now and always requests a real bed whenever we stay somewhere!

Honestly, I'd recommend an OKW studio for an extended trip. The room has 2 queen beds, so real beds for everyone. It has a nice sized balcony so you can relax while the kids nap. They're fairly spacious, and low in points! You might be able to swing a 1 bedroom at OKW point-wise as well.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

 

[Eliza'sMom]

We did a studio at AKL when our daughters were 4 years and 5 months, respectively. The only big problem was that they both needed naps and they never napped at the same time, so I spent a lot of the trip wandering the resort trying to get the baby to fall asleep while DH napped with our older DD in the room. We decided then that we really needed 1-bedrooms for our family. That said, when we go back in the spring we are staying in a studio again because of the way our points and use year work out, so obviously it wasn't too traumatic. I'd rather take the stay in a studio than not go on the trip at all!

 

[hakepb]

There are benefits for a 1 bedroom vs. a studio for small children:

1) In-room laundry
2) Full kitchen
3) Living room so that you can watch tv and do stuff while the kids nap in the bedroom

However - if you didn't miss these things on your previous trip with the 2yo, I don't think you'd miss them with 2 young children.

The downsides?

1) Only 1 bed in the bedroom - you'd end up with the 2yo on a pull-out in the living room (with kitchen attached!) unless you want to share the king bed or put a blow-up mattress in the bedroom. If the kids are in the living room, you're stuck in the bedroom once they go to bed!
2) Full kitchen - you have to baby-proof the villa! This might be easier in BLT with the galley kitchen - maybe you can put a baby gate across the end?

We only have 1, but when she was small we traveled with family in 1 bedrooms and it was always difficult to have people sleeping in both rooms in the morning/evenings, and having a place for DD to sleep in the master bedroom after she outgrew the pack-n-play meant for transporting air mattresses - mostly because we didn't want her in the living room area alone! She's 11 now and always requests a real bed whenever we stay somewhere!

Honestly, I'd recommend an OKW studio for an extended trip. The room has 2 queen beds, so real beds for everyone. It has a nice sized balcony so you can relax while the kids nap. They're fairly spacious, and low in points! You might be able to swing a 1 bedroom at OKW point-wise as well.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

IMHO, OKW beds are too tall for a 2yo...even with bed rails
But that is a good point about a cheaper points 1BR. If possible, end the last half of the trip in a cheaper 1BR. In the summer at 7 mo a 1BR is possible in BLT Standard (except July 3-4) BWV Standard and AKV Standard.

 

[owensamo]

IMHO, OKW beds are too tall for a 2yo...even with bed rails
But that is a good point about a cheaper points 1BR. If possible, end the last half of the trip in a cheaper 1BR. In the summer at 7 mo a 1BR is possible in BLT Standard (except July 3-4) BWV Standard and AKV Standard.

We actually had our toddler in the bed at an OKW studio once. We used bedrails on both sides, with all the extra pillows filling up the holes and the foot. There are *so* many pillows in those rooms we had no problems keeping her penned in!

We did stay in the room with her while she slept, though - nap times were always in the stroller in a park so we only had to worry about it at night. We did this at pretty much every resort.

If the 2 year old is small enough to still fit in a pack-n-play, you could always see if you can get a second one. In that case, I'd probably recommend a studio that *doesn't* have a second bed. This also eliminates the bedding issues in a 1 bedroom.

I do like the idea of a split stay, though - you could split between resorts and focus your park days on the nearby parks. BLT for MK/Epcot, maybe AKV for AK/DHS. You'd have to bus with the stoller at AKV, but it's worth it for the animals!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Deb & Bill]

IMHO, OKW beds are too tall for a 2yo...even with bed rails
But that is a good point about a cheaper points 1BR. If possible, end the last half of the trip in a cheaper 1BR. In the summer at 7 mo a 1BR is possible in BLT Standard (except July 3-4) BWV Standard and AKV Standard.

Stick a couple of dry pool noodles under the bottom sheet on both sides of the kiddos. They can't roll out of bed.

 

[darkwing818]

OKW studios will have more than enough room.....

 

[Sammie]

For me personally I would rather stay fewer days in a one bedroom. If you don't get a good night's sleep and the kids don't everyone is going to be miserable.

I would go with an OKW one bedroom. Points are lower and rooms are huge, you can even put the young one in the laundry room and a small air bed in the Master with you.

The extra days would not be worth it to me.

 

[taaren]

If you're doing 10 days, in that situation I'd do 5 nights in a studio followed by 5 nights in a 1 bedroom. That way just when you're running out of laundry you'll have the washing machine, and you save points.

 

[Ansky]

We stayed for 12 nights last summer with a 3.5 year old and 10 month old in a studio. It wasn't bad at all for us (other than the baby getting a cold). Our 3 yr old slept on the pull out couch and the baby slept in the play yard. I'm sure a 1 bedroom would be more convenient but we would much rather stay 4-5 days longer than cut the vacation short for the 1 bedroom. We haven't stayed at BLT yet, but I think with having little ones that would be a good location being walking distance to MK and having the monorail right there. BCV and BWV would also be great since they are walking distance to two of the parks too. We stayed at BCV last year and it was nice not having to lug the stroller onto buses too much (although with a car you wouldn't have to worry about that). Ultimately though what works for us or someone else may not work best for you. Good luck.