Easiest Non-Park Resort to Book?

[Jack Kerouac]

My wife and I are DVC members at the Poly. We just went for ten days in August (Poly and AKV-Kidani) and we are planning another ten day trip in May/June of 2024 (BRV and Poly). For 2025, I would like to visit one of the non-park DVC resorts. We would travel sometime between mid-June and early August due to our children's school schedule. We would need a 1BR at each resort. How likely is there to be availability at any of these resorts? Aulani would have to be a standard view unless I book for August and borrow points from 2026. I don't want to plan everything only to find out that there isn't availability at the 7-month mark. TIA.

 

[CastAStone]

I would suggest consulting the availability tables at www.DVChelp.com to confirm, but my understanding is that all of the non-WDW resorts are difficult to book at 7 months in the summer

 

[Sammie]

As long as you book exactly at 7 months, getting a one bedroom during the summer will be easy. Summer is not peak time for DVC as points are high and it's hot as the face of the sun. You will have lots of choices. Saratoga would be my frist choce due to 3 pools, golf, great food and right next to Disney Springs. It is the best resort to me for a non park visit.

 

[meekey7197]

I booked a 1 bedroom at HHI for the last week of July in 2022 and the same for VB for July 2023. Both were a struggle to book at 7 months. Vero was a little bit easier but for HHI I had to be super flexible. My goal was 4 weeknights any time after July 4th and before Aug 1.

 

[Jack Kerouac]

I booked a 1 bedroom at HHI for the last week of July in 2022 and the same for VB for July 2023. Both were a struggle to book at 7 months. Vero was a little bit easier but for HHI I had to be super flexible. My goal was 4 weeknights any time after July 4th and before Aug 1.

We are definitely flexible but also would like a full week if possible. This is helpful to know though. Thank you!

 

[meekey7197]

We are definitely flexible but also would like a full week if possible. This is helpful to know though. Thank you!

Weekend nights at HHI during the summer are a point suck (like 70% higher). We absolutely love the resort but find that 4-5 nights is plenty.

 

[Jack Kerouac]

Weekend nights at HHI during the summer are a point suck (like 70% higher). We absolutely love the resort but find that 4-5 nights is plenty.

Our boys will be 10, 7, and 5 in 2025. Is there enough for them to do at these resorts? Am I overthinking it and would just be better off doing a WDW resort with more non-park days? While we love the parks, we had APs for our last trip and will have them again for our 2024 trip (so we visit a park every day but at our leisure). We found it freeing to slow down and now I’m thinking our future ten day trips (post-2024) will be no more than five park days when we are again just buying tickets. Part of our issue is we live near Chicago, so transportation time to any of the resorts is a hassle with three kids, so we try to make the length of stay worth our while. I haven’t done enough research on selling a years worth of points to help book a non-DVC resort somewhere. But after our August trip, we found Disney to be worth every penny, so I’m hesitant to consider that route.

 

[Jack Kerouac]

As long as you book exactly at 7 months, getting a one bedroom during the summer will be easy. Summer is not peak time for DVC as points are high and it's hot as the face of the sun. You will have lots of choices. Saratoga would be my frist choce due to 3 pools, golf, great food and right next to Disney Springs. It is the best resort to me for a non park visit.

We’ve never been to SSR. We are new to DVC, having just bought our Poly contract in 2022. We have been to OKW, Poly, and AKV-K. I’m really interested in staying at SSR. Based on our last visit, it seems my boys prefer more room rather than a theme or view (AKV-K 1BR was deemed better than Poly Lake View). My only consternation regarding SSR is I don’t want to rent a car. I stay in the Disney bubble to use their transportation. I’ve heard SSR is a bit of a beast and the buses can be a bit of a pain, especially for the treehouses (which I would like to visit sometime). But if we aren’t doing much in the parks, maybe the transportation doesn’t matter as much.

 

[CastAStone]

We’ve never been to SSR. We are new to DVC, having just bought our Poly contract in 2022. We have been to OKW, Poly, and AKV-K. I’m really interested in staying at SSR. Based on our last visit, it seems my boys prefer more room rather than a theme or view (AKV-K 1BR was deemed better than Poly Lake View). My only consternation regarding SSR is I don’t want to rent a car. I stay in the Disney bubble to use their transportation. I’ve heard SSR is a bit of a beast and the buses can be a bit of a pain, especially for the treehouses (which I would like to visit sometime). But if we aren’t doing much in the parks, maybe the transportation doesn’t matter as much.

I think most people find the SSR buses to be fine / similar to other WDW resorts, except for the Congress Park area in the morning or the treehouses any time.

 

[DisTravels]

Our boys will be 10, 7, and 5 in 2025. Is there enough for them to do at these resorts? Am I overthinking it and would just be better off doing a WDW resort with more non-park days? While we love the parks, we had APs for our last trip and will have them again for our 2024 trip (so we visit a park every day but at our leisure). We found it freeing to slow down and now I’m thinking our future ten day trips (post-2024) will be no more than five park days when we are again just buying tickets. Part of our issue is we live near Chicago, so transportation time to any of the resorts is a hassle with three kids, so we try to make the length of stay worth our while. I haven’t done enough research on selling a years worth of points to help book a non-DVC resort somewhere. But after our August trip, we found Disney to be worth every penny, so I’m hesitant to consider that route.

If you haven't been to Hilton Head or Vero, I would take 5 days or a week (depending if you want to spend upcharge points for weekends) at either one of those locations over more non-park time in Orlando, but to each their own.

Hilton Head, SC - DVC is not on the beach, but has a shuttle to where they have beach access. Lots to do in Hilton Head and may take a trip to Savanah, GA, etc.

Vero Beach, FL - Beach and pool are the primary attractions. Could also road-trip up to Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space center, etc

 

[Jack Kerouac]

If you haven't been to Hilton Head or Vero, I would take 5 days or a week (depending if you want to spend upcharge points for weekends) at either one of those locations over more non-park time in Orlando, but to each their own.

Hilton Head, SC - DVC is not on the beach, but has a shuttle to where they have beach access. Lots to do in Hilton Head and may take a trip to Savanah, GA, etc.

Vero Beach, FL - Beach and pool are the primary attractions. Could also road-trip up to Cape Canaveral/Kennedy Space center, etc

My wife and I found out we were expecting our firstborn in Nashville on our way back from a week with my family on HHI in 2014. We really enjoyed our time on HHI.

We’ve never done VB or HHI with the boys. My oldest would eat up the Space Center. There’s a ton of things I would love to explore in Charleston (the Old Racetrack, Forts Sumter and Moultrie, etc.) as I love learning about the Civil War. Savannah, GA would be the same; at least three forts, Sherman’s headquarters, etc.

Definitely some awesome suggestions! Thank you!!

 

[kilik64]

We’ve never been to SSR. We are new to DVC, having just bought our Poly contract in 2022. We have been to OKW, Poly, and AKV-K. I’m really interested in staying at SSR. Based on our last visit, it seems my boys prefer more room rather than a theme or view (AKV-K 1BR was deemed better than Poly Lake View). My only consternation regarding SSR is I don’t want to rent a car. I stay in the Disney bubble to use their transportation. I’ve heard SSR is a bit of a beast and the buses can be a bit of a pain, especially for the treehouses (which I would like to visit sometime). But if we aren’t doing much in the parks, maybe the transportation doesn’t matter as much.

You will see that a lot regarding complaints about ssr buses, but unless we were just extremely lucky, when we went during spring break in early March this year, the buses were perfectly fine. We did rope drop every day for park days and literally had a whole bus to ourselves each time I think (one time there might have been a few others maybe, been a while.) We had no issues at park close either, think we waited for an another bus at mk since the first bus was pretty full, was maybe 5 mins before another came.

We stayed in paddock, I think that area is great, pool is good with a nice water play area for little kids and the slide was pretty good and has a shaded line wait too which was nice.

I’d definitely do ssr for a more resort focused stay. Being so close to ds is nice too.

 

[crisi]

Our boys will be 10, 7, and 5 in 2025. Is there enough for them to do at these resorts? Am I overthinking it and would just be better off doing a WDW resort with more non-park days? While we love the parks, we had APs for our last trip and will have them again for our 2024 trip (so we visit a park every day but at our leisure). We found it freeing to slow down and now I’m thinking our future ten day trips (post-2024) will be no more than five park days when we are again just buying tickets. Part of our issue is we live near Chicago, so transportation time to any of the resorts is a hassle with three kids, so we try to make the length of stay worth our while. I haven’t done enough research on selling a years worth of points to help book a non-DVC resort somewhere. But after our August trip, we found Disney to be worth every penny, so I’m hesitant to consider that route.

There is lots to do on HHI if you like the beach and the pool - but you aren't likely to get a room when school is out.

Aulani would be awesome with kids your age - or in another year or two when the youngest is a little more independent in the pool. The waterpark there is amazing. But airfare is expensive to Hawaii.

I'd make the most of WDW with kids that age. Your oldest is on the verge of the possibility that "Disney is boring and for little kids"

 

[Sammie]

We’ve never been to SSR. We are new to DVC, having just bought our Poly contract in 2022. We have been to OKW, Poly, and AKV-K. I’m really interested in staying at SSR. Based on our last visit, it seems my boys prefer more room rather than a theme or view (AKV-K 1BR was deemed better than Poly Lake View). My only consternation regarding SSR is I don’t want to rent a car. I stay in the Disney bubble to use their transportation. I’ve heard SSR is a bit of a beast and the buses can be a bit of a pain, especially for the treehouses (which I would like to visit sometime). But if we aren’t doing much in the parks, maybe the transportation doesn’t matter

We’ve never been to SSR. We are new to DVC, having just bought our Poly contract in 2022. We have been to OKW, Poly, and AKV-K. I’m really interested in staying at SSR. Based on our last visit, it seems my boys prefer more room rather than a theme or view (AKV-K 1BR was deemed better than Poly Lake View). My only consternation regarding SSR is I don’t want to rent a car. I stay in the Disney bubble to use their transportation. I’ve heard SSR is a bit of a beast and the buses can be a bit of a pain, especially for the treehouses (which I would like to visit sometime). But if we aren’t doing much in the parks, maybe the transportation doesn’t matter as much.

We never have bus issues at Saratoga. We don't mind riding a bus. SSR is very centrally located so the trip to any park isn't long.