Family of 6- should we be budgeting assuming we’ll always need enough points for a 2 bedroom?

[tom1944]

LOL, those washers and dryers are so small that it's easier to wash every day than to do multiple loads every few days! We sometimes put them in the washer at night and into the dryer in the morning while getting breakfast.

Do you have to bring laundry detergent and dishwasher pods or are they available on site?

 

[havoc315]

Do you have to bring laundry detergent and dishwasher pods or are they available on site?

Included. But typically just enough detergent for a couple of loads. You can request more.

Saw something they are now charging for additional towel service, which includes refilled the detergent, etc. But on my prior stays, could just request additional detergent at no charge.
I'll typically order detergent as part of my grocery order.

 

[CarolynFH]

Do you have to bring laundry detergent and dishwasher pods or are they available on site?

As above, it’s provided, but we bring our own (actually keep a stash in our Owners Locker).

 

[tom1944]

As above, it’s provided, but we bring our own (actually keep a stash in our Owners Locker).

I have to decide if getting an Owners Locker makes sense for us

We may only go to WDW alternate years

 

[Brian Noble]

An Owner's Locker is really more of a convenience than a necessity. For what usually amounts to annual trips, it is a relatively inexpensive convenience. For every other year? Maybe less compelling.

we are doing the whole two week trip in a one bedroom for the two of us.

You will love it. My partner and I are often on different sleep schedules; they are a bit more of a night owl, I'm a bit more of an early bird. The 1BR means letting the other person sleep undisturbed while I am making the morning coffee.

 

[jo-jo]

An Owner's Locker is really more of a convenience than a necessity. For what usually amounts to annual trips, it is a relatively inexpensive convenience. For every other year? Maybe less compelling.


You will love it. My partner and I are often on different sleep schedules; they are a bit more of a night owl, I'm a bit more of an early bird. The 1BR means letting the other person sleep undisturbed while I am making the morning coffee.

We have done larger villas now and again, but never for the whole trip or not with having DGKs sleeping in living room.

 

[Craho]

I haven't read all of the comments, but here's my opinion...

As our kids have gotten older (15 and 20 now), we have expanded the size of the room we require.

At minimum, we do a 2BR. This also allows for a friend for each kid. We also stay in a 2BR if it's just the 4 of us. We own at BLT and usually stay there for the third bathroom, priceless with teen girls. Sometimes we do Kidani if trying to conserve points.

When we bought I never would have thought that we would need a 2BR at the minimum. I'm now glad we have enough points to use for our trips and purchased at BLT for the extra bathroom.

The last time we stayed in a 1BR or smaller the kids were around 10 and 14/15.

How many points do you have? We have 3 teens and I just closed on 50 points at BW and are thinking of adding 100 more so we can have 2 bedrooms every other year.

 

[holden]

How many points do you have? We have 3 teens and I just closed on 50 points at BW and are thinking of adding 100 more so we can have 2 bedrooms every other year.

We have 400pts

 

[Craho]

We have 400pts

You have plenty of points for a 2-bedroom for more than a week every year. Are you worried that your kids will outgrow it or won’t want to go? I’m trying to think long term.

 

[holden]

You have plenty of points for a 2-bedroom for more than a week every year. Are you worried that your kids will outgrow it or won’t want to go? I’m trying to think long term.

I’m not worried. I’ve watched our friend’s kids lose interest as college age kids and then circle back. If both kids lose interest for several years after college I could see us selling a contract (we have two 200pt contracts). DH and I are looking forward to enjoying the parks without the kids someday so we’d hang on to one contract.

 

[Brian Noble]

You have plenty of points for a 2-bedroom for more than a week every year. Are you worried that your kids will outgrow it or won’t want to go? I’m trying to think long term.

It would not be hard for my partner and I to soak up 400 points per year, but that's because we really are not fans of studios. A week-long trip during our preferred time of year (late Feb/early Mar) would be at least 225 or so in a 1BR (and in many resorts, quite a bit more). We'd use the "leftovers" on a long weekend trip during the Fall. We might end up having to bank a few each year, but eventually we could spend that by inviting along family to join us. We did that last spring using RCI exchanges to burn some extra deposits that would otherwise expire.

The tricky part is the kids outgrowing it before they actually leave the house...

 

[Craho]

It would not be hard for my partner and I to soak up 400 points per year, but that's because we really are not fans of studios. A week-long trip during our preferred time of year (late Feb/early Mar) would be at least 225 or so in a 1BR (and in many resorts, quite a bit more). We'd use the "leftovers" on a long weekend trip during the Fall. We might end up having to bank a few each year, but eventually we could spend that by inviting along family to join us. We did that last spring using RCI exchanges to burn some extra deposits that would otherwise expire.

The tricky part is the kids outgrowing it before they actually leave the house...

Yes we have our oldest teen who has already lost interest but we can’t leave him home by himself (various reasons). My younger 2 are 12 and 15 and still enjoy going and I anticipate bringing friends along and extended family occasionally. I’m just trying to figure out how we will use this long term with aging kids and realistically how often would my husband and I go alone?

 

[Brian Noble]

You will go on splurge trips in much nicer rooms than mere studios. You are allowed to do that for yourself with mad money (assuming that’s what this is.)

 

[Craho]

You will go on splurge trips in much nicer rooms than mere studios. You are allowed to do that for yourself with mad money (assuming that’s what this is.)

I like how you think! And you are right. We squeezed into studios with 3 kids for years. Finally time to splurge a little.

 

[Nursemanit]

The full fridge is a big advantage, especially for a longer trip. Fresh fruit, cold beverages, etc.

Does my one orange that I cut up for my nightly old fashioned count ?

 

[mort1331]

There are two answers to the question. Or, more accurately, there are two questions.

One question is "What is the smallest space we can cram into?" The answer to that is--for now--one of the studios with the trundle beds. When you have six over three, the answer is a 2BR. The other question is: "What size unit would make for a reasonably enjoyable vacation?" The answer to that? Your Mileage May Vary.

I was just saying this in another thread, but the entire reason we got into timesharing was to avoid having to cram the four of us into a hotel room. Our first DVC stay was in a 1BR, and we quickly decided that we would much rather have a 2BR, even though we didn't "need" one. Having a dedicated space in which no one has to sleep is great for early birds, night owls, and afternoon naps.

Right now, I go by the following rules of thumb, at Disney or elsewhere: One person can do a studio, but a 1BR is better. Two people? Strong preference for a 1BR; it is almost but not quite a requirement. Three people? We can squeeze in a 1BR if we have to, but would strongly prefer 2BR. All four of us? 2BRs are the minimum, but I will sometimes splurge on a 3BR. After all, the kids had separate bedrooms when they were at home, and while they each have a housemate, they each also have their own private bedroom. Why not do that on vacation too?

So far, I've never put my partner and I in a studio. I've booked a couple for us, but ended up cancelling them in favor of something larger. I had a "studio" for myself exactly once, but it was a loft with a king bed upstairs and a fully-equipped kitchen with apartment-sized appliances, so it hardly counted. (It also had a resident tattoo artist, and was, ahem, "colorful." Long story.)

When the kids were younger, my partner and I would often find ourselves hanging out in the living room of our timeshare condo, while the kids were off in their bedroom(s). One of us would look at the other and say: "Hotel rooms, huh?" As in: we understand that families like ours often vacation exclusively in hotel rooms, but we have no idea how they do it without divorce or murder.

(PS: the other cool thing about the villas? The master bedroom has a door that locks, meaning the parents cannot be interrupted in flagrante delicto. After all, it is your vacation too.)

I am guessing that you do not go camping in a one family tent. IF you do then a studio is a blessing. Different strokes.
For us it comes down to how long we are going. If longer than 4 nights,,its 1 bdrm or more. This for the laundry,kitchen and means we are also spending more time at the resort. Less than 4 nights, studios for flopping at.

 

[gskywalker]

We mostly are in 2bdrms with our family of 6. It requires a lot of points but it is so nice to have the space. Family members disagree on their favorite but for me right now OKW is my favorite because of the size of the rooms and the chill vibe

 

[DonMacGregor]

I am guessing that you do not go camping in a one family tent. IF you do then a studio is a blessing. Different strokes.
For us it comes down to how long we are going. If longer than 4 nights,,its 1 bdrm or more. This for the laundry,kitchen and means we are also spending more time at the resort. Less than 4 nights, studios for flopping at.

When we go camping, the "bathroom" is infinitely larger...

 

[Brian Noble]

Different strokes.

Well that’s why I said “Your Mileage May Vary”

 

[Cleopatra77]

Your probably looking at a minimum of $30k to $60k to start, possibly more for 2 bedrooms.

In order to save a little we have 2 contracts, and alternate years between our VGF contract and our AKV contract (this saved us a little money). We use the AKV points as SAP points, and have used them at BCV and BWV.

Well I got 2 bedrooms with a minimum point, it was so hard to believe we could get that to work