Family of Five

[disneymama73]

I'm sorry if this subject has been discussed to death. I checked the FAQ's and didn't see anything about it. Many apologizes if I'm beating a dead horse.

We are expecting our third child in July. When that child turns 3, is our only option a 2-bdrm? We will probably need to add onto our points if that is the case which is no big deal. And we wouldn't really have to do so for another 3 years or so.

I noticed that the rooms sleep 4 "adults." Are the kids considered adults once they're over 3? I'm assuming so. We could easily fit in a 1-bdrm (DH and I with the "baby" in the king & our 2 girls in the pull-out), but I don't know if that is allowed.

Just a little info on us! We have been members since October 2001, and our home resort is VWL. We love DVC and are enjoying our membership to the fullest!!! Our daughters, Emily and Julia, are 4 and 2 respectively.

TIA for any information you can share!

 

[dianeschlicht]

You will be able to do a studio or 1 bedroom until the baby is too big for the pac N Play. After that, yes you will need a 2 bedroom. It is one of the reasons I think DVC made a big mistake when they changed the minimum ownership to 150 points.

 

[gopherit]

Well, speaking as a member of a fam o' five myself, I can honestly say that once that littlest nipper gets a certain size, you will WANT the 2 br!

When we added a 3rd, we added 30 more pts soon after. We like longer trips, so we go less frequently. For longer trips, I especially think a 2 br is a real necessity! Folks need some space (and NO, that is NOT an invitation to discuss one resort's square footage versus another's!) You may need to start bringing a grandparent or aunt, friend, etc. just for crowd control! (There's strength -- and fun -- in numbers!)

We always get a 2br, but then, we usually bring some family with us. Increasingly, we loathe the idea of having to use the sleeper sofa. We like having that "den area" for us adults!

Is "By age 3" the hard and fast time by which you will need those extra pts? I'm not sure. Our dd is 3. She sleeps in her own bed. Most of the time, she ACTS like she's THIRTY-THREE! However -- on the road, she still refuses to sleep solo! Night-time comes and zzzzooop, there she is, in bed with me and dh. Thanks goodness for those king-sized beds. If we ever traveled as just a fam of 5, it would seem realllllly silly -- wasteful, even -- to get a 2br and have a whole bed go empty. But I can clearly see that as she and her brothers grow, a 2br will be more than filled by just us, she'll take her own bed (and probably steal the bathroom from the guys!) and any family tagging along will in fact have to get their own studio...

... unless, of course, I want to start points-pricing our trips for a grand villa, which, for 12 days at our home of BWV, would mean QUITE an add-on!

 

[dsmith]

When that child turns 3, is our only option a 2-bdrm?

Probably not your ONLY option but I think it would be your BEST option. Our family of four (me, her, son 13, and daughter 11) wouldn't think of staying in a 1 bedroom anymore. They can share a room for 10-12 days of vacation but a pull out sofa?... I think NOT! We'd either get this all night: :happy1: or, more likely, this:

 

[disneymama73]

Originally posted by dsmith
Probably not your ONLY option but I think it would be your BEST option. Our family of four (me, her, son 13, and daughter 11) wouldn't think of staying in a 1 bedroom anymore. They can share a room for 10-12 days of vacation but a pull out sofa?... I think NOT! We'd either get this all night: :happy1: or, more likely, this:

ROFL!!!! Point well taken!!!

 

[disneymama73]

Originally posted by gopherit
Well, speaking as a member of a fam o' five myself, I can honestly say that once that littlest nipper gets a certain size, you will WANT the 2 br!

When we added a 3rd, we added 30 more pts soon after. We like longer trips, so we go less frequently. For longer trips, I especially think a 2 br is a real necessity! Folks need some space (and NO, that is NOT an invitation to discuss one resort's square footage versus another's!) You may need to start bringing a grandparent or aunt, friend, etc. just for crowd control! (There's strength -- and fun -- in numbers!)

We always get a 2br, but then, we usually bring some family with us. Increasingly, we loathe the idea of having to use the sleeper sofa. We like having that "den area" for us adults!

Is "By age 3" the hard and fast time by which you will need those extra pts? I'm not sure. Our dd is 3. She sleeps in her own bed. Most of the time, she ACTS like she's THIRTY-THREE! However -- on the road, she still refuses to sleep solo! Night-time comes and zzzzooop, there she is, in bed with me and dh. Thanks goodness for those king-sized beds. If we ever traveled as just a fam of 5, it would seem realllllly silly -- wasteful, even -- to get a 2br and have a whole bed go empty. But I can clearly see that as she and her brothers grow, a 2br will be more than filled by just us, she'll take her own bed (and probably steal the bathroom from the guys!) and any family tagging along will in fact have to get their own studio...

... unless, of course, I want to start points-pricing our trips for a grand villa, which, for 12 days at our home of BWV, would mean QUITE an add-on!

Thanks so much for your thoughts! You gave my DH and I lots to think about... We probably will end up getting the 2-bdrm when the time comes. I'm sure we will need the extra space. Did you buy your 30 extra points through DVC?

 

[disneymama73]

Originally posted by dianeschlicht
You will be able to do a studio or 1 bedroom until the baby is too big for the pac N Play. After that, yes you will need a 2 bedroom. It is one of the reasons I think DVC made a big mistake when they changed the minimum ownership to 150 points.

Thanks for your post!

You're right - 150 points doesn't get you very far...

 

[Mic]

The BW villas have what is called a "studio plus" that will sleep five, as long as the youngest is no bigger than the average 8-year-old. We requested one a few years ago when it was just myself and 4 kids(under 12) for 4 nights, and was told it was not guaranteed, but we were given preferance because it noted on our reservation that we were a party of 5. The daybed that the 5th person uses is quite small(about the size of a bench seat), but my daughter, who was 6 at the time and small for her age, loved it. Being the 4th child, she loves anything that doesn't have to be shared! The studio itself was no bigger than any of the other studios, but was a dedicated studio that did not have a door leading into a 1-br. Where the door would have been is where the bench seat was. For a trip that doesn't include a lot of time in the room, this set-up would work for you as long as your kids are young. But you'll have to decide if giving up that tub and king bed is worth it...my DH wouldn't even consider a studio when it was just myself and him!

 

[disneymama73]

Originally posted by Mic
The BW villas have what is called a "studio plus" that will sleep five, as long as the youngest is no bigger than the average 8-year-old. We requested one a few years ago when it was just myself and 4 kids(under 12) for 4 nights, and was told it was not guaranteed, but we were given preferance because it noted on our reservation that we were a party of 5. The daybed that the 5th person uses is quite small(about the size of a bench seat), but my daughter, who was 6 at the time and small for her age, loved it. Being the 4th child, she loves anything that doesn't have to be shared! The studio itself was no bigger than any of the other studios, but was a dedicated studio that did not have a door leading into a 1-br. Where the door would have been is where the bench seat was. For a trip that doesn't include a lot of time in the room, this set-up would work for you as long as your kids are young. But you'll have to decide if giving up that tub and king bed is worth it...my DH wouldn't even consider a studio when it was just myself and him!

WOW! Thanks for that GREAT info!!!

Since they won't guarantee you the studio plus, do you know what happens if you get there, and it's not available? Do they put you in a regular studio?

 

[Dean]

There's no way to know if you will get a studio plus as it is only a request so you can't count on it. The technical answer is the occupancy limits are 4 for a studio and a 1 BR. MS has stretched it to 4 plus a child under 3 and this appears to be a hard rule but not well enforced. Some have not been able to reserve when over the limt but most have been let through. DVC will likely not do head counts or bed checks but I expect them to take this issue more seriousl in the future. A 2 BR is the way to go though.

Actually this subject has been discussed many times. There are those that feel DVC has the obligation to make DVC more affordable by supplying a unit that works well for 5 or 6. I say they have, it's the 2 BR unit. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[jodifla]

I disagree....I think lowering the minimum was one of the smartest things Disney did re: DVC. It was the difference in us buying in, because at the time, it kept the price right below $10,000. We got great mileage out of our 150 points for the first seven years, and now that we're a little more financially settled (and we have a new family member), we added on some more points. But we never felt strapped or that we bit off more than we could chew financially.

 

[disneymama73]

Originally posted by Dean
There's no way to know if you will get a studio plus as it is only a request so you can't count on it. The technical answer is the occupancy limits are 4 for a studio and a 1 BR. MS has stretched it to 4 plus a child under 3 and this appears to be a hard rule but not well enforced. Some have not been able to reserve when over the limt but most have been let through. DVC will likely not do head counts or bed checks but I expect them to take this issue more seriousl in the future. A 2 BR is the way to go though.

Actually this subject has been discussed many times. There are those that feel DVC has the obligation to make DVC more affordable by supplying a unit that works well for 5 or 6. I say they have, it's the 2 BR unit. Good luck and enjoy.

Hi, Dean! Thanks for your post!

I guess the thing is that we were content with our 150 until this unexpected bundle of joy entered the picture. We didn't plan on ever using a 2-bdrm unless we had our parents travelling with us (which would be a rare occasion). But that's certainly not DVC's problem! LOL!

It would be nice to have the option of staying in a smaller room, thus using a smaller amount of points, but if that's not possible, what can ya do? We'll just have to add on... DARN! LOL!!!

 

[disneymama73]

Originally posted by Dean
Actually this subject has been discussed many times...

Sorry about that! I figured it had been, but I couldn't find the information anywhere.

 

[crisi]

If an add on isn't in the cards, another option is to change your schedule. We are happy with our 150 points, stay in a two bedroom - but we go every other year in October for a week. If you save points by booking OKW and doing your fly (or drive in) Saturday night off site), you could probably get a trip every eighteen months out of this method.

 

[Granny]

Michele...I think Dean was referring to the fact that threads about room occupancy usually get shut down quickly on this board as they tend to lead quickly to debate.

I'll second those who have found the benefits of a 2BR...we use them now for our family of four, and it is pure luxury. And it frees up the kitchen/main room for morning coffee making, etc without worrying about waking the kids or bumping into their bed.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by Granny
Michele...I think Dean was referring to the fact that threads about room occupancy usually get shut down quickly on this board as they tend to lead quickly to debate.

I'll second those who have found the benefits of a 2BR...we use them now for our family of four, and it is pure luxury. And it frees up the kitchen/main room for morning coffee making, etc without worrying about waking the kids or bumping into their bed.

Partly, but more that we have had several long discussions where a few people seem to insist that DVC owes it to members to create an option for 5, or even 6, that is less points than the 2 BR. Or that there should be alternate accomodations like bunk beds or even two beds in the master.

It's actually ok with me to discuss these issues again, I was just acknowledging that we'd done it before and I'm sure we will again.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

I think the 2BR is just right for a family of 5. We are a family of 6 and have to use our aero bed in the 2BR. (15 year old DS is 6'2" and it's not easy for him to share a bed with his brother anymore).

HBC

 

[twinmomplus2new]

My kids ages vary wildly. We used to get a 2 bedroom, Nana and DS9 and DD now 17 In the 2nd bedroom. Twins and I in the master bedroom. Now at almost 10 ds doesn't want to sleep with Nana, And neither does DD17. Additionally DD teases Ds9 to no end.... So we now split the party up. DD and Nana in an unattached studio. And twins and myself in the master. Ds9. Is with me in the master on a raised Air mattress. I just prefer to have the kids where I can see them when we are away. But the air mattress is an option for you. The right start has an air mattress for toddlers with raised sides. That was an option for us as ours did not sleep in a crib. The beds are very high and I worried about them rolling so it was a good alternative. Good luck!

 

[mom2alix]

You didn't mention if the new addition is a boy or girl, Congrats, BTW! Since you did say your other two are girls, I'll give you the low-down coming from a family of 3 daughters myself. Forget the beds - you need the extra bathroom!

By the time the newest addition is 3, the extra bath will definitely be worth the add-on. Once they're teenagers you may be wishing for DVC to build a 2 bedroom/3 bathroom unit.

It's also good that your 2 DD are already used to sharing the sofa bad since the baby seems to always be the child who figures out that if you kick and roll and sleep sideways in the bed you get to sleep by yourself!

 

[gopherit]

Originally posted by disneymama73
Thanks so much for your thoughts! You gave my DH and I lots to think about... We probably will end up getting the 2-bdrm when the time comes. I'm sure we will need the extra space. Did you buy your 30 extra points through DVC?

Yup, got 'em through Disney. They just make it wayyyyyy too easy. Same use year, and same resort -- too nice!

And as someone else noted, another way to conserve pts for trips is to either (a) only go 5 nights (and never on wkends) or (b) go every other year. We opt for the B-plan (every other year). We have a long drive (15+ hrs, and it's too $$$ for 5 to fly). SO we figure we save 1/2 transport costs just by doing semi-annual trips! Plus, our city has crummy air service -- it would take either a 2 hr drive to a good airport or at least 2 connections and at least one leg on a really tiny commuter plane that only holds 18 people in single-rows -- could be REALLY ugly with at least 2 kids that get motion sick on the road!! Being a family of 5 affects us in more ways than just sleeping arrangements, I tell ya! Dining, seats in the car, going on rides... seems we always have an odd-man-out with five, too little or too many! But I wouldn't trade our "5th dimension" for anything! But it does ALMOST make me want to even us out to a nice "6"... (ALMOST.... but with my luck, I'd have quads and go to 9! ) I think NOT!


Good luck and enjoy your new addition when it comes!