First time renting DVC points--which studio?

[Mitre10]

Hi all! I'm a lurker, and our family hasn't done Disney since 2017--looks like a thing or two have changed! We're thinking about putting in an 11-month advance request for DVC points rental (plus insurance). We're a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 kids, 14 and 11. Two of our crew are super into Star Wars, so we're tentatively looking at 2 days at HS, 1 day EP, 2 days MK, and 1 day AK. We might add hoppers if we end up staying in the Boardwalk area, which looks likely.

I'm filling out our request form and don't know what order to put things in, so I'm coming to the experts. We must have three sleeping surfaces as no one is willing to sleep with the kids, including the other kid, and we want to stay in the studios because we're cheap. Which studios would you recommend? And how would you prioritize your requests?

I like the looks of BC because the kids would LOVE the pool and close to HS.
Polynesian studios look the most functional and cutest, and I love the Poly, but costs quite a bit more and I don't know if I can justify for a trip with a HS focus.
BW was always a hard pass due to the visceral reaction my kids had to the clown pool when we saw it on an ice cream trip but I heard that's gone. I'm a little nervous my kids would have FOMO staying at BW and looking at Stormalong Bay. But the location is right and people who love BW seem to really love it.
I'm happy to consider others I'm failing to look at closely

Thanks for any advice!

 

[redboat45]

Beachclub is ideal for those ages. We stayed when my kids were 13 and 10 and it was a bit of a tight fit but we made it work.

Boardwalk is nice too but since you go so rarely I'd really try for Beach Club if possible.

Another option is Riviera. The rooms are very spacious there and they have a nice slide plus the skyliner.

 

[kanerf]

The clown pool is gone at BW.

 

[Marionnette]

Hi all! I'm a lurker, and our family hasn't done Disney since 2017--looks like a thing or two have changed! We're thinking about putting in an 11-month advance request for DVC points rental (plus insurance). We're a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 kids, 14 and 11. Two of our crew are super into Star Wars, so we're tentatively looking at 2 days at HS, 1 day EP, 2 days MK, and 1 day AK. We might add hoppers if we end up staying in the Boardwalk area, which looks likely.

I'm filling out our request form and don't know what order to put things in, so I'm coming to the experts. We must have three sleeping surfaces as no one is willing to sleep with the kids, including the other kid, and we want to stay in the studios because we're cheap. Which studios would you recommend? And how would you prioritize your requests?

I like the looks of BC because the kids would LOVE the pool and close to HS.
Polynesian studios look the most functional and cutest, and I love the Poly, but costs quite a bit more and I don't know if I can justify for a trip with a HS focus.
BW was always a hard pass due to the visceral reaction my kids had to the clown pool when we saw it on an ice cream trip but I heard that's gone. I'm a little nervous my kids would have FOMO staying at BW and looking at Stormalong Bay. But the location is right and people who love BW seem to really love it.
I'm happy to consider others I'm failing to look at closely

Thanks for any advice!

Of the three, the Poly studios are the biggest, have recently been redone to include the murphy-style sofa bed and they have a split bathroom. It would be my first choice if I had teens and didn't want to spend more money to get more space.

BCV and BWV are similar in layout with BWV being more centrally located between the International Gateway and HS. However, BCV is closer to the Skyliner station at the IG and it has arguably the better pool. Considering those factors and with BWV having a large number of studios compared to BCV, I would list BCV second.

So my order would be:

1. PVB standard view
2. BCV
3. BWV preferred view

 

[MICKIMINI]

If you can get Beach Club, well you won the lottery! Boardwalk will work for you as well and a standard studio is dirt cheap for points. If you can get BC, even though it is more $$ IMO it is worth the experience. With kids at that age, either option works!

You bus it to AK and can either bus it to MK or park hop and work your way to the other entrance of EPCOT and hop on the monorail. Use the resurrected Minnie Van to get back (worth the $$) after fireworks. Enjoy!

 

[Her Dotness]

Golly, two SW fans and you're not booking the Halcyon instead?

(Couldn't resist. Nooooo, don't throw things!)

 

[Marionnette]

If you can get Beach Club, well you won the lottery! Boardwalk will work for you as well and a standard studio is dirt cheap for points. If you can get BC, even though it is more $$ IMO it is worth the experience. With kids at that age, either option works!

You bus it to AK and can either bus it to MK or park hop and work your way to the other entrance of EPCOT and hop on the monorail. Use the resurrected Minnie Van to get back (worth the $$) after fireworks. Enjoy!

You cannot park hop thru Epcot to get to the MK unless you have an Epcot park reservation and you time you travel so that you arrive at the MK at 2 PM or later.

 

[MICKIMINI]

You cannot park hop thru Epcot to get to the MK unless you have an Epcot park reservation and you time you travel so that you arrive at the MK at 2 PM or later.

Yes, that was my strategy. Apologies for not articulating better! Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I wouldn't count on a Boardwalk Standard Studio for spring break. They're hard.

 

[Jgc014]

On your list I would rate the following -

1. Poly - extra square footage and bathroom will be nice for your group makeup
2. BCV
3. BWV

Maybe I would throw a studio Riveria in there as well, but that is on the higher point end, and I don’t necessarily think that much better than your other options.

The other one I may add is a 1 bedroom at OKW. I know you specified studio, but it actually isn’t that many more points than a Poly studio and is just so much more spacious. I think it is almost twice as big as a Poly studio, which is the largest DVC studio, and with a longer trip with older kids, I think it will be more comfortable. Plus even if you don’t really plan to cook, nice having a kitchen for snacks or maybe a breakfast or two there. And even though not at any one park, it is actually fairly centrally located to all, so nothing is that far away.

Finally, if you are going through a rental agency, I think some have had problems keeping points in stock for Poly, Beach Club, and Boardwalk as they are fairly in demand properties, but the price per point the agencies are paying owners is fairly low. Certainly still give it a shot, and hopefully it works out, but I did want to mention.

Good luck!

 

[pks_domer]

For OP: First-time renter here too. Maybe you'll have a different experience given a different time of year and what you're looking for, but we've had a rental request waiting for about 2 months and have another couple weeks til the 7-month mark before our trip. We just this week put a cash reservation in place in case nothing comes through, and also just this week changed our request priority with the rental company (from two studios at one resort to something bigger at a different resort).

We went into it thinking we'd have to wait a while, but it's to the point that we're more just hoping for rather than counting on the rental.

Good luck!

 

[kristenrice]

On your list I would rate the following -

1. Poly - extra square footage and bathroom will be nice for your group makeup
2. BCV
3. BWV

Maybe I would throw a studio Riveria in there as well, but that is on the higher point end, and I don’t necessarily think that much better than your other options.

The other one I may add is a 1 bedroom at OKW. I know you specified studio, but it actually isn’t that many more points than a Poly studio and is just so much more spacious. I think it is almost twice as big as a Poly studio, which is the largest DVC studio, and with a longer trip with older kids, I think it will be more comfortable. Plus even if you don’t really plan to cook, nice having a kitchen for snacks or maybe a breakfast or two there. And even though not at any one park, it is actually fairly centrally located to all, so nothing is that far away.

Finally, if you are going through a rental agency, I think some have had problems keeping points in stock for Poly, Beach Club, and Boardwalk as they are fairly in demand properties, but the price per point the agencies are paying owners is fairly low. Certainly still give it a shot, and hopefully it works out, but I did want to mention.

Good luck!

^^^THIS!!!^^^

I don't know your dates, but for Easter Week 2023, a week in a Poly Studio is 242/291 points and a OKW 1BR is 300 points. The Poly studio is one of the largest DVC studios at 460 sq ft, but the 1BR at OKW is 962 sq ft!! It is like an apartment! There is a sleeper sofa and a sleeper chair in the living room so nobody would have to share a bed. I realize that it could be a difference of up to $1100, but it is truly a game-changer. OKW is also pretty centrally located, but you will be stuck using buses. If you have a car, OKW has a great advantage in that you can park right outside your villa.

To answer your question, though....I can only vote for Boardwalk, as that is the only one of the three options that I have personally experienced

 

[redboat45]

Poly studios are very nice however they don't have 2 full bathrooms. They have 2 showers but ONLY 1 toilet. Just want to make sure the OP knows that. ONLY 1 toilet. Still bigger and more getting ready space than other studios though.

 

[suebeelin]

^^^THIS!!!^^^

I don't know your dates, but for Easter Week 2023, a week in a Poly Studio is 242/291 points and a OKW 1BR is 300 points. The Poly studio is one of the largest DVC studios at 460 sq ft, but the 1BR at OKW is 962 sq ft!! It is like an apartment! There is a sleeper sofa and a sleeper chair in the living room so nobody would have to share a bed. I realize that it could be a difference of up to $1100, but it is truly a game-changer. OKW is also pretty centrally located, but you will be stuck using buses. If you have a car, OKW has a great advantage in that you can park right outside your villa.

To answer your question, though....I can only vote for Boardwalk, as that is the only one of the three options that I have personally experienced

I’ve never been to OKW, but have been to BCV, BWV, and POLY, but never for spring break (oh, gosh, the point increase for just that week!!).

I’m obsessed with Poly but my points are at BWV. I love Poly- the size, the relaxed vibe, the salt water quiet pool and the immediate access to the yummiest dole whip on property. But Poly is so many more points that I almost always end up choosing BWV.

I used to be a BWV standard person but recently been booking the boardwalk view (moving on up!). There’s something about looking out over the water at the Epcot ball while sitting and relaxing on the balcony….

If your kids like pools, ppl say the bcv pool is a mini vacation unto itself. At age 10/13, perhaps they’ll want to stay at the pool, or not?

Good luck. Spring break is $$; walking distance at night to HS and Epcot is…. I priceless.

Easiest category to book for spring break is probably BWV pool/garden view but if you are able to get an owner at 11mo, then I would suggest BWV standard (if possible bc of price) or BCV bc of the pool and easy walking to two parks.

 

[DduzDis]

You can't really go wrong with any of these. I'd probably list them as:

1) BWV
2) Poly
3) BCV

The only reason I put BCV low is because it shares the bus with the Yacht Club and is second in line (from our experience). It can get a little wonky for your MK and AK days. But, we still take midday breaks, so a few more trips than many families. That said, you just can't beat roaming into EP (from either BWV or BCV) in the evenings you don't have anything else planned.

The Poly would take care of your MK and EP days with Monorail (or walk to MK if you're feeling froggy). Also, great food options with all of the monorail resorts.

 

[Mitre10]

On your list I would rate the following -

1. Poly - extra square footage and bathroom will be nice for your group makeup
2. BCV
3. BWV

Maybe I would throw a studio Riveria in there as well, but that is on the higher point end, and I don’t necessarily think that much better than your other options.

The other one I may add is a 1 bedroom at OKW. I know you specified studio, but it actually isn’t that many more points than a Poly studio and is just so much more spacious. I think it is almost twice as big as a Poly studio, which is the largest DVC studio, and with a longer trip with older kids, I think it will be more comfortable. Plus even if you don’t really plan to cook, nice having a kitchen for snacks or maybe a breakfast or two there. And even though not at any one park, it is actually fairly centrally located to all, so nothing is that far away.

Finally, if you are going through a rental agency, I think some have had problems keeping points in stock for Poly, Beach Club, and Boardwalk as they are fairly in demand properties, but the price per point the agencies are paying owners is fairly low. Certainly still give it a shot, and hopefully it works out, but I did want to mention.

Good luck!

this is a truly insider tip--thank you!

 

[Mitre10]

Poly studios are very nice however they don't have 2 full bathrooms. They have 2 showers but ONLY 1 toilet. Just want to make sure the OP knows that. ONLY 1 toilet. Still bigger and more getting ready space than other studios though.

Yes--I watched a video. WHY??? is there only one toilet?! Otherwise it's so great.

 

[Mitre10]

You all are so amazing, thank you for your help! We were on the waitlist for Beach Club but just found out today that some of it is already fully booked (for March 2023!!!). So now we're on the list for Poly and then BWV, with a regular booking for the Swan as our "safety". Looks like next spring break is going to be a wild ride.

 

[RoseGold]

I wouldn't rule out VGF2 resort studios. Three sleeping surfaces, great location, roughly the same cost as Poly. They can't be booked by the general public yet, and if someone has VGF points, they will be available. I doubt BW/BC will fill, because there are so few points out there. VGF might be easier to get right now.

 

[Her Dotness]

Yes--I watched a video. WHY??? is there only one toilet?! Otherwise it's so great.

I think the planners were considering people being in a rush to get showered and dressed to hurry out for park openings.

Given that intent, there's more need for showering, toothbrushing, applying makeup by multiple people at nearly the same time than 4-5 people using the toilet at once.