Florida Residents... 2 questions

[NJParkhopper]

Hello, neighbors! Two questions...

Now that we live in Brevard County, Florida, we're probably taking 1 vacation each May to WDW and then 2 or 3 day trips throughout the year.

Question 1: How do the rest of the Florida DVC-ers work your vacations at WDW?

This year we're changing from a Studio to a 1 bedroom.

Question 2: Is it true that once you get a 1 bedroom, it's hard to go back to a Studio?

 

[walter]

Do you like living in Brevard County? Our son just relocated to there.

 

[wdw1972]

Hello, neighbors! Two questions...

Now that we live in Brevard County, Florida, we're probably taking 1 vacation each May to WDW and then 2 or 3 day trips throughout the year.

Question 1: How do the rest of the Florida DVC-ers work your vacations at WDW?

This year we're changing from a Studio to a 1 bedroom.

Question 2: Is it true that once you get a 1 bedroom, it's hard to go back to a Studio?

I've been a FL resident since 1986 and a DVC member since 1997 (live 3 hours from wdw). Keep in mind I get 4 weeks of vacation per year, and save 2 of those weeks to take monthly long weekend trips to visit the significant other while he's working out of state from April to September. That said, my 2006 DVC plans were/are as follows:

January - 3 nights OKW 1br & 4 night Wonder cruise
February - 2 separate 3-night long weekend trips - VWL & SSR
March - 1 night Hilton Head, 1 night BWV (same weekend)
April - 3 night long weekend SSR
May - 4 night long weekend BWV
Sept - 4 night long weekend OKW
Nov - 10 nights BCV for Food & Wine
Nov - most likely Thanksgiving either OKW or Hilton Head (both booked)

 

[GlfNFool]

Once we moved to Florida our planning window changed. We don't normally book until a couple of weeks or days before! Our last trip was a couple of weeks ago and we didn't book until 2 days before and we extended our stay at BWV while we were there...

Of course for special events that are date specific we still go with the 7 or 11 month window approach, but I find I like doing the last-minute thing.

Love the 1-bedroom but any room is better than no room at WDW!

 

[JimC]

Agree that the one bedroom is hard to leave once you have stayed at one. Don't see us (just two of us) using a studio. And if someone joins us we would get a two bedroom.

If we were to go the studio route we would stay at another WDW resort -- AKL, Poly, CR, GF and enjoy a different theme.

We are also moving to central Florida and are wondering about how we will use our DVC and Marriott in Orlando. We expect to be Florida residents by Labor Day in Melbourne or Orlando.

 

[JimMIA]

We are -- are you ready for this? -- Florida NATIVES!

Our useage pattern of DVC is more numerous short trips than we would do if we had to fly. We all live in Miami (my adult daughters and their families share the account), which is a 3-4 hour drive depending on conditions and who is driving.

I typically take 4 -5 day trips, but both of my daughters prefer shorter trips. Their trips so far have all been 2-3 days at a time. They also have both gone to Vero, which they loved. We have not, but might try it in 2007.

I'm a firm believer in one-bedrooms, and my daughters are coming around...although I think I could do an OKW studio easily for a shorter trip.

 

[Beth]

We're also natives.... we live about an hour west of WDW.

Our trips are almost always 1-3 nights. We joined in 1997, and our longest trip has been only 5 nights - once at OKW, and once at HH.

I really wish we could stay longer, but DH has only 2 weeks vacation, and I can't convince him to spend it all at WDW.

We "do" stay in studios when we stay on Friday/Saturday nights. It's just the two of us - so we don't mind it much.

 

[queenof4hearts]

How far away is Melbourne from WDW? We are looking to move to the area soon. Thanks!

 

[Cinderelli]

We've found that day trips are a thing of the past. If we're driving the whole "1 hour" to go to a park, then we're spending the night. We usually try to buy APs every other year and do several big trips within that timeframe (spring break, summer, maybe New Years Eve). We also like to go in the year that we don't do AP's. We went last July for 3 nights over to SSR just to relax before school started. We're going again this June for a few nights after our cruise.

We'll buy AP's again in 2007 for another spree of "big trips", hopefully starting with a Christmas/New Years trip.

With DVC, it's nice to go and not necessary ALWAYS do the parks - which is the main thing that has changed with our vacationing.

Lissa

 

[queenof4hearts]

Cinderslli, that's what I want to be able to do! Is live close and enjoy our DVC membership.Are you enjoying it as much as if you lived far away? It sounds like you do and I think we would to!