help Needed Making Decision

[LizC]

We are planning our first trip to Walt Disney World. Having a hard time deciding on which resort is best, and also August versus Oct. I see the Vacation club rent forum but don't fully understand the advantage or disadvantage of trying that option. How do the pointswork.
Which resort do you all reccommend the most. We have 2 kids age 7 and 4. Would prefere the space of a home from home, but frightened of the cost.
Any advice please.

 

[mco-missy]

I can't help you out on the whole DVC thing but there are others here that can. There is also a discussion forum here where you can post your questions about DVC

I would definately choose October over August. The crowds are smaller and the weather is MUCH nicer.

Your best bet on the resort is to look around this site. Look at the resorts discussion page, maps of the resorts, trip reports... eventually you will get a feel for the different types of resorts. Also, try going to Disney's website- Disneyworld.com- they have pictures there and room layouts. You just have to find what you think is good for your family. I often take my nieces (ages 9 & 11) and we stay at the All- Star resorts. We find that our time is usually spent in the parks and the room ends up just being somewhere to sleep. Also, the girls just love the themeing of the All-Stars. Some people prefer something larger- like a home-away-from-home.

Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[DeeP]

I am a DVC member so I can answer some of the DVC points rental questions. DVC members who can not use some/all of the points will rent them out at $10.00 a point. Different rooms, different resorts, different seasons and different days of the week require different points. October 1-31 is considered Choice season so the points are lower, August 1-15 is Magic season the highest points and Aug 16-31 is Dream Season which is a little lower than Magic Season. I am quoting prices for a standard view at BWV, a preferred view would be more, OKW would be a few points lower, VWL would higher etc. A studio is the smallest unit and it has a kitchenette with a refrigerator, microwave, sink, kitchen cabinets, coffee maker, a queen size bed and a sleeper sofa, bathroom and balcony. During Chioce season for Sun-Thurs nights a studio would be 9 pts, Magic Season & Dream season 11 points so it would cost about $90.00-$110.00 per night. A 1 BR has a master bedroom with a king bed, a jacuzzi tub, a seperate bathroom with shower, sink toilet, living room with a sleeper sofa, dining area, easy chairs, tv, vcr, a full kitchen, a wahser & dryer, 2 balconies and alot of room. A 1 BR for the same time is 18 points Choice season, 24 Magic Season and 22 Dream season so $180-$240.00 per night. A 2 BR is a combination of the 1 BR & the studio. an dthe points would be 24 Choice season, 32 Magic Season and 30 Dream Season so $240.00- $320.00 per night. The studio and 1 BR sleep 4 people and the 2 BR sleeps 8 people. All of the DVC resorts are deluxe resorts with great accomendations. OKW has the largest 1 BR but it is the farthest away from the parks. BWV you can walk to Epcot and MGM and VWL you can take a boat to MK. Points for Fri & Sat nights are: Studio 21 Choice, 28 Magic and 26 Dream, 1BR 42 Choice, 51 Magic and 50 Dream and 2 BR 58 Choice, 75 Magic and 75 Dream. So as you can see points more than double for Fri & Sat nights but you could always rent pts for Sun through Thur nights and then check into another WDW resort for the weekend.
A DVC member would have to make the reservation for you and you would have to pay the member directly for the accomendations. I have never either rented out my points or rented other people points but if you go to the Rent Trade board you can read and ask questions from many others who have done so successfully. If you can find a member that has points available for rent duing the times you want to go, you can not beat the price for such wonderful accomendations. I hope this gives you a general idea of how the DVC point rental works. Good luck!

 

[MelissathePooh]

We have rented points from DVC members - will be our 3rd year this May. Its a great way to save $$$, but stay at a Deluxe. You don't get daily housekeeping service (every 4th day), but the kitchen (even in the studio rooms) is very handy. I believe laundry facilities are also complimentary. The studios are very economical, but may be a bit small with two small children.

Another option if you don't mind a wilderness atmosphere would be the Ft Wilderness Cabins - they sleep up to 6 people and have a full kitchen. With some of the various codes and discount options available right now the rates are very reasonable. I always loved Ft Wilderness when I was younger - there was a lot to see and do just walking around. You have boat service to MK and bus service to the other parks. There is a pleasant walkway over to Wilderness Lodge as well. It is a bit remote in some ways, but if you take your time, its really a nice place to stay.

I also second the October suggestion - its cooler and less crowded.