Here's a Twist! **Minor Update**

[FayeW]

Usually, people book the first night offsite, and then move to their onsite accomodations, but I'm considering doing the opposite!

We have never stayed at a DVC resort; in fact, we've NEVER stayed onsite at all! Since we are arriving on a Thursday, I am considering booking our first night at a DVC studio (if some kind DVC member will rent me some points!). We have an offsite 2 bdrm booked, but the weekly rental doesn't start until Saturday. I can book the additional two nights at the same resort (Orbit One) for $100 each night, but since the studio requires so few points on a Thursday, I thought it might be a good time to test onsite/DVC. Also, being able to use DME from the airport means we could delay picking up the rental until the next day, so it would save me a few bucks as well.

With that in mind, which DVC resort would you choose for only one night, for a family of newbies,(2 Adults/DD12/DS10). I'd be looking for Nov 30th, if that makes a difference. We plan to do MVMCP on arrival night (getting in at noon)so somewhere that is easy to get to MK (or has it's own bus so not a lot of stops at midnight) would be great.

 

[castleri]

You may be very ludky to get a room at any DVC resort for that week. If you are looking for a studio just keep in mind that only OKW has two queen beds. The rest have a bed and a pull out sofa. I would say go to the rent trade board and see if anyone will check availability for you and then see if you have a choice of resorts or not. I would think your choices will be OKW and SSR - both have buses that serve only their own resort but have several internal stops through the resort. Good luck.

 

[FayeW]

Thanks for your help!

For the sake of getting feedback, let's assume that there will be availability wherever I want to stay. Which resort would you recommend? The other criteria would be ease of getting to the Dolphin to pick up the rental car the next day.

I would be willing to revamp our schedule, and go to Epcot on arrival day instead of MVMCP, do the party the next day (with nothing planned for early afternoon but picking up the rental and checking in to Orbit One). That way we could enjoy whichever resort during the a.m on check out day. I'm leaning towards BWV so that we could walk to Epcot (again, assuming I can get availability for one night).

 

[dianeschlicht]

If you are talking about this year, I'd think you are out of luck. I doubt there would be any available this late for that very popular DVC time, but it won't hurt to call this morning and check. My guess is you will not really have a choice, and if you do, it might not be the choice you are hoping for.

 

[FayeW]

But if I COULD stay anywere, what would you recommend?

 

[ScooterL]

One question for you: do your kids mind sharing a bed? The studios at OKW have two queen-size beds (or have they changed some to sofa beds now?) while in the other studio units there is a queen-size bed and a queen-size sofa bed, and you can request a rollaway.

No matter which resort you select, check-in time isn't until 4:00, which is going to be several hours after you arrive, so you'll have to interrupt your day to go back to your room at some point - I'm assuming you really don't want to have to try to deal with not going to your room until you return from MVMCP!!!

BWV or BCV would be the most conviently located for getting your rental car the next day, since they are in the Epcot Resort area already - someone could walk over to the Dolphin and pick up the car and then drive back and pick up the rest of you. Though I thought there was a shuttle that would come get you anywhere on property?

Buses late at night...I don't know that any resort is better than any other...maybe VWL because you'll take a boat from there rather than a bus...but the boats don't hold nearly as many people as a bus. I'd probably take my chances with the BWV/BCV buses, just because there are so many guests staying in the Epcot resort area that they are more likely to have multiple buses running. The OKW and SSR buses have multiple stops within the resort, so it takes them awhile to make their rounds.

If you're seriously thinking about buying DVC, then BCV, BWV, and VWL are going to give you more of a feel for what most of the DVC resorts are like, and they are built more like regular hotels. OKW and SSR are more spread out, and OKW especially is more like a "vacation home complex" rather than a hotel.

Laura

 

[FayeW]

Thanks Laura, that was exactly the kind of information I was looking for. Our touring plan would depend on which resort IS actually available. If I could get BWV, I would probably go to Epcot the first day so it would be close enough to walk back once the room was ready,(or MGM because it closes earlier) and then do MVMVP the next day, which would give us time to explore/enjoy the resort in the morning and get the rental car after lunch, check in to new resort, and then on to the party.
Not really sure what we will do, just looking for suggestions at this point.

 

[castleri]

One question for you: do your kids mind sharing a bed? The studios at OKW have two queen-size beds (or have they changed some to sofa beds now?) while in the other studio units there is a queen-size bed and a queen-size sofa bed, and you can request a rollaway.

If you're seriously thinking about buying DVC, then BCV, BWV, and VWL are going to give you more of a feel for what most of the DVC resorts are like, and they are built more like regular hotels. OKW and SSR are more spread out, and OKW especially is more like a "vacation home complex" rather than a hotel.

Laura

The general opinion is that rollaways are not available for DVC villas so don't count on that. We did get one back in 1998 for $15 a night but think that was some sort of fluke as others have reported that there are no rollaways available.

If you are lucky enough to get a room you will be able to check any time in the day just maybe not able to actually get into the room until after 4 PM

Please let us know how you make out.

 

[Dean]

I'd do VWL as first choice with OKW/SSR as second. I've stayed at WDW a number of times as a 1 or 2 night stop over on the way to another trip. Usually when going on a cruise. We've done moderates and OKW in that situation. You best bet financially will likely be Port Orleans or Caribbean Beach but you should look to see what type of discount, if any, you can get at the MK resorts including WL.

 

[stephen11]

Try Boardwalk Villas or Beach Club Villas... only a short walk to the Dolphin for your rental and a terrific location to spend your first night!

 

[thelobstershanty]

I agree with Diane....which year are you talking about? If it is this year, you most likely will NOT have a choice of DVC resorts. At this late date, you will be lucky if you can get into ANY DVC resort. If your trip is for this year, your best chance of getting a DVC resort will be at the largest DVC resort. Which would be SSR or OKW. If your trip is for next year, then you have a pretty good chance of getting into all the DVC resorts--as long as you book at the earliest time possible.
For access to Epcot, there is no question--BCV & BWV are the best. However, if you are only staying for 1 inght in a studio (which btw, we would NOT do a studio with your traveling group),--it is basically a 6 of one; 1/2 dozen of another situation. 1 night in a DVC studio will get you access to the studio by 4:00 PM and then check out is 11:00 AM. You are really not going to have enough time in any DVC studio, for it to really matter.
Personally, in the same situation, we would just add another night to the offsite reservation. Doing one night in any WDW resort is really not going to give you the true experience of staying at a WDW resort. I am really not trying to sound negative--but basically this is how it is. WDW is so large, that staying less 24 hours in any resort is just not enough time. to get the real feel of a vacation spent on property vs off property.
Have a great WDW vacation, where ever you stay!

 

[castleri]

I agree with Diane....which year are you talking about? If it is this year, you most likely will NOT have a choice of DVC resorts. At this late date, you will be lucky if you can get into ANY DVC resort. If your trip is for this year, your best chance of getting a DVC resort will be at the largest DVC resort. Which would be SSR or OKW. If your trip is for next year, then you have a pretty good chance of getting into all the DVC resorts--as long as you book at the earliest time possible.
For access to Epcot, there is no question--BCV & BWV are the best. However, if you are only staying for 1 inght in a studio (which btw, we would NOT do a studio with your traveling group),--it is basically a 6 of one; 1/2 dozen of another situation. 1 night in a DVC studio will get you access to the studio by 4:00 PM and then check out is 11:00 AM. You are really not going to have enough time in any DVC studio, for it to really matter.
Personally, in the same situation, we would just add another night to the offsite reservation. Doing one night in any WDW resort is really not going to give you the true experience of staying at a WDW resort. I am really not trying to sound negative--but basically this is how it is. WDW is so large, that staying less 24 hours in any resort is just not enough time. to get the real feel of a vacation spent on property vs off property.
Have a great WDW vacation, where ever you stay!

ITA but:
I think the Op stated it pretty clearly in that there are several things here besides getting the total WDW experience. They are looking to use DME and save a day on the car rental, use WDW transporatation to the MVMCP and not have to be driving around Orlando at midnight when it is over, get a room at a great rate and also have a chance to see what a DVC resort is like. I think we all wish them well in trying to get that room but are realisitic enough to know they won't have a lot of choice if any as to which resort they may end up at.

To OP if you haven't contacted someone with points or put up a request for a rental for that night you need to do it. Each day you wait is that much less chance you have of getting any room. Good luck.

 

[pickles]

Ok, my first thought..why stay off site?

You have never stayed on site..good time to start!

Many competitive priced hotels there, no need to rent a car at all, and plenty of Mickey soap

 

[FayeW]

Ok, my first thought..why stay off site?

You have never stayed on site..good time to start!

Many competitive priced hotels there, no need to rent a car at all, and plenty of Mickey soap

We are staying for 9 nights, and we are not hotel people. I love my family, but 1 or 2 days, MAXIMUM is all the time I'm willing to spend sleeping in one room with them. We stay offsite because we get outrageous deals on 2 bdrm condos through skyauction. I am simply unwilling to compromise (for any significant length of time) on the size of our accomodations, and renting enough points to stay in a 2 bdrm DVC is just not in our budget. (Well, it is, put I can't justify spending 5 times what I spend with skyauction).

There is more to this request for information than meets the eye. We have given some serious thought to buying in to DVC, but it didn't make sense for us to do that with out physically trying it out. I understand that I am not comparing Apples to Apples. I am considering a one night rental in a studio, when most likely, I would buy enough points for a 2 bdrm, however, I did want to experience a little taste of onsite, just to see if it was to our liking. As it happens, our arrival day is one of the days that uses the least amount of points, so it was actually going to be cheaper to stay that one night, than the cost of adding on that night at Orbit One ( I already have the reservation, but then I had this brainstorm...) An added bonus, is that we could take DME, and save a little on the rental ( I would actually still pick it up on arrival day, but because I could pick it up later at the Dolphin, I wouldn't have to pay for the additional couple of hours between pick up/drop off time) Not a big deal, but a nice bonus.

All of this "saving" has led me to think about adding on the dining plan, since DVC guests can add it without the tickets. This might give us an opportunity to try a restaurant that we might not splurge on otherwise (Le Cellier, for example).

Anyway, I appreciate the responses, and I would be delighted with either OKW or SSR (we toured SSR last time and it is stunning). If we were to buy, it would most likely be OKW so it would make sense to rent there. My husband is completely adverse to changing resorts, however, he knows I have had a bee in my bonnet over DVC for a couple of years now, and since it would actually save a few bucks, I'm sure he'll see it my way. I am going to go look at some numbers and check the rental board to see what I can find.

Thanks for your help.

 

[FayeW]

Well, you all warned me...

I contacted 2 folks who had points to rent (one never bothered to answer my PM), but apparently, there is "no room at the inn"... the Boardwalk Inn, that is. Or the Beach Club. Or Old Key West. Or Saratoga Springs. Are you all seeing a pattern here?

The individual I was going to rent from called MS, and there are no studios available anywhere in the DVC system, for Thursday, Nov 30th. I guess next time I will just have to make my plans 11 months out, and hope somebody with points where I want to stay, want to rent to me. The good news (or bad, availability wise, anyway) is that based on reviews and photos, I at least know where I want to stay now...BWV! Yeah, me and everybody else.

Thanks for your opinions.

 

[mamatojon]

Well, you all warned me...

I contacted 2 folks who had points to rent (one never bothered to answer my PM), but apparently, there is "no room at the inn"... the Boardwalk Inn, that is. Or the Beach Club. Or Old Key West. Or Saratoga Springs. Are you all seeing a pattern here?

The individual I was going to rent from called MS, and there are no studios available anywhere in the DVC system, for Thursday, Nov 30th. I guess next time I will just have to make my plans 11 months out, and hope somebody with points where I want to stay, want to rent to me. The good news (or bad, availability wise, anyway) is that based on reviews and photos, I at least know where I want to stay now...BWV! Yeah, me and everybody else.

Thanks for your opinions.

Oh, that's too bad. I know what it is like to have hopes dashed by "no availablity" - it is so dissapointing. There's always next time, right? You're going to have an awesome time though, have you been to Disney while the holiday decorations are up? I've never been to WDW in December, but at Disneyland it really is *magical* . Have fun!

 

[FayeW]

Thanks, mamatojon. Yes, we have been to the World at Christmas. Our first trip (in 2003), which was also supposed to be our only trip (funny how that never quite works the way you plan), we went to MVMVP, and loved it. Last year we went to MNSSHP, but we prefer the Christmas season.

We are staying at Orbit One, which gets very good reviews. I was delighted with our choice (and certainly the price!) when I made the reservation, but just over the last couple of weeks thought that trying out onsite, even for a day, would be cool. It is hard not to be swayed offsite when you can get a 2 bdrm condo for 9 nights for less than $500, KWIM? I would like to try out DVC for a few days just to see if the deluxe onsite experience is worth the extra expense.

We have 3 days without any plans (other than dinner ADR), so I will take a little time to visit Boardwalk, and see if they will let us peek in a room. Perhaps we will have lunch and people watch, and see if the ambiance suits us for next time.

 

[MiaSRN62]

Faye,
Got in on this thread a little late. Sorry nothing is available. I have had an increasing amount of difficulty getting into even the large resorts (OKW is our preference) during the Oct-Dec timeframe over the past 3-4 years. I think one used to be able to secure an OKW room last minute, but even those days are fading. Under 3-4 months in advance, trying to get any DVC resort for Oct-Dec is near impossible.
Best of luck next time ! Enjoy your stay at Orbit One. We own DVC as well as an offsite timeshare (Vistana), so I can relate to staying both on and offsite during our vacations. I must admit, we do prefer our onsite stays because of EMH, package delivery, transportation etc............but we're happy either way.

 

[dznymom1]

If you are thinking of trying for another time, I highly recommend that you think about staying for 2 nights. That way you get a full day between check in and check out to truly enjoy the resort. It is really tough to get the feel when you have to deal with those logistics. We did that when we first tried HHI, decided to stay an extra night and ended up adding on points there! If we had just stayed the one night, we would have never known how wonderful it is.

Just food for thought

 

[FayeW]

Actually, I think we will try for a full Sun-Thurs stay, to really get a chance to experience the resort.

Now, if you were me, would you go for a studio with a preferred view, or a 1 bdrm with a standard view? Is the view with a standard room that bad?