Is this crazy or not?

[baileybrad]

We have a 9 night reservation at OKW in late October in a studio. We are very seriously considering switching our stay to the new Residence Inn that just opened around the corner from DD. We got a rate of $86 a night for a 1 bedroom. We will use the points next May at HH. I know that it will be a little different not staying on property but for those who have stayed at some of the newer Residence Inns across the country...they are really great properties. And for this rate it seems just to good to pass up. Anybody got any thoughts on this switch?

 

[PamOKW]

Of course you are free to do what you like and experiment with different options. My only question is that if you are looking to do WDW nice but less expensive, why did you purchase DVC? Maybe you prefer to use your points at HHI and feel that gives you more value which is okay. I just can't see "paying twice" and then staying offsite when going to WDW if I am a DVC owner.

 

[mickey7861]

Why would you have DVC available and stay outside? It's scary out there. Okay so it's not that bad but I could never choose to stay in a regular hotel when I knew DVC was avaiable for me. Have you ever stayed off site before?

 

[baileybrad]

Come on, now guys... the trip in October will require 111 points for 9 nights at OKW for a studio. If we don't spend the points at OKW we will go to HH DVC next May, like we just did this earlier this month and will have 205 points available. Our use year is September, we have 20 points banked and will receive 185 more on 9/1/01.

We have stayed at Vistana and Hampton Oaks 2 times each. We have stayed at dearly departed ole Dixie Landings 8 times. OKW 4 times. Port Orleans 3 times. BWV once. VWL once. And I must fess up, All-star Music, once. These stays have been somewhere in the 5 to 8 day range with most being around 7 days. We have never had a "bad" stay. Many of the trips were before we had little ones. We have an almost 4 year old and a 15 month old. We like the DVC accomodations and staying on site. We have annual passes for our 9 day trip in October. We used the passes for a 6 night stay at VWL this past February. We either drive our van since we had children or fly (always with a rental car) which is what we are doing. in October. HH is our home resort.

Why would we be DVC members and stay off-site? Because we really do not find staying off-site a problem. And if we stay in a 1 bedroom at an absolutely wonderfully run chain like the Residents Inn in a brand new hotel for a great price in a convenient location, we will then be able to stay at HH DVC next May and go to Disney World, too. We know our way around the immediate Disney, LBV, and Kissimmee area quite well. It is a win, win situation. Will we miss OKW and on-site for some things? Yes. But, we will not feel like second class citizens by staying at a quality off-site property. We are not talking about a Days Inn. We are talking about the number one all suites hotel in the country located just a couple of miles fron Disney property.

 

[ohioMickey]

the thought of driving to the theme parks...riding a tram to the front gate...not getting early entry...not getting e-ticket night...not being able to have packages shipped to my room...not getting my wake up call from the mouse...not experiencing the theme of the resort...not getting a Welcome Home...not having access to Disney pools...

well...frankly, it gives me the willies.

Man, am I spoiled ALREADY or what?

 

[christiansmom]

I would definitely stay off site in a quality property if it meant stretching my points allowing me to experience another DVC property that I really enjoyed. I love my DVC but we just stayed off-site for a few days for one of our vacations and we had a wonderful time. We really enjoy checking out other resorts periodically. I don't feel cheated or like a second class citizen at all. If I were in your shoes, I would definitely take advantage of the excellent rate at the Residence Inn and take that May trip to HH.

 

[baileybrad]

ohioMickey and christiansmom. oM, you listed 9 reasons to stay on-site versus off and the only one that we will really miss is EE to the MK because of the little ones. I am hopefully waiting for info on the kid's area for the RI"s pool. Thanks for putting a more balanced view on our choices, christiansmom. We, too, find that there are many excellent choices when looking for lodging in the WDW area. We love the DVC but an excellent opportunity has to be considered, especially if it allows us to stay at HH DVC next spring by restoring our points.

That brings me to this, WHY WAS THIS POST MOVED from the DVC board MR or MRS MODERATOR??? I am looking for reponses from DVC members who have a balanced viewpoint on utilizing their points. By moving my question you may have limited my audience a great deal.

 

[Lisa P.]

baileybrad, I'd second your idea of going with the offsite stay for this trip and using your points for another DVC HHI trip. Here's why...

• You know what offsite nearby is like, since you've done it - no big surprises.
• You know what you'd be getting with another DVC HHI trip (my favorite DVC also!)
• You know which onsite perk(s) you'd miss and are willing to forgo it/them for this particular trip.
• You care about stretching your points.
• You are familiar with this hotel chain & think you'd enjoy your stay.

The idea that once you buy into DVC, that you shouldn't ever stay offsite again doesn't make sense to me. It doesn't have to be that black-&-white. Unless you own enough points to completely provide for ALL of your vacation accommodations every time, staying offsite to stretch your vacation dollars is always an option.

Another option you may consider is... find out when/whether E-Night is offered during your October trip. Then book a few nights onsite, if possible, to include that. Stay the rest of the trip offsite, dividing your trip between the two places. It may mean you lose a night off your HHI trip.

If you will arrive late in the day on HHI or leave early in the morning, you may even consider spending a night at the beginning or end of that trip, outside of the DVC resort in a regular hotel room. It's been a few years, but we found the Red Roof Inn on the main road of the island to be very economical, clean and comfortable for a single night at the start of one DVC stay. In the morning, we were able to pre-check-in at the DVC property and enjoy the pool area & beach house while waiting for our room. Just a thought.

Enjoy BOTH trips, whatever you decide! After all, you'll be going to Walt Disney World and Hilton Head Island!!! What fun!

 

[AnnK]

We stayed in a Residence Inn this past April. It was in V.A. near Busch Gardens. We thought it was very nice, not quite deluxe like DVC acccomodations, but certainly we would not hesitate to stay in them again.
The one we stayed in had a king in the master bdrm, a pull-out in the lvrm, and 2 queens in the other bdrm. It had a fridge/dishwasher/microwave, but oddly, no stove
.(Not that I would have cooked.) It had a table that you could sit and have have meals. It had a gas fireplace in the lvrm that the kids LOVED. The baths are just a regular tub/shower, ( no jacuzzi.) They have no balconies either.
The continental breakfast was fine, we are not big eaters. They had bagels, juice, cereal, fruit, yogurt,eggs, sausage, sometimes pancakes, and make your own waffles. The area to eat was comfortable. They have juice, tea ,coffee and iced tea available all day. The staff was good and the place was clean.
The pool was small, and didn't have many tables or anything special. It had a sports court that the kids could shoot hoops, play tennis or volleyball on. It was not very big, but the kids seemed to like it.
Over all it was a nice place to stay.

 

[baileybrad]

Lisa P, and AnnK for the feedback. Lisa P., appreciate the suggestions on saving points by staying off-site on the first or last day. What we do at HH is pack a bag to use at the pool on the day of our check-out and we all take showers in the Community Center at the main pool before heading out around 2:00 p.m. driving to my parents house in Knoxville, TN before stopping for the night. We stayed all night in Spartanburg, SC going down this past May arriving about 1:00 pm. After having lunch on the island, we checked in and then went to the grocery store. When we we done with all of this it was about 4:00 p.m. and our unit was ready. AnnK, your point about the pool is the one question that concerns us a bit. We believe that they have some sort of upgrade of the kid's pool area. We are awaiting reports on this from who have stayed there. The one negative about OKW, in my opinion, is that the pools are nothing special. My oldest lives on the water slide at HH.

 

[PamOKW]

Residence Inn

Sounds like they do have a pretty nice pool area. (If you click on "Explore" at the top it will take you to pictures, floor plans and IPIX tours of Residence Inn rooms. Not this specific resort but it lets you look around for those who want to know more.)

I realize this is a good price and a nice place. There are lots of nice resorts in the WDW area and it's possible to have a great vacation not staying on-site. I also understand there are lots of lovely resorts in HHI, some closer to the ocean than DVC.

I guess you are saying that by doing this you'll be able to take more trips and that's understandable. I'm just puzzled about "saving" points unless there is something specific you are saving them for. We've laid out a significant amount of money and have then paid our dues in order to enjoy the DVC resorts. I can't see spending additional money to stay offsite to have a very nice but not comparable vacation when a DVC stay is available. To me, a Disney vacation is just not the same when you are traveling on and off property no matter how nice the off property resort may be. You are somewhere different, out in the real world. By joining DVC I decided that the offsite/on-site was an important difference.

The "cost" of a point is different for everyone based on what you paid to purchase and how much you financed but let's say that a point costs you $7. 9 nights in studio at OKW (I'll assume 3 weekend and 6 weekday nights) would be 109 points or $763. The Residence Inn is roughly $859 when you add in tax. I'm not sure where you get the big "savings" and you are staying in a hotel that is basically the same whether you are in Orlando or Dallas. (A one-bedroom at OKW would be 231 points or $1,617 using this formula.)

 

[baileybrad]

PamOKW, thanks for the input. It was nice of you to provide RI link. I always appreciate and value your posts and opinions. Saving points, means that the points that we would have used for OKW this coming October can be used for a May '01 HH DVC stay. Can't stay in a DVC resort without points. The DVC resort at HH is what makes the vacation. There are no park tickets needed. Just wonderful family time. It is the centerpiece of the trip. I have heard of no other property on HHI that has all of the rustic appeal of the DVC resort with the large number of live oaks and pines you feel that you are in your own little world. At WDW, the resort is a small part of the trip. With little children, the parks are the centerpiece. There is very little that we need to do at WDW that will not happen on this particular trip because we choose to stay in a 1 bedroom at an excellent property instead of a studio at OKW. We will visit other resorts for meals. We will walk around the Boardwalk. We will go to DD. Again the only thing that we will really miss on this trip is the MK EE option.

 

[mickey7861]

We NEVER stay off site. We have taken 18 trips over the past 15 years and have never stayed offsite for an entire trip. Maybe 1 or 2 days before but never more than that. That's why we bought DVC. It is sooo much more economical for us to use our points rather than paying cash for WDW resorts (and the rooms are soooo much better). If I were trying to sqeeze in an extra vacation I'd use my points at WDW then pay cash at HH (or wherever else I chose to vacation). Of course I'm a true Disney NUT. I love running back to my resort for that mid day break....obviously I'm very spoiled.

 

[baileybrad]

Thanks for your take. We too enjoy Disney. But having stayed off-site and on-site, we have a good time no matter. Some things are different but, again, I can't believe that everybody has so many points that there is never a reason to adapt. We have no interest in moving during the middle of our vacation. Sometimes staying in less expensive accomodations for the first night before moving to your primary lodging might makes sense. You essentially lose a day when moving in the middle of your stay and we are on vacation so we don't want the extra work. When did you last stay at HH DVC? Again the resort is the draw. At WDW, the resort is just 1 piece of the puzzle. We stayed at HH last fall, VWL this past winter, and HH earlier this month. If we stay at OKW in October we can't go to HH next spring. We spend much more time in the room at HH than we do when vacationing at WDW. I am glad that you have NEVER stayed off-site but we have been flexible at times in the past due to wanting more space or taking extra trips that were not covered by OKW points or lastly, just to have more space. Again thanks for the perspective.

 

[pomcoach]

Hi Baileybrad, The Residence Inn sounds like a very nice place. How did you get the rate for $86? We would need the 2 bedroom and 2 baths. When I went to the website by clicking the above link, it showed much higher rates. The one we wanted for AAA discount was $184 or so. The Residence Inn sounds like it could work for our family of 5, but where did you find the good rate? Thanks! Pomcoach

 

[baileybrad]

I responded to you pomcoach on another thread that we got a government rate by checking on the Marriott website. Good luck!