I've had a revelation! Please tell me this will work!

[Brian Noble]

I realize I'm in the minority, but I didn't get into timesharing so that I could put as many people into a space as possible. Instead, I do this because it gives my family more room to spread out---and have even since the kids were very young.

 

[LauraLea]

I realize I'm in the minority, but I didn't get into timesharing so that I could put as many people into a space as possible. Instead, I do this because it gives my family more room to spread out---and have even since the kids were very young.

I agree. I just do not understand this quest to see how many you can squeeze into the villa using the least amount of points. It is a timeshare. Suck it up and get the room DVC provides for the size of your family or group.

I have owned VWL and BWV for over 10 years. Now because of this quest to stick 5 in a studio, I am going to have to suck it up and learn to tolerate that table/bed or use more points and get a 1 br for the 2 of us.

Laura

 

[Minniesgal]

Isn't capacity regulated by fire codes based primarily on square footage and not by bed capacities? Did I miss a piece of this conversation?

I thought Fire codes were based on the capacity of the hallways and stairways and a calculation of how many people could be evacuated through them in a given timeframe

 

[agie65]

I realize I'm in the minority, but I didn't get into timesharing so that I could put as many people into a space as possible. Instead, I do this because it gives my family more room to spread out---and have even since the kids were very young.

That's exact reason we have timeshare. I like to spread out give kids their room and have a peaceful night.

 

[Sammie]

I realize I'm in the minority, but I didn't get into timesharing so that I could put as many people into a space as possible. Instead, I do this because it gives my family more room to spread out---and have even since the kids were very young.

Us too. We get a two bedroom for our family of 3. Our child is now an adult and we want bedrooms for everyone.

 

[quinnc19]

I have had the same thought! We are booked in a BWV studio in October, but if I feel the same as I did about VWL, I will seriously consider a 1 bedroom for my DD and I in the future.

I have owned VWL and BWV for over 10 years. Now because of this quest to stick 5 in a studio, I am going to have to suck it up and learn to tolerate that table/bed or use more points and get a 1 br for the 2 of us.

Laura

 

[DebbieB]

I thought Fire codes were based on the capacity of the hallways and stairways and a calculation of how many people could be evacuated through them in a given timeframe

Yes, that is fire code. Different than Disney occupancy rules. Disney occupancy rules are based on the number of sleeping spaces. Of course, they can't go over fire code but they can be under and most likely are. For example, they added a pulldown bed to a VWL studio and increased occupancy. Fire code would not have changed by adding a pulldown. If anything, they would be closer to the maximum allowed by fire code.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

The problem with VWL studios is that they are not next to each other so couldn't be adjoining.

Actually VWL has dedicated studios as well as lock-offs and there are quite a few that are adjoining ie, located right next to each other - they aren't connecting though.

At VB, the Inn Rooms are adjoining. They are like studios, you can request adjoining rooms. Make sure you put a "Travel with" notice on both reservations of the other reservation number and your request to be next to each other.

VB actually has connecting inn rooms. We've requested and received them. By connecting they have a door between them but I've heard there aren't a lot - they do exist though at least in the OVIR category. That is the only resort that had that set up prior to PVB though of essentially 2 "studios" (albeit Inn rooms) that connected.

 

[Pirate Granny]

Dwight16, some two bedrooms sleep 9, actually we had 9 legally at BCV a cause our DD sleeps with her two boys in the King, but almost all DVC have the sleeper chair...are you sneaking 10 in... GFV lock off sleeps ten legally if you can snag one. Good luck with getting the same FP+ at 30 days...

 

[crisi]

That's exactly my point Laura, I've got more flexibility with a $99 motel then I do with my "timeshare resort" If you have 4 or more kids your choices are very limited. When you've got small children under the age of 5, you should have the ability for fit in a 1BR if you decide that would work. The last 2 trips in our 2br, we never even used the room with the 2Q beds and bathroom. Now granted, 5 years from now I'll be singing the praises of Kidani's 2BR units with 3 full baths. But right now its just a waste of space and my points!

Timeshares aren't made to be flexible. Cash is always far more flexible than a timeshare.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Our other timeshare only has two bedrooms that sleep six. The two of us go there and don't feel bad at all about leaving the second bedroom completely empty. But if our son is available to join us, we have the room. I like have empty space.

 

[Hopefully]

Us too!!!

 

[HannaBelle]

That's exactly my point Laura, I've got more flexibility with a $99 motel then I do with my "timeshare resort" If you have 4 or more kids your choices are very limited. When you've got small children under the age of 5, you should have the ability for fit in a 1BR if you decide that would work. The last 2 trips in our 2br, we never even used the room with the 2Q beds and bathroom. Now granted, 5 years from now I'll be singing the praises of Kidani's 2BR units with 3 full baths. But right now its just a waste of space and my points!

Out of extreme curiosity, where did your children sleep if not in the bedroom? How old are your kids?

There are 4 of us and we love the 2 bedrooms. The "kids" (17 & 21) can sleep in and I can still be up at normal time and move about the room.

 

[SarahInMN]

I realize I'm in the minority, but I didn't get into timesharing so that I could put as many people into a space as possible. Instead, I do this because it gives my family more room to spread out---and have even since the kids were very young.

Agreed - we always get a 1 br for the two of us. The husband and I are both only children, we like our space, and love having a 1 bedroom to spread out in and to relax in. We almost always do morning park, then lunch, then back to the room to relax: one of us can go to the bedroom and nap, the other can sit in the living room and watch tv. For us, the space is the huge advantage to the DVC!

 

[Dean]

But the Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge is NOT a hotel/motel. It is a timeshare resort.

Laura

Agreed. Timeshares serve a different purpose than a hotel which also have different groupings from Roach Inn to The Ritz with all types in between. Timeshares are not really designed to save people money, they are designed to make people think they will save money. Their real purpose is to make the developer money. Obviously the successful ones tend to balance most of the issues like Disney, Marriott, etc but at the end of the day it's not simply a discount program.

That's exactly my point Laura, I've got more flexibility with a $99 motel then I do with my "timeshare resort" If you have 4 or more kids your choices are very limited. When you've got small children under the age of 5, you should have the ability for fit in a 1BR if you decide that would work. The last 2 trips in our 2br, we never even used the room with the 2Q beds and bathroom. Now granted, 5 years from now I'll be singing the praises of Kidani's 2BR units with 3 full baths. But right now its just a waste of space and my points!

Hotel's tend to be set up a certain way and are often very rigid once you get out of their primary setup. That's esp true when occupancy issues are considered. There are some things hotels tend to do better and others that timeshares do better. My personal opinion is they should be very rigid on the occupancy even counting infants into it but it's based on MF, resort experience, parking, pool and other resort amenity saturations, etc.

Our other timeshare only has two bedrooms that sleep six. The two of us go there and don't feel bad at all about leaving the second bedroom completely empty. But if our son is available to join us, we have the room. I like have empty space.

We've had many 2 BR villas with only the 2 of us at Disney and elsewhere. One specific situation that comes to mind is we were at VB on an exchange in with just the 2 of us and only needed a 1 BR. I offered for them to give us a 1 BR and we'd let them have the 2 BR but it wasn't important to them to the point they said they could not do that even if they wanted to. While technically they could have swapped them it was obvious the issues it cause just wasn't worth it to them.

 

[keishashadow]

I realize I'm in the minority, but I didn't get into timesharing so that I could put as many people into a space as possible. Instead, I do this because it gives my family more room to spread out---and have even since the kids were very young.

we got into DVC years ago after one too many experiences staying next to/floor below noisy, obviously over-packed rooms in the onsite values.

occupancy codes also pertain in part to how a resort is designed as to public spaces/amenities being sufficient to handle the maximum number of guests comfortably. If everybody snuck another guest into their room, it would feel very crowded.

DH & I don't mind doing a shorter trip in a studio with one of our adult children in the sofa bed, reminds us all of long-ago trips, good night john boy sort of thing lol

 

[gdrj]

That's exactly my point Laura, I've got more flexibility with a $99 motel then I do with my "timeshare resort" If you have 4 or more kids your choices are very limited. When you've got small children under the age of 5, you should have the ability for fit in a 1BR if you decide that would work. The last 2 trips in our 2br, we never even used the room with the 2Q beds and bathroom. Now granted, 5 years from now I'll be singing the praises of Kidani's 2BR units with 3 full baths. But right now its just a waste of space and my points!

With the exception of the Poly, the purpose of the studios that are adjoining is to give the most flexibility from a studio and 1 Br or to a 2 bedroom. While I understand your situation is ideal for 2 studios, quite honestly I don't want my stay to be like the a $99 motel stay with kids running from 1 "hotel" room to another slamming doors or talking the hallway throughout the night ( not that yours are of that age. The Marketing always use to be IMO the focus of 1 and 2 BR's and having more space than a hotel room. As you said a few years from now you will be clamoring for the 2 BR's.

The issue of occupancy limit in 1 BR's might be the bigger issue. But again I don't want people jammed into a room or 1 BR or in some cases 2 BR that cant fit there. I think it is a balancing act for any resort trying to accommodate guests within set parameters. I think it is going to be interesting to see how Poly works and if future resorts will be more studio centric, especially if they as rumored change rooms in the WL hotel to DVC.

 

[SarahInMN]

I think it is going to be interesting to see how Poly works and if future resorts will be more studio centric, especially if they as rumored change rooms in the WL hotel to DVC.

I know this is but a studio centric DVC would be hugely disappointing to us. Part of what we love is the 1 BR and all its space - which I believe has always been a selling point of DVC i.e. more room, a full kitchen, washer/dryer in the room, etc. We don't cook but love the full size fridge/dishwasher (we generally travel with 7+ bottles of wine and need a big fridge) and the washer/dryer in the room is huge. We would never stay in a poly studio and the poly over the water villas are too much space for us.

Moving to a studio centric DVC would IMHOP destroy its charm/appeal. But at the end of it, I guess it all really is about profits.

 

[achang2001]

Can mom stay in one studio w/ 2 kids and Dad in the other w/ 2 kids? That way 2 studios could work w/o safety concerns, etc and the can be near one another and don't need to be adjoining...

 

[LauraLea]

Can mom stay in one studio w/ 2 kids and Dad in the other w/ 2 kids? That way 2 studios could work w/o safety concerns, etc and the can be near one another and don't need to be adjoining...

Well I suppose, if that is your idea of a family vacation. Sure does not sound like much fun for mom and dad.

Laura