Looking for advice regarding DVC Studio's

[jcieutat]

We are arriving on Date Removed for * nights. We are currently booked at POFQ. We have stayed there the past 3 years and we do like the place alot. That being said, we would like to try other resorts. We unfortunately cannot afford the book a deluxe through Disney. We are considering renting DVC points to enable us to stay at either BWI, AKL, or OKW. We would be staying in the standard studio room. What condition (cleanliness, etc) are these rooms in vs a regular room via Disney? Are there any other drawbacks besides not having housekeeping every day? Which resort would be the best for a family of 4? I usually go and get the wife and kids breakfast in the mornings and bring it back to the room before we leave. Any one of these resorts just too big to do that? Thanks for the tips!!!!

EDIT: Post edited to remove specific travel dates and number of nights - Chuck S

 

[iluveeyore]

You would love any of these resorts - we have been members for 11 years and never had a problem with Disney cleanliness at DVC or any other WDW resort we have stayed at. The issue you would have is deciding which one to stay at, it depends on what you want to be close to as far as parks go, and what kind of atmosphere you would enjoy most. Also, OKW is the only DVC studio that is most like a hotel room with regard to it having two queen size beds instead of a queen size bed and a pull-out couch like all the other studios have. We rather enjoy having the couch when it's just the two of us so we have somewhere to sit and relax and watch tv. That's up to you having the kids with you. Although OKW is our absolute favourite resort for atmosphere and that truly Florida feel.
Another plus of a studio is that we actually have breakfast in our room without having to go out and get it - having the kitchenette, we have a fridge for milk so we can have cereal, there's a coffee maker, microwave and toaster. If you don't want to go buy groceries, you can get milk and bread at the gift shop of any DVC resort and make breakfast yourself.
Explore any pictures you can find and room layouts on the DIS or google and decide which theme you would enjoy with your family. You're only problem is that you will never want to stay in a regular resort again!

 

[bobbiwoz]

It is quite possible that you are too late to get a studio for those 8 nights, so what you could do is visit the resorts you are thinking about and see for yourself how big they are. None of them have a food court, the closest thing is The Mara in Jambo house.

I've never had a dirty room, and have had many many DVC visits. If something isn't working, the clock was off by 1/2 hour in my BCV studio last month, I called engineering & someone came & fixed it. He had instructions to follow, it wasn't easy!

In a studio, you have a kitchenette, microwave, toaster, frig, coffee pot, lots of us make our own breakfasts.

Best wishes to you. I must also say that you will be renting from an owner, so trust is very important. Usually there is no refund if you have to cancel, or a very restive money back policy. Maybe you get some peace of mind by going through a broker, but again, the cancellation policy is not what Disney has, and Disney will not get involved, that's my understanding.

Bobbi

 

[Deb & Bill]

You are arriving the day after (arrival date removed), so I'm going to bet most of the studios are already booked for those dates. Plus it is already past the seven month time frame when any points can be used for those nights.

Studios are kind of tight for a family of four. You'll have one queen bed and one double sleeper sofa, except for OKW where you will get two queen beds.

For counter service, OKW has one location at the pool which has limited offerings for breakfast (for all meals for that matter - it's poolside dining). BWV (not BWI) has limited counter service as well, but you can head to the BW Bakery.

AKV is split up into the two buildings at AKL/AKV. Mara is located at Jambo House (the original building). There is no counter service at Kidani Village for breakfast other than what you can purchase from the store to "cook" in your villa.

But this late, SSR might be the only one available.

 

[peacelover]

If you are fine with POFQ with a family of 4, you will be happy with an OKW studio. The only drawback is that unless you get a room near the Hospitality House section, getting breakfast is going to be a pain in the butt.
Boardwalk villas or Jambo house will be best for breakfast convenience.
I think the studio rooms are clean, plus you have the added space of a balcony, and a kitchenette.

 

[Princess Sleepy]

Do the DVC accommodations have shampoo and lotion and that kind of thing, or since there is no mousekeeping, do I have to bring my own?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Do the DVC accommodations have shampoo and lotion and that kind of thing, or since there is no mousekeeping, do I have to bring my own?

You get small bottles of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. These will be replaced on day 4. It may be enough, depending on your usage. No lotion is provided.

 

[jcieutat]

Thanks for the advice. We would definitely go through a broker for our first rental if we went that route. I did not realize that 7 months out it would already be booked. The week we are going is usually slow but the first few days will be busy. We may be out of luck for this year!

 

[Anal Annie]

We are arriving on Date Removed for * nights. We are currently booked at POFQ. We have stayed there the past 3 years and we do like the place alot. That being said, we would like to try other resorts. We unfortunately cannot afford the book a deluxe through Disney. We are considering renting DVC points to enable us to stay at either BWI, AKL, or OKW. We would be staying in the standard studio room. What condition (cleanliness, etc) are these rooms in vs a regular room via Disney? Are there any other drawbacks besides not having housekeeping every day? Which resort would be the best for a family of 4? I usually go and get the wife and kids breakfast in the mornings and bring it back to the room before we leave. Any one of these resorts just too big to do that? Thanks for the tips!!!!

EDIT: Post edited to remove specific travel dates and number of nights - Chuck S

I can't see your dates because Chuck has removed them but since I see others have posted that it may be too late to get a studio I'm gonna assume you're going at a busy time so good luck. OKW would be my last choice - it is very large and spread out and has very limited CS options (and they're not convenient to just pop over to get). Of the resorts that you mentioned I would choose AKV Jambo House (not Kidani) if you want convenient CS restaurant options (there is no CS option at Kidani - you have to schlep over to Jambo for CS food).

Personally, we use studios and take full advantage of having the kitchenette and we make our own breakfasts in our villa. The kitchenettes have an under-the-counter frig with a (very) small freezer, microwave, coffee pot and a toaster. We get a small grocery delivery from Garden Grocer that includes soda, miilk, a case (or 2) of water, beer and some breakfast items (bagels to toast and / or frozen waffles & syrup). (You can bring your own bag of coffee & a few flat bottom filters or some pre-filled coffee packs as those items are small & lightweight to pack.) I prefer the kitchenette and bathroom set-ups in the studios at Jambo over Kidani. The sinks in the Kidani kitchenettes are about the size of a bathroom sink - I couldn't even hardly wash the coffee pot in it - they are bigger at Jambo. Plus the bathrooms are not as family friendly in the studios at Kidani. They have the toilet in 1 room and then the vanity & tub/shower in another. At Jambo, they have a more traditional setup with the toilet and tub/shower in 1 room and the sink/vanity out in the room where others can access it without intruding on someone taking a shower.

The Mara at Jambo House is excellent and easily one of the best CS options in all of Disney. Plus the lobby at AKV is an incredible sight - it's gorgeous. And staying at Jambo makes it really, really easy to book a dinner at Boma (YUMMMM)!! Dinner at Boma is a must-do for us if we're staying at AK.

I am not sure why you are questioning the cleanliness of the DVC units. They are equalivalent to the Disney deluxe resorts and are cleaned by Mousekeeping between guests just like any other resorts. The only difference is that they don't come in & make your bed & dump your trash every day. I actually prefer knowing that we don't have someone coming into our villa every day.

You may find at this point that you have limited selections and may have to just take whatever you can get...If it were me I would try for AKV Jambo first, then Kidani. Then 3rd would be BW then last OKW.

 

[chalee94]

I am not sure why you are questioning the cleanliness of the DVC units. They are equalivalent to the Disney deluxe resorts and are cleaned by Mousekeeping between guests just like any other resorts.

deluxe rooms are cleaned daily. also, deluxe rooms are refurbed more often.

with that said, i haven't noticed any cleanliness issues in my stays...

 

[twinklebug]

I understand where the question about upkeep and cleanliness comes from. First off, it's a timeshare and some timeshares are well known for becoming run down. Rest assured Disney has done a very good job of upkeep and cleaning on these units. Damage beyond what is normal is supposed to be reported so the funds to fix can be collected from the last owner who had the unit (one reason why it's so important to report issues asap). In most cases, Disney typically fixes the problems asap.

It's human nature to complain louder than it is to praise. The internet is our source for vocalizing displeasure, but, for every one complaint, hundreds of stays have gone off without a hitch, we just don't hear about most of them. Yup - we the members of the Disboards are a bunch of complainers.

Note to self: write up a trip report so we can spread the positive aspects more.

 

[Anal Annie]

deluxe rooms are cleaned daily. also, deluxe rooms are refurbed more often.

with that said, i haven't noticed any cleanliness issues in my stays...

Of course I realize that the reg. hotel rooms are cleaned daily...it sounded to me like the OP was questioning if the DVC units were CLEAN or not when they questioned the cleanliness. When you first get your villa the bathroom should be clean and the sheets & beds should be freshly changed etc.

 

[Anal Annie]

I understand where the question about upkeep and cleanliness comes from. First off, it's a timeshare and some timeshares are well known for becoming run down. Rest assured Disney has done a very good job of upkeep and cleaning on these units. Damage beyond what is normal is supposed to be reported so the funds to fix can be collected from the last owner who had the unit (one reason why it's so important to report issues asap)

It's human nature to complain louder than it is to praise. The internet is our source for vocalizing displeasure, but, for every one complaint, hundreds of stays have gone off without a hitch, we just don't hear about most of them. Yup - we the members of the Disboards are a bunch of complainers.

Note to self: write up a trip report so we can spread the positive aspects more.

I think spotty cleanliness and upkeep is more likely with a privately owned condo where the individual owners manage the furnishings and hire the cleaning crew. We once rented a condo in Hawaii and I was less than impressed with our particular unit. I imagine that other units could have been nicer if their owners were more hands on for example. For that reason I would be hesitant to rent a condo or apartment again...