Multiple Thermostats?

[cometdad2010]

Hi all, we're planning a trip in Oct 2021 for my MIL's 50th birthday. Our home resort is AKV but we'll be a group of 9, so we're trying to get a grand villa at OKW 7-months out. Just a few quick questions:
- I've seen the availability calendars, estimated booking patterns, etc. but I'm looking for some real-world experience. Should I expect to be able to book this in March for an October trip?
- This is the big one -- NOT A DEALBREAKER, but we're preparing ourselves -- my in-laws keep their house HOT (80 degrees and up) and we keep ours at 65 or below. I'm anticipating some thermostat wars. I know the AKV Kidani grand villas have multiple thermostats. Does anyone know if OKW does? That would absolutely be ideal.

Thanks!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You should not expect to be able to get this in March for October 2021. Not only is it usually difficult to get one at 7 months for fall, October is the start of the 50th anniversary.

Book home resort and expect to need to use waitlist to get OKW.

 

[cometdad2010]

You should not expect to be able to get this in March for October 2021. Not only is it usually difficult to get one at 7 months for fall, October is the start of the 50th anniversary.

Book home resort and expect to need to use waitlist to get OKW.

Thanks. That was definitely my plan. We don't have enough points for a GV at AKV, so my plan was to book a 2BR at 11-months out (since that would at least sleep the nine of us, but barely) and then try for something at OKW. Now we're even thinking maybe a split stay, if we have to. I guess it all depends on what's available then. Thanks!

 

[lovin'fl]

Maybe book two 1BR at AKV at 11 months. That sleeps 10 total. And in laws would have their own thermostat in their own room. Lol. But then hope for the OKW GV or maybe a SSR treehouse villa at 7 months.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Maybe book two 1BR at AKV at 11 months. That sleeps 10 total. And in laws would have their own thermostat in their own room. Lol. But then hope for the OKW GV or maybe a SSR treehouse villa at 7 months.

Unless there are kids, I don't recommend a THV. Those bunk beds are shorties!

Looks like, based on points costs, OP could do a 2BR and a studio, Standard View, at AKV for fewer points than an OKW GV, so should be in budget. A 2BR+studio is almost always (maybe always, haven't looked lately) cheaper than a GV. There's risk of separation between family units with such a booking, but it is points-efficient and if you're treating them to the room, there should be a No Whining rule anyway.

So maybe consider a 2BR+studio at AKV instead?

 

[Pirate Granny]

We’ve stayed at GV at OKW twice, with another scheduled for December. I don’t recall multiple thermostats, but can’t confirm until December. Personally, we LUV the GV at AKV Jambo. Send me a PM around December 18th, and I’ll check on the thermostat locations for you. AKV Jambo GVs are on one floor (only six of them), while all OKW are on two floors and no elevators for GVs. Normally second and third floors (outside covered steps), one entrance on second floor. Master bedroom down, two other upstairs. One OKW GV is on first floor/second floor, entrance on first floor...no elevator. That unit is NOT HH area. We love the space.

 

[cometdad2010]

Unless there are kids, I don't recommend a THV. Those bunk beds are shorties!

Looks like, based on points costs, OP could do a 2BR and a studio, Standard View, at AKV for fewer points than an OKW GV, so should be in budget. A 2BR+studio is almost always (maybe always, haven't looked lately) cheaper than a GV. There's risk of separation between family units with such a booking, but it is points-efficient and if you're treating them to the room, there should be a No Whining rule anyway.

So maybe consider a 2BR+studio at AKV instead?

Three young kids between us and a teenager, so we thought about a treehouse, but my wife wants a king-sized bed and the treehouse didn't seem to have a lot of extra space. Not that an AKV 2BR would be spacious for the nine of us, but at least with the large balcony, it would feel a little bigger. I thought about a 2BR and studio, but I think we'd prefer to all be in the same unit. Our plan is to book the 2BR at AKV Kidani so we have the third bathroom, and then try our luck with OKW at 7 months. Thanks for the advice, everyone!

 

[cometdad2010]

We’ve stayed at GV at OKW twice, with another scheduled for December. I don’t recall multiple thermostats, but can’t confirm until December. Personally, we LUV the GV at AKV Jambo. Send me a PM around December 18th, and I’ll check on the thermostat locations for you. AKV Jambo GVs are on one floor (only six of them), while all OKW are on two floors and no elevators for GVs. Normally second and third floors (outside covered steps), one entrance on second floor. Master bedroom down, two other upstairs. One OKW GV is on first floor/second floor, entrance on first floor...no elevator. That unit is NOT HH area. We love the space.

Thanks! I'll send you a PM in December. Stairs shouldn't be an issue for us.

 

[cvjw]

Three young kids between us and a teenager, so we thought about a treehouse, but my wife wants a king-sized bed and the treehouse didn't seem to have a lot of extra space. Not that an AKV 2BR would be spacious for the nine of us, but at least with the large balcony, it would feel a little bigger. I thought about a 2BR and studio, but I think we'd prefer to all be in the same unit. Our plan is to book the 2BR at AKV Kidani so we have the third bathroom, and then try our luck with OKW at 7 months. Thanks for the advice, everyone!

Get a 2 bedroom plus a studio. We routinely travel with extended family with a total of 7 people. We did all 7 in a kidani 2 bedroom - way too small and the people sleeping in the den had no privacy.

We now get a 2 bedroom and a studio. We get extra key cards to the 2 bedroom for those in the studio. It gives everyone some privacy and no one has to sleep in the den - that means the kitchen can be used for early risers to make coffee. We have meals and hang out in the 2 bedroom and then everyone has a bedroom to go back to for some personal space. Makes for a much better vacation.

 

[Lorana]

Three young kids between us and a teenager, so we thought about a treehouse, but my wife wants a king-sized bed and the treehouse didn't seem to have a lot of extra space. Not that an AKV 2BR would be spacious for the nine of us, but at least with the large balcony, it would feel a little bigger. I thought about a 2BR and studio, but I think we'd prefer to all be in the same unit. Our plan is to book the 2BR at AKV Kidani so we have the third bathroom, and then try our luck with OKW at 7 months. Thanks for the advice, everyone!

The Treehouse does not have a lot of extra space, but it is surprisingly spacious because of the room layout and the circular/curving nature of the rooms, and the deck is a great size. If you have a river view, it's super relaxing and nice to get away. It is only queen beds, however, but I would definitely stay in a Treehouse again.

Just be mindful it takes forever and a day to get to the Treehouses if you don't have a car!

We had a full house in the treehouse: DH & I (as we were treating everyone) in the Master Bedroom. Three teenage boys in the bunk room (we brought an air mattress for one of them), my SIL & her hubby in the other queen bedroom, and my BIL and the young twins in the living room. It was a lot of people, and when everyone was out in the main room, it was a little crowded. I would have loved a 4th bedroom, mind you, but it worked well for a long weekend.

Also, there is only one thermostat, and it is located in the main room. The main living room/kitchen/dining room area stays cooler than the rest of the rooms, as the AC comes from above and is circulated by the fans. This does mean if you like the bedrooms cool for sleeping and keep all the doors closed, then the main living space is significantly colder. It also means that if you turn off the AC in the Treehouse at night in July, the bedrooms get uncomfortably warm. (Not that I know this from experience, or that my brother-in-law kept turning off the AC after the rest of us went to bed... partly as revenge I think for having the sleeper chair, despite the fact that I treated him to this vacation and paid for his room, tickets, airfare, and food...)

 

[Deb & Bill]

You can always add "Traveling with" to both of your reservations if you book a studio and a two bedroom. Then the Room Assigner will try to put you close to each other..

 

[cometdad2010]

You can always add "Traveling with" to both of your reservations if you book a studio and a two bedroom. Then the Room Assigner will try to put you close to each other..

That's good to know! I knew you could request the rooms be nearby, but I wasn't sure how reliable that would be.

 

[cometdad2010]

The Treehouse does not have a lot of extra space, but it is surprisingly spacious because of the room layout and the circular/curving nature of the rooms, and the deck is a great size. If you have a river view, it's super relaxing and nice to get away. It is only queen beds, however, but I would definitely stay in a Treehouse again.

Just be mindful it takes forever and a day to get to the Treehouses if you don't have a car!

We had a full house in the treehouse: DH & I (as we were treating everyone) in the Master Bedroom. Three teenage boys in the bunk room (we brought an air mattress for one of them), my SIL & her hubby in the other queen bedroom, and my BIL and the young twins in the living room. It was a lot of people, and when everyone was out in the main room, it was a little crowded. I would have loved a 4th bedroom, mind you, but it worked well for a long weekend.

Also, there is only one thermostat, and it is located in the main room. The main living room/kitchen/dining room area stays cooler than the rest of the rooms, as the AC comes from above and is circulated by the fans. This does mean if you like the bedrooms cool for sleeping and keep all the doors closed, then the main living space is significantly colder. It also means that if you turn off the AC in the Treehouse at night in July, the bedrooms get uncomfortably warm. (Not that I know this from experience, or that my brother-in-law kept turning off the AC after the rest of us went to bed... partly as revenge I think for having the sleeper chair, despite the fact that I treated him to this vacation and paid for his room, tickets, airfare, and food...)

Hmm. If I can talk my wife into a queen-sized bed... that may be an option. We'll see. Do you have any idea what availability is like at 7 months on the treehouses?

 

[Lorana]

Hmm. If I can talk my wife into a queen-sized bed... that may be an option. We'll see. Do you have any idea what availability is like at 7 months on the treehouses?

Availability is usually pretty good, unless you're going during Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other similar popular period. I think October is likely to be fine, unless it's right over Halloween or the actual 50th Birthday (10/1).

 

[RoseGold]

I vote 2BR + studio AKL. Def two thermostats between two rooms! And AKL is such a special place for a trip like this.

 

[Halle]

That's good to know! I knew you could request the rooms be nearby, but I wasn't sure how reliable that would be.

We have done the' travel with' numerous times and with three villas, always were next door or across the hall from us. This was at the Boardwalk.

 

[lovin'fl]

That's good to know! I knew you could request the rooms be nearby, but I wasn't sure how reliable that would be.

Since we travel with in laws a lot, we've done the 'travel with' at WDW and sometimes aren't even on the same floor. I'd say, more times than not, we're usually not right next door or across the hall. Usually cannot see each others' doors. Twice, at SSR and BWV, we were next door. Most times...down the hall, including 3 other times at BWV. And once, at OKW, we were on bottom floor and SIL was on 2nd floor but in same building. Once at AKV Jambo we were way apart too...SIL overlooked lobby and we were around corner and all the way at end of hall. Way far apart.