Need Dedicated Two Bedroom Villa -- Which Would You Choose?

[JWhiz]

Headed to WDW next year and want to reserve a two bedroom villa in the near future. I need two beds in the second bedroom, so that looks like that means a dedicated two bedroom instead of a lock off.

The choices are (with number of dedicated rooms):

Beach Club (78)
Boulder Ridge (45)
Copper Creek (55)
Old Key West (274)
Saratoga Springs (360+60)

Not including Kidani or Bay Lake Tower as I have already stayed at both. Not including Grand Floridian as there are too few and it's too expensive. Shouldn't really include Saratoga Springs as I don't like the resort, but would stay at the Tree Houses.

My preferred option is Beach Club. Please tell me why it shouldn't be or tell me which would be a good alternative if I don't get it.

 

[Marionnette]

Headed to WDW next year and want to reserve a two bedroom villa in the near future. I need two beds in the second bedroom, so that looks like that means a dedicated two bedroom instead of a lock off.

The choices are (with number of dedicated rooms):

Beach Club (78)
Boulder Ridge (45)
Copper Creek (55)
Old Key West (274)
Saratoga Springs (360+60)

Not including Kidani or Bay Lake Tower as I have already stayed at both. Not including Grand Floridian as there are too few and it's too expensive. Shouldn't really include Saratoga Springs as I don't like the resort, but would stay at the Tree Houses.

My preferred option is Beach Club. Please tell me why it shouldn't be or tell me which would be a good alternative if I don't get it.

My advice is to book your home resort at 11 months. Then switch to whatever is available at 7 months. Sometimes it's not about what you want. It's about what you can get.

But if you're a renter and not an owner, I recommend OKW. It was recently renovated, the 2BR villas are among the largest on property, they have full-size washers and dryers, there are more units (increases your chances of success), and there are more owners than the smaller resorts (BCV, BR, CCV) so the likelihood of an owner putting their points up for rent are greatly increased.

 

[jerseygal]

Have personally not stayed at OKW, the only one we have not stayed at,but from conversations with other members on our trip, they have all said they are amongst the biggest 2br on property, supposedly a lovely resort!Marionnette has great detail above. I would consider OKW or BCV, love BCV, so convenient to Epcot, love Boardwalk to walk around, and love Stormalong Bay and the quiet pool at BWV!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

Well, you don't mention how many of you there will be or when you're going (summer, winter)? For the living space and the lush tropical atmosphere, my favorite is always OKW. It has wonderful views and huge patios that extend the living space. You want the Beach Club, and it along with BWV are my least favorite places to stay, I don't care for the footprint/layout but if you have little kids and want them to enjoy Stormalong Bay, that's the deciding factor. The Treehouse are great but it depends on how many adults, the bunk beds don't work for us anymore, everyone is 6'3". Boulder Ridge and Copper Creek may be hard to get at the 7 month mark, depending on when you're going? Good luck with your decision.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Every OKW two bedroom, whether dedicated or lockoff, has two queen beds in the second bedroom.

 

[JWhiz]

Well, you don't mention how many of you there will be or when you're going (summer, winter)?

It's all adults, four to be exact. Two will share the king bed, and one each in the queen beds. Will be late January or early February.

And yes, the plan is to book at the seven month mark. That was probably obvious with all the properties I listed since I would have to own at all of them otherwise!

Having not been inside the BCV units, I cannot speak to the layout concerns you mention. For me, it's all about location, which is also a reason that it may not be an option as it will be after Star Wars land opens. A big reason I would like to be there, but a reason that it may be booked up too. One of the Wilderness Lodge resorts would probably be next with OKW as a fall back. I do like the look of OKW, but I'm not crazy about the location.

 

[BillPA]

Jan can be difficult with the marathons, I would book home resort then look at 7 months for a switch to near the park where you plan to visit most. Where is your home? At WDW or else where?

 

[BEASLYBOO]

With 4 adults and BCV being your prime location, the resort should do you fine. For us, usually 6-8, the layout is tight and our least favorite. Now, if they could put an OKW size villa at the Boardwalk/Beach Club I'd be all in because it's cool to be able to walk to Epcot and the other hotels etc.

 

[ptlohmysoul]

The treehouses have 3 bedrooms, 2 with queen beds and 1 with a bunk bed - does that fit your party? Otherwise, I would go with the location that best suits your needs/wants, which sounds like Beach Club. Beach Club is well suited for a group of 4 adults, as both bathrooms have a shower, not a shower/tub combo (as long as no one in the 2nd bedroom desires a tub).

 

[mustinjourney]

I would definitely go with BCV for the location. Late January is not too difficult to book right now -- no idea how much SWL will change that though. The last two Januarys I have been able to book studios at BCV inside of 7 months, so I would think you'll be ok.

 

[jamiecarr@dvcstore]

As Marionnette suggested, it would be best to book your home resort at 11 months, then at 7 months, you can check and see what else is available. If there is nothing that you are interested in, then you still have your original reservation. If you do see a resort you would like, then you can switch at that point. It removes the stress of checking right at 7 months and then not finding what you want. If I was choosing a resort based on the information you provided, I would choose Old Key West.

 

[Marionnette]

It's all adults, four to be exact. Two will share the king bed, and one each in the queen beds. Will be late January or early February.

And yes, the plan is to book at the seven month mark. That was probably obvious with all the properties I listed since I would have to own at all of them otherwise!

Having not been inside the BCV units, I cannot speak to the layout concerns you mention. For me, it's all about location, which is also a reason that it may not be an option as it will be after Star Wars land opens. A big reason I would like to be there, but a reason that it may be booked up too. One of the Wilderness Lodge resorts would probably be next with OKW as a fall back. I do like the look of OKW, but I'm not crazy about the location.

Jan./Feb. at an Epcot resort right after SW:GE opens is not likely to happen at the 7-month mark. JMO. I have a feeling that those villas are going to book up quickly by those who own there prior to 7 months.

You should certainly try for one of the WL resorts if that's your second/third choices. My preference would be for BRV over CCV just because BRV was built as a DVC resort while CCV was constructed out of converted hotel rooms. I found the living room/kitchen area at our 2BR villa at CCV to be quite narrow and cramped. We had 5 adults and we really could not sit everyone comfortably at the table together or in the living room to watch TV. It's a lovely resort and there is something to be said about being inside of the WL for convenience. But I would still lean toward BRV.

 

[mom2rb]

Not all of the dedicated two bedrooms at BCV have two queen beds. Some have a queen and a pullout in the second bedroom.

 

[DebbieB]

Not all of the dedicated two bedrooms at BCV have two queen beds. Some have a queen and a pullout in the second bedroom.

With the last renovation, they fixed this. All dedicated now have 2 queens in the second bedroom.

 

[JWhiz]

My advice is to book your home resort at 11 months. Then switch to whatever is available at 7 months. Sometimes it's not about what you want. It's about what you can get.

It wouldn't be my first choice, but since I'm a little new in this regard having only gotten the reservations I wanted to book or have wait listed things, how does this work? The first reservation at 11 months is straightforward enough. When you make the second at 7 months, does the system realize you are making it for the same time period as an existing reservation and ask you if you want to replace it? Do you go into the existing reservation first and try to change it, thus not creating a second reservation? Or does that only work for changes of days at the same resort?

Another reason I'm timid about the changing reservations at the 7 month mark is that either way I would definitely need to borrow points. So I'd rather not borrow for something I don't necessarily want, particularly if to make the second reservation to replace the first I have to borrow again because of some quirk in the system. In other words, I don't want to overborrow, then cancel, only to have some points in the current UY that I don't want.

Does that make sense?

 

[JETSDAD]

It wouldn't be my first choice, but since I'm a little new in this regard having only gotten the reservations I wanted to book or have wait listed things, how does this work? The first reservation at 11 months is straightforward enough. When you make the second at 7 months, does the system realize you are making it for the same time period as an existing reservation and ask you if you want to replace it? Do you go into the existing reservation first and try to change it, thus not creating a second reservation? Or does that only work for changes of days at the same resort?

Another reason I'm timid about the changing reservations at the 7 month mark is that either way I would definitely need to borrow points. So I'd rather not borrow for something I don't necessarily want, particularly if to make the second reservation to replace the first I have to borrow again because of some quirk in the system. In other words, I don't want to overborrow, then cancel, only to have some points in the current UY that I don't want.

Does that make sense?

You would just make your 11 month reservation and then use the Modify feature online to make the change at 7 months (or call in but online opens an hour earlier). It will use the points from the reservation being cancelled to make the new one. If you have to borrow more that is easy enough because you can do it as a part of the modification. The only concern would be if you were getting something that would be less points as you would have then borrowed too many. If that happened I'm not sure if MS would help out but you could always look to bank some of the current UY points into the following year if you will also be traveling the following UY (others will have much more experience than myself with regards to borrowing).

 

[Marionnette]

It wouldn't be my first choice, but since I'm a little new in this regard having only gotten the reservations I wanted to book or have wait listed things, how does this work? The first reservation at 11 months is straightforward enough. When you make the second at 7 months, does the system realize you are making it for the same time period as an existing reservation and ask you if you want to replace it? Do you go into the existing reservation first and try to change it, thus not creating a second reservation? Or does that only work for changes of days at the same resort?

Another reason I'm timid about the changing reservations at the 7 month mark is that either way I would definitely need to borrow points. So I'd rather not borrow for something I don't necessarily want, particularly if to make the second reservation to replace the first I have to borrow again because of some quirk in the system. In other words, I don't want to overborrow, then cancel, only to have some points in the current UY that I don't want.

Does that make sense?

I guess it depends on what your goals are for this trip. Is it your intention to use your points to stay during specific dates, regardless of where you end up staying? Then book your home resort at 11 months and seek to modify the reservation at 7 months. If your home resort requires more points than you would spend on the desired resort, then book fewer days so that you do not borrow more than necessary.

However, if your dates are flexible and you have absolutely no desire to stay at your home resort during this trip (and would just skip going or book with cash instead), then don't bother with making a reservation in the 11-7 window and roll the dice on getting what you can at 7 months.

FWIW, modifying a reservation is very easy using the website (when the website itself is working). You just go to your dashboard, click on modify/cancel for the reservation you want to change and then check availability for the new dates or resorts. The only wrinkle would be that modifying is an all-or-nothing function. You cannot change only some of the existing reservation. So, let's say that you have 7 nights at your home resort and when you go to modify, the first two nights are available at your first choice but not the rest of the stay. You cannot modify the existing reservation to 5 nights and add the 2 nights at the alternate resort by doing this in a single transaction. You would first have to modify the existing reservation to drop the first two nights and then go back and pick up those nights at the other resort. In the mean time, those nights could be snapped up by someone who is also looking to book it at 7 months. And that's why I recommend opting not to make any home resort reservation if you have absolutely no intention nor desire to stay there during that trip.