Occupancy Thread

[jarestel]

I really don't think 7 people in a 1-BR would work at all. If you're thinking of buying 200 points, you'll be able to do 5 - 6 nights in a 2 bedroom depending on time of year and resort. Good luck!

 

[Granny]

Originally posted by disneygang

On the return flight home I met a member who told me about the 1 BR Villas and that it is possible for us to stay comfortably. Does anyone have any experience with using a 1 BR with a family of seven. Is it allowed for us to do that if we choose to?

I'm afraid that member misled you. And please don't feel badly if this thread gets locked. Occupancy limits are a hot topic here and strongly debated, so threads about them often get locked.

Regardless of the occupancy limits, 7 people in a 1BR unti would not be comfortable at all, IMHO.

Yes, all the resorts have a point system (except those with DVC units). But the trade out for regular resort rooms is not a particularly good economic trade of your DVC points.

 

[laceemouse]

We have 4 kids and fill up a 2 bedroom to the brim!!!!! I have to add though that we only have 160 points. While an add-on is definitely in our future, right now we do short trips here and there, or will bank/borrow and not go every year. We own another T/S that we trade through RCI so our Disney trips are not our only trips, we were in Williamsburg, Va. in June!!!!! Once you stay in a T/S you will have a hard time going back to hotel rooms....multiple bathrooms and t.v.s, a full kitchen, and a washer/dryer....you can't beat it!!! Lacee
Also, we do not take our kids out of school for vacation (although they will miss one day in October,combined with a long weekend, to go to OKW for 4 nights) SO don't think you will HAVE to go always off-season to make it work.

 

[laceemouse]

Hey disneygang, where do you live? I am originally from Lafayette and my mom, sister, etc....still live there! DH is from Florida...we miss the south!

 

[laceemouse]

Hey disneygang, where do you live? I am originally from Lafayette and my mom, sister, etc....still live there! DH is from Florida...we miss the south!

 

[dianeschlicht]

My reccommendation would be a small OKW resale. Points are lower for stays there, and a 2 bedroom during summer vacation time would be 223 points for a 6 night stay (Sun.-Sat.) and 296 for a week during the peak summer months.

If you can arrange to go eary June or late August, it would only be 199 points for those same six nights, or 263 for a full week.

Don't even THINK about trying to put 7 in a 1 bedroom! The occupancy limit is 4 plus a child under 3, and even with the big OKW units, it would be miserable with 7 people and one bathroom! With a 2 bedroom, you could put the boys in one room, let DD have the living room, and you and your spouse can luxuriate in the king sized master!

 

[Deb & Bill]

One word on the suggestion of using two studios. Studios never connect to another studio, only to a one bedroom. If you use two studios, you and your husband would have to split up unless you don't mind the kids staying by themselves in the other studio. Stick with the two bedroom.

 

[Disney Doll]

A studio sleeps 4 with a 5th child under the age of 3 who can stay in a pack & play crib, unless it's one of the few BWV studios which also has a daybed.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Originally posted by Disney Doll
A studio sleeps 4 with a 5th child under the age of 3 who can stay in a pack & play crib, unless it's one of the few BWV studios which also has a daybed.

And that daybed is not like any daybed you have ever seen. It's more like an upholstered luggage rack and smaller in size than a standard crib. If you aren't aware of it being so small, you might walk into the room looking for a daybed, stare at the luggage rack and wonder why they made such a fancy one.

 

[lulu71]

Originally posted by Deb & Bill
And that daybed is not like any daybed you have ever seen. It's more like an upholstered luggage rack and smaller in size than a standard crib. If you aren't aware of it being so small, you might walk into the room looking for a daybed, stare at the luggage rack and wonder why they made such a fancy one.

LOL! So true! We always keep the stuff we accumulate on the daybed, along with camera bag, etc.

 

[disneygang]

My name is Richie and I am from just outside Baton Rouge. Lived here all my life.

I am seriously contemplating a DVC membership. I a trying to bring my wife around to the idea. Hope to call her a DW soon. We have just returned from a 7 night/8 day visit as I said. Seem that the 6K I spent could have went to a DVC membership and we would be in better living quarters.

I am sure the 2 BR is the way we will go, but I had to ask.

I appreciate the input and opinions are definitely wanted.

How do I change the countdown timer or remove it until I am ready to use it again?

Tks,

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by disneygang
On the return flight home I met a member who told me about the 1 BR Villas and that it is possible for us to stay comfortably. Does anyone have any experience with using a 1 BR with a family of seven. Is it allowed for us to do that if we choose to?

I wonder if they were talking about the corner type rooms at VB where some really can accomodate 6 but they don't reserve them independently so you'll never know if you'll get one or not. Or they could be talking about the day bed rooms at BWV though they will only accomodate 5 comfortably.

 

[Beca]

Originally posted by disneygang
My name is Richie and I am from just outside Baton Rouge. Lived here all my life.

I am seriously contemplating a DVC membership. I a trying to bring my wife around to the idea. Hope to call her a DW soon. We have just returned from a 7 night/8 day visit as I said. Seem that the 6K I spent could have went to a DVC membership and we would be in better living quarters.

I am sure the 2 BR is the way we will go, but I had to ask.

I appreciate the input and opinions are definitely wanted.

How do I change the countdown timer or remove it until I am ready to use it again?

Tks,

Hi Ritchie....welcome to the boards!!

You sound like you know a lot already!! And, yes...that 6K could've gone a LONG way on a purchase at DVC. Remember, at DVC you don't purchase a "unit", you purchase points to spend on a unit, so if you need a 2bdr, you can get that, but if you only need a studio, you can use fewer points and bank the rest.

I HIGHLY recommend reading these boards ad nauseum, and getting on the disney vacation club section of disney.go.com to see the virtual tours of the resorts. Also, if you have not sent away for the free video and guidebook...please do so. Disney (via Disney financing, or Tammac corp) is very reasonable, and has thus far proven to be a good investment.

Do some research, and post back with any specific questions you may have.

As for the "ticker"...yes, you do have to manually remove it. Go to the FAQ's on the homepage of this site, and you will find directions.

Good luck,



Beca

 

[disneygang]

I have been very thorough in my search for information on the DVC. Already have the video.

I am looking for the intangible perks. Not the ones in the brochure or video. I am sure there are ways to use the membership to ones advantage (but not at anybody elses expense).

Looking at the numbers, flexibility, service and accomadations. I love DVC. What does a member get that Disney can't put in a selling script or package. What does a member not get?

I have many ideas that include bringing family and friends, but these are not my reality as it is some of yours.

 

[tjkraz]

Richie :

First, you might want to start your own thread rather than posting on the end of this 13-pager. You'll probably get a lot better response.

I'll start you with one practical response and an emotional response.

On the practical side, we have always stayed in a 1B or 2B. The kitchen and laundry facilities have saved us a TON of money in just 3 trips. The days of paying $2.50 for a bottle of water or soda are over. You can get a 12-pack of water at Publix for about $6 and store it in the fridge. We have two young children, so we are usually in our room around 1pm for naps. So, it's not too much of a hardship to make sandwiches in the room for lunch. Oh, and breakfast is a given. We usually splurge and eat dinner out, but we save hundreds per week eating convenient meals in the room.

On the personal side, owning at DVC means that we don't have to run around the parks like crazy trying to do everything. In fact, I enjoy missing attractions because that gives us something to look forward to next time.

I'll give you a great example: during the first day of our trip in May, we found ourselves in Tomorrowland about 30 minutes before the fireworks were set to begin. We had already ridden everything in Tomorrowland, and had planned to take it easy until the fireworks began. Instead my wife suggested trying to get on Big Thunder Mtn Railroad quickly. OK, we head over there--no line--we're on-and-off BTMR and it's still only 8:45. We decide to give Splash Mountain a try. Again, no line. We are literally in the last car (log?) that goes into the ride that night. It's just myself and my wife in the front of the log and nobody else. We decide to ham it up for the photo during the big drop.

Lo and behold the picture comes out great. We decide to buy a copy. As we're waiting for the photo, the fireworks begin. Inevitably something goes wrong with the printer and it takes a few minutes to spit out our photo. By the time we have the photo in-hand, the fireworks are over.

We had never seen Wishes before, and knew we wouldn't have another opportunity this trip. But you know what? Waiting for the photo was worth every minute. That photo is our own little bit of Disney 'magic', and it symbolizes a wonderful memory and a story that I will tell again and again.

If we hadn't been members, we probably would have said "forget the picture, we gotta get to the fireworks!" Or, I might have really lost my cool with the folks working at Splash Mountain. With DVC, I already knew we would be back in December, and Wishes will still be there.

 

[DrTomorrow]

tjzraz is right - there's something reassuring about knowing that you'll be back next year, and for many years to come. You can relax a bit, take time to see the little things that always get the short shrift when you're in a hurry.

Another benefit (if you're of the charitable type) is to bring (or gift) friends and family on a WDW trip. We're bringing (fingers crossed) some good friends in December, and it'll be a lot more fun with them there. And we're working with our adult son to schedule in a trip where he goes with some friends (or a special friend ::wink:: ).

 

[disneygang]

tjkraz thanks for the suggestion.

I did make another thread and it is "How much Magic can I get and then share?"

I hope this also may inspire more people to have ideas as well as for me.

Thank you all!

Richie

 

[CVW]

I too asked several questions about room occupancy before we made our purchase last year. I was stunned by the emotions I sparked. I've generally stayed away from the topic since then, because it was always the same stuff.

But I decided to re-read this thread this morning from the very beginning and I noticed something unusual. Several people very politely pointed out advantages and disadvantages of exceeding occupancy.

Yet the "flame" category really consists of two complaints which are 1) "rules are rules" or 2) "you're damaging the resort for the rest of us".

I could only find four posters, all with multiple posts, who seem truly rankled by this issue. The frequency of these four posters, I think, exaggerates their perceived numbers.

I remember some of their names showing up a year ago when I asked the same types of questions

Look back through the old threads; look at people's experience with MS; read not just the number of posts, but the name of the poster, and you'll probably reach the conclusion that the degree of controversy here is far less than it appears.

 

[disneygang]

The question I asked about the occupancy totals per room were not intended to cause damage in any way. I do see that the opinions are varied and some quite strong.

Yet the "flame" category really consists of two complaints which are 1) "rules are rules" or 2) "you're damaging the resort for the rest of us".

With that said I asked my question out of curiosity to help my family in any way I can. Doesn't mean I will pack in 20 people into a studio. I am quite pleased with the responses I received about this topic.

CVW, I am sure you had the same intentions. I would hope that everyone else would ask the same type of questions, who wouldn't want to get the best for their family?

 

[caracarn]

Originally posted by disneygang
The question I asked about the occupancy totals per room were not intended to cause damage in any way. I do see that the opinions are varied and some quite strong.



With that said I asked my question out of curiosity to help my family in any way I can. Doesn't mean I will pack in 20 people into a studio. I am quite pleased with the responses I received about this topic.

CVW, I am sure you had the same intentions. I would hope that everyone else would ask the same type of questions, who wouldn't want to get the best for their family?

As someone with three small children I've asked this issue of Member Services several times. While there is no "official" policy that they enforce (let's read the enforce word people, not the fact that it's in the book), all the personnel I spoke with to a one have all agreed that up until the youngest child gets to about age 8, there is usually no problem wth a family using a studio and then having one member sleep in family provided bedding i.e. a sleeping bag. No it's not a day bed, but if you're family is not one of the ones that can afford 1000 points a year, for many it's the difference between vacationing or not.

I totally understand the concern of "overusing" services that some bring up, but we never do that. I'm sure I'll get attacked by the rule police for expressing what I've been told. I'd agree once our youngest gets around that 8 age limit we're going to have to decided what we do, which will obviously be at least move to a 1BR, but doing a 2BR would allow us no time to go at all and I don't think that is Disney's intent.