Onsite, Condo , DVC Confused ?!

[Msslaydbug]

I think I am getting myself more and more confused the more I think about where to stay. THis will be 4 adults Me and DH, My mom and dad, along with my 8yo Ds and 1yo DD. So total 4 adults and 2 kids.
This first plan was to get 2 rooms at POP. Then I considered DVC but this might be on the high side for us. Now that I am reading around on this board I am also thinking maybe a villa sounds good for us ?
We will have a minivan so transportation is no problem but we are spoiled and like to stay onsite. i am afraid we will be disapointed.
What are the pros and cons of 2 rooms at Pop vs a 2-3 room villa ?
Our dates of travel are 05/12-05/21. We will be staying at Universal RPR from 05/18-05/21.

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

DVC two-bedroom villa (or vacation home) is basically a condo with all the trimmings. Instead of just the bed and bath you get at Pop, you will have a living area, dining area, full kitchen, washer/dryer (full size), two bedrooms, two bathrooms (including one with a jacuzzi tub), and a balcony or terrace.

The cost of a 2BR DVC unit is much higher than two regular Pop rooms. However, you may want to consider "renting" points from a DVC owner. (CHeck out the DVC rent/buy board right here on the DIS.) The usual rate is $10 per point, and that may make your vacation affordable. You can use the DVC calculator to figure out how many points you will need.

We've been members at OKW for five years. We have two teenage sons and a DD who is 10. We can't imagine staying in regular rooms. We save money by cooking at least half our meals and we pack lighter because we wash our clothes as we go.

Whatever you decide, have a great trip!

 

[spiceycat]

staying offsite can be fun - depends upon you.

how dependent are you on WDW transportation?

can you read a map?

do you enjoy new places?

if not really, yes and yes - you would enjoy offsite.

for about the same as one room at Pop Century you can get a 2-bedroom condo.... you can rent from an agency or owner. You can also get a house for a little more....

the 2-bedroom condo are generally timeshares (although sometimes owner rented) - they generally have all the fun stuff of a hotel. nice pool, activities for your children, other children to play with, nice landscaping....

a house is just that a house - I have rented one - so no expert at all.

now you can find the condos on
www.hotelkingdom.com
www.hotelmartusa.com

some times (but not often these days)
www.skyauction.com

www.condodirect.com

houses/condos
www.vrbo.com

As far as a DVC - Sun-thurs they are a great bargin - but you are staying for a couple of weekends - DVC can be very expensive for those weekends.

2-bedroom OKW sun-thurs in May 27 points per night so $270 a night.

2-bedroom OKW fri/sat in May - 64 points per night - so $640 a night

the weekends at any DVC resort will be expensive - OKW is the cheapest..

 

[kilee]

A rental villa would be great. However, you have to not mind staying offsite. We don't. When we travel alone, or for a quick weekend trip we always stay onsite. HOWEVER, whenver we do WDW w/ family/friends we always get rental villas. We like the space- and we can all stay together. Since we don't spend every minute in the parks together- it allows us to gather in the evening and swim- and still feel like we're on vacation together.

Personally, I like renting the villa's direct. It will save you 20-50% in price. I use sites like www.vrbo.com or www.orlandovillas.com . Now if you want a condo or suite and you don't want to go direct then I'd look at sites like SkyAuction or www.hotelkingdom.com .

 

[crjack]

You might want to consider a condo at one of the resorts nearby such as Windsor Palms, Windsor Hills or Emerald Island.

We don't like using sofa beds or sharing rooms on vacation so if it were us I would get a 3-bedroom condo or townhouse. Most offer 2 master suites (one for you, one for your parents) and a third bedroom for the children. Since your DD is only 1 I would imagine she will need her down time or nap so having that third bedroom could be handy. Plus, many of the owners offer cribs or pack-n-plays that you could set up in there.

The prices would absolutely be comparable or less to two rooms at POP and definitely much cheaper than renting points for DVC, plus you get more space than two hotel rooms. It's nice packing less if you want to use the washer/dryer.

Since you will have a minivan you don't need to worry about the drive to the parks. AK is very close by all three of these resorts so getting to Disney is not a big deal.

You may want to check out www.windsorhillsrent.com and plug in your dates. Pick the size unit you want (2 or 3 bedroom, condo or townhouse, etc.) and you will get replies back from owners who have availability for your timeframe. It's a good way to gauge the rates and compare all of your accomodation choices.

The townhouses usually offer small, splash pools in addition to the community pool and ammenities. When my children were younger we loved that option. It was big enough for them and having it right there made it easy to use. When we wanted to go to the main pool we could but sometimes only one of them wanted to swim and it was convenient for us to have it right there. Less time, hassle, etc. for a quick swim and no worry about keeping track of them in a crowded pool full of kids who all have wet hair, the same color goggles and look alike!

Hotelkingdom has some very good prices as well and many of them, such as Cypress Point and CPGV are a very close commute. For condos at any number of resorts try www.vrbo.com.

You will find lots of great reports on condo stays on these boards. If you find a resort you are interested in chances are someone here has stayed there and can give you a full report on it.

Good luck.

 

[jdm]

I second the suggestion of Cypress Pointe 3 bedroom. There just is no comparison to villa versus standard hotel. Cypress Pointe is right there, very close to Disney and walking distance to shops, restaurants etc. We save considerably with villa accommodations. Having a full kitchen is great for everything from doggie bag reheats to a quick bowl of cereal in the morning, relaxing and having coffee before you start your day.

I'm not sure about the lack of magic in non-onsite accommodations. We experience the Magic of hanging out together without being on top of each other. Renting a movie, and gathering around to watch it at the end of an exhausting touring day. We love the "home away from home" family feel we get. Thats our magic

Have a great trip!

Jenn

 

[dgaston]

I absolutely agree with the notion that magic is not limited to Disney resorts. One of my all-time favorite memories was watching Lord of the Rings DVDs with my sons at Cypress Pointe after some time in the parks. That said, I do own a few DVC points, and two of my three last stays were off-property at Windsor Palms. I even found a 2 bedroom condo for less than $500 for our President's Week trip (Sunday can't come quickly enough ) Cypress Pointe through hotelkingdom.com can be wonderful.