Poll: Size of Room

[katandmouse]

OP, I just read your edit (only buying enough to stay in a studio every other year), and I don’t think it’s a good idea at this time.

I think studio availability is only going to get tougher at 7 months, and you’re only able to bank/borrow 3 years total (bank the year before and borrow the year after) so there’s a bigger risk of losing points.

I think DVC is going to be too limiting for you at this time. I would just pay cash wherever you want or rent points for now, and maybe revisit DVC in a few years.

 

[Marionnette]

Edit: Thanks for the responses so far. Keep them coming. Just a response to those who suggested going every other year and staying in a 1 BR. We would actually only buy enough to stay in a studio every other year. It would have to be a 1 out of 4 years to stay in the 1 BR.

After reading your other posts and this comment. I have to agree with @katandmouse. DVC is not a good fit for you at this time. Rent points when you want to visit Disney or stay offsite. Save your cash until you can afford a larger contract. Or maybe, don't buy at all.

Purchasing cheap resale points at one of the beach resorts with the expectation that you're going to book a studio every other year for 8-10 nights in WDW at the 7-month mark is just asking for disappointment.

 

[crazylady]

I'd vote for off site.

I don't see studios working for you long term We're a family of 4 that enjoys staying in studios but A. 8 days in a studio is a really, long time (too long for us) and B. we've pretty much out grown studios, because my kids are older now (15 & 12) so they don't really fit in the roll out together anymore.

One bedrooms are nice for the extra space, kitchen, laundry, etc but most of them still only have a roll out couch which eventually won't work for you. And with your travel time and expenses, I'd want to stay longer than 4 days.

 

[DisneyLore]

Now for me I would never want to stay offsite, because I love the Disney bubble and not driving while I'm there. But that being said maybe the best plan would be to rent points for 8 nights in a studio and see if that works for you for a trip. If you absolutely hate it and don't want to do that again then maybe waiting to buy until you can afford a 1 or 2 bedroom every year and stay off property until then is better for you. But if you love it and don't mind the amount of room given in a studio (which frankly does not bother me at all but each to his own!) then even just buying enough for a studio for now could be a great way to go, because you can always save your pennies and add on later to get a bigger room as the kids grow.

 

[kniquy]

I voted 8 nights at DVC. You can certainly find an off site large condo/house for very cheap BUT staying on property fully immersed in the "world" is a very different feeling. So i don't think you can compare 8 nights on site to 8 nights off site.

It is nice to have the space of a 1BR but i think more time at WDW is a much better option than the space of a 1BR. There are always options for a split stay - so first part of your trip in a studio and then splurge to stay in a 1BR for a couple nights.

There are a number of studios that work well for a family with kids (who at some point wont want to share a bed). I think VGF, PVB, BW, BC, BR - have studios which have 5 sleeping surfaces (basically the queen bed, queen sleeper and a pull down murphy twin) so this would be helpful when the kids no longer want to share a bed.

There is some flexibility with your DVC points too -- if you want to splurge on a larger room then one year forgo an on property stay, you bank your points to be able to afford a 1BR the following year. Then you could just go a cheaper off site property in between.

 

[Minniesgal]

I hate the 4 in a studio thing. Maybe because my kids are bigger but we really see the value in the 1 and 2 bedrooms.

I am tempted to say if I couldn't afford the 1 bedroom onsite I would do a condo offiste and stay longer.

Once kids get any age parents need somewhere to go when kids go to bed thats where the 1 bedrooms score.

 

[jarestel]

I'd try the 8 nights in a DVC studio and see how it works out. If you travel to non-Disney destinations do you book suites or single rooms? This might give you some insight about whether this is a good strategy for your particular group. Good luck!

 

[jerseyduke]

I would agree with others who have suggested that DVC is not a good fit for you - at this point in time.
1. DVC should be used at least every other year. If you start doing once every three years, you risk breakage on points (points expiring unused)
I do not know how you can do 1 out of every 4 years in a 1 bed room, you can only have three years worth of points available at one time (unless you do the exact week that spans use years)

2. If you are content staying off property, and there is nothing wrong with that, DVC probably isn't for you. There are some great resorts off property - Hotel Plaza Blvd, Bonnet Creek (even timeshares you can rent there) that will be significantly cheaper. The only reason people like myself do not go that route is that I drank the kool-aid and "need" to be on property. If I didn't I would probably be in one of the two aforementioned areas.

3. You can rent DVC rooms and save good money off of rack rates, if you really want a DVC resort.

Also, 4 days is just too short of a time in my opinion. You can not cover all of WDW in 4 days. and with what it takes you to get there, 8 days just makes more sense.

I am now going to disagree with someone I normally agree with spot on. I do think that you should not view DVC as an investment or something that will make you money, or anything like that. That being said, I do not think the resale market is being destroyed. I do think DVC contracts have held their value quite well even with all the other changes. BCV contracts are listing in the 135-150 range. For a 2042 resort! I got VGF for 150 and that was for 50 years, not 25. As long as Disney keeps jacking up rates for sold out resorts, the resale market will be vibrant. The big X factor is this new restriction that Riviera is seeing where points on the resale market are only good at Riviera. It might change their value, it might not.

Overall, I think you should wait on DVC

 

[CanadaDisney05]

I'd try the 8 nights in a DVC studio and see how it works out. If you travel to non-Disney destinations do you book suites or single rooms? This might give you some insight about whether this is a good strategy for your particular group. Good luck!

Unless it happens to be a nominal increase, at this point I would never consider paying for more than a studio. In general, we actually prefer staying in a studio hotel vs an Air BNB. We currently only have a two year old, and a second on the way so we don't have much experience in too much long-term travel with kids.

 

[DisneyLore]

Unless it happens to be a nominal increase, at this point I would never consider paying for more than a studio. In general, we actually prefer staying in a studio hotel vs an Air BNB. We currently only have a two year old, and a second on the way so we don't have much experience in too much long-term travel with kids.

I basically feel the same way. I think it comes down to how you look at it. I grew up in a family with 4 kids and we mostly camped in a hard top tent trailer. So a little space for 6 people for long periods of time. So having only 4 people in a hotel room is not a hardship at all for me. I think people with extra money (and don't get me wrong if I had the money it would be a 1 or 2 bedroom all the way) can't imagine squeezing in 4 people in a hotel room. But for me having a deluxe room size is such a luxury that I don't see a problem with it. We only purchased 150 points so it's pretty much studios all the way for us for now as well. And I couldn't be more excited. But the people that can afford more aren't wrong either for their needs/wants.

 

[robinb]

I basically feel the same way. I think it comes down to how you look at it. I grew up in a family with 4 kids and we mostly camped in a hard top tent trailer. So a little space for 6 people for long periods of time. So having only 4 people in a hotel room is not a hardship at all for me. I think people with extra money (and don't get me wrong if I had the money it would be a 1 or 2 bedroom all the way) can't imagine squeezing in 4 people in a hotel room. But for me having a deluxe room size is such a luxury that I don't see a problem with it. We only purchased 150 points so it's pretty much studios all the way for us for now as well. And I couldn't be more excited. But the people that can afford more aren't wrong either for their needs/wants.

We also don't have a problem with studios and we own twice as many points as you do.

 

[laura-k]

I would agree that 4 nights is just not long enough from Canada.
I live in MN and always opt for longer time

pp said Could you plan on staying in studios now while your kids are young and a few years down the road buy more points to stay in 1 or 2 bedrooms?
and this is what we did -
i prefer to stay in the bubble ,even when I venture out for the day -
but having said that I saw a video about John and Kevin from the Dreams haveing rental homes that looked really nice for like 100 per night
close by so maybe a week in dvc and a few days off site cash -

 

[kboo]

I voted for a studio for 8 days. We stayed in studios and hotel rooms with our 2 kids for quite a long time - as recently as April (and my girls are 7 and 3), we did 3 nights in a hotel room at the swan and then 6 nights in a studio at VGF. We had a blast! Depending on your home resort, the studios are well laid out. And since you say that the second one is only "on the way" - presumably they can stay in a pack and play or crib for the next 3 years... If that's the case, I'd suggest a home resort that has either the murphy single bed (studios that sleep 5) or OKW (great price point + points per reservation + space). The studios that sleep 5 will enable you to keep the couch folded up for a long time, because your older child can sleep in the murphy bed and the crib can go somewhere more out of the way - the studios feel MUCH larger than a hotel room that way. I know at VGF we put the crib in a little space in the hallway just opposite the bathroom, it was pretty dark and she couldn't bother DD1 in the murphy, and we still had a couch to sit on. Now they sleep on the pullout together and it is fine.

 

[Jimbadd]

I like the studio. I preferred to stay on site as well

 

[Deb & Bill]

Or instead of staying in the high point requirement studio (like all the newer ones except maybe CCV which has the same point requirement as BRV) stay at a low point requirement one bedroom villa like OKW. We really enjoy the GFV one bedroom, but it really eats up the points.

 

[BcIcemen]

8 nights studio if Poly, otherwise 4 in 1 bedroom. I dont like staying off site

 

[DVC Jen]

When we initially bought in back in 2001 we purchased 170 points. That was just about the exact amount we needed for a studio for 10 nights in the first half of June. Our daughters were 13 and 8. That has worked out for us beautifully and we have been quite happy to stay in a studio. Now that they are both adults we purchased a 100 point contract resale and stay in a one bedroom once a year or we divide it up and do 5 nights in a studio just my husband and me and then take another family trip (studio) with one daughter usually (sometimes but rarely both) to use the remaining points. On the years we can't do 2 trips - we stay in a one bedroom.

 

[Chuck S]

I think a lot has to do with how old your kids are now. Are they at the age where having a Washer/Dryer in the room would be a plus? If so, I'd go with a one bedroom or the offsite vacation home. But there is a lot to consider...I assume for 8 to 10 days an AP would not be practical, even for one member of your family? Then for offsite, there would be parking fees. DVC Members, booking their room through DVC don't pay parking fees...the parking lot is a common area of the resort and is included in the maintenance fees.

Would you be flying to Orlando, and renting a car, if you stay offsite (that can get pricey). If you're staying onsite would you use Magical Express from the airport, or rent a car anyway? Will you be eating any of your meals offsite, or preparing them in your room? Disney food can add up quickly. The full kitchen of a 1 bedroom, or offsite home, can make a big difference compared to a studio. There is a lot to consider.

 

[SusieBea]

Honestly, after staying in 1 and 2 bds, I intensly dislike studios and would rather stay offsite and have more room than stay in a studio with all of us. Even when we travel without DH I prefer a 1bd. We bought DVC for larger rooms. We could have continued to squeeze into POR or CBR as a family of 5, but having a master bedroom to ourselves is just so much more relaxing on vacation. If we were going to do just studios we wouldn't have purchased DVC as most don't even have two real beds. YMMV.

TOTALLY agree.

 

[Chuck S]

Yes, I have reached that age that I rarely get studios, even just for me, unless they are part of a 2 bedroom lockoff. I like the extra room to relax, fix meals and having laundry in room is a big plus so I don't come home and immediately have to do laundry.