Pro/con for 3 mod rooms vs. DVC 2brdm & studio

PHXscuba

Mouseketeer since birth!
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Jul 7, 2008
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Family of 7: teens, young adults, and adults. Probably traveling early June 2021. Might not be able to book until December/January with work/school schedules available.

DH and I -- not a vacation unless we have a little privacy
Our daughter and son-in-law (ages 22 and 24) -- daughter has back problems and needs a real bed.
2 sons ages 25 and 16 -- too big to share a bed.
1 daughter age 19 -- petite

Please tell me if I am missing any better options or major considerations. I am weighing pros/cons for these:

THREE MODERATE ROOMS at POR or CBR
DH and I in one room, DD/SIL in one room, 3 single kids in one with 5-foot-2 daughter on the fold-down bed.
Pro/con: Easier to book/modify/cancel than DVC rental, CBR has Skyliner, probably slightly more expensive than DVC, better CS food court.

TWO BEDROOM DVC plus 1 STUDIO (ok with OKW or SSR depending on how late I book. maybe AKL)
Pro/con: Full kitchen, central living room to sprawl out in. Nicer resort overall. Daughter would be on fold-out couch in main area.

About us: Probably would stay a week total. NOT interested in offsite for big-group logistics and 60-day FP. We are Disneyland regulars (I'd consider myself a DL expert). Kids were last at WDW in 2011 (ages 6-15) and SIL has never been. DH and I were at WDW in 2014. We are rope-drop type tourers who love Star Wars and ride everything. We would likely stay together at least for the first half of each day and many meals. We probably wouldn't do much cooking even if we had the DVC kitchen -- mainly cold breakfast and snacks that would fit in a moderate fridge.

Looking at late May/early June for best crowds and weather available with kids school/job schedules.

Thanks for any advice,
PHXscuba
 
I wouldn't depend on the fold down to be comfortable for your 19 year old daughter. Would she be ok sharing a room with her sister and husband? Then she would get a real bed.
 
We book a dvc 2 bedroom and studio when we travel with extended family. It is my family of 4 (parents and two early 20’s sons), my mother, my sister and young niece. We have plenty of space and can share the kitchen and living area for breakfast and lunch in the 2 bedroom.

We own dvc points, so we don’t have to worry about the risks of renting points. Another thing to keep in mind is that the villas may not be close at all. That is just a request and never guaranteed - we are usually at least half a hall away from the studio. One year, we were on different floors at BLT.
 
THREE MODERATE ROOMS at POR or CBR
DH and I in one room, DD/SIL in one room, 3 single kids in one with 5-foot-2 daughter on the fold-down bed.
Pro/con: Easier to book/modify/cancel than DVC rental, CBR has Skyliner, probably slightly more expensive than DVC, better CS food court.
I agree with PP that I can't imagine the fold down bed being comfortable for an adult. Even a small one. Its slightly larger than a crib mattress, and slightly smaller than a twin size. I think if you can ship or bring an air mattress as a back-up plan, this could work. Otherwise, it could be a long week for her.

We love POR, but CBR with the Skyliner can't be beat IMO.

TWO BEDROOM DVC plus 1 STUDIO (ok with OKW or SSR depending on how late I book. maybe AKL)
Pro/con: Full kitchen, central living room to sprawl out in. Nicer resort overall. Daughter would be on fold-out couch in main area.
Are you considering renting DVC points or paying cash through Disney? There's some implications with point rentals that are important to consider when weighing your options. I agree with PP that its entirely possible your rooms may not be near each other. There are fewer DVC units of the same configuration, so I'd imagine its harder for them to work out the request of DVC units being near each other.

OKW, SSR, and AKL are great resorts but none of these have a location as good as CBR with the Skyliner. OKW does have the largest DVC rooms, so you'd get the most space there. SSR is walking distance to Disney Springs which is a nice option for the young adults I'd imagine. OKW and SSR are very large resorts and have an internal bus system, so its not as convenient to get to the quick service location or front desk/store area. OKW, SSR, and AKV also do not have as many quick service options as the moderates do, if that's a concern.

I would probably go with the three rooms at the moderate. If possible, I would book preferred rooms because that will put you in close proximity to the main buildings, and you know you'd at least be in the same area of the resort if they can't give you rooms on the same floor.
 

I agree with PP that I can't imagine the fold down bed being comfortable for an adult. Even a small one. Its slightly larger than a crib mattress, and slightly smaller than a twin size. I think if you can ship or bring an air mattress as a back-up plan, this could work. Otherwise, it could be a long week for her.

We love POR, but CBR with the Skyliner can't be beat IMO.


Are you considering renting DVC points or paying cash through Disney? There's some implications with point rentals that are important to consider when weighing your options. I agree with PP that its entirely possible your rooms may not be near each other. There are fewer DVC units of the same configuration, so I'd imagine its harder for them to work out the request of DVC units being near each other.

OKW, SSR, and AKL are great resorts but none of these have a location as good as CBR with the Skyliner. OKW does have the largest DVC rooms, so you'd get the most space there. SSR is walking distance to Disney Springs which is a nice option for the young adults I'd imagine. OKW and SSR are very large resorts and have an internal bus system, so its not as convenient to get to the quick service location or front desk/store area. OKW, SSR, and AKV also do not have as many quick service options as the moderates do, if that's a concern.

I would probably go with the three rooms at the moderate. If possible, I would book preferred rooms because that will put you in close proximity to the main buildings, and you know you'd at least be in the same area of the resort if they can't give you rooms on the same floor.

Thanks for bringing up some good points. If we went DVC I would rent points (only way the options are close in price) and availability may be an issue with the current closures.

The idea of preferred rooms increasing the likelihood of being closer together is a good one. I guess I should hope for some great discounts to push that option farther ahead.

PHXscuba
 
I’m not sure about room locations with DVC, never stayed in a DVC. But I know room locations are never guaranteed no matter where you stay. When I travel with friends we have our reservations connected as traveling together and most of the time the rooms are next to each other or close by.
The preferred rooms at CBR are closer to the food court and main pool but further from Skyliner. So depends on what’s more important to you. I don’t think it guarantees rooms to be closer. The preferred rooms are 2 villages, and the non preferred rooms also comprise 2 villages. Personally I prefer Jamaica section. I wouldn’t pay the upcharge of preferred. We had a great location in Jamaica a 5 min walk to the bridge connecting to the Old Port Royale.
 
If we went DVC I would rent points (only way the options are close in price) and availability may be an issue with the current closures.
I've seen in other threads that Fall DVC rooms are still mostly booked as normal. It seems like people are holding out hope. If you decide you want to stay DVC, I would recommend engaging a broker or owner sooner rather than late to secure your dates, since the 7 month mark is approaching for November. Keep in mind though that DVC bookings generally require payment in full at time of booking and are typically non-refundable and can't be changed. Given the current situation, I would be very hesitant to rent points right now. You could always roll the dice and book after we get confirmation of Disney's re-opening plan and dates, but availability may be few and far between by then. I'd have a good back-up plan in place in that case.

The preferred rooms at CBR are closer to the food court and main pool but further from Skyliner. So depends on what’s more important to you. I don’t think it guarantees rooms to be closer.
Nothing guarantees rooms to be close, but booking preferred would guarantee both rooms are in either Martinique or Barbados, which at least aren't far from each other. And the bonus is that it puts you closest to Old Port Royale and the main pool. Its true that these rooms are further from the Skyliner, but I know for us, we use the food court almost daily and the pool several times during our trip. Since we'd only use the Skyliner on our DHS and Epcot days, we'd be able to tolerate the distance. But I definitely agree it depends on the family's plans.
 
Perhaps not so important with grown children, but don't forget the washer/dryer with the DVC too.

And if you stayed at Kidani, the 2 bedrooms have 3 bathrooms.
 
I would suggest the 2BR+Studio for space reasons,, and if you genuinely wouldn't mind OKW, I'd suggest that specifically. At OKW I'd suggest bringing a car/van and using it to get to DHS, Epcot, and AK, you can park it right outside your door at OKW and parking is free when renting DVC points.

If your Daughters/SIL are OK sharing a room, you could in theory cram everyone into one space: the 2BRs at OKW have 2 queen beds in one bedroom and a king in the other, and the living room has both a pull out couch and a pull out chair.

Similarly at Riviera, the 2BRs have a King bed in 1 BR, 2 Queens in the 2nd, a Queen murphy bed (that is a real bed with a real mattress) in the living room, and a pull down twin bed in the living room (similar to POR). It's the right amount of sleeping surfaces (plus skyliner access!), the question is just privacy levels for your children.
 
Read up on the DVC boards. Many people - renters and owners - are having issues with the points rental broker now.....

if you do rent DVC points, go with a private owner who has a contract that spells out obligations , etc
 
Perhaps not so important with grown children, but don't forget the washer/dryer with the DVC too.

And if you stayed at Kidani, the 2 bedrooms have 3 bathrooms.

Very good point that I didn't include. An in-suite washer/dryer would be a big help.

Read up on the DVC boards. Many people - renters and owners - are having issues with the points rental broker now.....

if you do rent DVC points, go with a private owner who has a contract that spells out obligations , etc

Even though this is for next summer, I just don't know the effects on the DVC system -- available inventory, cancellation policies, etc. If our trip were this June and I had invested a lot in points rental that I was having a hard time getting my money back, I would be very frustrated. I'm still trying to get an AirBnb credited back for a different location trip that we would have taken this weekend.

I think I'm going to have to wait until after the first of the year to see how this all shakes out. I know that's later than hoped for a DVC rental (part of why I am ok with OKW or SSR), but it would also help me see reality for both options. It's not all about pricing but if one option ends up dramatically more or with major uncertainty, that would sway me.

PHXscuba
 
I've seen in other threads that Fall DVC rooms are still mostly booked as normal. It seems like people are holding out hope. If you decide you want to stay DVC, I would recommend engaging a broker or owner sooner rather than late to secure your dates, since the 7 month mark is approaching for November. Keep in mind though that DVC bookings generally require payment in full at time of booking and are typically non-refundable and can't be changed. Given the current situation, I would be very hesitant to rent points right now. You could always roll the dice and book after we get confirmation of Disney's re-opening plan and dates, but availability may be few and far between by then. I'd have a good back-up plan in place in that case.


Nothing guarantees rooms to be close, but booking preferred would guarantee both rooms are in either Martinique or Barbados, which at least aren't far from each other. And the bonus is that it puts you closest to Old Port Royale and the main pool. Its true that these rooms are further from the Skyliner, but I know for us, we use the food court almost daily and the pool several times during our trip. Since we'd only use the Skyliner on our DHS and Epcot days, we'd be able to tolerate the distance. But I definitely agree it depends on the family's plans.
But booking non preferred guaranteed to put you in Jamaica or Aruba. I think there’s more of a distance between Martinique and Barbados because Centre Town is between them. While Jamaica and Aruba are next to each other. But it’s been a long time since my stay and the Resort has been reconfigured.
You're right, it very much depends on your priorities. We had a great location in Jamaica close to the bridge and was a quick and pleasurable walk over to food court. I hope to get the same location in Aug. fingers crossed it’s a go.
 
But booking non preferred guaranteed to put you in Jamaica or Aruba. I think there’s more of a distance between Martinique and Barbados because Centre Town is between them. While Jamaica and Aruba are next to each other. But it’s been a long time since my stay and the Resort has been reconfigured.
You're right, it very much depends on your priorities. We had a great location in Jamaica close to the bridge and was a quick and pleasurable walk over to food court. I hope to get the same location in Aug. fingers crossed it’s a go.

Martinique and Barbados only have 3 buildings each, while Aruba and Jamaica have 6 buildings each. Its possible one room could be at one end of Jamaica while the other room is at the other end of Aruba, which would be pretty far.

Good luck with your August trip! We were supposed to be at CBR last week. We re-booked for October. Sigh!
 
Martinique and Barbados only have 3 buildings each, while Aruba and Jamaica have 6 buildings each. Its possible one room could be at one end of Jamaica while the other room is at the other end of Aruba, which would be pretty far.

Good luck with your August trip! We were supposed to be at CBR last week. We re-booked for October. Sigh!
Well Oct will be fun too. I love all the Halloween decorations! We haven’t done the party but on party nights when they start letting the ticketed people in we love to grab a bench on Main Street and look at all the costumes. Some are really good!
 
Jan may be too late to book a two bedroom and a studio with a DVC rental for late May/early June. There are going to be a lot of banked points in play for DVC members with the shut down of the resorts for several months. Owners are going to book as soon as they can to make sure they can get something and not be shut out. Plus, lots of owners are going to be avoiding the point brokers after this fiasco and just renting them out themselves. Some of the point brokers may even be out of business, too.
 
Jan may be too late to book a two bedroom and a studio with a DVC rental for late May/early June. There are going to be a lot of banked points in play for DVC members with the shut down of the resorts for several months. Owners are going to book as soon as they can to make sure they can get something and not be shut out. Plus, lots of owners are going to be avoiding the point brokers after this fiasco and just renting them out themselves. Some of the point brokers may even be out of business, too.

That's my fear. I think in a "normal" year the DVC would be a no-brainer for space and cost, but the current situation pushes so many people forward that it's hard to tell. Since I have to wait on scheduling til the first of the year the decision may make itself.

PHXscuba
 












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