Questions about Disney villas

[Tony]

Hi,

I've been lurking for a while but need to seek your collective expert advice after an e-mail to disney came back as if Chip & Dale had answered it!

So, a few questions for you all on villas if I may....

We're thinking about taking a 2 bed villa at either the boardwalk or beach club in October 2006.

Any recommendations of one property over the other - we'll be 4 adults plus 1 infant.

If you pay 'cash' for the villas (as opposed to DVC points) do you get daily maid service?

What is the deposit policy on these standard (non package) bookings - I want to try and secure the room, but obviously we can't look at flights for another 6 months or so.

If your stay in a villa straddles two seasons, do you pay the starting price?

Any ideas as to when the October/November season is likely to start in 2006? Is it always the 5th of the month, or is it the first Wednesday etc etc.

Many thanks in advance

Tony

 

[goofy4tink]

I'll take a stab at some of your questions.

As adults, my dh and I really love BWV. You have so many options at night for food, entertainment. And you are an 8 minute walk to the Intl. Gateway to Epcot and a 15 minute walk to MGM via the canal walkway.

Yes, if you are paying cash, you get daily maid service. Using points..no.

I believe it is one night's stay as a deposit. That's what I paid for my non-DVC stay at POR next month.

If your stay starts in a value season (for instance) then it stays at that price. It does not go up to the next seasons price if the season changes during your stay.

As far as when the seasons change in the fall....I'm looking at my DVC points chart for 2006...Oct.1-Nov 21 are considered to be Choice season...the next to lowest season as far as points go. But I'm not so sure how that relates to the non-DVC seasons...value, regular, etc.

 

[spiceycat]

when you pay cash through CRO - you are using WDW dates not the DVC ones

it is regular season.

here is link from disneyworld for the Beach Club
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/resorts/resortRates?id=BeachClubVillasResortRatesListingPage

here is bw
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/resorts/resortRates?id=BoardWalkVillasResortRatesListingPage

I would expect a price increase of anywhere from 3% to 10% for 2006.

I would go with renting points - why
Sun-thursday renting points will cost $320 per night vs $725 (+ increase + taxes).

for half the price I can go without housekeeping. you can pay extra for housekeeping - go ask on the DVC board for the prices - I think a studio is $25 - don't know about a 2-bedroom might be $40 or $45 extra per day?

don't stay at a DVC resort on the weekend using points - they are expensive fri/sat is 61 so these days by themselves are $610 per day.

 

[Eeyore2003]

You save well over $100.00 a night by renting points. We stayed at BWV in December and paid about $232.00 per night for a one bedroom by renting points. Rack rate is about $370.00 I think. There is a washer and dryer in the one and two bedrooms. Easy to shove stuff in the AM before you go and stick it in the dryer at night. Like one poster said, I can do without daily maid service for that. They come every fourth day.

We also rented points for OKW last July and paid $120.00 for a studio by renting points. Rack rate on this is about $250.00.

The villas are really wonderful!!! We're thinking of becoming owners ourselves after trying them.

 

[Tony]

Thanks all - very helpful.

Re the deposit policy, you pay for one night up front, but can that then be cancelled at a later date (i.e. more than 60 days out or something) at no charge?

Thanks

Tony

 

[Tony]

Sorry to bump this up, but i've just had a mail back from Small World Vacations saying I can't book the villas more than 6 months out. I thought the deal was 6 months if you're using rented DVC points or the normal 500 days if you're paying cash....

Can anyone confirm - given the WDW website is booking Villas through December 2005 I'm wondering if the travel agent was going to rent points and try to sort it out that way....

 

[jel0511]

The villas are reserved for the use of DVC members. Disney "owns" 4% of the villas, but those can be use by DVC members if some of the villas are down for repair. Usually the villas that available through CRO are villas members (points) have traded out to use for other purposes, and then those rooms are then "rented" through CRO to pay for the members trade. Since they have to track those trades before they can offer cash reservations, they usually don't offer villas to the general public until 6 months before check-in date. If you want to rent points, you'll have to contact a DVC member privately and do the transaction that way. The going rate is $10 per point, and DVC memembers can make reservations 11 months in advance, so for October 2006, even DVC members can't make reservations until this November. I'm a DVC member who has rented before and there is a lot of trust on both sides of the transaction, not just for the renter. I'd rent again, when I wasn't going to use my points, but renting here on the DIS is a pretty good prospect. The moral of this story is that you won't be able to book this vacation until at least November, if you rent points, or until early next year paying cash.

 

[senecabeach]

I agree with spiceycat...

Im saving my points for a blowout next year but still need my Disney fix...SO...
I rented 68 points, Sept, BWV, preferred studio, 4 nights (Fri-Tues).
WOW...$680., thats $170. per night... compared to the rack rate through Disney???


A no brainer!!

 

[mikesmom]

Be aware that the Food & Wine Fest now starts at the beginning of October and causes the Epcot resorts to book up FAST. So whatever you decide, book early!!!

 

[Tony]

Dragging up an old thread, but I thought you might appreciate an update. I was able to book the Beach Club Villa (2 bed) for next October through Disney's UK travel operation back in July.

Yes it's expensive, but the price is in GBP (who knows where the rate will go in the next 12 months) and I can now go and book flights without any worries.
Thanks again for your help & looking forward to it!

 

[SueRS]

I don't understand,can someone explain.

We have 9 people going (3 families) and we looked at the villa rates on the allears site and decided we couldn't afford that over 3 regular rooms.

Are there better prices?

Also, how many people fit in each type of villa?

We are currently 6 adults (1 set of grandparents, 2 sets of parents) and 3 kids. We may have 3 more adults coming (more grandparents - of one child) and a great aunt to all the kids. That would make 12. Would we be comfortable.

I know this got wordy, if it doesn't make sense let me know.

Thanks,

 

[Sammie]

I don't understand,can someone explain.

We have 9 people going (3 families) and we looked at the villa rates on the allears site and decided we couldn't afford that over 3 regular rooms.

Are there better prices?

Also, how many people fit in each type of villa?

We are currently 6 adults (1 set of grandparents, 2 sets of parents) and 3 kids. We may have 3 more adults coming (more grandparents - of one child) and a great aunt to all the kids. That would make 12. Would we be comfortable.

I know this got wordy, if it doesn't make sense let me know.

Thanks,

Studio: 4 plus one child under the age of 3
One Bedroom: 4 plus one child under the age of 3
2 Bedroom: 8 plus one child under the age of 3
Grand Villa: 12 plus one child under the age of 3

Depending on which DVC resort you choose some of the bedding will be a sofa bed instead of a regular bed.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

Since they have to track those trades before they can offer cash reservations, they usually don't offer villas to the general public until 6 months before check-in date.

This doesn't make sense...I booked a SSR 2BR villa in early February for Christmas, through Disney. That would put me squarely in the window offered to SSR owners, and before other DVC members.

 

[Aneille]

This doesn't make sense...I booked a SSR 2BR villa in early February for Christmas, through Disney. That would put me squarely in the window offered to SSR owners, and before other DVC members.

I am not sure but before I became a DVC member I booked with cash through CRO a 2 br at BWV. I did at about 6 months.

The CM one of the days I called said I was lucky because I was able to book Beach Club Villa and then change to Boardwalk Villa for the same week. She said that how it worked was that they had some they sold but once they sold they couldn't open any more up until 6 months and it was limited and based on what DVC members used. So she said to get a villa the best time to call was right at 6 months. Which I happened to do, but didn't know I did it.

Who knows if what I was told was correct.