Ready to buy...a couple of questions!

[Mickey Fliers]

Hello all! We are a family of 5 and are fairly certain we are ready to buy DVC. For a little history, we travel to WDW as much as twice a year and always stay Deluxe b/c of our party size. Our boys are currently 8,6 and 3 and we all love Disney. Obviously, we will get our use out of DVC .

1. How do you all work your Friday/Saturday stays? From the point charts, it seems so expensive to stay for the "week". Do you all stay somewhere else for those two days or just suck it up and pay the premium points? This is a big question as we are deciding how many points to purchase, especially since we will need 2 Bedroom units.

2. We are also still deciding where to purchase. How do the 2 bedroom units compare at the resorts? Do they all provide the same amenities?

3. For those with experience, how easy has it been to use your points for stays at HH, CC or at other resorts through II?

4. For any DVCer's who live in Florida, how do you utilize your DVC points? There is a chance we could be moving to Jacksonville and my DH is concerned that DVC won't be as big of a deal if we live so close.

Thanks so much for all the help. Just trying to get all of this straight in my head. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

Amie

 

[abner1776]

The Fri/Sat issue is usually resolved with a cash ressie for those nights and then use your points for the Sun/Thurs ressie. Disney will link them together so you do not need to move(unless you want to.)

The # of points is a fairly easy and mathematical computation. Look over the points charts for the various resorts and compute an average nightly room point value for when you expect to visit and just add up the number of nights to determine the # of points you will need each year.

As far as which resort to buy into as your home resort ??...ah...ask 10 people and you will get 10 different answers...each one has it's + and -. I'm at VWL, but that's just me.

 

[cobbler]

We actually use our points for the full week and stay on the weekends, I don't like to move.

So for example a 2bdrm at SSR (which is in the middle in amount of points) during Adventure season is 243 for the week, 27 for weeknights and 54 for weekends. If you really take that 243 and divide by 7 it really averages out to be about 34-35 a night all the way across the board and doesn't sound so bad then.

2. The 2bdrms are the same ammentity wise. OKW will have the largest rooms, the rest are equivalent in size - give or take a few square feet.

 

[Mrs Potato Head]

2. We are also still deciding where to purchase. How do the 2 bedroom units compare at the resorts? Do they all provide the same amenities?

Amie

Based on the way it was explained to us, and the pictures we've seen...SSR is the only resort that has two queen sized beds in the second bedroom all the time. I think you can request it in other resorts, but it's not guaranteed. For us, with two teenage boys, it was a MUST. Neither one will sleep on a sleeper sofa with a good attitude!

Good luck!

Patty

 

[elijahpep]

ITA with Cobbler, I don't like to move when we get there so we use the points for those weekend nights. Hope you decide to be WELCOMED HOME!
May you have a most mickey magical visit! SAFE JOURNEY!

~DW

 

[Caskbill]

Based on the way it was explained to us, and the pictures we've seen...SSR is the only resort that has two queen sized beds in the second bedroom all the time. I think you can request it in other resorts, but it's not guaranteed. For us, with two teenage boys, it was a MUST. Neither one will sleep on a sleeper sofa with a good attitude!

Good luck!

Patty

Just to correct this, it's the OKW resort that has two queens in all the 2nd bedrooms, whether it's a Studio attached to a 1-B/R, or a dedicated 2-B/R.

For all the other resorts which have a 1-B/R studio combination, the 2nd B/R (Studio portion) has 1 bed and a sleeper sofa.

Dedicated 2-B/R villas have the two beds, so you would have to actually book a 'Dedicated 2-B/R villa'.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We always stay on weekends. We have the points, I hate to move for the two days. Now if we are arriving late on Sat, we might stay in another WDW resort and then move over to DVC, just to try out another resort. Plus we really like CR, AKL, GF, Polynesian, CS, POFQ, CBR.

Make sure you buy enough points to stay in a two bedroom. While MS will allow a family of 5 to stay in a one bedroom, officially, DVC only allows 4 in a one bedroom. DVC could decide to stick with the written documentation at any time.

 

[DVCLiz]

I'm a "don't mind moving" kind of person, so I do use the weekends to stay at other resorts, on a cash reservation. I really like the Animal Kingdom Lodge, so we will often start our trip with a weekend at AKL, then move for Sunday-Thursday to a DVC 2BR. I wouldn't want to do it the other way and have the hassle of getting rid of extra food, ect. but it works great the other way around.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Thanks for all the info. I am going to go ahead and contact a Guide today and get everything started.

Deb & Bill - Thanks for the info on the One bedroom for our family. I didn't even know that putting all of us in a One bedroom was a possibility. That would certainly make some things easier. Does anyone else have experience with a family of 5 in a One bedroom?

I am thinking about purchasing 200 - 250 points. I think that would cover us for now. Especially if we spend our Fri/Sat nights at SOG. Now just need to decide btwn SSR and BWV.

I am sure I will be back with more questions. You will all probably be very sick of me very soon.

 

[crisi]

We haven't done five in a one bedroom. I think its doable, but...

One bathroom
One king bed, one pullout sleeper sofa
No additional linens, no rollaways.

So its doable, but people who do it bring an aerobed or something.

The big difference is resorts:

OKW has significantly bigger rooms.

BWV/BCV/VWL are appended to and share ammenities with their respective hotels. They are more hotel like. This appeals to a lot of folks, others like the condo feel and being able to park close the SSR and OKW allow.

All two bedrooms are BWV are lockoffs - you will never get a second bedroom with two beds - it will be a bed and a sleeper sofa.

OKW/SSR and BWV standard view are less points (OKW lowest, than BWV SV, than SSR). The remaining onsite resorts and the other rooms at BWV have the same point structure.

Weekends. We sometimes just stay. We sometimes pay cash and stay at a resort we've always want to try. Last time we did a Saturday night at AKL. Very cool. We will do a Saturday night stay again somewhere else for the next trip, but I haven't decided where. Its possible we will book the Y&BC so the kids can use SAB for a night (our home is BWV and that is where we intend to stay). My husband has been eyeing the CR and the Poly.

 

[Pa@okw95]

Just make sure you buy enough points to get a 2 bedroom, the rules clearly state that a one bedroom is for a max of 4 people and one infant. You will need a two bedroom for your family of 5. You can check out the point charts right on this site for what you will need. If you are going to move to Jacksonville, I would not buy into DVC, you are only 2 hours from WDW.

 

[Boston5602]

Just make sure you buy enough points to get a 2 bedroom, the rules clearly state that a one bedroom is for a max of 4 people and one infant. You will need a two bedroom for your family of 5. You can check out the point charts right on this site for what you will need. If you are going to move to Jacksonville, I would not buy into DVC, you are only 2 hours from WDW.

I think moving to ONLY two hours away is MORE reason to buy into DVC! I live an hour from the Cape Cod canal and any/every time I go to the Cape for the weekend to " get away " I always am thankful for doing so a cheap( well almost ) and easy vacation to get away from life. If you only live two hours from WDW it would be easy to pack up for a weekend , even around school holidays so you can book in advance , and get away from things . IMHO.

 

[scrap-n-mom]

We are a family of five and have stayed in a one bedroom. Our boys are 6,11,13. We make due with the situation, but ideally a 2 bedroom cuts down on the fighting. We place 2 boys on the pull out sleeper and one on the floor. The pull out was NOT comfortable and they complained some. But, we stayed in the 1 bedroom because we had already used a large chunk of our points earlier in the year in a 2 bedroom. So, weighing the option of not going, or sacrificing a little to stay in a 1 bedroom....we go!

 

[paults]

we always stay somewhere else like CSR, on fri/sat then at DVC. We use the pts that would have been use on Fri/Sat to take family in Oct

 

[Disney Doll]

Hello all! We are a family of 5 and are fairly certain we are ready to buy DVC. For a little history, we travel to WDW as much as twice a year and always stay Deluxe b/c of our party size. Our boys are currently 8,6 and 3 and we all love Disney. Obviously, we will get our use out of DVC .

1. How do you all work your Friday/Saturday stays? From the point charts, it seems so expensive to stay for the "week". Do you all stay somewhere else for those two days or just suck it up and pay the premium points? This is a big question as we are deciding how many points to purchase, especially since we will need 2 Bedroom units.

2. We are also still deciding where to purchase. How do the 2 bedroom units compare at the resorts? Do they all provide the same amenities?

3. For those with experience, how easy has it been to use your points for stays at HH, CC or at other resorts through II?

4. For any DVCer's who live in Florida, how do you utilize your DVC points? There is a chance we could be moving to Jacksonville and my DH is concerned that DVC won't be as big of a deal if we live so close.

Thanks so much for all the help. Just trying to get all of this straight in my head. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

Amie

1. We will either pay cash with the DVC discount at a DVC resort and have them try and link the reservations so we don't have to move or we will stay at another resort on the Friday and Saturday night that we arrive and then move to the DVC on Sunday. Sometimes we actually suck it up and just pay the high points!!!!
2. The 2BR units blow away the regular resort hotel rooms, and the ones connected to a hotel have use of all the same amenities that hotel guests have. OKW & SSR have most of the same amenities, but room service can be a little spottier there...I think it's just pizza delivery and not a menu like you'd get at a hotel.
3. I don't know. I have never done that.
4. I don't live in Florida, so I can't answer that. My understanding is that J-ville is not a hop, skip and jump from WDW, so it might still be nice to have points so you can stay overnight when you go.

 

[CPTJAK]

Can you request a seperate roll away in a studio/ 1br if you do not want to sleep on pull out?

 

[Boston5602]

Disney does not have rollaway beds as far as I know. Even in a onebedroom when they book 5 people they do not provide anything for the 5th person to sleep on.

 

[CarolMN]

Can you request a seperate roll away in a studio/ 1br if you do not want to sleep on pull out?

No - none of the DVC resorts will provide rollaways or cots.

But Keep in mind that the studios at OKW all have two queen beds - no pullout. If you want/need two beds in a studio, OKW is the resort to choose.

All DVC one bedrooms have a king bed in the bedroom and a pull out in the living room.

Best wishes -

 

[CPTJAK]

No - none of the DVC resorts will provide rollaways or cots.

But Keep in mind that the studios at OKW all have two queen beds - no pullout. If you want/need two beds in a studio, OKW is the resort to choose.

All DVC one bedrooms have a king bed in the bedroom and a pull out in the living room.

Best wishes -

My kids are 13 and 15, a sofa bed may not be all the good for them. I don't like the fact that the other resorts only have sofa beds until you get to a 2 bedroom?

 

[Deb & Bill]

The sleeper sofas at SSR are the foam type mattress and not the spring type with bars under the mattress. They are slowly replacing the older type in some of the resorts. Someone on another post mentioned that they had one at OKW. We had the older type at OKW in January.