Regular resort room vs. DVC room -- What are the differences?

[Stacy_C]

I will be staying at AKL in 3 weeks by renting DVC points. What are the differences in staying at a DVC room vs. a regular resort room? I read something about no mousekeeping with DVC..? No big deal, but...can we request more towels when needed? Is there anything else that varies from a regular hotel stay that we need to be prepared for?

Thanks.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Studio? 1 BR? 2BR? GV?

There's one major difference right there. There are various accomodations with DVC with varying ammenities.

 

[ChelleinNC]

When staying on points, you will not have daily mousekeeping. You will have Trash & Towel service on day 4 --counting starts on check in day-- for stays of less than 7 nights. Longer stays you have full cleaning on day 4 and T&T on day 8. Trash & Towel service replaces all of the towels, empties all trash & replenishes toiletries. Hang towels up every day and you'll be fine (they're encouraging that in the regular rooms as well).

In 1BR's and up, you'll have a kitchen & laundry, in the studios you'll have a kitchenette & free laundry at the quiet pools.

 

[disneynutz]

Didn't the owner that you are renting from discuss the differences? I would think that is part of their job of being your landlord.

 

[Mississippian]

This is my opinion, but a DVC studio room is below the size and quality of a regular deluxe resort room. But they are nice; think Port Orleans with microwave/minifridge.

The one and two bedroom units are what really set DVC apart. It's just an entirely different experience, with loads of room and everyone not on top of one another.

You should enjoy it in any event.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

This is my opinion, but a DVC studio room is below the size and quality of a regular deluxe resort room. But they are nice; think Port Orleans with microwave/minifridge. . .

Although its been many years since we stayed at POR (think Dixie Landings), we find the DVC studio rooms to be much nicer than POR and even nocer than a room in the attached resort. For example, the typical room at AKL is 344 sf and a typical studio at AKV is 360 sf. By contrast POR is 314 sf.

With POR, you get 2 double beds, with most Deluxe resorts, you get 2 Q beds, and with DVC studios you get 1 Q and 1 fold out sofabed. Having a real sofa definitely makes the studio feel less like a hotel room.

The microwave and toaster in the DVC studio really adds to the value for my famly. Given the choice between paying cash for a regular deluxe resort room and paying the same amount of cash for a DVC studio at the same resort, I would choose the DVC studio. JMO -- Suzanne

 

[deedeetoo]

I agree that a studio is a step down from a regular deluxe room. In a normal deluxe room you get two queen beds and daily mousekeeping. In a studio you get 1 queen and one couch which opens to a double - definitely a step down. Also you get no housekeeping but don't have a washer/dryer so way to get clean dry towels. Yes you can use the free laundry but that means you have to hang around the resort while you do it - another step down. Though I know many people do it, I personally couldn't see staying in a studio for more than a couple days.

 

[Tozzie]

If you want more towels you can purchase a towel pack from mousekeeping for $6.00

 

[allshookup]

This is my opinion, but a DVC studio room is below the size and quality of a regular deluxe resort room. But they are nice; think Port Orleans with microwave/minifridge.

The one and two bedroom units are what really set DVC apart. It's just an entirely different experience, with loads of room and everyone not on top of one another.

You should enjoy it in any event.

Adding to what Suzanne said, a moderate room also does not have a private balcony/patio.

 

[Stacy_C]

It is a studio (savannah view). Thanks to everyone for the information and advice!

 

[crisi]

The biggest differences:

No housekeeping unless you pay extra. You pay extra for towels. You pay extra for more coffee for the coffee maker. Basically, everything that is refreshed as part of a Deluxe stay won't get refreshed except on trash and towel day (bring some shampoo! And coffee and filters if you want to make it in the mornings)

Instead of two queen beds you'll have one queen bed on one full sized pullout.

But you will have a kitchenette - coffeemaker, microwave, decent size mini-fridge.

And you will have access to free laundry - although in a studio this means going to the laundry room (you will need to provide your own detergent).

 

[Anal Annie]

I REALLY have to disagree with the previous posters who frowned upon the studios as being something less than a regular hotel room. We ONLY stay in studios and I LOVE having the kitchenette! There is a countertop area with an under-the-counter frig that's large enough to store milk, water, beer & a few groceries, a wet sink (bar size), a toaster, microwave & a coffee pot. They provide a small sponge, dish liquid & paper towels. This is SO much more than the nothing that you get in a regular hotel room. We don't need (eat) a big breakfast but I love being able to toast a bagel in the mornings to go with my coffee & that I have a frig to keep DH's beer, milk for cereal & coffee and cold water in (we freeze bottles of water over night to take with us to the parks in the morning). I also appreciate not having to rely on the bathroom sink for drinking water & stuff. That always felt like I was back in college doing dishes in a dorm bathroom sink. I also rather LIKE that we don't have daily mousekeeping. I always felt like I had to tidy up & make sure everything is locked down with the daily cleaning service. It does not bother me in the slightest to make my own bed in the morning & hang up our towels.

The studios are an awesome value IMHO and the AKV studios are gorgeous!! You'll love it!

 

[Stacy_C]

Thanks for the additional information! I like knowing that I'll have access to the free laundry. That will help quite a bit.

 

[Stacy_C]

The studios are an awesome value IMHO and the AKV studios are gorgeous!! You'll love it!

I think we will too! Thanks!

 

[Man In the Red Hat]

If you want more towels you can purchase a towel pack from mousekeeping for $6.00

Or you can get towels from the pool

 

[jwfla422]

I REALLY have to disagree with the previous posters who frowned upon the studios as being something less than a regular hotel room. We ONLY stay in studios and I LOVE having the kitchenette! There is a countertop area with an under-the-counter frig that's large enough to store milk, water, beer & a few groceries, a wet sink (bar size), a toaster, microwave & a coffee pot. They provide a small sponge, dish liquid & paper towels. This is SO much more than the nothing that you get in a regular hotel room. We don't need (eat) a big breakfast but I love being able to toast a bagel in the mornings to go with my coffee & that I have a frig to keep DH's beer, milk for cereal & coffe and cold water in (we freeze bottles of water over night to take with us to the parks in the morning). I also appreciate not having to rely on the bathroom sink for drinking water & stuff. That always felt like I was back in college doing dishes in a dorm bathroom sink. I also rather LIKE that we don't have daily mousekeeping. I always felt like I had to tidy up & make sure everything is locked down with the daily cleaning service. It does not bother me in the slightest to make my own bed in the morning & hang up our towels.

The studios are an awesome value IMHO and the AKV studios are gorgeous!! You'll love it!

I totally agree with you. I was shocked to see some posters mentioning that a studio is a step down from a deluxe resort room. I totally disagree because we have stayed in many deluxe resort rooms and after staying at SSR on several occasions it's so difficult to go back to a regular "deluxe" resort room. OK so the sofa bed is not another queen bed but that's the only downgrade I agree with. Otherwise the kitchenette is a major upgrade in itself. I love having that and find it very difficult to stay in WDW anymore without it!

Now, I guess if you're renting points you may miss the daily housekeeping that you'd normally have in a regular deluxe room. We are not DVC members but actually stay at the DVC resorts at the AP/FL resident rate specials that are available so we do have daily housekeeping (and honestly wouldn't miss it all that much if we didn't have it).

I find the kitchenette worth it's weight in gold!

 

[BeccaG]

Depending on your travel party I always thought a bed plus a sofa was nicer than two beds. It gives you a place to sit, so I have to disagree with the previous poster who said otherwise!

 

[kikiq]

Depending on your travel party I always thought a bed plus a sofa was nicer than two beds. It gives you a place to sit, so I have to disagree with the previous poster who said otherwise!

I agree. The OP didn't say how many people were in her party, but when my DH and I stayed in the SSR studio, we liked having the couch. Like my OKW friend says, "Wouldn't you rather eat your ice cream sitting on the couch with your feet up than trying to sit in bed. And if you want more ice cream, go to your own freezer and not have to put on your shoes to go to the food court to get more."

 

[Mississippian]

Just for the record, I wasn't trying to blast the quality of the studios. A deluxe room at the Poly or Contemporary has about 440 square feet, which is much larger than a DVC studio. Other deluxe rooms are not quite as large, and deluxe rooms at WL and AKL are substantially smaller. So it depends on what you compare it to. I believe the room quality and size of the rooms at WL and AKL (hotel) put them a notch below the other deluxe resorts, but again, just my opinion.

For me, if given the choice between a room at the Poly or Contemporary or a DVC studio, I would pick the hotel room. That's with traveling with children, who would get a large queen bed. If it was just my wife and me, we might prefer a studio.

 

[crisi]

Or you can get towels from the pool

If you are a rule follower, no you can't. Pool towels are for pool use and should be returned in the pool return area. They are laundered separately (and apparently differently) from the hotel towels.

Hotel laundry is very expensive - which is the reason its $6 for extra towels. (hotels have to wash their laundry to a higher standard than you do at home - pretty heavy on really hot water and detergents because you don't really want whatever was on the last person's skin on yours.) If you take towels from the pool, you are increasing the dues for everyone. Suggesting that someone who rents does this really does not help the feelings between members and renters (there are many members who believe renters are not beneficial to DVC membership as a whole).

If you need clean towels daily, do laundry, pay for them, or pack an extra suitcase. Don't take them from the pool.