skyauction experts needed

[decaff38]

I am watching the Skyauctions and am getting up the guts to put in a bid. I've been doing the Math for the dates and since we will be arriving on Jan. 8th it looks like the pattern wil be that reservations for that week should show up around Nov. 10. What do you think? I know the Ready, Set , Gos are a good deal but there are no selections for my time slot yet. What places would you recommend for a family of 5(2 room suite please) smallest child is 15? Need a pool, jaccuzi within walking distance, 2 -3 beds would be great, facilities to cook simple meals. Thanks for your time.

 

[bearzabout]

Early January is usually a slow time in Florida. You shouldn't have a problem finding availability. Last year, I had no problem getting a unit in mid February. It just took a lot of patience and something eventually opened up.

There is a chance that a three bedroom unit may be available. This would be ideal. All two bedroom units should be fine. The fifth person may end up on the sofa in the livingroom. My unit at Fairfield Cypress Palms had a king size bed in the master and two queen size beds in the second bedroom. Some resorts offer two double or twin beds in that room. The 2nd bedroom also had its own TV which is not standard in every resort.

Do some reseach on each resort that comes up often: Silver Lake, Cypress Point & Grand Villas, Vacation Villas at Parkway, Fairfield, etc. and decide which features are most important. Check out the floorplans and driving distance. If you like to eat offsite, review options for dining nearby. Read the reviews on tripadvisor.com to see what people liked and didn't like about their stays. If you do your research now, you will know what unit you really want and be able to grab it as soon as it becomes available.


I hate driving, so I always choose resorts closer to WDW. Summer Bay is too far away. I always book a two bedroom unit so I know I will always have a big jacuzzi tub and washer/dryer in the room. Condos are the way to go, IMHO.

 

[decaff38]

Thank you for your info. The more money I can save on a bed, the more fun we have when we're awake. I just want to make the right decision. We will have a rental car but would like to only travel short distances since there are 5 adultish bodys in the car. Thanks
Do you suggest and specific resorts?

 

[Local_Girl]

I'm not bearzabout, but I can give you my .02 on condos to consider on Skyauction. We have stayed at both Hilton Grand Vacation Club at Sea World and Orange Lake...and both were great, but now don't come up on Skyauction regularly, though you may get lucky because you're going during slow season.

Other resorts we'd consider due to mostly favorable reviews here on the DIS are Cypress Palms; Cypress Pointe and the CP Grande Villas (the CP is the older section, the CPGV newer), Polynesian Isles, Silver Lake, Sunterra Resorts Grand Beach, and maybe Vacation Villas or Summer Bay (the latter is far out though). If I were you, I'd look at the descriptions of some of the listed resorts and maybe check out their own websites for more pictures and info. If you prioritize what amenities are important for your family, you can decide which resorts best suit your needs.

Good luck!