Studio vs 1BR Villa

[Mommiesblessings2]

So, here's my question..........DVC
December (Sat to Sat)
2 adults, 7 yo and 3 yo
8 days
5 park days w/hopper
3 days hotel/non-park days (arrival/departure day and 1 other full day)

Will have groceries delivered and have breakfast at hotel, except for maybe 4 mornings will do an early character breakfast. Probably go back mid-day, but not certain. Didn't last trip and kids were 4 and 1.

Studio vs 1 br villa

What's the difference in size and your favorite DVC and why?

Greatly appreciate all comments.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Oh, my! You're gonna get lots of different answers on this. No doubt for us, 1 BR, maybe even 2 BR if we could afford the points. At least two TVs (3 in a 2 BR) so less fighting, washer and dryer so you can wash clothes while you eat dinner, full kitchen for making meals. For size, we like OKW, I'm a BCV fan but only if you'll be at Epcot a couple times.

 

[Simba07]

It is all about how you value the space. We love the kitchen, laundry, having the kids in a separate room, etc. But with small children, I can't justify paying twice as much for those things. Maybe when they are older, it will be worth it. But right now I don't value the space that much.

 

[Deb & Bill]

When the two of us go, we pretty nearly always get a one bedroom because we just like the space. We had a studio last May for five nights because I was trying to get out of the borrowing mode that we had been in (two bedroom for marathon, GV for post-graduation stay). After that, Bill said, let's get a one bedroom next time.

With four of you, you'll appreciate the space of a one bedroom. Plus you'll get a king sized bed for the two of you and either a queen sleeper sofa or a queen sleeper sofa and twin sleeper chair for the two kids.

Plus you get a full kitchen with an oven, large refrigerator with a freezer with plenty of space. And a washer and dryer (so you can leave half your clothes at home and go home with a suitcase full of clean clothes).

 

[TheDisneyFour]

We love the space. We have a 5 and 1 year old and we would not get less than a 1 bdr. Can't beat the kitchen and washer/dryer. Some have the extra bathroom.

 

[robinb]

I think that most people would prefer a 1 or 2 bedroom over a studio. That's kind-of a 'no brainer' IMO. The question is: would you be comfortable in a studio? We are a family of 3 and we usually stay in studios. We cook breakfast every morning using the toaster and the microwave. We take our laundry to the shared laundry. We cook out at the communal grill once per stay. 1 BRs are really nice, but they are twice as expensive as studios. Would you stay in a regular hotel room for a week? The studios are bigger than most of the regular WDW hotel rooms.

 

[Mommiesblessings2]

Thank you everyone for your comments!
Looks like a 1BR it is!

This is my first DVC rental. Any suggestions on a place? MK will be our go to park, with HS right behind.

We are not really fans of EPCOT. Last time the kids were board, but they were 4 and 1 too.

 

[ThumpersWorld]

We are family of 4 with a just turned 9 yr old and 6 1/2 yr old and we just came back from a split stay at BCV one bedroom and BLT one bedroom. Would recommend both but if you want to be near the MK the most, opt for the BLT one bedroom. It even has 2 bathrooms. You won't want to leave!!!

 

[robinb]

When are you thinking of going? That will have a lot to do with your choice. Just so you know, a 1 BR will be about twice as much as a studio.

 

[disneynutz]

So, here's my question..........DVC
December (Sat to Sat)
2 adults, 7 yo and 3 yo
8 days
5 park days w/hopper
3 days hotel/non-park days (arrival/departure day and 1 other full day)

Will have groceries delivered and have breakfast at hotel, except for maybe 4 mornings will do an early character breakfast. Probably go back mid-day, but not certain. Didn't last trip and kids were 4 and 1.

Studio vs 1 br villa

What's the difference in size and your favorite DVC and why?

Greatly appreciate all comments.

1 bedroom is a given.

Your hopper plan I just don't understand? Why do people feel the need to move from one park to another in one day.

Why not better use your time and stay in one park each day. Moving must take 90 minutes and that time could be used on a couple more rides.

Bill

 

[hakepb]

1 bedroom is a given.

Your hopper plan I just don't understand? Why do people feel the need to move from one park to another in one day.

Why not better use your time and stay in one park each day. Moving must take 90 minutes and that time could be used on a couple more rides.

Bill

If you are taking a mid-day break anyway (more comfortable swim time) and a nap to recharge, you are not wasting additional time going to a different park.

That's generally how I hop. I occasionally will also go to MK at night when I'm I another park that closed. Or I might do a straight hop on my last (wild card) park day to hit more favorite attractions.

 

[disneynutz]

If you are taking a mid-day break anyway (more comfortable swim time) and a nap to recharge, you are not wasting additional time going to a different park.

That's generally how I hop. I occasionally will also go to MK at night when I'm I another park that closed. Or I might do a straight hop on my last (wild card) park day to hit more favorite attractions.

Thanks for the insight, different strokes for different folks.

The way that I look at it, we rush around in our daily lives, I'm not going to do the same at Disney. Disney isn't going anywhere and what I don't see or do today, I can see or do tomorrow.

Bill

 

[Andrew015]

Surely, when you simply pit the two room categories against each other (Studio vs 1BR), you must have an idea of what the answer is going to look like, right? "Would you rather have a Chevy Malibu or a Cadillac CTS?"

The real questions come down to how much time you plan to spend in the room, and what you expect to get out of your room during your stay. From what limited information you have provided to us about your upcoming stay (3 dedicated resort days + cooking in the room), the 1BR probably makes the most sense for you.

Another factor into making the appropriate selection is points. How many do you currently have available? Do you have to borrow from upcoming UY's to afford the upgrade, and if so, are you OK sacrificing next year's vacation (or a portion of it) to "pay for" the upgrade? While a 1BR certainly would be more comfortable for this trip, if it means sacrificing next year's vacation as a result, I may very well consider squeezing into the Studio.

I, myself, am a studio dweller (most of the time), as I love the value and don't require the amenities of the larger room categories. The only time I will spring for a 1-2 BR is if my party size warrants me doing so. The kitchen, washer & dryer and extra space mean very little to me, as I am seldom in the room aside from sleeping and showering, nor do I cook or do laundry while on vacation. That's the beauty of DVC - flexibility that allows different strokes for different folks.

 

[Andrew015]

Your hopper plan I just don't understand? Why do people feel the need to move from one park to another in one day.

Not everyone has the luxury of getting multi-week trips in at a time, or multiple trips per year for that matter. For those that can only get in one week per year or every other year, I absolutely understand the desire to park hop and maximize that time. Not to mention the fact that some parks (i.e. AK, sometimes HS) close early, while other parks like MK may have EMH's until 1:00 am on the same day.

I am lucky enough that I usually get multiple trips per year, but park hop regardless because that's what I enjoy doing. I never feel rushed, nor do I make any effort to "ride everything". I simply enjoy bouncing around to the things that I enjoy, and that might involve multiple parks within the same calendar day.

 

[amylock]

1 bedroom is a given.

Your hopper plan I just don't understand? Why do people feel the need to move from one park to another in one day.

Why not better use your time and stay in one park each day. Moving must take 90 minutes and that time could be used on a couple more rides.

Bill

We are AP holders and almost NEVER rush to do anything. We typically try to stay at BWV, and many nights we will just wander over to Epcot to have a drink and watch Illuminations if we are done with the park we did that day. (We usually are)

 

[amylock]

So, here's my question..........DVC
December (Sat to Sat)
2 adults, 7 yo and 3 yo
8 days
5 park days w/hopper
3 days hotel/non-park days (arrival/departure day and 1 other full day)

Will have groceries delivered and have breakfast at hotel, except for maybe 4 mornings will do an early character breakfast. Probably go back mid-day, but not certain. Didn't last trip and kids were 4 and 1.

Studio vs 1 br villa

What's the difference in size and your favorite DVC and why?

Greatly appreciate all comments.

With the little ones, the one bedroom is nice for your breakfast prep AND the washer/dryer. You can pack much less and not have to take time out to use the communal laundry - run the laundry when in the room.

Our first dvc rental was at Kidani and we had my then 18 year old with us. The extra bathroom was awesome, and the savanna view was great! We really like that resort, but the drawback is that it is far from the parks (other than AK). However, the busses there are some of the best on property.

If you are spending a ton of time at the MK, BLT and VWL are good options. Busing from those two resorts are tough to the other parks though.