The problem with being a family of 5

[EdDome]

After having two rooms at the Poly for our family of 6 (one over the limit) we bought into DVC. I should have done it sooner given how much I spent on those two rooms. If you're an annual or frequent visitor to WDW, DVC makes sense.

 

[bryantslovedisney]

EdDome,

I have some friends that go to the DVC...Do you really
feel like you are on-site? For a 2 bedroom, don't you
pay as much as you would at a deluxe, without having
the pampering of housekeeping and all the other perks
that come with staying at a hotel?
We stay at various condos when we go snowskiing
(we are close to slopes) throughout the winter. But
we basically check in at first and then we never see
anyone associated with the condo complex. Not that
that's a bad thing....I just like being reminded I'm at
a fabulous place like Disney by seeing and hearing from
CM's!! Do you know what I mean?? My DH has actually
been pushing to get a DVC, but I haven't done because
of above reasons? Any Comments???

Jill

 

[twinmomplus2]

We are a family of 5. And we do own DVC. As others have said if you plan on going to Disney at least every other year. Then it is definately worth it. DVC is not in my opinion the same as renting a ski condo. you own your points not a specific week. So its a rolling rotaing experience. you are not locked into one unit. DVC is ON property. You couldn't ask for a better location than Beach club or Boardwalk in my view. You walk right on over to Epcot less than 10 minutes. Launch to MGM. I own at Boardwalk and that truly is in the center of things! Now OKW for me is more of a condo experience for us. As there is no deluxe perks, such as Valet or room service. Those are important to us as a family when we vacation. And we do take full advantages of those things. However our DVC allows us to Have a kitchen, the whirlpool tubs,space to spread out. And the washer and dryer is a huge thing for me. It is very relaxing to be able to put the kids to bed and stay up do the laundry, watch tv. Without all being in a room. If your DH has considered ownership you really should take a tour. good luck!

 

[xlstacey]

Oh boy do I know what you are talking about with big families. We are down to a family of 5 and realized when we were a family of 7 (I am a step-mom to 2 wonderful children .. not so much children now cuz they are 22 & 21) ... that motels were not for us cuz we would have to have 2 everywhere we went.

We bought into Worldmark timeshares and next to buying our house, it's the best thing we have done. We have stayed off-site 3x & are now staying on-site for the very first time this coming January. We were lucky enough to exchange into WDW with our timeshare.

Good luck to you and love all these wonderful ideas my fellow disers have recommended ... everyone is so kind and helpful!!

 

[Kallison]

The Contemp. rooms are quite a bit roomier than POR, plus if you stay in the tower you get a balcony to escape too. The bathrooms are huge, much larger than those at the BC. My family of 5 was very comfortable at the Contemp. As for the theming, I really don't think about it, since we don't spend that much in our room. Have fun deciding.

 

[MRS AR]

We have a family of five and have enjoyed staying at the BC. The kids love the pool, and walk to Epcot keeps the room handy enough for a quiet afternoon away from the parks. We have also stayed at the Contemporary and Poly, but loved the BC the most. I love the "Disney Experience" of staying onsite.

 

[frazzled one]

Here's another vote for the Contemporary, which I've read has the largest rooms on property. I believe that the rooms in the wings are the same size as the tower rooms. We thought our room was enormous when we took our 3 girls (then about the same ages as the OP's sons) in 1997. The 2 queen beds and daybed provided comfortable sleeping for all, and we didn't find ourselves tripping over each other getting ready for touring or bedtime.

Though the CR leaves some folks cold, we love it, and there are several cool things that might appeal to your boys. The arcade is enormous (and difficult to extricate children from), the monorail runs right through the building, the pools are nice (though certainly not the best on property), and the convenience of being able to walk to the MK on your own timetable just can't be overestimated. We'd go again in a heartbeat.

Let us know what you decide - so far I'd say that everything sounds good!

fraz

 

[Cinderelli]

We are a family of 5 and have stayed all over. We own DVC and that would be my first choice. Being from Tampa, however, we love to go many times a year and can't always use our villas thru DVC. Each resort (on-site or off-site) offers it's own experience. I truly think if you've never stayed on-site, you should try it. We just returned from 2 nites at the All Starts Sports. We had NEVER tried a value resort. Always preferring to stay at DVC, Moderate or Deluxe. We absolutely loved the All Stars. We got 2 rooms that were connecting. The kids had their beds & bath, and we had a king bed with our own bath. We think we'll try to stay there again a couple of nites before our DVC spring break trip to the Boardwalk.

We also love staying at Cypress Pointe Grand Villas. We've received astoundingly low rates on HotelKindgom.com. A three bedroom there would give you a tremendous amount of space and all for the price of a moderate on-site. It's only a 5 minute drive to Magic Kindgom and you are at Downtown Disney's back door.

What ever you decide, enjoy your trip. Having 2 bathrooms in the AM makes such a big different to us, tho. So, maybe off-site or two rooms at Pop Century or All Stars would be the place to start.

HAVE FUN PLANNING

Lissa

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by bryantslovedisney
I have some friends that go to the DVC...Do you really
feel like you are on-site? For a 2 bedroom, don't you
pay as much as you would at a deluxe, without having
the pampering of housekeeping and all the other perks
that come with staying at a hotel?

DVC is on-site! As far as cost it all depends on what kind of accommodations you get. Obviously a 2BR with a cash ressie would be more than a deluxe ressie, however, if you rented points from a DVC member it wouldn't be as much as the cash ressie & you don't pay any tax if you rent points.

As far as pampering, etc., you're right, you don't get housekeeping every day. I thought this would be a major complaint of mine, but it doesn't bother me in the least. In fact, it's kind of nice not having to wonder when someone is going to show up to clean your room or to come back to your room & still have it a mess. You do see CM's all the time doing other work around the resort.

Actually, there is no comparison between a 2BR & a deluxe. You get a whole different experience. We just returned from 2 nights at the YC & 6 nights at OKW in a 2BR (we are members at OKW). While I loved staying at the YC, I couldn't imagine spending the entire vacation there in one hotel room. There is so much more room to spread out in the 2BR.

Obviously, purchasing into DVC is a completely different issue, but for cost & comfort renting points from a member is a great option.

Now, to the original poster - I would look into renting DVC points. I would also consider staying in the FW cabins with your 3 DS's. I bet they would love them. My 3 DD's love them. There is so much to do there - rent boats, rent bikes, fishing, basketball courts, the campfire & nightly movies, etc. The pools are not themed, but the kids still have fun. There is a full kitchen & outdoor grill, along with an outdoor deck. There is so much more room than a regular hotel room. Of course, another option is 2 rooms at a value resort, which gives you 2 baths, just like a 2BR at DVC would.

Good luck with your decision. I'm sure you'll be happy no matter where you are, but honestly, to get the full Disney experience I would suggest on-site. Going off-site is like leaving WDW every day & staying in "Anywhere, USA". You'd probably be happier with POR than staying off-site. JMO!

 

[uvabeachbum]

I'm not sure how often you plan to go to Disney but here's another option. We only have a family of 4, but still we have always felt cramped in a hotel room. Since we visit WDW for at least 1 week each year, 2 years ago, we finally took the plunge and bought a timeshare. Timeshares in orlando range from $5,000 on the resale market to over $20,000 for a multi bedroom premium week in the Disney Vacation Club. We have stayed at 2 resorts that we love. The first is called Liki Tiki Village (I know, sounds corny.) Here, We had a 2 bedroom unit with a full living room, kitchen and 2 baths. The Master bedroom was huge with a full size jacuzzi. The "prize" amenity is an on-site water park that has 5 water slides to fit any age. Our 3 year old was comfortable on the small one and even the teenagers enjoyed the others. This resort is a 15 - 20 minute drive to MK.

The second resort is Horizons by Marriott. This resort is themed more towards younger kids at this point. It is new and, although there is no jacuzzi in the unit, it comes with the service and quality I expect from Marriott.

Depending on when you are going, I know that both of these facilities offer thre famous stay cheap and take a tour program. We did this a Horizons and had no problem with the tour. there was NO pressure to buy and we were done in less than 1.5 hours. I have heard that the tour at Liki Tiki is a bit more, and can be extremely long and pressure packed if you show any interest in the tour.

Additionally, I have routinely seen 2 bedroom units at Liki Tiki rent with NO TOUR for $129 to $169 per night. www.islandone.com is their website. Horizons typicall is $179+ per night.

I am sure there are other fine properties as well, these are just the only 2 I have experience with personally.

 

[EdDome]

bryantslovedisney -
twinsmomplus2 sums it up very well. Since we go to WDW at least once a year it works well for us. Out "home" resport is OKW, a lay-back resort but probably has more space in a 2-br unit than my house, but we also stay at VWL and BCV. It's not a condo experience like you may have heard and may be worth checking out even if you're only mildly interested.

 

[bryantslovedisney]

Thanks for all of the great info about DVC's...
It's always seemed so confusing ...the point system
and all!! It also sounds like it is difficult to do
spontaneous trips(if you are renting points) or
to get the week that you might want. Like how
hard is it to reserve your 2 bedroom(If you own)
at Christmas time? Is there a senority system or
is it first come first serve?
Whatever the case, when we go down this Xmas
we're definitely going to drive over and check everything
out!! Do you suggest one over the other if you are trying
to get the Full Disney Experience? We were thinking
maybe the Wilderness Lodge??? Do you get to use
their pool(the WL resort pool)? Thanks for all of your
help...I know I can always get the inside scoop on these
boards!!!

Jill

 

[southernfarmgal]

I just want to say a big thank you to all of you who took time to give your feedback! It really has been so insightful! After sharing the info with dh and talking more with him, he is really interested in the POR resort. He thinks the whole "bayou theme" would be a blast. My main concern there is being too cramped in the room, as I have three very active boys...from the moment their feet hit the floor to the moment they close their eyes (will be 12, 10 and 6 during trip). At this point, my 3 main choices would be POR, a garden wing room at the CR (tower rooms are just too pricey, IMO), or the adjoining rooms at the All-Stars/PC. I think the FWC would be a great choice except that we also love *Gatlinburg, TN*, and we stay in cabins there....amazing, beautiful cabins.....so I want to make this lodging be something very different from that....KWIM? I am interested in hearing more about renting DVCs. I've tried to find out exactly what that's about, but I can't find an explanation for how it works. I found the board where you can rent the points and such, but I still don't get how renting points affords you a stay at DW. Can someone explain that to me?

Thanks again,
~Memrie

 

[HumphreyBear]

Originally posted by bryantslovedisney
Thanks for all of the great info about DVC's...
It's always seemed so confusing ...the point system
and all!! It also sounds like it is difficult to do
spontaneous trips(if you are renting points) or
to get the week that you might want. Like how
hard is it to reserve your 2 bedroom(If you own)
at Christmas time? Is there a senority system or
is it first come first serve?
Whatever the case, when we go down this Xmas
we're definitely going to drive over and check everything
out!! Do you suggest one over the other if you are trying
to get the Full Disney Experience? We were thinking
maybe the Wilderness Lodge??? Do you get to use
their pool(the WL resort pool)? Thanks for all of your
help...I know I can always get the inside scoop on these
boards!!!

Jill

DVC isn't really confusing at all once it is explained properly. If you are truly interested you should probably start a post with your questions on the DVC board.

We have never had a problem renting points for a spur of the moment trip, with the caviat that we may not get out first choice resort. Holidays are of course more difficult to get, but you do have the option of booking 11 months out at your home resort. That is the earliest anyone can book at their home resort. So if you plan ahead for the holidays there should be no problem. The use year is only important as to when you get your points every year.

Any DVC will give you a "full disney experience" its no different than staying at a resort - you just don't get daily housekeeping. But you do get other ammenities that far outweight the housekeeping thing. The only way to purchase Wilderness Lodge right now would be if you bought a resale or waitlisted. Saratoga Springs is the only DVC available for new sales right now. DVC does have pool hopping privileges to other resorts with the exception of SAB, AKL and SSR. Pool hopping is allowed when capacity isn't an issue. Which I have always found at WL. We own points there, but seldom use the main pool because its always too crowded.

And to the poster who wrote something about a "premium week at DVC" - DVC doesn't work that way. We don't buy weeks we buy points and can use them whenever we want based on availability.

To the original poster I would suggest renting DVC points for a 2 bedroom or a FW cabin - the cabin sleeps 6 and has a full kitchen with daily housekeeping. In terms of Disney theming - it is one of the originals - doesn't get more Disney than that (JMHO) but then again I thing the Contemporary is ultimate Disney theming!

 

[SYDNCLAIRESMOM]

Last November we stayed at the FW cabins for about $900 total for a week with a code from mousesavers.com. TONS of room with a FULL kitchen--sleeps 6. I recommend them to all my friends with more than 2 kids. Good luck!!

 

[crisi]

DVC is VERY cool, but it is not cheap to buy in (minimum investment right now is around $13k, plus $600 a year in dues - and that gets you 150 points - which won't go far at all with a family of five requiring a two bedroom, nor cheap to rent (going rental rate is about $10 a point - you can sometimes find people renting "distressed" points cheaper - i.e. they need to be used quickly before they expire. Although we have the minimum 150 points and do pretty good - because we only vacation every other year. (Dues are paid yearly and are somewhere around $4 a point depending on resort, but once the original purchase is paid and annual dues, there are no more costs - no room tax, no booking fee (unless you book outside the system)).

To find out how much your DVC reservation would be, go to the dvc board, click on the points calculator, type in your dates and it will tell you how many points. You will require a two bedroom, and OKW will be the cheapest points (the resort is supposed to be lovely, the rooms are much bigger than the other resorts, but it is in the relative boonies compared to the other resorts - i.e. the Boardwalk, Beach Club and Wilderness Lodge).

Our seven nights in a two bedroom at the Boardwalk was 282 points in October - a fairly low point cost season - had I rented them and not owned them the points would have cost me $2,820. But considering the room rents rack rate for $700 a night plus tax, its still a bargain. That same room for seven days at peak season is 462 points ($4,620 on the rental market, but over $7000 rack rate - if you could get it rack rate - the rooms are sometimes not even available through CRO).

The rooms ARE lovely - condo like accomodations - usually attached to Deluxe resorts (although Old Key West and Sarasota Springs are stand alone DVC resorts). The two bedrooms have a kitchen (with a stove and dishwasher), a master bedroom with a whirlpool tub, a living room with a pull out couch, and a second bedroom with either two queen beds or a bed and a sofa bed. The one bedrooms are just like the two bedrooms without the second bedroom (i.e. kitchen and master bedroom with jacuzzi, plus a pull out in the living room).

If DVC is affordable for you (either as purchase or renting) it will change the way you vacation at Disney. But beware, its hard to go back to five in a room at POR.

 

[tar heel]

Since your boys were interested in Wilderness Lodge, make sure to go there to eat. We're a family of 5 and can't justify the cost of a deluxe room there and at AKL (For the price, we'll take an Epcot resort), but we love visiting and always eat at Whispering Canyon at WL and Boma at AKL.

We stayed at PO-R twice when our children were in the same general age range of yours, and it was fine. Since my two older boys are now big teens, we've outgrown it. With 5 people, we have stayed at two rooms at All Stars, two rooms at Coronado Springs, FW cabin, one room at PO-R, one room at YC and one room at the Polynesian. If prices were equal, we would take the one YC room over two rooms.

I don't know how much you're paying at PO-R, but don't forget to check out the Swan and Dolphin specials on this site's homepage. We've not stayed there, but with our favorite resort (YC) next door, I can tell you that that is an unbeatable location.

 

[tdelano]

My family of 5 spent 7 nights at the Dolphin. My kids were 9,10.13. We took two sleeping bags..my kids didn't mind at all..it was WELL worth it to have the Dolphin location which cannot be beat! It was a tight fit.. but we were in the room so little that it didn't matter to us at all.. great pool and walking distance to MGM, Ecpot and Boardwalk!!!

 

[HumphreyBear]

Any DVC will give you a "full disney experience" its no different than staying at a resort - you just don't get daily housekeeping.

Actually, you can have daily full maid service at any dvc resort(even turn down service at some dvc resorts) - you just choose to pay for it a la carte. There were enough members who didn't care for it - some folks don't like the intrusive feeling, because they start feeling really homey because they have so much space - so the membership chose to not require everyone to pay for it in their annual dues. If you want it, great, go ahead and pay for it. If not, don't pay for it, and you get service on your fourth day. It is basicallly a way that members who don't want it don't pay for it for those of us who do. Pay for yourself as you go if you choose to. Not a big deal, easy to set up when you check in. When you stay at a resort room, you've already paid for the maid in the nightly cost of the room. This is a way that members have chosen to save money if they don't want to use it.

But yeah, bigger accomodations cost more money.

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by southernfarmgal
I am interested in hearing more about renting DVCs. I've tried to find out exactly what that's about, but I can't find an explanation for how it works. I found the board where you can rent the points and such, but I still don't get how renting points affords you a stay at DW. Can someone explain that to me?

I would post this question on the DVC Rent/Trade Board also.

Renting points is fairly easy. Ask on the Rent/Trade Board how many points you would need for the length of time & season you are staying. Then you would need to decide where you'd like to stay (say WL) & reply to posts of owners that will be renting points at the DVC resort during your stay.

Believe me, you can not ask too many questions!!!! I was a little confused the first time we did it also but it was a great experience.

I found someone that would rent me points for a week at OKW. It seems as though the average point rental is $10 per point. This can go lower depending on how anxious the owner is to rent them out for various reasons.

EXAMPLE: We rented 232 points at $8.50 per point = $1972
Divided by 7 nights = $281.71 per night

There is no tax on point rentals & considering the cost of deluxe resorts I thought staying in a 2BR unit at DVC for about $282 a night was a pretty good deal. There is so much room - 2 baths, full kitchen, etc.

Before we sent any money to the renter we checked all references. The ressie was made in our name, with us being guests of the owner. We got to use all DVC priveleges. It was a great experience & we loved it so much we came home & bought a resale at OKW through The Timeshare Store.

PM me if you would like more information on renting & also ask a ton of questions over at the Rent/Trade Board. Even if you choose not to rent points it's good to have the information for future trips. Good luck.