Trying to talk someone in to renting...

[Dean]

Thanks again! I am going to talk to my brother on Christmas day. I planned the last trip we all did in 2011 and we did 2 rooms at POFQ. He really loved it there and is just skeptical of anything else. He thinks the boat to DTD is the greatest thing ever. He really is lovable most of the time and is the type that, once he's there, he'll go with the flow and have a great time. We all had a great trip in 2011 (but have added 2 more kids since then).

OKW would be a great choice from that direction as well as having larger rooms and 2 queen beds in the second BR. While it doesn't have the third BA, it does have access to the split bath if you get a building that's in the higher numbers, I forget the exact number where the access is present but it's early to mid 30's building #.

 

[lizziepooh]

I would also discuss sleeping arrangements so someone isn't surprised to find their bed is a pull out sofa instead of a real bed.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I would also discuss sleeping arrangements so someone isn't surprised to find their bed is a pull out sofa instead of a real bed.

This would be a huge one. Springing a sofa bed on an adult when they had a queen previously? Can be unpleasant.

If he liked the boat to DS, beyond OKW there is also the Saratoga Springs option. You can walk into DS from Saratoga.

 

[circhead]

From what the OP stated previously, "her mother doesn't like the exterior corridors" I don't think OKW or Saratoga Springs would be an option.

 

[kyleandconnorsmom]

Thanks everyone. I was actually planning to take a sofa bed myself, I slept on one at AKV this past June and didn't mind it at all.

And I don't think my mom would like OKW or SSR based on the exterior corridors. As far as my brother, my mom was the only one concerned about him. I know that he may act like he doesn't like whatever choice we make, but he will end up coming around. I want to make sure my mom is happy since she's the one footing the bill. I could stay at and All Star myself (and have before) and love every second of it. But I hate that she didn't enjoy her previous stays and really want her to be impressed. I actually had no idea she had disliked the other resorts so much until we started planning this trip. I knew POFQ wasn't her favorite, but always thought she liked POP because she said she preferred it over POFQ due tot he fact that it seemed livelier. It wasn't until a couple of days ago that she told me she had hated both of those resorts, thought they were dirty and run down and didn't like the exterior corridors.

She will go along with whatever I decide, she just wants to please everyone else and thinks my brother would like CBR better than a deluxe because, when looking at pictures, that's the one he chose. But, he doesn't do any research, just bases everything on pictures or stuff he's heard and picked CBR in about 5 minutes when he found out she didn't want to book POR. My mom also won't complain at all until we get home and that's when she'll say she didn't like it. I'm honestly just looking for an experience that will change her mind about Disney resorts, especially since she is paying.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I'm honestly just looking for an experience that will change her mind about Disney resorts, especially since she is paying.

I think this may be challenging. Renting points has its own set of drawbacks. AKL, as you're aware, has covered hallways and balconies, but some of the balcony views ain't all that if you aren't paying for Savanna. The hallways are also long. OKW is a huge resort (much as CBR is), with outside "hallways" and a potential to have to hike around for amenities. Both still require a lot of bussing.

It may be your mom will find fault with any number of features of these resorts as well.

 

[kyleandconnorsmom]

I think this may be challenging. Renting points has its own set of drawbacks. AKL, as you're aware, has covered hallways and balconies, but some of the balcony views ain't all that if you aren't paying for Savanna. The hallways are also long. OKW is a huge resort (much as CBR is), with outside "hallways" and a potential to have to hike around for amenities. Both still require a lot of bussing.

It may be your mom will find fault with any number of features of these resorts as well.

That is true. Not sure she cares about the view much, I'll have to ask. Honestly, from what she had described; i.e. the interior hallways, lots of activity; I think that CR, in a tower room, would be ideal for her. I'm thinking now of just paying the difference myself so that I can make sure she's happy.

 

[mort1331]

If I am not mistaken, BW allows 5 in a studio now and has had a referb. You could go rooms here and proximity to 2 parks and the boardwalk at night is great for the kids.

 

[kyleandconnorsmom]

If I am not mistaken, BW allows 5 in a studio now and has had a referb. You could go rooms here and proximity to 2 parks and the boardwalk at night is great for the kids.

I would love BW, but assumed that the studios there book up quickly.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I would love BW, but assumed that the studios there book up quickly.

Not a bad assumption.

 

[supersnoop]

I would love BW, but assumed that the studios there book up quickly.

The pool/garden view are often available. The standard view book up quickly because they're so cheap, and the boardwalk view book quickly because of the view. But the pool/garden rooms cost the same as the boardwalk, so they move slowly.

 

[keishashadow]

I'm seeing red flags here. The person paying didn't like anything previously plus finances are tight enough that we have to wait to do reserve. Then the brother sounds beyond difficult as well. I hope it works out but I'm be surprised if it does and goes off well as presented.

it can be very difficult to plan a DVC resort trip for those who are used to standard sort of resort cancellation policies.

I cringe when reading the threads here of those who seemingly give the planner lots of grief or (worse) bail last minute after a member has covered the 'cost' of their points via borrowing or renting.

OP if you are coordinating the trip, then you are correct in wanting to get family to commit 100% as to the trip in general and your choice of accommodations. Suggest you also get them to agree to a 2nd or 3rd, depending on how long you wait to book.

AKV is a large resort, as long as you don't want a value type room @ Jambo, you should be good to go if you book early in the year. BWV standard rooms can also be difficult after the 11 month window commences.

 

[mort1331]

I would love BW, but assumed that the studios there book up quickly.

Yes some do, but that is what magic is all about, you never know, but include it when your thinking about it. We were able to get the Poly at 4 months out and BC at the same time.
You never know. Good luck and keep all options open.

 

[crisi]

it can be very difficult to plan a DVC resort trip for those who are used to standard sort of resort cancellation policies.

Repeated for emphasis.

OP, if you talk your mother into this and then your brother bails, or someone gets ill, or pregnant, or can't get vacation time, or the kids have a soccer tournament - most rentals are FINAL.

We've taken friends and family.

The first time we were supposed to take my mother in law and father in law. A few months before the trip, my father in law decided he couldn't get time off work (didn't want to go in reality). We were able to sub my husbands aunt, and it worked out great.

The second trip was supposed to be with my family. My parents, my sister/brother in law/nephew, and my sister and her boyfriend. This one is a saga.

First my sister gets pregnant and is due about the time we are going to travel. Fortunately, we've planned far in advance, we take a solo trip with the family and move the trip out a year. Pregnancy is a great reason to cancel, no hard feelings. Then we discover that my other sister is being abused by her boyfriend and ends up in rehab for alcohol. That doesn't change the trip, but we will come back to that later. The baby is born, the trip is on with baby in a stroller, and that sister gets cancer. Trip is postponed again. (Again, can't exactly blame her for having to go to chemo instead of Disney). This time we sub in a few friends (who turn out to be the most miserable traveling companions ever - that in itself is a story - but they were available and we had a room). My sister recovers (yeah!) and we finally take the family trip - without my other sister who has successfully sobered up (yeah!), but is single and in a funk and decides she can't handle that much family time. So we end up spreading out a little more than planned. Not a huge deal. (And understandable, her sobriety was a long journey, it was pretty fresh when we went, and she was having a tough time realizing that maybe she'd never have a family - seeing her sisters families was tough). She is healthy, happy, and married now - no kids, but that was a choice).

A few years later we plan a trip intending to bring my brother in law - who has terminal cancer - and my mother in law again, and my brother in laws girlfriend. He passes away a few months before the trip. No one wants to go and me and two kids occupy a Grand Villa (my husband joins us but not for the whole trip). Again, can't blame anyone.

 

[kyleandconnorsmom]

Wow. You had some bad luck! I can see why you'd be skeptical and cautionary about renting points! I did rent last year and, thankfully, it all went well. I think at this point, though, I'm leaning toward pitching in so we can book a deluxe through Disney.

 

[crisi]

Wow. You had some bad luck! I can see why you'd be skeptical and cautionary about renting points! I did rent last year and, thankfully, it all went well. I think at this point, though, I'm leaning toward pitching in so we can book a deluxe through Disney.

Yep, we had a really strange decade or so - lots of ups and downs. But the more people you add to a trip, the more likely you'll have something happen that will throw a wrench in the works. It might be blameless - like someone dying (though I really hope few people have that experience). It might be the stories you hear where you start to wonder - plans made and then suddenly there is a soccer tournament that takes priority over a Disney trip (where you really wonder if the issue is financial), or where it seemed like everyone was on board and then suddenly your sister's husband starts saying he never wanted to go to Disney in the first place and they pull out (where you just wonder if he's a jerk). And when you have one person paying, it can cause hard feelings if money is lost on the deal.

We own our points, so we've been able to adapt with each curve ball (although three people in a Grand Villa was a strange adaption, swapping out my husband's aunt for his stepfather was easy - and probably worked way better as a trip). Renting give you less flexibility to adapt. I have rented points (Hilton Head for my Girl Scouts in the Summer - we ended up with fewer girls than planned, but we got there), but I also had a backup plan (my husband and son would join us rather than the Scouts).

 

[Sammie]

Another thing to consider with renting, will the others be happy with no daily housekeeping. To some used to that, it is deal breaker. Also as Crisi, said renting can be a problem in that the more people involved the percentage for something coming up increases.