What would you do?? Involves OKW/St. Pete/BCV??

[edk35]

Okay I promise...............I promise this is my last time. OKay....I think I am at peace with this decision. I just need help with 3 nights at St. Pete or 4? I currently have 4 nights booked starting on Wed. July 23rd. I also have 7 nights secure at BCV starting on Friday July 25th. I called MS this morning and OKW is available for us starting on Sat. July 19th. I really want to have more Disney nights than 7 at BCV. I was thinking one of these below:

1. Arrive OKW and stay for 4 nights.....one weekend night and 3 week day nights. Then leave on Wed. the 23rd for 4 nights at St. Pete. Then stay 5 nights at BCV....no weekend points.

2. Arrive OKW and stay 5 nights, St. Pete for 3 nights (not 4), 5 nights at BCV. Still just one weekend night on points at OKW.

3. Arrive OKW and stay for 4 nights, St. Pete for 3 nights and BCV for 6 nights which now includes another weekend night.

4. Arrive OKW on Friday July 18th and stay for 5 nights....with two weekend nights, then 4 at St. Pete followed by 5 at BCV (no weekend at BCV but 2 now at OKW).

I guess I am stuck on going to St. Pete for 3 nights or 4 nights??? Since it is probably a 2 hour drive I think..from Disney...would 3 nights be enough? I guess this is about what people drive to Vero from Disney.


I am borrowing points for this long vacation but that is okay.....of course it makes more sense to not pay for another weekend night though. That is less points borrowed. Our UY is Oct. So this would put us at borrowing again next summer. We have 300 points per year. Starting out for this trip we had 279. So we borrowed 71 when I originally booked 7 nights starting on Friday July 25th. However.....I have decided that since we are only going once a year starting with this trip for the next few years.....I want more than 7 nights at WDW.

We have never stayed at OKW or BCV so we are excited about that and we really want at least 4-5 or 6 days at each DVC resort at a min. I think in order to split I want no less than 4 nights per DVC. Plus OKW is cheaper points wise than the other DVC resorts.

PLEASE feel free to give me any advice....negative or positve. I am brave and I can take it.

 

[starbox]

Why St. Pete? I grew up w/all my family right around there. Personally, I think there are better beaches/places to visit in Florida within 2 hours of Orlando - unless you've got something specific you want to do there.

The Dali museum is really cool though.

 

[starbox]

Also - I find it enjoyable to break up a Disney trip with 3-4 nights at a beach. It's too far to drive to Central/South Florida from Georgia just to go to the beach - but the 2 hour drive to Vero works out great - we eat breakfast at Disney and make it to Vero by lunch & vice versa.

 

[edk35]

Why St. Pete? I grew up w/all my family right around there. Personally, I think there are better beaches/places to visit in Florida within 2 hours of Orlando - unless you've got something specific you want to do there.

The Dali museum is really cool though.

Well I booked 4 nights at Tradewinds Island Grand ( a family type resor) because the kids love the gulf. We live on the east coast so we aren't inclined to go to the Atlantic. Two summers ago we rented a gulf side condo for 5 nights at Ft. Walton Beach and the kids loved it. So friends of ours went to this Tradewindsd place last summer for 5 nights and loved it. I know nothing about it except for their web site and also our friends. They usually go to Myrtle Beach and they loved this St. Pete place. SO maybe jsut 3 nights?????

 

[edk35]

Also - I find it enjoyable to break up a Disney trip with 3-4 nights at a beach. It's too far to drive to Central/South Florida from Georgia just to go to the beach - but the 2 hour drive to Vero works out great - we eat breakfast at Disney and make it to Vero by lunch & vice versa.

So have you done a split like this?? Where you go to Disney, then beach and then back?

 

[starbox]

So have you done a split like this?? Where you go to Disney, then beach and then back?

Yup - we've done it the past two years and are actually doing it TWICE this summer! Three nights is probably perfect. We did 5 nights at the beach last year and the kids got ansty for WDW the last day - so I think 4 nights is our beach max until they get older.

I'd say 3 nights is probably fine for St. Pete. It's not my favorite Florida beach, but if you're at a good resort, I'm sure you'll have a blast. And seriously - go to the Dali museum - it's the one of only two Dali museums in the world and is, by far, the most expansive collection anywhere in North America. hthttp://www.salvadordalimuseum.org/collection/collection_history.html
I'd also suggest St. Augustine sometime just because it is so neat - we'll likely try to do St. Augustine next year. I'd SO love a DVC at St. Augustine. http://www.ci.st-augustine.fl.us/

 

[edk35]

Yup - we've done it the past two years and are actually doing it TWICE this summer! Three nights is probably perfect. We did 5 nights at the beach last year and the kids got ansty for WDW the last day - so I think 4 nights is our beach max until they get older.

I'd say 3 nights is probably fine for St. Pete. It's not my favorite Florida beach, but if you're at a good resort, I'm sure you'll have a blast. And seriously - go to the Dali museum - it's the one of only two Dali museums in the world and is, by far, the most expansive collection anywhere in North America. hthttp://www.salvadordalimuseum.org/collection/collection_history.html
I'd also suggest St. Augustine sometime just because it is so neat - we'll likely try to do St. Augustine next year. I'd SO love a DVC at St. Augustine. http://www.ci.st-augustine.fl.us/

How far a drive is it to St. Pete from WDW? Also how about to St. Augustine from WDW? Thanks

 

[starbox]

How far a drive is it to St. Pete from WDW? Also how about to St. Augustine from WDW? Thanks

St. Pete - 95 miles
St. Augustine - 135 miles

BUT - much more traffic around Tampa/St. Petersburg so you're probably looking at roughly the same travel time - about 2 hours. I've driven from both and St. Augustine "felt" shorter - but then again it was my honeymoon so I was in a good mood!

St. Augustine is well-worth seeing at some point when you're in Florida. It's really lush and beautiful, there's so much neat historical stuff, and it's very quiet and laid-back. I loved it both as a kid and as an adult.

 

[edk35]

St. Pete - 95 miles
St. Augustine - 135 miles

BUT - much more traffic around Tampa/St. Petersburg so you're probably looking at roughly the same travel time - about 2 hours. I've driven from both and St. Augustine "felt" shorter - but then again it was my honeymoon so I was in a good mood!

St. Augustine is well-worth seeing at some point when you're in Florida. It's really lush and beautiful, there's so much neat historical stuff, and it's very quiet and laid-back. I loved it both as a kid and as an adult.

Are there nice resorts there?

 

[donmil723]

Since it sounds like you have plenty of points even with borrowing a few from next year, my choice would be #3. Because I love BCV so much, I would want to spend most of my time there. Of course, only you know your family's likes and dislikes. Someday, we might get to do a long trip like the one you are planning and we would probably go somewhere else for a long weekend to save on points. Good luck with your planning!