Where to stay on Fri & Sat Nights?

[mprewitt]

It seems most folks book 5 night trips, Sunday night through Thursday night, due to the fact that Friday and Saturday nights require a larger amount of points per night.

What if you wanted to stay within WDW for Friday and Saturday nights? What do people do?

I'd like to hear some recommendations from folks. Do you stay at a Deluxe Resort and pay cash, or drop down to a Value Resort?

 

[bobbiwoz]

We USUALLY stay just one night at Pop, especially if we're getting in Friday late afternoon or evening, and then we do stay Saturday at our DVC on points. I have found that I do not like more than one night at a value more than I don't like using points for a Saturday

And sometimes, much less often, we spring for points for both Friday and Saturday.

Bobbi

 

[dianeschlicht]

When we purchased, we looked at the stay as a week at a time because that is what we expected to do, and purchased the number of points we needed to do that for the time period we preferred to travel. Now that we have been members for 10 years, we tend to travel longer than 7 nights(more like 10-12), so we conserve points by starting our trip on a Sunday and spanning one weekend. We have found that a nearly 2 week trip with only 1 weekend of higher points, and return flights on Thursdays seems to come out cheaper for us. Airlines give good deals for midweek flights.

So my reccomendation is to look at how you like to travel to WDW and plan your number of points to purchase around that number.

 

[Monte Cristo]

I am one of those that look at the point cost for a week not nightly and don't bother staying elsewhere on Fri and Sat. Our last trip in Jan was Sunday to Thurs, but it was purely coincidental.

We are settlers, we like to get to our room, unpack into the drawers and settle in for our vacation.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Yep, we like to "settle in" and nest too. Ten minutes after we arrive in the room, I have all the clothes either hung up or in drawers, the cosmetics in teh bathroom, and the suitcases stashed away! I really feel at home once we get the grocery shopping done and the fridge stocked!

 

[spiceycat]

Yep, we like to "settle in" and nest too. Ten minutes after we arrive in the room, I have all the clothes either hung up or in drawers, the cosmetics in teh bathroom, and the suitcases stashed away! I really feel at home once we get the grocery shopping done and the fridge stocked!

boy I am impressed!!!!

I am still unloading the car - 30 minutes after our arrive.

I like Pop.

Now if I am staying at Pop before my DVC - then I pack an overnight bag just for Pop and leave everything else in the car.

if after - after I have washed everything I just place what I need for that night or 2 in a backpack. everything else staying in the car.

lots of time I am at an offsite timeshares that started the week before - so I try for Sun to Sun. Sometimes I get Sat to Sat - so Sat a PC stay. then my DVC stay.

other times I go with an offsite hotel - if you are during IOA/US then US hotels are a great choice. I have an annual pass plus AAA - so I can generally get them for less than the general public.

 

[jakenjess]

We've stayed at Pop a few times, and last trip we spent one night at POFQ. I got a good deal with an AP rate. I'd love to stay at DVC the whole trip, but I need more points! Hopefully soon.

 

[mprewitt]

Now if I am staying at Pop before my DVC - then I pack an overnight bag just for Pop and leave everything else in the car.

if after - after I have washed everything I just place what I need for that night or 2 in a backpack. everything else staying in the car.

I am looking to add a Friday night stay after our Sunday-Thursday night, so that we not only get one more day, but we get to drive back to North Carolina on a Saturday instead of a Friday (for less traffic).

I've never stayed at a Value Resort like the Pop Century. I guess it's fine for a 1-night stay?

Also, are any discounts offered to DVC members for cash stays at WDW resorts?

 

[spiceycat]

Well if you have an WDW annual pass - you can get a pretty nice discount.

AAA also has WDW resorts for a little discount.

the only thing your 25% discount with DVC is DVC resorts.

 

[tadamom]

When we went in May, we stayed at Pop Century on Saturday night and spent the rest of the vacation (Sunday - Thursday) at Saratoga Springs. The price difference for the one night was just too much for us. Since we were in the Grand Villa, it was going to cost us nearly $1000 for Saturday night alone. We stayed at Pop Century and got 3 rooms for $117 (or close to it) a night. We saved over $600 by doing this and if we hadn't spent the one night somewhere else, we might would have had to cut our trip shorter.

We just put our pajamas and the next days stuff in a small bag and took it in to Pop. Our experience at Pop was great and I would totally do it again to save that much money!

 

[dianeschlicht]

See, I look at my DVC purchase as a "prepaid" vacation, and if I'm still spending more to stay on-site in addition to my "pre-paid" part, I don't quite see the value in it. My logic is that if you purchase the correct amount of points for what you want to do, you will be money ahead in the long run. Besides, I hate to move around that often. We did stay at PORS one night last year (a Saturday) because we changed our plans kind of last minute...I hated it! Part of it is that I just get so used to DVC accommodations, that any 'hotel' stay is annoying to me. I disliked our stay at the Dolphin for the conference this spring too.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

I am looking to add a Friday night stay after our Sunday-Thursday night, so that we not only get one more day, but we get to drive back to North Carolina on a Saturday instead of a Friday (for less traffic).

I've never stayed at a Value Resort like the Pop Century. I guess it's fine for a 1-night stay?

Also, are any discounts offered to DVC members for cash stays at WDW resorts?

But - will you really be getting one more day? You have to pack up, probably have bell services move your stuff, then go and check in, then go about your day. Not sure what size room you need, but I would eithr pay cash for the one night, or borrow the points.

In the past if we decided to fly in on Friday night, we would actually stay at the Hyatt at MCO, then check into DVC the next morning. But if we have a normal flight we just use the points and usually end up borrowing from the next year. But Im also the person that prefers a 2 bedroom for any stay over 5 days! And there is only 4 of us! Im kind of dreading a studio at the end of the month with my son and neice! but it was all that was available.

 

[photobob]

We'll arrive on a Saturday evening and will stay the first night at Pop Century. We will check in the next morning at the DVC resort. We are going to Vero for Friday night and Saturday night which combined will use our yearly allotment of points. I'd rather stay in the DVC resort the entire trip but I bought the number of points I could afford, I don't mind paying an extra $100 or so for a one night stay elsewhere.

 

[littlestar]

If I have a flight coming in at 9:00 or 10:00 o'clock at night, no way am I checking into DVC that late. I will get the last choice of rooms and usually a handicapped unit - ugh. So we stay either at a moderate, Marriott Vacation Club, or Comfort Inn Lake Buena Vista.

 

[Tamar]

We just came back from a 9 day trip...we spent 3 nights in Sarasota (beach and relaxation), two nights (Fri-Sat) at the Swan, and then walked over to BWV for the last 4 nights. Much as I like "staying put" (and we will this fall for F&W) the Heavenly Beds at the Swan are nice, too.

 

[DebbieB]

Anytime I have needed to "stretch" my points, I have booked a cash room at the same resort for Friday and/or Saturday and stayed in the same room.

 

[dgaston]

We stay at Pop on Fri and Sat. If we're coming into MCO late, I Priceline a hotel near the airport. And I also *gasp* like Cypress Pointe when I need 3 days.

 

[DisneyFreaks]

Since we always need multiple rooms for our adult children and their families we don't have enough points for those weekend nights yet. My family does love all of the resort hotels at WDW so we stay friday and saturday nights in different ones each trip. It gives us a chance to try the ones we have never stayed at before and also makes it seem like we are having two vacations instead of one. It takes alot of planning but DD and I love doing that and we're getting pretty good at it. We're planning on adding on very soon so eventually we'll have enough points to stay put at DVC. Until then we're just happy to be at Disney and making the most of it.

 

[rahrah]

My favorite plan is to spend Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights on the Disney Wonder.

 

[hemispheredancer]

We have never done the switcharoo, nor will we ever do it. Seems to be more of a hassle than what it's worth. When I am there it is until check-out day. I just can't justify doing it, especially when I have points (and not cash) to use.