WHERE TO STAY????

[Disneygrammie1953]

I am driving my self crazy....trying to plan a xmas Disney trip for next year.. we will be 9 adults and 4 children..Do we stay off property (minus the whole Disney experience) or stay at a moderate resort. Other choice is to rent a DVC (which I would love) but I would need to pay that in advance where the others I could budget lol... Stay off property at a Disney springs resort still close to Disney experience or rent a house definitely cheapest way out... Also if I rent a DVC what if for some reason we need to cancel or change we can't .. WWYD.....
thanks;

 

[Marionnette]

I am driving my self crazy....trying to plan a xmas Disney trip for next year.. we will be 9 adults and 4 children..Do we stay off property (minus the whole Disney experience) or stay at a moderate resort. Other choice is to rent a DVC (which I would love) but I would need to pay that in advance where the others I could budget lol... Stay off property at a Disney springs resort still close to Disney experience or rent a house definitely cheapest way out... Also if I rent a DVC what if for some reason we need to cancel or change we can't .. WWYD.....
thanks;

When you say "xmas trip" are you talking about the 2-week time period on either side of Christmas Day? If so, there's no question that I would stay on property for these reasons:

• Transportation issues when coming in from off-property during peak times.
  
• Phased closings that could keep a day guest (Disney-speak for people who are not staying at one of the Disney resort) from being able to visit a park.
• FP+ at 30 days for off-property vs. 60+ days for resort guests.
• 180+10 ADRs for onsite guests.

You are not likely to get a refund from a DVC member if you rent a reservation and need to cancel your trip. Buying travel insurance that covers you for such a need would be worth the investment if you go that route. Renting through someone on the DVC Rent/Trade board might get you slightly more lenient payment terms, but most owners are going to want full payment earlier than Disney would want it.

Going with the moderate resort would probably make the better financial sense if you're nervous about payment terms and cancellation policies.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

When you say "xmas trip" are you talking about the 2-week time period on either side of Christmas Day? If so, there's no question that I would stay on property for these reasons:

• Transportation issues when coming in from off-property during peak times.
  
• Phased closings that could keep a day guest (Disney-speak for people who are not staying at one of the Disney resort) from being able to visit a park.
• FP+ at 30 days for off-property vs. 60+ days for resort guests.
• 180+10 ADRs for onsite guests.

You are not likely to get a refund from a DVC member if you rent a reservation and need to cancel your trip. Buying travel insurance that covers you for such a need would be worth the investment if you go that route. Renting through someone on the DVC Rent/Trade board might get you slightly more lenient payment terms, but most owners are going to want full payment earlier than Disney would want it.

Going with the moderate resort would probably make the better financial sense if you're nervous about payment terms and cancellation policies.

I totally agree with the previous person bc of the phase closings. We don't normally visit during xmas but I am on a lot of Disney fansites and a heard about a ton of phase closings this past xmas which totally sucks for off site guests. I would definitely plan to stay on site. plus transportation getting into Disney from off site can be extremely hectic on NON-PEAK times, lol...I can't even imagine getting into Disney during peak times...specially with that many people traveling it will definitely be hectic to all be able to get there and meet up. If you do decide to go with the DVC rental agency then I would suggest getting travel insurance in case you need to cancel the trip bc you have to pay up front for DVC. I think your best best is to go with the moderate resort and rent 3 rooms and make see about requesting nearby rooms.

 

[CJN]

It also depends on the experience you want. We've stayed offsite when our focus was more on a family reunion type trip. Yes, enjoying the parks during the day but making sure we had plenty of time and space for gathering in the evening. But when we're going for an all-out parks experience I don't like being offsite with a larger group. The transportation issue feels too confining. You're always at the mercy of the slowest member and have to make sure everybody's on the same page. Onsite everybody can go their own way and just meet up as desired.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Frankly, I think you will be challenged to rent DVC for 13 for Christmas. You will need two units. GVs only sleep 12.

 

[Disneygrammie1953]

Hi should have been clearer, looking at like 2nd week in November. I know its either 4 rooms... or 2 2 bedrooms that I am looking into.....

 

[Marionnette]

Hi should have been clearer, looking at like 2nd week in November. I know its either 4 rooms... or 2 2 bedrooms that I am looking into.....

Apart from the phased closures, the other issues that were brought up would still apply in mid-November. Getting 2 DVC units any time from Sept. - Dec. could be difficult because that's a period of high demand. Transportation concerns for offsite stays would need to be addressed (don't forget to factor in the cost of parking!) ADRs for large parties are easier to get when you have the advantage of 180+10. FP+ at 60 days still applies. But having the extra space and privacy that an offsite vacation home rental provides is a huge plus that can make up for the other drawbacks.

 

[terri33inne]

Agree with PP to assess what type of trip you want this to be... a family type reunion with time for everyone to be together, or a Disney focused trip. If the former I would do offsite, if the latter I would book on property. There are some DVC rental companies that will have you pay an extra few dollars per point to add cancellation coverage. They also only require a deposit at booking with the remaining I believe due 45 days prior but I could be wrong on that.

I was going to suggest 2 suites at AofA, but that will only accommodate 12 unless one of the children is an infant.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Getting 2 2BR in November via a broker or private owner remains a challenge, even at 11 months.

1. Owners cannot see if multiple units are available when booking and have to book one at a time.

2. Getting both through a single owner requires an owner with a large number of points -- let's just assume that getting 2 2BRs at either BWV or BCV is going to be unlikely in November, with BLT and VGF also being a challenge. So let's assume 2 2BRs at Saratoga or AKV, which are a lot more realistic to hope for. For AKV, that's 192x2 for a Standard 2BR unit (384 points) and for Saratoga that's 406 points.

Whether through one owner or two, there's also a risk that they book one 2BR but then cannot get the second.

To be honest, with a group of 13, I think you would be better off booking 3-4 standard rooms somewhere.