Where would you stay if you didn't own DVC?

[ClaraOswald]

A different thread prompted this question but I didn't want to derail that thread so I'm posting it here.

If you had never purchased DVC, where would you have ended up staying on your Disneyland/WDW vacations?
If you had to get rid of all your DVC now, where would you stay?

For me, if I had never purchased, we would have likely kept staying at hotels on Harbor for Disneyland trips. The cash price of rooms on site is just too nuts for me. We enjoyed our stay at Park Vue Inn back in 2022 and it was right across the street. So I suspect that would have been our Disneyland "home" resort. (We used to stay farther down the street at Desert Inn but we liked Park Vue better.)

For Disney World, I think we would have chosen Port Orleans French Quarter or maybe Riverside. We stayed at Riverside in 2008 and really liked it, though the walk to the main building was a bit far and the buses weren't great. But overall, we loved the vibe. We would maybe do FQ though since it's a bit smaller. We stayed at Pop Century in 2010 and 2012 and liked it but I am anti-skyliner so I wouldn't choose to stay there now. I don't think we'd want to spend Deluxe hotel prices though.

 

[tx911]

A different thread prompted this question but I didn't want to derail that thread so I'm posting it here.

If you had never purchased DVC, where would you have ended up staying on your Disneyland/WDW vacations?
If you had to get rid of all your DVC now, where would you stay?

For me, if I had never purchased, we would have likely kept staying at hotels on Harbor for Disneyland trips. The cash price of rooms on site is just too nuts for me. We enjoyed our stay at Park Vue Inn back in 2022 and it was right across the street. So I suspect that would have been our Disneyland "home" resort. (We used to stay farther down the street at Desert Inn but we liked Park Vue better.)

For Disney World, I think we would have chosen Port Orleans French Quarter or maybe Riverside. We stayed at Riverside in 2008 and really liked it, though the walk to the main building was a bit far and the buses weren't great. But overall, we loved the vibe. We would maybe do FQ though since it's a bit smaller. We stayed at Pop Century in 2010 and 2012 and liked it but I am anti-skyliner so I wouldn't choose to stay there now. I don't think we'd want to spend Deluxe hotel prices though.

I'd probably stay at the same places, just go a lot less frequently. Probably would stay at places such as Pixar Place and the Gran Destino Tower more often than I do now (which is virtually never).

 

[VGCgroupie]

For DLR the same as before, at GCH or DLH or now after the refurb Pixar. I never stayed when it was Paradise Pier

At WDW we would stay at Pop or AOA.

I am not an off property person if I have to stay off property I just won’t go.

 

[cruisehopeful]

For Disneyland, it would either be the Disney hotels or a nearby Hilton or Marriott. We had a pleasant stay at the Residence Inn at the convention center a few years ago. I always thought I'd eventually stay at Candy Cane Inn, but never did. I'm a bit too snooty to stay at most of the Harbor hotels. They've either been a one and done for me or even less than that. I used a free night certificate at Four Points Sheraton and decided to drive home at midnight rather than sleep there.

 

[byurick]

POP (for the skyliner) or French Quarter (my wife's favorite non-DVC resort).

 

[Chuck96]

Coronado Springs; can't justify the rack rates at the DVC resorts. And we love Coronado Springs. It's where we stay when we are out of points.

 

[beccasmom]

Great thread….we ask each other this question once in a while!

We took our DVC tour back in 1991 and were staying at the CBR at the time. Our first visit as new members was in May 1992.

Before there was a DVC, we visited WDW approximately every other year and stayed at one of the deluxe resorts (usually the CR). As the kids grew out of toddlerhood, we wanted to visit more often and changing to a moderate was much more economical for us (a deluxe resort every year was too much of a financial stretch and we did enjoy taking non-Disney trips too). Sometimes we did a split moderate/deluxe stay. CBR opened in the late 80’s and the timing was perfect for our family. We did once try the All Star Sports resort, but found the rooms to be too small (although the kids really enjoyed the resort). We sometimes stay at a deluxe resort club level for a few days as a special treat. We have since enjoyed all of the moderates (my favorite is POFQ) and I suspect in a non-DVC world we would be staying mostly in one of them.

We don’t visit Disneyland as often (we are east coasters), but have stayed at the DLR several times. Usually our Disneyland trips are part of a longer Southern California visit these days (often visiting family), so we don’t necessarily stay onsite. We have tentative plans to stay at the GCV later this year and I’m excited about that. DH wants to try the new Disneyland Hotel DVC too, but isn’t crazy about staying in a studio. But for 2-3 nights max I think I’ll be able to convince him.

 

[juliebee]

We've stayed at various WDW resorts from Poly to AOA, but our most frequent place was French Quarter.

 

[Brian Noble]

Well, I'd probably be at OKW or SSR via Interval exchanges. But, if that were not possible:

At WDW, Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek for longer stays; POR for shorter ones. At DLR, either Dolphin's Cove (a Wyndham/WorldMark hybrid, just around the corner from the Toy Story lot) or something on Harbor.

 

[bbn1122]

To be honest, I probably would not go as often.

I like Cornado Springs, but I like Caribbean Beach's being on Skyliner and near Rivera.

I would probably spring for Rivera , WL or BLT when I could.

I stayed at ALL Star resort twice about 20 years ago or more. I do not know if I coul stay there now.

 

[Coastie]

The Shades of Green, alternatively, the Boardwalk.

 

[SteveAZee]

For Disneyland, Grand Cali. (location location location)
For WDW, Beach Club (see above)

Ironically, I don't own at either place.

 

[PadensAtTheCastle]

AOA we tried a standard room at Coronado with our toddler boys and moved mid trip back to AOA. For us as parents to young kids we want our own space. Wanting the 2 bedroom villas for when our boys are older is what got us talking DVC.

 

[Hubalorian]

For Disneyland, I have no idea.
WDW, likely French Quarter or Carribean Beach. However, I have no idea how going from 1 child to 3 would change this, probably would get a suite at AOA. this is going to bounce around my brain for like a week and one night at 3 am I’ll wake up with the answer

 

[KPeterso]

For Disneyland, since I am a local, I would just stay at my house. I would cut my staycations way down and maybe do one every 1-2 years... And it would be one of the 3 onsite (probably DLH as I like it the best).

WDW - I have only ever stayed value or deluxe/DVC. I have pros and cons to both of those. I do like Pop but riding out a hurricane there is a no-go for me a second time - I want a hotel with indoor hallways. But winter/spring trips would still be ok at Pop. I did stay there a few times before I had enough points for the spring WDW trips and it was fine for just me. But I might be tempted to try a moderate - I like the look for Grand Destino Tower or Port Orleans French Quarter.

 

[byurick]

Funny how many mentions of French Quarter there are so far. Just more proof that they should convert some of it to DVC.

 

[cheryl.UK]

Wherever I stayed it would need to be less that $175 per night as that's the equivalent of our dues minus the few points we rent out. Not sure that would get me anywhere on property.

 

[Brian Noble]

Funny how many mentions of French Quarter there are so far. Just more proof that they should convert some of it to DVC.

I think it is exactly the opposite. So far, the things that have been converted were chosen because they had a hard time selling cash rooms without extra discounts. The Cabins might be an exception to that, but I think that conversion was more because they were at end-of-life and were going to be replaced one way or another, so might was well try to get ROI as fast as you can.

 

[MartyParty]

Golden Oak

 

[tidefan]

For DL, even though we have plenty of DVC points, if we can't get into VGC (which, is usually never), then we stay somewhere off Harbor, especially if I can use hotel points. Last time we stayed at the Element by Marriott and it was very nice. I'll skip the TOT at VDH.

At WDW, I think that the consensus would be to stay at POFQ. In fact, we visit there every trip we make to WDW no matter where we are staying. I love the Shrimp and Grits at Sassagoula (while my DW, who is Gluten Free, gets the GF Chicken Tenders) and then we finish it off with an order of GF Beignets!