Which resort for a grand gathering and why?

[Caren]

I looks like I'm going to be planning my first grand gathering for late August of 2013. It's early, but I've got the planning bug already. This trip will probably involve two branches of my family plus another family and require two grand villas and a two-bedroom villa, paid for with some combination of cash and owned/transferred points. There will be only three children in our group—one 11-year-old boy and two 5-year-old girls. The group will include several people visiting WDW for the first time.

Points we know we'll have available for use that year are 554 BLT and 450 OKW. We're considering adding on at OKW, so may have more points at that resort by then.

Which resort would you choose for this shindig and why?

 

[Pakey]

Getting multiple grand villas at the same time is probably going to require your home resort advantage because getting any grand villa at 7 months ranges from very difficult to impossible.

 

[wdwendyd]

I would choose OKW because they are at least 25 points less per night.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Unless you would get in trouble for perceived "slights" I would book 1 GV to gather in and the rest 2 or 1 bedrooms or studios. Everyone doesn't have to be together all of the time. OKW has the largest GV I think and since you have the points to book one there, that's the way I would go.

However, during the tour of BLT, we were in one of those GV's and if you can make that work, I would be tempted to get one and as in the other case, book smaller "family unit" villas as well.

So, no firm decision from me! I hope you have a great grand gathering and fun planning!

Bobbi

 

[DenLo]

I was just getting ready to say the same as bobbiwoz posted. I'd get one GV and 2BRs, 1BRS and Studios for everyone else. It will save you a lot of points and give privacy to many of the families. I also agree that the GV at BLT would give a spectacular view for the group whether you reserve a Theme Park view or a Lake view. But overall it would be much cheaper to reserve the GV and rooms at OKW. A LV GV at BLT for a week is 743 points whereas an OKW GV would cost 428 points. That's a big difference and a BLT Theme Park view is even higher at 898 points. I realize you are probably not planning on reserving a full week, but that just gives you an idea on the points.

I think you could easily book the GV at OKW with your OKW points and then use your BLT points at the 7 month to add on the additional rooms for a late August trip.

 

[JimMIA]

In addition to privacy and availability, there's another benefit to only booking one GV and the rest smaller units appropriate to size of the group staying in them. Multiple units give you much more flexibility if someone's plans change.

You are planning a BIG trip, a LONG way in advance, and it's likely that something will change for someone in your group. Having multiple units will enable you to make adjustments much easier if someone drops out, or wants to bring an additional person.

I'd also go with OKW, both for the extra space and the lower points costs.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'd also go with OKW to get one GV at 11 months out. At 7 months out, get the rest of the villas you need with your BLT points. I also would go with smaller units for the rest of the families. Then you can cancel as you need to when they start to drop out.

Getting a GV at any other resort is going to be difficult at 7 months out. Even in August.

Hopefully you have a UY so you can still bank those points as they drop out

 

[jekjones1558]

We did a grand gathering at OKW because it was the cheapest point cost and I love the OKW GV and the huge 1 and 2 bedroom units. As others have suggested I booked only 1 GV and the rest 2 bedrooms and 1 bedrooms just in case plans changed. Sure enough one niece got pregnant a couple of months after I booked and had to cancel but it was no problem because I just canceled one of the 1 bedrooms. (We actually got the call that the baby was born as we were riding the moving walkway to exit Pirates ride!)
This year I asked if folks had a preference for resort and everyone wanted to go back to BWV because we have multiple kids in strollers and it is easy to get to 2 parks without having to haul strollers on buses. It is costing lots more points. Once again I booked 1 GV and a 2 bedroom and 2 - 1 bedrooms just in case jobs or illness or pregnancy or whatever changed plans. We are 4 months out and have actually added 1 person but it is reassuring knowing that I can cancel a room if I need to.

 

[Caren]

Unless you would get in trouble for perceived "slights" I would book 1 GV to gather in and the rest 2 or 1 bedrooms or studios. Everyone doesn't have to be together all of the time. OKW has the largest GV I think and since you have the points to book one there, that's the way I would go.

However, during the tour of BLT, we were in one of those GV's and if you can make that work, I would be tempted to get one and as in the other case, book smaller "family unit" villas as well.

So, no firm decision from me! I hope you have a great grand gathering and fun planning!

Bobbi

The reason we were thinking two grand villas is that we have two major family groups. If we got just one villa, I can't imagine how we'd decide who got it without hurt feelings. But, come to think of it, the other end of the family isn't DVC and will be paying cash (ouch), so that will be powerful motivation not to want a grand villa.

 

[bobbiwoz]

The reason we were thinking two grand villas is that we have two major family groups. If we got just one villa, I can't imagine how we'd decide who got it without hurt feelings. But, come to think of it, the other end of the family isn't DVC and will be paying cash (ouch), so that will be powerful motivation not to want a grand villa.

If some part of the family is paying cash, I really would tell them about Dave's service or tell them in general about renting points.

You have lots of time to plan, and that's good!