WDW- offsite vs DVC vs regular rooms

[anna7602]

Sharing a room isn't a big deal for us as we're usually so worn out that we all go to bed at the same time (I can push DS to stay up until 9 or 10 on vacation). The real PITA for me is not having a kitchen on vacation. I loathe having to eat out for every meal. We got a suite on this last vacation to Universal (just got back yesterday), mainly for the kitchenette, which was really just a fridge and a microwave. Good enough to have breakfast in the room every day and some dinners (but nothing super healthy, in general).

Having a real kitchen with a stove and an oven during the Miami part of this vacation (at an AirBNB) was nicer, but for Universal, being on-site had its perks. We could walk to the parks and got the benefit of early admission. I imagine it's similar for WDW? Plus, with an age gap like yours, it's nice that you can come and go to the hotel room if necessary for naps, etc., without leaving the other parent/child stranded without a car. (Or maybe I'm the only one who divides and conquers if DH is actually on vacation with us?)

[ribollita]

Feb 22, 2016 9:30:36 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Feb 22, 2016 8:48:53 GMT -5 @this said:

I would want my own space after the kids went to bed so the townhome is appealing.

We park when we do day trips to MK and it's NBD. Especially when you get there first thing in the morning and all of the parking is still really close. I wouldn't necessarily count that as a con. The monorail is super easy. You could always park, take the monorail between MK/Epcot/HS, then back to the parking lot.

We stayed at Port Orleans in October and our experience with the bus system was honestly pretty crappy. We had to wait forever and the drives were long. (But I think in part because that resort is pretty far.)

So you don't think the theming of Port Orleans made the bus system worth it? Did you go to the pool? Would you ever stay there again?

I am trying to decide where we should stay for a short weekend trip in the fall. Do we sacrifice hotel theming for convenience to the MK? Not sure if we will go to any other parks (my guess would be AK if we do a second).

I recently stayed at POFQ and swam at both pools with a 4 year old (allowed to go to both pools). I thought the bus system at POFQ worked the best of any resort I've visited, but I didn't think either pool was that great, and the boat to Disney Springs was so freaking slow. I mean the pools were fine and had slides but weren't jaw droppingly great. Neither of the PO hotels is very convenient to MK, it's far!

[jinxy]

We stayed off property at my parent's timeshare and it was great having all the extra space. We didn't do disney every single day though, so we had fun pool days at the resort and then hung out in the condo so DS could run around and play.

I did learn that if you schedule any character breakfasts before the parks open parking is free because the booths aren't manned that early in the morning. That was really nice.

Overall I didn't mind the drive between the parks and our condo. We weren't too far away, but far enough that DS fell asleep on the drive and we could put him down in his bed easily.

[curbsideprophet]

Feb 22, 2016 9:53:10 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

I am kinda Poly obsessed right now. I am planning a 2018 trip for H DS and future possible baby there. Everyone else wants Bay Lake Towers, but I MAKE THE RESSIES Muahahahahaaaa......

We are also considering the Poly as it has decent theming and monorail access to MK. Is a theme park view at the Poly worth it? We stayed at BLT last time time. I am wondering if the theme park view from Poly will be disappointing to a five year old in comparison. Do you know if you can see the castle from any of the lagoon view rooms? Can you see the electrical parade from the lagoon view rooms?

[ilikedonuts]

Feb 22, 2016 9:53:10 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

I am kinda Poly obsessed right now. I am planning a 2018 trip for H DS and future possible baby there. Everyone else wants Bay Lake Towers, but I MAKE THE RESSIES Muahahahahaaaa......

I was looking into Poly for next year, but DH is very anti-studios. Maybe I will veto him lol

[pbandj]

zarapipe , windsor hills is pretty big. You can look at it through the satellite google images to get a feel for where everything is. We were in the condo complex and we did walk to the playground. It was probably 5-10 minute walk along the main drive/sidewalk. The condos are very close to the main gate/pool and clubhouse.

The castle playground is right by the main road and dinville st.

[curbsideprophet]

Has anyone stayed at Wilderness Lodge? How is the bus ride to MK?

If you can't tell, I am all over the place. Sorry about that.

[jeaniebueller]

Feb 22, 2016 11:17:55 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Has anyone stayed at Wilderness Lodge? How is the bus ride to MK?

If you can't tell, I am all over the place. Sorry about that.

I think you take the ferry not the bus.

[curbsideprophet]

Feb 22, 2016 11:19:01 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

Feb 22, 2016 11:17:55 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Has anyone stayed at Wilderness Lodge? How is the bus ride to MK?

If you can't tell, I am all over the place. Sorry about that.

I think you take the ferry not the bus.

It seemed like both were an option, but I have no idea which is "better".

[zarapipe]

okay I think I am leaned towards a rental through VRBO. Windsor Hills have done that are right at $100 a night including taxes and fees.

[ribollita]

Feb 22, 2016 11:49:33 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Feb 22, 2016 11:19:01 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

I think you take the ferry not the bus.

It seemed like both were an option, but I have no idea which is "better".

I believe the boat also loops to stop at Fort Wilderness and Contemporary Resort. I am not certain whether the bus shares, may depend on the time of day. Which one I would take would probably depend on a lot of factors including where my room was located, but in general the boat is more pleasant, although you need to fold the stroller on either type of transportation. (I have not stayed there but have taken the boat from the Contemporary to have dinner- my son LOVED the restaurant.)

[dcrunnergirl52]

We stayed at AoA in a suite in January. I was really worried about taking the bus everywhere b/c when we stayed at BLT in 2014, it was great to walk to MK but taking the bus was a huge PITA. This was in part b/c we had two strollers with us (including a double) but mainly b/c we had to make several stops at other resorts and the ride was really long.

Our AoA bus experience was SO MUCH better. There were times when our family was the only ones on the bus or just 1-2 other families. We maybe waited 15 minutes at most for a bus just one time.

So all that to say, don't the the bus system dissuade you from staying onsite if you can stay at a hotel that has its own buses.

[lala]

For us the hotel room vs. suite/house is really dependent on the kind of vacation it is and of course the budget. I'd rather travel & be stuck w/ one room than go less often. We do the whole credit card churning thing to get points for hotel & airfare, so that limits our options but we're going for super cheap so it's worth the trade off.

For Disney, we are huge on property fans and every time I research the various options we end up doing a DVC studio rental through davids. They are at the "deluxe" resorts or DVC only resorts so the rooms are bigger, pools better, etc. than any moderate or value. They have a mini fridge, coffeepot, microwave, toaster & small area for storing & prepping food including a bar sink. It's enough for us. I'm not cooking on a disney vacation. We fly down, get grocery delivery and eat most breakfast in the room and have tons of snacks/fruit plus stuff like PB&J or bagels & cream cheese for a more substantial snack/meal. Plus wine & beer.

I think most if not all DVC studios have balconies - so we've spent time out there after they kids are asleep. And honestly, we're all exhausted. The kids are up past bedtime, and crash hard when we get them in bed and the older they get and the more seasoned they are traveling, the easier it is. Even the youngest is better at traveling than the oldest was at this age. We also know more "tricks" and have routines to make it work. We don't stay up terribly late after they do - usually a glass of wine on the balcony, maybe we read a book, talk about the day and tomorrow's plan.

We are also big fans of their busses & other transport and often stay on the boardwalk so we can walk to 2 parks. We like not having to think & plan driving, car seats, etc.

ETA: Another bonus of some DVC studios is they have a queen bed & a sofa bed. Kids get the sofa bed and it's put up during the day so we have more room. 

[lala]

Oh, also check out the swan/dolphin if you want to be on site but get rewards - see if the starwood amex is running any specials. We had a HUGE room on points for part of our trip last time. Plus you get disney busses, can walk to epcot & studios, etc.

[marie3246]

Feb 22, 2016 9:53:10 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

I am kinda Poly obsessed right now. I am planning a 2018 trip for H DS and future possible baby there. Everyone else wants Bay Lake Towers, but I MAKE THE RESSIES Muahahahahaaaa......

I just got a DVC rental for the Poly in Sept and I am sooo excited!!!

[zarapipe]

lala, thanks for the info. I forgot about the balcony being a separate area.

[zarapipe]

lala, it looks like the starwood amex is offering 25k points if you spend X amount. Do you know what that means in terms of room discounts?

[lala]

Feb 22, 2016 15:05:42 GMT -5 zarapipe said:

lala, it looks like the starwood amex is offering 25k points if you spend X amount. Do you know what that means in terms of room discounts?

The category for the swan is about to go up to a 5, which will likely be 12k a night. The dolphin will remain a 4 and 10k a night. On points the 5th night is free, so 5 nights at the dolphin for 40k. We had an upgraded alcove room, I think, those were 11,500. So if you would spend enough to get to 40k or see if you could both get the card and then combine the 25k for 50k.

I use the points guy blog/site for this kind of info, he lays it all out.

[stephm0188]

We've been to Disney multiple times. We stay on site for a variety of reasons- not needing to rent a car or drive anywhere, dining plan (when it makes financial sense) and for extra magic hours. We like the experience. When we go to WDW, we want to be on property and eat, sleep, and breathe Disney all week. We've stayed off site but it's not our preference. We'll pay more for the experience.

We don't do DVC villas. I am all about having a suite when we travel elsewhere, but at Disney it doesn't matter to us. The kid is so exhausted at the end of the day that he has no trouble falling asleep with us in the room. If I'm being honest, we're usually going to bed at the same time so it doesn't really matter.

We've stayed in value, moderate, and deluxe resorts and they all have their pros and cons. Port Orleans Riverside was by far the worst in terms of transportation but we've had favorable experiences at other resorts. We really liked the Wilderness Lodge and Beach Club.

[Deleted]

Feb 22, 2016 14:53:46 GMT -5 marie3246 said:

Feb 22, 2016 9:53:10 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

I am kinda Poly obsessed right now. I am planning a 2018 trip for H DS and future possible baby there. Everyone else wants Bay Lake Towers, but I MAKE THE RESSIES Muahahahahaaaa......

I just got a DVC rental for the Poly in Sept and I am sooo excited!!!

You will have a BLAST. I have to reccomend the Luau. It's so awesome to walk right back from it .

The pool area is fantastic.

[marie3246]

Feb 22, 2016 16:25:15 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

Feb 22, 2016 14:53:46 GMT -5 marie3246 said:

I just got a DVC rental for the Poly in Sept and I am sooo excited!!!

You will have a BLAST. I have to reccomend the Luau. It's so awesome to walk right back from it .

The pool area is fantastic.

Ill add that to our every growing list. The Poly was never really on my radar (I LOVE the GF, but have mainly stayed at values), but we ate at Ohana this last trip and it was such a neat resort. I am renting direct from an owner this time so hopefully it all goes well, but I got it for around 200/night!! I should probably look into buying DVC...

[lishie]

Feb 22, 2016 19:18:48 GMT -5 marie3246 said:

Feb 22, 2016 16:25:15 GMT -5 @savestheday said:

You will have a BLAST. I have to reccomend the Luau. It's so awesome to walk right back from it .

The pool area is fantastic.

Ill add that to our every growing list. The Poly was never really on my radar (I LOVE the GF, but have mainly stayed at values), but we ate at Ohana this last trip and it was such a neat resort. I am renting direct from an owner this time so hopefully it all goes well, but I got it for around 200/night!! I should probably look into buying DVC...

We own DVC at two resorts and I would still like more points. It's an addiction, but I love it.  We banked and borrowed and are doing 10 nights in a 1 bedroom at Aulani this summer. I can't wait.

My sister leaving today for a stay at Sarasota Springs on our points. She's not going to the parks, and is excited about relaxing, golfing and walking to Disney Springs. I feel like you can never have too many DVC points

[marie3246]

Feb 23, 2016 7:34:49 GMT -5 lishie said:

Feb 22, 2016 19:18:48 GMT -5 marie3246 said:

Ill add that to our every growing list. The Poly was never really on my radar (I LOVE the GF, but have mainly stayed at values), but we ate at Ohana this last trip and it was such a neat resort. I am renting direct from an owner this time so hopefully it all goes well, but I got it for around 200/night!! I should probably look into buying DVC...

We own DVC at two resorts and I would still like more points. It's an addiction, but I love it.  We banked and borrowed and are doing 10 nights in a 1 bedroom at Aulani this summer. I can't wait.

My sister leaving today for a stay at Sarasota Springs on our points. She's not going to the parks, and is excited about relaxing, golfing and walking to Disney Springs. I feel like you can never have too many DVC points

I know I really need to do the math. We live close so we don't do long stays, but we plan on going a few times a year and I have just been renting points so I haven't spent a ton yet. I'm not sure I could get DH on board though...

[curbsideprophet]

Feb 23, 2016 7:34:49 GMT -5 lishie said:

Feb 22, 2016 19:18:48 GMT -5 marie3246 said:

Ill add that to our every growing list. The Poly was never really on my radar (I LOVE the GF, but have mainly stayed at values), but we ate at Ohana this last trip and it was such a neat resort. I am renting direct from an owner this time so hopefully it all goes well, but I got it for around 200/night!! I should probably look into buying DVC...

We own DVC at two resorts and I would still like more points. It's an addiction, but I love it.  We banked and borrowed and are doing 10 nights in a 1 bedroom at Aulani this summer. I can't wait.

My sister leaving today for a stay at Sarasota Springs on our points. She's not going to the parks, and is excited about relaxing, golfing and walking to Disney Springs. I feel like you can never have too many DVC points

My parents are debating becoming DVC members. I have given them a few links to read but do you have any sites that you recommend?

[lishie]

Feb 23, 2016 9:00:56 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Feb 23, 2016 7:34:49 GMT -5 lishie said:

We own DVC at two resorts and I would still like more points. It's an addiction, but I love it.  We banked and borrowed and are doing 10 nights in a 1 bedroom at Aulani this summer. I can't wait.

My sister leaving today for a stay at Sarasota Springs on our points. She's not going to the parks, and is excited about relaxing, golfing and walking to Disney Springs. I feel like you can never have too many DVC points

My parents are debating becoming DVC members. I have given them a few links to read but do you have any sites that you recommend?

There are a few older analysis articles I read when we were thinking about it. Unless they really want Polynesian, I'd recommend they look into getting a resale contract.

Touring plans did a whole series on DVC, with the first article here.

DVC news is also a place I like to stop for info related to DVC.

We use a lot of the DVC discounts, and have been going at least once a year since 2009 (we did 4 trips last year, plus a WDW trip and a disney cruise in 2014), and we're Disney people---though we weren't until we went in 2009 for a friend's wedding, so it's been a great fit for us.

[jaybird]

We've stayed at the Sheraton Vistana a few times (not Disney related) through Starwood points. We stay at the one on I-drive since it's closer to the convention center. We really like the property--there are multiple pools (including one for small kids), a few playgrounds, and a big sandy area. There's a convenience store onsite, but it's just across from a Publix and Walgreens. There's also a shuttle to the theme parks (though it's probably more convenient to drive) and lots of activities throughout the day. If you get a one bedroom, there are two different configurations. The first has the balcony attached to the bedroom and there's direct access from the bedroom to the bathroom. The other only has one door to the bathroom and the balcony is off the kitchen/living room. So keep that in mind as you book.

lala do the Dolphin or the Cove have suites? If we ever stay onsite, we'll probably do so with points there.

[lala]

Feb 23, 2016 10:24:56 GMT -5 jaybird said:

We've stayed at the Sheraton Vistana a few times (not Disney related) through Starwood points. We stay at the one on I-drive since it's closer to the convention center. We really like the property--there are multiple pools (including one for small kids), a few playgrounds, and a big sandy area. There's a convenience store onsite, but it's just across from a Publix and Walgreens. There's also a shuttle to the theme parks (though it's probably more convenient to drive) and lots of activities throughout the day. If you get a one bedroom, there are two different configurations. The first has the balcony attached to the bedroom and there's direct access from the bedroom to the bathroom. The other only has one door to the bathroom and the balcony is off the kitchen/living room. So keep that in mind as you book.

lala do the Dolphin or the Cove have suites? If we ever stay onsite, we'll probably do so with points there.

I think they have some suites but I don't know if points applied to them.