tpg
Waiting on ROFR
Posts: 15
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Post by tpg on Mar 16, 2024 22:06:57 GMT -5
If you typically stay in a studio! For all of our previous WDW vacations, my family of four stayed in a studio. Nothing to write home about, but since we spend minimal time in the room, it got the job done. However this was our first trip back in five years, so I decided to splurge a little and get a one bedroom villa (Paddock section, 50 ft. from the pool as requested). What. A. DIFFERENCE!!!! Certainly not news to most DVC owners, but even a week since coming home I am still thinking about how much more comfortable our stay was. King size bed for my wife and me. Murphy bed was far better than a pullout couch. Made great use of the full kitchen and fridge and dishwasher and washing machine and two bathroom vanities...
My wallet and bank account might disagree with me, but I don't think I can go back to a studio. Just a completely different experience.
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Post by janebanks on Mar 16, 2024 23:32:46 GMT -5
so true.
And a one bedroom can be a stepping stone in to a two bedroom.
When our kids were younger, we almost always went with a studio to save on points. Now, a studio is a rarity. Even if just my husband and I, a one bedroom is nice to be able to stretch out. And since he often works some of the time on vacations, it gives him some privacy for those zoom meetings.
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Post by annamaria on Mar 17, 2024 6:46:02 GMT -5
One can get spoiled. We have done studios (just the two of us), 1 BDR and once a 2 BDR just the two of us (and other times with two other people. Three people the most twice in a studio. I can't imagine 4 people (so I guess spoiled also). We do like to go twice a year and stay longer so we book studios most of the time. Have also done a split stay - start with studio and finish with a 1BDR. It all depends on our trips and if friends/family joining us. Have extra points, etc. We had to cancel two of our three reservations (starting with Vero) for end of month/early April. Our last reservation my daughter, son-in-law and 1 yr. old grandson will be in a 2BDR. Things happen. She will get spoiled. Had I booked two studios or one bedroom and 1 studio, I could have cancelled or rented my portion. Hopefully she won't get spoiled and want a 1BDR for herself next time.......ha!! (if DH feels okay, we might pick up and join them). Time to add-on?  |
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Post by disnydad on Mar 17, 2024 7:14:14 GMT -5
Agree, we only book a one bedroom for the two of us. I usually get up earlier than the one who must be obeyed and have a cup of coffee.
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Post by cpnkirk on Mar 17, 2024 8:58:02 GMT -5
Agreed! Our very first trip as DVC owners, we were going on a band trip...and bought resale that year, closing 6 months before the trip. By that time, all the studios were gone (that's my memory anyway - probably had some at SSR, but whatever). So, we borrowed (bad habits start early) and got a 1br at BWV. We were spoiled from the very first trip. Since then, we have have only stayed in a studio once...and only for 1 night, so we could enjoy the BC pool that day.
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Post by MinnieMom on Mar 17, 2024 9:20:59 GMT -5
Love the one bedrooms! The king size bed to share with DH is so much better. Kitchen + laundry are always well used when we splurge. Best may be the 2nd full bathroom that comes with the 1 bedrooms at Kidani and BLT! That's hard to beat when traveling as a family.
But I generally get studios to stretch DVC points. With so much else to do in Orlando, I like DVC for the Disney focused part of trips and renting condos off property for longer or multipurpose trips.
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Post by brp on Mar 17, 2024 9:31:12 GMT -5
I was a confirmed studio person. We don't need more than a studio. A studio is enough. Not worth the points for a 1BR.
Until we stayed in a 1BR. Now that's what we want. Mainly, it's the kitchen for breakfast.
The king bed is a detraction for us. We have a queen at home, and wish that that's what they had since the room would have more space. So, that is a downside, althoigh maybe studios have that as well.
But we can live with the oversized bed for the kitchen.
Cheers.
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Post by Adelard of Bath on Mar 17, 2024 9:33:55 GMT -5
Just the two of us, we always did studio because it was big enough and the cost for 1bd was double...if it was 50% more maybe I would have splurged. After covid we had points to burn so I told wife we had to stay in a 1bd, oh the horror! Well, no going back. The full fridge and the couch are what sells it for us. And the extra room |
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Post by jedimom3 on Mar 17, 2024 10:02:47 GMT -5
YES! When we were first looking at DVC many years ago, I wasn't on board, until DH sold me on it with the 1 bedrooms/full kitchen, etc. We've only stayed in 1bedrooms or larger, except for Poly studios, since buying in, and it would be hard for us to change. When we switched to our Universal room this trip, the kids were like, this is so small, haha. But sometimes I would like to save points, and just do a studio, but I'd miss the kitchen and laundry.
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Post by disneyteach on Mar 17, 2024 10:51:13 GMT -5
Completely agree! After staying in a 1-bedroom after we had some extra points after the pandemic, I was like never again in a studio (especially at BLT - our home). That being said - I couldn't decide BLT or Riviera (our other home) for our summer trip. I booked a 1-br at BLT for half the trip then studio at RR for the other half. DH insisted he did NOT want to move resorts. At the 7-month mark there were still studios available at RR so I switched over. Seems like a downgrade to me, but he loves RR and we haven't stayed there in 2 years, so studio it is for us this summer.
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Post by brp on Mar 17, 2024 11:13:35 GMT -5
We had a room booked at BCV for our upcoming May trip (at 11 months), but had decided to try for VGF to see what is was like. We got it right at 7-months and changed the reservation. Because of the higher point cost, we either had to go studio for the same 5 days or 1BR and cut to 4 days. We opted for the 4 days and, since we're coming in the same date as before, we'll just spend the first night at the lovely MCO Hyatt Regency. But 1BR trumped the extra night for us.
Cheers.
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Post by annamaria on Mar 17, 2024 12:22:49 GMT -5
We love the 1BDR for the same reasons everyone posted  When we first bought, with three kids, one major thought was , "we will save money not eating out as often, we will cook in the kitchen".........ha!!! Except for breakfast, I don't think we have ever cooked a meal. A few times for lunch or dinner, we have had leftovers, pizza/some sort of meal brought in from Quick Service/restaurant and maybe Publix. Definitely not the norm. The space, the size of refrigerator, washer and dryer.....separate sleeping room...nice!! |
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Post by Adelard of Bath on Mar 17, 2024 12:29:16 GMT -5
Another fringe benefit is 1bd rooms are seemingly easier to book. As OKW lovers, I rarely worry that we won't get a room. Even looking now, I could do most weeks in April, the last week in May, and then it's 100% available past the end of the year.
If I had more than two points.
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Post by Adelard of Bath on Mar 17, 2024 12:32:48 GMT -5
The space, the size of refrigerator, washer and dryer.....separate sleeping room...nice!! Since moving to one-bedrooms, we certainly do more laundry than before. I never minded so much going to do laundry, but this way my wife can pack less clothing. |
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Post by brp on Mar 17, 2024 13:14:25 GMT -5
The space, the size of refrigerator, washer and dryer.....separate sleeping room...nice!! Since moving to one-bedrooms, we certainly do more laundry than before. I never minded so much going to do laundry, but this way my wife can pack less clothing. Our trips are typically 4-5 nights, so we can pack enough for the trip. But nice to do the laundry and bring it home clean.
We recently did a 14-night stay in Hawaii using our HGVC points, and there we brought about half the clothes we needed and did a mid-point laundry as well.
Cheers.
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