My wife and I are considering purchasing a DVC Contract (most likely resale), we have two children ages 2 and 4. Our four year old starts kindergarten next year and as they get older we will be traveling on their school breaks.
Has anyone had any difficulty booking your home resort during popular times? For example, spring break, Christmas, MLK weekend, or etc.
Also, how do your children feel about sleeping on the pull out sofa bed? Is it comfortable?
I would also like to get enough points for a one bedroom. Are one bedrooms easier to book than studios at “non-home” resorts?
And finally, have your children become tired of Disney? I see us going once a year for 5-6 nights.
Thanks in advance!
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We’ve not heard complaints from our 2-8 YOs.
Also no complaints here. It’s more “when are we going back?”
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If you’re looking for the cheapest category of rooms - value at AKL, standard at BWV or standard at Bay Lake then it can be tricky to book at 11 months out.
Also studios at Copper Creek, due to the glut of points because of the cabins there.
One beds are the easiest to book anywhere, but that’s relative. Mid September through to Jan race weekend is Fall Frenzy and will be tough, every other time is relative low season. That said this year from now on is crazy and that could last a couple of years due to all the extra points floating around. Booking at 11 months at any time will be even more important.
Thank you everyone. for all of the info thus far!
I’m sure I will think of some more questions.
Resorts with fewer studios/one bedrooms will be harder to book- even at 8am exactly 11 months at very popular times.
I wish I paid more attention to this before I bought my first points
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Interesting point. Do you think the number of lock-offs affect bookings of studios?
Should I be looking at resorts that have the most dedicated one bedrooms or studios?
I haven’t had problems booking general school time off dates, but we are also at Poly, which has quite a bit of availability.
I have gotten most waitlists when I want to move at 7 months, if one or two nights aren’t available.
One of my kids doesn’t love the sofa pull out queen, so I’m happy about the eventual changeover to the sofa pull down queen (like at Riviera).
They aren’t tired of Disney, but they do now very much like Universal (tween and teen), so we split time there. And I also like Universal quite a bit. I don’t have a lot of points, so I don’t need to rent mine for lack of use, banking works out well.
I don’t see selling my points even after they kids leave. I think I’ll enjoy going and if not, I’ll rent. And the kids may want to come for trips in college, etc.
I honestly don’t know if they automatically put aside some studios to allow for the lock offs or if they just allow booking as they come.
I bought CC first and I love it but it can be hard/frustrating to book. I ended up adding BW to add a resort withmore studios. I will add once more at either AKL or SSR for the studio availability.
Another useful source is DVCHelp.com
The owner created availability charts showing how easy it is to book at various times. Just click on the tab at the top and read the “how they work” and then the resort you want to look at.
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Booking is just as they come, so once all studios are booked so are all the 2-bed lock-offs.
Which is why 2-beds at BWV and AKV-J are so hard to get, because all the 2-beds at those resorts are lock-offs.
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I have read that about CC and due to the number of cabins they built.
I do like the EPCOT resorts, but the 2042 deed expiration dates do worry me a little. Maybe I’m being irrational as 20 more years is quite awhile.
How long have you owned there? And if you were to buy again in the next year or so would you still buy at BW?
And thank you for the replies!
Thanks for this, it’s really helpful!
I have only owned at BW for 3 years. Since I am 60 the 20 years do not bother me.
The financial value is in the longer contract, even if it costs you more but sometimes you make decisions based on what will make you happy!
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Hi!
My DH and I bought about a decade ago. At the time, it was just us and our infant and we were trying to not go overboard so we started with a studio.
That lasted exactly one trip and we ended up buying enough to get a one bedroom for two weeks at our favorite resort.
Our DS is now 12 and almost as tall as me (I’m 5’8) and for our upcoming trip I am actually getting multiple rooms so he has his own bed that isn’t the pull out sofa. Our last trip was when DS was 8 and he was already complaining that it wasn’t comfortable (i.e. he couldn’t jump on it…). So now I have to choose every trip a 2 bedroom for a week or a 1 bedroom for two weeks.
We don’t go in high season normally, so I can’t speak to that. I will say at BLT 1 bedroom standards go very quickly, even in low season.
When I married DH, I was the only Disney fanatic in the house. And now both DH and DS beg for more time there. 12 years later and they aren’t tired of WDW. DLR is another story, but that had more to do with crowding than anything else imo.
Also good to remember is even if they might get tired of WDW, you have Universal 30 minutes away for any thrill seekers.
My family’s best memories are at WDW. Not once have I ever said “Well that was a waste of money”.
Just my two cents.
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Not a member, but we have rented points and would never do it again because of the pull-out sofa issue. DS12 found it extremely uncomfortable at AKV Jambo. They are terrible! Until DS goes to college, DVC is a nonstarter for me because I insist on two real beds, and for that cost I’ll just get a regular studio on the hotel side. If they switched to the pull down sofas like they have at Pop however, that wouldn’t be a problem at all because those are quite comfy.
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Thank you for the review. When I hear pull-sofa, I always think of the ones from the 80s with that horrible bar that seems to land right around your lower back. I was hoping sofa bed technology has changed.
I’m renting points in November but not requiring the use of a pull out. I guess I will have to open it up and give it a test drive.
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I have slept on the pull out couches at SSR, Kidani, CC, GFV, and BLT. BLT was the only one I had an issue with but I just kept it as a couch and slept on that with no problem.
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Thanks for your perspective. I was starting to worry since that sofa couch will be a sleeping surface for my family if our DVC purchase goes through. My kids can sleep anywhere though so it wouldn’t be the end of the world. 
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SSR has those new pull down beds- don’t they? Those rooms are beautiful!
Also, OKW studios have two beds!
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Yes, we just stayed at SSR and it had the pull-down bed. Very comfy, I though! But DD21 was cold and there wasn’t an extra blanket, so she ended up sharing with me. I think the AC was blowing right on that bed making it feel colder than it was.