A little background- I have 210 OKW points total can be used + 1 time use points this limits me to pretty much value season or whatever they are calling it now. For this trip it’s me, DS1(27), DS2 (25), & DS1+1(25) (girlfriend)
Last summer while DLR was closed I pieced together a February VGC stay for our 1st trip to California. We were planning on celebrating my son’s graduation from trade school.
Flights, rental car were booked & 2 day park hoppers w/Genie+ - 10 days before the trip my son got a call from his 1st choice union- he needed to be in Tampa the following Sunday…As much as I love Disney and wanted this trip to happen PRIORITIZING kids future was. way more important.
We are a few months into his apprenticeship now and I am trying again . as we now have 2 flights from West Palm ( Nashville flights & rental car were rebooked for Tampa)were traded to cover that will expire and the 4 park tickets.
First question-
Although I will take whatever I can scrounge together I will need 3 sleeping surfaces-
Option 1 - use 204 points for long weekend in 2 bedroom. Thursday until Monday 4 nights total.
Option 2 - use 204 points for 1 bedroom 5 nights and use remaining points + 1 timers for a sixth.
Here is where I am flip flopping.
Option 1 means nobody is stuck on a pull out. Anyone working than traveling eat coast to west gets a REAL BED! Because DLR is smaller it fits my basic criteria of travel/rest days on either end. Gone are the days where as a family we head straighten to the park, as a group we now prefer cocktails by the pool on checkin day…Short trip means kids don’t have to miss much work as they are all pretty much just starting out and won’t have much paid time off let or spending cash it they take unpaid leave. Option 2 - lol besides being just more days at Disney as a retiree I do not have the above issues, this leaves more opportunities for kids to arrange travel but we have crammed before in a 1br @ Aulani it was tight but we made it work. That said all 3 are Nintendo junkies and are ready to drop everything for Hollywood Nintendo opening- but that’s a big fat maybe it will be open, and me buying more tickets for more theme parks.
Do the 2BR. You won’t regret all that space. And the ability for whoever gets up early to be in the kitchen making coffee or breakfast and/or watching the tv or going out to the lanai is top notch.
Funny thing about getting up early for coffee 2 out of 3 are Starbucks employees and the other is construction field they all get up early than I do - my sleep is safe in the bedroom either way
They might enjoy not having to tiptoe around whichever of the others haven’t awakened.
And as the beds have not been updated at OKW they would have to be sleeping on pull out. I’d take a regular bed — AND ANOTHER WHOLE FULL BATHROOM — over that any time.
We almost always do 2 bedrooms seriously well worth it - but my OKW points don’t stretch quite at far at California…but don’t the 1 bedrooms at VGC have 2 bathrooms?
Last month I booked an RCI exchange a 1 bedroom @ SSR- using some leftover Wyndham points. Lol couldn’t resist it for $190 + 259 exchange fee for 7 night stay/8 day trip.
It worked out really well - Boys couldn’t get there schedules synced-
So DS2 dropped me off on his way to Tampa Sunday night
DS1 & +1 arrived Tuesday and stayed until Thursday.
DS2 came after work on Friday until Sunday.
guess that’s why I am even considering it the longer stay meant that every was able to arrange their schedules without using to much time off.
Wait. Are you trying to book at OKW or at the villas at grand Californian? Because if you’re trying to book at grand Californian at seven months I wish you the very best one but I wouldn’t expect that it will happen.
I’m utterly confused by the mention of OKW, DLR, GCH and Tampa all in one post
Already have 4 nights in 2 bedroom booked! as a placeholder.
Thanks to DS2 having to be awake for apprenticeship at 4AM i have been able to snag midweek in January - I am trying to decide if I should switch it up for longer stay covering weekend towards end of January.
I haveOKW points using them to book VGC
One kid lives in West Palm the other works in Tampa
Make sense
7 months out for a non studio room is possible during the slow season and no school holidays.
I have had better luck with this than getting boarding groups for Rise and Remi. On website logged in ready to go 7:45 EST- and wait till 8AM to clock booking.
I have a thought - can you make it a split stay? First two days at one of the suite hotels on Harbor? Or switch to a Hollywood hotel if Nintendo is open so you will be close by.