Looking for info re: first time DVC rental

riversend22

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 30, 2014
Hi everyone! My husband has decided that he needs a vacation this year which I was not expecting. We have a 1 year old, so we figured going to Disney is probably one of the easier options, so yay! The difficulty is that we have decided to go in early May so this is a very last minute trip (I'm used to planning for 6 months! lol)

We've never rented DVC before and although I know it is very last minute and the chances of us getting anything is slim to none, we are heavily considering putting in a request at Davids. I'm looking for some information or advice on which resort would work best (if all were available theoretically). Originally I was really wanting AKL because we are planning on spending at least 2 or 3 days at the resort and there is a lot to do there. However, in doing some searching, we have come to like SSR as well, due to the Disney Springs proximity and the multiple pools. The thing is, we are from Saratoga springs so that decor isn't new, I have recently been reading that the rooms are really rundown, and it does seem far from all of the parks. I'm also wondering if anyone can give me an idea on the size of a SSR studio? My son will be sleeping in a pack n play and we just want to make sure we'll have enough room to separate him a bit from the main sleeping area.

So out of those options, which do you think would work better for my family (DH, myself and DS)? Would there be a better option that is similarly priced to the above 2 resorts? My other two choices would probably be OKW and BWV, but I know nothing about those, so any and all help is appreciated!

Thank you!
 
With a studio, there is no separation from the main sleeping area because it's all one space. You could use the space in front of the bathroom sink or at the entrance to the villa if you aren't going to be using them.
dssr-3-Studio.jpg
 
SSR is due for a refurb starting next year so the units may be showing a bit of wear & tear at this point.
 
Not trying to dash your hopes, but I checked availability on those resort options in early May and there isn't much available consecutively until the week of 5/20. AKL did have a lot of availability later in May, though.

Per your other question, we went the Studio route when it was 3 in our family and it worked out fine room-wise, but when we added a 4th we had to move up to the 1BR.

Good luck!
 


The thing is, we are from Saratoga springs so that decor isn't new, I have recently been reading that the rooms are really rundown, and it does seem far from all of the parks.

SSR is not in walking distance to any park, but it's located in a somehow central position in the WDW area, so it's not too far away from any park via busses. Any MK resort is very conveniently localted to the MK, but the bus trip to the other parks is longer than SSR. It probably averages out over the course of a vacation (unless you plan to plan to spend most of your time at the MK).
 
Not trying to dash your hopes, but I checked availability on those resort options in early May and there isn't much available consecutively until the week of 5/20. AKL did have a lot of availability later in May, though.

Per your other question, we went the Studio route when it was 3 in our family and it worked out fine room-wise, but when we added a 4th we had to move up to the 1BR.

Good luck!

Honestly, I think you are really too late to book a DVC studio for this May. Even SSR and OKW, the 2 largest resorts that fill last don't show availability in a studio for more than 2 days in a row. If you were willing to do a 1-bedroom you would have some availability, but of course at a much higher cost.
 
Thanks everyone for the replies! I know it's a long shot but we figured there's no harm in trying! We are pretty flexible on dates so maybe I'll check into going in later May.
 


Once you are within six months and looking for a studio, your best bet is "anything that is available for my dates" and to be flexible with the dates. That will likely be SSR, with a lesser chance of VAKL and a very small chance at OKW. BWV is about as likely as snow in July in Dallas. You are now within three of pretty much any date in May, so your choices are down to "maybe there will be something" It would now be an ok time to book the end of August - but forget about the last three and a half months of 2018 - that's DVCs busy season and everyone jumped on those rooms already.
 
I just did a quick check and as others have stated, there's not much available in May for Studios. There is actually quite a bit of 1BR availability though. So, if your budget can take it, that might be the way to go.

Have a fantastic trip!!
 
as others have mentioned -- studios get gobbled up fairly quickly. There's very limited studio availability at all of the WDW resorts for all of May right now. More or less just a day or two here and there.

If you can afford it, the other option would be to get a 1BR villa. It's double the size and includes a living room and full kitchen. It comes at about double the price though, so it's not exactly cheap. With that said, if your child has a hard time falling asleep with you in the same room, it would be very valuable to have during nap time. 1BRs have much higher rates of availability.

The other thing to think about is whether you would be willing to do a split stay (e.g., 3 nights at SSR and 3 nights at AKV). This will give you a greater chance of getting someone to be able to find a room for you.
 

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