Renting Points vs Standard Room w Discount

[Nala06]

Hello

This is my first post here, although I have read this forum for months previous to our last trip to WDW. We just returned from a stay in Orlando where we went to MK for one day, then toured the monorail resorts to get a better idea of where we would stay for our big trip planned for early December 2017. I know that is still far away but we are trying to set up a budget so we know how much to set aside each month.

I feel like I have read everything possible about my different options, and have settled on a few to pick from. We would like to stay at either Poly or WL (or a possible split stay). Our trip will be about a week long, and it will be me, dh and ds who will be almost 3. I know renting points can save you some serious money, but there are a few things holding me back.

My main questions are:
1. Whats the big difference between the villa studios and a standard room functionally/aesthetically?
2. Is it possible to split stay on rented points? Is it pretty easy to do the split stay once you are there (baggage, etc)?
3. Are the savings huge renting points vs a standard room discount (which I think can be close to 25-30% for the week we are going, but its hard to determine this far out!)?

Any input is appreciated!

 

[Master Yoda]

Hello

This is my first post here, although I have read this forum for months previous to our last trip to WDW. We just returned from a stay in Orlando where we went to MK for one day, then toured the monorail resorts to get a better idea of where we would stay for our big trip planned for early December 2017. I know that is still far away but we are trying to set up a budget so we know how much to set aside each month.

I feel like I have read everything possible about my different options, and have settled on a few to pick from. We would like to stay at either Poly or WL (or a possible split stay). Our trip will be about a week long, and it will be me, dh and ds who will be almost 3. I know renting points can save you some serious money, but there are a few things holding me back.

My main questions are:
1. Whats the big difference between the villa studios and a standard room functionally/aesthetically?
2. Is it possible to split stay on rented points? Is it pretty easy to do the split stay once you are there (baggage, etc)?
3. Are the savings huge renting points vs a standard room discount (which I think can be close to 25-30% for the week we are going, but its hard to determine this far out!)?

Any input is appreciated!

1. Studio floor plan.

Standard room floor plan.

2. Yes and Yes. Disney will transfer your luggage for you. The only con is you will not be able to access it until 3 PM or later on the day you change resorts.

3. The savings you get renting points is greatest when you compare the cash price of a DVC room vs renting points for that same room. The difference between renting a DVC room and a discounted standard room is not as much if at all depending on promotions. Ultimately, you have to run the numbers for the time of year you are traveling as that will not only affect how many points you will need to rent, but the chances of getting a room discount. You can look at the historical discounts on Mousesavers.com and get an idea of if and when discounts will be available for your trip. In the end you will have to take a leap of faith based on what might happen since DVC rooms book out much farther in advance than standard rooms. The chances of having both a confirmed promotional rate on a standard room and availability in a DVC room at the same time is pretty slim.

 

[Nala06]

1. Studio floor plan.

Standard room floor plan.

2. Yes and Yes. Disney will transfer your luggage for you. The only con is you will not be able to access it until 3 PM or later on the day you change resorts.

3. The savings you get renting points is greatest when you compare the cash price of a DVC room vs renting points for that same room. The difference between renting a DVC room and a discounted standard room is not as much if at all depending on promotions. Ultimately, you have to run the numbers for the time of year you are traveling as that will not only affect how many points you will need to rent, but the chances of getting a room discount. You can look at the historical discounts on Mousesavers.com and get an idea of if and when discounts will be available for your trip. In the end you will have to take a leap of faith based on what might happen since DVC rooms book out much farther in advance than standard rooms. The chances of having both a confirmed promotional rate on a standard room and availability in a DVC room at the same time is pretty slim.

Those layouts are perfect, I am a very visual person so they help a lot!

I think my biggest hangup about renting points is that its locked in so far out from our arrival and is inflexible. I will have to check out Mouseavers info in more detail to get a better idea of the savings. Disney's site isn't super helpful right now because a lot of the room choices are sold out at this point, so they don't even offer prices to compare.

 

[Nala06]

Can anyone who has stayed in both Poly or WL villas AND a cash room offer insight on to which they preferred and why?

 

[Master Yoda]

Those layouts are perfect, I am a very visual person so they help a lot!

I think my biggest hangup about renting points is that its locked in so far out from our arrival and is inflexible. I will have to check out Mouseavers info in more detail to get a better idea of the savings. Disney's site isn't super helpful right now because a lot of the room choices are sold out at this point, so they don't even offer prices to compare.

Take a look at the room rates on Moussaver. You should be able to at least get an idea of what a rack rate room will run you. If they do not have prices for the year you plan to travel, take the previous year and add 7% and you should be safe.

 

[slappy magoo]

As you see the floor plans, you can see the room differences, Kitchenette, extra sink, standing shower in the studio, extra queen bed in the standard room. Villa room, there might be a little more of a walk, but not so bad in the Poly compared to other deluxe resorts with a DVC section (someone staying in Kidani Village and wants to go to the Mara Food Court at Animal Kingdom Lodge has a hike long enough that they might need to use a bus as a shuttle). And if you're renting points, you'll have to pay extra if you want your room cleaned every day - DVC members get "trash and towel" service on their 4th day and a full cleaning after 7 nights. So if a completely cleaned room every day is important to you, factor in extra money for "Mousekeeping" when deciding between the 2.

 

[Ted Daggett]

Our family of five (kids 12,9,6) have stayed at both the Polynesian resort, and the Polynesian DVC studio villa; both during December. However, we didn't rent points through DVC for the villa. The DVC studio villa was available in December 2015 on Disney's website as a regular hotel room (cash room). I am not sure if that will always be the case, but even now, when you search for available rooms, there are Polynesian Villas available, as well as Polynesian resort rooms. I had looked into renting DVC points and reserving the Polynesian studio DVC villa, and due to the significant discounts in December, it was cheaper to pay for the room as if it was a normal hotel room (I paid under $400 per night for Dec 2015). I believe I reserved the rooms in April for the December trip. Since the POLY had just opened as part of the DVC there were not points available to rent (at least from Dave's DVC rental), so although I could price out the vacation, I would not have even been able to book through a DVC rental service.

If you were to rent the room through the DVC point rental, it does not include daily cleaning of the room by a maid. I believe the maid only comes once every 4 days. You would need to pay extra to get daily maid service.

The Studio villa had two showers, which was great at shower time getting through 5 people. However, the fact that there was only one real bed made for some fights at bed time. The pull out couch was actually pretty comfortable, but not as comfortable as a regular bed. And the "pull down bed" was too small for my 12 year old, but my 9 and 6 year olds loved it. Since the DVC rooms are new at POLY, this room definitely felt newer than the regular Poly resort rooms. The room felt a little smaller than the normal Poly Resort room because the bathroom area was so big, and there was only one bed (even though per the above post, the DVC room is bigger) Our room was in Tokelau building.

The Polynesian Resort room, has two queen beds, and one "day bed", which is essentially the same size as the "pull down bed" from the Villa. The Polynesian Resort room only has one shower. We have been in rooms in Fiji (Apr 2015), Samoa twice (2009,2012) and Tokelau (2010) (before it converted to DVC).

The Tokelau building is nice because it is pretty close to the TTC, where you can get on the large ferry to take you to MK, as an alternate to taking the monorail.

 

[Nala06]

Our family of five (kids 12,9,6) have stayed at both the Polynesian resort, and the Polynesian DVC studio villa; both during December.

Thanks for all the info! Did you find a preference between the two? Daily mousekeeping isnt a big deal to me. The layout does seem a little nicer in the villas but neither is a deal breaker. Would views be any better in the villa vs a standard or would i need to upgrade to lagoon/garden view to make the cash room comparable?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Can anyone who has stayed in both Poly or WL villas AND a cash room offer insight on to which they preferred and why?

You're asking two different questions, you just don't realize it.

There's a difference between a standard room and a studio villa. The difference between those two is illustrated in the pictures that @Master Yoda shared. However, you can book a studio villa with cash and be in the same floorplan room as if you had rented points. It's incorrect to assume that all cash rooms would be different from all rental rooms.

Standard room - Cash only. Daily housekeeping
Studio villa - Can book with cash OR with points. Daily housekeeping only if paying cash

 

[Nala06]

You're asking two different questions, you just don't realize it.

There's a difference between a standard room and a studio villa. The difference between those two is illustrated in the pictures that @Master Yoda shared. However, you can book a studio villa with cash and be in the same floorplan room as if you had rented points.

Standard room - Cash only. Daily housekeeping
Studio villa - Can book with cash OR with points. Daily housekeeping only if paying cash

I understand the difference, I guess I am just struggling with how to properly word it. I am asking if anyone preferred a villa vs a standard room by just the room.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I understand the difference, I guess I am just struggling with how to properly word it. I am asking if anyone preferred a villa vs a standard room by just the room.

I'd rather have two queen beds than one queen bed with a pull-out. Also, at the vast majority of resorts, standard rooms are usually much more convenient to dining and the main resort facilities than the villas.

 

[LAKid53]

Can anyone who has stayed in both Poly or WL villas AND a cash room offer insight on to which they preferred and why?

I've stayed in a cash room at WL, and a deluxe studio at both WL and Poly. I found the cash room at WL to be small for a deluxe. I prefer the studios because of the kitchenette. Not only do you get a larger frig, but a microwave (and a toaster). Which for those who like to avoid the breakfast rush in the resort dining halls, the microwave is a bonus. Plus you can reheat the leftovers from dinner the night before. The studios at Poly are the largest on property because they are cash rooms that were converted to DVC studios. Having two bathrooms (but not full bathrooms because there is only one toilet) is a nice feature also. Just know that there is no dresser in the Poly studios. There are two large drawers under the bed and since the beds are up on legs, there is also space under the bed for suitcases. And the bathroom vanities have drawers that can also be used for clothes.

You also need to remember that WL is undergoing renovations. Cash rooms in one of the wings (one nearest the DVC villas) are being converted to DVC studios. And new waterfront cabins are being built lakeside. The conversion of cash rooms to DVC studios may be completed by your trip in 2017, but I doubt the waterfront cabins will be. Something to consider when selecting a resort.

Poly is on the monorail and also shares the boat going over to MK with the Grand Floridian. And, if you end up in a studio in Pago Pago (the long house closest to the TTC), it is a 5-10 minute walk through the parking lot to the TTC to take the monorail to Epcot.

You don't need to rent points to stay at a DVC villa. They are available for cash reservations, just like a standard cash room. However, it may be cheaper to rent points.

I would reserve a studio at Poly. It's going to be bigger than any other cash room, including the GF and it's the largest of all the DVC studios.

Additional note: go to the Allears.net channel on YouTube. The ladies have videos of just about every type of room in a WDW resort. The floor plans are nice, but the videos give you so much more info to help make a decision. BTW, that shower in the Poly studio is amazing.

 

[Ted Daggett]

Thanks for all the info! Did you find a preference between the two? Daily mousekeeping isnt a big deal to me. The layout does seem a little nicer in the villas but neither is a deal breaker. Would views be any better in the villa vs a standard or would i need to upgrade to lagoon/garden view to make the cash room comparable?

We really didn't have a preference, other than price. There were pros/cons for both that essentially netted to zero. Depending on # of people in your party, the Villa studio may be too small, since only 1 "real" bed. If you book "standard", The views from both are generally of other POLY buildings. I believe that some of the rental DVC studios are overlooking the parking lot (pago pago). Our Villa room was in Tokelau, and if we sat on the porch (we were 1st floor) we could see Space Mountain. Honestly, we really don't spend any time enjoying the views from our rooms when we go to WDW. We typically wake up, go to the park or pool, and come home when it is dark and we are too tired to do anything but get in bed.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Poly is on the monorail and also shares the boat going over to MK with the Grand Floridian. And, if you end up in a studio in Pago Pago (the long house closest to the TTC), it is a 5-10 minute walk through the parking lot to the TTC to take the monorail to Epcot.

Small point. The "convenience" of the Epcot monorail is really a myth. You're almost always better off taking a bus from the Poly to Epcot.

 

[LAKid53]

Small point. The "convenience" of the Epcot monorail is really a myth. You're almost always better off taking a bus from the Poly to Epcot.

But some might enjoy the Epcot monorail and the tour through the park before getting to the stop.

 

[Nala06]

But some might enjoy the Epcot monorail and the tour through the park before getting to the stop.

We did just that last week! We weren't actually going to Epcot but were spending the day touring the monorail resorts. We hopped on the Epcot monorail to ride through the park, then went back to the TTC to walk to Poly to get our car. It was not a bad walk. Our ds will only be 2.5 at the time of the 2017 trip so we don't plan on going park commando, but rather spending half days in the parks and really taking time to enjoy the resorts.

 

[Nala06]

We really didn't have a preference, other than price. There were pros/cons for both that essentially netted to zero. Depending on # of people in your party, the Villa studio may be too small, since only 1 "real" bed. If you book "standard", The views from both are generally of other POLY buildings. I believe that some of the rental DVC studios are overlooking the parking lot (pago pago). Our Villa room was in Tokelau, and if we sat on the porch (we were 1st floor) we could see Space Mountain. Honestly, we really don't spend any time enjoying the views from our rooms when we go to WDW. We typically wake up, go to the park or pool, and come home when it is dark and we are too tired to do anything but get in bed.

That's kind of where I am at with the Poly. There are pros and cons to both and I can't decide which I prefer

I really appreciate all of your input.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

We did just that last week! We weren't actually going to Epcot but were spending the day touring the monorail resorts. We hopped on the Epcot monorail to ride through the park, then went back to the TTC to walk to Poly to get our car. It was not a bad walk. Our ds will only be 2.5 at the time of the 2017 trip so we don't plan on going park commando, but rather spending half days in the parks and really taking time to enjoy the resorts.

YMMV, but I find touring resorts other than my own to be just as exhausting as going "park commando" with a little one.

 

[Nala06]

YMMV, but I find touring resorts other than my own to be just as exhausting as going "park commando" with a little one.

Since we did only had one park day scheduled we did MK from 11am-9pm with our one year old. Doable, but not what I would recommend or call relaxing. The resorts were nice to walk around with less crowds than the park, and we enjoyed some good meals at Ohana and the Wave.

 

[Master Yoda]

Small point. The "convenience" of the Epcot monorail is really a myth. You're almost always better off taking a bus from the Poly to Epcot.

Do they even have a bus running to Epcot when the monorail is running? I know they do when it is down, but I did not think they kept it running all the time.