Where to book for family/grandparent?

[blobula]

Hello,

I'm trying to work on planning a trip for next year. I think the dates could be pretty flexible really as I've outlined below. What time period might be the best?
Party:
myself, wife, daughter (6), son (4), infant and mother-in-law

Possible time periods:

1. During daughters Spring break in March
2. During the summer months (May/June/July)
3. Between Thanksgiving/Christmas to see everything decorated (my son will be starting Kindergarten so I don't think this will likely work out)
4. "slow" season with good room deals/offers

I'd like for my mother-in-law to stay with us, however that's a very large party and I know for sure I couldn't afford to get a 2 bedroom villa at a deluxe. Would booking two rooms at a value such as the Pop Century be best for this, or if a good price is available adjoining rooms at POFQ? Last year we stayed at POFQ with my parents in the room next to us and really loved it.

I've been looking at renting DVC, but with the party we have I'm not sure this is the best unless someone has advice in regards to this.

I know we could easily stay offsite without any issues in a rental home that would hold all of us.

Looking for advice. Thank you!

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I’d go with #4.

As for party size, we’re only two, so I don’t know all those details - except that an infant under 2 doesn’t count as part of the room head count.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Hello,

I'm trying to work on planning a trip for next year. I think the dates could be pretty flexible really as I've outlined below. What time period might be the best?
Party:
myself, wife, daughter (6), son (4), infant and mother-in-law

Possible time periods:

1. During daughters Spring break in March
2. During the summer months (May/June/July)
3. Between Thanksgiving/Christmas to see everything decorated (my son will be starting Kindergarten so I don't think this will likely work out)
4. "slow" season with good room deals/offers

I'd like for my mother-in-law to stay with us, however that's a very large party and I know for sure I couldn't afford to get a 2 bedroom villa at a deluxe. Would booking two rooms at a value such as the Pop Century be best for this, or if a good price is available adjoining rooms at POFQ? Last year we stayed at POFQ with my parents in the room next to us and really loved it.

I've been looking at renting DVC, but with the party we have I'm not sure this is the best unless someone has advice in regards to this.

I know we could easily stay offsite without any issues in a rental home that would hold all of us.

Looking for advice. Thank you!

I like your idea of renting. You. An get a really nice 2 bed, if looking for cutting costs, go for Saratoga or even AKL standard views. Old Key West is a good value to but there are no elevators.

 

[blobula]

I like your idea of renting. You. An get a really nice 2 bed, if looking for cutting costs, go for Saratoga or even AKL standard views. Old Key West is a good value to but there are no elevators.

In order to rent points when would I generally need to send a request to have whichever rental company check availability?

 

[mouse_luv]

In order to rent points when would I generally need to send a request to have whichever rental company check availability?

Yes and I would also recommend SSR for your party. Or standard view at Boulder Ridge at WL, be aware the parks will be very busy starting end of Aug this year due to Star Wars opening at DHS.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

In order to rent points when would I generally need to send a request to have whichever rental company check availability?

Yes, so if you use say DVC rental store or Disney Dave's basically put in the dates you want and then a few options of where you want to stay. They will get back to you with possible matches. Be ready to pay in full and you cannot cancel, though I hear some get vacation insurance in case a health issue arises. Right now you can try for the November December times, but you will need to wait till at least 11 months out for anything else

 

[LAKid53]

I would compare pricing between renting points through Dave's and the cash cost of 2 connecting rooms at POFQ. I believe Dave's has a table that shows the rental cost per point for the different levels of resorts - GF Villas will be more expensive than Saratoga Springs.

Would you really use the full kitchen in a DVC 2 bedroom resort? If not, then rent 2 rooms at POFQ. You'll get 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. You enjoyed staying there before. Your older kids can switch off staying in grandma's room at night.

ETA: Also look at the cabins at Fort Wilderness. The bedroom has a queen size bed and a bunk bed. There's a pullout sofa in the living room and a kitchen. But just one bathroom. Deck with picnic table and a grill. You park at your cabin. The cabins are a moderate resort.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I would compare pricing between renting points through Dave's and the cash cost of 2 connecting rooms at POFQ. I believe Dave's has a table that shows the rental cost per point for the different levels of resorts - GF Villas will be more expensive than Saratoga Springs.

Would you really use the full kitchen in a DVC 2 bedroom resort? If not, then rent 2 rooms at POFQ. You'll get 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. You enjoyed staying there before. Your older kids can switch off staying in grandma's room at night.

ETA: Also look at the cabins at Fort Wilderness. The bedroom has a queen size bed and a bunk bed. There's a pullout sofa in the living room and a kitchen. But just one bathroom. Deck with picnic table and a grill. You park at your cabin. The cabins are a moderate resort.

Cabins are a great idea. And yeah two rooms night be a better option, 2 bedrooms are pricey as heck

 

[Worldlover71]

Remember that you can request connecting rooms, but Disney will not guarantee them. If that is a deal-breaker, you will need to look at one of the other options.

 

[MaryJaneP]

We have also found that there is a huge difference between "connecting", "adjoining", and "adjacent" rooms. The first actually has a pass through which means the rooms need to be physically side-by-side and a doorway inside that goes between the two rooms. The second can mean the rooms are physically side-by-side or directly across the hall from each other but there is no inside physical doorway. The last can mean the rooms are close to each other, on the same floor, or in the same wing, but not necessarily side-by-side. Please make sure to insist that they are "connecting" if that is what you want, even if there is no guarantee that you will get it.

 

[DISR]

I know for my trips, the kids were the driver...you can't fundamentally change the nature of your kids for a Disney trip. Bedtimes, naps, feedings, etc can be pushed, but not entirely changed. If any of your little ones need a quiet place to nap, then you may want proximity to the parks. We tended to stay at Deluxe MK or EP resorts with the baby, so we could get back for a nap quickly when necessary. When the kids got a little older, we stayed at SSR a couple of times. The kids didn't need naps, but did go down early after a day at the parks. In that case it was nice to have a separate room for the adults to hang out in while the kids slept. If you can find a room in close proximity to resort common areas, it might be nice to bring a baby monitor as well. We got lucky at WL and had a room near the rocking chairs overlooking the main lobby. It was nice to sit out there and read while the kid was napping. That will probably be luck of the draw though. It is definitely a splurge, but we also enjoyed the concierge level convenience with young kids. There were always snacks available in close proximity to the room, and my wife and I could take turns enjoying the lounge while the other watched the kid. A couple of times we got a room that was within range of the baby monitor...big bonus.