October - moderate resort or DVC?

[thor369]

I know that DVC gets sold out months in advance. But I saw some available first week of October in Saratoga springs. Is that resort too far from the parks. We have two kids under 5 and convenience is the most important. Less walking to room, transport, food, parks and pools etc.

This will be out first trip and our colleagues told us to stay in MK resort area but they are not a subtle until early 2020. Is it worth it to delay a trip to February 2020 so we can stay in the MK resorts dvc? The other resort we are considering is the swan and dolphin for October. What other resort should be consider.

 

[starrysky]

If your looking for a resort closest to MK that’s not a DVC or Delux then try the POR or PORFQ they also have the bonus of a boat that takes you to Disney Springs. Saratoga isn’t much further from those. PORFQ is the smallest resort and it only has one bus stop unlike POR which has multiple stops.
Alternatively you’ve got YC, BC, BW which sit between Epcot and HS. Those are in walking distance of both parks or there are boats that take you between them.
Overall depends on your budget and if you want a room or more of an apartment. If your not going to cook then a DVC with full kitchen might not be worth it. But space wise you do obviously get more in DVC.
Hope that helps

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

We were just at SSR last week. It’s very nice, but it can be a lot of walking, even from a preferred area (Springs or Congress Park). There is an internal bus that can take you around from area to area, and the park busses pick up/ drop off at each area as well. I didn’t find the busses to take longer from resort to park than from any other resort. I believe the much-needed room refurbishment will be underway by October.

By the time the bus got to the Springs area it was generally full. It’s about 15 minutes from each park (add in time for the bus to arrive and make its way to each stop). We would walk to an earlier stop to avoid that, which does add more walking. Our experience there was comparable to our stay at POR- the resort is kind of sprawling, pools are nice, grounds are beautiful, but the walking can be a lot depending on room location.

I’ve also decided I really really don’t like resorts with more than one bus stop- getting my 2 yo and stroller off of a standing-room only bus at the first or second stop while the bus is still full of people waiting for a later stop is just not for me. That’s just my preference- it is very hard to wrangle my 2 yo while I am standing on a bus and the odds of standing seem to be higher at resorts this size with multiple bus stops than they do elsewhere.

By comparison, we fell in love with Pop Century. One bus stop, never a long wait for a bus and even when the bus was standing room only, we were not crammed in. Even the non-preferred room category rooms were plenty close to food/ bus/ pool. If we didn’t have DVC points to use up, I would have just asked if we could stay there instead of changing resorts. The right resort for you depends on how much you’ll be in the room, how much you want to spend, and what amenities you want.

 

[Nancyg56]

I know that DVC gets sold out months in advance. But I saw some available first week of October in Saratoga springs. Is that resort too far from the parks. We have two kids under 5 and convenience is the most important. Less walking to room, transport, food, parks and pools etc.

This will be out first trip and our colleagues told us to stay in MK resort area but they are not a subtle until early 2020. Is it worth it to delay a trip to February 2020 so we can stay in the MK resorts dvc? The other resort we are considering is the swan and dolphin for October. What other resort should be consider.

Are you looking to rent DVC points or did you see a cash rental at a DVC resort? These are two very different things.

If you are trying to rent points for October you may need to commit very soon. There may be units available through Disney though, which is how I booked OKW for my crew.

In regards to convenience, I always look at which parks our trips will center around, and that differs every trip. WIth youngsters under five I would suggest a MK resort if possible, but those rooms are pricy. If those rooms are not within your budget, look at POFQ. It is the most compact of all the moderate resorts, and is pretty darn sweet for youngsters. My DGD loved it when she was younger.

I have never stayed at SSR< however I have stayed at OKW. It is gorgeous, but holy spread out!!!! There is a lot of walking at these large resorts.

 

[thor369]

We don’t know which parks the kids will like. Most like juts based on the number of rides it would be MK given their age. However, AK could also end up being another park that like.

I meant paying cash from third party sites. But ppl have said that it’s better for a first timer to stay at a resort.

For a last minute trip we are getting good price on the swan and dolphin. It does look centrally located, but not sure how much waking etc will be needed. If we don’t go in early June than we will most like go in feb 2020. October from reading looks like it’s going to be very crowded.

In terms of June heat, is it comparable to the Caribbean heat. We have been there in May and it was tolerable not sure about Disney. Heat and crowds are the biggest worry.

 

[Marionnette]

I know that DVC gets sold out months in advance. But I saw some available first week of October in Saratoga springs. Is that resort too far from the parks. We have two kids under 5 and convenience is the most important. Less walking to room, transport, food, parks and pools etc.

This will be out first trip and our colleagues told us to stay in MK resort area but they are not a subtle until early 2020. Is it worth it to delay a trip to February 2020 so we can stay in the MK resorts dvc? The other resort we are considering is the swan and dolphin for October. What other resort should be consider.

Where are you “checking” availability - the DVC website (which can only be accessed in real time by members) or on the Disney website, for cash? The two have completely separate inventories, so what you see available for cash is not available for members to book for rentals.

Looking at the DVC website this morning (5/19/19), SSR has, at most, 3 consecutive nights for studios in October. One-bedroom villas are showing some availability but that will be significantly more money.

 

[Dis Dragon]

There are reserved reservations that are pre booked those 3rd party sites post as well.

 

[thor369]

A colleague pointed me to the dvcreservationwebsite and that where i found those days available, but as I am reading more, I found out that these are non-refundable, is this correct?
So if we want to go there in Feb 2020, we could get some good deals now in the MK area? Which DVC property would be most recommended in the MK area for a family of four with 2 little kids?
Short walk to the park, great food option, great pools and fireworks views?

 

[Marionnette]

A colleague pointed me to the dvcreservationwebsite and that where i found those days available, but as I am reading more, I found out that these are non-refundable, is this correct?
So if we want to go there in Feb 2020, we could get some good deals now in the MK area? Which DVC property would be most recommended in the MK area for a family of four with 2 little kids?
Short walk to the park, great food option, great pools and fireworks views?

The information you got is correct. DVC rentals are generally non refundable. Some owners who rent privately can be a little more lenient but the agencies all have a no refunds policy.

The only DVC resort from which you can walk to the MK is BLT. All other MK-area DVC resorts require a boat or monorail trip to get there.

DVC rentals prices are based on the number of points needed to book a reservation. That number will depend on several factors, including villa type, view/location, resort and time of year. The only “deals” would be snagged when an owner is renting out distressed (expiring) points or if they have a confirmed reservation that the owner needs to cancel on short notice. DVC has 5 “seasons” with point requirements differing from one season to another. The most expensive season includes Easter and Christmas holidays. February falls either in the second or third highest seasons for point requirements. So, I would not expect too much in the way of bargain pricing during that month.

 

[Dis Dragon]

We’re a family of four with a 6 and 7 year old, doing DVC at Poly studio this summer. Non refundable but more affordable. The thing with the studios around MK is they book out as soon as the window opens at 11 months. That’s a whole heck of a lot of preplanning that is locked in.

 

[westie55]

I have stayed at SSR and enjoyed it. We stayed in the Grandstand section which I would recommend because it is the first bus stop but is an easy walk to Artist's Palette for meals. The pools were also an easy walk. Yes, there are multiple bus stops around the resort. This was very similar to staying at Caribbean Beach or POR. I didn't think SSR is any less convenient to the parks than most of the other resorts (with the exception of the monorail resorts and YC/BC and Boardwalk). I also noticed the SSR buses tended to be full at busy times by the time they got to the last stop. You will not be able to get discounts for a MK resort for Feb 2020 now.