Family vacation

[Kanga-Roo]

Hi, we are planning a trip for family vacation consisting of daughter, son-in-law, son, 3 year old grandson, son, possible girlfriend, husband and myself. Which are the best DVC properties to consider? We are coming from UK so we normally vacation for two weeks at a time. We are open to any resorts at WDW but also fancy a couple of days escape to Vero Beach. Do many of them have sleeper chairs? Would three year old grandson fit in crib or roller bed? Thanks

[VWL Mom]

The properties that offer a bonus sleeper chair are OKW, AKL, and BLT. The 3rd bathroom in the 2 bedroom can be found at BLT and AKL.

I wouldn't think the 3 year old would fit in the pack and play or a crib and rollaways are not offered at DVC properties. They do have bed rails which might work for him. Another alternative if you have a car would be to pickup an air mattress at Wal-Mart.

I think BLT would be a good choice if you'll be spending a lot of time at MK. Being able to walk there is a big plus in my book. Totally different decor from your home resort of AKL though.

[Aurora]

You didn't mention the size of accommodations you're looking for, but in general, a 2-bedroom villa would fit your needs.

The new Grand Floridian villas also offer a pull-down bunk-size bed in addition to the king, two queens and a queen sleeper sofa.

I agree with Lynn's BLT suggestion. That short walk is very convenient! Plus BLT is on the monorail line, so you can take it to the TTC and then to Epcot instead of the buses. And at the end of the night, BLT is the first stop from MK on the monorail, if you're too tired to walk.

Another option is the treehouse villas at Saratoga. There are three bedrooms in these units -- two with a queen bed and one with a bunk bed -- and then there's a double sleeper sofa and single sleeper chair in the living room. Gives you a bit more flexibility in sleeping arrangements. However, there are only two bathrooms in the treehouses. And unlike the other DVC 2-bedrooms, there are no king beds.

The Vero Beach 2-bedrooms have a sleeper chair but only two bathrooms.

[TracyL]

As I understand it, if a 2-BR villa says it sleeps 9 (which many/most do), it will have a single sleeper chair (or in the case of the Floridian, a cool trundle bed that slides out of the console the TV sits on). The nice thing about that trundle bed is that it's close to the floor, in the event that there's any safety concern for the 3-yr-old.

The down side is that the Floridian is a very small, very popular DVC property. Only 100 DVC villas total, and they book up really fast. If you know anybody who owns there, who would be willing to do a point swap with you, they would be able to book 11 months out for you, which significantly increases your chances of actually getting in.