non-DVC member living in DVC hotel

[tchan03]

Hi
I reserved Port Orleans hotel for 4 nights. Pay $175 + tax per night

A colleague who happens to be DVC member offered me $150 (tax included) per night to stay at Old Key West (DVC hotel).

It's a good deal but i am concerned, does Disney hotel allow non-DVC member to do that ? What info do i have to have when i do take this deal

I certainly don't want to pay all the $ and by the time i got there and got rejected.

Please advise
THX!
TC

 

[dcgrumpy]

yes it is allowed, if you're talking about a studio it would most likely be cheaper renting points from another owner on these boards. We stayed at OKW for $95 this past May. We are staying in a preferred studio at BWV for $120 a night in November.

http://130.94.75.33/forumdisplay.php?f=29

 

[bicker]

Keep in mind that you don't get daily maid service with the DVC arrangement. So I would expect to pay at least $35 less per night than a comparable hotel. Since OKW is marginally better than PO in my mind, I wouldn't consider your friend's offer to be that great, but rather, just okay.

 

[Synonymous]

You didn't say what size room. A DVC is 1BR or 2BR suite is certainly not comparable in any way to a regular hotel room. A Studio is similar to a hotel room, except it has a microwave and small refrigerator, with a wet bar.

OKW is a deluxe resort, PO, is only a moderate, so if you can stay at OKW cheaper you definitely should.

 

[bicker]

I'm not sure I agree with the classification of OKW as a deluxe. A key characteristic of deluxe resorts in the hotel industry, such as by AAA, includes an interior hallway between rooms and valet parking, and OKW doesn't provide either.

 

[Sammie]

I'm not sure I agree with the classification of OKW as a deluxe. A key characteristic of deluxe resorts in the hotel industry, such as by AAA, includes an interior hallway between rooms, and OKW doesn't provide that.

I would not consider OKW to be a deluxe hotel, I would consider it a deluxe resort or deluxe Home Away from Home resort for lack of a better term.

 

[sweetinmaine]

We are new DVC members. We stayed at OKW in September. It was a nice resort. However, our very favorite resort is Port Orleans Riverside, staying in the Magnolia Terrace mansion. I'd thank your friend for the offer and pay the extra $25 per night to stay at POR. When we were staying at OKW we actually spent a day at the pool at POR. To our family nothing compares to POR and that includes resorts like The Contemporary and Yacht and Beach Club. In any case, have a time!

 

[castleri]

The time of year and the size of the unit will be the most important in deciding if it is a good deal. If it is a studio in Sept or early Dec it is not a good deal. If it is a studio the first week in April it is the going rate on the rent trade board for Sun-Friday at 15 points a night. Your $175 rate with the tax brings you closer to $195 a night. You do get daily maid service at Port Orleans though.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I'm not sure I agree with the classification of OKW as a deluxe. A key characteristic of deluxe resorts in the hotel industry, such as by AAA, includes an interior hallway between rooms and valet parking, and OKW doesn't provide either.

If OKW is a moderate, it's the only moderate at WDW with a balcony. And a huge balcony at that! I don't care if people call it deluxe or moderate-I still like it better than POR. And I really like POR. Different people prefer different hotels. But I LOVE that balcony!

 

[Pootle]

I can't believe some of the replies in this thread! I've stayed at POR and to me it, and all the other values and moderates, are just cheap-construction 'Comfort Inn' type places but with great theming, and in the case of POR, wonderful landscaping. They are nice places, but absolutely *no* comparison to OKW.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I'm not sure I agree with the classification of OKW as a deluxe. A key characteristic of deluxe resorts in the hotel industry, such as by AAA, includes an interior hallway between rooms and valet parking, and OKW doesn't provide either.

But lack of those hallways is EXACTLY why I think OKW is a better than deluxe resort! I HATE hotel hallways. They are noisy, messy and indoors. I like feeling like I am in a VACATION HOME, and that is what OKW makes me feel like. I can stay in any old hotel if I want to, but I prefer a vacation resort, and that is what OKW is to me.

 

[bicker]

But lack of those hallways is EXACTLY why I think OKW is a better than deluxe resort!

There is no question that some folks feel OKW is better for them than a deluxe. My point was that the deluxe classification requires certain things that OKW doesn't provide, and there is some negative impact on the price one can charge when it misses such a classification. For example, many folks believe that AKL would be a five diamond resort if only its access was more limited, however Disney wishes to offer access to AKL to all its guests, not just those staying there, and so they miss that five diamond designation and therefore cannot reflect that distinction in their rates. (Of course, I suspect they get so much money from folks coming to AKL just to eat at its restaurants that that more than makes up for the incremental value of the five diamond designation.)

I HATE hotel hallways.

Port Orleans also doesn't have interior hallways. That was, to some extent, my point.

Personally, having stayed at both PO and OKW, if I have to choose between the two for the same price, I'd make my decision based on the relative value of the cube refrigerator in OKW versus the daily housekeeping in PO -- which do you find more important? I find PO theming to be far superior, I find the dining there to be better, and I find the quality of the rooms themselves to be better.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Sorry Bicker, I prefer my OKW full size kitchen, dining porch, jacuzzi, etc etc etc to FAR exceed POR, and I have stayed there too, and I wasn't all thrilled with the food court.

 

[jarestel]

And here we have another example of the futility of trying to compare resorts to determine "worth". It's more of a personal and subjective thing for most people. I'd take OKW in a NY minute over POR and feel like it was absolutely worth it. The lack of housekeeping issue is actually a plus for me, but again, others may see this as a negative point. It depends what's important to the individual, but I suspect most DVCers would rather stay at OKW than POR. Of course, we're not the most objective folks on these matters either!

 

[CharlesTD]

I feel the fridge microwave and toaster are far more important than daily housekeeping. I prefer to not have daily room cleanings to be honest. Actually I would also probably go to Coronado Springs before either f the 2 resorts listed LOL.

 

[greenban]

I can't believe some of the replies in this thread! I've stayed at POR and to me it, and all the other values and moderates, are just cheap-construction 'Comfort Inn' type places but with great theming, and in the case of POR, wonderful landscaping. They are nice places, but absolutely *no* comparison to OKW.

100% agreement!

-Tony

 

[Beca]

Don't all the mods have fridges now, too? I thought that happened a year ago?



Beca

 

[bicker]

Sorry Bicker, I prefer my OKW full size kitchen, dining porch, jacuzzi, etc etc etc to FAR exceed POR, and I have stayed there too, and I wasn't all thrilled with the food court.

Absolutely no question that there is no comparison between a regular hotel room -- even at a deluxe hotel -- and a 1BR, 2BR or 3BR villa at OKW -- my comments were directed at the comparison to a studio.

Don't all the mods have fridges now, too? I thought that happened a year ago?

As such, the comparison is even closer, convincing me even more to choose PO over OKW (studio) at the same price.

 

[drusba]

As to OKW, the amount to rent from an owner, as noted above, will depend on both time of year and time of week. DVC members have a point system. Friday and Saturday nights require more points than Sun through Thursday night all year, and different seasons have higher points than others. When owners rent, they are conceptually doing it on the basis of some amount of dollars per point required. Thus, whether your $150 per night offer is usual going market price is unknown without knowing time of year and days of the week and then comparing it to what you can usually get by checking the rent/trade board on this site. One thing you should note though is that if your friend made the offer and said it includes tax, it really does not, because DVC rentals by owners are not subject to any hotel rental taxes unless the owner is actually in the business of regularly renting points/rooms.

Studios at OKW are larger than the hotel rooms at Port Orleans (about 375 sq ft versus 315), have two queen beds rather than two doubles, and have the mini-kitchen (microwave, small refrig, wet bar). You would not get daily maid service unless you requested it at the resort and paid extra (I believe it is $25 per day; meaning if you ordered it you would end paying the same price as PO) to the resort. Personal view is that if I had the choice between PO and OKW with PO costing more or the same, I'd take OKW without a second thought.

 

[DarthGoofy]

I would take OKW or Saratoga Springs over POR anyday.

Well, too each his own...