Studio vs 1 & 2BR (Opinion)

[CanadaDisney05]

Given that 1 & 2BR options are usually more than double the amount of points than a studio, do people find the size difference to be worth half the vacation time? I understand that this is going to be very personal based on family size and age, but I'm looking to hear different opinions.

 

[bwvBound]

Yes.

For our visits, we certainly appreciate the in-room laundry (use it often!), the full kitchen, having a king bed and the dedicated "living room" space.

 

[Disneylvr1971]

We have gone with larger rooms before, but we prefer 2 weeks in a studio vs 1 week in a 1 BR. I have no problem walking to do laundry and we found we didn't use the kitchen enough (after all we are on vacation) All personal preference. We do go with 3-4 adults and everyone agrees on less space so we can have more vaction time. Everyone is different on this.

 

[pineapplepalms]

Absolutely worth it. We bought DVC so that we could stay in larger accommodations when we go to Disney, especially after having 2 kids. We were already paying cash to stay in deluxe resorts on property before buying so it was an easy decision for us. Thinking long term, we bought enough points to stay in 2BRs although in the near term we're mostly booking 1BRs since our kids are little (we've booked studios for family/friends and we're staying in a GV for the first time later this year - can't wait!).

We tend to go for at least 10 days at a time, and we don't like to eat out so many meals in a row (I usually don't book more than 1 ADR for each day). It's great to have the kitchen to make something simple and healthy especially for breakfast, and it's convenient since we can get the kids fed before heading out if we're not doing a character breakfast. We also often have leftovers from table service meals and it's nice to be able to save those for the next day. The in room laundry is valuable to us as well (we still have a few years of potty training and messy eating ahead of us considering our youngest is an infant).

The space is just so worth it for us and we can all get a better night's sleep. Especially love the 1BRs that have the Murphy bed and the ones that have the extra full bath. And the big air tubs they have in the newer resorts like CCV are amazing. Wish we could have one at home!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Definitely worth it for us! We're two adults, so maybe some would find a studio fine, but not us. We like the in-room laundry, so we can do laundry while we're in the unit, the full size refrigerator complete with a freezer (and ice) and especially the two TVs, because for some reason whatever TV DH is closest to gets stuck on ESPN and the Golf Channel and won't change to another channel. Frankly, in studios I get sick of watching sports. We're 2 60+ yo who've been visiting WDW for over 30 years and after 30+ trips, we spend 90% of our time around the resort (or in DH's case, on the golf courses) and not so much in the parks. As Samantha Brown once said (remember her on the Travel Channel?), in the 1 BRs "you have your own little homestead".

 

[LSchrow]

If we are going for only a few nights, and/or aren't spending much time in the room, a studio is fine. We go as 2 adults, for about 2 weeks, and the lack of a freezer and clothing storage in studios makes for a less than leisurely vacation. Solution: we bought more points (and more. and one more time )
Now we can do laundry anytime we wish, eat in the room, watch different TV shows if we want...…..since we do spend time in the room, the 1 bdrm feels like the difference between being a tourist, and relaxing at a lakehouse.

 

[Buzzw0rthy]

This is obviously a personal choice. We started with points for just a studio because we didn't want to over commit when we bought in. We soon found the extra space was needed and would be worth it so we added on. We have 2 young children when taking a break from the parks/beach etc.. for afternoon nap time we can put them in the bedroom and then my wife and I can just kick back and relax a little bit on the couch and have a conversation with out whispering! Add in the kitchen, fridge, laundry...the 1 BR is great for our situation.

 

[bwvBound]

... relaxing at a lakehouse.

Oh, yes ... that pretty much describes our enjoyment of the Cascade Cabin at Copper Creek! Loved that ... need to do it again.

 

[Wakey]

For us it’s worth it, 2 kids, so living room kitchen, laundry and just the extra space and bathroom space is excellent. Also due to them being booked slower*, we can basically pick our resort at 7 months.


* Unless you are DVC looking at lockoff premium points increases, then they go like hot cakes.

 

[weich1001]

I have stayed in both. Studios are great for short stays or stays when you plan to be going commando in the parks from opening to closing. One and two bedrooms are nice for longer stays and when you actually want to be able to sit back and relax a bit at your room...maybe a leisurely breakfast or just a walk around the resort or some quality pool time or sit on your balcony with a glass of wine at sunset. The washer/dryers make it handy to only have to take half the clothes you normally would and then just wash and wear them again.

 

[DougEMG]

I don't think that 1 bedrooms are worth double the points of a studio. I would rather go for twice as long and stay in a studio.

Having said that the next trip is mostly 1 bedrooms because the studios were already gone when I got around to booking.

 

[rocketriter]

Yes, family size matters. Two people in a 1-bedroom would be lovely (your own kitchen, laundry, and living room) but unnecessary, and two people in a 2-bedroom would be silly unless each person prefers an individual bedroom and nobody wants to sleep on the pullout. On the other hand, for our family of four including of-age son and daughter, the 2 bedroom was terrific.

 

[CanadaDisney05]

Yes, family size matters. Two people in a 1-bedroom would be lovely (your own kitchen, laundry, and living room) but unnecessary, and two people in a 2-bedroom would be silly unless each person prefers an individual bedroom and nobody wants to sleep on the pullout. On the other hand, for our family of four including of-age son and daughter, the 2 bedroom was terrific.

With a family of four, if the decision came down to studio for 8 nights or 1/2 BR for 4 nights, which would you choose?

 

[bwvBound]

With a family of four, if the decision came down to studio for 8 nights or 1/2 BR for 4 nights, which would you choose?

I'd take the 2BR for 4 nights for the extra bathroom/s and other reasons previously mentioned.

 

[kboo]

With a family of four, if the decision came down to studio for 8 nights or 1/2 BR for 4 nights, which would you choose?

Depends on the ages of the kids, I think. Our girls are 3 and 7 and happily share a sofa bed. We have done both studios and 1BR and a 1BR feels like a luxurious splurge, and we definitely enjoy it when we do it. That said, our last trip was 10 nights at the Swan and then a VGF studio, and we really didn't have a problem with either. While the Swan room had 2 real beds (both queens), it was smaller than a DVC studio and there wasn't good space for the double stroller and the bathroom layout was tough - 1 sink/closet area that you had to walk through to get to the toilet/sink/tub bathroom. The split bath at VGF was super - we found that we really needed 2 shower locations but could do fine with just 1 sink.

I think when the girls get a little older, and they may want some privacy from their super-uncool parents, or they are staying up later than we are, we might have to move fully to 1BR, but studios are fine for now, too. Even in a studio, we do laundry at least once every 3-4 days, and we do save a little money on food when we are in a 1BR.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

When we owned we always stayed in a 1br or larger. Always. That said, the most we ever used the kitchen for was cooking a frozen pizza late night, or the fridge to keep the beer cold.
The washing machines usually seemed pretty tired. If we did use them we did an empty load before we put our clothes in... too many stories of people washing poop clothes. That grossed me out. Then the stories of people drying swimsuits without washing them first. That put a stop to using the dryer.
We also virtually never sat in the living room.

All that said, we just enjoyed the ambiance of the larger units.

Go figure....

 

[kniquy]

It might depend on your traveling party. If just a couple with one kid you might be fine in a studio, but a family of 5 in a studio can be a bit cramped if you are there for a week. When staying in a larger unit we love the extra bathrooms, full kitchen, space to relax where we don’t have to sit on a bed and of course the laundry. Nothing is better than coming home from vacation without a ton of laundry to do.

You could always consider a split stay, so a few days in s studio then move to a larger unit

 

[drusba]

Though studios allow a longer trip, I know that many will profess that once you have gone to a 1BR or larger, you may never go back. The much larger room size with different rooms for sleeping, the full kitchen, and the w/d just quickly become "necessities" difficult to give up.

 

[karen4546]

Though studios allow a longer trip, I know that many will profess that once you have gone to a 1BR or larger, you may never go back. The much larger room size with different rooms for sleeping, the full kitchen, and the w/d just quickly become "necessities" difficult to give up.

If it is just my husband and i then we will go for a studio, but any more than that then it is either multiple studios or 2 bedroom. We had 7 people in a 2 br (4 adults and 3 children) and that worked well. On our trip in December, we had 5 adults and 3 children in a 2br and that was not ideal since one of the adults (we paid for her trip) refused to sleep in one of the bedrooms with her daughter and son in law ) slept in the living room on the pull out sofa. Before the trip we had told everyone the sleeping arrangements. She still slept in the living room. So, either next time we get a 3 bedroom or just don't invite my daughter in law's mother to go. I like the living room to be a living room not a bedroom since my husband and i are very early risers and we wanted to enjoy our living space without tiptoeing around and there was no way that I am giving up the master bedroom

 

[han22735]

Its certainly personal choice but for us with just the wife and 1 small child its a studio every time and typically stay at ones that have the small Murphy bed to save room by the sofa. I'd rather go for a longer time and we also do not cook or do laundry on vacation.