DVC - How well stocked are the villas

Our upcoming trip in Aug will be our first stay in a DVC Villa. We're staying at Saratoga Springs for 2 weeks in a 1BR. Can anyone tell me how well stocked the Villa's are? We traded using RCI points, so i think we'll only get a full cleaning on Day 4 & Day 12, with a towel service on Day 8. Will we need to buy basic supplies like toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, dish soap, dishwasher soap, laundry soap, coffee filters, salt & pepper -or- is the Villa stocked with all of those items? If anyone can think of another item I might need to bring/buy, please let me know.

Some laundry soap but all that follows the laundry soap on YOUR list .. you need to bring or buy.

I carry a soft sided 6 pack size survival kit for the kitchen. I include several instant oatmeal packet, coffee, coffee filters, sugar, salt & paper (plus a few other spices) .. usually a dry soap mix packet or two (the ones where you ADDED 8 cups of water), dry chili mix (don't need to add hamburger), microwave popcorn packets (late night snacks) and dry 1 liter or 2 liter drink mixes (lighter than cans of soda).

See the picture - don't need a store for food immediately off the later arriving plane or if the weather turns bad or I get sick as a dog.

grills are charcoal. I also basics-spices, etc., extra laundry detergent, a set of gladware, foil, tongs/metal spatula for the grill, stack of disposable cups, nightlight, breakfast/food bars, a few cans of spaghettios, mac/cheese, boxes of mini cereal and some nesquicks for my kids. In a pinch, kids can have spaghettios the 1st night and take a nesquick and mini cereal on the bus for the 1st park day the next AM if I don't get a chance to go to the store.

I think you'll have plenty of toilet paper, paper towels, and trash bags, but not a whole lot more. There will be some dishwasher soap and one washer-load size box of laundry detergent, and one or two coffee packets. But not really what you will want/need.

For groceries, there are two companies that deliver to DVC resorts -- WeGoShop and Garden Grocer.

WeGoShop will go anywhere you request, including BJ's and Costco, and buy whatever you specify including alcohol. They bring you the receipts and add a very small service charge.

Garden Grocer has an online menu of items they carry, priced slightly above what they sell for in stores. They will also provide alcohol.

As far as I know, both company's prices/service charges are comparable.

We have never used either one, but both companies get good reviews over on the DIS DVC boards.

Funny, for years I have been traveling to TSs with coffee filters, salt and pepper. But, couldn't remember why I started to do that because all TSs we have stayed in over the last few years have had those items.

BUT, then we stayed at DVC Vero and I remembered why I started. They don't have any of those things in the unit!

We use to stay at DVC via II trades many moons ago....apparently, this is when the habit started.

I always bring salt and pepper to any timeshare, because many just have really small (thimble sized) shakers, some put salt and pepper packets in shakers, and some don't have salt and pepper shakers at all. It's rare that I've stayed anywhere with regular sized salt and pepper shakers. I also bring a few basic spices if I know I'll use them (steak seasoning, garlic salt, cinnamon, italian seasoning, and sometimes lemon pepper). We try not to get any fancier than that at timeshares.

DVC is very generous on toilet paper. We've never had to buy any, and we seem to use quite a bit.

Michael, how 'bout those crock pots?

I've never had a problem with them anywhere but NYC.

Thanks for all the feedback. Good to know paper towels, trash bags and toilet paper should be plentiful, the paper goods were taking up a lot of space in my Amazon pantry box. I love the idea of taking a mini kitchen kit with S&P, spices, cleaning supplies. We have Garden Grocer delivering an order of food on our arrival day, so we don't have to worry about packing that. Anyone know if the DVC units have crock pots? My mom had asked about that.

Nope, no crock pots. I've found very few timeshares have them, although some do keep a few on hand if people request them.

Not sure if you are traveling with small children, but the DVC resorts do have a high chair in the room. I know that wasn't in your original question, but I personally would have found that information helpful before I went to the trouble of packing an unnecessary booster seat in my luggage, so I wanted to share.

Thanks, that's great information to have for those with little ones. My boys are a bit older, so we're beyond highchairs now, but I'm sure someone on this site will find this info very useful!

Hi Shelb14,

If you want to order from the delivery services, they need some time to process the order, we got to SSR and when to order but found out some least amount of time was 36 hrs and the other service was 72, I don't remember which was which. We took a cab to the Winn Dixie form the front desk about $16 and call the cab when we were done, back to the room for $14. There is construction by Downtown Disney so the cab went the back route.

If you can request to be in the Springs area of the resort. It is by the main house and is close to everything. If you stay elsewhere in the resort you many have to take the bus to just to get around the resort, it took us 45 minutes to get from our room in the Carousal to the main house.