Describe your top 2 or 3 top DVC resort please

[eliza61nyc]

I know this type of question has been asked before but I was chatting with some one who ask me this question. If you don't mind would you guys offer in your opinions. I thought posting this would get them a wider variety of answers than just what my family tends to like. Give your pros and cons (if any)


1) Beach club villas. This is my runaway favorite.
Pros. Location. Not just the fact that you can walk to 2 out of the 4 parks but also since it is close to the Broadwalk and Swan and Dolpin plus world showcase, you could literally get a different type of meal every day for 6 days within walking distance.
Pool. stromolang bay is simply awesome. Now this maybe just important to my family, we generally go when itl africa hot outside and since my kids were young, t hey have loved swimming. Also I love the 2 quiet pools, very easily accessible and I thought rather big for side pools
Con
Themeing. Although I love it I can see how it could be considered rather bland. It's based off of the turn of the century Cape May NJ. translation..... lol it's pretty much "beachy"
Noise. I think because the flooring in the main lobby is stonework sound seems to reverberate off of it. lol maybe it's because when you walk into the lobby of WL or AKL your breathe seems to leave you but sometimes the lobby at the BCV's can be loud.

#2 Villas at Grand Floridian

PROS whoo baby there is a reason why this is the flagship of the resorts. (now whether or not it's worth the asking price is a different thread) it's gorgeous to me. some folks say it's "stuffy" but I never thought so. Rooms are a nice size and don't get me started on the bathtubs in the 1 or 2 bedroom villas lol.
Monorail access. Gotta admit, when dealing with strollers etc being able to pick up the monorail and easily get to two parks is nice
Gift shops. lol, now this isn't really a pro but I do find the stuff in the shops here are different and nicer than other resorts

Con
I didn;t think there was much to do after coming back from the parks.
Pool area is rather dull, the little kid area with the water buckets is nice but the pool slide here is really underwhelming

 

[Phonedave]

My top two - in a tie - are Wilderness Lodge and Boardwalk.

Location and Theme are the big draws. Dining at BW is an other. I used to love dining at VWL, but I doubt I will like what they did the Artist Point. We spend the bulk of our time in EPCOT so BW gets the nod. Beach Club is not on the list because I don't like the layout, and frankly for me, the pool is a drawback. Aside from the initial "coolness" of the sand bottom, it really does nothing for me. MK is our second most visited park, so WL gets the nod. I like it over the monorail resorts just because of the theme.

Third might be OKW - maybe. I love the rooms at OKW, but the pool and dining options are drawbacks.

I do know, that for me, AKL(both sides) are my least favorite.

.

 

[correcaminos]

Our top three are universal among the family. In no particular order

Polynesian:
You cannot beat one of the original locations. Wonderful views of MK and the area. Best location of the three MK resorts being that you can very easily walk to the TTC for other options (thus skipping the horribly unreliable resort loop for the monorail). Pool is awesome and one of our three favorites. Great service in general at the bars. Only studios that are connecting which means we can have 2 sleeping areas with real beds vs pull out sofas. That's a bonus to us. Lastly, the showers - amazing. Best out of all I've ever used. Very relaxing resort.
Cannot think of anything really negative about the resort.

Animal Kingdom Kidani:
Yes, I like Kidani far more than Jambo. Great pool. Awesome QS/Bar at the pool. So many activities to be a part of. Sanaa is fantastic. Love how quiet and relaxing it is there. Really great pool too.
Only negative is the bus only to everywhere.

Old Key West
The rooms are the biggest and the best out of all of them. Really and truly was very hard to go to Beach Club after having just been at OKW once. Awesome pool and bar/food area near by. Olivia's is great. QS at Turtle Pond is really good too. Love the boat ride to DS. Bus service there has always been above average (may be luck but still).
Only negative is if you don't like a larger resort. Everything though is completely walk-able to us.

 

[correcaminos]

My top two - in a tie - are Wilderness Lodge and Boardwalk.

Location and Theme are the big draws. Dining at BW is an other. I used to love dining at VWL, but I doubt I will like what they did the Artist Point. We spend the bulk of our time in EPCOT so BW gets the nod. Beach Club is not on the list because I don't like the layout, and frankly for me, the pool is a drawback. Aside from the initial "coolness" of the sand bottom, it really does nothing for me. MK is our second most visited park, so WL gets the nod. I like it over the monorail resorts just because of the theme.

Third might be OKW - maybe. I love the rooms at OKW, but the pool and dining options are drawbacks.

I do know, that for me, AKL(both sides) are my least favorite.

.

Interesting. Very few people dislike SAB. I'm not a fan either. In fact our last two stays at BC have me kind of turned off from there. I also dislike what they've done to QS there. Lack of views and balconies is my other negative there.

No judgment, why no to AKL?

 

[Nottamus]

AKL - Jambo

That lobby got me on day one, when we stayed at Coronado, but wife always wanted to stay at AKL. We visited for dinner and both were blown away! Two trips later and we bought into DVC. I love the setup there, the LOBBY..the smells, and we both love Boma. The outdoor landscaping is amazing. The music as well. We downloaded the play list and use it at home in the pool over the summer...

AKL Kidani

Yeah, i know...but we love it there too. Sanaa is an amazing place to eat, for that bread service, and so far...best of the strip steaks ive had at WDW. Its quieter there, but still awesome. We alternate between the two on stays. The fact they have that shuttle going back and forth makes it feel like one big place anyway!

CCV/Wilderness - Although we've never stayed there yet (first trip April 2019) we visit for dinner and drinks and love the theme, the boat ride to MK, the whole resort. The outdoor bar/grill is also a great place to relax for a bit

 

[Minthorne]

Boardwalk. Location and point chart cost.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Anybody been to Bay lake towers?

Plus/cons

 

[BethG]

Anybody been to Bay lake towers?

Plus/cons

Bay Lake Tower is my favorite.
PROS:
Location! - You can walk to MK. Monorail access to MK, EP, Poly, GF. Boat to WL and FW. (So, great access for shopping, dining, and other activities).
Extra Bathroom - The 1 bdrm has 2 full baths, the 2 bdrm has 3.

CONS:
Small Studios
High points

EITHER (depending on person):
Views - I have always had great MK, Lake, and Standard views. Lately, some have reported 4th floor MK views (no good)
Theming - I love it, some absolutely hate it.

 

[Darstarr]

If I am traveling alone I actually like Saratoga Springs. I like the quiet pool and the easy walk to Disney Springs where I can sit at a bar and eat by myself and still feel like part of the fun.

When we travel with extended family or friends it has to be Jambo. Great lobby, gift shop, food and pool. Plus the animals. Heaven. When it rains we get a bottle of South African wine from the gift shop and relax on the balcony watching the animals. The kids love the pool (and the pool bar makes the best banana daiquris, with TWO kinds of rum and a chocolate swirl around the glass.) The CM’s are some of the best!
One trip Bob Iger was staying down the hall from us. I guess his vote is also for Jambo!

 

[nickys]

1. BCV

My heart belongs here. BC is where we first stayed onsite, which is when we bought into DVC.

Pros:
So close to Epcot, we like to hop there in the evening, sometimes to get fish & chips for dinner, sometimes just to stroll
Lots to do around Crescent Lake
Easy to get to DHS
SAB, SAB, SAB
Beaches and Cream

Cons:
No sleeper chair

2. Bay Lake

This is our home resort.

Pros:
The walk to MK
Bay Lake itself is beautiful
Contempo Cafe has a great selection of meals and snacks
Shopping is 2nd only to GF
TOTWL -we usually finish off the evenings there
Extra bathroom (we always get a 1 bed) and sleeper chair

Cons:

Pool is too small for the size of resort

3. Kidani

We haven’t stayed at Jambo, although I would like to so we can compare.

Pros of AKL in general:
Animal viewing
Tranquility, a sense of being away from it all. I could quite happily do 3 days here without ever visiting the parks.
Restaurants
Victoria Falls Lounge is a lovely hangout
All the activities going on through the day and evening
The resort lobbies are stunning, the art collection and CMs are simply amazing

Pros of Kidani:
Extra bathroom and sleeper chair
Community Hall
Quietness, less hectic than AKL
Pool is lovely, I love the landscaping and greenery around it, plus the view of the savannah (red river hogs are sooo cute)

Cons (general):
I wish they’d put in a walking path to AK, it is ridiculous there isn’t one IMO.
We found the wait at AK for a bus was longer than for almost every other resort!

 

[Club Cooloholic]

1. BCV

My heart belongs here. BC is where we first stayed onsite, which is when we bought into DVC.

Pros:
So close to Epcot, we like to hop there in the evening, sometimes to get fish & chips for dinner, sometimes just to stroll
Lots to do around Crescent Lake
Easy to get to DHS
SAB, SAB, SAB
Beaches and Cream

Cons:
No sleeper chair

2. Bay Lake

This is our home resort.

Pros:
The walk to MK
Bay Lake itself is beautiful
Contempo Cafe has a great selection of meals and snacks
Shopping is 2nd only to GF
TOTWL -we usually finish off the evenings there
Extra bathroom (we always get a 1 bed) and sleeper chair

Cons:

Pool is too small for the size of resort

3. Kidani

We haven’t stayed at Jambo, although I would like to so we can compare.

Pros of AKL in general:
Animal viewing
Tranquility, a sense of being away from it all. I could quite happily do 3 days here without ever visiting the parks.
Restaurants
Victoria Falls Lounge is a lovely hangout
All the activities going on through the day and evening
The resort lobbies are stunning, the art collection and CMs are simply amazing

Pros of Kidani:
Community Hall
Quietness, less hectic than AKL
Pool is lovely, I love the landscaping and greenery around it, plus the view of the savannah (red river hogs are sooo cute)

Cons (general):
I wish they’d put in a walking path to AK, it is ridiculous there isn’t one IMO.
We found the wait at AK for a bus was longer than for almost every other resort!

For Baylake, do you find the walk times to the contemporary eateries not too bad? And does the pool get overcrowed....how's the slide?

 

[nickys]

For Baylake, do you find the walk times to the contemporary eateries not too bad? And does the pool get overcrowed....how's the slide?

You go across the footbridge on the 5th floor of BLT which joins to the 4th floor of Contemporary. The Contempo Cafe and Chef Mickey’s are both on that floor, also The Outer Rim Lounge.

Plus the shops - there are 3 of them. One is the general store, with a good range of foods for the villas, plus the usual stuff you get at all resorts. Then there is one with lots of plushes, toys etc, aimed at the kids. And then the main one, with the usual tees and hoodies, but also some jewellery, homeware, luggage etc. Really nice to browse, and spacious because it isn’t crammed with the kiddie stuff!

The pool can get busy, I imagine it’s worse when the kids’ activities are on. The slide is a helter skelter; the boys liked it, but DH hurt himself quite badly when he came off as he went down on the bottom of the pool quite hard. He was in agony the whole time, but we initially blamed it on the car being a bit small for a 6ft, 4” man.

I liked using the small pool at the Contemporary on the lakeside. No kids really because they were in the main one.

 

[lindawdw]

We love The Beach Club because of it's proximity to Epcot and the ability to either take the boat or the walking path to DHS. We just stayed at BLV with a lake view for the first time and really enjoyed it! We were on the 9th floor and had an incredible view of The Contemporary pool, boats and lake. It's great to be able to walk to the MK and the food at The Contempo Café was delicious!

 

[Phonedave]

Interesting. Very few people dislike SAB. I'm not a fan either. In fact our last two stays at BC have me kind of turned off from there. I also dislike what they've done to QS there. Lack of views and balconies is my other negative there.

No judgment, why no to AKL?

I agree with you about BCV - the only real benefits there - in my opinion are location (EPCOT) and SAB. Since I am in the minority with SAB, that just leaves location. For my money (points) I would rather be a BWV. It's not that I dislike SAB as much as it is I just don't think it is so all fired great. I find it's layout awkward, and the lazy river itself kind of lackluster.

As for AKL. I am not in the group of people that say a room is just for them to sleep and shower, so they don't care what the room is like. However, I am also a person who does not hang out in their room during the day. I have found that having a balcony to see animals never really happens for me. I am hanging out in the room too late at night for there to be that much activity. So, for me, the fact there is a savannah out there is not that big of a thrill. I don't like the layout of KIdani, especially if you get stuck way down the end of a hall. Jambo house is better in that respect. The pool at Kidani is nice, nicer in my opinion that Jambo. The distance from everything, and the bus trips are a negative for me. When I think of vacation, I also think of water. That's just how I am. When I was a kid we went to a family cabin on a lake in Canada every summer for two weeks. That was vacation. I associate vacation with water - a river, a lake, the ocean, a pond, etc. Even if it is not something you can go into, the presence of water just means vacation to me.

So it really boils down to a lot of personal reasons why I don't like AKL. It is a nice resort, and there are people that love it there. Just not me.

-dave

 

[yaksplat]

Polynesian:
Lastly, the showers - amazing. Best out of all I've ever used.

I wouldn't have understood that until i stayed there. It's amazing how great they are.

 

[correcaminos]

I agree with you about BCV - the only real benefits there - in my opinion are location (EPCOT) and SAB. Since I am in the minority with SAB, that just leaves location. For my money (points) I would rather be a BWV. It's not that I dislike SAB as much as it is I just don't think it is so all fired great. I find it's layout awkward, and the lazy river itself kind of lackluster.

As for AKL. I am not in the group of people that say a room is just for them to sleep and shower, so they don't care what the room is like. However, I am also a person who does not hang out in their room during the day. I have found that having a balcony to see animals never really happens for me. I am hanging out in the room too late at night for there to be that much activity. So, for me, the fact there is a savannah out there is not that big of a thrill. I don't like the layout of KIdani, especially if you get stuck way down the end of a hall. Jambo house is better in that respect. The pool at Kidani is nice, nicer in my opinion that Jambo. The distance from everything, and the bus trips are a negative for me. When I think of vacation, I also think of water. That's just how I am. When I was a kid we went to a family cabin on a lake in Canada every summer for two weeks. That was vacation. I associate vacation with water - a river, a lake, the ocean, a pond, etc. Even if it is not something you can go into, the presence of water just means vacation to me.

So it really boils down to a lot of personal reasons why I don't like AKL. It is a nice resort, and there are people that love it there. Just not me.

-dave

Thanks for explaining. I get it - and if we were more like you in how you do Disney, we might feel similarly. We're in bed early and often in our room mid-afternoon so the savanna is actually used by us. We also really like the activities there so we take advantage of them. Love walking so distance isn't an issue. Buses? Yeah only kind of negative but at least they were better than going to MK from BCV.

Totally understand it though and yep, all about preferences. Being from Ohio we don't have much real water so I never associate with that, but if I did, AKL would be bottom of my list for me. I'd probably do WL or BLT since I like Bay Lake a lot

I wouldn't have understood that until i stayed there. It's amazing how great they are.

It's crazy how awesome they are. I'm looking forward to our next trip there just for that almost LOL
Even the bungalows don't have the same awesomeness!

Anybody been to Bay lake towers?

Plus/cons

Yep, and going there again next June.

Pros: Good 1 and 2 bedroom size. Lake views are really quite cool in our experience no matter which side of the resort you are on. Good food easily accessible. Boat rides to WL and Ft. Wilderness are fun to do. Walking to MK. Great slide on the pool and splash pad too.

Cons: tiny studios. The path to MK is not shaded at all. Pool is small. Kind of noisy there at night. If the resort monorail is down going to/from Epcot is a pain.