Room Comparison

[CP_alum08]

My future DW and I have all but totally decided we will honeymoon at WDW. We are WDW veterans, former AP holders, etc. etc. We are looking into possibly renting DVC points for the trip and was hoping to get some input on how some of the different rooms compare. This is all hypothetical as this point, but stay with me

For a week stay in September in a studio, the cost calculator on David's DVC Rental gives me this -
Beach Club - $1700
Boardwalk - $1200 (standard, $1700 preferred)
Grand Floridian - $2000 (standard)
BLT - $2200 (MK view, just throwing this in for fun!)

Now, it has always been a dream of hers to stay at GF, and I feel like this might be the only time we would splurge and stay there, so there is that. The thought of staying at a monorail resort and being minutes away from MK sounds great, but being able to walk to Epcot in minutes from BW or BC sounds almost just as good.

So looking at price alone all 4 really aren't too much different, when i think of spending upwards of $2000 on a hotel a couple hundred dollars doesn't seem like a big difference, especially for a honeymoon.

So how are the rooms and general atmosphere different at any of the above resorts? We haven't stayed at any of these. Also, we usually fall into the 'commando" category but staying a nicer resort we would probably want to slow down and spend a day just hanging around the resort. or at least a couple afternoons.

 

[Tom]

There have been peaceful debates (actually, just pleasant discussions) about GFV vs BLT. We've had the same discussions in our household, because we've stayed at both, and we're torn. So torn that we're doing a split stay in January! First 4 nights at GFV, last 3 at BLT.

You'll enjoy the rooms at any of them. Boardwalk has the older style DVC rooms, which feel a bit cramped to me, personally. But after staying in a GF room, everything feels cramped.

BLT is awesome because you can walk to the MK. BWV and BCV are great because you can walk to Epcot. So, if you have a favorite of the two parks, definitely allow that to influence your choice, and narrow it down to a pair of resorts.

Look up the floorplans and photos of the rooms you're considering. That may make up your mind between, say, GF and BLT. We love the GFV rooms, but the ability to walk to MK gives BLT an edge over the room size and layout. If the monorail is running at full service, GFV is fine....but when there's a documented outage planned, GFV becomes an annoying place to stay, because bus service to the monorail resorts is a joke.

What kind of atmosphere are you two into? Are you night owls? Do you enjoy bars, dance clubs, late night dining and/or a bustling atmosphere? If so, go with an Epcot area resort - specifically the Boardwalk Villas.

If you're more into late nights in the parks and a peaceful experience back at the resort, go with one of the two MK resorts. This is our personal preference.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

We own at SSR and love it there, but our last stay was at the VGF in March, and we absolutely loved it! We have also stayed in a boardwalk view at BWV, and we loved that as well! I think it comes down to, are you going to MK or EPCOT/HS more during your stay. Being able to walk back from EPCOT was awesome. Of course, taking the monorail to both MK and EPCOT was awesome as well. We haven't stayed at BLT or BCV as of yet. BLT is simply not our style at all, so will be one of the last DVC resorts we stay at. BCV is going through a room refurb right now, so you may get an older room or a newly refurbed room.

I have to agree with @Tom in that the Boardwalk has a few more night time activities. We go to Jellyrolls every trip, and walking back to the room was really nice. Of course, we also did the monorail crawl, ending up at the Top of the World Lounge for Wishes one evening. Very nice to monorail back to your resort after that!

Whichever you choose, you will have an awesome time!

 

[MaxsDad]

I have been blessed to stay in all of those resorts. Differences: we had a lake view at vgf, never got standard view at Boardwalk. As I understand it it is hard to get.

I prefer vgf to blt. Blt just did not seem to be a very well told story to us.

I prefer beach club to Boardwalk. I love Epcot and it has great access. Also I love the pool area.

 

[CP_alum08]

Thanks! It sounds like we just need to decide on which park we want to be closer too. I'm not sure BLT is really an option, I was looking at it more for price comparison but I'm a little surprised at the comments about it.

Also, if we rent points do we get access to the top of the world lounge? Or is there some secret handshake that only owners know?

 

[Master Yoda]

My choice would be for BW or BC, but that is based solely on their location.

With either BW or BC you will be walking distance from 2 of the 4 parks along with Jellyrolls and more than a dozen restaurants between BW, BC, YC and S&D. Not to mention that BC has one of the best pools on property.

From a strictly room standpoint BLT gets my vote as I absolutely love the clean and sterile look of its modern design that so many others seem to dislike.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Thanks! It sounds like we just need to decide on which park we want to be closer too. I'm not sure BLT is really an option, I was looking at it more for price comparison but I'm a little surprised at the comments about it.

Also, if we rent points do we get access to the top of the world lounge? Or is there some secret handshake that only owners know?

If you get MBs for your stay, it should get you in, since the resort room doesn't care that you are renting, and it should say that you are staying on points. Now if they ask for your MemberID, well, you are out of luck. We are owners, and only had to scan our MBs to get in.

 

[dreamfinder]

Just throwing this out there, if your trip corresponds with F&W dates, you may have problems getting into BCV or BWV as those are in high demand. You would need to get your request in prior to the 11 month window (to the day) opening so they can try to find an owner who matches your needs. As such, a broker may charge you a premium to be able to book at the 11 months window so your prices may be a bit higher. I think David's is $2 per point premium right now for some properties for example.

 

[Tom]

My choice would be for BW or BC, but that is based solely on their location.

With either BW or BC you will be walking distance from 2 of the 4 parks along with Jellyrolls and more than a dozen restaurants between BW, BC, YC and S&D. Not to mention that BC has one of the best pools on property.

From a strictly room standpoint BLT gets my vote as I absolutely love the clean and sterile look of its modern design that so many others seem to dislike.

I'm with you on the clean look of BLT. We've stayed there 3 times, and we've enjoyed it. The rooms are oddly shaped, since they're all on a curve, but it's one of the few resorts that have the third full bath in the living room. It's great if you have kids and you want them to have their own bathroom. GFV has a separate door from the enty foyer into the Master Bath, which I would not find to be very handy if I had kids. A separate bathroom for them is a key component of my future vacations.

I'm a very simple, laid back person. But I enjoy watching things while I lay back. I could (and have) sit for hour at the giant living room window in a BLT 1 or 2-BR and watch the MK shut down, and watch all the buses and monorails hustle around in the wee hours. That's just my kind of "magic" and relaxation. Add the walking access to the MK, and it always gets a few more points over the others.

We LOVE the Wilderness Lodge main building and grounds, but the DVC rooms are the floorplan they used through the 90s, which are smaller and cramped, with the tiny kitchen and a bar instead of a dining area. We're anxious to see what the new DVC Cabins are like.

My wife always wants to stay at an Epcot resort, so we stayed a night at Boardwalk, in a villa with a Boardwalk balcony. It was a cold, rainy night, so there wasn't much hustle or bustle to watch.

The MK is my go-to park, and Epcot is finding itself lower and lower on my priority list. And now that we have a 6-month old....who will first visit WDW on his 1st birthday....we'll be focusing heavily on the MK for a few years. Thus, MK area villas are in our future.