Wilderness Lodge or Grand Floridian

[squidward]

We've stayed in a 1 bedroom at the Lodge before. Love it there. Not crazy about the changes they made to the rooms, but not a big deal. I'd love to stay at the GF 1 bedroom. My biggest concern there is feeling separated from the rest of the resort. Well, actually biggest concern is price. Going for 10 nights next July. If we stay at WL, it would be about $2,000 less expensive renting points than the GF. Obviously, it's a personal decision, but I'm curious what others would do.

 

[mickeysshoes]

I can't wait to try the GF...have to first talk my DH into it. We love the WL. Have you given any thought to splitting the stay between the 2 resorts?? That way you get a taste of both and save a little.

 

[squidward]

I can't wait to try the GF...have to first talk my DH into it. We love the WL. Have you given any thought to splitting the stay between the 2 resorts?? That way you get a taste of both and save a little.

Neh, not really a big fan of split stays. Too much stuff to pack and unpack.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

I say gf!

 

[journ116]

We've stayed at both resorts, with our most recent trip in February at the GFV. Here's what I suggest:

-If this is going to be your last trip for a number of years, I might splurge for the GFV! My family and I loved the decor, in-room luxuries, and being in a monorail resort. The villas are not as secluded as you might think, in fact, I feel it's the same distance as the VWL to the main resort. Honestly, if we could ALWAYS swing the points to stay there for EVERY visit, we most DEFINITELY would!

-If you would like to make your vacation more magical, stay at the less expensive villa and splurge on things while you're there: extra special gift, dining event, water rental activities, etc.!

-OR, sock away that $ for another vacation!

 

[Tom]

We've stayed at the WLV several times, and we stayed in a 1-BR at GF in March.

The GF campus is already very spread out, and the building didn't seem too removed for us. The covered walkway to the main entry was nice, and a shorter walk than some Moderates have between rooms and main buildings. Also, a different path will take you right to the MK boat launch, which was handy.

The rooms are spectacular, and well worth the money - to us, at least.

 

[slappy magoo]

Neh, not really a big fan of split stays. Too much stuff to pack and unpack.

You've got a washer/dryer in each room, pack half as much.

Also throwing this out there, would a studio at GFV be enough? I think they're bigger than most other studios and come with 2 bathrooms

 

[squidward]

You've got a washer/dryer in each room, pack half as much.

Also throwing this out there, would a studio at GFV be enough? I think they're bigger than most other studios and come with 2 bathrooms

They're about 375 sq ft. Around the same size as Beach Club. There's only 1 bathroom though. Only 1 bathroom in the 1 bedroom as well.

I like that we could stay in a studio, but there are some drawbacks:
-Obviously, with 5 people, a bit cramped
-No whirlpool tub, which my wife LOVES
-Queen size bed instead of king size bed, which I HATE
-No washer/dryer

 

[slappy magoo]

They're about 375 sq ft. Around the same size as Beach Club. There's only 1 bathroom though. Only 1 bathroom in the 1 bedroom as well.

I like that we could stay in a studio, but there are some drawbacks:
-Obviously, with 5 people, a bit cramped
-No whirlpool tub, which my wife LOVES
-Queen size bed instead of king size bed, which I HATE
-No washer/dryer

I just watched a video tour of a studio. I could have sworn they had 2 bathrooms. I see what they did was set up the bathroom so the sink is directly in front, a separate shower to the right of the sink, and then to the left, a separate rea with a toilet and a bathtub. SO, not two bathrooms, but the setup allows people to do hair or makeup or teeth while two people are simultaneously bathing, as long as there are no modesty issues. Personally, I prefer more room, too, as well as a laundry setup in the room.

Going back to the split stay, which I also get not liking, but maybe consider a split stay in the GF itself - 5 days studio, then 5 days in the 1BR. At least you're not going far.

 

[squidward]

Going back to the split stay, which I also get not liking, but maybe consider a split stay in the GF itself - 5 days studio, then 5 days in the 1BR. At least you're not going far.

You know, that's not a bad idea.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

The only problem you might have is that there are very few studios, and unless you get an owner to reserve at 11 months, it is highly doubtful that you will get a room. We will be making our 7 month reservation next week, but my wife and I are staying in a 1 bdr, which still has availability for our trip. The studios, even though we aren't at our 7 month window yet, are already pretty much booked. OK with us, because we were looking for a 1 bdr anyway.

Having said that, we are looking for VWL for our trip after the VGF trip. Only a few more to go before we will have stayed at all of the WDW DVC resorts at least once!

 

[squidward]

To heck with it. Going with the 1 bedroom for 10 nights at Grand Floridian. So it's costing a small fortune. My wife and kids deserve it. And you only live once.

 

[BufordTJustice]

To heck with it. Going with the 1 bedroom for 10 nights at Grand Floridian. So it's costing a small fortune. My wife and kids deserve it. And you only live once.

Good call. GF is the most beautiful resort at WDW and your family needs to experience a stay there at least once. You might want to put the kids to bed, grab a drink (or two) and take a stroll with your wife around the grounds. It is especially beautiful at night.

 

[mickeysshoes]

I am very jealous!! It will come down to me booking the GF and telling my DH will be the only way I can stay there!! Have a great trip.

 

[Disneykidder]

I was in WDW last month and did a split stay at VGF, WLV and BWV. It was an amazing 2 weeks. We had a studio at each. Three resorts was a bit much for a split stay but it had to happen that way for a couple of reasons. It was fine, though. We also had a car so that helped. There is only one bathroom at each. I was also under the impression that there would have been a separate tub and shower at VGF but that was not the case. It was all in one. It was really huge, though.

VGF was not really too separate from the rest of the resort. It looks that way but there is a back walkway which is right next to the pool. The walkway is only a few minutes from the GF lobby building where the monorail runs through. It was really an awesome stay. We will definitely stay there again. Our studio had a standard view and it was of the parking for the villas, Senses and the monorail. It was really nice and quiet. We loved watching the monorail go by. The rooms were adorable and the trundle bed under the tv was a huge help. This will be our last time our family will be able to fit in studios. It was a lot of fun to stay there and it felt more family oriented in the villas.

WLV was also a lot of fun. We had a standard view but to the left was the quiet pool and straight ahead was the lake. The cool sounds all the animals made were loud but relaxing. The villas building was close to the bus stop and just a walkway away from the pool/beach. We watched the water pageant from the beach. It was awesome. You can do that at VGF also but the beach is really small there because of the villa building. The rooms were spacious and had a lot of closet space. The trundle bed was also pretty awesome, too. The sink was outside of the toilet/shower.

BWV was an amazing stay. It was peaceful and just magical. Our room had a view of the pool. What was a bonus was that we were head on with DHS, which we really didn't expect. We saw Tower of Terror, the hat, earful tower and Great Movie Ride. What amazed us was being able to see the Frozen fireworks. It was pretty amazing. While there was no trundle bed, it was spacious and roomy. The sink was outside of the toilet/shower. We will definitely stay here again. I know this wasn't one of your options but it was really an awesome resort and now my 10 year olds favorite so far.

Good luck with your decision. I really don't think you could choose incorrectly with such great resorts.