Best DVC resorts

[Disneyfan1977]

Hi all

My family and I were looking for a little feedback about which resorts are the nicest considering everything like location, Disney feel, kid friendly? We are hoping to rent a studio from a owner and are pretty flexible but definitely want a little feedback as to which resorts everyone likes best. Any help is appreciated!

 

[disneynutz]

There really isn't any way for someone to know what you will like. Many love BLT, it's a monorail resort, close to the MK, you can see the fireworks every night from your room/resort.

We own there and it's our least favorite resort.

Bill

 

[TSMMANIAC]

When my children were the ages of yours we enjoyed staying at the BCV for Stormalong Bay. BCV is also within walking distance of two parks and close to the Boardwalk for restaurants and evening activities.

 

[gojoe]

Beach Club Villa has a wonderful pool plus the Boardwalk area is very entertaining. Animal Kingdom Villas have a great, almost water park, pool plus your own animal reserve.

 

[amym2]

A studio at OKW would give you two real beds as opposed to one bed and a sofa bed. We stayed at OKW with our kids (DS11 and DD9) last year and loved it. The poolside activities were especially fun, and we really enjoyed our breakfast and lunch at Olivia's. It isn't in your face Disney but is very laid back. We didn't use the buses much, but from what I have read the transportation is good and the resort is centrally located to all the theme parks.

Next our kids want to stay at AKV. We have friends who own there and love it. Some people complain about the distance to the parks (other than AK), but the bus service sounds like it's pretty good.

We'd also love to stay at BCV someday to check out the pool everyone raves about. We love that area and the proximity to EP, our favorite park.

 

[robhawk]

1. BCV
2. BWV
3. OKW

Love Stormalong Bay and the whole Crescent Lake area.
OKW is our most relaxing resort. So spread out yet a nice pool with roomy studios.

 

[spiceycat]

everyone has different taste - would go for the theme park you like best

BLT - MK / Epcot
BCV - Epcot / Studios
BWV - Studios / Epcot

vwl - boat/bus to MK, bus transportation to other parks

OKW and SSR are boat/bus to DD - bus to all parks

AKV/L is bus only.

so decide which park you will be at the most days - if Epcot you have choices.
if AK - might go with AKV - but also OKW or SSR - since to me bus transportation is bus transportation.

 

[wilma-bride]

Our personal favourite is VWL - we love the proximity (and boat) to Magic Kingdom, the 'country lodge' feel, the impressive lobby area, watching the Electric Water Pageant from the beach, the hidden Mickey hunt around the resort, Roaring Fork, the pool area, seeing wildlife from our balcony and pretty much everything about it.

We much prefer the 'hotel style' DVC resorts, such as BCV, BWV, VWL to the 'motel style' like OKW and SSR.

 

[joelp]

Hi all

My family and I were looking for a little feedback about which resorts are the nicest considering everything like location, Disney feel, kid friendly? We are hoping to rent a studio from a owner and are pretty flexible but definitely want a little feedback as to which resorts everyone likes best. Any help is appreciated!

Personally, AKV is the only place for us - but it seems folks either LOVE AKV or don't care for it at all ...

Very kid friendly - 2 pools + splash area (at Kidani), Community Hall (at Kidani), Simba's Clubhouse ("kid sitting" - so the parents can have some free time - at Jambo), 3TS + 1 CS restuarants, lots of activities every day/hour, 2 gift shops, 2 arcades ...

and the ANIMALS!!!

I suggest you order the DVC Planning DVD and check out the Disney, DIS, and All-Ears web sites to get some pictures and a better feel for all of the DVC resorts.

Travel-wise - we've had no problems from AKV. It does seem to take a bit longer to get to MK - but we're only 5 minutes from AK ...

Also, depending on who you rent points from - you'll either have a 7 or 11 month booking window. The 7 month window may be a "problem" during certain times of the year - so have a "back-up" (or two) resorts in mind ...

 

[Minniesgal]

If you are renting a studio for the four of you i would discount BLT as the studios are know to be smaller than others and will feel cramped.

I would recommend AKV

 

[LSchrow]

There really isn't any way for someone to know what you will like. Many love BLT, it's a monorail resort, close to the MK, you can see the fireworks every night from your room/resort.

We own there and it's our least favorite resort.

Bill

similar to bill's post, many love BCV (large pool complex, proximity to parks).
yet we own there, and it is one of our least favorite resorts (noisy, pool too crowded and chaotic, great for toddler and a few years up -not so much for kids/adults who enjoy swimming and/or relaxing).

every resort has pluses and minuses - they are all "nice". you would be best off looking at all the resorts' photos & fact sheets, and decide which positives your family prefer, and which negatives/not-so-positives you can overlook or handle for the length of your vacation.

do keep in mind that a studio is about the size of a hotel room - BLT is a bit smaller than others, and will likely feel tight for 4 people (especially considering the ages of your children) for anything longer than a few nights.

 

[DisneyMotherOf2]

BCV is hands down our favorite. My kids are 5 and 7 and we've been going annually since my youngest was 2. They enjoy any pool but love BCVs for the sand play area and zero entry. They love the slide too. We've also stayed at AKV and VWL. They enjoyed all the resorts. We spend 2 days at MK and the buses are generally fine from any resort. Walking to Epcot and the boat to HS are fun for the kids and nice for us. We usually find atleast one day to hop on the monorail from MK to go for a ride or eat at Chef Mickeys or Ohana. Look at all the resorts and choose the one you like best. I'm sure you'll be happy where ever you stay. They're all lovely and have something to offer everyone. Have fun!

 

[tjkraz]

Hi all

My family and I were looking for a little feedback about which resorts are the nicest considering everything like location, Disney feel, kid friendly? We are hoping to rent a studio from a owner and are pretty flexible but definitely want a little feedback as to which resorts everyone likes best. Any help is appreciated!

That's like asking which flavor of ice cream is "best."

Research locations, themes, amenities and other aspects then choose the one YOU think is best.

Also be aware that resorts do not have an unlimited supply of villas. The number of rooms at each resort may be much smaller than you anticipate, and occupancy runs much higher at DVC properties. If you are planning more than 10 months out, you should have a decent shot at any destination. But if the trip is less than 10 months away, I'd suggest finding a potential rental partner to check availability before you invest too much time considering a rental. A number of resorts may already be unavailable.