Which DVC resort is best for families with younger kids?

[disney-super-mom]

If you were a DVC member making your first trip to WDW with your family (me, DH, DS will be 7, DS will be 3), where would you stay for a great first impression of WDW and the DVC resorts and why?

We're looking to purchase an OKW resale instead of HH, and even though OKW looks wonderful and will be our home resort, we want to know if it or some other DVC resort would be a better first time stay for us at WDW.

What are your opinions?

 

[justcruisin]

I suggest picking your resort based on what you want to do ....

VWL for MK, BCV/BWV for Epcot/MGM --- your boys may enjoy SAB if you're travelling in warm weather.

Since it's your first trip to WDW, VWL and MK would be my focus.

One of the best travelling tips I heard was to keep in mind you'll be back. With DVC I love knowing we'll be back next year. No need to worry about "missing" anything! Makes our vaca more relaxing.

 

[disney-super-mom]

Would young boys like Epcot and MGM? What about the Boardwalk area vs. DTD area - which has more fun to offer for a family with younger children?

Which DVC resort has the best pool and playground for little kids, or are they all fairly equal in fun?

Also, at DL they don't let the kids go down the slide at the DLH pool if they can't swim - not even with a life jacket. Is this the case at the DVC resorts pool slides as well? Do they let a parent go down with a small child on their lap?

I know these are kinda dumb questions, but since we plan to get a DVC purchase done soon so we can go to WDW in 2006, we'd like to start planning our vacation now as well.

Any advice is welcome!

 

[simpilotswife]

The best pool on property hands down is at BCV. The rest of the pools are pretty much equal. BTW SSR has a small pool slide for younger children (as well as a larger one for older ones).

 

[BillM]

With the ages of your sons I would say WLV would be the best, with the boat to MK. The kids are too young for Epcot, especially world showcase. If you had a hopper ticket you could try Future World.
SAB at BCV is hands down the best pool.
If you are looking at OKW you will be fine there. Nice pool (pools). Bus to MK. Try to book a 1 BR. We are owners at OKW and like it very much for our needs. But our kids and grandkids like BCV, WLV and BW much better.

 

[Disney Doll]

My observations/opinions about each resort:

OKW-largest rooms, laid-back atmosphere,condo-style (exterior entrances rather than entering your room off of a hallway), park in front of your unit, nice main pool area with a new slide, cute kids play area, walk/boat to DTD, nice quiet pools scattered throughout the resort,decent full-serve restaurant, a couple of snack bars near the main pool and the Turtle Pond pool(Turtle Pond is a section of OKW).

BWV- great location, good main pool with neat roller-coaster themed clown slide, a coupel of nice quiet pools, walk/boat to MGM & Epcot, right on the Boardwalk, so access to all that, rooms smaller than OKW, but certainly amply sized, hotel-style with room entrancfe off a hallway, cute kids play area near main pool, nice snack bar near main pool.

BCV-basically the same as BWV with the addition of the main pool, Stormalong Bay, which is unsurpassed by any other pool in WDW.

VWL-serene, nice main pool, nice DVC quiet pool, smaller rooms than OKW but certainly ample sized, very serene & restful, boat to the MK, which is quite fun!Hotel style entrances off of a hallway

SSR-condo style entrances, park near your unit, nice pool area, walk/boat to DTD & OKW, traditional furnishings, sort of "colonial" in feel, but very nice

If MK is your focus, stay at VWL. If pools are your focus, then stay at BCV.

 

[crisi]

My kids are six and seven. They took their first WDW trip at 2&3 and we were back when they were 4&5.

When they were 2&3 we stayed at WL (pre-DVC, so not the Villas). Access to the MK was wonderful. The pool slide at WL is a gentle slide, kids were too little for it, though. VWL may have the best restaurant options for a young family for a DVC resort, Roaring Forks is one of the better deluxe fast food places, and WCC is not a bad restaurant for families.

We then bought DVC and our home is BWVs. Our last two trips have been there. My family, even the kids when they were little, have always enjoyed Epcot - yes, even the World Showcase - perhaps particularly the WS. Making masks was a highlight of this trip and they enjoyed it when they were four and five, too. They enjoy the comedy act in Italy and the acrobats in China and the drummers in Japan. Its our favorite park (well, the kids like the waterparks better). The slide at BWVs is a pretty big one. The pool does not have zero entry. We love being able to walk into Epcot.

I haven't stayed at the other resorts. Both BCVs and SSR have zero entry pools (nice for small kids) and both have slides for little kids (nice). I don't like the BCV pool, however and you couldn't get me to stay there with my seven year old son (we had the opportunity to swim there when the BW slide was being fixed and took advantage of it when they were four and five) - far too hard to watch the kids. In a few years when I stop being convinced that if I can't see him he must be drowning, BCV will be a great pool. It has a very good slide for older kids as well. The great thing about OKW in my mind is that the rooms allow you to spread out (great for families) and the points to stay are such a value!

 

[disney-super-mom]

I really appreciate these responses. It's gives me a much better idea of the resorts. You can only tell so much from looking at pictures and reading reviews, so your answers have been great!

This just seems so silly...

...I didn't expect this decision to be so hard. I guess when all your choices are great, it's makes it harder to choose.

My DH is set on staying at the VWL. He loves the look of that grand lodge. I on the other hand don't like the look of the decor in the rooms, but that's really no big deal. The lodge and it's surroundings do look lovely. I asked my husband why he'd want to stay there since we're from the Pacific Northwest - wouldn't he want to stay somewhere else that makes him feel he's in a different part of the country? He just looks at me when I ask him this and says, "No."

Also, my DH wants to play golf at least once, so I wanted to stay somewhere where's there's lots of fun stuff for the kids and I to do for a day at the resort by ourselves like swimming, playground, gameroom, activities, etc...

Would VWL fit the bill just fine as a place to spend a full day?

BTW - I like the look of OKW, BWV, and BCV. OKW looks nice because it has larger rooms but also has nice big balconies! The balconies at the other resorts look like if my 6'6" husband sat down in one of the chairs, his back would be against the wall and his knees would be poking through the railing of the balcony. I'm not sure he would fit!

 

[melk]

We bought at VWL because we have young kids and wanted to be able to book there easily. We've stayed three times and have loved it every time. We love the boat to the Magic Kingdom and love both pool areas. Yes, you can spend a whole day there. The pools are great (we actually prefer the quiet pool), and we like to rent bikes and go over to Fort Wilderness (see the horses, even go at night on the boat for the campfire/movie). Also they have crafts at WL everyday from about 3-5:00 I think. We sometimes stop in there and let the kids make the day's craft. The lodge itself is fun just to go explore and look for hidden mickeys.

That being said, we've also stayed at OKW and loved it. We kind of think maybe we should have bought OKW because of the lower annual dues, but whatever. We wanted the 11 month window at VWL and that's what we got, so I guess I'm saying buy where you want to be able to stay.

 

[Aneille]

I just wanted to add that my children on their last trip were 2 and 3.5 and they also enjoyed Epcot and MGM. We take longer trips so we usually try to go to each park twice. For example we would do AK one day and then do AK another day but only do the shows/parades or rides that we really wanted to do but missed.

Your 7 year old will be able to get on most rides and will enjoy every park but even the 3 year old will enjoy the rides at Epcot and MGM. And depending on the height of your 3 year old and how much he enjoys bigger type rides probably will enjoy Test Track and Soarin. My oldest did at 3.5. They also liked the WS and loved doing the masks.

At MGM there are a lot of shows your 3 year old may really enjoy. Indiana Jones, Beauty & the Beast, Playhouse Disney. And your 7 year old will probably enjoy the Stunt Show alot (my 3 year old liked it and she's not even into that sort of stuff) and Star Tours as well as the Muppets, & Indiana.

Animal Kingdom is a fun park as well.

I guess as a family we really do enjoy all parks and try to spend equal time in all of them.

You also asked about pools and lifejackets. We have only done the pool at BWV but children can wear their lifejackets down the slide. My daughter first went down that slide just before her 3rd bday. Its a great slide for young kids although they need to be a little daring because its looks worse than its bite.

I've been told BCV does not allow lifejackets down the large slide. I am hoping my oldest can learn to swim by next December so she can go on it!

I'm partial to the Epcot resorts. I like being able to walk/take a boat to MGM or Epcot. I also like that at night if we want to keep the kids up we can sit outside on the Boardwalk grab a bite to eat and watch the entertainers or spend some of our $$ at the amusement games or what not.

You'll have a good time wherever you stay. And remember you will be going back so don't fret if you miss stuff or you really want to try OKW but are staying at the WLV. You will get to try them all eventually!

Have fun!

 

[crisi]

I've been told BCV does not allow lifejackets down the large slide. I am hoping my oldest can learn to swim by next December so she can go on it!

The big slide at BCV is big. And it goes through tunnels so its dark. Don't know how old your oldest are or if they are daredevils, but its a big deal.

 

[pbharris4]

I think every resort has something to offer for everyone of all ages. It really just depends on how you like to vacation, do you like to be near a lot (restaurants, lake, boats, arcade, playgrounds, etc.) what kind of theme you like, want to relax a little more, and so on. All DVC resorts are near things, but you can walk to many restaurants and activities at BWV and BCV, if you want more serene type VWL, OKW, and SSR are better suited. The kid's club will not take children younger than 4.

I personally like having many things to chose from and with in a short walking distance. I don't know how long you are going for, but why not split your stay? We have never done this, but are doing it in '06. We're doing BCV (one of our 2 home resorts and favorite) and OKW which we have never tried. mainly because we are going to do alot while at BCV and then we'll relax a little more when we go to OKW.

Whereevr you go or decide..have a great vacation!

 

[Aneille]

The big slide at BCV is big. And it goes through tunnels so its dark. Don't know how old your oldest are or if they are daredevils, but its a big deal.

Don't mean to hijack just wanted to respond!

Thanks for the info. She'll be 5 on our next trip. She is a little daredevil about some things and not so much about others so we will see when we get there. For example she loves roller coasters but refuses Splash Mtn. Loved Test Track but doesn't care for Kali even though she's been on it twice and enjoyed it.

Not a big deal either way, she needed to learn to swim anyway! I'll have 3 children by the next trip and my younger 2 children definetly can't go on it, but I am sure they will all enjoy the pool if we get a warm day. It will be Decemeber afterall!

 

[disney-super-mom]

Well, our oldest DS (will be 7) can swim just fine and would be happy with any fun slide at a pool. The problem is with our youngest (will be three) who is tall for his age, cannot swim on his own yet, and wants to do everything his older brother does.

We don't want to be at a pool where older brother can go down the slide, but the younger brother can't. That would cause a big scene and make one little three year old heartbroken. It's kind of hard to find a good middle ground for a couple of boys who are 4 years apart in age. As long as the slides are fun enough for a 7 year old, and yet not too scarry or intimidating for a 3 year old, then that's the place for us.

Looks like a toss up between VWL, OKW, and BWV. Not sure about SSR yet. The pool and gameroom there looks nice, but staying around construction doesn't sound too fun, and the balconies there look very tiny. Hmmmm, we might have to flip a coin or something. Well, at least we've narrowed down our choices.