Which Villa???

[AMG]

Happy Day After Christmas Everyone,

Well, on Christmas Eve, 7 of my family members decided to take a trip to DW in 2011. We are going to surprise my two nieces next Christmas who will be taking their first trip to DW.

Due to the large group, I would like to stay in a 3 bedroom villa. I have always stayed in the moderate resorts, so I know nothing about the villas.

Does anyone have any advise on:

• Where to stay?
• Options for each?
• Pros and cons?
• Your experiences?

 

[jeanylaser]

I wonder same way too! Our family are planning to go disney in December 2010! I was thinking OKW it's awesome to stay!

 

[wdwfan1]

We are DVC members and just stayed in a Grand Villa (3 bdrooms) at Old Key West. We chose OKW because they have the largest villas and "cost" the least. The villa has 2 floors and had 3 bedrooms and 4 baths. There was a full size kitchen and a dining area with a large table and 8 chairs. The living room had a couch (with a pull out bed), love seat and chair with ottoman. There was also a round table with 4 rattan chairs. There was a TV in each bedroom and one in the living room. There was a laundry room in the villa with full size washer and dryer. A fairly large patio overlooked the golf course. The master bedroom has a stall shower and jacuzzi tub. The bathrooms in the other two bedrooms have a tub/shower combo and the 4th bathroom is on the first floor (next to the master bedroom) and has a stall shower. I think the villa can sleep 12.

We went during value season and the cost would have been $1250 per night (plus tax) for the villa. The prices go up by "season". You can check out all the villas on the Disney website.

Some of the other DVC resorts have grand villas, but they are not as roomy and the cost is higher. I know you will enjoy whatever resort you choose. Have a wonderful vacation.

 

[eliza61]

I wonder same way too! Our family are planning to go disney in December 2010! I was thinking AKV it's awesome to stay!

I haven't tried the tree houses so I can't comment on those.
My only problem with Animal Kingdom was the distance. It was far from every thing and we had a car.
We stayed at Jambo house in a 1 bedroom. We loved it other wise. The resort is gorgeous.

I would also consider the Broadwalk 3 bedroom grand villas. I love the area. Very easy walk to Epcot. In December it's also a nice walk to HS. Loads of restaurants outside of the parks, right on the Broadwalk and at the Yacht club and the Beach club.

Wdwfan1 is absolutely correct in mentioning that OKW has the largest rooms. We stayed in a 2 bedroom and it was huge compared to any other hotel on site.

 

[Goofy4]

Those 3-bedroom villas go fast. I assume DVC members get first shot at them. Are you a DVC member?

Boardwalk and BC/YC have the best pools, shops and nightlife (if you exclude SSR to Downtown Disney). OKW the most space (as mentioned) and only AKL (my favorite) has the animals.

More here: http://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc/guest/resorts/resortOverview?id=ProspectsResortsOverviewPage

 

[AMG]

No, I am not a DVC member. I would prefer a 3 bedroom, but a 2 bedroom would also be fine. I am not set on a specific date, so I will try my best.

Thanks for all the comments. Wish me luck!

 

[supersuperwendy]

AKV has two types of grand villas...a two story at Kidani Village and a one story at Jambo House. I think the single story grand villa at Jambo is AMAZING!

http://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc/guest/resorts/virtual360/virtual360Landing?id=DAKV360Page

I also think the lake view grand villas at BLT have breath taking views due to the huge wall of windows!

Like others have stated okw offers tons of space which is always a blessing!

FYI...If you decide to rent points through a DVC member for a grand villa and it is their home resort they can book 11 months in advance. So depending on when you want to visit in 2011 some members could help you out with a reservation in the very near future!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Have you thought about Bay Lake Tower?

 

[Petraman]

Cheapest probably OKW...

Very nice villas at AKL and BWV

But if I was looking for a place to handle 7 and wanted to do something very nice and unique, I would take a close look at the Treehouses at SSR!

Only main drawback there is the Bus system, but going to be hard to find any other place that is so unique and memorable IMO..

 

[AMG]

If I were to rent points from a club member how would I go about doing that? Do I have to know someone who has a membership? How exactly does that work?

Thanks

 

[MareSINY]

My family are not DVC members (yet...) but we stayed at THV's in November using the military discount. I absolutely LOVED it there, it was so quiet and peaceful. The house was just that... a house. No worries about the kids making too much noise and disturbing the people around us. The THV's have 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The first bedroom has bunkbeds, a flat screen TV, a shelving system with a clock, a dresser and a closet. It's small, but worked well for the girls. (I can't believe I didn't take a pic of this room. LOL)

The second bedroom has a queen size bed, 2 night stands, flat screen TV, dresser and closet. Here's a few pics:

The bathroom was pretty big, had a nice shower and sink area.

The master bedroom had a desk, a flat screen tv, a king size bed, dresser and a closet. It was big enough for us to fit the pack n play with a lot of room to spare.

The master bath was AMAZING! The toilet was in it's own little room. The main part of the bathroom had a huge counter with a double sink, a shower area with a HUGE garden tub.

The kitchen, livingroom and dining area were spacious. There was a pull out couch and a chair that folded out into another bed. We didn't need to use either.

And lets not forget... the deck is HUGE and fabulous!

It was very secluded there, they have a bus that runs from SSR to the THV's and from SSR you could catch another bus to the parks. They also have a boat you can take to DTD. We were right across from the pool, which was small but nice and quiet. We rented a car while we were there, so it was easy for us to get around.

We did take a boat a couple of times and we also used the bus a couple of times. It definitely wasn't as convenient as driving, but it was doable.

 

[aidtrismommy]

To rent points, go to the DVC board. We rent points every year and have stayed in a grand villa at OKW once. (we have been in 2 bedrooms for every other trip) The villa was huge, but we had some issues with the floor being buckled and cleanliness in the kitchen and master bathroom. This may have just been an isolated incident because we have stayed at OKW before and everything was fine. We love Saratoga Springs and stay there the most. Some people feel it isn't very "Disney" but I disagree. I would love to stay on the Boardwalk next time. Whatever resort you choose, book as soon as it is possible because the grand villas go quickly because there aren't that many of them. Good Luck.

 

[supersuperwendy]

If I were to rent points from a club member how would I go about doing that? Do I have to know someone who has a membership? How exactly does that work?

Thanks

It's really very simple...go to the Dis Rent/Trade Board and read the FAQ. You can either respond to someone who has points to rent or do your own post of what points you are looking to rent. You will need to know which resort you want, the dates, the room size, and how many points that requires. If you want to add the dining plan the member will need to know that too. You can figure out the points needed by looking at the DVC point chart. Currently there is no point chart out for 2011, but you can base it on the 2010 chart. If you need help figuring out how many points you need feel free to PM me and I can help you!

point charts:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/DVCpoints.shtml

rent/trade board:
http://disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=29

 

[purpliequeen]

Happy Day After Christmas Everyone,

Well, on Christmas Eve, 7 of my family members decided to take a trip to DW in 2011. We are going to surprise my two nieces next Christmas who will be taking their first trip to DW.

Due to the large group, I would like to stay in a 3 bedroom villa. I have always stayed in the moderate resorts, so I know nothing about the villas.

Does anyone have any advise on:

• Where to stay?
• Options for each?
• Pros and cons?
• Your experiences?

Sorry I can't help you in terms of how to rent/pay through DVC members. We've never rented our points out to non-DVC or other DVC members. However, I can tell you about the villas. In terms of where to stay, there are so many DVC properties now that it really comes down to you... where do YOU want to stay? What are you looking for in terms of location? should be your first question to answer. Just like the resorts, there are DVC resorts that are located in the Epcot area (Beach Club Villas, Boardwalk Villas), MK (Bay Lake Tower, Villas at the Wilderness Lodge), etc.

In my personal opinion, all of the DVC resorts are great for their own reasons. Check out the DVC website or Allears to get a better idea of each DVC resort's theme and special perks that makes each one unique. It sounds like you have planned to go in 2011, but not during a specific time? If you do choose a time period that's during a busy time frame, IMHO, I would pick a villa that is close (or closer) to the action- such as Beach Club Villas or Boardwalk Villas, which are close to Epcot or Bay Lake Tower or the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge, which are close to the MK. Keep in mind that BCV does not have grand villas.

Grand villas are beautiful, and depending on the time of year, are booked quickly by DVC members. Good luck on your decision. Once you narrow your choices down to a few resorts to choose from, you may want to consider posting on the DVC boards. The DVCers are very helpful and will be able to help you narrow down the villas that you are looking at to something that fits your family.

 

[AMG]

WOW...Everyone has been so helpful. I have a a lot of planning to do and these posts have made it easier.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[scaetal]

great info for me as we're considering BWV or BCV, but then were wondering if something else might be better. I think we'll still choose BW or BC.

 

[BCV23]

You can explore the different villas here:
http://dvc.disney.go.com/dvc/guest/resorts/resortOverview?id=ProspectsResortsOverviewPage

As an added note, BCV and VWL do not have three bedroom villas (Grand Villas).

Treehouse Villas are wonderful but much smaller than Grand Villas hence the much lower cost in points or cash.

 

[jeanylaser]

Our family are thinking of OKW! Our family did stay in OKW before!

 

[keishashadow]

No, I am not a DVC member. I would prefer a 3 bedroom, but a 2 bedroom would also be fine. I am not set on a specific date, so I will try my best.

Thanks for all the comments. Wish me luck!

a suggestion for you - when renting points, look for a member who has been around awhile & can possibly provide references. It is a matter of great trust between the renter & rentee imo. I consider my limited experience (typically im short on point lol) very lucky with no issues

additionally, if you absolutely have your heart set on a specific resort/time frame; make sure to find a member who has points @ the resort you want to visit & is willing to book when the 11-month window first becomes available, as the larger units fill up quickly.

good luck

 

[SCtinkerbell]

Those are great photos and the information was awesome. Thank you for posting these