1-Day MK Trip; DVC Rental at Grand Floridian or Wilderness Lodge?

[SuperBrandt]

Hey all - hoping to tap into the collective knowledge here on some forthcoming decisions.
My family (myself + spouse, 3 girls ages 7-12) will be taking our second Disney Cruise in late Feb 2026 out of Canaveral, and with the stars aligning how they are, we are considering a one-day first-time blitz to Magic Kindgom so my girls can have a taste of Disney World. Our logic is blitz the park and relax on the cruise.

I'm really intrigued with the idea of renting DVC points through Daves, especially to maximize the small amount of time we have in the park.

I'm leaning towards Grand Floridian (distance to park) and Wilderness Lodge (cost).
A few questions I'm hoping some of you more experienced folk can answer:

1. Considering the limited time we have at MK, and the walking distance from resort to park, is the price of GF worth it for the convenience?
2. I'm a complete Disney novice - is post-President's Day in February a decent time crowd-wise for WDW? I'm not anticipating massive competition for resorts or MK, but also expecting that there really isn't an "off season" any more.

I'm also considering Polynesian since it's on the Monorail track, but really trying to stay as close to MK as possible in case we do need a 2 hour break to recharge.
Thanks in advance!

 

[erionm]

You might want to also look at Bay Lake Tower (BLT) which is also a DVC Resort and is located adjacent to the Contemporary and it's a shorter walk than the Grand Floridian.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I prefer BRV and the boats, honestly, but BLT is the superior choice if you want walking to MK.

 

[andyDVC]

Hey all - hoping to tap into the collective knowledge here on some forthcoming decisions.
My family (myself + spouse, 3 girls ages 7-12) will be taking our second Disney Cruise in late Feb 2026 out of Canaveral, and with the stars aligning how they are, we are considering a one-day first-time blitz to Magic Kindgom so my girls can have a taste of Disney World. Our logic is blitz the park and relax on the cruise.

I'm really intrigued with the idea of renting DVC points through Daves, especially to maximize the small amount of time we have in the park.

I'm leaning towards Grand Floridian (distance to park) and Wilderness Lodge (cost).
A few questions I'm hoping some of you more experienced folk can answer:

1. Considering the limited time we have at MK, and the walking distance from resort to park, is the price of GF worth it for the convenience?
2. I'm a complete Disney novice - is post-President's Day in February a decent time crowd-wise for WDW? I'm not anticipating massive competition for resorts or MK, but also expecting that there really isn't an "off season" any more.

I'm also considering Polynesian since it's on the Monorail track, but really trying to stay as close to MK as possible in case we do need a 2 hour break to recharge.
Thanks in advance!

Regarding the stay as close to MK as possible, you won't save too much time between any of the monorail resorts. The Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower is by far the closest and shortest walk, also first stop on the monorail. The Poly and Grand aren't really that much longer of a ride on the monorail time wise, and you can always take a boat if that arrives before a monorail is in sight, to dip out for a break.

I would more focus on which of the three monorail resorts fits most for your sleeping arrangements and budget, then go from there.

 

[BlueGreen5]

I'm really intrigued with the idea of renting DVC points through Daves, especially to maximize the small amount of time we have in the park.

You might want to look at the rent/transfer thread on this site as well (https://www.disboards.com/forums/dvc-rent-transfer.29/)... you might find what you need and my experience has been that most of the people here who are willing to rent their points are stand up individuals who will bend over backwards to make you feel comfortable and operate with complete transparency. There are some advantages to using a broker (convenience, ease of payment, etc.), but just wanted to make sure you didn't write off going directly through a member if that's an option for you. If you have any questions, there are hundreds of people on this site who would be happy to help you out without taking a commission.

I would more focus on which of the three monorail resorts fits most for your sleeping arrangements and budget, then go from there.

Agree with this 100%. This - as well as theme/vibe - should be your focus. The DVC rooms at Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and Wilderness are all, effectively, connected to their original WDW resort. Bay Lake Tower, while still connected to the Contemporary via a walkway, really feels like a different resort than the Contemporary. The Grand Floridian and Polynesian are going to be bustling at all times, while Bay Lake Tower and the Wilderness are somewhat more relaxed. The Polynesian is noticeably more...lively...than the others after hours.


There isn't a noticeable time difference to get to the park between Grand Floridian and Bay Lake Tower. Yes, the walk is technically shortest from Bay Lake Tower, but we're literally talking about a couple of minutes -- nothing you are going to notice. You will notice how much nicer and larger the rooms are at Grand Floridian, though. That comes at a steep price, so there's a trade-off.

If the choice is between walking and taking a boat or the monorail, you will notice a difference in that regard because you have to wait for the monorail or boat. If you just miss it, you're looking at a 10-15 minute wait. For that reason, I'd give an edge to the Grand Floridian and Bay Lake Tower. But, again, you're talking about like a handful of additional minutes of travel time in a 12+ hour day. That is so immaterial that it should not override staying someplace that appeals to you for other reasons. But, maybe it's a tie-breaker factor.

Ultimately, no wrong choice here. Have stayed in all of these resorts, appreciate all of them.

 

[CarolynFH]

What size villa are you considering? The studios at BLT and CCV (one of the two WL DVCs) only sleep 4 people, and they don't allow any extras. Same for the CCV 1BR, although the BLT 1BR does allow 5.

If it were me, I'd want the Poly Deluxe Studio in the original longhouse - sleeping spaces for 5, two bathrooms (although only one toilet), or the VGF Deluxe Studio which also sleeps 5. Take the boat to MK and the monorail or boat back!

ETA I just noticed your concern about travel time back to Poly in case you need a mid-day break. It wouldn't be substantially longer than travel time back to GF, in fact if you take the Resort monorail it would be shorter because it stops at Poly before it stops at GF. And it would likely take less time to get back to Poly than to WL - WL transport is via boat or bus.

 

[SuperBrandt]

These are great recommendations, thanks everyone.
I hadn’t looked at BLT, so I’ll put that on my list.
It sounds like the walking distance is negligible from many of these locations; it’s more budget, layout and theming. Budget is probably key for us; all theming will be awesome for us.

And naturally the security of Dave’s is why I’m looking at renting through that site, but I’ll take another look at the DIS Boards. It feels like a big leap of faith, but it also sounds like this isn’t uncommon and there are solid options out there.

 

[SuperBrandt]

What size villa are you considering? The studios at BLT and CCV (one of the two WL DVCs) only sleep 4 people, and they don't allow any extras. Same for the CCV 1BR, although the BLT 1BR does allow 5.

I was looking at the capacities on Dave’s. I would need arrangements for 5 (myself included).
Looking at that, it seems the studio at GF, Poly, and Boulder would be the options available?

 

[BlueGreen5]

I was looking at the capacities on Dave’s. I would need arrangements for 5 (myself included).
Looking at that, it seems the studio at GF, Poly, and Boulder would be the options available?

Not necessarily. Many of the 4-person 1BR units permit a 5th person when booking on DVC points, but you have to contact DVC directly to add the 5th. Someone explained the legal reason for that before. I'm sure someone will give more details below.

EDITED TO ADD: Of your choices, you have the ones you listed and then Bay Lake Tower also permits 5. Which is basically what @CarolynFH said, so I'm adding nothing here. May God have mercy on my soul.

 

[CarolynFH]

Bay Lake Tower also permits 5.

To clarify, BLT allows 5 in a 1BR but not in a studio. The BLT studios are tiny!

You may have already found this page - if not, here are links to the official descriptions of accommodations at the WDW DVC resorts. Click on the name of the resort, then on the Rooms & Points tab for descriptions including capacities of each room type.

https://disneyvacationclub.disney.g...esort-in-florida,disney-vacation-club-resorts