Best and Worst DVC Resorts for DW Transportation to Parks

[PetePanMan]

Hi There

Looking for very best and very worst (to avoid). I know benefits of monorail resorts and epcot resorts but which is best overall considering transportation to ALL parks, pick-up first Verus last (full buses), smallest number of stops etc.

thx for input

 

[brandigregory]

We stayed at BLT in Sept 2014 and never waited more than 10min for a bus. The buses service Poly as well but it was quick. In addition, the bus stop is right outside the BLT main doors. Also, walking to MK is awesome!!!

 

[erionm]

Bus transportation at the Epcot area resorts is often shared with all of the Epcot area resorts. Depending on crowd levels, they will adjust how many Epcot area resorts share buses.

SSR bus transportation does not share with any other resorts, but there are five internal stops and the buses can be quite crowded by that last stop. OKW buses also don't share with another resort and there is at least four internal stops.

The MK area resorts all share buses with another MK area resort.

IMHO, AKV is one of the best as it does not share with any other resort and has only two internal stops (Jambo House & Kidani Village).

 

[MAO]

Personally, I think the Epcot resorts are still your best bet when talking about access to the whole WDW area. You can walk to two of the 4 parks and, if you don't mind more walking, you can get off the bus at an 'earlier' stop when doing back to the resort and walk to the resort instead of waiting through the intervening bus stops. Only rarely do I have troubles getting on a bus in terms of it being overcrowded.

 

[Deb & Bill]

OKW has the best transportation. Most centrally located of all the resorts. Epcot resorts are close to Epcot and DHS, but AK and MK are longer bus rides that share with multiple resorts. MK resorts including VWL also share buses with multiple resorts. AKV has the longest bus ride. SSR is slightly longer than OKW.

At OKW if you get on at the Hospitality House, you are picked up last. Then get off at Peninsular Road bus stop and you are the first off.

 

[Anal Annie]

Our best experiences have been AKV and SSR (Grandstand) and worst ever was OKW. We waited. And waited. And WAITED on buses there. A time or 2 it was honest to goodness an HOUR to get a bus to MK. We cannot bring ourselves to go back there because it was so bad. We enjoy being able to walk and or take the boats to Epcot & HS from BCV and BWV but found in the summer we had several times where the boats would be shut down due to thunderstorms. If you are too tired to walk another step then that is sort of a pain. Didn't like that aspect… BLT was extremely convenient for both the monorail and walking to MK.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Our best experiences have been AKV and SSR (Grandstand) and worst ever was OKW. We waited. And waited. And WAITED on buses there. A time or 2 it was honest to goodness an HOUR to get a bus to MK. We cannot bring ourselves to go back there because it was so bad. We enjoy being able to walk and or take the boats to Epcot & HS from BCV and BWV but found in the summer we had several times where the boats would be shut down due to thunderstorms. If you are too tired to walk another step then that is sort of a pain. Didn't like that aspect… BLT was extremely convenient for both the monorail and walking to MK.

That's horrible. We've stayed at OKW multiple times and never had any problems with the buses.

 

[Anal Annie]

That's horrible. We've stayed at OKW multiple times and never had any problems with the buses.

It's been a long time now - it was actually our first ever DVC stay and we were practically in tears wondering what the H we had just done by buying into DVC. We had a studio that was in BAD need of a refurb and a good cleaning and we spent so many hours waiting on buses. It was back when they used to do those Pirate & Princess parties. I remember DS was dressed up with his pirate hat etc. and we were waiting and waiting and WAITING for the bus to go to MK. I will never forget that. It was a full hour. When we were starting to plan our trip for this summer and decided to do a split stay I suggested OKW since it's been refurbed since we went but DH was like "NO - remember the buses".

 

[rseeb]

One thing to remember is that WDW transportation has good days and bad days just like we do. o what might be good for me one week could be an awful experience you you at another time. I like staying at the Epcot Resorts or the MK resorts since you have multiple modes of transportation to get where you are going. During peak season SSR can be troublesome just because the volume of people staying at the resort. Now my disclaimer I am never in a hurry to get anywhere I am on vacation and I do not care to get to the park when it opens.

 

[chalee94]

Looking for very best and very worst (to avoid). I know benefits of monorail resorts and epcot resorts but which is best overall considering transportation to ALL parks, pick-up first Verus last (full buses), smallest number of stops etc.

i agree with the above posters (except annie, as i've personally always had great bus service at OKW - AKV was the only one that ever let me down - but there is a little risk anywhere) that each resort is generally pretty great but it depends on what you are trying to do.

for MK-focused trips, BLT is best since you can walk to the MK. i also like that you can take the monorail to the monorail resorts and visit other resorts by walking to the bus hub at the MK.

epcot resorts are great for walking to epcot (with a bit more of a hike to the studios). but my experience is that i would avoid them for the buses anywhere else.

AKV is a great resort - love the theming and restaurants - but it does feel like it's a long way from the MK.

SSR and OKW are fairly centrally located to all the parks, but you only have the option of bus service (except for the boats to DTD).

no resort is "best overall for access to all 4 parks" IMO.

 

[goofy4tink]

It all depends on what your needs are. If you don't mind being fairly far from all parks other than AK, then AKL/Kidani have terrific service. Of course, if you're staying at AKL, you may find yourself standing on many buses since they pick up at Kidani first.
If you want to focus on Epcot/DHS, then BWV is a great spot. There seems to have been a change in the way the buses run at the Epcot resorts, but since I haven't seen it in action, for myself, I'll keep those thoughts to myself.

SSR doesn't share a route...but if you board at Grandstand (first stop) you don't actually leave SSR property for 15 or so mins!! It takes awhile to motor around that resort. Same thing for OKW. To date, I've only spent one night there, but I did just book a 5 day stay in May. So, we'll see how that goes.

BLT? It's okay. You share buses, naturally, with CR, and then the Polynesian. It's nice having the monorail right there, but it often has issues. Being able to walk to MK is a big plus.

VWL are good. You have a boat or bus to MK, buses everywhere else. You share with GF if I remember correctly.

There really is no right or wrong. And you can have a great transportation experience today, yet have a miserable one tomorrow. It's very fluid.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

All the resorts have pros and cons for the transportation. Things have been outlined pretty well for the strengths and weaknesses and I'd weight it towards if you have a particular park that you prefer that you'll have best access to or if you want generally good access to all with none being better than the other. Personally we just figure out what resort we want to stay at and learn where transport will be better and worse and work with it. I think each evens out pretty well.

That's horrible. We've stayed at OKW multiple times and never had any problems with the buses.

Our very first attempted bus ride at OKW on our very first stay there - after 40+ minutes I went to get a number for transportation to figure out where the AK buses were as we watched multiples come for all other parks. After 60+ minutes one rolled in. Then another. And then the 3rd. It improved a bit after that but I was cringing when walking to the bus stop and we did not have the best service that entire trip. We've stayed there other times and haven't had a repeat of that experience thankfully.

 

[DebbieB]

That's horrible. We've stayed at OKW multiple times and never had any problems with the buses.

I wouldn't stay at OKW without a car. The bus waits always seem long and it takes forever to get around to all the stops and get out of the resort.

 

[quinnc19]

Poly should be good having boat to MK and monorail to EPCOT from the TTC. I don't mind driving to AK and HS but I don't like to drive to MK or EPCOT.

 

[DebbieB]

Poly should be good having boat to MK and monorail to EPCOT from the TTC. I don't mind driving to AK and HS but I don't like to drive to MK or EPCOT.

It's nice that DVC got the 3 longhouses closest to the TTC.

 

[tup1830]

Best...BLT or Poly
Worst..aulani

 

[FindingMerida]

I've only stayed at two properties but both had pros and cons:

BLT: can't get better than walking to and from MK, but everywhere else is less convenient! Taking the monorail to Epcot is great, but having to loop round the entire resort loop on the way back after a long day sucks
Not fun having to share buses with the Poly either. It took us 45 mins on the bus to DTD (Disney Springs yet?!) in October and that was after waiting 20mins for it to arrive.

OKW: loved being able to take the boat to DTD, hated looping round the whole resort on the way home/to the parks. Great that you don't share with another resort though, and pretty centrally located to each park.

We've just bought at BLT so it didn't put us off As we come from the UK we hire a car anyway so we have the option of driving

 

[kgeary]

BLT #1 walk to MK - one monorail stop to Epcot monorail

Easy bus to DTD and parks. Never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus (we also usually have a car). The walk to MK is so easy and the monorail ride home is one of the best moments when you look at the horror of the bus depot and the long time for TTC express Monorail. We own at BLT so we are very biased.

Poly has so many options water, bus, monorail

Grand Floridian would be up there if they ever built a walk way to MK

 

[Deb & Bill]

It's nice that DVC got the 3 longhouses closest to the TTC.

They were the biggest.

 

[DizDaD7]

I've stayed twice at AKV. (1 jambo and 1 Kidani ), once at BWV, and 2 days /1night at SSR (Springs)

By far AKV was the best. Kidani was nice to get on 1st and then dropped off from parks 1st too. 20 mins. The most to MK.

SSR in that short period of time , that we were there was bad. We were the last stop , so some times there was no room, and coming back from the resorts waiting at all the stops stunk too.

By far BWV is the worst though.!! And this includes mods, and values too.
Now don't get me wrong, the closeness to Epcot and HS is great, plus the boats, but for the other 2 parks.....Miserable.

Only good thing we noticed was, getting picked up 1st in the morning. Which for the time being, I have a seat. Until we get to the Swan, then I'd give it to children,or moms,or the elderly. Then we proceed to the dolphin, then to YC, then to the BC. It was 20 + minutes just for that without even venturing to the parks yet. So it doesn't end here.
What we noticed that first night returning from the parks was kind of puzzling.
We figured we were the first stop, and it would eventually continue the same loop, but Nope, we were last ....needless to say we figured that we'd get off at the swan or dolphin and walk back to the BW....This got old quick, and tiring too. Other than that the resort is great.....

HTH. DizDad.