Buying at Grand Floridian Villas vs. Bay Lake Tower

[Knh711]

We are trying to decide where we want to buy DVC (resale). We have young kids, so we want to be in the MK area (at least for now). We thought we had it narrowed down to BLT, because you just couldn't beat the ability to walk to MK...BUT now there is a walking option from MK to GF, so we are once again torn. We are not concerned with costs/seasons/views, as we will buy whatever we need to get whatever we want in that respect. Instead, we want to know what you would consider the best of the resorts themselves? Which room amenities are better and why? What does one resort have that the other does not, other than the obvious (i.e. GF has more restaurants)?

Please help us!!

 

[gisele2]

I purchase BLT , but think the theming is better at VGF , the pool too.

 

[macman123]

I have 555 points for BLT and 160 for VGF.

I prefer BLT as Theme Park Views

 

[Marionnette]

We are trying to decide where we want to buy DVC (resale). We have young kids, so we want to be in the MK area (at least for now). We thought we had it narrowed down to BLT, because you just couldn't beat the ability to walk to MK...BUT now there is a walking option from MK to GF, so we are once again torn. We are not concerned with costs/seasons/views, as we will buy whatever we need to get whatever we want in that respect. Instead, we want to know what you would consider the best of the resorts themselves? Which room amenities are better and why? What does one resort have that the other does not, other than the obvious (i.e. GF has more restaurants)?

Please help us!!

Hands down, I don’t think that you can beat Disney’s flagship resort for its proximity to the MK and the amenities it offers. Aside from the restaurants located at the GF (Narcoose’s, V&A, Citrico’s, 1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian Cafe, Beaches Pool Bar, Gasparilla’s Grill and the Garden View Tea Room) you are also a short, pleasant walk to Poly for the restaurants there.

VGF has a spa. It’s the only monorail resort that has one.

VGF has two large pools. BLT has one, but members can walk over to CR and use that pool as well. Neither resort’s pools are something to make you say WOW! IMO, the Alice in Wonderland themed splash and play area at VGF is a little more fun than BLT’s kids area.

The rooms at VGF are larger than the BLT rooms - 844 sq. ft. for VGF 1BR vs. 803 for the same room at BLT. Both sleep 5, but the BLT 5th sleep surface is a sleeper chair while VGF has the bunk-size Murphy bed. BLT gets the nod for having a second full bath in the 1BR.

I happen to like the Victorian theming of GF. Some people find it kind of stuffy and snobbish. OTOH, I can’t muster any appreciation for the retro-modern look of BLT. I find it to be rather sterile. But that’s me and it’s why I bought VGF instead of BLT, in spite of the higher per-point cost and point-heavy chart.

 

[Matty B13]

With the walking path just opened up from VGF to MK, VGF became much more attractive. However, you have to take the point charts at VGF into consideration, because they are the highest at WDW or any resort. Also studios can be very hard to get in the Fall/Christmas seasons, so you can't always count on getting them, and may have to use extra points for a 1 bedroom.

That being said we own at VGF and it is by far our favorite resort, for several reasons. The rooms are expensive but huge, and are currently some of the best kept of any DVC resort. The amount of restaurants at VGF, plus the easy walk to Poly for Kona & O'Hana, make it have some of the best places to eat in all of WDW. The pools won't WOW you like Marionette said, but they are pretty good and usually don't get crowded. The splash pad isn't bad either, my 3 girls have all enjoyed playing on it.

 

[GoingSince1990]

BLT is very nice. But VGF is magical. I haven’t yet had a chance to do the walk from VGF to MK, and I know it’s a longer walk than from BLT, but I am sure it is a much nicer one. The walk from BLT is first through a large parking lot, then mostly a sidewalk alongside a busy road involving pedestrian crossings with traffic lights where you have to be very careful if kids are walking with you, whereas on the walk from VGF there will be no vehicular traffic anywhere near you.

 

[Bobby2443]

I was asking the same question about a month ago and ended up picking VGF. For us (I have a 3 year old and 1 year old) it ended up coming down to the theme park views at BLT versus the grounds/theming at VGF, and ultimately I can live without the direct theme park views as cool as they would be. VGF is the flagship hotel and I’m happy with the decision to buy there

 

[DVC Doctor]

VGF, assuming money is not a major factor, is the best choice

 

[Ladyandthepuppies]

idk, I think GF is going through a tough period right now. The live music is gone and mousekeeping services are not daily, which detracts from the “luxury” experience. I’m hopeful things will go back to normal post-COVID but given the amount of money that Disney has lost, it might take longer than we’d like. I personally like GFV more than BLT but I feel like there’s less missing from BLT right now (and maybe for the next few years.) BLT is also slightly cheaper for points per room if cost matters to you.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

The only argument I can give for BLT is it's easier to get to the TTC. The monorail is usually busy at peak times going through GF due to people taking the resort monorail from TTC->MK. Otherwise, VGF seems to have all of the advantages on paper including being able to walk over to Poly.

 

[ElizabethG]

I love BLT. I just love the feel of it. It is missing some of tech features. BLT is a couple of years from a full refresh.
It is really personal taste. I like being at BLT/CR. I think most people can tell the way they lean by just visiting both. I don't know if you have to even stay there. Although, we stayed at BLT before we bought. My husband and I agreed that we should always state there. (We haven't of course, but we have stayed there a lot).

 

[Fauntleroy]

Can’t go wrong w/either IMHO. Location, location, location. I’m a BLT owner b/c I love the idea of having my own deluxe apartment steps away from the MK front gates, and the retro-cool feel of TOWL and CR just speaks to me in a Walt Disney kind of way. Plus, even though you have to crossover to CR to get to them- California Grill, and The Wave are about the best 1-2 punch for resort dining on property IMHO.

All that said. I’ve stayed at VGF a few times, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s s special place, and all the moreso now w/its own walkway.

Good luck!

 

[tgarre06]

I think a pro to BLT that no one has brought up is the community room. My family loves doing arts and crafts and other activities in there to get a break from all the action and decompress. I think that is something you would use frequently with young children, and I bet they’d use it as they got older as well For board games, video games, etc. I even love making stuff down there, like my Disney coasters I made on a previous trip!

 

[tgarre06]

I actually just had an offer accepted at BLT! I’ve been trying to get contracts at one of the monorail resorts, and I couldn’t get any sellers near my desired price point, but I finally just had one come together for BLT.

 

[Bruggok]

If you anticipate missing booking right at 11 month mark and ends up booking at 7-10 month ahead, BLT seems to have more availability. This is especially if you need 1 week straight or longer.

 

[CookieandOatmeal]

I think my opinion is a bit skewed since I own at Poly so when I was looking to add on, I chose BLT. I thought about adding on to GFV but since we could walk over so easily from Poly to access the restaurants, it didn't really make sense to add there. When we stayed at BLT, I loved how easy and quick the walk was to MK. MK is my favorite park and now that we have a 1 year old, we'll definitely be there even more. Doesn't hurt that when you're in a TPV room, you can watch the beauty of MK right from your room. Just can't beat that...not even a LV from the Poly!

 

[tgarre06]

That was one of the things worrying me about the VGF contract I was bidding on that didn’t work out. I was only buying enough points for studio stays, and I knew there was a chance I wouldn’t be able to get studios at the 11 month window because there are only a few at GF. I’m not sure how many points the poster is looking to buy.

 

[CSLucas]

We were planning on buying BLT direct and ended up doing VGF resale. I love BLT and I love the Contemporary - for me, I think I will always like it more than GF and although some people complain that the walkway from BLT to MK isn't very "pretty" it is SO short and I really don't think that can be beat.
With that said, I bought VGF because I know we will use our points to take friends and family, and if I am taking someone to WDW for their first time I want the full experience (and GF just feels more like the "full" experience to me). I also decided that it would be easier for us to use our VGF points to book at BLT than the other way around. We also have two young kids, and (although not available right now) there is just more to do in GF for little kids than there is at BLT in terms of both eating and experiences.

 

[DougEMG]

We bought BLT because of the walkway, VGF didn't have it at the time. I have stayed at both resorts and like both of them equally well. One benefit to BLT is that it is a larger resort and easier to get into, at certain times of the year it can be hard to get a room at VGF. If you can't take advantage of the 8-11 month home resort window, buy at BLT.

 

[DizzyKnee]

We're currently looking at the two exact same properties. However, our kids are adults who still act like kids. So, we'll be going the 2 bedroom route from time to time. For us, it's not only cost per point but how many points, as well. I may not want to stay at the same resort each time. In fact, I'd like to stay in all the resorts over the life of my contract. You can find BLT resale for $150 and GF for $180. PLUS, it takes MORE points to stay a night at GF. GF is a pretty resort but I love the idea of having MORE points. A contract for a 2 bedroom for Christmas week at BLT requires 484 points at $150 per so you're looking at $72,600. To do the same at GF, you'll need 639 points at $180 per so you're at 115,020. Based on that difference I could buy an extra 282 points at BLT. It kind of makes it a no-brainer.