Choosing a MK area Home Resort

[Deb & Bill]

Summer break, Sept or October usually

Sept and Oct, you need to love your home resort.

 

[viper17d]

My wife and I have stayed at all 4 MK resorts and they all have their strengths (like you noted), but we ultimately bought BRV five years ago resale. We love Wilderness Lodge so much, we’ve added on twice at CCV.

To us, theming is everything. Feeling separate from the parks is also a big draw, because we truly feel we are on vacation (and not just a trip) when we are back at the resort.

Not having the monorail hasn’t phased us because we love the boat. There isn’t a more peaceful and tranquil way to get to and from MK. It may not be as efficient as the Monorail, but lately thoss have been showing their age.

Food options at the lodge are great too, and between Storybook Dining (fka Artist Point), Whispering Canyon (fun family style fare), and Geyser Point (open air on the water) - there’s a ton of options.

You can’t make a bad choice, so just go with what feels like home. They’re all great resorts. Good luck!!

 

[sky2823]

We have not stayed at BLT, but own VGF/CCV and also have stayed at Poly.

polys best feature is the pool. Watching the fireworks from the pool with the kids is a top 5 Disney moment for me.

VGF is nice as well as convenient. It just eats a ton of points for anything more than a studio. If money/ points are no object then it’s fantastic. Princess tea for the girls, seasonal theming, best restaurants and walking path to MK on the way.

CCV is also awesome and possibly my favorite. Beside the Xmas draw, it’s removed from the park, well themed and reasonable points for 2 bedrooms (what we need long term). You can also go there and have a vacation without even knowing you are at Disney. it’s essentially staying at a lodge on a big lake within the safety of the Disney bubble.

if your big goal is MK and have extra money then I recommend VGF with the walking path on the way.

however, CCV can be equally as good or even better depending on your needs.

we went with two contracts for CCV for longer trips and two bedrooms, and a smaller contract for VGF for studios on quick trips.

 

[DisMomKY]

We have not stayed at BLT, but own VGF/CCV and also have stayed at Poly.

polys best feature is the pool. Watching the fireworks from the pool with the kids is a top 5 Disney moment for me.

VGF is nice as well as convenient. It just eats a ton of points for anything more than a studio. If money/ points are no object then it’s fantastic. Princess tea for the girls, seasonal theming, best restaurants and walking path to MK on the way.

CCV is also awesome and possibly my favorite. Beside the Xmas draw, it’s removed from the park, well themed and reasonable points for 2 bedrooms (what we need long term). You can also go there and have a vacation without even knowing you are at Disney. it’s essentially staying at a lodge on a big lake within the safety of the Disney bubble.

if your big goal is MK and have extra money then I recommend VGF with the walking path on the way.

however, CCV can be equally as good or even better depending on your needs.

we went with two contracts for CCV for longer trips and two bedrooms, and a smaller contract for VGF for studios on quick trips.

We are slowly deciding it’s just hard for Dh cause he looks at how much cheaper SSR is and is having some sticker shock with the MK are resorts

 

[rkstocke5609]

Yes, but there will be deals at BRV as long as 22 more years are good enough. And, buying at SSR or AKV isn’t so great because it’s hard to trade into the MK resorts at 7 months. Meanwhile, it’s easy to trade into SSR or AKV at 7 months because they are so huge. It’s the old real estate dilemma- location, location, location. I love owning at Wilderness because I have great point value and easy access to all the restaurants at the MK resorts.

 

[DisMomKY]

Yes, but there will be deals at BRV as long as 22 more years are good enough. And, buying at SSR or AKV isn’t so great because it’s hard to trade into the MK resorts at 7 months. Meanwhile, it’s easy to trade into SSR or AKV at 7 months because they are so huge. It’s the old real estate dilemma- location, location, location. I love owning at Wilderness because I have great point value and easy access to all the restaurants at the MK resorts.

I worry about “only” having 22 years. When breaking down the price per point vs years left, the 98 pp there doesn’t seem as great as some of the other resorts but it is close to MK so something to consider for sure

 

[bookwormde]

We are slowly deciding it’s just hard for Dh cause he looks at how much cheaper SSR is and is having some sticker shock with the MK are resorts

SSR would be fine for MK resorts for 1brs in the summer, especially if you can tolerate the occasional split.

 

[DisMomKY]

SSR would be fine for MK resorts for 1brs in the summer, especially if you can tolerate the occasional split.

We don’t mind splits at all. I wouldnt mind doing like 5 nights at SSR and 3 at a MK area resort

 

[bookwormde]

We don’t mind splits at all. I wouldnt mind doing like 5 nights at SSR and 3 at a MK area resort

I was thinking of splits between MK resorts

 

[rkstocke5609]

I worry about “only” having 22 years. When breaking down the price per point vs years left, the 98 pp there doesn’t seem as great as some of the other resorts but it is close to MK so something to consider for sure

Yeah, I get it. But consider your own use timeframe. Are you really going to use it more than 22 more years? Or, if you would likely sell it in 10 years it wouldn’t be a good idea as values would likely fall dramatically. For me, I bought 210 points resale at $85/point. The contract was “loaded” and the seller paid the maintenance fees that were due. The loaded points available and the seller paying MF’s were a significant value. This was in Spring of 2014. In that time I’ve had 7 trips on points, 2 of which were to VGC. Those 7 trips easily had a room only value of $8000 which is half of what I paid for the contract. I call that winning..
Anyways, if prices drop (and 2042 resorts will drop a bit more than the others) it could be a good fit to buy at BRV ( VWL as I call it) if your timeline of planned usage fits.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

I think if I were going to buy another contract that wasn't for my current home resort it would be BLT. I think this resort is very convenient to dinning options, transportation (monorail) and shortest walk to MK. I also enjoy the modern theming of this resort which is very different from my home. I agree with others that pool area isn't the best, the theming or lack there of isn't the greatest. IMHO the best pool of the MK resorts would be WL, they have a really nice pool and the kids play area is really cool (in MO and my DGS/DGD).

The GF is a beautiful resort but my DH doesn't like it there so it's a no go for us. It's a fairly long walk to the main hotel to get monorail and all dinning options. The boat is a long walk and the new walkway to MK is going to be a pretty gook hike IMHO. Also the views aren't the greatest IMHO.

I'm not a fan of the Poly, I don't like all the dark wood. I prefer a lighter color pallet but that is just my personal preference. I also don't like the idea of only having studios, I prefer a one bedroom. I do like the access to the monorail and Kona Café. The beach is a nice place to watch the fireworks over the castle and at the end you're only a short walk back to your room.

The WL resorts are very nice, love the pool area and the lobby in the main building. I enjoy the boat ride to MK or CR to get the monorail. We always make it a point to visit this resort at least once on our trips to WDW and get a bite at Geyser Point. All that being said I don't think I would buy at this resort as it's not the most convenient location to the other parks and DS.

In the end this is a personal choice that only you can make. I wish you luck and hope that you enjoy the resort you finally choose.

 

[DVCsloth]

I love GFV, owned there since 2015. I really enjoy being able to walk to the hotel for the restaurants and live music. It has a very nice 24hr quick serve, nice pools and a great location. Just recently purchased CCV but I haven't stayed there yet. Hopefully will be able to stay for a reservation in September. I love the laid back atmosphere of both resorts. The Villas are actually very peaceful and quiet. The main Hotel settles down in the evening and the movies on the lawn are actually a lot of fun. Haven't stayed at the Polynesian or BLT yet but the Poly seems to be a little busy for my taste, but I do enjoy walking there from the Villas. They have a nice quick serve and a great location, studios only though.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

Choosing a MK resort is so hard, isn't it???!!

Right now I'm leaning toward SSR and taking my chances at 7 mo or going for BLT. Unfortunately, finding a smallish BLT contract with an Oct UY is near impossible. So, I have a feeling SSR is going to win. SSR has it's own advantages (now that my kids are older quick/easy access to DS at night is really nice) and we still have BWV which is the fav anyway.

 

[Mzpalmtree]

We bought a 100 pt contract at Poly just recently and I know all of the issues people have with it. They aren’t really issues for us. We like studios and obviously Poly has a lot of those. We usually only have three of us when we go but occasionally have our older son with us and then we need another bed, so the sleeping set up was good for us at Poly and even though it sucks points, it’s still cheaper than a 1 bedroom elsewhere for a family without boundary issues (lol). Ultimately though the biggest decider was that it’s our absolute favorite Disney resort. If we picked another monorail resort it’s probably would have been BLT since the points/night are pretty reasonable. We don’t mind the decor of BLT like a lot of people. I would love GF, but it seems harder to get studios there (even within your owner advantage period) and the larger units take way too many points for us.

 

[rkstocke5609]

As many have said, this comes down to personal preference in resort to some degree. I’ll say though that this “monorail” benefit that many see is a bit over-the-top. The pathway from GF to MK is soon to be complete. So, now you can walk to MK (a great benefit?). The shortest walk to and from MK is from Wilderness Lodge. You take the boat and are dropped off right in front of the entrance. I can honestly tell you that there have been numerous times when I have left that park and my feet were spent. I was so thankful to hop on the boat and give my feet a rest before getting back to the resort without walking any further. So, the idea of walking any further upon exit to either VGF or BLT is of NO benefit at all and actually detracts from value for me.
Also, the monorail is likely to go down for major renovation in the near future and then BLT will walk, VGF will either walk or bus, and POLY will use the ferry boat. So, take it for what it’s worth but as DVC has a long time horizon we all age and need to take into consideration our aging bodies as well.

 

[DVCsloth]

As many have said, this comes down to personal preference in resort to some degree. I’ll say though that this “monorail” benefit that many see is a bit over-the-top. The pathway from GF to MK is soon to be complete. So, now you can walk to MK (a great benefit?). The shortest walk to and from MK is from Wilderness Lodge. You take the boat and are dropped off right in front of the entrance. I can honestly tell you that there have been numerous times when I have left that park and my feet were spent. I was so thankful to hop on the boat and give my feet a rest before getting back to the resort without walking any further. So, the idea of walking any further upon exit to either VGF or BLT is of NO benefit at all and actually detracts from value for me.
Also, the monorail is likely to go down for major renovation in the near future and then BLT will walk, VGF will either walk or bus, and POLY will use the ferry boat. So, take it for what it’s worth but as DVC has a long time horizon we all age and need to take into consideration our aging bodies as well.

There is a small boat to Grand Floridian and Polynesian also.

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

There is a small boat to Grand Floridian and Polynesian also.

And it’s at the exact same dock as wilderness lodge. It usually has a shorter wait too or at least less people waiting. I never had to wait for a second boat when taking it. I’m not sure if the people waiting for wilderness lodge did.

My main issue with wilderness lodge is boulder ridge only has 22 years left and copper creek rooms only hold 4 and 8 people in 1 and 2 bedrooms.

 

[rkstocke5609]

There is a small boat to Grand Floridian and Polynesian also.

You seriously thought I didn’t know that? Yes, you are correct. But, that boat doesn’t run as frequently nor do they use the larger boats during peak times like they do for Wilderness Lodge. I have waited in that line for way to long in the past.

 

[rkstocke5609]

And it’s at the exact same dock as wilderness lodge. It usually has a shorter wait too or at least less people waiting. I never had to wait for a second boat when taking it. I’m not sure if the people waiting for wilderness lodge did.

My main issue with wilderness lodge is boulder ridge only has 22 years left and copper creek rooms only hold 4 and 8 people in 1 and 2 bedrooms.

Um, no it isn’t the same dock. Close, but no cigar. No, not a shorter wait in my experience and I have had to wait for a second boat. Your other concerns are legitimate for sure. After all, in 2057 I’ll be pushin’ up daisies and won’t need DVC...

 

[DVCsloth]

You seriously thought I didn’t know that? Yes, you are correct. But, that boat doesn’t run as frequently nor do they use the larger boats during peak times like they do for Wilderness Lodge. I have waited in that line for way to long in the past.

I would use the monorail to get to the Magic Kingdom and will enjoy having the option to walk back to the VGF. If we stay late or till closing the lines for the boat and monorail are usually pretty long. I still love riding the monorail and have since the mid 70s as a child. I also usually walk to the TTC to got to EPCOT and sometimes just walk back from the TTC.