DVC with Grandkids questions

[chas013]

Can anyone offer some advice? Have first trip planned with grandkids at OKW next March. Is that a kid-friendly resort? Is there a better choice? What is the Bus Service like at the Treehouses? How far is the walk from BW to epcot? I'm nearing my 7 month window and was wondering!

 

[kim532]

We stayed at OKW last year with a 2 yr old. I thought it was a great resort. I have never stayed at BW, but have at the Swan. The walk was easy to EPCOT....plus there is a boat. Depending on the age of your grandkids, I think OKW is fine. IF you think you would spend more time at Hollywood Studios and EPCOT would be the only consideration in transfering in my opinion. If you think equal time at all parks, OKW is great. Rooms are wonderful!!!

Kim

 

[Tinkerbelljean]

Will you have a car or will you be depending entirely on Disney Transportation? Will the grandkids want to spend time in the parks or spend a lot of time at the pools? What are the ages and genders of the grandkids? I do not have grandchildren, my youngest is 15 and one in college. However, when my children were smaller they loved Beach Club with the sand pool. I could not get them out of there. Beach Club is within walking distance to EPCOT and a longer walk to Hollywood Studios.

To be honest, if you have a car and plan to drive to the parks and spend lots of time in the parks, I don't think it really matters too much which property you stay at. Do you want to eat at restaurants or in the room?



Animal Kingdom Lodge is also a very kid friendly place. The best choice of accomodations to me depends on what we want to do, which parks are important to visit and whether or not we will have a car. If I do not have a car, I avoid OKW and SSR as both of these resorts are spread out and involve a lot of walking and I have found the bus service at both of these resorts to be spotty at best.

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

How old are the grandchildren? Will you be spending the majority of your time at Epcot, at MK, or evenly split between all of the parks? It would help to know what your gkids like to do.

 

[n2mm]

No matter which resort I stay at the grandkids love them all. Whether at night at the BW watching the entertainers, or over at BCV watching the movies on the beach, there has never been one resort that they didn't enjoy. My 16 yo grandson's favorite is OKW. He loved having the basketball court and enjoyed the community center here alot. He's stayed at every resort in WDW DVC and regular and he finds OKW still to be his favorite. He's very layed back, so I guess it fits him.

 

[DenLo]

. . . . My 16 yo grandson's favorite is OKW. He loved having the basketball court and enjoyed the community center here alot. He's stayed at every resort in WDW DVC and regular and he finds OKW still to be his favorite. He's very layed back, so I guess it fits him.

I think you hit the nail on the head with your last sentence. I think the difference between BCV, BWV and OKW is that OKW is very laid back. Whereas at both BCV and BWV people are often hustling around to get here or there. Some would call the feeling more intense or exciting. If your family is more of a go, go, go types or loves to do the parks commando style, being at an Epcot resort might work out better as you can get to two parks quickly (assuming the grandkids can easily walk 10 - 20 minutes). However, if relaxation is more important or if when you are not at the parks you want to limit the hustle and bustle then I'd consider OKW.

 

[chas013]

My grandkids for this trip (there will be more) are my granddaughters ages 6 1/2 and 4 1/2. They are very much into princesses but also like swimming and pool activities. Sounds like BW or BCV will be the best fit! Thank all of you for your help and hopefully we can switch to one of those 2!

 

[dbs1228]

I have 3 DD's and when they were younger (under 10) and into princesses by far their favorite park was Magic Kingdom! As a matter of fact it still is at 19, 17 and 15! When they were younger Epcot was their least favorite park. IMO I think MK has the most for little kids and is a park that requires more then 1 day per visit. Just wanted to put that out there!

 

[WDWFERN]

You might also want to consider BLT which is walking distance to the MK, and with 2 young grandaughters that might be fun. You can see Cinderella's Castle from many places on the grounds (even if not in a Theme Park View room) wich is neat in itself. And you could consider booking the Bibbidi Bobbidi Botique at Cinderella's castle for hair/makeup/dress up session if they like that and maybe a meal at CRT too. Anyway, it might be fun to be nearby MK if you thought you might spend a lot of time there.

 

[Petraman]

1) OKW OK for kids?
OKW is nice, but the design is more for adult casual IMO. Tough to find a resort that a kid wouldn't like though. If the pool is a big deal, then your choice of BCV is by far the best.

2) Bus service at Treehouses?
Definitely seems to be an issue with the folks that have stayed there. One of the key reasons we have held off trying thme so far

3) The walk from BWV to Epcot?
I am guessing around 15 minutes with smaller kids. It's not as close as BCV but still an easy little walk. Makes Epcot very enjoyable if that is important, but as a couple PP mentioned, you may want to look to stay more in the MK loop for kids into princesses... BLT, Contemp, etc.

Good news is, you really can't make a mistake here.... if you go and have a good time, they will too.

 

[DonnaL]

My first thought is how old are the grandkids? Our grandson is now almost 9......has been visiting WDW at DVC resorts since he was 18 months old.....at least once a year. A few weeks ago we had a conversation as to his favorite resort.....his response was BWV. He did like BLT this past January when we stayed there and also likes VWL, but, told me he really liked BWV because he could walk or boat to TWO parks very quickly and he also really likes the canal views (which to him translates to awesome views of Tower of Terror) from BWV. He has stayed at OKW with just my DH and I, not his mom and two uncles, and really did like the pool there (the sandcastle slide) but, he was much younger then (I think maybe 5).

 

[Pixieflip]

With kids that age, I probably wouldn't count on walking to any of the parks from the resorts. They'll do enough walking inside the parks! BLT is a great suggestion for the princess lovers! It would be a dream come true to wake up and see Cinderella's Castle every morning!!!! And the pool looks like a lot of fun, too. However, the Storm Along Bay at BCV is so special. They are a great age for that, too. As a mom of 4 kids who have already been those ages, those are my two suggestions.

But, it's DVC, they are all fun and wonderful in their own way. Wherever you go, you will find special memories! How lucky they are to have grandparents planning such fun!

 

[jade1]

How far is the walk from BW to epcot?

If you were to watch Illuminations from the France bridge (near Intl Gateway) and then walk back to the boardwalk boat launch (by the lobby) it would be the same as if you watch Ill straight out from SE at the lagoon-and then walk back past SE to the EPCOT entrance, then you still need to walk to the bus, plus everyone else is walking the same direction. But that should give you an idea of the walk involved.

 

[Pixieflip]

I know you asked about BWV, but I can say we were pleasantly surprised at how close the BCVs are to Epcot. And the villa building is the first one, you don't have to go all the way to the lobby to get to your room from Epcot. That would be the one exception to walking to a park, so I take it back about that. But the kids probably would not walk to DHS. Taking the boat is so fun anyway.

 

[Inkmahm]

I have no GC but we take nieces/nephews/ sisters/ mom along with us quite often. This last March, we did a split stay between Kidani and BC. Much to my surprise, the kids loved Kidani better than BC. They thought the extra bathroom in the 2 bedroom was cool and of more value than Stormalong Bay! The kids were 12 and 18 (still a kid at heart.) They love the animals at Kidani, too.

 

[Checkers]

Now I must preface this by saying that all DVC resorts are special in their own way. I, too, am taking my grandchildren next March and we are staying at OKW. Their ages will be 7, 5, & 2 (2 oldest girls). We were there in May and stayed 8 days at the BCVs and while they loved it, the pool was overwhelming for them and they are looking forward to the sandcastle pool at OKW. Also, the bus service to MK (their favorite park) is not ideal at the BCVs as it shares with YC and sometimes the Swan/Dolphin. We have not had the same problem at OKW which does not share buses with any other resort. We also own at BWVs and love it there but find the same situation with the buses. Oh, and I didn't mention the size of the rooms at OKW which is awesome!

Let us know what you decide. I am sure you will have a great time no matter where you stay!

 

[snyderla]

Our grandkids and nieces/nephews love OKW. They really like the sandcastle pool, but they also like the smaller pools because several times we have had them to ourselves. We all like the size of the villas at OKW, too. The one and two bedroom units have large kitchen/dining/living room areas for everyone to gather in. And big bedrooms, too. We have had family reunions at OKW 3 times and even our non-DVC family members call OKW "home".

 

[JimMIA]

We took DD8-going-on-28 to WDW the first time when she was almost 3. She's been an average of twice per year since, so she's a Disney vet and a real DVCphile. I'll start by saying that any resort will be just fine.

As far as OKW is concerned, we own there and it's our favorite place to stay. We stayed at BCV a few years ago and it was very nice.

But SAB is not a great place for young kids who enjoy swimming, IMHO. I think it's a great place for little tykes who don't swim because of the sandy beach area (once you get past the duck poop in the water) and for adults who want to sun. But most of SAB is pretty much unusable for swimmers your grandkids age because there really isn't any place to swim except areas with strong currents.

Our girl is a very good swimmer (we were swimming in the Keys yesterday and SIL was complaining he couldn't keep up with her!) and we have a pool at home. When we were at BCV and headed back to SAB for the second time, she said, "I want to go to the pool with the sandcastle and lighthouse (OKW)!"

I also don't think THV would be a good choice unless the kids are outdoors types and would enjoy seeing critters. There is only one pool there and it's nothing special. At all.

Any resort would be fine, but to me the pools at OKW or SSR are much better for kids than most of the others (haven't visited the pool at AKV).

The buses at OKW are usually rated the best in the system, but you'll hear good and bad about buses everywhere.

Any resort would be fine, but one thing you MUST do with your princesses is the Princess character meal at Norway. They'll have a photo op with one princess and 4-5 others will come to your table and spend actual quality time with the girls, posing for pictures, signing autographs, etc, etc. Best character experience for a young girl at WDW, IMHO.

The suggestion of Bibbity Bobbity is also an excellent idea -- especially if combined with the Norway character meal. Bring money, because BBB costs an arm and a leg. Also plan plenty of time, because this level of beauty does not come quickly. Seriously, allow 2 or more hours.

The other thing I would suggest is not to try to do everything unless you are taking a long trip. Whatever you do, allow plenty of time for the girls to absorb and enjoy the experiences. Little kids are built close to the ground and they have a very different perspective than we do. They will see things through their own eyes, no matter how much we try to make them see the World through ours. They will find wonder in things we don't even notice or find mundane -- let them do that.

The other thing I would keep in mind is your role. Parents have different responsibilties -- a grandparent's job is to spoil the grandchild. Spoiling is both your right and your duty. Do it well.

 

[chas013]

WOW! Lots of great ideas! Will take some time and sort them all out but am now thinking of staying at OKY (our home)
Thank all of you so much! Only been a member since June but we love the people!!! Everyone is so friendly and willing to help! Great guide, great MS staff, and truly wonderful fellow owners!

 

[Pakey]

THV are terrible unless you drive your own car. I could not recommend staying here if you have to use WDW bus system. It takes forever to get anywhere. We stayed once and are glad to have had the experience but it would be my last choice in the future.

BCV is a great location but the pool is huge and busy. If your grandchildren are not good swimmers, you may want to wait until they are older. We took our 3 year old grandson here and I was a nervous wreck keeping an eye on him; I couldn't imagine keeping my eye on 2 at the same time. BWV has the same great location but the pool is a better choice.

OKW is one of my favrorite resorts. I love the lush landscaping, the huge balconies, the laid back feel. Many people complain that its too far of a bus ride to everything but I never feel that way here. I don't think its any worse than riding the bus from BCV/BWV to MK. Actually, I think its a better ride.