Have you been surprised by a DVC resort?

[utahkennedys]

What I guess I mean is, where you pleasantly (or unpleasantly) surprised when you tried a new resort? Did you find a new favorite?

For us, we all love OKW and stay there most of the time. We have also stayed at BCV in a 2BR and I was pleasantly surprised to find out how much we loved the close parking, the quiet pool, the walk to EPCOT and the ambience. I liked it more than I thought I would. There are several resorts I don't have much interest in trying, such as VWL. The only reason is we live in Seattle and when we come to FL we are looking for "tropical". But, maybe if I stayed at VWL I would also find it charming, well-located, etc.

So, anyone else change their perceptions of any resorts?

ETA: We are actually trying AKV at Kidani as a split stay this year...getting braver!!

 

[quirty30]

Keep in mind that most of my points are at BLT and I bought in at that resort because we love modern, clean and contemporary style. It suits us perfectly. I also own at AKV, but admit it was primarily for the ability to book a weekend on club level once a year or so.

Consequently, I was pretty much expecting to dislike most of the other resorts because I felt the decor was old and dated. (at least looking at pictures online before we visited.) Much to my surprise, I've stayed at BWV, BCV & SSR and found reasons to love all them. BWV & BCV for the walking distance to DHS & Epcot, and great pools; both resorts had amazing charm. We enjoyed SSR for the beautiful landscaping and lovely expansive grounds (and another great pool.) And even though my main reason for buying AKV was for CL rooms, it's won me over too. I actually love the warm, dark decor and I was like a little kid the first time I saw a giraffe stroll by our balcony (long story short, we ended up in a savannah view room far away from the concierge lounge, but still had access to it.) I think also think AKV has the most tropical feel of any DVC resort at WDW.

Most recently we visited VWL and were assigned a really nice top floor, corner room, with vaulted ceilings and 2 balconies overlooking the woods, the pool and Bay Lake. I was awestruck. I didn't think this resort would appeal to me at all - DD9 chose it. Much like you, I was thinking a trip to Florida should involve palm trees, not pine trees. I mean, we were on spring break and I wanted a contrast to my miserable Chicago winter. This resort just won me over - the Lodge itself is just mesmerizing; the staff was amazing, and our room was just wonderful - I wish I could have spent more time in it. We also loved the boat transport to FW, CR and the MK. I swear, I'd have been happy just spending a few hours a day riding around in the boats. The pool was only so-so; loved the waterfall and the ambience of the area, but the slide was kind of lame.

I think the only WDW resort we have yet to dry is OKW - I'm sure that will happen soon and I'll find reasons to love it too.

 

[akl-fan]

I was surprised that I didn't really like BCV. It had been a dream of mine to stay there and I was sooo looking forward to SAB.
I found that I didn't really care for the room decor and I thought that the bathroom was no different to those that I have stayed in in moderate resorts.
I also didn't like SAB, i thought it was hard to walk on the fake sand bottom and I hated that all the pools didn't join together.
I did love the location though and being able to walk to the parks was great.
I guess I am just a AKV girl at heart.

 

[rmcildw2m]

Yes ,me and DW and DD were very happy with okw resort ,we just became members last year and this was our first DVC stay it was awesome . Up next is BWV for me and my DS for star wars opening weekend in may .

 

[jakenjess]

We have stayed at all the on-site DVC resorts, leaving AKV for last. We finally stayed there in February (Kidani) and, though I did think we would like it, I was surprised at how much we loved it! Especially DH, he was a little apprehensive about it, not thinking it would appeal to him as much as some of the others, thinking it may be a bit remote for his liking. It quickly moved toward the top of our favorites. He loved the parking, the room was beautiful, Sanaa was one of the best restaurants of the trip. There wasn't anything we didn't like.

There is not a DVC resort I don't like and wouldn't stay at again, but BCV is at the bottom for me. I can't even put my finger on why. I love the proximity to Epcot, but that's about it. The decor is nice, but to me SAB is too crazy and the rooms are just okay. I much prefer BWV if we stay in the Epcot area.

BLT is my favorite, but that was not a surprise -- we knew we'd love it there!

 

[RescueRanger]

I was surprised that I didn't really like BCV. It had been a dream of mine to stay there and I was sooo looking forward to SAB.
I found that I didn't really care for the room decor and I thought that the bathroom was no different to those that I have stayed in in moderate resorts.
I also didn't like SAB, i thought it was hard to walk on the fake sand bottom and I hated that all the pools didn't join together.
I did love the location though and being able to walk to the parks was great.
I guess I am just a AKV girl at heart.

Yes, this is just how I felt (except for the being a girl part) when I stayed at BCV over Thanksgiving. It wasn't a horrible resort, but it just wasn't for us. The thing I hated most about BCV was the bus service. There is no reason why they should have that many resorts sharing the same bus. We have our first AKV trip this summer. I hope that it is everything we think it will be.

 

[crisi]

I wasn't a BCV fan when we stayed either. I didn't like how "away" the Villas were from the rest of the resort. And my kids were not delighted with the pool - they liked BWV better! It IS a lovely resort, I liked the decor of the room a LOT, but all those people looking for BCV ressies, you won't be competing with my family.

I haven't stayed there, but I was down for a conference and spent some time walking through resorts. I expected to like OKW and dislike SSR. I liked the OKW public areas, the pool area was nice - but the roads felt like they were on top of the buildings and were too narrow - I wasn't expecting that. I hate the photos of the rooms at SSR and dislike the way the resort is spread out - but the public areas are really enchanting and it does have a GREAT pool. I don't know that we will stay at either one (we are "hotel resort" not "condo resort" people at heart), but I was surprised at how much "where the traffic was" made a difference.

 

[BBG-BLT]

OK - I'm a bit scared now based on these posts.

We usually stay at BLT (where we own) but we decided to surprise the kids this August and stay at BCV for what we hoped was more relaxing, "funner" pool and being across from BWV would have the best of all worlds.

Just the 2 of us stayed at BWV this past Jan and it was such a "nicer" feel - slower and relaxing. I hope the kids like BCV this year.

Well March 2012 we can try something new - maybe AKV?

 

[BlackRock]

I love them all. OKW is great when we bring the family [6 adults] if it is just the 2 of us I love BLT.

BlackRock

 

[n2mm]

I think OKW was my biggest surprise. I booked there when we had a change of plans and was truly impressed by this beautiful resort. We have choosen it several times since. Strangely my granddaughters do not like SAB. whenever we stay at the BCV we generally only visit the quiet pool, so for us SAB is not a big draw, though we do love BCV for other reasons.

 

[disneygal55]

.

OK - I'm a bit scared now based on these posts.

We usually stay at BLT (where we own) but we decided to surprise the kids this August and stay at BCV for what we hoped was more relaxing, "funner" pool and being across from BWV would have the best of all worlds.

Just the 2 of us stayed at BWV this past Jan and it was such a "nicer" feel - slower and relaxing. I hope the kids like BCV this year.

Well March 2012 we can try something new - maybe AKV?

Don't be scared! We absolutely LOVE BCV It is by far our favorite resort. We used to own SSR but sold it several years ago and purchased AKV and BCV. We do like AKV a lot but BCV has so much going for it. The pool is great. Beaches and Cream is a great place to grab a burger or ice cream sundae. It's wonderful to take a short stroll to Epcot or a boat over to DHS. We like how "social" the resort is...something is always going on. If you like a quieter resort then SSR and OKW are perfect. If you like more activity then BCV, BWV, and AKV are perfect. From what I remember Wilderness Lodge was kind of quiet. Have not stayed at BLT so am not sure.

 

[nolanboys]

.


Don't be scared! We absolutely LOVE BCV It is by far our favorite resort. We used to own SSR but sold it several years ago and purchased AKV and BCV. We do like AKV a lot but BCV has so much going for it. The pool is great. Beaches and Cream is a great place to grab a burger or ice cream sundae. It's wonderful to take a short stroll to Epcot or a boat over to DHS. We like how "social" the resort is...something is always going on. If you like a quieter resort then SSR and OKW are perfect. If you like more activity then BCV, BWV, and AKV are perfect. From what I remember Wilderness Lodge was kind of quiet. Have not stayed at BLT so am not sure.

Have to agree. Stayed at BCV for the first time last week and LOVED it!So much so, that DH said that if we buy more points it has to be at that resort. Loved being able to walk to Epcot and HS and SAB is incredible. We spent about 4 hours there every afternoon and my kids were never bored. They had so much fun building in the sand and my older boys loved the deeper water that they could dive for things in. Dream of being able to stay there again.

 

[palaemon]

We drive to WDW, so we like to park right near the room. I guess we're "condo resort" people for the most part.

We love the decor of BLT most, but can appreciate the elegance of SSR. However, we FLIPPED at how much we loved the THVs. It's like a whole different resort. 2 resorts in 1. The THVs have great theming and 3 BRs for the price of a 2BR. I wish they made a THV in 1 & 2 BR varieties. We'd always choose that. It's like Swiss Family Robinson.

 

[nickspace]

AKV was not for me. The drum music was irritating and it was too far from everything. The animals were fine but how long can you watch animals graze and keep interested?

 

[crisi]

Many many people DO love BCV....which is why it was surprising that we weren't thrilled with it. And it certainly wasn't a BAD resort. The decor was great, the walk to Epcot was nice, we had good bus service the whole trip, the CMs were pleasant.

 

[utahkennedys]

Many many people DO love BCV....which is why it was surprising that we weren't thrilled with it. And it certainly wasn't a BAD resort. The decor was great, the walk to Epcot was nice, we had good bus service the whole trip, the CMs were pleasant.

I should add that we had the best CM experience at BCV...even compared to Poly! We were personally greeted outside with our car (I guess the man at the gate called and told them we were coming), then walked in, treated like royalty, and checked in. That was GREAT!!

 

[El&Asmom]

My only surprise is how much I love them all. We have not stayed at BLT yet, but are booked there for Oct, so we'll see how that goes.
Just stayed at WL twice this winter, and I just LOVE it. So peaceful and I actually like the pine trees in FL.
They're all great.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We were very surprised with two DVC resorts, one disappointing, then one good. We'd always said "If WL were to build a DVC, then we'd join!" Well, they did, so we did. But on our first visit there, we were surprised that we didn't like it. We added one night at the last minute, and the only place available was OKW. We'd driven through OKW and didn't like it, so we weren't looking forward to staying there. Another surprise-we loved it! Instantly OKW became DH's first choice of resorts (by far) and one of my loves.

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

My only surprise is how much I love them all.

I'm with you! I have yet to stay in one that I didn't like!

 

[jpolak]

I would say OKW surprised me the most. I was totally prepared to hate everything about the resort, but I loved it.