help deciding dvc with lil ones

[hardrock01]

hey mouseketeers

need help picking dvc for two families, mine is me dw and ds (8) and my sister her dh two dd (4,2) want something to make the girls feel magical !! ease of transportation , etc....
my famly has done bcv , we love it but they are younger and epcot resorts may not be the best choice for their real little ones!!

those of you with the real young ones which do you prefer ? and why? thanks want to make their probably only disney visit for ten years or more magical for them!!

thanks all!!!!!!!!

 

[cseca]

BLT... hands down.
Not because of the theming or pool but more of convenience. Especially for your sister's family with 2 younger kids.
Because of the ages of the kids I would assume most of your days will be spent at MK. Which means having the transportation options of monorail or walk would be best. Especially at night time when the monorail could get really really full.
That's just MO of course

Have fun!

ps: If you're a pool/hang out at the resort kind of family, then AKV or WLV might be good options too. AKV has the savannah and great pool area (Kidani village), and WLV has cool pool and boat ride to MK.

 

[RachaelA]

BLT. We just got back from there last week. We bought never having even seen it. Totally worth it. Our daughter is just under a year and it was so nice to be able to go back to the room for naps. Plus DH was even able to walk over and stake out a spot for MSEP one evening when DD was still napping.

 

[dvcterry]

BLT seems to be in the majority and it is great because you can just walk over. you do have the monorail.

But, I love the WLV. I even love going through the pics people post on the appreciation thread when I need my fix! It really is such a wonderful resort and the children enjoy it so much too.

 

[k3chantal]

hey mouseketeers

need help picking dvc for two families, mine is me dw and ds (8) and my sister her dh two dd (4,2) want something to make the girls feel magical !! ease of transportation , etc....
my famly has done bcv , we love it but they are younger and epcot resorts may not be the best choice for their real little ones!!

those of you with the real young ones which do you prefer ? and why? thanks want to make their probably only disney visit for ten years or more magical for them!!

thanks all!!!!!!!!

We love AKL Kidani Village for the little ones. My two year old would wake up every morning (way too early) and watch the savanna. When we got home from the trip, she did not ask for the parks. She asked for Animal Kingdom (she meant our balcony; watching the animals).

 

[MomtoBJSF]

I would either do VWL, or BLT.

VWL is awesome, we loved the place, it was so quite and very convenient by boat to get to MK with out massive stroller, the pools are is great, our kiddos love it there. would definitely recommend VWL.
Now that being we have never stayed at BLT before, but from what everyone has said, sounds it would be great too.

 

[paults]

Blt

 

[hardrock01]

it sounds like BLT for ease of the MK and the VWL for the ease and themeing and the AKL for themeing, animals . all are great reasons to stay . is the bus trips from the AKL that bad for little ones ?

 

[tjkraz]

Pull up a few photos of each resort and let everyone vote.

Everyone has different tastes. BLT isn't going to be the least bit "magical" if your group hates the contemporary metal & glass look of the place. And the pool probably won't be enjoyed much if they expect to swim late-afternoon when it's completely in the shade.

Transportation is the most overblown reason for picking a resort, in my opinion. If we're talking about the kids, they couldn't care less. Kids think buses are fun!

In terms of efficiency, you may have a short walk to MK but then shared bus loops to two other parks and DTD, plus the not-so-speedy journey to Epcot which includes multiple resort stops and a train change at the TTC.

And I don't mean to pile-on BLT. Every resort has its give-and-take with regard to transportation, theming, amenities and even point cost.

If you were considering buying points, I'd recommend a different decision-making approach. But deciding which resort is best for your group for a single trip...I say show them info on every resort and let the group decide!

 

[hardrock01]

thanks everyone

my sis and her family looked at the picks and her girls want AKL, i checked and can still get a 2bdr value for our week , that sounds great to us point wise, i know view is potluck and room is smaller but is there anything i really should be wary of for this room!
it fits her budget and my point restraint for both families!!

thanks mouseketeers!!

 

[Kidanifan08]

The value rooms are all at Jambo. Jambo House is a very impressive resort. The pool is huge. I think the water play area at Kidani would be more fun for the little kids in your party.

The buses stop at Kidani first for pick up and drop off. That is one of the perks we like about being at Kidani. . . the buses are empty when then arrive to the bus stop. So when you stay at Jambo, the buses can sometimes be nearly full when they arrive at the bus stop and when you return from the park, you have to ride to Kidani first. Full buses are primarily an issue at the start of the day.

Many like having Mara (QS) at Jambo for quick meals with little ones.

 

[lovin'fl]

I would say BLT or AKV. BLT can monorail to MK and you have Chef Mickeys right there in the Contemp...that's a nice character meal for the kiddos. Then, there is AKV which is very cool with theme and all the animals. It's not really near anything but AK...which is nice but not as nice as being near MK. OKW and SSR is out there and nothing great (unless you all are sharing a 2BR...then OKW is best for size). VWL is quiet and pretty...nice theme going on and you have WCC to eat at. BCV and BWV are great for getting to HS and Epcot and BCV has the great SaB pool. There is a ton of dining options with these 2 resorts too.

 

[lovin'fl]

thanks everyone

my sis and her family looked at the picks and her girls want AKL, i checked and can still get a 2bdr value for our week , that sounds great to us point wise, i know view is potluck and room is smaller but is there anything i really should be wary of for this room!
it fits her budget and my point restraint for both families!!

thanks mouseketeers!!

Just read this. Great choice! Are you getting Jambo or Kadani? Kadani has the extra bathroom and sleeps 9 (I think Jambo sleeps 8). Just saw the other post that says values are at Jambo. The good thing about Jambo is that it's closer to all the stuff like dining and AKL has some great dining. My SIL did Kadani one year and loved it for the extra bathroom and then went again and booked Jambo w/out knowing that it doesn't have the extra bathroom...but she actually liked Jambo better for being near everything in the resort and they were not savannah view but did have great views of the animals.

 

[graueMaus]

Just read this. Great choice! Are you getting Jambo or Kadani? Kadani has the extra bathroom and sleeps 9 (I think Jambo sleeps 8). Just saw the other post that says values are at Jambo. The good thing about Jambo is that it's closer to all the stuff like dining and AKL has some great dining. My SIL did Kadani one year and loved it for the extra bathroom and then went again and booked Jambo w/out knowing that it doesn't have the extra bathroom...but she actually liked Jambo better for being near everything in the resort and they were not savannah view but did have great views of the animals.

Don't forget also that Kidani has the awesome splash play area/zone by the Kidani pool. The extra bathroom also was a no brainer for our stay (although we only had a 1 BR). Bus service is not bad at all from Kidani either as I beleive it is the first pickup/dropoff (then Jambo)

 

[Disney Princess]

thanks everyone

my sis and her family looked at the picks and her girls want AKL, i checked and can still get a 2bdr value for our week , that sounds great to us point wise, i know view is potluck and room is smaller but is there anything i really should be wary of for this room!
it fits her budget and my point restraint for both families!!

thanks mouseketeers!!

The value rooms are a great "value" in our opinion. You won't have the extra bathroom, but you may not need it with the little kids in your group. You'll be in Jambo, but we prefer that building. The pool is great, and you have QS access. You'll be second to be picked up, but we had NO problems getting buses in May. If you really want to play at the water play area for kids at Kidani, you can still go there and use it. There is a shuttle bus that travels between the two sections to make getting there easier!

 

[com_op_2000]

With DGS it is AKL/AKV. The splash area at Kidani is great for the little ones. If you stay at Kidani, the busses stop there before Jambo, so getting on/off is not an issue.

 

[nelsonkg]

 

[nelsonkg]

Can I suggest renting a car if you stay at AKV? We loved staying there with our DS2 and DS8 at the time. But I was thankful for my minivan. AKV is remote and my little one would take a much needed nap in his car seat on the way back from the parks every time. I got a great deal $220 for eight days. It was worth it!

 

[dvcterry]

Can I suggest renting a car if you stay at AKV? We loved staying there with our DS2 and DS8 at the time. But I was thankful for my minivan. AKV is remote and my little one would take a much needed nap in his car seat on the way back from the parks every time. I got a great deal $220 for eight days. It was worth it!

That's not a bad rate for a minivan. We try to get a car for convenience when we fly down. Do you mind if I ask who you went through?

 

[nelsonkg]

It was National. I always use mousesaver codes and get great deals.