Just back from a wonderful 7 day vacation which was scheduled with the intention of experiencing DVC for ourselves before becoming members as we had never stayed at a DVC property. We rented points for the very first time in order to try DVC and rented from an experienced owner and DIS'er and couldn't have been happier with the transaction. Kudos and many thanks to Tony (greenban) for sharing his DVC home and everything he did to make sure our DVC stay at three different properties was magical. I cannot say enough good things. Our first two nights (Friday & Saturday) were spent at Animal Kingdom Lodge. We splurged and stayed in a Savannah View room. Sunset over the Savannah and watching the sunrise while the savannah came to life were experiences that created memories that will last a lifetime. Everywhere was a loooooong walk however, and the lighting is a bit dim, which enhances the theme beautifully, but I can see where those might be issues for some. Only swam once in the main pool as in my opinion, it was too cool. My granddaughter's lips were blue after swimming for about 30 minutes or so! Of course we had to eat at our favorite restaurant, Boma, and it was just as delicious as always! Sunday we checked into our studio at Old Key West for two nights. Let me tell you, the first time I heard "Welcome Home", it actually brought a tear to my eye! We didn't make any special room requests because we're always just happy to be on property! After checking in, we walked around the Hospitality House and pool areas and immediately felt so relaxed! Loved the music playing! The CM that checked us in went out of his way to help us. We had added the Dining Plan and had lunch at Goods to Go. Loved the sand bucket that my granddaughter received in her child's meal! Our studio was located in building 38 in #3827 on the second floor, which was in the back of the property and while our balcony overlooked the highway, it wasn't an issue for us as we knew we probably wouldn't be using it a great deal. We loved having the two beds and the studio met our needs perfectly. We had a short walk to the Turtle Pond bus stop and found the bus service to be very efficient and convenient to the parks. Loved having our car so close to our studio as we could run down and grab things quickly that we had forgotten. The only surprise we had was that maintenence was powerwashing our building with some type of bleach on the day we decided to make this our late park day making it a challenge to dart between all the dripping bleach water coming to and from our room and navigating the slippery steps. My granddaughter didn't mind though as we made it into a game! I will say that the maintenence crew were very good about stopping and waiting for us to pass if they saw us coming. Next we checked into our studio at the Villas of Wilderness Lodge. Oh my. I was not prepared to fall in love with this resort the way I did. I just never thought the theme would appeal to me as I'm more of a "beachy" type person. From the moment we stepped on property and were greeted with "Welcome Home" we felt pampered and the staff could not have been more accommodating. Again, we hadn't made any special room requests, but loved our location on the second floor in #2505 with our balcony overlooking the woods and the quiet pool. We loved the intimate size of this resort as well as the the very convenient boat ride to MK. Loved all of the quiet nooks, crannies, and porches with rocking chairs that make for such a relaxing stay. Bus service was very prompt and efficient but the ride to Epcot took longer than I would have thought, but perhaps that is due to the extra stop at Fort Wilderness which was actually a great chance to get to see some of that property. I was somewhat surprised by the size of Roaring Forks. It's pretty small and gets very crowded. Seating is also very limited right now due to renovation, but is not a huge problem if you can manage to eat during non-peak times. My granddaughter loved the kiddie pool here and the temps were quite warm. We didn't have a chance to experience the main pool but the temps seemed a little warmer for some reason than at Animal Kingdom. To my surprise, this has absolutely become my favorite resort and cannot wait to return! Finally, we made the drive to Vero Beach for our last night and I'm so glad we took the time to experience this resort. We booked an ocean view Inn room and it was nothing short of spectacular. It was a direct ocean view with two queen beds and a kitchenette, and was perfect for us. The pool area is wonderful, and my granddaughter loved playing in the kiddie area with the ship. Water temps there were chilly with the breeze from the ocean! What struck me the most is how much like a "neighborhood" this resort feels. Lots of groups of kids playing ball on the lawn, adults gathering to chat by the Boardwalk, campfires and star gazing at night, and so many other unique activities. The beach is so beautiful and even at spring break time, it didn't feel crowded. Although the Dining Plan is not offered at Vero Beach, we had a delicious dinner at Shutters. What a relaxing way to end our vacation and we will definitely return again to this DVC jewel! Sorry this was so long, but hope the information helps!
What a nice report - thanks for taking the time to post it. Glad to hear you had a good time. So, will we be welcoming you home in the near future? Best wishes -
What a wonderful report! It is great to see that you got to experience so many different resorts and enjoy them each in their own way!
Thank you for this wonderful post. It is nice to hear the good things too. I am glad you enjoyed your DVC experience.
Well, don't tell anyone as I'm superstitious, but we're in the process of submitting the paperwork to TSS! Keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for some pixie dust!
We had the same experience and ended up adding on points there. I'm so glad you enjoyed your stay. Good luck with your contract. I hope to be welcoming you home soon!
I'm waiting on ROFR at SSR through TTS now. I hope to do this too, 2 days at different DVC resorts to see where I may want to do an add-on. With just DW and myself I don't think it will be difficult changing every 2 days. I think this would be great to get the feel for each resort.
I really enjoyed reading your trip report. You have a great style! Oh, and you have exceptional taste in resorts!
Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement. I hope to be able to report back with good news soon. I think part of the fun of owning DVC is to be able to experience all of the different wonderful resorts. DVC certainly offers something for everyone! Good luck on your contract and here's some pixie dust for you too!
Your post just made my day!!! It's so nice to have someone truly appreciate the effort that went into the theming of the DVC resorts. Sounds like you had a magical time and created some wonderful memories with your granddaughter. As far as being superstitious about your resale offer, you learned from the master when you rented from Tony! Good Luck!!!
calypso*a*go-go - Don't know how I missed your post before, but thank you. DVC made our vacation memories together so very special and just confirms that we made the right choice by purchasing! Waiting for ROFR is so hard!
Dear Lisa (Diznyfanatic): I am soooo glad everything came together for you! I was hoping it would all go well, and thank you for the very kind words about me (my 2nd favorite subject!) Seriously, you were an excellent renter, and I am so happy you bid on a DVC resale (especially with my favorite people, TTS!). I knew from talking with you during the rental process that you would be a DVCer sooner rather than later! Wishing you a fast and easy ROFR, BTW: What a great trip(s) report(s). I find myself grinning ear-to-ear about your VWL experience, nodding my head and thinking, me too! I can't wait to try out vero beach, I added three days to our August trip! -Tony
