Just returned Sat evening from a lovely two week trip, Jan 16th - Jan 29th. We took our neighbors and their kids who had never been before, never even been on an airplane actually.
We stayed at AKV Kidani, BLT, SSR THV, and AKV Jambo. I'm happy to report that even though some of these were booked pre-res system upgrade and some post, and all included dining plan, I had no issues with reservations or the dinning plan. I also had no issues with any of our dining reservations.
The bad news was that the parks and transportation were much more crowded that I was expecting for weekdays in January. I'm not sure if it is the Harry Potter effect, or the Free Dining packages or what, but it was much busier than I remember for January. There were also A LOT of those Brazilian youth groups that I don't remember noticing before at this time of year. The crowds did cause some dissapointment and a few problems, but overall it was still a great trip with very little waiting in line (utilizing expert Fast Pass Strategies).
We did get rain on about 4 days which helped with crowds a lot, as you can imagine.
DVC impressions:
All of these Hotels were "first time" for us. We enjoyed BLT and the location is convienient. I will consider staying there again, especially for times where we will be doing epcot and MK. The kids really enjoyed the pool and I loved lounging on the "beach" just behind the hot tub. I did not notice or have any problems regarding worn furniture etc in our BLT Lake View 1 Br. However, I wasn't really looking for it and I'm generally not super picky.
Somewhat surprisingly, my wife and I REALLY enjoyed staying at AKV Kidani. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the pool and play area, and especially the firepit and "backyard" area. It was cozy, quiet, and very peaceful and relaxing. It was just a great experience. Will definately be staying here again.
The treehouses were also a big hit. There is just no substitute for having three bedrooms. We also enjoyed the themeing and the master bathroom. I'm not sure if I would do Treehouses without a car but they are a great DVC deal and perfect for extended stays with a family.
*By the way, that new Celebrations-guest picture thing on the castle was waaay better than I was expecting!
We stayed at AKV Kidani, BLT, SSR THV, and AKV Jambo. I'm happy to report that even though some of these were booked pre-res system upgrade and some post, and all included dining plan, I had no issues with reservations or the dinning plan. I also had no issues with any of our dining reservations.
The bad news was that the parks and transportation were much more crowded that I was expecting for weekdays in January. I'm not sure if it is the Harry Potter effect, or the Free Dining packages or what, but it was much busier than I remember for January. There were also A LOT of those Brazilian youth groups that I don't remember noticing before at this time of year. The crowds did cause some dissapointment and a few problems, but overall it was still a great trip with very little waiting in line (utilizing expert Fast Pass Strategies).
We did get rain on about 4 days which helped with crowds a lot, as you can imagine.
DVC impressions:
All of these Hotels were "first time" for us. We enjoyed BLT and the location is convienient. I will consider staying there again, especially for times where we will be doing epcot and MK. The kids really enjoyed the pool and I loved lounging on the "beach" just behind the hot tub. I did not notice or have any problems regarding worn furniture etc in our BLT Lake View 1 Br. However, I wasn't really looking for it and I'm generally not super picky.
Somewhat surprisingly, my wife and I REALLY enjoyed staying at AKV Kidani. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the pool and play area, and especially the firepit and "backyard" area. It was cozy, quiet, and very peaceful and relaxing. It was just a great experience. Will definately be staying here again.
The treehouses were also a big hit. There is just no substitute for having three bedrooms. We also enjoyed the themeing and the master bathroom. I'm not sure if I would do Treehouses without a car but they are a great DVC deal and perfect for extended stays with a family.
*By the way, that new Celebrations-guest picture thing on the castle was waaay better than I was expecting!
In fact, they are taking us out to dinner tonight to relax and talk about the trip! 
