Need help choosing a resort!

[Lisa10e]

Hello, I'm new here. We visited Disney last month for the first time. We stayed at Art of Animation and loved it.
We are already planning our trip for next fall and I've just been introduced to renting points.
I like AKL, Boardwalk, or OKW. We loved the food court style meals at AOA since we have kids we don't want a formal sit down/waitress every meal. Also looking for something most fun for kiddos, age 9 and 4. Definitely love the water slides.

Any recommendations on which one would be best? Thanks!

 

[tigergrad]

My vote would be for Animal Kingdom Villas.

 

[magicaldisney]

You will not find food court style that you found at AOA at any of the DVC resorts. They have quick service but not a food court like you experienced. With the resorts you mentioned, AKV is the only one that has a quick service on site and that is in Jambo not Kidani. For BWV, you will need to eat somewhere on the Boardwalk. OKW offers a table service and a small area for hot dogs and those type of things by the pool with a few tables for outside seating.

If you are looking for activities at the resort, in my opinion AKV offers the best of the three resorts you are looking at.

For pool....AKV Kidani has the best slide and kids splash area on site.

 

[Nabas]

I like AKL, Boardwalk, or OKW. We loved the food court style meals at AOA since we have kids we don't want a formal sit down/waitress every meal. Also looking for something most fun for kiddos, age 9 and 4. Definitely love the water slides.

Any recommendations on which one would be best? Thanks!

AKV has 2 completely separate buildings; Jambo House (the main building) and Kidani Village (DVC only). The 2 are separated by about a 10-minute walk or a continuously running van service.

Of the resorts you like, only Jambo House has a food court like AOA. BWV food choices are essentially on the Boardwalk itself, a mix of table service and limited fast food options (e.g. pizza).

BWV has (I believe) the longest water slide of any Disney resort.

BWV is within walking distance of 2 theme parks (Epcot and DHS). For AKV and OKW, you'll have to take a bus.

All 3 offer something for children to do. After all, it's Disney!

You might want to Google Map the 3 DVCs you are considering. That will give you an idea of their layout and where they are located.

 

[Deb & Bill]

AKV has 2 completely separate buildings; Jambo House (the main building) and Kidani Village (DVC only). The 2 are separated by about a 10-minute walk or a continuously running van service.

Of the resorts you like, only Jambo House has a food court like AOA. BWV food choices are essentially on the Boardwalk itself, a mix of table service and limited fast food options (e.g. pizza).

BWV has (I believe) the longest water slide of any Disney resort.

BWV is within walking distance of 2 theme parks (Epcot and DHS). For AKV and OKW, you'll have to take a bus.

All 3 offer something for children to do. After all, it's Disney!

You might want to Google Map the 3 DVCs you are considering. That will give you an idea of their layout and where they are located.

The Mara in Jambo House isn't really a food court. It's a counter service where you can pick up items that are available or wait for a CM to prepare your item. But all the fifth and sixth floors of JH are DVC villas. The lower floors and limited rooms on the fifth floor are standard hotel rooms.

Like magicaldisney said, there are no DVC resorts with "food courts" like the value and moderate resorts.

And OKW has the least like a food court of any of the DVC resorts (except for maybe BWV where you have to go out to the BW to eat). OKW only has a small counter service near the the pool with all seats for eating adjacent to the pool at picnic tables outside. Olivia's is a nice full service restaurant, though.

OKW has four pools (one at Southpoint, one at Turtle Pond and one at Millers Road that are non-themed and the themed pool with a slide at the Hospitality House).

OKW does have a boat to take you to DTD. And the buses at OKW are strictly OKW buses. BWV shares buses to AK and MK with the Swan and Dolphin.

OKW has two real queen beds in the studio and has the largest villas of all the DVC resorts.

BCV shares Stormalong Bay with the BC and YC. That slide has got to be longer than the BW slide.

 

[DVC Dude]

Hello, I'm new here. We visited Disney last month for the first time. We stayed at Art of Animation and loved it.
We are already planning our trip for next fall and I've just been introduced to renting points.
I like AKL, Boardwalk, or OKW. We loved the food court style meals at AOA since we have kids we don't want a formal sit down/waitress every meal. Also looking for something most fun for kiddos, age 9 and 4. Definitely love the water slides.

Any recommendations on which one would be best? Thanks!

there is no such thing as the BEST DVC resort as everyone has different opinions

VGF is the most luxurious and most expensive
SSR is the largest and lease expensive on resale
OKW has the lowest point per room
BWV has great access to the boardwalk area and F&W and Epcot
BCV has the best pool
BLT has the shortest walk to MK

I could go on, but you get the idea that you have to visit them all to get your own opinion on what is best.

 

[Silver19]

If your family likes nightlife -- and by "nightlife" I mean "things to do after dinner," nothing can compare to the BWV. The buskers perform free shows nightly from 7 to 10, there are plenty of bars within walking distance, and Epcot's World Showcase is just steps away. We spend nearly every night every trip walking the Boardwalk with a bottle of wine in our backpack, catching the shows, tossing a football with random kids in the courtyard, whatever.

We find ourselves bored at night at the other resorts.

If you're into that sort of thing, it's a no-brainer. If not, it may be a bad idea.

 

[mikron]

AKL far for us, OKW has biggest units over any other resorts and we realy lobe BWV for the view. We get board walk view rooms when we stay at BW and love walking to Epcot.

 

[spiceycat]

OKW is a community style - not hotel. it only has 2 qs and they are not that close.
it is a nice place with plenty of swimming pools.

AKV if you are going with a studio would suggest Jambo House over Kidani - because it does have qs - Kidani does not.

bwv - now own here - but it does have some problems - you need to go onto the BW to eat. now this is fine in nice weather - but in the rain or wind - well would be nicer if they had a qs inside the resort.

 

[Desnik]

AKV would be best for your family. I would pick a studio in Jambo house. That way you will have the QS food close by. Your kids will love seeing the animals and they have a lot of cool activities at the resort. The pool is great and they have a slide your kids will enjoy.

 

[chardi]

I would choose AKV. The animals are a must see!

 

[stevelee]

My vote would be for animal kingdom. The pool is great plus the animals!

 

[Pixie Dusted]

If you are looking for the most fun kid experience at the resort I agree that AKV are a great choice. Definitely, stay at Jambo House for the convenience of Counter Service meals, but visit both pools areas if you can...the Kidani Village pool is really nice!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Our most favorite is OKW 1, 2 or 3 bedroom units or AKV/Kidani savanna view.

Our least favorites are BWV and SSR. Not that there's really anything wrong with those, but I just would prefer the other two I mentioned.

We like the vacation "home" feel of OKW where you aren't in long hallways, and the size of the villas is amazing! Love parking right outside our door too.

AKV has the long hallways, but the extra bathroom and those wonderful savanna views make up for it. Plus, we like all the special programs t here are to take part in at Kidani.

 

[lovin'fl]

OKW- Largest and best laid out 1BR and 2BR villas (have full laundry room and full kitchen table, not the cramped booth the other resorts have). Quiet resort. Boat to Downtown Disney. Close to Epcot, so short bus ride. If you stay near the hospitality house (rent OKW points and book as close to 11 month window to get the hospitality booking which is a separate booking that goes fast...if you can't get hh booking you can request buildings near the hh booking section) you can avoid the many internal bus stops by taking hh bus to go out and getting off at Peninsular stop (1st stop) when coming in...IMO best resort for busing. They have a TS dining place, Olivias, but the CS place by the pool is limited in offerings. They take less points to book. If you drive, you can park right outside your building which is very convenient. Pool is okay with a so-so slide.

BWV- If you rent BWV points and can book close to 11 month window you may be able to get the lesser point costing standard view and save points. The rooms are small. The location is nice...can walk to Epcot and HS. Can also take boat but that can take a long time. The busing is not great from here to the parks as it stops at several other resorts. The parking is not great either and is a hike to your room. There are long long hallways here and your room could be at the end and a long painful walk after a day at the parks. There are tons of dining options with the BW and BC and the Swan/Dolphin nearby as well as having Epcot World Showcase right out your door. The international gateway is the best way to enter Epcot...so quick and easy. There is also lots going on around the resort at night. The pool is pretty cool if you don't mind clowns. This was our 1st DCV stay after we bought our points and my kids LOVED the pool that trip (they were 7, 7 and 9 then).

BCV- Much like BWV but a touch closer to Epcot (and a bit farther from HS). And it's a smaller quieter/quainter resort than BWV and so no long endless hallways. Parking and busing is similar as is dining options...though the marketplace store in BC does have a food counter for a decent CS (BWV has no CS). The pool is really nice but might be tough if you have really little ones (tough to keep an eye on them). This is my fave resort. Point cost is same as BWV- BW or garden view. The 2BR villas are better laid out and feel roomier than BWV (they have door to 2nd BR off the foyer where BWV has it right in the living room).

VWL- We only did 4 nights here back in 2008 so I don't recall too much but this resort didn't impress me...however my DH and DS say it's their fave. It has boat to MK. It is also, like BCV, BLT and AKV, a separate building from the main resort (WL). The DVC building seems very deserted and dark to me. It is very quiet and woodsy. The room was similar to BWV and smallish. There is CS and a couple TS places in the main lodge. The pool was really nice...both DVC and main pool...I think (just remember the kids liking the pool here). Point cost is a bit high here.

SSR- Our least fave resort. Smallest rooms. Lots of internal bus stops that you have to take (no trick like at OKW). Pool didn't impress us. We only stayed a couple nights here though. I remember waiting and waiting for the buses. It is convenient to Downtown (if you request Congress Park and can walk over, though that area is under construction right now)...but has plenty of dining options with Downtown nearby (CS and TS). Has CS and TS itself as well...and I really liked the CS here. Boat to Downtown as well. IMO, point costs for rooms are high considering the negatives here (it should be equal or less than OKW and they are a little higher than OKW).

BLT- Just stayed here. Good for families with stroller aged kids as they can be wheeled onto monorail. But we hated the monorail (packed, sometimes stopped, sometimes shut down, had to get off at TTC and switch monorails...etc). Short walk to MK is nice if you are a MK heavy tourer. Plenty dining options as you can monorail to various resorts and CP has CS and TS options. There is also TOTWL that offers some food (app type things) and you can watch Wishes from there. The rooms make great use of space but the studios are small. I think the 1BR and 2BR aren't bad but the point cost is high here. It is not a quiet resort (very open and all the cement/glass makes sound travel...and they pipe in music for Wishes and the magical water pageant thing) and the pool looked Meh to me...was just DH and I and we did enjoy the hot tub one morning. The CR pool was okay...we stayed at CR once and the kids did enjoy the pool even though it was January and chilly.

AKV- We haven't stayed here yet, but bought points here this year and have Christmas trip booked here. We have been there many times to eat and they have tons of great dining options, our fave signature and buffet are here (though might not be your type of food). It is a beautiful resort. When we 1st went to WDW, in 2003, and stayed off site I longed to stay on site at AKL someday (at a glance and on paper it was my dream resort out of all the WDW resorts...so we will see how it actually chalks up in Dec). My SIL owns here and loves it. She says the pools are amazing. They say the only negative is that it's far out from everything and the buses can be a problem. SIL loves the Kidani layout (1BR and 2BR) for the extra bathroom. This resort also has 2 pull-outs (sofa plus a chair) to sleep 5 in the 1BR (as does OKW and BLT) or 9 in the 2BR. You can have 5 in any 1BR, but you need to provide bedding and towels for the 5th person at SSR, BWV, VWL and BCV (like an airbed and blanket...which is what we did at BWV and SSR when we did 1BRs). I hear this resort offers a lot of things to do and could be a vacation in itself (like tours, talks, story time...etc.) and there's the animals. There are several views offered and you can get some low point cost rooms here with value (no extra bathroom in the 1BR and 2BR) or standard view. You can also get club level here but they get booked fast (as do value rooms).

 

[Deb & Bill]

OKW- ... If you stay near the hospitality house (rent OKW points and book as close to 11 month window to get the hospitality booking which is a separate booking that goes fast...if you can't get hh booking you can request buildings near the hh booking section) you can avoid the many internal bus stops by taking hh bus to go out and getting off at Peninsular stop (1st stop) when coming in...IMO best resort for busing. ...Pool is okay with a so-so slide.

...VWL- ...Point cost is a bit high here.

SSR- ...Smallest rooms. ...Pool didn't impress us. ...

AKV- .... SIL loves the Kidani layout (1BR and 2BR) for the extra bathroom. This resort also has 2 pull-outs (sofa plus a chair) to sleep 5 in the 1BR (as does OKW and BLT) or 9 in the 2BR. You can have 5 in any 1BR, but you need to provide bedding and towels for the 5th person at SSR, BWV, VWL and BCV (like an airbed and blanket...which is what we did at BWV and SSR when we did 1BRs). ... There are several views offered and you can get some low point cost rooms here with value (no extra bathroom in the 1BR and 2BR) or standard view. You can also get club level here but they get booked fast (as do value rooms).

Just a few comments on your comments:
OKW - The Sandcastle slide is fairly new (at least a few years old and wasn't at the resort originally). Kids seem to love that slide. We prefer not to stay at the Hospitality House Area because of the parking issues there. There isn't a lot of parking at the HH, so guests will park over by Bldg 11, 12, 13 and 14 which takes up those spaces from the guests staying there. Plus there can be a lot of bus noise there, too. We prefer Millers Road or South Point. It's easy to walk to anywhere at OKW or you can hop any bus since they all stop at the HH last. And you can walk over to Peninsular Road to catch a bus back to your area if you don't want to walk.

VWL - Point cost is about the same as BCV and BWV (except for the BWV Standard villas which are more in line with OKW points). We like VWL because it reminds us of Yellowstone (we used to live in Montana and when to Yellowstone several times).

SSR - Villas at SSR are almost the exact same size as BCV, VWL, BWV. There really are only slight differences, like the location of the connecting studio door to a lockoff one bedroom. And, of course, the decor.

AKV - Jambo House also has one bedroom villas that sleep five with the addition of the sleeper chair. But it also has the value villas that are a bit smaller - like three feet shorter in depth - so they do not have the sleeper chair and don't allow an extra person. The JH villas also do not have the separate shower and tub like at Kidani Village or the additional bathroom. JH was made from renovated hotel rooms and KV was built from scratch. JH two bedroom villas are all lockoffs (like BWV two bedroom villas are all lockoffs). The club level villas at located at JH on the sixth floor (the rest of the DVC villas at JH are on the fifth floor). There are only five two bedroom lockoffs located on the sixth floor.

 

[lovin'fl]

I should also add the theme of each resort.

OKW is very tropical and has small buildings with 3 floors. Only a couple have elevators, most do not. But it's very quaint and the colors are pastel and very relaxed theme. The resort itself is very spread out. Turtle pond is a neat area as the quiet pool there has a CS (limited but still some stuff there). There is also another section that has buildings along the canal where you can sit on your balcony and watch the boat go to/from DD...kinda cool and I'd like to stay in those someday. The hosp. house section has a laundry room with no door to bathroom (must go through master) and all the other sections has the laundry room with a door that connects it to the bathroom (1 and 2 bedroom villas). Views: golf course and canals and small pond/lake things.

SSR also has the smaller buildings with 3 (or is it 4) floors. Not sure if they have elevators...I think they do. It felt like any condo community I might own a condo at...just regular and no particular theme...IMO. And there isn't as much greenery and trees as there is at OKW. It is also a spread out resort. Views: golf course and Downtown Disney (nice at night...all lit up).

WL and AKL was done by the same architect and has a similar feel (dark and masculine with a grand lobby). They seem very earthy to me. Views: AKV- animals/savanna...VWL- trees

BLT is a tall condo building and very modern. It is cold and no great Disney theme (except the monorail that goes through the CR). I still liked it. I like looking out over Bay Lake or MK or watching the monorail and I like the modern feel. But it was the loudest DVC resort we have ever stayed at. Not a lot to buffer the sounds (as I kind of mentioned in my pp). Views: lake or MK

BCV is beachy and BWV is kind of too. They are muted like OKW but big buildings (not like small 3 floor condos where you can pull your car right up). The theme-ing is nice at these. They seem very Disney to me...especially around the holidays. BWV was our 1st DVC stay so that may have influenced my feelings a bit (making it feel very Disney to me). Views: BCV- not great...BWV- some can see fireworks and BW view rooms look at BW

 

[tjkraz]

The "best" resort for you is the one which has the ideal combination of:

- Theme which appeals to you and your traveling companions
- Amenities & restaurants which suit your tastes
- Accommodations (room layout) which best matches the demographic of your traveling party
- Cost you can afford
- And in some cases, resort which still has availability for your desired travel dates