Need help picking a Villa

[Heather1979]

Hello! Hubby and I got back from an amazing WDW trip last month with the kiddos and we're kicking around the idea of returning next year... We have 2 kids, they will be 2 and 3 when we return.

We stayed at AKL and LOVED it. We had a 1 br villa savanna view and loved it. But there's a teensy part of me that wants to experience other villas, yet I'd hate to be disappointed (yet I doubt any of them would...)

Here's some brain droppings that I've had about the different places:

-Are the buses crowded if you stay at BCV, YCV, or BWV? I hear they share a bus. I've never stayed at a resort that didn't have it's own bus (Pop and AKL) so... how is it? (Keep in mind we have a double stroller and two tots to lug on and off the buses. We only had one trip to DTD where it got a little crowded (we avoided park closing times for this reason), other than that no complaints about buses. So I'm curious how different it is when you share a bus...

-I'm from NJ so I wonder if you are from an area where a resort is themed, do you avoid that one or is it still cool for you? (Asking about BWV mainly because I'm an hour from Atlantic City)

-There was a part of me that felt like AKL was a destination in and of itself. Do the other villas have that feel?

-Which one is your favorite villa and why?

Thank you for any and all input! There's been some serious debate in this house as to where to stay next time!

 

[sharadoc]

With little ones, I assume you'll be at MK a lot. I'd recommend BLT because you can walk to MK, and take the monorail to Epcot, which would be easy with a double stroller. Wilderness Lodge Villas would give you a boat to MK which is also easy with the stroller.

If you stay at BWV or BCV, you'd have the boat to Epcot and DHS, also easy with a double. BWV shares a bus to MK with Swan and Dolphin and then Yacht and Beach club share with each other.

I don't have little ones, so I don't think I could recommend a resort that would suit your needs.

 

[Tltorrez]

We love BWV. Never had an issue with buses. Of course, the best part is the easy walk to Epcot and DHS. You just can't beat the location.

And I would say that the Boardwalk as a whole has a destination feel, so that would apply to BWV or BCV. We just love the whole area.

We're going back to BWV in December. But we also decided we want to try something completely different so I booked a split stay at Kidani.

 

[twinboysmom]

We had horrible bus service when we stayed at BWV. It was prime time (June) and the bus to MK shared bw, swalphin, and BC. I also have 2 young ones and because of that experience, I refuse to stay at BCV or BWV until they're old enough to stand. I know others have reported they don't always share like that but that was our experience.

I agree AKV is a destination on itself. We have enjoyed VWL recently. We liked the theme, the grounds, and it is an easy walk over to fort wilderness which has quite a bit to do. Also, there is boat service to MK (most of the boats will accommodate a double stroller).

Another option is BLT. Monorail to Epcot and walkway to MK. Also a very easy boat tide to the WL or FW. I have stayed at the CR (we are trying BLT in sept) and I don't think it will have the same feel as AKV as being a destination. But for the convenience it can't be beat.

 

[Susieo]

We stayed two years in VWL, then decided to change it up and stay at VBC last year, this year we're going back to VWL. We have two children, currently 6 & 2, so I know what it's like lugging the double stroller on and off the bus.

VWL is just amazing...the theming is unparalleled, and the access to MK is awesome via boat. It is like having your own peaceful ride to and from the park. The only way to the other parks is via bus. Whispering Canyon is a great fun, family restaurant. The pool is fun too, and you can watch the Electric Water Parade at night from the beach.

While we like our stay at VBC last September, we felt it would be a better fit for us when the kids are older. What we loved was the convenience of walking into and home from Epcot. Most of our dining reservations were there, and it is our second favorite park (behind MK) so the ease of going in "the back way" cannot be understated. It is a nice boat ride to DHS as well, so there are only 2 parks you would be riding the bus to. There is a nice character breakfast on property at Cape May, and SAB (the pool complex) is pretty darn cool. That being said, our experience with the villa itself was less than stellar...it was more cramped than VWL, and not laid out as well, and the in-room dryer made such a horrendous noise, we had to leave the room while it was running. (before anyone flames me, no we didn't call maintenance...I didn't want to waste time waiting for them to show up to fix it). None of these things ruined our trip, nor did it ruin our opinion of VBC....we just happen to be in a place in life where being closer to MK works for our smaller children. I think when they are teenagers, we would appreciate VBC better.

And for what it's worth, we are from NY, and when we were at VWC, it felt like a "destination"' whereas VBC felt like a "hotel"

Hope that helps....

 

[PoohsFan1]

With the ages of your kids I would highly suggest BLT. There is nothing like being able to walk to the MK and back plus you have the monorail right there which will be easy for you to get to Epcot. We will be doing our first stay at BLT in September and cannot wait (we are DVC members and it is our home resort). You can have the view of the MK where you can watch Wishes from your balcony or you can have a view of Bay Lake which is awesome and serene in itself....we stayed at CR in a Bay Lake view before and loved it.

Our favorite villa by far is BCV which is a very easy walk to Epcot and DHS, however I would suggest taking the ferry to DHS because it can be a long walk especially after a day in the park. You will also have access to SAB which is a great pool for kids of all ages and of course Beaches and Cream Soda Fountain is a great place to get cheeseburgers and ice cream concoctions...my favorite is the No Way Jose Sundae . Also Cape May Cafe Restaurant is right in the lobby which has a wonderful character breakfast in the morning and a great Clam Bake for dinner.

Like the PP mentioned, VWL would be a great option too because you will have easy access to MK which takes you by boat. Also, the feel of the resort is awesome, you would never think that MK was just a boat ride away. We have stayed at WL many times (one of our favorite Deluxe resorts) and are planning on staying at VWL during our 2013 trip.

Regardless of which villa you choose, they all have their own uniqueness about them therefore you can't go wrong with any of them. Happy planning .

 

[Heather1979]

I've heard it's pretty hard to get Bay Lake Tower without being in DVC, What's the best timeframe for success? I'm thinking end of April 2013...

 

[cobbler]

Just an FYI, there aren't any villas at the yacht club. I've yet to stay at BLT or BCV but have enjoyed all the others very much.

 

[Missyrose]

I've heard it's pretty hard to get Bay Lake Tower without being in DVC, What's the best timeframe for success? I'm thinking end of April 2013...

Are you booking through Disney or renting DVC points?

 

[MMrules]

AKV is my home resort ...it does feel like a vacation in and of itself. I also feel that way at WL. They are both very relaxing and feel like you have been transported somewhere else. If you loved AKV then you would probably like WL too. My boys love both resorts. THey are 5 and 7.

BCV is very nice too. It is supposed to be a New England feel as that's where I am from. I don't mind vacationing there b/c nowhere in NE do we have pool water that warm or a beach with palm trees so the feel is definitely still Disney. The buses do share with BW, Swan and dolphin so with a big stroller it can get crowded!!!

BWV wasn't too exciting for my children but I loved it. Even though you can go to Atlantic City I think it is a very nostalgic feel for a Boardwalk and probably wouldn't give you the same feel as for today. I would save it for when your kids are older.

Saratoga and Old Key West are very big and you have many bus stops within the resort prior to leaving for the parks. Also the food isn't in your main building so getting to it with little ones will involve a decent walk or a bus ride to food. I would go when they are older too. I haven't stayed at either for that reason.

CTV I haven't stayed at yet. While the hotel is great for proximity I feel that it will be better when my boys are older. Right now they like the themeing of hotels and I think that will be less exciting for them at this age.

If you loved AKV try it again! THere is so much to do there that you won't get bored or try WLV for a similar styled hotel.

 

[LaMickey]

I've heard it's pretty hard to get Bay Lake Tower without being in DVC, What's the best timeframe for success? I'm thinking end of April 2013...

We are heading to BLT in about 2 weeks. I am also not a DVC member, and it does seem to be one of the harder reservations. I booked about 9 months out through Disney. We probably could have saved a good bit by renting points, but at the time there were a few questions about how firm our dates would be. So, the inability to cancel didn't work for us.

We chose BLT this time solely because of he ease of trasnportation with little ones and a double stroller. I can't imagine we could go wrong being that close to MK and the monorail.

I have also stayed at VWL with four kids. It was teriffic and very much felt like a destination. The boat ride to MK was nice and easy. The oter parks required bus transportation, and although we had no problems I have seen other post related to issues. Of course, that trip was around Thanksgiving and I have heard the VWL are better that time of year. I could see where the themeing doesn't really fit with a summer vacation.

Good Luck!

 

[Heather1979]

Wow so much to think about- thank you!

I'm not sure whether we'd rent points or not at this point but there's so much great info on here!

 

[ashleypmo]

VWL = It really is a destination in and of itself. We loved eating Mickey bars out on the beach while we were waiting for the electric water pageant. And the boat to MK is great. We also took the boat FW for the campfire program, which was lots of fun!

One afternoon, we went to the CR (just across the lake) for parasailing, explored the lobby, then took the monorail to Poly to explore and eat dinner on the beach there, then took the monorail back to MK and the ferry back to VWL, We all really enjoyed it (myself, DH, my mom, DD12, DS8, DD4, & Ds 2), and I can't think of another place in WDW where it's so convenient to resort hop. Oh-- we could have done GF on our little tour as well, but we just ran out of steam.

The lobby of WL has that same "WOW!" factor as AKL. The VWL lobby is similar flavor, but very cozy. We often stopped to sit in the rocking chairs in front of the fireplaces on our way back to our room. I think you'll love VWL!

 

[Tltorrez]

I've heard it's pretty hard to get Bay Lake Tower without being in DVC, What's the best timeframe for success? I'm thinking end of April 2013...

Disney has some rooms that it rents for cash without reserving for DVC. My understanding is that those go up 11 months out. I booked my BWV 2 BDR in late January for an early December trip. There weren't any available prior to that, and there weren't any much after that either.

Again, my understanding is that the 2BDRs and Studios go fastest at all the Villas. We tried to book BLT on our trip last year but no 1BDRs available. But there are usually 1BDRs available at BWV even quite late. We ended up really loving BWV, so no complaints there.

Having said all that, you never know when someone is going to cancel and something comes available randomly. So it pays to keep checking back if you don't get what you want. All the AKV 2BDR Savannah Views were booked up too. But when I called last weekend to modify my reservation to a split stay - there it was. No idea why. I just got lucky.

Good luck.

 

[spiceycat]

love BLT - it is my home resort now (before it was OKW)

BLT does not feel alot like CR. CR is more modern and fast paced. BLT is definitely modern but it is slowed down alot.

being able to walk (not bus, boat, ferry or monorail) to the MK is a big +

it has a nice pool - small but nice - kids love it

 

[cecilia]

are any villas near food ? someone said old key west and saratoga springs are not so what is ?