Planning a family trip - priorities?

[overtheandyhill]

Hi everyone. I've done some searching and I'm honestly overwhelmed, so thanks in advance for the read.

We went to Disney World back in 2016 when my oldest was 5 and before kid #2, with my wife's family and all the kids and grandparents. All told, there were 16 of us, and renting a house/driving in to the parks was our situation. For a lot of reasons, the trip was a nightmare. Un-diagnosed (at the time) panic disorder in my daughter, coordinating that many families - it was rough. And yet, as if we are gluttons for punishment, my wife and I decided to do it again, but go the on-property route this time around. We're planning on another family trip, but we are planning (at least us) to stay on property this time around.

We plan to go in August of 2024 (we've been in August before and it works best for us) and are intending to use DVC rental to book a 2BR villa that we are sharing with my mom. The rest of the family is on their own as far as booking is concerned, though we'll likely try for the same resorts if they also plan on staying on property, but my main question is about location. In an ideal scenario, we'd all be at the same resort and able to spend downtime/pool time together as a big happy family. There's a chance the other members of the family might choose to rent a house again, so I have some priority questions about what we should be looking for when we go into our rental booking time frame. I guess the big thing is I don't know what to prioritize when it comes to booking a DVC rental, because all factors seem important.

Location? We'd love to be walkable to at least one park.

Pool? The kids certainly love swimming and so do we.

Dining? We plan to make some meals in the villa but would like some decent quick service options as well.

Transportation between parks? We'll probably have a rental car regardless, but will be taking Disney transport where it makes sense.

Thanks for reading and for any advice.

 

[holden]

Here are my thoughts:

1. You'll only be able to swim with other family members if they are staying at the same resort as you.

2. A 2BR villa will be great for five of you (I'm assuming 4 in your family plus the grandmother).

3. Location depends on which parks you want to walk to. BLT is a five minute walk to MK. BCV and BWV are walks to EP (short) and DHS (longer).

4. Pool - people love Stormalong Bay at BCV. The pools at VGF/Jambo/Kidani are nice too. BLT's pool is just ok. I've never been to BWV's pool.

5. Dining - BLT give you easy access to quick service at CR, Poly and GF (Poly and GF are a monorail ride away). BC has a quick service place and easy access to World Showcase in EP. All DVC resorts will have access to some kind of quick service - some easier to get to than others.

6. Transportation - all DVC resorts will have access to bus transportation. BLT and VGF also have the monorail. BCV/BWV have the Skyliner and boats. I keep limiting my comments to BLT/BWV/BCV because you asked about walking.

There's lots to consider. Personally, I'd recommend BLT. The 2BR units have an extra full bathroom, so 3 total. Grandma could have her own bathroom, kids have their own, and you and your partner have your own. That's important to me (mom of a teen and a young adult here), but might not be to you.

Good luck with your planning!

 

[ShelbyWagon]

After reading your important factors, the first resort that comes to mind is Beach Club. You can walk to Epcot and HS. The pool is awesome. The quick service is decent and you would also have options in Epcot as well as Swan/Dolphin. I've found the bus transportation to be fine when going to AK and MK when we stayed at Beach Club.

The other option would be BLT. Walking to MK is great for kids and the monorail provides easy access to Epcot. I've never been too excited about the pool or quick service there but I'm sure they're fine. The rooms are pretty big and like a previous poster said, the 2 br villas have 3 full baths. That's super handy with multiple adults and kids in one room.

 

[1GoldenSun]

I live about and hour and a half away from WDW and have gone a lot over the years when my kids have been all ages, and we've stayed at all the resorts.

I doubt I'll be alone here when I suggest BC. It has what most would claim to be the best pool on property, although in my opinion others have their strengths as well for various reasons. It really is a fantastic pool.

Epcot is just a quick jaunt away fromBC, and HS is also within fairly easy walking distance. BC and BWV are the only DVC resorts within walking distance of two parks.

The (new to you!) Skyliner is also right in your backyard; it's a lot of fun for kids (and adults too!), and can get you to Hollywood Studios or back if any of your party is too tired to walk.

Quick service dining right at BC is a little underwhelming (as it is at most DVC resorts, I think; I actually LOVE those food courts at the values!) but there are plenty additional places to get a quick bite very nearby--on the Boardwalk, at the Swan/Dolphin, and at Epcot--that in the end I think it has more options for a quick meal than any other resort.

Second place-- in my opinion, of course-- would be Boardwalk. They also have a lovely pool with a fantastic water slide (although I personally miss the clown!) and I like the decor here more than any other Disney resort except for Wilderness Lodge. All the other reasons I suggested BC also apply to BW.

My personal favorite deluxe is Wilderness Lodge, but you can't walk to any of the parks so I wouldn't suggest that if walking is important to you. They are also a bit isolated. Same for AK Kidani--great pool for kids (if a bit small) and the animals are fun, but it's very isolated--you have to take a bus everywhere.

So my third pick after YC and BWV would be any of the monorail resorts. I would choose Poly first because I think the kids would like that pool the best. Quick service is good there and you can also walk to GF and eat there, plus they have Dole Whip. You can walk to MK. I would be torn between GF and BLT-- the GF has a nice pool for kids but BLT has the better slide and I think a much preferable quick service. I think it would come down to whether you prefer the decor of the GF or the Contemporary, and also the difference in price. All three of these resorts are within walking distance to MK (BLT is closest, followed by GF, followed by Poly) and have monorail service as well to both MK and Epcot (which is quite nice).

I would not choose either SS or OKW unless it's for financial or availability reasons. There is nothing wrong with either of these resorts, I just don't think they're as special, and you can't walk to any parks.

I forgot about Riviera. I like it but in my opinion it's not nice enough to compensate for the inability to walk to a park.

 

[JodyK]

I think the biggest thing missing from your post is what are your considerations in terms of budget even though you are going to rent DVC points, there's still a pretty broad range across DVC and what it can cost. Additionally, are you considering the cost it would be for your other family members to book there as well when considering your choice? August isn't the most popular DVC time, but you may not be able to get your first choice either in resort or view.

Given you want to be walkable to parks, the choices are Beach Club, Boardwalk, and BLT, so it is a bit about which park you want to be closest to and doing the math of the 2BR across those resorts. The size of the 2BR doesn't really come into play because you will have plenty of space given that you aren't maxing out the number of people you can fit in a room. But those resorts are also high-ticket resorts if you did want family to potentially be able to stay as well. If pools are important, I think the Epcot resorts have BLT beat, but I will admit I am not a fan of BLT the resort. The location can't be beat so if that is what is most important, I'd go for it, but I actually think with having a car being walking distance wouldn't be the most important for transportation to parks but I understand for your family it may be a consideration for other reasons. I think also think a resort like BLT can be very busy and crowded with a lot of hussle and bustle actually, all of those walkable resorts can be, so I do wonder if with your daughter's panic disorder if a more laid-back resort like Saratoga Springs or AKL would be worth considering?

It is a hard decision with lots to consider.

 

[overtheandyhill]

There's lots to consider. Personally, I'd recommend BLT. The 2BR units have an extra full bathroom, so 3 total. Grandma could have her own bathroom, kids have their own, and you and your partner have your own. That's important to me (mom of a teen and a young adult here), but might not be to you.

Third bathroom would be a cool bonus! Thanks for that info.

Second place-- in my opinion, of course-- would be Boardwalk. They also have a lovely pool with a fantastic water slide (although I personally miss the clown!) and I like the decor here more than any other Disney resort except for Wilderness Lodge. All the other reasons I suggested BC also apply to BW.

Boardwalk is where we are leaning right now for a variety of reasons but I love hearing about the slide, thank you!

I do wonder if with your daughter's panic disorder if a more laid-back resort like Saratoga Springs or AKL would be worth considering?

Thank you for this consideration! She's in a much better place now and is on medication for anxiety and her panic disorder, plus she'll be 13 at the time of travel and things are wholly different. Great consideration for those two resorts though, thank you!

I think the biggest thing missing from your post is what are your considerations in terms of budget even though you are going to rent DVC points, there's still a pretty broad range across DVC and what it can cost. Additionally, are you considering the cost it would be for your other family members to book there as well when considering your choice?

As far as budget is concerned, we are planning on 7 nights and are hoping to hover around the $6k mark. We aren't opposed to going higher than that if the situation warrants it. The other family members will be a factor, but like I said, not all of them are 100% planning on staying on property yet. We are trying to pre-plan considering our individual needs first and then go from there.

 

[JodyK]

As far as cost goes

BLT Standard is around 7K and Standard can be hard to book so the Lake View which is more readily available is 8K
Boardwalk is more affordable around 6K for the Standard View and 7K for the Preferred View

So there are deff cost benefits to those Epcot resorts, but they are competitive, so I think if you can be a bit flexible with your dates that will give you the best shot at getting in.

 

[RoseGold]

The best choice is BC/BW, but those rooms are cost prohibitive with cash. It matters how the rest of your family plans to book, since your priority is multiple rooms, and multiple configurations, I assume.

The cool thing about BC/BW is that they could stay at the Marriott Swolphin and be close enough, though the pool rules are guests only, very strict at BC. Swolphin are bookable far in advance and can be canceled (unlike DVC).

If you're the only one staying on property, I'd try for BC, then BW, then BLT (or VGF is money is no object).

 

[Rory607]

If Epcot and HS are on your agenda, I would agree with Beach Club. This gives you two parks very close to your hotel. Other family members could stay at the Swan/Dolphin or a skyliner resort and it would be easy for you to all meet up.

I’ll be honest, if they choose to stay offsite, it might be somewhat difficult. You’ll really only be able to be together at the parks since they can’t park at the resort. They could take Disney transportation once they’re on property to hang out at the hotel, but it will be annoying for them to get back to their car. We’ve done a few extended family trips and we’ve stayed at the same hotel with each family/group in their own room. This way everyone has their space, but cousins could swim together and spend time away from the parks. But I know it’s hard to manage that many people and different things work for different families.

 

[LynnTH]

My vote is always for BWV. We always stay here. Every time I say we will try somewhere new, but I can't do it. We just love BWV. Just a note on the 2 Bedrooms here though.. they are all lock offs. Meaning you would get a 1 bedroom connected to a studio. Which might work out nice having Grandma in the Studio and and the 4 of you in the One Bedroom. She can still have her space and so can you - yet you can open the door to go between the 2. Just something to keep in mind. And you would need to be ready to book at the 11 month mark as studios go fast, which limits the number of 2 Bedroom Unit available.

 

[jsergent]

BWV seems like it's always a bit more affordable than BCV, but BCV is our favorite. We love Stormalong Bay! Walking into Epcot is the best in my opinion and the boat over to HS is also a big positive for us, though you could walk that too. BWV provides all those same opportunities as well.

If you really love MK though, maybe a Crecent Lake resort isn't the best choice. I think park preference and where you'll be spending the most time is an important consideration to influence the resort choice.

 

[gottalovepluto]

EP area is a nice solution. After what you went through before though, figure out what you want and let the other families go from there. There is no way for them to join you at the pool if they aren’t at the same hotel- caveats are hotels that share pools: BC/YC share and all the Swolphin hotels share so if they were at a sister property like YC and you were BCV you could pool together.

I would also consider Swolphin, no kitchen but they have family suite type rooms if you call I think and maybe you’d save some dough over DVC and get a nicer cancellation policy.

 

[overtheandyhill]

Thanks all for the replies. Since I wrote this original post, most of my wife's family have backed out of the trip for various reasons - and our planning got a lot simpler. Thanks for the advice - it's still helpful!