Pluses and Minuses of your DVC Resort?

[DizzyKnee]

I'm sure you all have your favorites (aka Home Resort) but no one is perfect. I'm wondering what are your favorite things and least favorite things about your home resort? We're looking to purchase.

 

[Carol_]

Copper Creek
Faves:
Boat rides to MK and Fort Wilderness
Gorgeous buildings, landscaping, and views
Kiddie Pool is great, too

Least faves:
Quick service is one small place but it's serviceable.

Saratoga Springs
Faves:
Great splash pool for toddlers
Treehouses
Boats to Disney Springs
Lots of rooms
SPA!!
Boat ride to Port Orleans for Beignets!

Least faves:
I can’t come up with a reasonable one. I’d say lack of restaurant options but I consider all of Disney Springs your restaurant options here.

 

[crvetter]

Copper Creek
Faves: boat rides to MK, Fort Wilderness... and it's gorgeous.
Least faves: Quick service is one small place but it's serviceable.

Agreed own here too. Though I will add that Geyser Point is Quick Service and Quasi-Table Service. If you order at the window it counts as Quick Service (works with the DDP that way even) but if you sit under the roof/inside it is a Quasi-Table Service (thus the DDP won't work). So it has two smallish Quick Service Restaurants.

My Faves: Less Soft Goods, Rustic but modern decor, Studios have bookable categories for Shower or Tub/Shower Combo, In the main resort building, atmosphere of seeming super remote but a 10 min boat and 5 min bus ride from MK, boat to FW and CR so easy access to Monorail resorts for not staying at monorail and tons of FW activities, Roaring Forks is amazing pastry team (some of the best baked goods on property, IMO).
My Cons: The boat can get backed up to FW or CR, pools features are a bit smaller scale (though not a big pool person), one Quick Service for Breakfast, Stores and Quick Service Close too early for being more remote of a location

 

[Deb & Bill]

OKW. We've owned our points there for 22 years and have most of our 51 trips with stays at OKW. We like the layout of the villa, we like the size of the villa, we like the layout of the resort. We're starting to not like the stairs (forget a third floor villa, nothing but first or second floor for us). It's just a quiet, relaxing place to stay. The studio has two queen beds so we don't have to worry about the horrid sleeper sofa when we decide to stay in a studio (we don't stay in any other studio than OKW).

 

[Princess Merida]

BWV home resort
Favorites:
Walk or boat to Epcot and HWS
Rooms are lovely
Ample Hills
Boardwalk View
Clown slide
Low point rooms (standard)
Least Favorites:
Pool pretty busy
Refillable mugs not very convenient
Small arcade

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Polynesian

Favorites: Location, ambiance, views, split bathroom, studios sleep 5, salt water pool (Oasis), Lava pool & slide, dining, transit options

Cons: Point hungry, only studios and bungalows, lobby often really busy, laundry room is inadequate for all the studios

 

[cedricandsophie]

We own at several resorts and like them for different reasons.

Vero
Ocean and beach
Great pool
Mini golf

Aulani
Almost everThing!
Long plane ride from Chicago but we’ve gone every year for six years

Bay lake
Proximity to MK
Views and roof top viewing of fireworks
Quiet
Bocce
Second bathroom in one bedroom

Boardwalk
Proximity to Epcot and Hollywood studios
Lots of great restaurants close by
Night life

Okw
Our favourite
We always get a one bedroom close to hospitality house
Spacious
Boat to DS
Wonderful staff
Olivia’s
Great pool and community house with lots of activities
Tennis court

We don’t do the parks much but my disabled daughter and her friend who always comes with us love the community house activities, the staff and the ability to easily walk around on their own. My husband and I love the tennis court and shuffle board. It really does feel like coming home.

 

[kmorlock]

Duplicate post

 

[kmorlock]

OKW - there’s just something about the energy here that you can’t exactly pinpoint. I love the classic nostalgia, and feeling at home there. We have not stayed in the refurbished rooms yet but, the colors look drab on videos. The only improvement I could see is maybe some additional quick service offerings. While many mainly use their kitchen, but there are times you just want to grab a quick bite.

 

[DizzyKnee]

Bump

 

[princessmocha]

CCV
Loves: Location, atmosphere, the rooms are gorgeous, Christmastime, the cast members are phenomenal here.
Meh: Depending on room, the horn from the boat - but when I am tired it doesn't even matter.

OKW
Loves: The large rooms, the serene atmostphere, the case members, Olivias!
Meh: No elevators in most

VGC
Loves: Location to walk right in California Adventure, Atmosphere, view
Meh: Need to be on the ball to book the room (which is the main reason we bought here)

Aulani
So we haven't stayed yet and are in ROFR - But we plan on June 2021 for my daughter HS graduation. And I am hoping for a Hawaii vacation every 3 years once we have the points!

 

[MICKIMINI]

OKW
Pros: Privacy and gorgeous landscaping views from most villas and tropical vibe - also extra large villas. Cons: Lack of restaurants/meal choices and lack of choices for groceries on site, long routes/waits for buses.

 

[Jack_Sparrow_NJ]

VGF
Pros: Great location, monorail, new pathway coming to walk to MK
Cons: High point chart

Riv
Give me a few weeks and I'll let you know.

 

[RAD]

Boardwalk
Good
- The ability to walk to EPCOT or the studios.
- Boardwalk view units
- Nightly entertainment on the Boardwalk
Bad
- No dedicated 2BR units
- Distance to self parking
- Need to go outside for any dining (bad if it's raining)

 

[sndral]

AKV
Pros -
I love animals, totally unique to see African savanna animals from my balcony
So many villa choices - from point friendly hard to book value villas in Jambo, to even harder to book club service villas in Jambo, to picking Kidani & those extra bathrooms v. Jambo and the grand lobby
Proximity to my favorite park - AK
Quiet laid back vibe, multiple dinning venues.
Cons -
Bus service only, but only 2 stops
A bit of a ride to MK
It’s always the last DME stop for me

VGF
Pros -
Easy to get to MK, will be even better once they finish the walking path
Riding the boat to/from MK
Watching the MK fireworks from gasparillas
Watching the water parade from Narcoossees
Multiple dinning venues
Relaxed, refined vibe
Lovely views from 99% of the villas including the standard views & some have fireworks views
Lovely very large villas & split bath/huge shower in 1 br.s (our normal villa choice)
Penguin fountain in villa lobby
Grand piano player in the main lobby
Cons -
Shared bus to AK & DHS
Bit of a hassle to get to Epcot, especially if the monorail is down
Takes a lot of points to stay there
Lots of visitors in the main lobby during the holidays

 

[AdamsMum]

BWV
good: walking distance to 2 parks
Boardwalk views
lots of restaurants
bad: long hallways
no counter service restaurant in building

 

[skippytx]

Bay Lake Tower

Pros:
Location
Location
Location
Sub 10 minute walk to MK gate
Skybridge to Contemporary and monorail access
Decent point chart
Lower dues than most properties

Cons:
Some people don't like the sterile feel of the resort and lack of theming
Bus service isn't the best
Small number of standard view rooms.
Studio layout makes room feel small/more cramped
No restaurants or shops in the building, have to walk to Contemporary for everything (ToW Lounge excluded)

 

[igrsod]

AKV

Pros:
The animals
The staff
The fun and unique activities
The restaurants
2 resorts to explore
The lobby sights and smells
So many rooms choices at different point values

Cons:
Buses only
Loooonnnnngggg hallways
Potentially long walk to use the drink refill machines
Dark rooms

SSR

Pros:
Availability
Big resort to explore
Pools with interesting features in multiple locations
Walk to Disney Springs

Cons:
Big resort to explore
Bus takes forever with all the stops
Dated (but that's changing)

I'm loving seeing other people's perspectives on their home resorts. I've stayed at most of them and have thought about purchasing at some as well... so this is great information.

 

[EAHajd]

AKV

Pros:
The animals
The staff
The fun and unique activities
The restaurants
2 resorts to explore
The lobby sights and smells
So many rooms choices at different point values

Cons:
Buses only
Loooonnnnngggg hallways
Potentially long walk to use the drink refill machines
Dark rooms

I agree with all of these for AKV. I wish they would put some of the drink refill machines towards the middle of the hallways. I have been in the second to last room in Kidani on the first floor and it took so long to walk to the lobby. We love it there and can't wait to stay there again!

 

[EYL]

We own at the Polynesian only. We don't have much to compare with since it's the only DVC resort we've stayed in, but here's our subjective list of Pros and Cons:

Pros
Various transportation options to MK - 2 monorail stations and 2 boats to choose from.
1 stop monorail to/from Epcot without need for transfers.
Walking distance to TTC for transport to anywhere else in the World.
Love the ambiance and theming.
Great view of the MK fireworks.
Easier to grab studios since it only has 360 studios and 20 Bungalows. (We are a family of 3.)
Two showers really help after a day at the parks or pool.
Food options are great, or you can easily go to the Grand Floridian or Contemporary for a change.

Cons
Resort is a bit spread out. Only an issue when it rains.
No arcade on site.
No Fitness Center on site – shared with the Grand Floridian and is closer to the GF.
Horns from boats early in the morning could keep you awake.
Laundry room is a bit run down due to the usage.
Don’t like it that First Floor is still considered “Lake View” and Parking Lot view is considered “Standard View.”