Renting DVC points... which resort has the best accommodations?

[westie55]

Hello everyone,

I am considering renting points for an upcoming trip. In your opinion, which resort has the best accommodations and most nicely appointed rooms? I realize that theming is different everywhere as I have stayed at most of the Disney hotels in regular rooms, but I am trying to get a feel for which DVC units are the best/favorites! Trip will be in 2017 and I do have a toddler. Thanks for your insights!

 

[supersnoop]

"Best" is way too subjective. Location matters most to me, and varies based on my intentions for the trip. Rooms are almost identically "appointed," though the theming may make one seem better than another.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Agree that is very subjective. We all have our favorites but the reasons why will vary. If the rooms appointments are particularly important you may just want to look thru some pictures and see what looks best to you. My "best" are frequently at odds with others. lol And actually my 2 room "best" are not at WDW - they are VGC and Aulani.

What resorts at WDW are your favorite and why? We might be able to comment if you will find similar in the DVC section.

 

[Lynne M]

IMO, the differences between villas at the various resorts aren't that substantive, that you can say a certain resort would definitely "better" for every guest. Some will disagree with me, I know. Some resorts have features that are very important to some of us, and not at all to others.

I would suggest that you read up on each of the resorts and their amenities and locations, and decide what's the best fit for your family.

For instance, these are some questions you might ask yourself:

Do you want to be close to a specific theme park? Or does being a bit farther from the madness sound better?

Is there a specific kind of theming you prefer? Beachy? Formal? Casual? Exotic? Woodsy?

Is having a lot of dining choices nearby important? Or not so much?

 

[Sammie]

As others have said it is all personal opinion but in my opinion the most nicely appointed rooms are at the Grand Floridian Villas.
Next would be Beach Club and Boardwalk, because they just redid the rooms and they look great.
VWL would be next as their rooms just were redone also. You can find videos and photos online of each villa, I would suggest you have a look at them and decide what appeals to you.

 

[disneynutz]

IMO VGF has the nicest rooms and resort. Not the best views but very high end.

Bill

 

[DisneyRegulars]

I also think if you are looking for a studio, the Poly rooms are also very very nice.

 

[Dean]

Hello everyone,

I am considering renting points for an upcoming trip. In your opinion, which resort has the best accommodations and most nicely appointed rooms? I realize that theming is different everywhere as I have stayed at most of the Disney hotels in regular rooms, but I am trying to get a feel for which DVC units are the best/favorites! Trip will be in 2017 and I do have a toddler. Thanks for your insights!

I agree it depends on personal preference. For WDW the best high end is likely to be VGF for most people. Best location might be BLT, BWV or BCV. Best value (renting) might be AKV, SSR or OKW. There are no bad choices overall IMO. Of course the makeup and number of the group could affect the best choices as well as would the budget.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Agreed ask different DVC owners and they will all cite a different resort for valid reasons. What I can say is you can eliminate based on needs. Do you want to be near Disney Springs? Go SSR or OKW. OKW has 2 double beds, SSR has the walk to Disney Springs. Do you want a monorail resort? VGF, Poly or BLT. Do you like Epcot? Broadwalk or Beach club. Do you like the idea of Animals? AK. My favourite resorts room wise are VGF and AK , overall enjoyment are SSR and BC. I find AK a bit remote.

 

[jimmytammy]

I will take the plunge, but bear in mind, this is IMO type answers
For sheer beauty, VWL ranks at the top for me, but I consider the main Lodge as part of the mix. I love the peaceful feeling VWL encompasses. After a long day in a park, this place beckons my tired feet back. Love the boat rides to FW and Contemporary and over to MK. Love the studio, 1 and 2 bedroom layouts

For proximity to MK, nothing beats BLT. A 10 min walk and you are at the gate. All the amenities from Contemporary make this a plus plus for me. The monorail to Poly and GF, plus boat access to FW and WL makes the restaurant choices awesome. Love the 1 bedroom, cant speak towards the others. Studios get a little bad rap here, something about lack of storage

BWV is my choice for proximity to HS and Epcot. A quick walk to either makes for a nice alternative to reliability on transportation. But if you choose, a boat will do the trick too. Several resorts around, like BLT, affords you lots of eating choices. Studios, 1 and 2 beds have a nice layout, very similar to VWL. BCV isnt my cup o tea, theming isnt my thing here, but other than that, has same amenities as BWV, plus that great pool, Stormalong Bay

OKW isnt close to any park, but, much like VWL, it ranks at the top for sheer peaceful atmosphere. A nice boat ride to Disney Springs makes for a good 20 mins of the day. I have found myself napping on this boat Though the food choices are less than stellar for QS, Olivias makes for a wonderful TS for all 3 meals, and very seldom crowded. Though the studios here dont scream deluxe to me, but more glorified 4 star hotel room, the 1 and 2 beds more than make up for it. These are the best 1 and 2 beds on property IMO.

AKV Kidani(only reason Jambo not mentioned, never stayed there)much like VWL for sheer theming. But you have to go for Savanna view, nothing less will do. Only stayed in studio so cant speak towards a 1 or 2 bed, but we loved the studio. It has an extra little vanity area separate from the bath area which allows for more than one to get ready. The vast amount of eats at the combined places make for good variety. My only complaint, the sheer size. If you get stuck on the end of one of the wings(which we did)makes you feel like you are on an island seperate from the main lobby.

Editing to add...SSR is another great choice if you like proximity to Disney Springs. This makes for a very nice placement for good eats choices. SSR has a better than aveg. food QS IMO. My only real complaint about this resort, the size. But, if you look at the map, and ask for a specific area, this can be resolved fairly easy. I dont mind the walk to main area, just wouldnt want to get stuck too far away. The rooms are similar to VWL and BWV and very nice IMO

 

[Deb & Bill]

Agreed ask different DVC owners and they will all cite a different resort for valid reasons. What I can say is you can eliminate based on needs. Do you want to be near Disney Springs? Go SSR or OKW. OKW has 2 double beds, SSR has the walk to Disney Springs. Do you want a monorail resort? VGF, Poly or BLT. Do you like Epcot? Broadwalk or Beach club. Do you like the idea of Animals? AK. My favourite resorts room wise are VGF and AK , overall enjoyment are SSR and BC. I find AK a bit remote.

OKW has two queen sized beds, not double beds. You can also walk to Disney Springs from OKW. It's just under a mile and you can only do it during the day because it isn't lit at night.

 

[The Lost Disney Princess]

I would recommend bay lake tower. The rooms are beautiful especially if you get a magic kingdom or lake view. The rooms are pretty and it is an easy walk to magic kingdom. Since you have a toddler, walking to MK will be essential. Also, you have the monorail access. Second, I recommend wilderness lodge for the theming and easy boat ride to magic kingdom. But, as everyone stated, it's all up to personal preference.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

OKW has two queen sized beds, not double beds. You can also walk to Disney Springs from OKW. It's just under a mile and you can only do it during the day because it isn't lit at night.

Sorry in the Uk we call these double beds my bad! I forgot to use the term queens!

 

[J and R's mom]

1st: VGF, Poly, BLT

2nd: BWV, BCV, VWL, AKV

3rd: SSR, OKW

That's my best guess at the general ranking based solely on conjecture!...

...(Even though that list doesn't actually represent my "favorites" ranking...which is BWV/BCV, VWL, BLT, AKV)

 

[majortom1981]

If you want more to do for your toddler while not in the parks animal kingdom villas would be the best. they have the animals to look at and a lot of african themed activities for the kids. The bus ride is long to magic kingdom but its not that bad.