Talk to me about the DVC Studios : Saratoga, OKW or Kidani Villiage

[GabetrixDisney]

Hello everyone,

Planning for our next trip in April of 2021 and never really considered a studio at one of the DVC resorts and was wondering if you folks think it’s worth it to have those extra amenities and any pros and cons for the specific resorts.

Originally gravitated toward CBR because of skyliner and other perks but I’m interested in DVC studios!

We plan on doing a lot of dining so on site dining options or easy to get to dining options are always a plus. Especially with how things are now.

If it’s possible I’d like the path of least resistance to ride Rise of the Resistance so reliable transportation for rope dropping Hollywood studios and then the other resorts as well would be a big benefit.

Just me and my fiancé for this trip. Any advice is always greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[gharter]

We have done the studio at Kidani and loved it. Good size, love the savannah. And saana is wonderful. Jambo House is only a 5 minute walk if they open Jiko and Boma.
You mention transportation is important and bus is it from Kidani, so that might an issue. Same issue with the other 2 you listed.
I would consider trying to get a studio at Boardwalk. You can walk to 2 parks and have lots of dining options close by.

 

[happymommy]

I agree about the Boardwalk if you can stay there.

I’d avoid Kidani for several reasons. Food options are limited there with Jambo hotel rooms closed until next summer. It’s remote to most parks.

 

[kanerf]

Neither Kidani or OKW has much in the way of food options. Also, the studios at OKW have two queen size beds and not much room for anything else. I don't care for them. I would go with Saratoga because of the ease of getting to Disney Springs and all of the food options there.

 

[skeeter31]

I agree about the Boardwalk if you can stay there.

I’d avoid Kidani for several reasons. Food options are limited there with Jambo hotel rooms closed until next summer. It’s remote to most parks.

There is no reopening date for the AKL hotel rooms at this time. Summer is just a hopeful rumor right now. Could be sooner or later. I actually think the AKL hotel side will probably be the absolute last rooms on property to reopen.

 

[Marionnette]

Hello everyone,

Planning for our next trip in April of 2021 and never really considered a studio at one of the DVC resorts and was wondering if you folks think it’s worth it to have those extra amenities and any pros and cons for the specific resorts.

Originally gravitated toward CBR because of skyliner and other perks but I’m interested in DVC studios!

We plan on doing a lot of dining so on site dining options or easy to get to dining options are always a plus. Especially with how things are now.

If it’s possible I’d like the path of least resistance to ride Rise of the Resistance so reliable transportation for rope dropping Hollywood studios and then the other resorts as well would be a big benefit.

Just me and my fiancé for this trip. Any advice is always greatly appreciated. Thanks

A studio at Riviera would put you on the Skyliner route. The rooms are fresh and spacious. Good dining options. But it’s pretty pricey. If renting DVC points, it will be hard to book.

Boardwalk is ideally located. You can easily walk to HS, so no need to rely on Disney transportation. Food options include whatever is open at BWV, YC & BC, the S&D, and you can easily stroll into Epcot for more dining options if you have a park hopper ticket. However, BWV is about 5 years into a 7-year soft goods refurb cycle. So, it’s looking a bit threadbare.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You no longer have to be at DHS at rope drop to get a boarding pass for Rise.

 

[philharmagic fan]

Hello everyone,

Planning for our next trip in April of 2021 and never really considered a studio at one of the DVC resorts and was wondering if you folks think it’s worth it to have those extra amenities and any pros and cons for the specific resorts.

Originally gravitated toward CBR because of skyliner and other perks but I’m interested in DVC studios!

We plan on doing a lot of dining so on site dining options or easy to get to dining options are always a plus. Especially with how things are now.

If it’s possible I’d like the path of least resistance to ride Rise of the Resistance so reliable transportation for rope dropping Hollywood studios and then the other resorts as well would be a big benefit.

Just me and my fiancé for this trip. Any advice is always greatly appreciated. Thanks

Really the only differences between a DVC studio and a regular room in a deluxe resort are an extra sink, a microwave and toaster, and a sofa sleeper instead of a second bed (admittedly nice for seating if there are only 2 of you). Unless you're planning to reheat leftovers in your room, I wouldn't limit my resort choices to DVC studios.

 

[skeeter31]

Really the only differences between a DVC studio and a regular room in a deluxe resort are an extra sink, a microwave and toaster, and a sofa sleeper instead of a second bed (admittedly nice for seating if there are only 2 of you). Unless you're planning to reheat leftovers in your room, I wouldn't limit my resort choices to DVC studios.

Well, currently, DVC Studios are the majority of rooms that are available for booking as most of the resort sides of these properties aren’t open and don’t have any reopening dates announced. That’s why so many people are asking about DVC rooms as they’re going to be staying in them for the first time.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Neither Kidani or OKW has much in the way of food options. Also, the studios at OKW have two queen size beds and not much room for anything else. I don't care for them. I would go with Saratoga because of the ease of getting to Disney Springs and all of the food options there.

OKW has plenty of food options. Olivia's is open as is Goods to Go. Plus the store in the gift shop has plenty of food items to purchase to prepare/eat in your studio. The studio has a microwave, 10-12 cup coffee pot (Disney will provide you with filtered pouches of Joffrey's coffee, sweetener, creamer). The refrigerator is larger than the ones in mods and values, but will probably not have a freezer section. The only issue with dining is finding one with openings. You need to book those meals at 60 days out, even Olivia's had very few breakfast times during our stay. Usually we just check the website, put in a request for a time the next day and get a decent breakfast time. This trip, we couldn't get a breakfast time three days out except for 7:30AM. Goods to Go had some breakfast items, but no indoor seating. Just the outdoor seating at picnic tables.

We just got back from a four night stay at OKW in a studio and found it very roomy. Two real queen beds instead of the single queen bed and convertible bed at SSR and KV. The OKW studio will give you a lot more space than any of the other studios. Polynesian might have more space, but most of it is the bathroom and the living space is smaller than the OKW living space.

 

[nkereina]

Its just DH and I so we either stay in a standard hotel room or rent points for a DVC studio. When we choose to rent points, we do it just to stay at the resort and not necessarily because of DVC or studio amenities. The only real difference is that you'll have a basic kitchenette in room - sink, microwave, maybe a toaster? All rooms will have the mini fridge.

Who knows what the situation will be come April, but in the current environment, buses are operating at limited capacity which may result in longer waits for buses. All of the DVC resorts you mentioned use buses exclusively. Staying at CBR would be my choice because you can use the Skyliner to DHS and Epcot which is a great advantage. At SSR, you also can be within walking distance of Disney Springs. We visited Disney Springs more than ever on our October trip since parks are closing earlier than usual, giving us more free time in the evenings. So for that reason, SSR would be my top DVC choice of the ones you mention.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Its just DH and I so we either stay in a standard hotel room or rent points for a DVC studio. When we choose to rent points, we do it just to stay at the resort and not necessarily because of DVC or studio amenities. The only real difference is that you'll have a basic kitchenette in room - sink, microwave, maybe a toaster? All rooms will have the mini fridge.

Who knows what the situation will be come April, but in the current environment, buses are operating at limited capacity which may result in longer waits for buses. All of the DVC resorts you mentioned use buses exclusively. Staying at CBR would be my choice because you can use the Skyliner to DHS and Epcot which is a great advantage. At SSR, you also can be within walking distance of Disney Springs. We visited Disney Springs more than ever on our October trip since parks are closing earlier than usual, giving us more free time in the evenings. So for that reason, SSR would be my top DVC choice of the ones you mention.

We had a four night trip in Oct to BCV, four night trip in Nov to KV and four night trip in Dec to OKW. We used buses a lot and never had any problems getting a bus. They are running more frequently (our dues show a big increase in transportation). We never had a bus not show up in 20 minutes or less. Most of the time it was just a few minutes if it didn't arrive just as we arrived at the bus stop. The most full bus we rode was from AK to KV about a half hour before the park closed. We got the last two seats on the bus and one family was left behind because they had more than two riding. We walked up to the bus after it was already there and mostly full. We boarded through the rear door since the seats we were assigned to were close to the door.

 

[nkereina]

We had a four night trip in Oct to BCV, four night trip in Nov to KV and four night trip in Dec to OKW. We used buses a lot and never had any problems getting a bus. They are running more frequently (our dues show a big increase in transportation). We never had a bus not show up in 20 minutes or less. Most of the time it was just a few minutes if it didn't arrive just as we arrived at the bus stop. The most full bus we rode was from AK to KV about a half hour before the park closed. We got the last two seats on the bus and one family was left behind because they had more than two riding. We walked up to the bus after it was already there and mostly full. We boarded through the rear door since the seats we were assigned to were close to the door.

We never had an issue with the frequency of the buses, but its the capacity that can create issues. The maximum capacity on a bus now equates to the number of physical seats there are, and less than that if there is an ECV rider. Prior to Covid, people would squeeze in every inch and would always try to make room for the last two left to board. Not an option now. This is why people are lining up well before the buses start running to make rope drop, and why many others (myself included) have had to wait for the next bus to come around. I agree that it didn't take significantly long for another bus to come, but in the past, I wouldn't have had to wait for a second bus at all with the room that was left on the first one.

 

[AliceIn]

Poly Studios are the largest on property, and they have two showers. I love the Poly!