Torn between VWL, BCV or GF for 7 nights in 6/2005

[disneydenisel]

Hello, there are so many great Disney resorts, how can anyone decide!? I have two kids, going on 3 and 6 next year. Any advice on whether we should we stay at the VWL or BCV in June 2005? Or should we stay at the GF? We will spend a good part of the time at MK and AK, and some time at Disney-MGM and probably not a lot of time at EPCOT.

I keep going back and forth, back and forth. The villas with a kitchen seem great, but the GF seems convenient on the monorail. The VWL look peaceful and quiet, the BCV seem noisier but have a pool that most people rave about. If there was a perfect resort, I'd like to stay in one with a full kitchen, on the monorail, with a great pool & sand to play in. June will be hot...are any of these resorts better for cooling off in the heat? Better A/C in one? Does anyone split a 7-night stay, or is it too short (and a pain) to do that?

 

[diathoney]

For a 3 and 6 yo, I imagine MK will be where you'll spend the most time. VWL would be convienent for afternoon breaks. There are a lot of trees around so the outdoor areas have more shade. The pool area is more manageable since it's not as sprawling as SAB. The boat transportation is much slower than the monorail you'd have with GF. GF has a nice (kind of plain) pool with a pool slide. There a sandy beach area too. When my kids were small we stayed at the Contemporary a lot. We liked the large rooms, and easy access to MK via monorail, walking or boat.

Now that my kids are older we prefer the Epcot resort area (especially BWV), but with younger ones I'd recommend a monorail resort for easy room access.

 

[DisneyKidds]

We're splitting our next 7 night stay between the BCV and VWL. It seems we always split stays lately as we can't decide on just one resort. Splitting stays is almost like having two vacations in one. It's nice to have a few nights at an Epcot resort for the easy access to both Epcot and MGM. The WL has great access to the MK via the boat. Our kids (6, 3, 1) love the boat. Changing resorts is pretty simple as well. We always have a car so we move our own bags, but bell services will do it for you if you like. So I say split your stay. I'd go with BCV and either VWL or GF.

As for the decision between the VWL and the GF.....hard for me to help with that one. We are DVC owners so it's usually the DVC resort for us. If you are paying cash then the GF is an option, and it's a beautiful resort.

What size unit are you considering at VWL? For a full kitchen you'd need a 1BR. A 1BR unit will spoil you for sure and have much more room than a standard room at the GF. The rooms at the GF are pretty large as well, but not the size of a 1BR villa. If you are considering a studio at VWL, that would be smaller than a GF room, and it would only have a microwave, small fridge, and a sink. Not really much of a kitchen.

I guess I'd take a 1BR villa at VWL over a room at the GF. The space, the jacuzzi tub, the kitchen.......not to mention the atmosphere and theming at the WL, with wonderful grounds and nice pools, fun activities for the kids, nice access to the MK....all those would make me go VWL. Then again, we do long to stay at the GF again one day. We honeymooned there and it was wonderful.

 

[x5x5x5x5x5]

I'd go with Wilderness Lodge or GF. If you are looking at staying at a one bedroom villa (WL) versus a regular hotel room (GF) - then definitely go with the villa. I love having a separate bedroom with a jacuzzi tub - and the kitchen is large. Both resorts are convenient to MK but GF probably has a slight edge. They are vastly different types of resorts - in terms of decor. But both are gorgeous.

 

[disneydenisel]

Thanks for the help! We are considering at least a 1-bedroom villa (2 if we can rent the DVC points), so it sounds like most of you would choose the space & kitchen over the monorail convenience, and an MK resort over an EPCOT resort because of the ages of my kids. Looks like the GF is out, then, unless we go without the kids and want to splurge!

Okay, now I just have to decide whether to book through Disney or through a DVC owner. The cancellation policy is better with Disney, but egads the prices are steep!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

We love GF. The convenience of the monorail is great with small kids, my kids love the pool and beach and all the kids activites (Pirate Cruise, WOnderland Tea Party and Grand Adventures in Cooking) are right there. We love to get ice cream from Gasparilla's and watch the fireworks by the marina. We'll be back in July, 2005.

 

[jel0511]

I stayed at the GF and BWV last summer so I can give you a pretty good comparision between the GF and a 1 bedroom. The 1 bedroom unit wins HANDS DOWN! By the end of our 5 night stay at the GF, we were ready to go home, or throttle the kids! Being cooped up in one room with them was tough, and since the room is small (well compared to a one bedroom) we were at the parks more than our usual. Now, don't get me wrong, the GF is a GREAT resort, and I'd definately stay there again, but maybe in connecting rooms, or a suite, but not one single room. Now, when we got to BWV for our 7 night stay, we were burnt out, but the moment we walked in, we immediately relaxed. Having our own kitchen, washer/dryer, SPACE, it was GREAT!! So great, that we ended up buying enough points for a week at BWV to go with our week at VWL we already own. We have always LOVED staying on the monorail, hence why we did stay at the GF, and only at first had the week at VWL with DVC. The monorail is probably my favorite thing about WDW, but our feeling of staying in the villas has completely overridden that feeling. Will I miss staying on the monorail, yes. But, I'll be staying in the lap of luxuary in my one bedroom, so I don't think I'll care. If you're thinking of splitting your stay ( a good idea especially if renting points, as the weekend points can be a killer), I'd split between the GF and an Epcot DVC resort. This way, you'll be close to different parks, and experience different areas of WDW during each of your stays. GF and VWL are very close to each other, and are both MK resorts. If you've never stayed at a monorail resort, if you don't mind and are staying for at least a week, I'd recommend the switch. It is really nice staying at the GF, and I'd recommend it for anyone!!!

 

[jjohnson]

If your only spending a little time in Epcot & MGM I would not pick an Epcot resort.

 

[johnsonet]

How about 3 or 4 nights at GF and 3 or 4 nights at AKL? I know you didn't mention it, but if AK is one of your main parks, AKL is a 3-min. bus ride to AK. Plus seeing the animals is fantastic and they have, IMO, the very best activities for kids If you're at all interested, please consider AKL. Its rooms are also MUCH less expensive than GF. (I LOVE both resorts; I also like to resort-hop sometimes If you plan for it it works great! Good luck!

 

[precious pixie]

June is such a hot time in disney world I'd reccomend beach club. The pool is amazing. Great for entertaining children and adults on a hot afternoon. I also like staying in Epcot resort areas because they are very close to 2 resorts. Their are so many resturaunt choices around too. I know on the boardwalk they have a face painting booth that my liitle cousin loved and would go to every night while we stayed at Yacht Club for a magical gathering. Whatever choice you made I'm sure you will have a GREAT time!

 

[TwingleMum]

I would go for the villa. Another IMHO huge perk is a washer & dryer in your villa. No schlepping with clothes. Put them in go out when you return throw them in the dryer. This also allows you to pack very lightly. You'll have enough gear to take so this helps. Renting from a DVC owner while requiring trust on both sides can save you lots of money. Check out the DVC board look at the point calculator. plug in your dates and resort picks it should give you the # of points needed. Multiply that # by $10 and you'll have a rough idea of what the villa would cost you from a dvc member vs Disney. For ex if the # of points was 115 it would cost you $1150. Be aware weekends are higher points wise. And yes I own DVC but I don't rent out our points. Good luck. Just know if you stay DVC you'll be spoiled and buy dvc. PM if you have any ??

 

[VickiVM]

Wow - I'm not the only June'05 visitor that's already stressing about where to stay!!

I can only give you the BCV perspective since we stayed in a 2 bedroom villa in '02. It was simply awesome! We also had small children but still felt we were in the middle of all the fun with the Boardwalk just across the lake and Epcot merely a few minutes walk away. The bus to MK wasn't bad at all - although I here it's hit or miss. I've always had 'hits'.

We also rented points and got a great deal just 4 months out from someone who had to use or lose their points. I also rented points last Christmas from someone who's a regular on the boards so I can recommend this person if you'd like.

We've done the Sat. night in '02 at All Stars and last year at Dolphin. Both times we had the bell services transfer our luggage on Sunday morning.

All in all, the DVC amenities just can't be beat and well worth the extra money over the deluxe resorts.

That being said....we want to fly next June, not drive like we had the past few trips, so deluxe may be out of the question. Or at least we will probably need to split our stay between mods and
deluxe (we're a family of 5). Problem is, my husband is spoiled on DVC - darn what a horrible man!

Good Luck!

Vicki

 

[disneydenisel]

Okay, so I think I have it narrowed down, but I don't know if I should split the stay or not. I am afraid that we will like the DVC villas too much, but we are now used to staying in timeshares (we own a week on Maui) so I can see how a hotel room at 400 square feet might make me feel cramped.

Thanks for the advice!

 

[DisneyKidds]

I'll throw out my BCV/VWL split recommendation again. Both resorts are incredible and have unique things to offer.

A note about parks, including Epcot and MGM for a 3 and 6 year old. Make sure you don't underestimate the time you'll spend there. Our kids are the same ages, and I agree that we spend more hours in the MK and AK (our two favorite parks). However, access to Epcot and MGM is a big plus, even with kids that age.

Epcot isn't the greatest park for young kids, but that doesn't mean you won't spend significant enough time there to warrant a stay at an Epcot resort. If those kids include a girl, you may find yourself wanting to do the Princess Storybook Breakfast at Norway. (Make sure you are on the phone at 6:58 am EST 90 days out if that's the case) Easy access to Epcot from the BC is great for this. As for attractions, kids that age will love The Living Seas. Our 5 yo DD loves Test Track. The Norway and Mexico boat rides are on our kids must see list. There are always a few other attractions or special events going on that will interest the kids....and that's just for the kids. Other attractions will interest mom and dad, not to mention just working your way around the World Showcase sampling the tastes and sights of each country. While you are doing that the kids will have a ball making a mask and interacting with CM, possibly seeing some characters and getting some autographs. Need to eat? Epcot has so many great options. And then there is Illuminations. So all in all you will probably spend a little more time in Epcot than you think. We usually spend a full morning plus (9am to 2 pm), as well as at least two evenings (6 pm tp 9pm) including meals and Illuminations. Having easy access from the BC makes it very convenient to do exactly what we want in Epcot, exactly when we want.

Then there is MGM. Again, with kids your age we spend one good morning plus there (9 am to 2pm), probably another short morning to catch anything we missed the first time around, as well as one good evening (6 pm to close) including a meal and Fantasmic (which our 5 yo DD now loves). Again, having access to this park from the BC is extremely convenient.

So don't underestimate the convenience and benefits of a few nights at an Epcot resort even though you will spend more time at the MK and AK. When we split a week it is usually 3 nights at an Epcot resort and 4 at a MK resort.

Just food for thought.

 

[NHmouse]

I recommend going with VWL because of the proximity to MK! With your children's ages the pool at WL is more suited as well because the sprawl of stormalong bay makes it very difficult to keep an eye on your children. The pool games are geared towards younger kids as well. A word of caution you probrably not be able to rent a 2 bedroom villa from disney I have read on the DVC board that there are only a few of these in the whole resort and they are given priority to DVC members as it should be. Consider renting points if your heart is set on this.

 

[DisneyKidds]

With your children's ages the pool at WL is more suited as well because the sprawl of stormalong bay makes it very difficult to keep an eye on your children.

True, the pool at the WL is more relaxing for mom and dad as it is easier to keep tabs on the kids. However, our kids (the exact same ages as disneydenisel's) enjoy SAB more than the WL pool. They love the WL pools as well, especially the bubbling pool over by the Villas, but SAB is a little more fun for them and the slide is better. Actually, as long as you keep the kids in the shallow sandy kids section of SAB, it nice to be able to let them play and explore on their own. Neither of the pools at the WL are zero entry, so unless the kids can swim well you have to be in the pool with them, or they have to stay in the kiddie pool.

Regarding renting a 2BR villa, I have made cash reservations directly with Disney using an AP rate. So it can be done. Renting points is also a good option. Before we became DVC members we rented points to stay at VWL. It was very easy. Word of caution. If you go this route you too may find yourself an owner one day. It's that nice!! As owners we have also rented our points out to others and the process is rather painless and can save you a good bit of money (but not always). So long as you are ok with the limitations regarding changes and cancellations (ie. if you are ok with an essentially nonrefundable reservation) it can be a great way to go. Do your homework though. Depending on when you are going it isn't always cheaper to rent points, especially during peak season for DVC, which most of the summer is. A 2BR villa for a week during most of June will be 350 points. At $10 a point that works out to $500 a night. If I'm not mistaken, that is about the tax inclusive discount rate I was quoted for a cash reservation for the same villa. So if you can get a discount and the numbers come out roughly the same it might be better to have a reservation that can be modified or cancelled. Of course, renting points would guarantee you that $500 rate and you could reserve it up to 11 months in advance. There is no guarantee that a discount rate would be available directly through Disney, and who knows what the availability would be like when and if a discount came out. A lot to consider but it's fun to figure out.

 

[disneydenisel]

You guys have been really helpful in listing the pros and cons of an EPCOT resort versus a MK resort, DVC versus non-DVC. I am definitely going to rent a villa, and I really would like a 2-bedroom. Currently Disney has no 2-bedrooms for rent. Re: cancellation policy, I have to think very carefully about what to do. We are traveling with 9 other family members and they haven't settled on their dates yet even though we've all agreed in theory on which week. I really want to rent through a DVC member to get the size unit I want and to save some $$$ too. But if the rest of the group backs out or something like that, we'd be "stuck" going without them (not the worst thing to happen, but we'd have to change our dates if it was only us and then it might get complicated, depending on when the points expire, etc.

Oh, so much to think about. But I think I'll settle on a villa and try to split our stay between WL and BCV at least, and then figure out how to rent it. Thanks so much everyone!

 

[CarolA]

The One Bedrooms are WONDERFUL. No comparison to GF. You will love the space and privacy (not to mention the spa tub!)

Have a great stay! (I can't rent you points I use all mine LOL!)

 

[disneydenisel]

I just called up reservations again and found a 2-bedroom villa at VWL, so I booked it, just in case. There were not any 2-bedrooms at BCV for our dates. I'll have to try and rent the points for the BCV and then trim down my reservation at the VWL.

If I split the stay, should we stay at the BCV first or VWL? Since points are so expensive for the weekend, the Disney price ends up being about the same as renting points, so then I would only need to rent points for 5 nights, not 7.

I don't know why this starts getting so complicated. If I didn't have 9 others coming along, it would be easier to just commit to the date and do it all through a DVC owner.

 

[webray]

VWL...has a boat that makes it very convenient to get back/forth to MK.

Our choice overall would be BWV's..love them, have stayed many times. So many restaurant options very close. Excellent bus service.

GF..we have stayed..it is definately not worth the money..will never stay again.