Transportation at SSR, OKW, AKV & BWV

[Figment1990]

Hi everyone! DH and I are still trying to decide all the particulars for our possible DVC purchase and the major issue is still - where!?

We were thinking WLV and/or BCV/BWV, probably resale. But then I was looking through the gorgeous book DVC sent me and saw the proposed artist rendering of the water play area at Kidani Village AKV (which our son would love) and with current incentives there + the awesome decor and grand villa availability.... very tempting! And I never considered it previously, but the book really tempted me to stay at SSR also!

So we were wondering if you all could share your transportation experiences to the various parks from AKL/V, OKW, SSR, and Boardwalk. We'll be staying at BWI this fall and will be able to test it out first hand, but I'd be interested in knowing ahead of time what to expect.

Also, does anyone happen to know how true to plan the water play area at Kidani is shaping up to be?

Thanks in advance!
Lisa

 

[bobbiwoz]

Wow, SSR, OKW, BWV and AKV have had recent complaints about bus service. I do I think you'll have to base your purchase on some other
criteria, because it's very often just the chance of the time you get to the bus stop.

Do any of them speak to you??!!! We own at 5 different resorts because we like them so very much, and we're the DGP of the family and like to bring whomever wants to come with us for any particular trip. The ones that we like are VLW, BWV, BCV, AKV and VB

If we could only have one, for us, it would be VWL, but thank heaven, it didn't come down to that!

From the comments that people have made here, the pool feature at Kidani will look like the pictures. (Some) People are concerned about the size of the resort vs. the size of the pool, and since there are no other pools at Kidani, that may be a concern to you.

I wish you lots of fun as you consider your purchase. We, our family and guests have all been very pleased.

Bobbi

 

[DMKEDM]

OK...here goes--

First, a generalization: Disney's bus transportation system has its good days and its bad...you're supposed to have to wait only a maximum of 20 minutes before a bus going to where you want to go comes by...in our experience (25+ trips, to all the resorts you listed, over the past 10 years) is that all the resorts have generally good bus service with some really bad days thrown in!

Also, in our experience, buses to & from Downtown Disney are "the worst," especially during the day...they just don't seem to come as regularly as park buses...

OKW: OKW has its own bus service, with five stops within the resort itself...first stop is Peninsular Road and last is Hospitality House...if you want to avoid the time it takes the bus to loop around the resort, go to HH (or get off at Peninsular Road)...we've walked all over OKW, which is quite spread out...but nothing is more than a 15-minute (or so) walk from anything else...the buses go to DTD, loop around the resort, and to all four major parks and both water parks...

There is also boat transportation to DTD and SSR (and you can get a different boat at DTD to POR)...or, you can walk to DTD...it's about a mile (give or take) on a pretty path along a canal by a golf course...supposedly the path is closed after dark, and not lit...I haven't tried it after dark, but it looks like you can take it pretty easily if walking in the dark doesn't bother you...

SSR: Much the same as OKW with one key difference: the Congress Park bus stop is a five-minute stroll to the bus depot at Downtown Disney/Marketplace), which makes it a great choice for transportation to other resorts (as opposed to a park)...first stop at SSR is the Grandstand area; last is The Springs...(Congress Park is, as I recall, stop #3 of 5)...so, you have an "internal loop" piece to the bus ride, but no stops at any other resorts on the way to your park of choice (note: a couple of the parks share w/the water parks...so w/those you'll have stops at one of the two water parks on the way to/from the park).

Walking around SSR doesn't seem to me to be any more extensive than OKW...both have lots of room for strolling, but don't think it's more than 15 minutes (or so) from any one point at SSR to any other...

There is also boat transportation to Downtown Disney and OKW...

AKV: There's only one bus stop and only buses take you to the parks...the wait times are about the same as for any other resort/park--supposed to be no more than 20 minutes and mostly it isn't, but there are times/days when it's worse (or better)...

BWV/BCV: You can walk to Epcot (thru the International Gateway)...VERY close...you can also take a walkway to the Studios (a nice, but longer walk...a bit under a mile)...there are boats from all the Epcot resorts (Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan & Dolphin) to each other and to Epcot Park and the Studios...buses go to AK and to MK (no buses to Epcot or the Studios from these resorts)...the buses are shared by all five resorts...in theory, it shouldn't take any longer/feel any different to stop at 5 close-by resorts than to stop five times w/in a resort...but for some reason, it does...while I love being able to walk to Epcot & the Studios from BCV and BWV, I really don't like the BCV/BWV bus process...altho you can get around it a bit by getting off at Swan if you're staying at the Boardwalk, or Dolphin if you're staying at the Yacht Club, if you don't feel like staying on the bus til it gets to your resort...

By and large, it takes 15 minutes to get from the last resort stop at any resort to any park (key exceptions: it's only about 5 minutes from AKL/AKV to AK Park!, and factor in the time it takes to stop at the water park on those two shared routes)...

In short, we like Disney transportation a lot...I love not having to mess w/having a car (or having to take a cab)...if you expect to depart for your destination and get there 15 minutes later, you'll hate the system...but if you allow plenty of time (an hour) before a reservation or a meeting time, you'll as often as not arrive early, but will rarely be late...

Hope this helps...

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Wow, SSR, OKW, BWV and AKV have had recent complaints about bus service. I do I think you'll have to base your purchase on some other
criteria, because it's very often just the chance of the time you get to the bus stop.

Do any of them speak to you??!!! We own at 5 different resorts because we like them so very much, and we're the DGP of the family and like to bring whomever wants to come with us for any particular trip. The ones that we like are VLW, BWV, BCV, AKV and VB

If we could only have one, for us, it would be VWL, but thank heaven, it didn't come down to that!

From the comments that people have made here, the pool feature at Kidani will look like the pictures. (Some) People are concerned about the size of the resort vs. the size of the pool, and since there are no other pools at Kidani, that may be a concern to you.

I wish you lots of fun as you consider your purchase. We, our family and guests have all been very pleased.

Bobbi

We love BWV!

We have always had good luck with transportation at BWV. It seems like I wait just as long for boats as I do busses. Getting back from MK can be a pain sometimes, but I've found that at all of the resorts.

 

[drusba]

We own at BWV and AKV.

AKL: busses to all parks; fairly good and better than most resorts because busses serve only that resort and currently have only one station area at the resort -- once Kidani done busses will make two stops at AKV/AKL.

BWV: best for Epcot and Studios because you can walk to Epcot (less than 10 minutes) and Studios (about 20 minutes); can also boat to either (to Epcot quick trip, to Studios, two other stops at YC/BC and Swan/Dolphin and can take up to 30 minutes). You bus to MK and AKV. Not that good because you share bus with Swan/Dolphin (which itself has two stops) and sometimes (slower times) also share with YC/BC (which also has two stops); sometimes that trip back from MK when BWV is last stop can take 40 minutes or more.

There will be the play area at Kidani, currently under construction.

 

[hakepb]

Having stayed at SSR and BWV, I've overall thought that the SSR bus transportation has been good, but using boats is such a really, really nice change of pace
At BWV, I was somewhat disapointed that the busses were shared with Swan/Dolphin, and sometimes YC/BCV, but after experiencing a few EPCOT / studios trips in the boats, I forgot about that inconvience.

 

[Figment1990]

OK...here goes--

First, a generalization: Disney's bus transportation system has its good days and its bad...you're supposed to have to wait only a maximum of 20 minutes before a bus going to where you want to go comes by...in our experience (25+ trips, to all the resorts you listed, over the past 10 years) is that all the resorts have generally good bus service with some really bad days thrown in!

I couldn't agree more with this generalization across all resorts (at least in my experience).

Also, in our experience, buses to & from Downtown Disney are "the worst," especially during the day...they just don't seem to come as regularly as park buses...

I noticed this as well. In fact, that is what is prompting this question because we took "the first bus that arrived" from a park to a resort (OKW), and then had to wait FOREVER for a bus to DTD. But I do not want to base my transportation observation on travelling to DTD in the middle of the day.

AKV: There's only one bus stop and only buses take you to the parks...the wait times are about the same as for any other resort/park--supposed to be no more than 20 minutes and mostly it isn't, but there are times/days when it's worse (or better)...

I have heard this before - that AKL buses are good because there is only one stop (currently) and only stop at one resort + a waterpark sometimes. Anyone else agree?

BWV/BCV: You can walk to Epcot (thru the International Gateway)...VERY close...you can also take a walkway to the Studios (a nice, but longer walk...a bit under a mile)...there are boats from all the Epcot resorts (Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan & Dolphin) to each other and to Epcot Park and the Studios...buses go to AK and to MK (no buses to Epcot or the Studios from these resorts)...the buses are shared by all five resorts...in theory, it shouldn't take any longer/feel any different to stop at 5 close-by resorts than to stop five times w/in a resort...but for some reason, it does...while I love being able to walk to Epcot & the Studios from BCV and BWV, I really don't like the BCV/BWV bus process...altho you can get around it a bit by getting off at Swan if you're staying at the Boardwalk, or Dolphin if you're staying at the Yacht Club, if you don't feel like staying on the bus til it gets to your resort...

I can't wait to experience this for myself again this fall. The few times I've travelled to and from one of these resorts/parks, I've had the same experience. In theory it isn't longer, but it sure feels like it.

 

[popgfd]

We belong at OKW and BWV. My wife uses an ECV so we have a preference for boarwdalk and I'd place Beach Club in this comment because you can walk to EPCOT and the Studios as previously explained and you can pass thru EPCOT for the monorail.

The down side at BWV is you are the last on and off. Sometimes there are 3 hotels [plus the Swan and Dolphin] and sometimes there are 5 [S+D plus YC and BC]. So the buses can be crowded and there are times where buses come within a couple of minutes. The issue here is the next round of buses may be 45 to 60 minutes later.

OKW has the 5 stops as mentioned but the bus may leave when filled leaving people on the last couple of stops in the lurch --we almost missed Cindy's very expensive breakfast over this issue.

One person suggested you change the criterion and I endorse that suggestion. So consider room size where OKW has a distinct advantage to room cost --standard view at BWV for example-- to whatever is a family priority.

We travel to WDW 2x's per year and invite other siblings plus their family members on one trip per year. We have had some issues but the vast majority of the time we do very nicely with all forms of transportation.

Pop

 

[Figment1990]

One person suggested you change the criterion and I endorse that suggestion. So consider room size where OKW has a distinct advantage to room cost --standard view at BWV for example-- to whatever is a family priority.
Pop

I should clarify that transportation is not our only (or main) criteria for our decision, just the one currently up for discussion (and research).

Thanks!

 

[popgfd]

Then relax because there is no bad choice. We started with one contract for a couple of hundred points at OKW and now are at about 1600 at BWV and OKW.

There are plenty of well thought out advisories about selection criteria but it still comes down to it is fundamentally the mouse and Disney. So my advice is to not overthink your selection because the DVC is still a win/win proposition.

Good Luck

Pop

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