Update 2: final resorts! Update: PVB vs AKV. Otherwise known as pull-out couches vs noisy rooms. Help!

[TikiWiki33]

Funal Update: Reservation confirmation numbers in hand. First 2 nights now at BCV, followed by 5 nights at Poly.

We put in our requests to David's 2 weeks before our 11 month window opened. Poly took 10 days to secure; BCV took 20 days. I was VERY surprised that we got BVC, especially since we're going during the BWV refurbishment (assuming that pushed a lot of people to Beach...)

Update: I showed everyone this thread (lol) and we debated over Zoom for way too long. In the end we decided on a split stay between AKL - Jambo and Poly. Best (and worse) of both worlds! Grandpa will bring ear plugs and a white noise machine. Thanks for the advice, everyone!

To recap:

• Big multi-gen family (9 adults, 7 kids) trip in Jan 2024
• Most are first-timers to WDW, but long time DL vets
• Commando-style parks touring (but who are we kidding; we have toddlers and retired parents now. No opening to closing anymore!)
• Parents are graciously footing the bill for accommodations; renting points through broker.

Poly looks great and families say they're ok with studios. BUT we have several light sleepers in the group, especially dad/grandpa. And with fireworks, ferry horns, patio noise, construction noise it's freaking me out a bit. At Poly we'd likely be taking a mid-day break. And for that price, I'm feeling a lot of pressure for everything to be "perfect", you know? (And I'm not even paying!) Am I over reacting or is AKV a better fit?

ETA: DH and I stayed at Kidani in Sept and loved it despite the distance to the parks (which, really, didn't seem bad)

 

[RoseGold]

A lot of Disney hotels are really old and just terrible with noise. Even GF, which costs an arm and a leg, is way, way below what I would consider acceptable in a modern hotel. Some of them are really, really bad. Here's a pretty good rundown.

https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/hotels/sound-ratings

Plus, all of these hotels are overrun with kids, so noise matters even more.

If you're renting points, BLT might be a good compromise. The chart is on the low side, and the noise is much better than the old, converted buildings. Another idea might be to pop over to Marriott and just go Swolphin.

Construction should be fine, if you are renting Poly DVC. The DVC buildings are nowhere near the construction. But they're still really old buildings and the boat/kids/groundskeeping is loud.

 

[kes601]

I'm a light sleeper. At AKV Kidani I slept better than I have at any hotel at Disney. It was so freaking quiet.

 

[LRdismom]

I use a white noise machine at every hotel now. Works wonderfully.

 

[RoseGold]

I use a white noise machine at every hotel now. Works wonderfully.

I have a noise machine in my owner's locker, and it was no match for VGF2, the converted "resort" rooms. VGF1, the new building, I have never heard a peep. These are still really old buildings covered in kids, so it's tough.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I stayed at AKL in May and December last year and didn't have any issues with noise. I did find that there is a longer wait for busses midday than at any other resort I stayed at. I waited 45 minutes to get from HS to AKL around noon. I saw three Polynesian and four Fort Wilderness busses pass by before 1 AKL showed up. Also the AKL (Kidani) hallways are VERY long. I thought people were exaggerating about the long hallways but no, it's very accurate. The resort itself is beautiful, though. I loved it there.

 

[Frugal Fairy Tales]

I stayed at AKL in May and December last year and didn't have any issues with noise. I did find that there is a longer wait for busses midday than at any other resort I stayed at. I waited 45 minutes to get from HS to AKL around noon. I saw three Polynesian and four Fort Wilderness busses pass by before 1 AKL showed up. Also the AKL (Kidani) hallways are VERY long. I thought people were exaggerating about the long hallways but no, it's very accurate. The resort itself is beautiful, though. I loved it there.

Those Kidani hallways are longer than the walk from Bay Lake Tower to Magic Kingdom!

 

[FeliciaB23]

My Mom and I stayed in a Poly DVC studio in November for 6 nights and we are both light sleepers. Neither of us heard a peep our entire visit, which included mid-day breaks in the room. We were shocked and very pleased considering we read how "paper thin" the walls are there!

 

[sndral]

The one thing west coast DL/CA folks always remark on when they first visit WDW is how far apart everything is, thus cutting down ‘commute time’ to one or two parks is helpful.
Normally w/ toddlers I’d recommend an MK resort - but since your group are DL vets & the MK is very like DL, you might want to go in a different direction.
BWV’s are walkable to both Epcot & DHS so might be worth a look. Point chart is reasonable & it’s a decent sized resort so booking preferred view villas should be doable in Jan. 2024. Other easy to Epcot/DHS resorts are BC (small resort, thus harder to get,) & Riviera via Skyliner (expensive point chart.)
I’m a big AKV fan (personally prefer Jambo) & nearby AK is very different from anything at DL/CA, but the buses will be a hassle for the stroller set.
MK resorts are BLT (tiny studios,) Poly (studios only except for pricey bungalows & a long walk to MK, but right next door to the TTC so easy to hop on the Epcot monorail,) VGF (expensive point chart, moderate walk to MK,) CCV/BRV @ WL - reminds me of the Grand Californian, has lovely grounds, is a boat ride or a bus ride to MK.

 

[Minniemoo15]

We always stay in a standard room at Poly and never have an issue with noise.

 

[DeeBee3]

I have not stayed at Poly, but I did enjoy our Kidani 1-bedroom. After walking all day at AK in August, I went to lay down in bed and proceeded to fall asleep. My kids were at the pool with my husband and when they came back, (they all took showers/baths) I didn't hear ANYTHING. I slept till morning. I never sleep through the night and I am a very light sleeper. It's terrible. So, I think with the hallways and the heat, I just crashed, but hey - I didn't hear anything!

I would also suggest newly renovated Boulder Ridge as it gives you the Murphy beds now. Also a beautiful resort to hang out and relax. LOVE the boat to MK. You would have to show your family pics, etc, and see what they think. We love it, but we are extremely biased.

 

[Miffy]

A lot of Disney hotels are really old and just terrible with noise. Even GF, which costs an arm and a leg, is way, way below what I would consider acceptable in a modern hotel. Some of them are really, really bad. Here's a pretty good rundown.

https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/hotels/sound-ratings

Plus, all of these hotels are overrun with kids, so noise matters even more.

If you're renting points, BLT might be a good compromise. The chart is on the low side, and the noise is much better than the old, converted buildings. Another idea might be to pop over to Marriott and just go Swolphin.

Construction should be fine, if you are renting Poly DVC. The DVC buildings are nowhere near the construction. But they're still really old buildings and the boat/kids/groundskeeping is loud.

I clicked on the link to the noise ratings and I've had an experience completely opposite to what the chart is indicating. The very worst noise problem I've ever had a WDW--so bad I was unable to sleep more than a couple hours at a time the entire 5-night stay--was at All Star Music, a resort this chart rates as A. I'd give it an F-minus. And I have never had a bad noise experience at AKL Jambo, which this chart rates as an F.

We often stay at POFQ, which the chart rates as B, but I'd give it an A+. We were there in December in a room right across from the playground and we heard zero from our room.

So perhaps the sound test that Touring Plans used isn't a good test of what the sound in the rooms is actually like since the problem with sound at WDW resorts isn't someone standing outside your door and playing loud music, it's the sound of people rolling their luggage outside your door, the voices of people in the next room, the footsteps of people above you.

 

[RoseGold]

I clicked on the link to the noise ratings and I've had an experience completely opposite to what the chart is indicating.

I agree with you for Jambo, but maybe I got lucky on that one? And I was in a 2BR suite to be fair, so the adjacent door, which is always an issue, wasn't in play. I've actually never heard a peep anywhere at BW, but it wouldn't surprise me if TP is correct about that one as well, it is a really old building.

Otherwise, my experience exactly matches this chart. I don't even know if I had neighbors at Dolphin. GF and Poly are sad. General consensus is that Swolphin and BLT are well sound-proofed.

Poly really depends on who is next to you with the door. I've definitely heard noises above the normal TV level next door. (Though VGF2 was much worse.) I swear I remember a post about someone hearing adult activities next door at Poly, which totally could happen. And you can easily hear outside noises, like the leaf blowers or the boat horn, or the kids yelling in the hall. I heard someone screaming on their phone on the balcony. This isn't normal modern hotel standards, even at much cheaper hotels. Sure, you could get lucky, but Poly is definitely in the noisy category. Plus, Poly has a lot of general traffic and people everywhere, which doesn't help.

All of these hotels are covered in kids, and it isn't hard to get unlucky with neighbors.

 

[Miffy]

I agree with you for Jambo, but maybe I got lucky on that one? And I was in a 2BR suite to be fair, so the adjacent door, which is always an issue, wasn't in play. I've actually never heard a peep anywhere at BW, but it wouldn't surprise me if TP is correct about that one as well, it is a really old building.

Otherwise, my experience exactly matches this chart. I don't even know if I had neighbors at Dolphin. GF and Poly are sad. General consensus is that Swolphin and BLT are well sound-proofed.

Poly really depends on who is next to you with the door. I've definitely heard noises above the normal TV level next door. (Though VGF2 was much worse.) I swear I remember a post about someone hearing adult activities next door at Poly, which totally could happen. And you can easily hear outside noises, like the leaf blowers or the boat horn, or the kids yelling in the hall. I heard someone screaming on their phone on the balcony. This isn't normal modern hotel standards, even at much cheaper hotels. Sure, you could get lucky, but Poly is definitely in the noisy category. Plus, Poly has a lot of general traffic and people everywhere, which doesn't help.

All of these hotels are covered in kids, and it isn't hard to get unlucky with neighbors.

At All Star Music, I heard every single word the people in the next room were saying--and they were not shouting. I also heard everything they were doing (including, ahem, you-know-what), and they also had a crying baby. Additionally, I heard every footstep outside the door of my room and every conversation in the outdoor hallway. Maybe I just had the worst room at ASMu, but I would never ever ever stay there again. I was a relative WDW newbie at the time or I would've just gone to the front desk and begged them to move me to another room or another resort. I would've been happy to pay for it.

As for Jambo, I've stayed there many, many times, so I don't think you got lucky. I've never had a noise problem there.

 

[jlnten17]

The convenience of the MK resorts cannot be beat. I LOVE Poly and the studios are quite large so that would get my vote. However, I have stayed in 1 BR at other DVC resorts and can appreciate the value of the additional bath and kitchen space. Will you be spending a lot of time cooking/relaxing in the room as an entire group? The pools and views at the Poly as well as the convenience to hop to other great resorts or MK or Epcot via monorail for dinner etc is the deciding factor for me. If you do decide poly as for Tokelau building. You can get a great pool view of the quiet pool (not so quiet) or you can ask to face away from the pool for those that are light sleepers. Either way I hope you have a great trip! What a treat for the family.

 

[kanerf]

You might also consider BRV. With the recent refurb, the rooms are quite nice. Very quiet and peaceful. A boat ride to MK and buses to everywhere else.

 

[SLThomas318]

We did a big family trip over Thanksgiving. There were 11 of us, 5 kids and 6 adults. We did 3 studios standard view poly (we are DVC members). Grandparents had gone a couple times, but brother's family was first time with their kids. Kids ages were 4-8. It was perfect! We ended up with all 3 next to each other. Everyone had their own space and the murphy beds are wayyyyy better then a pull-out. We only did 4 nights, but were able to take a break every day with the kids and let them get in pool time. One night they swam while the fireworks were going. We had strollers so being able to wheel on to the monorail for MK and Epcot was great. We love Animal Kingdom, but the transportation time can be rough if you need breaks. We also feel like it is ready for a refresh and don't enjoy the pull-out couch now that we've experienced the new murphy beds.

And I feel ya on the stress. Grandparents were covering the trip as a big family xmas present and it was stressful spending other people's money! It ended up going really well and just having the whole family together was magical! You can't go wrong!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Those Kidani hallways are longer than the walk from Bay Lake Tower to Magic Kingdom!

And longer than the walk from BCV into IG. I counted the steps.

 

[brazzledazzler]

A lot of Disney hotels are really old and just terrible with noise. Even GF, which costs an arm and a leg, is way, way below what I would consider acceptable in a modern hotel. Some of them are really, really bad. Here's a pretty good rundown.

https://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/hotels/sound-ratings

Plus, all of these hotels are overrun with kids, so noise matters even more.

If you're renting points, BLT might be a good compromise. The chart is on the low side, and the noise is much better than the old, converted buildings. Another idea might be to pop over to Marriott and just go Swolphin.

Construction should be fine, if you are renting Poly DVC. The DVC buildings are nowhere near the construction. But they're still really old buildings and the boat/kids/groundskeeping is loud.

BLT Lakeview can be very loud during the water pageant. It’s been the worst experience of noise for our family, it woke everyone up.