What are the top five WDW Resorts

[strine56]

I would like to know what are the top 5 WDW Vacation Club resorts? Which ones are the most requested vacation club resorts?

 

[Missytara]

You will most likely get a better answer on the DVC board, but you are also asking a very subjective question. It is like asking what are the top five fast food restaurants or the top five places to buy a car. You are going to get totally different answers.

In the end, it is the best thing to do the research and decide which are your top five..

 

[OKW Lover]

Right now there are only seven DVC resorts at WDW:
Old Key West
Beach Club Villas
Boardwalk Villas
Animal Kingdom Villas
Villas at Wilderness Lodge
Sarasota Springs Resort
Bay Lake Towers

IMHO the top 5 are; OKW, BCV, AKV, BWV, VWL

 

[beer dave]

You might have to include the Tree house villas on your list. I know they are "part " of ssr, kind of, but totally different.

blt, bwv, akv, bcv, okw

 

[beer dave]

I can tell you that from my experience the easiest to get into is ssr. Around the food and wine festival, almost impossible to get in boardwalk or beach club. Bay Lake theme park view is quite difficult to get most of the time.

 

[Scarlett81]

I just spoke with Dave's point rentals to inquire about a last minute booking and only wanted info on AKV, BLT or BWI. She said AKV and BLT were the most popular villas and there was no way they'd be available. (they weren't)
She said OKW and SSR are almost always available, not because they aren't nice, but because they're just huge.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I just spoke with Dave's point rentals to inquire about a last minute booking and only wanted info on AKV, BLT or BWI. She said AKV and BLT were the most popular villas and there was no way they'd be available. (they weren't)
She said OKW and SSR are almost always available, not because they aren't nice, but because they're just huge.

AKV and BLT are the two newest at WDW. Everyone always wants the newest resort.

You might have to include the Tree house villas on your list. I know they are "part " of ssr, kind of, but totally different.

Nah, THV is just a part of SSR. A GV is totally different from a studio, but you don't count them differently.

 

[TaraPA]

I would like to know what are the top 5 WDW Vacation Club resorts? Which ones are the most requested vacation club resorts?

You'll get 6 answers of one, half a dozen of the other. Everyone has their own preferences. I stayed in a 2BR villa at BLT & wouldn't choose to stay there again unless it was all that was available. But it's probably the most popular in terms of bookings, so go figure. 2BR at BC & BW are almost impossible to book if you're not DVC, or if you don't book with cash right at the 7-month out point. I've been trying to book those for years (I'm not DVC). I was lucky enough to get a BCV studio for March, and can't wait!

My favorite DVC so far is Kidani. I love the theming & the atmosphere, plus the size & newness of the villas. But many say they're themed to dark, and they're too far away from the parks.

To each their own!

 

[OKW Lover]

Also wanted to note that "most requested" has to be considered along with size of the resort. From that perspective, SSR or OKW might be "most requested" simply because there are so many units (and owners) there.

 

[ppony]

You'll get 6 answers of one, half a dozen of the other. Everyone has their own preferences. I stayed in a 2BR villa at BLT & wouldn't choose to stay there again unless it was all that was available. But it's probably the most popular in terms of bookings, so go figure.

And see, I thought our 2BR villa there was absolutely SUBLIME! I wished we had bought there in stead of AKV on that stay and we love AKV. So it goes to illustrate the point that the question is highly subjective. And given there are only 7 DVC resorts anyway, it's faster to ask what 2 are on the bottom.

 

[Princess&CowboyMommy]

My favs are:

1. Beach Club
2. AKV (if club level, it's #1)
3. Wilderness Lodge
4. OKW
4. SSR (this has moved up with their addition of the treehouse villas and new pool)

and my hubby would tell you these:

1. OKW
1. SSR
3. Wilderness Lodge
3. Beach Club
5. AKV (moves up to #1 if club level)

I like the convenience of the Beach Club to Epcot and HS - that we can walk or ride the boat and not take a bus. AKV is second because they have so many kids activities that you can spend a day just at the resort and have lots to do.

My hubby likes how OKW and SSR are a little removed from the hustle of the parks. He does think that SSR and Beach Club have the best pools, but that being said, we've never tried the one at Kidani, only Jambo. Pools are imp to my kids when we stay and they spend about 1/3 to 1/2 their days there

hth!

 

[ppony]

... but that being said, we've never tried the one at Kidani, only Jambo. Pools are imp to my kids when we stay and they spend about 1/3 to 1/2 their days there

You MUST try the Kidani pool area! SO different from the Jambo pool. My boys went NUTS over it and still talk about it. TRY IT! They will LOVE IT!

 

[robinbutterfly]

I don't think anything will top BLT for me.

 

[goofy4tink]

For me...
1. BWV
2. BLT
3. Kidani
4. BCV
5. VWL

And BLT and Kidani are pretty close...almost a tie. SSR and OKW hold no appeal for me at all. I've stayed at OKW and don't feel the need to go back. It's nice just not my cup of tea. And while SSR is a beautiful resort, again, not my cup of tea. Then again, I don't care for the GF either.
It's all very subjective....as is the case with many 'which is best' discussions.

 

[Haley]

I can tell you that from my experience the easiest to get into is ssr. Around the food and wine festival, almost impossible to get in boardwalk or beach club. Bay Lake theme park view is quite difficult to get most of the time.

I just booked a 2 bedroom at BCV for a week in October- and with a discount, too.- so it can be done.

 

[chalee94]

I would like to know what are the top 5 WDW Vacation Club resorts? Which ones are the most requested vacation club resorts?

also factor in how large the resorts are:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=43070117&postcount=3

at wdw, VWL and BCV are the smallest DVC resorts. VWL has 136 units and BCV has 208 units...SSR by comparison has almost 900 units available to book...

 

[FlyingFishFan]

From our experiences, this would be how they would rate for me:

1. BeachClub
2. Boardwalk
3. Animal Kingdom (Jambo-Kidani)
4. Saratoga Springs
5. Old Key West

**Haven't stayed at WLV or BLT.

BeachClub ranks as our #1 because of location (we love Epcot), StormAlongBay, and Beaches and Cream.
Boardwalk is a close second. Atmosphere there is amazing. Flying Fish and Big River Grill are a must every trip (even if we are not staying there).
Jambo and Kidani are so far removed from everything, but just has its own flavor and feel to them that we love. Something about waking up to the various wildlife is pretty cool.
Saratoga's closeness to Downtown Disney is a plus.
Old Key West probably had the best rooms of all the places we've stayed.

My wife put it best when she said Disney has something for everybody. Everyone has different tastes. Someone said it best earlier, when you're in Disney we're always happy.

 

[strine56]

I believe OKW is the first DVC and could be one of the two best deals for a resale. I believe SSR is the best way to go for a resale. I can almost always find availability for SSR. I am not a DVC member.

 

[Wakey]

Have been to them all, but not stayed in every one yet. Sometimes a stay can change one’s opinion, it downgraded AKL for us, sometimes it may push it up. So this is subject to change when I’ve stayed in them all.
1.Boardwalk or Beach Club- would have bought there if had more than 24 years left. I think I like them about the same, but I’m stopping in Beach Club for first time this year so I’ll see if it elevates it above or below Boardwalk then or keeps it about the same.
2. BLT- proximity to magic kingdom. My wife thinks it’s like a concrete apartment building but I suspect she will be won over at Xmas/ NY this year with the sheer convenience when crowds are insane and (hopefully) we can watch the fireworks in TOTWL on 12/30. Only when doing an MK trip though, if not drop it 2 places so this one more than any other is park visit specific to me.
3. VWL- IF they restore the walking paths as being able to run and walk outside is essential to us. If they never come back, it goes near the bottom.
4. SSR- Only after room refurb, at the moment it’s 1 place lower as I don’t like tired rooms, but when the refurb is done it will be one of my favourites as I like the outdoor spaces and walking ability. For non park visits this will probably be number 1 after the refurb with OKW as number 2.
5. OKW- really like it here, vies with SSR for fourth, currently beats it until SSR room refurb done and space is a big winner.
6. AKL- lovely hotel but no outdoor walking or running make it feel like being stuck in a big all inclusive on the Yucatan Peninsula to us.

Always go for 1 beds up so haven’t looked at Poly. Find GF too stuffy but too points intensive so have never looked at staying there.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You know that you started this thread in 2011, right???