What is the best way to tour all the DVC properties?

[douglas4315]

We are heading down to SSR is a couple of days and would like to see all the DVC properties to choose where we want to stay next? What is the easiest way to do this? Bus? If so how long with this take?

Should we rent a car? if so can we pick it up at a DVC location and return it there because we only want the card for 1 day.

Thanks

 

[Maistre Gracey]

In my opinion, a car would be the easiest and quickest way to accomplish this, although not the cheapest.

Consider yourself warned: Once you visit VWL/WL, you will develop an uncontrolable urge to add on.

MG

 

[keliblue]

In my opinion, a car would be the easiest and quickest way to accomplish this, although not the cheapest.

Consider yourself warned: Once you visit VWL/WL, you will develop an uncontrolable urge to add on.

MG

ahhhhhhh yep... Took us a whole two minutes to figure out we were home

 

[BroganMc]

We are heading down to SSR is a couple of days and would like to see all the DVC properties to choose where we want to stay next? What is the easiest way to do this? Bus? If so how long with this take?

Depends what you're looking to do in your tour. BWV and BCV are in the same area. Once you park your car or get off the bus, it's easier to just walk around the area. BWV has an open villa to tour.

Getting to OKW from SSR just requires a ferry ride up the lake. About a half hour journey.

VWL is another park and walk around. At SSR you could take a bus direct from DTD or one to MK and take a ferry over. It's one resort that is probably the most remote and car-worthy from SSR. At least second to AKV which is strictly a bus/car trip.

I usually plan a meal at a resort for my hopping. Some good ones to chose from: BCV - Cape May Cafe, BWV - Flying Fish/Spoodles/Big River Grill, OKW - Olivia's, AKV - Boma's, VWL - Whispering Canyon Cafe.

Usually I do a half park or resort only day. For BWV/BCV, I either breakfast at Cape May and go to Epcot or go to a park in the morning and end up at BWV for dinner. AKV I always spend a day at AK and retire to the lodge for dinner. VWL is a resort-only day for me. I like lunch at Whispering Canyon and touring the resort in daylight. OKW I have plans for a ferry ride for breakfast or lunch.

 

[JimMIA]

I would certainly rent a car and schedule a "DVC Visit Day" for one day of the trip. You would be able to visit all five, plus AKL, in one day.

You could do it using Disney transportation, but it would be very time-consuming.

 

[corinnak]

You could also get a taxi to ferry you between the various resorts, I suppose. A rental would probably be less than that for the day if you used taxis for every jump. Which hotel are you staying at? There are several places to rent a car on or near Disney property.

I think it would be possible to streamline the travel via Disney transport such that it wouldn't be TOO bad.

Take the boat from SSR to OKW

Take the bus from OKW to MK and hop the ferry over to VWL.

Take the bus from VWL to MGM and walk or boat over to BCV and BWV.

Then if you want to go to AKL as well, either take the bus to AK and transfer busses or take a cab directly.

From your last stop of the day, you can bus back to DTD and enjoy a leisurely stroll home.

It certainly wouldn't be my first choice, transport-wise especially with a preschooler along, but it wouldn't necessarily be all that traumatic, given that you could have as many as three scenic boat rides and nothing pressing scheduled for the day, unless you have a couple of meal reservations. The hardest part would probably be the waiting for the bus or boat to arrive.

 

[Caskbill]

If you get a car and drive around, you'll have to go through the security gate at each resort. Since you don't have any reservations, there may be an issue getting in. I don't know what criteria the guards would be using.

I presume you'll have an SSR parking pass, and I guess that would work for you to get into the other DVC resorts. Otherwise, others have suggested a number of methods, and you would save money by not renting a car.

 

[JimMIA]

I think it would be possible to streamline the travel via Disney transport such that it wouldn't be TOO bad.

I think you left a few things out:

Wait for the boat at SSR

Take the boat from SSR to OKW

Wait for the bus at OKW

Take the bus from OKW to MK and...

Wait for the ferry at MK

...hop the ferry over to VWL.

Wait for the bus at VWL

Take the bus from VWL to MGM

walk (15-30 minutes) or...

Wait for the boat at MGM

...boat over to BCV

Wait for the boat at BCV

boat to BWV.

Then if you want to go to AKL as well, either

Wait for bus at MGM

...take the bus to AK

Wait for the bus at AK

and transfer busses or take a cab directly.

From your last stop of the day, you can...

Wait for the bus

bus back to DTD and enjoy a leisurely stroll home.

It certainly wouldn't be my first choice, transport-wise especially with a preschooler along...

Mine either!

[ETA: I'm being light-hearted here, but if each of those waits are 15 minutes (not unreasonable), you've waited 2 1/4 hours.]

 

[TenThousandVolts]

You could spread out the visits over the course of your trip.
Visit VWL on your MK day- just ferry over for a visit and ferry back to the park.
Visit BCV/BWV on your Epcot Day- Just take the International Gateway Exit.
Ferry to OKW from SSR on a DTD/relax day.
I guess AKV could be visited easily from MGM or AK by bus.
Good luck. We are planning on doing the same thing on our next trip.

 

[barndweller]

My advice is don't try to do it in one day. We were there last year for 8 full days (no car) staying at BWV. Since our only other visit was in 1986 we wanted to check out all the resorts as well as visit the parks. Needless to say, we set an impossible task for ourselves. And we had no children along! We spent most of one day getting to OKW, DTD & back to BWV. We made it to Wilderness Villas only because we had dinner reservations. We never made it to AK or SSR much less most of the non DVC resorts. If you insist on trying to see all the DVC resorts, DO rent a car for a day. We loved using Disney transportation, but the waits can be very long. For us, with no children along & few deadlines, it was just another e-ticket experience. I will admit, after seeing the DVC resorts we were able to get to, I would have a hard time deciding on which to buy into. They all have something unique to offer. Have fun!

 

[byoung]

Do it during the Christmas season and also enjoy all the decorations at each resort.