Where can I find reviews?

[Nlihte]

Is there a place where the DVC family have shared reviews of the different properties. I saw some information on the rooms but would like to be able to hear comprehensive experiences and comparisons. Is there such a place or must I just go through hundreds of threads? Dennis

 

[PamOKW]

If you are talking about DVC properties, you will find the opnions scattered throughout the board. You can also ask about specific resorts and get new opinions.

If you are talking about the trade options, it's probably best to post a question asking about the resort and get fresh replies.

There is a "Room Report" section here but that information tends to be somewhat unreliable and can be out of date.

 

[Richyams]

I can summerize the resorts pretty neatly.

OKW is a beautiful resort, you can park right in front of your unit! The onsite eatery, Olivia's is a fantastic place to eat. Its right on the boardwalk and the beauty of the area is truly fantastic. The rooms are wonderful. The kitchens are very large and the whole living area is very inviting. Its very easy to entertain more people than the capacity of the room.

BWV two bedroom supposedly sleeps eight but only has dining area for two. There are miles and miles of corridors, sometimes it can feel like a twilight zone episode meandering your way down those endless halls.

The rest of the resorts are similar to BWV, teeny, tiny rooms, the capacities listed for those rooms are actually laughable. Eight people in one of those two bedrooms is absurd.

The points per night and dues per point at all those other resorts are much higher than OKW also. I think Disney feels that charging such exhorbitant prices and offering such tiny units makes it feel more magical.

 

[tjkraz]

Most "reviews" that you would read will probably be misleading. A review, as I would personally define it, would address things like staff friendliness, room cleanliness, etc. All of the DVC resorts are "Disney" properties, which typically means that they strive for the highest level of quality. While many people will share their negative experiences, you're just as likely to have similar experiences at any Disney resort. In my mind, there really isn't one property that stands out as having a poorer management than the others.

And, even if this were the case, you can bet that it won't hold true for the next 40-50 years. You probably don't want to make a $15-20,000 decision based upon room cleanliness reports and the quality of bus service.

I'm assuming you are trying to decide which "Home" resort you want. If it were me, I'd start with source materials like each resort's list of amenities, the DVC point charts, and so forth. Of the 5 on-site properties, try to narrow-down your decision to 2 or 3 and go from there.

As Pam said, there really isn't a good place you can go to for objective analysis of the properties. Everyone picks their own "Home" because it suits their tastes / needs in some manner.

My guess is that SSR will probably be one of the resorts on your list simply because of the longer contract and ability to buy direct from DVC.

The toughest part will probably be determining which factors really make the difference for YOU.

 

[Galahad]

OKW was the first. The units are larger and more private and the resort itself is more secluded and spread out.

All of the other WDW DVC resorts have smaller units, but each has its charms.

BWV was the second WDW DVC resort. It is attached to the BW resort and close to Epcot and MGM. Being close to great dining and entertainment is a plus for this resort but it is much busier and noisier.

WLV is attached to the Wilderness Lodge. The units are essentially the same as those in the BVW, which are comfortable, but again, much smaller than OKW. The Wilderness Lodge is a great resort in and of itself and the WLV take advantage of that. This is slightly more secluded that BWV and has a great western lodge theme. Transportation by boat to MK etc is pretty good, but over all transportation is one of the downsides to WLV.

BCV is attached to the Beach Club resort near Epcot. Same units as BWV, WLV. Advantages are proximity to Epcot, the great Yacht Club/Beach Club resort area and it's right across a small lake from BW.

Saratoga Springs is the newest. Haven't seen them up close yet. The location, near DD seems to be a big plus and they have the potential to be laid out well since there is more room to work with. Have to defer to others on that one.

VB and HH are both great had have their own charms as well. The HH units, I think, are the same as BWV. VB's are slightly different. They have both smaller and larger units there then the BWV layout. VB is kind of quiet and best for a relaxing beach time, but short on "entertainment". It works out really well though as a 2 night add-on at the end of your WDW trip. HH is close to other HH activities and they have a great set of activities centered at the resort to choose from, like Dolphin watching trips, etc.

 

[crisi]

Ignore Rich, his schtick is to play up OKW and slam BWV. One Trick Pony..... (He can be quite amusing doing it, but if you don't know it, you might take him seriously. And he does have a point - OKW has larger rooms and great point value and the hallways at BW can get a little long - but so can the walk between buildings at OKW).

To date, OKW has been the easist non home resort to book (excluding Grand Villas). So you can take advantage of OKWs charms (larger rooms, low point schedule - except their typically lower dues - you pay dues to your home regardless of where you stay) without owning there.

To date, VWL has been the hardest non home resort to book (according to someone who posted his/her response to this question from Member Services).

Every resort has had excellent reports and every resort has had poor reports. Very infrequently the rooms aren't as clean or well maintained as we expect from Disney, or the CM don't sparkle as we think they should. But the vast majority of trips seem to go well, the resorts all seem to be maintained to the same standard.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Originally posted by Nlihte
Is there a place where the DVC family have shared reviews of the different properties. I saw some information on the rooms but would like to be able to hear comprehensive experiences and comparisons. Is there such a place or must I just go through hundreds of threads? Dennis

If you are a member or join the Timeshare Users Group (TUG) there is a listing of reviews for the Disney resorts. To read the review page you have to be a member but it is well worth the small investment. It seems like most of the reviews are from non owners but that is an interesting perspective.

Here is the link:

http://www.tug2.net/

HBC

 

[momoftwins]

Does it cost anything to join the Tug site your referenced?

Thank you.

 

[jimh13432]

Richyams composed that message to you as he waited for 45 minutes to ride the bus from Epcot back to OKW.

 

[MAC3]

I could be wrong but isn't there a review link on the home page of the Dis Board when they asked us for all our opinions?????

Lisa

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Originally posted by momoftwins
Does it cost anything to join the Tug site your referenced?

Yes. TUG membership is $15.00 per year (I think) but it is a great resource. There is a lot you can access free of charge but for the reviews you need to be a member to read them.

HBC

 

[kweaver]

If you want reviews from somewhere other than a bunch of folks who generally love DVC...you can always try tripadvisor.com.

I typed in Disney Beach Club and got to pick the Beach Club Villas (rather than the standard resort)...and came up with 7 reviews. 5 of the 7 gave it 5 stars.

You can read them for yourself at http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Re...sney_s_Beach_Club_Villas-Orlando_Florida.html

 

[BWVDee]

Originally posted by crisi
Ignore Rich, his schtick is to play up OKW and slam BWV. One Trick Pony..... (He can be quite amusing doing it, but if you don't know it, you might take him seriously. And he does have a point - OKW has larger rooms and great point value and the hallways at BW can get a little long - but so can the walk between buildings at OKW).

Some may find him amusing, many others find him extremely boring and repetitious and far from accurate.
I do agree with you though about the walks at the OKW buildings being just as long as the walks are in any of the WDW deluxe hotel resort hallways. And that is not even taking into account the fact that if you have a villa higher than ground level at OKW, you have to hike up flights of stairs to just reach your room! When you are carrying groceries, bags or even worse tired children--this gets old real fast. But you get what you pay for! OKW does not have the lowest dues and pts for no reason. Disney is very good at pricing out their resorts according to location, resort amenities, guest services etc. This includes the DVC resorts. The pricing of SSR is a prefect example of how well they do this. SSR is priced higher than OKW because it offers it guests more with full resort amenities and guest services, yet it is priced lower than BWV, BCV and VWL because it lacks the superior locations to major parks that those resorts have.
To the OP:
Have fun investigating all the DVC resorts. They all have their definite pros and cons and what appeals to one person is very often the exact opposite for the next person.

 

[Nlihte]

Thanks for the reviews and suggestions of finding further reviews.
You are all terrific Dennis

 

[Beca]

I always think it is "funny" when people complain about "walking" great distances at WDW...When I am there...I "walk" in the parks from sun up to sun down. And when I am not in the parks, I am "walking" as I explore all the other beautiful resorts Disney has to offer. How else could I possibly justify eating all the WONDERFUL food, including the MOST AMAZING corn dogs ever created by a human being!!!!!

Isn't that the trick to NOT gaining weight on your vacation????