Which 2 Bedroom Villa (AKL, OKW, SSR) should I stay in

[rwatson626]

Looking to book our 2nd DVC stay. Last time we stayed in a 1 Bedroom AKL kidani village savannah view. We loved the resort and view but found the walk to and from everything including buses stops were very long. I'm not sure if OKW or SSR is any better and wanted to get everyone's thought's.

I will be traveling with my wife, DS 9, DD 7, and in laws.

I was thinking SSR so we can walk to Down Down Disney.

Thanks
Ron

 

[Dawn68PA]

We just got back from SSR last month and it was fabulous! There are 5 stops for the busses but it's quick. We had no issues.

There's great water areas and you can shoot pool for free if that's your thing. We enjoyed that to relax on a couple evenings.

 

[rwatson626]

Can I walk to down town no matter where I am at SSR? Or is it too large?

 

[POTCfan]

Can I walk to down town no matter where I am at SSR? Or is it too large?

If the walk at AKL was an issue, then there are definitely parts of SSR that you would not want to walk to Downtown Disney. I would recommend staying at AKL, but putting in a request to be close to the lobby. You would be close to the pool and the bus stops. While requests are not guaranteed, if that is your only request I think you would have a better shot at getting it.

 

[Dawn68PA]

You want to request to be close to the main building for walking to DTD. We were in the Carousel which was far but we took the bus to the stop by the main building and walked from there. Or they will come pick you up in a golf cart

We had an awesome view where we stayed!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Looking to book our 2nd DVC stay. Last time we stayed in a 1 Bedroom AKL kidani village savannah view. We loved the resort and view but found the walk to and from everything including buses stops were very long. I'm not sure if OKW or SSR is any better and wanted to get everyone's thought's.

I will be traveling with my wife, DS 9, DD 7, and in laws.

I was thinking SSR so we can walk to Down Down Disney.

Thanks
Ron

I strongly agree with Kidani and the long walks. We've stayed in 2 BRs at OKW twice, and both times the villa was perfect. This last time we didn't have a car, so we relied on the bus system-no problems at all. We were on the top floor very near a bus top, Building #28, which was so convenient. Also, it was a short walk to the pool-even our 4 yo DGD didn't mind the walk at all.

 

[zev]

OP gonna piggy back on your post have a trip comin as well. Anybody have any thoughts on OKW 2br lockoff vs normal villa? And is being away from the hospitality house a big deal?

 

[zev]

OP we have stayed in the Congress Park area of SSR a few times and like the walk to DTD from that location. The pool tends to be less crowded and you can get a great view over the lake. Not as kid themed up as some other areas but we found that to be part of the appeal.

 

[minniemouseforever]

OKW is our favorite. Have stayed in a 2 bedroom at Kidani. The place is very nice and the decor is very fitting for the resort. This being said you do notice the size difference between Kidani and OKW. I would never put 9 people AKV. Wouldn't hesitate to do that at OKW. Never feel crowded there. I have had 3 of us working in the kitchen at the same time at OKW and wasn't crowded at all. At Kidani it was cramped with 2. Also OKW has a dedicated laundry room where all the other dvc resorts have stackables in a closet. There is never a long walk to a bus stop but if you want to be sure just request it be near one. My father-in-law who had a heart condition needed to be near the stop for that reason so we alway got what we asked for. The buses are reliable there and you don't need to share with another resort. It is just a 15 minute boat ride to DTD. Cannot speak to SSR. Haven't stayed there and don't want to. To similar to where we live. When we are on vacation I want to feel like I am on Vacation. I wouldn't hesitate to stay at AKV again but it is far from everything, but OKW is still my favorite. If you need living space it would be my choice.

 

[misse320]

We stayed in a 1br at OKW in 2012. I was shocked at how big the room was. As a special surprise one morning, we found a frog in our shower. The kids still remember that! Our stay at OKW was wonderful. There are a lot of bus stops, but the buses always came frequently and we found that we could get off at an earlier stop and walk to our room. It was a longer walk, but saved time in the end. We all really loved the atmosphere of OKW.

We stayed in a 2br at SSR in 2011 and didn't love it. We waited FOREVER for buses. That was the worst part. Our friends recommended we stay in Congress Park and we got it. Problem was, we didn't care much about DTD and the walk with very small kids to the main pool and CS food was too far. DH and I walked it ourselves a few times and left the kids with grandma. If I stayed at SSR again, I'd request to be by the main pool. If being close to DTD is important to you, Congress Park is great and the small pool was not crowded and super warm. I think that was the best part of our stay there.

Just yesterday I split our reservation for this October between BLT (home resort) and AKV. I'm really excited to stay at Kidani. We've avoided it in the past because of the distance from the other parks. Now that we aren't lugging a double stroller around, it seems less daunting and I'm excited to drink coffee and watch giraffes!!

 

[lovewdwdvc]

My husband loves SSR Congress Park because he needs (lol) to get up in the morning and walk to DTD for some coffee. It is a very nice walk. The quiet pools are comfortable too. It can be a little walk to the front desk though. SSR is very big.

 

[DenLo]

Even at OKW you need to be careful because the bus stop can be far away. SSR the bus stops are never very far from a villa. Walking can be a pain at OKW and SSR. Using the bus system at OKW works as there is an internal bus and park buses all stop at the Hospitality House before heading out to the parks. SSR the bus stop order is the Grandstand, Carousel, Paddock, Congress Park and the Springs. So you could get to the Springs via bus.

We stayed at Congress Park and really like the new bridge to DTD and when the second bridge opens it will be a quicker walk to the West side too. Or you can still take a ferry to the West End and back to the Marketplace bridge.

 

[minniemouseforever]

I have never found the bus stops at OKW to be far away. You can always ask to be close to a bus stop at OKW.