Which DVC resort for Family of 5? Why? Part II

[nderh2o]

Let me try this again - it seems that my last post caused my question below to be deemed an occupancy related thread and it was then closed. So, please keep your responses limited to the question below - I really would like to hear peoples opinions on where and why I should pick a particular resort for my family for June 2008. I am not too concerned about the rooms - as long as they are clean and typical DVC quality, I don't believe I can go wrong.

Ok,
here's another question that is sure to spawn some opinionated answers. My wife and I are taking our three kids (DS8, DD6, & DD4) to WDW in June 2008 and I would like your input on which DVC resort we should stay at. We will be going for 9-10 days. Transportation is a big consideration for us. Usually we rent a mini-van but this trip we are looking at saving the cash to put towards the DDP. We usually spend most of our time at MK. Everything else is fair game so let me have it - please try to give a reason for where you would stay if you were in my shoes.
As always, Thanks.

 

[Donald is #1]

OK, let me start with a question or two. Have you stayed at any of the DVC resorts before? Are the kids into the pool at the resort or do they tend more towards the parks? Would you prefer a resort with a counter service restuarant for breakfast, etc?

 

[dallastxcpa]

With an 8, 6, and 4 yr old and being there for an extended period here are my suggestions:

1. Pick a resort with a community hall. - in my favorite order based on community hall - SSR, BWV, OKW (never actually tried this ch).

2. Pick a resort with an awesome pool - oh wait they all have awesome pools - so my faves are SSR (zero entry and great slide), BWV (gotta love the keister coaster), and BCV (best pool on property IMHO, but may be very hard to reserve room in summer and it is a large pool which makes it difficult to keep your eyes on 3 kids)

3. Reserve based on bus transport - well that's just hit or miss. but SSR is good if you are doing other things such as mini golf or the camp fire sing along at fort wilderness - this way you can walk to DTD and catch the respective bus there. or BWV/BC due to ease of walking to MGM and Epcot - of course you said that you would be mainly at MK which would seem like VWL would be your best bet with the boat to MK

No matter what you can't go wrong. Best of luck in making your decision.

 

[nderh2o]

OK, let me start with a question or two. Have you stayed at any of the DVC resorts before? Are the kids into the pool at the resort or do they tend more towards the parks? Would you prefer a resort with a counter service restuarant for breakfast, etc?

Let me see if I can answer based upon our last trip to POR in June 2007:
1. We went to the pool twice over a 10 day period. Obviously, the kids are too young to do anything on their own so me and my wife kind of decide for them. I like the pool as an option for a down-day (ie. no parks, maybe Quest and DTD).
My son loves arcades. My son loves the arcades. Did I mention that my son loves arcades?

2. As far as counter service for breakfast - we had the DDP (still debating that for this trip). I wouldn't have eaten the sort of breakfast we did had we not. Most of the time, a quick pastry or donut with juice or coffee is good enough. I don't like spending too much time for breakfast when it could be better spent at a park etc.

 

[Slakk]

I suggest AKV if you are looking to stay in a 1BR as they will hold 5.

If you are going to look at a 2BR then VWL, good pools and easy access to MK. Honestly they are all great so you cannot lose.

In a year or so I would say hands down AKV since the new Kidani 1BR will have 2 bathrooms for a 1 BR.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

DH and I have a DS who is 12 and a DD who is 5. This past summer we stayed at Boardwalk. I can truly see why BW owners LOVE this resort. There were so many things to do.

1) The pool was wonderful and the kids loved it.
2) In the evening, the Boardwalk had tons of shows going on for the kids.
3) We could walk anywhere to eat without having to catch the bus.
4) If you and/or your spouse enjoy working out, the fitness room is really nice and running along the BW is phenomenal.

If you're looking to relax and spend some time in your room, OKW has the largest rooms and is much more private. The balconies are HUGE (my DD loved to play Barbies out there). There was a thread asking if there was a noticable difference in the OKW rooms. I was interested to see what others thought, and the overwhelming response was YES. OKW is a very pretty resort.

 

[shellbelle1971]

Here are the resorts' advantages as I see them for you:

OKW: The rooms are huge! Okay community hall. You would have lots of space. Downside: without a car, the busses can be a pain.

SSR: Best community hall, esp. for kids who like games, in my kids' opinions. Great pool. Big arcade. Better bus service due to proximity to DTD, but still not as convenient to MK as VWL or to Epcot/MGM as BCV & BWV.

BWV: Good community hall. Boardwalk games & fun appeals to kids who like arcades. Walk to Epcot/MGM. Pool is not my favorite. Transportation to other areas can be cumbersome.

BCV: Best DVC pool; we always spend a full day at SAB. Walk to Epcot/MGM/Boardwalk. Transportation to other areas can be problematic.

AKV: No experience staying here. Big rooms, cool theming.

VWL: In our one experience here, we found the boat to/from MK to be SOOOOO slow! It was agonizing! Never again!!! OTOH, the resort was beautiful and we loved the theming. No community hall

 

[spiceycat]

with your childrens ages - would go with VWL.

since the MK is where you will be spending the majority of your time.

has a very nice counter service - roaring folks over in WL.

you can easily walk to everything - nothing is far away.

has both boat and bus to MK these days.

WL has a nice pool and better yet you can see most of it.

with both BC, BWV and SSR - even OKW - kids can hide. of course since the lifeguards will also be watching - this isn't a problem.

now if your kids are far in advance of their years and really like science, architecture, gardening, other countries, movies, etc - then BWV or BCV - of these would pick BWV just because of the lower points (if you can get a standard view)

 

[Donald is #1]

My recommendation for you would be VWL because:
1) Closest to MK -> you can either take a boat or a bus. The boat is a bit slow but it is a nice ride. I believe that the bus may be faster but it wasn't available when I was at WL due to construction at MK.

2) They do have an arcade -> I haven't tried it but it is in between the 2 buildings (WL & VWL)

3) The pool area is nice

4) Roaring Fork has a nice menu and I really liked it for breakfast. Like you, I tend towards something simple: pastry, bagel, etc and I seemed to time it right so that the lines were short.


My second recommendation would be AKL because:
1) Doesn't share buses with any other resort although the ride to MK will be longer. When I stayed here I really didn't feel like the bus rides were too long.

2) The animals -> based upon ages of your kids I bet that they would love to see the animals.

3) Pool is nice but as someone else mentioned it may be a bit tougher to watch the kids due to the landscaping around it. It is also zero entry.

4) Mara again had a nice pastry selection when I was there so I was able to have my simple breakfasts.

5) In addition to an arcade there seems to be lots of activites for the kids.

 

[Dean]

I'd get a 2 BR at VWL if MK is a large part of your plans. AKV is the only 1 BR that will accommodate your party and is a viable option as well.

 

[Laurabearz]

So so SOOOOOOOOOOOO many great choices...

AKL is fun to walk around and explore... point savings for the 1 bedroom is nice too, but we found the dinning choices not to our liking.

BWV, my favorite resort, has a lot to offer. My Kids love the Boardwalk area a lot. They have a decent sized arcade, and the fitness center is marvy (although I will admit to mearly walking PAST IT, never gone in lol) Pool is not too big... The slide is fun! Dinning choices endless!

VWL, also a great resort. The Lobby is sooooooooo fun. Walking around the place, it's just lovely. LOVELY. Dining choices are good, but make sure you get an ADR for Whispering Oaks (I think that's it's name) because without one, you wont get seated... their CS is not bad.

BCV... Great resort, uber giant pool, with a very large shallow sandy bottom kids area... I LOVE the store off the lobby... one of the best resort shops around. Close to the Boardwalk.

OKW... great to decompress after a hectic day at the park. Pools are it's weak point... Rooms are their strong point.

SSR... unless your in the few buildings near the Main area, it's just too darn big. (IMO)

 

[anabelle]

I think that AKL would be ideal ,great pool and TWO bathrooms. We found the transportation to be pretty good at AKL as well. With your children's age, I would think they would enjoy the animals. You wouldn't have to go up to a two bedroom and still not feel cramped. I toured the models when we were at SSR and they are beautiful and roomy.

 

[LIFERBABE]

If your son really likes video Games and I know my 2 Ds's do, I would choose SSR.

One reason they love it so much, is that they can walk to DisneyQuest with their Dad in the evenings. I found we could easily spend $25 on a Arcade card or $70 for an AP to DisneyQuest where they can play all year any game they want.

SSR imho has the Community Hall with the most interesting activities. We spend alot of time there.

We enjoy the pools, the counter service, the restaurant, the boat access to DTD and OKW and POR.

We enjoy taking family walks and the playgrounds are really cute. Also they Grandstand has the splash play area for the younger ones.

 

[nderh2o]

Thanks to all that have responded - I just booked 4 nights at VWL and 6 at AKL. I tried to get all 10 nights at AKL but it was not available. But after thinking about it, I decided against wait listing because I think it will be interesting to see 2 different resorts over a 10 night stay. Any opinions?

 

[2tink4u]

My suggestion is VWL. Out of the choices offered, this is the closest to MK. The boat may be slow as they said (we don't agree) but it takes 5 minutes or less to get to the launch, not tons of walking and dragging stuff with 3 kids. We stayed w/kids and loved the boat also the children loved the boat. It is the most magical experiance, IMHO the best themed out of your choices excluding stormalong bay. You also can take the launch to the GF, Poly, and Contmporary where you can catch the Monorail easily and where the best restaurants are. There is a place to grab milk and quick foods, a great 5 star restaurant, a kids club, and a themed awesome pool. You can go out to a FINE dinner, and leave the kids at the resort in the kids club no muss no fuss. It is less expensive and an unforgetable experiance... It is to date my absolute favorite. Even staying at Contemporary was difficult to get from my actual room to the monorail. I found boarding the boat much easier with a stroller than the monorail and you feel less pushed by the crowd. Have a fabulous trip.

 

[2tink4u]

Sorry, I have changed rooms in the middle of a trip and find it time consuming and miserable. I will not do it again. I felt it was valuable time taken away from my vacation. You may feel differently. AKL is fabulous, I wouldn't stay there with out a car. I think the buses are the worst of Magical transportation especially with kids. You may not even get to sit together. I avoid them whenever possible.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thanks to all that have responded - I just booked 4 nights at VWL and 6 at AKL. I tried to get all 10 nights at AKL but it was not available. But after thinking about it, I decided against wait listing because I think it will be interesting to see 2 different resorts over a 10 night stay. Any opinions?

You might find moving resorts to be a bit of a hassle, but if you do it in an organized fashion, you should be fine. I would pack a smaller bag with two days worth of clothes and only use that one for you VWL stay. Then it will be easier to pack up and move for the longer portion of your trip at AKV. Let Disney handle the luggage transfer (unless you will have a car with you), and go enjoy a park after checking in. You can call and get your room assignment, and show up at AKV in time to enjoy the amenities there. My guess is the kids will be so enthralled with watching the animals, they will not want to leave.

 

[Donald is #1]

Thanks to all that have responded - I just booked 4 nights at VWL and 6 at AKL. I tried to get all 10 nights at AKL but it was not available. But after thinking about it, I decided against wait listing because I think it will be interesting to see 2 different resorts over a 10 night stay. Any opinions?

Awesome! Have an incredible time!

 

[canwegosoon]

Thanks to all that have responded - I just booked 4 nights at VWL and 6 at AKL. I tried to get all 10 nights at AKL but it was not available. But after thinking about it, I decided against wait listing because I think it will be interesting to see 2 different resorts over a 10 night stay. Any opinions?

1) I LOVE the two resort idea...since we do it alot ourselves-BUT I would try to make it 5/5 or 6VWL and 4 AKL(because VWL has so much for your kids to do Rent bikes, Rent boats, Arcade, even things like going to FW for the campfire or horseback riding(except for your youngest one-I think). There is a beach and a pool too and don't forget the Electrical water parade(or what ever it's real name is).

2) AKL is great since you could do a 1 BRM- and save some more points, but other great option would be BWV or BCV and target your touring to your hotel. VWL=MK/AK and BWV=DS/E
...I do have to warn you that trying to get from VWL is not easy (like other people have posted too), but I think it is beautiful and relaxing.

3) If you are doing resort switching...you must be prepared. I pack a backpack with a change of clothing and sweater and poncho for the parks. I take it to the park we are at for the day and check it...so we are prepared for emergencies. The night before we switch I do laundry and pack...I don't bring a lot of clothes anyway...3 days of clothing is enough for me on a 10 day trip. But be aware you might not get your clothes until 6pm(or later) at your 2nd resort.

Good Luck