Which DVC Villa is the best place to stay?

[DonaldDoge]

Hey guys,

My family was looking to stay at a DVC at DisneyWorld. We really liked the looks of the Riviera, but we saw that you can't apply those points to any other hotels. The Animal Kingdom looked cool too, but it seems very far away. What are your guy's favorite and why?

 

[starry_solo]

It depends on the family composition and Theme parks you like.

 

[DonaldDoge]

It depends on the family composition and Theme parks you like.

4 young adults and two adults. We like the look of all of them! We've never been to any of the Disneyworld ones.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

We love VWL and BWV. VWL is absolutely beautiful!!! The theme is amazing and it is only a boat ride away from MK. It has great restaurants too. Whispering Canyon is good and fun. BWV is our other favorite. It is a boardwalk theme and is a lot of fun. It is in a great location within walking distance to HS and Epcot or a short boat ride. It is also really close to Yacht and Beach Club and their restaurants including Beaches and Cream which is a must do for us. You could also look into BCV and you will have about all the same things as with BWV but it may be a plus if you like to use the pool a lot. BCV has the best pool of all the resorts. Sand bottom pool with a lazy river. AKL is really pretty and we liked the restaurants and seeing the animals but it is a bus ride everywhere. We sometimes had to wait up to 40 minutes for a bus and it's far from everything. I would recommend you look into the theme of the resort, the activities and the transportation. Good luck!

 

[starry_solo]

4 young adults and two adults. We like the look of all of them! We've never been to any of the Disneyworld ones.

ok with six, you have to rent a two bedroom villa in order to fit. That is very pricey.

 

[Tonberry]

Maybe you should try a couple of split stays and try out multiple resorts for a couple of nights.
We bought into Riviera last year and love it. Others don't like it, but everyone is different and has different tastes, likes, and styles. We also love Copper Creek and Poly villas. I was not a fan of Kidani Village. I wasn't impressed with the pool and the long walk from Kidani to Jambo house was a put off. And it was surprising because I thought it was going to be my favorite.

 

[Disney loving Iowan]

Maybe you should try a couple of split stays and try out multiple resorts for a couple of nights.
We bought into Riviera last year and love it. Others don't like it, but everyone is different and has different tastes, likes, and styles. We also love Copper Creek and Poly villas. I was not a fan of Kidani Village. I wasn't impressed with the pool and the long walk from Kidani to Jambo house was a put off. And it was surprising because I thought it was going to be my favorite.

Yes it was a really long walk. Felt like it was about a mile just to get to our room.

 

[Best Aunt]

Hey guys,

My family was looking to stay at a DVC at DisneyWorld. We really liked the looks of the Riviera, but we saw that you can't apply those points to any other hotels. The Animal Kingdom looked cool too, but it seems very far away. What are your guy's favorite and why?

You’re looking to stay, or you’re looking to buy?

If you aren’t interested in buying, then are you looking to book a cash reservation through Disney, or rent points?

If a cash resie through Disney, then the points rules don’t matter to you.

if renting points, there are a lot of things to understand.

Either way, make sure you understand that when a DVC unit is described as sleeping a certain number of people, some of those people will be on a sofabed, a pull-down bed and/or a sleep chair.

 

[kaytieeldr]

And if you're going to buy, tour first!

 

[acebatonfan]

I definitely agree with the split stays before signing a contract, especially if you haven't been to Disney that often to know what you would want. My first stay at BLT was through cash, and I liked it so much that I decided to buy in. Each resort is unique and have their own little things people love about it. Some things to consider might be

• Location. Can you walk to a theme park? Other resorts? Or are you stuck in the middle of "nowhere" and don't really have anything you can easily get to outside of your resort?
• Transportation. Do you have monorail access? Skyliner? Boats? Or is all your transportation via busses
• Capacity. Some studios can sleep only four people, while others can sleep five. OKW has the largest rooms in general, which might be more beneficial if you are traveling with more people.
• Price. When buying DVC, you are purchasing a set number of points per year plus maintenance/upkeep fees. Some resorts are cheaper per point but might have higher maintenance fees. Others, like Riviera, you can't use the points for other DVC resorts.
• Purchasing points at your home resort lets you book that resort 11 months in advance. You can use points for other resorts, but you can't make those reservations until 7 months. Would not being able to get that resort 7 months out really disappoint you?

I bought into BLT. I like the ability to walk to the MK, have MK views from my room, be on the monorail loop, and have easy access to other restaurants and stores. The room layout for studios is different than the other studios and ends up being smaller for the "main" room with how they section off the kitchenette and bathroom (I am weird and like that large blank counter in the kitchenette, but others might find that a waste of space in an already small room). My big priority was location, which made BLT work for me

 

[tuckymom]

Like what others have said: it is what you want in a hotel stay.

Things to prioritize: space in the rooms/suites, location of hotel to the parks (and transportation provided), cost, amenities (spa, great pools, etc), food on property, themeing/vibes

Old Key West: Close to NOTHING. Must drive or use bus. Huge rooms. Very relaxed. All DVC. No good food options here. Close to Disney Springs but for my family that isn't a great plus.
Beach Club: Great location for Epcot & HS. Classic theming. Great pool and restaurants. Smaller rooms.
Boardwalk: Good location. This isn't my favorite for themes and that creepy pool is creepy but DVC pool is good. I am not a fan of Boardwalk but so many people are, just not my thing.
Boulder Ridge & CC: are beautiful (love the Wilderness Lodge in general). Okay location but transportation not great. Food is okay but FW and WL are huge
AKL: This is the biggest crapshoot to me. Some rooms are AMAZING with beautiful views. Some are a batrillon miles away from everything and have views of animal pens. Terrible location (buses or drive yourself everywhere). FOOD IS AWESOME & it does feel like a total escape unless you are trecking down a never ending hallway.

 

[chalee94]

And if you're going to buy, tour first!

I don't completely agree with this.

Get your information here first - there are 4 DVC specific forums on down the page. We tend to spend a lot of time correcting misinformation from those onsite tours. Most of the guides are fairly honest but they still only get paid if you purchase, so your best information will come from owners here - ask questions and do searches to find out more information...and read random threads to learn answers to questions you may not have asked.

Youtube 4k videos can give you a sense of the interiors for the various resorts. There is a model for BWV on the Boardwalk that is often open, so you can walk in there to get an idea of the layout used by many of the resorts. You can make reservations to eat at various resorts to get a feel for the general atmosphere.

A tour will sometimes come with an offer of small giftcards and/or fastpasses to help offset the vacation time you are wasting. (Sometimes it's just ice cream.) I own 2 timeshares (DVC and another) but have never done a timeshare tour and wouldn't want to waste my limited vacation time for that purpose.

 

[chalee94]

I definitely agree with the split stays before signing a contract, especially if you haven't been to Disney that often to know what you would want. My first stay at BLT was through cash, and I liked it so much that I decided to buy in. Each resort is unique and have their own little things people love about it. Some things to consider might be...

Also, be aware that resort contracts have specific end dates. Most OKW resales, and all BCV, BWV and BRV contracts (direct or resale) expire January 2042. AKV expires in January 2057.

You can find a lot of useful information on the DVC resorts - villa sizes, historical dues rates, and resort sizes (BCV has 208 villas compared to SSR's 888 villas, for example) - on the Resource Thread:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-dvc-resource-center-updated-december-2019.3655476/

 

[kaytieeldr]

Location. Can you walk to a theme park? Other resorts? Or are you stuck in the middle of "nowhere" and don't really have anything you can easily get to outside of your resort?

On a more positive tone, Or are you stuck in the middle of "nowhere" and don't really have anything you can easily get to outside of your resort? do you prefer a laid-back vacation with, perhaps, much to do at the resort?

Capacity. Some studios can sleep only four people, while others can sleep five. OKW has the largest rooms in general, which might be more beneficial if you are traveling with more people.

Relatively certain there's a limit of four people in an OKW studio, despite the size.

Old Key West: Close to NOTHING.

Eh, not nothing. Sure, no theme parks walkable, but OKW is close to at least one golf course, Saratoga Springs, Disney Springs (the latter by boat). It's also relatively close to Epcot and DHS.

 

[JM23457]

Hey guys,

My family was looking to stay at a DVC at DisneyWorld. We really liked the looks of the Riviera, but we saw that you can't apply those points to any other hotels. The Animal Kingdom looked cool too, but it seems very far away. What are your guy's favorite and why?

The Polynesian is our favorite DVC. The longhouses & rooms are very well themed, the grounds are beautiful (especially at night, with the torches lit), the pools are very good, and the food is above average for a Disney resort/DVC.

 

[DonaldDoge]

You’re looking to stay, or you’re looking to buy?

If you aren’t interested in buying, then are you looking to book a cash reservation through Disney, or rent points?

If a cash resie through Disney, then the points rules don’t matter to you.

if renting points, there are a lot of things to understand.

Either way, make sure you understand that when a DVC unit is described as sleeping a certain number of people, some of those people will be on a sofabed, a pull-down bed and/or a sleep chair.

We are looking to buy points through a third party, so I guess rent points? We bought points from Grand Californian through Disney and we thought we wanted to try buying through a third party.

 

[DonaldDoge]

ok with six, you have to rent a two bedroom villa in order to fit. That is very pricey.

We're okay with that!

 

[DonaldDoge]

Maybe you should try a couple of split stays and try out multiple resorts for a couple of nights.
We bought into Riviera last year and love it. Others don't like it, but everyone is different and has different tastes, likes, and styles. We also love Copper Creek and Poly villas. I was not a fan of Kidani Village. I wasn't impressed with the pool and the long walk from Kidani to Jambo house was a put off. And it was surprising because I thought it was going to be my favorite.

Is Riviera cool during Christmas time?

 

[Best Aunt]

We are looking to buy points through a third party, so I guess rent points? We bought points from Grand Californian through Disney and we thought we wanted to try buying through a third party.

OP, I’m still confused.

Is this for one vacation? People refer to that as “renting points.”

On the other hand, if you are thinking of getting a contract for yourself for many years of vacations, people refer to that as “buying a resale contract” or “buying a contract on the resale market.”

 

[cpep42]

If you're looking for a family type resort...nothing beats Old Key West. Their staff are the best on property and treat you all like family.