Will i miss my boardwalk villas if i book animal kingdom villas?

[Mflaherty]

Love the boardwalk villas, the vibe the location the bakery with the great sandwiches for lunch, walk to Epcot at night for my little one to go on nemo and stop at the character spot.They love it. And of course the fireworks from my standard view balcony(sometimes). I really "have" to try other resorts but I fear I would just miss my boardwalk. My kids would love the animals at AKV but not sure if units worth all the bus rides when my kids are 3 and 4. Baylake seems great but ONLY for the walk to MK. I've stayed at the contemporary( when I wasn't a member) and didn't like not having any grounds to walk around. Restaurants there were great though too. But points are much higher.Thoughts?

 

[DebbieB]

Love the boardwalk villas, the vibe the location the bakery with the great sandwiches for lunch, walk to Epcot at night for my little one to go on nemo and stop at the character spot.They love it. And of course the fireworks from my standard view balcony(sometimes). I really "have" to try other resorts but I fear I would just miss my boardwalk. My kids would love the animals at AKV but not sure if units worth all the bus rides when my kids are 3 and 4. Baylake seems great but ONLY for the walk to MK. I've stayed at the contemporary( when I wasn't a member) and didn't like not having any grounds to walk around. Restaurants there were great though too. But points are much higher.Thoughts?

I own at BWV and love it but I also like some variety. I have stayed at all the WDW DVC's except SSR & VGF. I've also stayed at VGC three times. I'm checking into VGF a week from Sunday so SSR will be the only one. I stayed at BWV last November and will again in October, so I'll get my BWV fix. I loved AKV, both Jambo & Kidani. Also liked BLT. There isn't one that I didn't like.

 

[jekjones1558]

I'm with DebbieB. BWV continue to be my favorite but I have enjoyed every DVC stay at other resorts. If you go with an open mind I'll bet that you will love the adventure of exploring a new resort. And the following trip you can go home to BWV!

 

[MinnieGi]

We also own at BWV, but will next be staying at AKV in Nov. While there are certainly many great things about BWV, we also very much like to try different places, especially our kids!! They are very excited about AKV!! I personally think its exciting to try new places out - resorts, restaurants and activities in our new location.

 

[disneynutz]

We own both and have stayed at Jambo and Kidani several times. For some reason AKV now gives us the feeling of, been there, done that.

BWV on the other hand is a must do each vacation. Our next stay is a few days at VGF and 8 days at BWV.

I say give AKV a try and see how you like it.

Bill

 

[drusba]

We own at both BWV and AKV. As to whether you will like AKV, it ultimately depends on what you are intending. You don't mention room size or view. I personally would not stay at AKV without savanna view and if you have savanna view then it is definitely worth it. Moreover, we usually stay in a room larger than a studio. If you are getting a studio then the room is not going to be much different in size from BWV, although decor is different, and you should stay at Jambo. If you are getting a 1BR or 2BR then skip Jambo and do Kidani because in comparison to BWV those will make you think you have died and gone to heaven. The Kidani 1BRs and 2BRs are about 100 sq ft larger than what you have at BWV, have excellent decor, an extra bathroom, and nice porches for animal viewing.

Restaurants at AKV are among the best, and unlike BWV, AKV has a first rate buffet restaurant in Boma. I recommend Jambo if staying studio because it has three restaurants and the bigger store and lobby.

You do lose being able to walk to a park. But as to AKV's bus system we can only say the following: it is.usually very good and puts the the piece of crap bus system that exists at BWV to shame.

 

[jerseygal]

Our home is AKV and we love it there! With that said, we love to try different
resorts.

Wow...Feel VERY LUCKY!
We were booked at AKV Jambo for our December trip and I wanted to try a split stay this time.
Waitlist just came through for BWV pool view for 2 nights!
Have been to BCV and LOVE the boardwalk area!
Love walking so we will enjoy it I am sure...

Can't wait for our first couples only trip during the Holiday Season!

 

[Kidanifan08]

We are AKV owners, but we love staying at BWV with the easy access to HS and EP. We have always had a boardwalk view, which is awesome! We have done BLT a few times, as well, and there is nothing like walking to and from the park, but outside of that, we are not big fans of the decor and pool. We have stayed at SSR and OKW. Both nice resorts, but they don't meet our current interests in a DVC stay at this point in time. We have yet to stay at VWL and VGF.

Of the resorts that we have tried, Kidani remains our favorite place to stay. We like the quiet secluded feel of the resort and the wonderful African theming. The splash area alone at Kidani is a great reason to take your 3 and 4 yo to AKV. The pools at Jambo and Kidani are both awesome, although we like the Kidani pool area better. Of course, you have the animals, which your children will never get tired of looking for and watching.

I agree with drusba, the savanna view is awesome and worth it if you have the points. But, if you need to conserve points, there are plenty of places to view the savanna all over the resort -- just walking in the hallways. The lack of a quick service restaurant at Kidani is a slight drawback for some, but we don't miss it. Sanaa and Boma are both excellent, and Sanaa is surprisingly reasonably priced, for a Disney restaurant.

We have generally had excellent bus service at AKV. One advantage to staying at Kidani is that the park buses stop there first, and are generally empty. I don't know about your kids, but my DS8 still considers the Disney buses one of the "rides", and he protests any suggestion that we rent a car for getting to the parks. The rides to AK, EP and HS are relatively short. The ride to MK is the longest, but we are usually so engrossed in thinking about what we are going to do when we get to the park, that we don't notice how long it takes. For the record, it is about 15-20 minutes once leaving the bus stop at Jambo.

I think your kids are at a great age to try AKV. If it turns out that it is not for you, at least you gave it a try. I don't think you will be disappointed, but hey . . . I'm Kidanifan08!

 

[gojoe]

When we purchased at Boardwalk we were so excited to have it as our home resort. Our plans were to go to each DVC property, besides a split trip to Vero our second trip we could not bring ourselves to book anywhere else.

In a few short weeks we will be in a one bedroom savana view villa. We probably would have been back at Boardwalk if it was available but it was a last minute trip.

After booking we started doing some research. Now we are so excited. We have a Sunrise Safari planned and a down day to enjoy Kidani.

 

[lovesdumbo]

We bought resale at BWV in fall of 2012 after many great stays at BWI. Last summer my family of 5 did 1 week cash in a 1BR at AKV Kidani followed by 1week points in a 2BR BWView. I LOVED Kidani! My 2 girls loved all the activities at the resort. I really loved the layout of the villa. We had an obstructed BW view so that was disappointing. We also had a water leak in our unit that dragged on for days. I did not love the set up of the master bath. I'm sure we will give BWV another try.

Last December I did 4 nights in a 1BR at OKW. It was huge. Still not in love with bathroom setup and prefer a less spread out resort. I would stay here again but not first choice. Also did 3 nights in a studio at BLT. That was tiny even for just me & 11yo DD but I really loved the layout of the room. I loved how convenient the location was. Walk to Contemporary was easy and I liked the quick service there. I'm using my points this summer for a 1BR at BLT.

I'm looking forward to trying other DVC resorts. I didn't expect to enjoy AKV as much as I did.

Could you do a split stay so you can try a new resort but still have a few nights at your beloved BWV?

 

[Splashboat]

We own at BWV. Felt the same way you do. We were nervous to try something different. We tried a split stay at AKV and loved it so much we ended up buying our second contract there. Plan is to alternate vacations rather than spit stays. Love them both for different reasons.

 

[lrodk]

What I would miss is the close proximity to Epcot and the Studios. Beyond that the AKL is one of the best resorts on property.

 

[lovin'fl]

We are DVC since 2006. Have stayed at all east coast DVC except VGF. We love BWV and BCV for the walk to Epcot as that is our fave park. We recently added on at BWV (twice actually) so that we can book there more often and particularly during F&W. Having said that, we love to mix things up...or I do more so than DH. He also loved BLT for the walk to MK while I adored AKV for just the resort itself (it is absolutely stunning and very peaceful and the dining is the best...Sanaa, Boma and Jiko). I'd give AKV a try. It is lovely and the animals...watching them is totally cool. If you get a 1BR (or 2BR) at Kidani you will have an extra bathroom...always a plus.

 

[lovin'fl]

What I would miss is the close proximity to Epcot and the Studios. Beyond that the AKL is one of the best resorts on property.

I agree...very short but to the point exactly.

 

[worker33]

I own at BCV, but have stayed at BWV and AKL.....I don't think you'll have any regrets staying at AKL. Beautiful décor, gorgeous pool, the animlas and terrific restaurants make this a must see resort. Almost everything is closer to BWV, but its not a huge loss once your strolling wonderfully themed resort.

 

[jmail048]

.I don't think you'll have any regrets staying at AKL. Beautiful décor, gorgeous pool, the animlas and terrific restaurants make this a must see resort. Almost everything is closer to BWV, but its not a huge loss once your strolling wonderfully themed resort.

I agree, I picked up an extra night at AKL for tonight. I spent most of the day watching all the animals. The theming at the resort is beautiful. The line at boma tonight, not so much. I'm sure you will have fun at AKV

 

[SpaceMountain77]

It's funny, when I stayed at BWV, I missed AKV and wished I had stayed at Jambo House

 

[Anal Annie]

We love to resort hop and stay somewhere different on each trip so that no trip is the same as the one before it. Can't imagine only staying at one resort trip after trip after trip. That was the draw of a timeshare for us. We have tried all of the WDW DVC resorts except for the new VGF + we've tried HHI and VB. We will be trying VGC and Aulani this summer. Hoping to do a split stay next summer with VGF and another resort with a DCL sandwiched in the middle. We are finally to the point where we can start repeating resorts so we'll probably try to book either BCV, VWL or BLT as our post-cruise resort. We would be happy with any of those and won't sweat it too much at the 7 month mark - we'll take whatever's open between those. We've found things to love with almost all of the resorts - they all have their pros & cons but you won't know what you're missing until you try them. I say there's nothing wrong with living it up a little and adding some variety into your life.

 

[mmbl]

We have stayed at almost all if the Disney resorts and while we have some favorites, we love being able to experience the differences. How will you know if you Ike any better than Boardwalk if you don't try them? BTW:,Wilderness Lodge is fabulous and it's a boat ride away from MK and the monorail to EPCOT. It's also a very short boat ride, or walk, to Ft. Wilderness for petting zoo, horseback /pony rides etc.

 

[bakerworld]

Like most DVCer's we mix it up when it comes to resorts. We're studio dwellers and have found the arrangement of the value studios at AK very attractive - love the bed by the window and the living area close to the kitchenette.

We're staying at the BC for the F&W and returning a month later to AK for Christmas decor. It will be a 'mind set' adjustment however we just stayed at AK in March for a week and enjoyed the CMs there so much that we're looking forward our stay at AK as much for enjoyable time we had as the decor.