WL or Board Walk Studio???

[tripplanner2]

Hi All,

We are a family of 5, me and DH, DD 7, DD 5, DD2. My parents are also coming and getting their own room. Last year we stayed at POR. I loved it but my husband felt the rooms were too small for our group and my parents did not like that it was so spread out.

This year I was pretty much sold on WL during value season this summer. I have an annual pass and was hoping for a standard room with a rate of around $125 per night. I know last year this was the price with AP and if you look at value season discounts through the year this is a ballpark figure. Anyhow, I have been reading so much about renting DVC points. I decided to look into it.

I came up with Boardwalk Studio room for the same rate as staying at WL. We are planning on 12 nights, if WL our dates would be July 5 - July 16, at Boardwalk, we may go earlier because my AP expires on July 13, I would have my stay run from Sunday through the following Thursday, still 12 nights. The price would be a little higher per night for my parents because they are not staying as long, only one week and would have to pay points on 2 weekend nights.

I want all input. Is renting DVC points a good idea? Which resort is nicer? Which resort has more activities for kids in our age group? My middle daughter was disappointed last year because we could not see the castle from our hotel and she did not feel like we were in Disney until we got to MK. That is a biggie for me to stay at WL, but with standard view, I am not sure how much of the castle we will actually see.

TIA, I look forward to all comments.

 

[DemoBri1]

It all depends on what kind of trip experience you want away from the parks. If you want something that's a bit more laid back and secluded then the WL is for you. Plus, you are a short boat/bus ride away from MK. The scenary around WL is great. The WL does have some kid based activities in the afternoon in the area where the day care is located near the transportation entrance.

If you're looking for more of an activity-based experience away from the parks then you cannot miss with the BW. There's always some type of act playing on the Boardwalk, that plus you have Jellyrolls and Atlantic Dance if you like the night life or ESPN Club. The Boardwalk also has a Town Hall building with various kids activities.

The room sizes will be comparable, but do note that the BW studio will only have one bed and a pull-out sofa bed, whereas the regular room at WL will have two beds.

I don't think you'll have all that much of an opportunity to view the castle from WL. I believe there's only a small amount of rooms with a "view", and those views are in between trees. Someone who's more of an expert on WL can answer that question for you better than I can.

Whatever you decide, have a great time. That is most important.

 

[tripplanner2]

That was another question I had, about the sofa bed. In the past, they have been pretty bad at other locations, from a comfort point of view. Are they the same thin mattress I have experienced in the past or are they more substantial. We are planning on staying for a decent length of time, I don't want my girls to have backaches from a bad mattress. One or two nights would not be a big deal but 12 nights may be a disaster.

 

[JFrey4240]

The sofa beds at BWV are fairly comfy but small. A studio with 5 will be pretty cramped but probably not any more so than a standard room at the WL. It probably will depend on where you think your 2 year old will sleep. Plus the studios are only supposed to be for 4, not sure how that will pan out for you.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The sleeper sofa is a double sized bed. Not too bad. Some of the sleeper sofas are being replaced with the foam type mattress. Don't know if BWV has these yet. OKW has some, but not all. The bed is a queen sized bed.

The BWV aren't all that spread out like OKW and SSR, but the hallways can seem like they go on forever. Some people say they need to drop breadcrumbs to get back to their room after they return from the parks. Or pack a lunch to get back to the room.

As long as your youngest is still under three when you arrive, you won't have any problems staying in a studio. If she is three or older, you are supposed to have at least a one bedroom. But they don't provide any additional bedding or linens for the fifth person. A two bedroom will hold 8 guests.

If you get a preferred view at the BW, you might have a view of Luna Park pool, which a lot of kids like because of the circus theme (clown slide).

 

[byoung]

Watch out if you rent points you can get hooked. We did and now own.

 

[tripplanner2]

Are the foam mattresses better?

I would love to buy into DVC but it seems very expensive. Maybe I am missing a big component of it. All I know is it was $14k to buy in and then yearly dues. It was way too high for me but like I said, maybe I am missing the big picture.

Thanks for all the info.

 

[tripplanner2]

bump