WL Villas or Monorail Resort?

[hefman]

We're planning a trip to WDW in April and are currently booked in a 2-bedroom Villa at the WL. We're 4 adults (us and our daughter's grandparents), one child and an infant.

With an infant in tow, we're concerned about the transportation to and from the other areas of the park -- especially MK. We'll be spending the majority of our time at the MK, but may venture out to some other areas too and don't want to spend all of our time moving around (or waiting in line for transportation). We wanted a place that was convenient to the MK, but maybe a bit quieter and more off the beaten path than the monorail hotels. We looked at the Polynesian, BC, GF and the WL. We chose the Villas, because we liked the the rooms and it seems convenient to MK.

Our concern is mostly with the boat service to the MK and the ease of getting around to the other parts of the park (considering that we'll have a double stroller with us). I'm also looking for general impressions of the WL area (things to do there, food, etc.) and the villas themselves -- also whether anyone thinks staying on the monorail is a lot more convenient or not. We also looked closely at the BC and like the things to do near there, but were much more worried about getting to the MK from there. Any thoughts on that?

Thanks in advance.

 

[jel0511]

I have to tell you, as someone who has traveled to WDW with a double stroller, it's easier to get it on/off the boat from WL than the monorail. If you have a side by side, unless one of the handicapped cars is available on the monorail, you have to remove the children and fold it up. The boat there is no such restriction, you can just roll it on. A front to back can fit in any of the monorai cars, though they can be slightly difficult to "drive" on due to their length. Also, with the villas, you're going to have a full kitchen and washer/dryer, VERY important when traveling with little ones. Also, trying to push a full double up those ramps can get tiring after awhile. The transport to Epcot from the monorail hotels has you transferring at the TTC, which is more ramps. WL has direct bus service to Epcot, MGM and AK. The monorail hotels also have bus service to MGM and AK, so there is no difference there, just Epcot. I'd go with the villas alone for the space, kitchen and washer/dryer. I've stayed at WL three times, I also own at VWL, and have never had a transporation issue there.

 

[hefman]

Thanks Jel! That's great info. My wife should be much happier with our decision now...

 

[vossjemi]

How much does a 2 bdrm villa run? We will be a family of 6, going to WDW for a few days after our cruise in sept. It will be DH, myself, DD5, DS3, and the grandparents. We were thinking of staying at the poly, but if a villa for 6 at WL is cheaper than 2 garden view rooms at the poly, our decision might be made. Also, are there good views from WL of the fireworks and Electric Water Pageant?

 

[idontknow]

If you decide to stay at the Villas, check into renting DVC points. It is MUCH cheaper..........oops, I mean inexpensive.........to stay using points unless it is over a Fri or Sat night, then cash is better. You can head over to the DVC boards and at the top is a link to a calculator that can tell you how many points you need.

We are renting points for our stay the first of March. It is only costing us $140 a night for a studio. One and two bedrooms are much more, but still better than paying rack rate. HTH

Sorry I can't help with the stroller question.

 

[hefman]

How much does a 2 bdrm villa run? We will be a family of 6, going to WDW for a few days after our cruise in sept. It will be DH, myself, DD5, DS3, and the grandparents. We were thinking of staying at the poly, but if a villa for 6 at WL is cheaper than 2 garden view rooms at the poly, our decision might be made. Also, are there good views from WL of the fireworks and Electric Water Pageant?

Not sure about Sept., but we got the villa for slightly more than 2 of the least expensive rooms at the Poly. I don't know if those were garden view or not. Anyway, it ended up being about $27 more per night, in total. That's worth it to me to have a living room, kitchen and I'm pretty sure the room is much larger than two rooms at the Poly. Anyway, for your big clan, it might be a good choice.

I haven't been to WL yet, so I can't comment on the views of the fireworks or the ELP, but I've heard they can be seen from the lodge. I'll be sure to post some details after our trip.

 

[hefman]

If you decide to stay at the Villas, check into renting DVC points. It is MUCH cheaper..........oops, I mean inexpensive.........to stay using points unless it is over a Fri or Sat night, then cash is better. You can head over to the DVC boards and at the top is a link to a calculator that can tell you how many points you need.

We are renting points for our stay the first of March. It is only costing us $140 a night for a studio. One and two bedrooms are much more, but still better than paying rack rate. HTH

Sorry I can't help with the stroller question.

Thanks for the info. I'm not familiar with "renting" DVC points. Are their advantages/disadvantages with using points? How does the transaction take place (who books what, etc.). I assume they are transferrable? Also, will we still be able to book extended hours tickets, etc?

My apologies if this has been covered before, but I'm a noob here. TIA

 

[diathoney]

Check out the DVC Rent\Trade board. I've rented points twice now and have my third rental at BWV this June.

It's all about trust. You need to feel comfortable with the rentor. You pay in advance, the reservation is put in your name and you can verify the reservation through DVC member services. You can ask the DVC owner to make requests for you or add them yourself by talking to DVC member services. You can't call up CRO, apply discounts or switch to a different property. You are actually renting from the DVC owner. You post what you're looking for on the Rent /Trade board or reply to a post advertising points for rent or reply to a post for an existing reservation. There's an FAQ stuck at the top of the board that has good information.

Renting points is cheaper as long as you don't get Friday/Saturday nights. Sometimes it's still cheaper even with the Fri/Sat nights. You get housekeeping every fourth day. Other than the housekeeping that I haven't found a downside. I've stayed at BWV for as little as $125/night. I do get a little nervous every time I send the check until I get the reservation in the mail.

I don't know about buying tickets - we have Fl Res passes.