Your Favorite DVC Property and Why

[Reeves]

We are planning out first "real" trip to Disney and have been checking out all of our options including renting points to stay at a DVC property. I have read reviews online and in books but nothing compares to a property owner's personal experience. I was hoping to get some comments on which resort you prefer and why.

Our group will consist if 6 adults and 4 children (13, 6, 4 and 2) and we are looking for a great experience that would suit the range of ages. I have been charged with the planning and thought it would be great to stay at someplace really nice like these DVC properties as opposed to the other hotels. Now I just have to find the right one.

I have been lurking for a while now and think you are all so awesome. Thanks for your feedback.

Steve

 

[niks81]

My personal preference is BWV. I love having a BW view room, I like the decor of the rooms, and the atmosphere at the Boardwalk is like nothing else It's fabulous there.

You will get many differing opinions. I have stayed at all of them and they are all great for different reasons. I don't think any of them really have major shortcomings....different themes, atmospheres and room types to appeal to everyone.

I can save Richyams about two minutes of his time and answer for him. OKW is the best because the rooms are bigger and there is an "actual" dining area.

 

[MAC3]

While I agree with Niks (BW is my fave too)! If I were you I'd try for BCV. More so for SAB, the mother of all waterslides/pools. It would seem to suit your whole clan well. That whole BW/BC area is a great place to be.

Location is everything for a first trip!

Have a great time planning!
Lisa

 

[FreeTime]

We own at BWV and that is mu DH's favorite resort. He likes the Luna park pool and the closeness to Epcot and MGM (you will get this with BCV too). I however like them all! I like WL for the woodsy feel and the boatride to the MK. I like the BC (if I get a fireworks view) because of their pool area (hubby doesn't like the sand), I like OKW when we are taking family because of the size. Whichever you chose, I am sure that you will be happy!

 

[Pootle]

All the resorts are great in different ways - you will know that already if you have been lurking here

IMHO it's more to do with what your family are like, and the things that give them pleasure and trying to match them up with the 'best' (for you) resort. Are your children water babies? SAB must surely appeal if so - same with SS. Do you want to be very close to the parks? This would also influence your choice also.

My favourite is OKW but I can see the many attractions of the others.

I like it because of (I hesitate to say it, but will ) size of rooms, beautiful surroundings, the away-from-the-parks location and the outside-your-door parking.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Don't have a favorite. We own at 3 separate properties. BWV, BCV and VWL. Each offers something unique and we love to move around from each vacation to the next. The last trip was to VWL and BCV. Our next will be to BWV.

HBC

 

[IndianaDVCMember]

If we plan on swimming much, BCV is the place. If not, we like BWV because we can save points with a Standard View room. Only Yacht/Beech Club guests can access SAB. Other than that, the locations are a wash between the two resorts. They are close enough that you can enjoy just about anything at the other resort except SAB. Both have great access to Epcot and Disney/MGM Studios.

OKW has the largest rooms.

VWL has great decor/theming and great access to MK. VWL would be your best bet if you spend much of your time at MK. It also has Whispering Canyon, one of the best choices for kids dining.

 

[Pa@okw95]

You might want to rent a grand villa that way everyone will have a bathroom and a bedroom to themselves. I am assuming you have a three family situation there. If you can not do that you might try a two bedroom and a studio. When it comes to accomodations all the DVC resorts are nice. OKW is way bigger that any of the other when it comes to space in the units. Thew grand villa has a master bedroom downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs and very spacious living room dining and kitchen area.

 

[Reeves]

I was originally thinking of a 3br villa at OKW because it looks amazing. I understand they will most likely be all booked for our trip (planned for Oct 9-16) so I started looking at other resorts like BCV. I agree with everyone's comments and I'm sure not matter where we stay we will have a great time.

I am taking the trip with my parents (retired), my family (me, DW, DD 4 and DD 2) and my brother's family (bro, wife, DD13 and DD 6). The kids are the focus of the trip and they do like the water so we will most likely be staying at BCV.

 

[Beca]

Just a thought...the food and wine festival at Epcot is going on then. If you really want BCV, you better try to get it now...they might already be full.

 

[Simba's Mom]

My favorite is BCV. Yet, I don't swim and so SAB isn't the appeal. It's first, the beach theming and the sand beach right in front (or back-which is it?), and second the closeness to Epcot. I've also stayed at BWV, and feel BCV is much closer to Epcot. MGM doesn't appeal to me, so the fact that BWV is more "centered" between Epcot and MGM doesn't matter. DH, however, will only stay at OKW. He feels that OKW is by far the most relaxing, ideal for vacationing and resting from his high-stress job. A little time in the parks to appease DW, then back to his "village" to lie around the pool, watch TV, sit on the porch, etc.. So my visits to BCV have to be solo trips.

 

[ripleysmom]

I like the location of BWV and BCV but our favorite is WLV. What a truly awesome resort!!

 

[jaysue]

Given the size of your group and adult child mix, I would suggest 2 separate rooms and split the group up

Also, especially if this is the first time to WDW for any of them, BCV or BWV work well for the first timer. Close to Epcot, MGM, good to excellent pools, the Boardwalk etc.

If size of room and a sense of getting away from it all/peace and quiet in a tropical theme is important then go with OKW - bigger rooms, quieter, feel away from it all - very relaxed and you park your car in front of your unit.

VWL is a great choice to be close to the MK and also feel somewhat secluded and away from it all and the decor is amazing.

Our current favourite is BCV - SAB pool is great, steps to Epcot and can walk to MGM, boardwalk, S&D for more dining choices etc.
Pool and location are key factors to us in our current vacationing mode

thanks
jaysue

 

[riopooh]

We own at VWL and just love the convenience to the MK. Figure out what you are looking forward to most - water parks, Epcot, MK or whatever and plan accordingly. Now that my son is getting older, we will probably be looking more for Epcot resorts (he is a big Mission Space fan!)

 

[dianeschlicht]

We prefer OKW and love the space there, and the Grand villa is amazing. We will be in a Grand Villa at OKW the third week of October, and I called day by day to get that ressie at the 11 month booking window. I doubt there would be one available now, but you wont know unless you try. It is less than 7months before those dates, so all DVC owners would have access to any that might have remained. A second alternative would be to rent two 2 bedroom units at OKW and ask for the same building. That will mean your groups will both have wonderful spacious accommodations, and you will only be a stairway away. We have asked to be near other members and guests when we have reserved, and they have always gotten us very close. With the ages of the kids, I would think BWV might not be the right place, because the second bedroom only has a queen and a pull out full size. At OKW the second bedroom has two queen sized beds and the living room has a queen size pull out. At BCV, you can request a dedicated 2 bedroom with 2 beds instead of the 1 bed pull out, but there are not many of them, and with the Food and Wine festival going on, the Epcot resorts will probably be heavily booked already. I would say your best chances for large enough accommodations would be OKW or SSR.

 

[new_yawka]

Do you like, Godiva, Lindt or Girardelli....

I've stayed at 4 of the DVC propertys (OKW, BWV, HHI and VB).

Each is truly wonderful and I look forward to return trips to all of them (although I might want to give the other 3 a try first too! )

Anyway...As for my favorite, each is so uniqe and wonderful, it isn't that simple. Nonetheless, as WDW was our reason for buying in to DVC, my favorite must be somewhere within the great Mickey Gates at WDW....

...Given BWV's location, its lower-point standard view option; community hall, and overall atmosphere...it gets my vote....that said...If I'm just looking to "get away from it all", OKW has to get an honorable mention.

 

[WDWDad]

Anytime we go with more than the wife and I it OKW you just cannot beat the size of the rooms. The comfort and the laid back atmosphere.

 

[WDWLVR]

My personal favorite is Boardwalk. That's our home and we love it. It's all about location for us. Walking to MGM and Epcot.

Stayed at VWL and it was ok, but not our taste.

Would love to try Beach Club soon and we are booked at Old Key West in May - can't wait to see those large rooms.

 

[gopherit]

We love the size and comfort of OKW, but for small kids (such as your 2 and 4 yr old) we found the pools a bit awkward -- no good shallow ends, especially out at TPond pool. If you're talking about this October, not sure OKW would be best bet, if main pool is under construction for new slide.

That said, with the split in your kids' ages, I would suggest BWV or VWL.

BWV: The Luna park pool is very easy to spy at all ends standing from a single vantage pt; it has an awesome slide for the 13 and 6 yr old. The spraying elephants were my dd's favorite when she was 2! And there is a community hall for activities in the event swimming is out due to weather! Like BCV, it's in the heart of it all -- and plenty of restaurants right nearby.

VWL: The pool is perfect for your age ranges -- a huge toddler's pool, a slide that is juuuust right for the younger group (not as daunting as the Keister Coaster at BWV) yet peppy enough to entertain the "child" inside even us adults! And you just can't top the extent to which the WL is themed. The proximity to MK is also great, as is the boat ride over to FW (for HoopDeDoo, petting farm, hayride / campfire and smores) or Contemporary (for Chef Mickey's, California Grill), and lest I forget, viewing the EWP from either your villa or the lakefront beach.


BCV is great, and does have the "flagship" mother of all pools, SAB. However, I would find it hard to control the split in kid-ages you mentioned at SAB. In my family, the 13 yr old would have free reign of the place, but the 6 and 4 yr old would want to roam free also and I would be very stressed out trying to track 'em down! And that whole slide entry / exit situation would be difficult to monitor as well. We are actually going to BCV for 2 days this summer, just to give everyone a taste of SAB, but then we are moving over to BWV for 8 nights to relax!

 

[BWVDee]

Your Favorite DVC Property and Why

I like all the WDW DVC resorts to varying degrees and for different reasons, but my favorite has always been and probably always will be BWV. I truly love this resort and it has everything we want or desire on vacation. Location and convenience are my top priorities and BWV fits the bill perfectly. IMO, the Epcot resorts have the best location on WDW property for easy and quick access to major parks, numerous dining options, nighttime park shows and fireworks, etc . BWV is about as centrally located
(among the Epcot resorts), to all of these things-- as you can get. I also really like BCV a lot because I love SAB but I do not like the location of the actual resort building. It was an add on that was built in an existing parking lot and this is very evident in the distance from the BCV building to the main hub of the resort with the main pool, dining options, boat dock etc. Also due to the location of the building the chances of getting a villa with a less than desirable view are much greater. I really enjoy staying at BCV for a few days for my SAB fix and then I am ready to move across Crescent Lake.
I love the decor and atmosphere of VWL and WL and for the holidays these resorts are truly magical. I enjoy staying at a MK resort for a few days but since we spend the majority of our time at Epcot or MGM, the Epcot resorts are more to our liking.
OKW, I find to be a pretty resort and very typical of many FL timeshare resorts in decor/atmosphere. I absolutly love the 1 BR villa and the balcony. For a laid back, away from the action/ park/ crowds, etc resort--you can't beat OKW. For those that desire this on vacation, this is the place to be. For us, although we enjoy going to the resort to eat at Olivia's or to visit friends staying there, we do not care to stay here due to the location and the lack of full resort amenities.
SSR--the jury is still out on. I suspect we will also enjoy staying at SSR for a few days once in a while(we are an all adult traveling group so we spend a lot at PI) but will still spend the bulk of our DVC trips at BWV.
I am definitly a true example of someone that: "bought where they wanted to stay"! LOL!!
Have fun exploring all the DVC resorts, they are all very unique and special in their own ways.