# Which DVC resorts?



## SJRSONG (Feb 9, 2009)

There are so many DVC resorts... and I am not familiar with any of them.. I am looking to trade in 2010 for the 1st time (thru RCI)...Can any of DVC experts tell me which resort is best for our family (elderly parents with 3 kids under 8yo)?  Is it too much to ask if anyone can summarize good and bad of each resort?  Thank you.


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## RIMike (Feb 9, 2009)

*Any would be a great experience*



TUG101 said:


> There are so many DVC resorts... and I am not familiar with any of them.. I am looking to trade in 2010 for the 1st time (thru RCI)...Can any of DVC experts tell me which resort is best for our family (elderly parents with 3 kids under 8yo)?  Is it too much to ask if anyone can summarize good and bad of each resort?  Thank you.




Any would be a great experience. Disney is one of the best run companies in the world and as such they have exceptional customer service.  I have stayed in almost all of the properties on Disney.  The ones closer to a park are the best in my opinion for children, and not bad for adults either.

Here are my top five in order:
Wilderness Lodge
Beach Club
Animal Kingdom Villas (especially good for small children as they really enjoy the animals)
Old Key West 
Boardwalk Villas

But, I would put in a request for ANY of the Disney properties.  They are not the easiest trades to get.

Best wishes, and have a great time at Disney.  Also, if you can not get Disney, there are a number of other outstanding Timeshares in and around the parks.  I have stayed at three: Calypso Cay (NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE), Star Island (a very good, but not outstanding Timeshare) and Marriott Grande Vista (outstanding).

So, if for some reason you can not get into one of the outstanding Disney Timeshares do not dispair, there are a lot of exceptional other resorts for a great orlando vacation.


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## SJRSONG (Feb 9, 2009)

Thank you so much for great info... is Hilton any better than DVC?


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## pcgirl54 (Feb 10, 2009)

How about top 3 for empty nesters? What are the major differences between Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club and Animal Kingdom(I love animals).


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## Twinkstarr (Feb 10, 2009)

pcgirl54 said:


> How about top 3 for empty nesters? What are the major differences between Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club and Animal Kingdom(I love animals).



I would say Wilderness Lodge(the lobby there is not to be missed), Beach Club, love the location. Consider the Boardwalk Villas, which I actually liked better than the BCV(other end of the lake/lagoon from BCV).

I haven't consider AKV yet because it's not done yet and they have been moving animals off the savanahas to accomodate the building of the Kidani phase. I think it all wraps up in May 09. 

While it will be cool to see animals(we had dinner at Jiko's in Nov), what I don't like about the resort is you are pretty isolated out at AKL. No walking to the park, so you either need a car or rely on Disney Trsansport.

Now I have seen a major improvement in the bus service starting at Thanksgiving and it was still good when I was at BWV MLK weekend.


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## littlestar (Feb 10, 2009)

One big difference is what I call the hotel style resorts vs the condo style. VWL, BCV, BWV, BLT (not open yet), and AKL are attached to Walt Disney World resort hotels. Old Key West and Saratoga are not - they have more expansive grounds for walking and are more spread out. 

You can park your car close to your unit at Old Key West and Saratoga. At the hotel style DVC resorts, your car will be in a hotel parking lot and usually not very close to your room. 

Here are some great pictures and room tours of the DVC resorts:

http://www.tagrel.com/dvc.shtml


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## Lisa P (Feb 10, 2009)

Another difference is in the size/colors of the unit interiors.  OKW has more spacious accommodations than the much smaller units at the rest of the DVC resorts in WDW.  Villas at AKL and WL have darker colors in the interior decor than the pastels at the others.  My grown daughter and husband both enjoy the deeper, darker colors.  But my inlaws strongly prefer lighter, brighter colors.  It may not matter to some, either way.


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## RIMike (Feb 10, 2009)

pcgirl54 said:


> How about top 3 for empty nesters? What are the major differences between Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club and Animal Kingdom(I love animals).




For Empty nesters if you want to stay on Disney, away from an attached park is better.  The closer you are to a  park, any park the more kids it attracts.  In that regard I had a very nice stay at the Old Key West.  But all Disney lodging has a lot of kids.  

I think I might prefer a TS outside of Disney, maybe Bonnett Creek, which is still actually inside Disney, but not owned by Disney.  A little more distance is the Fountains and Marriott Grande Vista.  Both are highly rated on here and II.

Again, I have only stayed on two high end disney properties that I did not care for and neither are TS....The Grand Floridian is beautiful on the outside, tacky on the inside.  And The Contemporary is always over run with children and VERY loud...for kids that is great...for me as an adult, not so much.


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## RIMike (Feb 10, 2009)

*Can't speak for Hilton*



TUG101 said:


> Thank you so much for great info... is Hilton any better than DVC?



But it would be hard to beat the experience of staying on property at Disney if Disney is the focus of your vacation.  They have designs for "Total Share of Wallet" meaning they want you to spend all of your time and money on property and do everything possible to make your stay so enjoyable that you will not want to go anywhere else.

Having said that, if you are planning on other parks like Sea World or Universal Studios or Island of Adventure-Universal, then outside Disney is a wonderful option.

I hear that Hilton TS is very nice...but I have not stayed in their TS in Orlando.  But I have managed to stay in three:  Marriott Grande Vista and Star Island, both of which proved to be excellent vacation choices.  And then the unfortunate Calypso Cay....which did not.


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## jamstew (Feb 10, 2009)

RIMike said:


> For Empty nesters if you want to stay on Disney, away from an attached park is better.



I'm just the opposite. I love to be able to walk to Epcot for dinner or just to stroll around and soak in the atmosphere, or take the boat to MGM just to ride ToT one more time or eat at Brown Derby! I don't rent a car and have no interest in Downtown Disney, so I like to have transportation options other than the buses. I think it depends on the type of trip you're looking for. I also own at VWL, and I love it, but I don't spend a lot of time at MK so I prefer the Epcot resorts. I've stayed at AKL and, although it was lovely, it felt pretty isolated.


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## RIMike (Feb 10, 2009)

*Actually Don't Disagree about EPCOT*



jamstew said:


> I'm just the opposite. I love to be able to walk to Epcot for dinner or just to stroll around and soak in the atmosphere, or take the boat to MGM just to ride ToT one more time or eat at Brown Derby! I don't rent a car and have no interest in Downtown Disney, so I like to have transportation options other than the buses. I think it depends on the type of trip you're looking for. I also own at VWL, and I love it, but I don't spend a lot of time at MK so I prefer the Epcot resorts. I've stayed at AKL and, although it was lovely, it felt pretty isolated.



I actually do not disagree with you about EPCOT Center...it is the least child park of the parks...the TS close are within walking distance and that is nice.


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## mdurette (Feb 10, 2009)

jamstew said:


> I'm just the opposite. I love to be able to walk to Epcot for dinner or just to stroll around and soak in the atmosphere, or take the boat to MGM just to ride ToT one more time or eat at Brown Derby! I don't rent a car and have no interest in Downtown Disney, so I like to have transportation options other than the buses. I think it depends on the type of trip you're looking for. I also own at VWL, and I love it, but I don't spend a lot of time at MK so I prefer the Epcot resorts. I've stayed at AKL and, although it was lovely, it felt pretty isolated.



I agree with this......personally I think the location of Beach Club and Boardwalk trumps anything else I love about the other properties.  The ability to walk to Studios and Epcot are a huge plus.  Also, it is nice to go to the boardwalk in the evening for adult entertainment (Jellyrolls, the Dance Hall, the Brewery Restaurant, etc) and then be able to walk back to your room and not have to deal with waiting for a bus.


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