16 thoughts on “Poll: Which DVC Resort is the best?”
If you’re talking just rooms its hands down GF (there are TVs in the bathroom mirrors). Everybody loves Bay Lake for the walk to MK, but the pool is not great and you have to take a walk for any food. AK is amazing but Kidani is like a 5 mile walk to the rest of the resort. Unless you have nostalgia, you arent voting for Old Key West. Unless you like a deal or saving money, you arent voting for Saratoga Springs. Beach Club is a real contender because you cant compete with the pool and walkable to two parks. Boardwalk is great and the points chart for this resort is soo good. Polynesian is great but you’re limited to studios (cmon, no one is getting a bungalow). Copper Creek is nice, Boulder Ridge is comfy. TBD for Riviera. And lets pretend Reflections never happened.
BLT is my absolute favorite DVC Resort… Not just because it’s our home, but also because of it’s proximity to MK & the monorail, beautiful grounds and amazingly kept rooms. Service is great as well. This is Disney at it’s finest!
BLT is great if you are IN the room. The other areas feel like a mall to me. I like staying there but find the resort to be too concrete.
I’ve only stayed at Aulani and VGC, but I can’t imagine anything better than Aulani. The VGC is nice, but the pool area is unremarkable. Hopefully with the new bar/food area it’ll be a little better, but the slide is just okay and pools are pools. I’d like to see at the DLR the Paradise Pier rethememed and refurbished with additional towers added to the rear. Maybe a Marvel Tower and Pixar Tower with much of it dedicated to DVC. There’s room for a better slide area somewhere between the Disneyland Hotel and Aulani. Add a lazy river, signature restaurant and a unique quick service and I’ll be there every year. Maybe even add a bridge to a private park entrance.
I have to say I have stayed at several DVC villas over the years and all wonderfully unique in their own way The Grand Floridian two bedroom Villa is the most luxurious with its beautiful full sized kitchen and gorgeous marble bathrooms with a shower in the Master the size of a small bedroom ! My one and only complaint ! My daughter wanted to take a walk over to the Poly next door and take a dip in the pool as I agreed to take a walk over with her I was very disappointed that because we were not staying at the Poly we could not access the pool this was pretty disheartening as while we are staying the Grand Floridian “one of the most expensive resorts on property” Anyone !!!! was able to come and use our ungated Pool ?? If anyone is listening ?? I would think as a DVC member staying on a Monorail property “ONLY” we should have the ability to patronize the other resort’s facilities. Just something to consider. Rich V
I will say that I haven’t stayed at any of them thru DVC but my own personal opinion is that anywhere that is a “tower” or is over 4 stories tall, doesn’t seem it would feel “Disney” to me. Disney to me is shorter buildings that are clustered into different themed areas or laid out like Riverside not a 15 story tower that could be across the way at O’Hare in Chicago. The exception being Aulani. I wouldn’t be going there to feel Disney. I’d be there for relaxation and beaches.
We love all of our children equally.
I have stayed at Aulani, OKW, Bay lake towers (studio), and Grand Californian. Aulani is my #1 and my happy place. I did not like Bay lake towers because of the bathroom situation in the Studio. The door bugged me and the sink location. Its been years since I have stayed there, but I hated it so much I wouldn’t do it again. I love OKW for long stays because of the extra space, its quiet and the cast members have always been fantastic. Grand Californian is just OK. Its great when we are in Anaheim but I wish there was a 2nd choice. I have stayed here the most since it is the only option in Cali. When I was there last it was under construction and that really sucked.
We seem to always stay in either a Studio or a 2 bedroom.
It depends…what kind of trip are you on? Who are you traveling with?
With just the two of us, I love the Poly lake view rooms for the relaxation and vibe, with my mom a Boardwalk view is best – unless she isn’t up to the parks then we are at Old Key West, little kids in the group then I choose AKL because the animals never disappoint (and zebra domes), quick trip for a small group then it’s BLT for MK rides and Epcot food.
The only resorts we do not like are SSR (feels like a short stay condo) and CCV/BRV (really, really bad experience there has soured us on the resort forever).
B L T my home away from home ! Has everything you need and its cloest to MK
Got to be SSR, it has some of the biggest rooms and its close to Disney Springs and is ideally placed to move around all of the Disney property and beyond with most travel times very very short.
Have to go with the original. Old Key West has the largest rooms and feels uniquely DVC. I love them all, but OKW is home.
I wish more people would give the beach resorts a chance (or maybe i dont) Hilton Head is amazing as a resort property. The cast members, the surroundings, the level of relaxation – love it!
We’ve stayed at BLT, GFV, AKV, SSR, and BCV and always only in 2 bedrooms. There’s definitely great stuff about all but I just go back to Beach Club as the best. Great resort, great restaurant choices, a location that can’t be beat and a pool that is incredible. I think for the same reasons I would put Boardwalk second..pool is clearly not as good. Then Bay Lake. To me, the walking proximity to a park puts these 3 ahead of all others. Then Grand Floridian (best rooms), then Animal Kingdom (animals out the window!).
I’ve never been disappointed by any of the DVC resorts and I can find something special about each and every one of them. But there’s only one resort that “calls” to me whenever I enter the lobby and that would be the Wilderness Lodge and it’s associated DVC properties BRV and CCV. Even when we’re not staying at the Lodge resorts, we will make a trip or two over to visit the place and as soon as we walk in the door of that lobby my wife and I think the same thing: “Why didn’t we stay here?”.
If you’re talking just rooms its hands down GF (there are TVs in the bathroom mirrors). Everybody loves Bay Lake for the walk to MK, but the pool is not great and you have to take a walk for any food. AK is amazing but Kidani is like a 5 mile walk to the rest of the resort. Unless you have nostalgia, you arent voting for Old Key West. Unless you like a deal or saving money, you arent voting for Saratoga Springs. Beach Club is a real contender because you cant compete with the pool and walkable to two parks. Boardwalk is great and the points chart for this resort is soo good. Polynesian is great but you’re limited to studios (cmon, no one is getting a bungalow). Copper Creek is nice, Boulder Ridge is comfy. TBD for Riviera. And lets pretend Reflections never happened.
BLT is my absolute favorite DVC Resort… Not just because it’s our home, but also because of it’s proximity to MK & the monorail, beautiful grounds and amazingly kept rooms. Service is great as well. This is Disney at it’s finest!
BLT is great if you are IN the room. The other areas feel like a mall to me. I like staying there but find the resort to be too concrete.
I’ve only stayed at Aulani and VGC, but I can’t imagine anything better than Aulani. The VGC is nice, but the pool area is unremarkable. Hopefully with the new bar/food area it’ll be a little better, but the slide is just okay and pools are pools. I’d like to see at the DLR the Paradise Pier rethememed and refurbished with additional towers added to the rear. Maybe a Marvel Tower and Pixar Tower with much of it dedicated to DVC. There’s room for a better slide area somewhere between the Disneyland Hotel and Aulani. Add a lazy river, signature restaurant and a unique quick service and I’ll be there every year. Maybe even add a bridge to a private park entrance.
I have to say I have stayed at several DVC villas over the years and all wonderfully unique in their own way The Grand Floridian two bedroom Villa is the most luxurious with its beautiful full sized kitchen and gorgeous marble bathrooms with a shower in the Master the size of a small bedroom ! My one and only complaint ! My daughter wanted to take a walk over to the Poly next door and take a dip in the pool as I agreed to take a walk over with her I was very disappointed that because we were not staying at the Poly we could not access the pool this was pretty disheartening as while we are staying the Grand Floridian “one of the most expensive resorts on property” Anyone !!!! was able to come and use our ungated Pool ?? If anyone is listening ?? I would think as a DVC member staying on a Monorail property “ONLY” we should have the ability to patronize the other resort’s facilities. Just something to consider. Rich V
I will say that I haven’t stayed at any of them thru DVC but my own personal opinion is that anywhere that is a “tower” or is over 4 stories tall, doesn’t seem it would feel “Disney” to me. Disney to me is shorter buildings that are clustered into different themed areas or laid out like Riverside not a 15 story tower that could be across the way at O’Hare in Chicago. The exception being Aulani. I wouldn’t be going there to feel Disney. I’d be there for relaxation and beaches.
We love all of our children equally.
I have stayed at Aulani, OKW, Bay lake towers (studio), and Grand Californian. Aulani is my #1 and my happy place. I did not like Bay lake towers because of the bathroom situation in the Studio. The door bugged me and the sink location. Its been years since I have stayed there, but I hated it so much I wouldn’t do it again. I love OKW for long stays because of the extra space, its quiet and the cast members have always been fantastic. Grand Californian is just OK. Its great when we are in Anaheim but I wish there was a 2nd choice. I have stayed here the most since it is the only option in Cali. When I was there last it was under construction and that really sucked.
We seem to always stay in either a Studio or a 2 bedroom.
It depends…what kind of trip are you on? Who are you traveling with?
With just the two of us, I love the Poly lake view rooms for the relaxation and vibe, with my mom a Boardwalk view is best – unless she isn’t up to the parks then we are at Old Key West, little kids in the group then I choose AKL because the animals never disappoint (and zebra domes), quick trip for a small group then it’s BLT for MK rides and Epcot food.
The only resorts we do not like are SSR (feels like a short stay condo) and CCV/BRV (really, really bad experience there has soured us on the resort forever).
B L T my home away from home ! Has everything you need and its cloest to MK
Got to be SSR, it has some of the biggest rooms and its close to Disney Springs and is ideally placed to move around all of the Disney property and beyond with most travel times very very short.
Have to go with the original. Old Key West has the largest rooms and feels uniquely DVC. I love them all, but OKW is home.
I wish more people would give the beach resorts a chance (or maybe i dont) Hilton Head is amazing as a resort property. The cast members, the surroundings, the level of relaxation – love it!
We’ve stayed at BLT, GFV, AKV, SSR, and BCV and always only in 2 bedrooms. There’s definitely great stuff about all but I just go back to Beach Club as the best. Great resort, great restaurant choices, a location that can’t be beat and a pool that is incredible. I think for the same reasons I would put Boardwalk second..pool is clearly not as good. Then Bay Lake. To me, the walking proximity to a park puts these 3 ahead of all others. Then Grand Floridian (best rooms), then Animal Kingdom (animals out the window!).
I’ve never been disappointed by any of the DVC resorts and I can find something special about each and every one of them. But there’s only one resort that “calls” to me whenever I enter the lobby and that would be the Wilderness Lodge and it’s associated DVC properties BRV and CCV. Even when we’re not staying at the Lodge resorts, we will make a trip or two over to visit the place and as soon as we walk in the door of that lobby my wife and I think the same thing: “Why didn’t we stay here?”.
AKV is the best themed…hands down…IMO