Last week I published a poll asking a simple question – which DVC resort did you think was ‘the best’. I realize that is a very broad statement, and open to a lot of interpretation. I don’t present this as any kind of scientific evidence of anything – it was for fun. However, the results did illuminate something interesting, which I’ll get to in a second. But first, how did the resorts fare? We had a total of 1879 votes – and I’ve included their rank, result percentage, as well as an estimate of what each resort commands on the resale market:
| Rank | Resort | Results | Resale Range (per point) |
| 14 | Vero Beach | 0.6% | $60 – $75 |
| 13 | Hilton Head | 1.0% | $72 – $80 |
| 12 | Grand Californian | 2.1% | $190 – $195 |
| 11 | Saratoga Springs | 3.1% | $100 – $125 |
| 10 | Old Key West | 6.0% | $90 – $95 |
| 9 | Aulani | 7.0% | $95 – $105 |
| 8 | Grand Floridian | 7.3% | $165 – $190 |
| 8 | Boulder Ridge | 7.3% | $95 – $105 |
| 6 | Copper Creek | 9.2% | $150 – $165 |
| 5 | Animal Kingdom Lodge | 10.2% | $105 – $115 |
| 4 | Polynesian Villas | 10.3% | $145 – $155 |
| 3 | Bay Lake Tower | 11.4% | $145 – $155 |
| 2 | Boardwalk | 12.0% | $120 – $155 |
| 1 | Beach Club Villas | 12.5% | $135 – $155 |
I can’t say I’m surprised by any of this – Beach Club and Boardwalk are statistically even, as are Poly and AKL. While I’m not surprised that Saratoga Springs is ranked lowest of the Orlando DVC properties, I can’t help but think sometimes that Saratoga is underrated. It is a beautiful resort, very soon the rooms will be completely rehabbed, it’s proximity to Disney Springs is a huge selling point, yet on the resale market, it’s not hard to grab Saratoga Springs for around $100 – $110 per point.
The other thing this illuminates is that there is ‘clear winner. Look how relatively even the difference is between the resorts – certainly some are more popular than others, but there’s no ‘blow-out’ here. Saratoga is unusually low on the list, but as I mentioned earlier, it gives me the impression the resort is underrated, not necessarily ‘bad’. The position of Grand Californian, Hilton Head and Vero Beach are due (in my opinion) to the fact that many people haven’t experienced them.
So, in the comments below, tell us where you own and what you love about your resort. If you’re not yet a DVC member (but are thinking about it), which resort(s) appeal to you?
We own at AKL… We love having 3 bathrooms in the 2 bdrm villa, cultural immersion and activities at both Kidani and Jambo (2 resort experiencs in 1 DVC stay), food at both (QS & TS) and of course, the animals ♡°○°
I own at AKV, and absolutely love it! It really is my fave DVC. The resort is a true escape, and I simply love animals! There’s also a warmth and “hominess” feeling to it. As far as best location, though, that’s Beach Club or Boardwalk. We love chilling at Epcot, and you can’t beat being able to stroll into Epcot whenever you like – or walk to DHS!
I own at BLT but will always choose Beach Club first if I can get it at the 7 month mark. Unfortunately it wasn’t available when I purchased direct from Disney in 2010. With the gondolas opening shortly (+ Galaxy’s Edge), I imagine all Boardwalk properties will grow in popularity. I have stayed at Aulani and Grand Californian and are surprised they aren’t higher on this list. If Aulani was closer, it would definitely be my #1.
Love Beach Club but Boardwalk is my least favorite as it does not appeal to me. Not a fan of Bay Lake either as the contemporary feel is not my style. I would pick Saratoga over both of those. Glad they all are different so there is something for everyone. Own at poly and love it. Only thing that could make it better would be a small playground area as my kiddo loves playgrounds and it gets put her energy but the kids splash play area often does the trick.
When we bought we wanted something with good counter service for days we just were chilling by pool. Good sit down restraunts. Good pools. And proximity to the parks. Poly really fits perfect for our small family of 3. It really feels like vacation when we are there.
I own at BWV, BLT, Poly, and SSR. I love the convenience of the Boardwalk but hate the long walk to some of the rooms. I love that you can walk to the Magic Kingdom from BLT and that the rooms are really nice but hate that it is inconvenient to the rest of the property. I love the Poly for the atmosphere, rooms, and convenience to MK. I dislike it for the same reason as BLT but to a little lesser extent. I love that SSR (especially Congress Park) is right next to Disney Springs and I cannot wait for the room renovations! The only downside is the distance to the parks but I like Disney Springs the best out of everything on the property. Overall my favorite is actually a resort I don’t own at but can stay at whenever I want… the Grand Californian. I just rent a 2br at the 7 month mark and I have never had any issues getting a room.
Own at BLT and BCV, but I voted for Aulani. It’s a beautiful resort that’s so immersive we just didn’t want to leave. Maybe it’s a difference in perspective – when we visit Disney parks, our DVC is more of just a place to stay but at Aulani, the resort is the attraction.
We’ve stayed at Beach Club and Saratoga. I wasn’t a huge fan of Beach Club other than the pool and location, big pluses to be sure. I stayed there before their recent rehab and boy did it need it. Cupboard doors were barely attached and in one room we had only 3 out of 4 of the elements on the stove that worked. When we stayed at Saratoga, I was less than thrilled going in – it was the only thing available. We were in a one bedroom there to and to my surprise we loved it! Proximity to Downtown Disney, as it was called at the time, was a winner. That and the layout of the resort and its grounds. While some people dislike this because it is spread out, that is one of the things that our family loves about it – we are huge walkers even after a day in the park. It is just so peaceful. We stayed at Animal Kingdom but only the hotel side so I can’t comment on that. This Fall we’ll be staying at Old Key West and the Polynesian Villas and Bungalows so maybe my opinion will change? But as it stands now: Saratoga gets my vote!
We do love the Beach Club, we own at Old Key West. We We love Old Key not because it was less expensive but, we do really enjoy the resort. If we were to do it all over t, we would buy either Old Key or Beach Club. We really did not mind Saratoga Springs. The first stay we did not appreciate the resort. We have have booked on two other occasions and now we really enjoy the resort.
We own at Wilderness (boulder ridge) and love it but find ourselves longing for and returning to Bay Lake again and again. What that resort lacks in theme it makes up for everywhere else. Each resort is so unique and special. It’s why we ultimately want to try them all! So hard to pick a favorite.
We own at Saratoga Springs but have never stayed there. We loved Copper Creek.
You missing out on a great resort in my families eyes, this has great location to Disney Springs.
Love 1-4, and the Grand Floridian. The Polynesian has always been our favorite, and we stay there every year. We are not DVC members, this something we should have purchased many years ago. Since we go to WDW every year and have for many years it would have saved us a lot of money. Our kids now enjoy being DVC members.
We visit Vero Beach every year, (mainly just for a drink) and even though it is a very nice resort just not a fan of the location to stay there. The beach is beautiful but the water always seems to rough, and I have never seen anyone on the beach or in the water.
We own at SSR and while we haven’t stayed there in the last couple of years that is only because we want to try all of the resorts. We love the resort the setting is beautiful and can walk or take boat to Disney Springs. It is also peaceful and after a long day at the park it is nice to come home to
We own at Boardwalk and it is our favorite by far. I love having a choice of that stunning Boardwalk view or the very pretty standard view which helps us stretch our 100 point contract. The lobby is both exquisite and over the top which is a good fit for me. We love taking the boats into both Epcot and the studios. We do not care for the garden/pool view and have been pretty successful in avoiding we are really not pool people so that puts BWV way ahead of BCV for us. We love the Poly studios and would consider buying there. We wanted to love Bay Lake, but don’t. The studios are just too tight.
I own at Boardwalk and love it as my home resort. I love the proximity to Epcot and DHS, I love the elegant yet laid back vibe of the resort, I love the greater community of the Crescent Lake resorts, and I love the night life on the Boardwalk after a long day in the parks.
I have stayed at Copper Creek, Polynesian, Old Key West, and Animal Kingdom Villas. There isn’t one I don’t like, but Boardwalk feels like home.
I am surprised at how high some of the resorts are and at how low some are, I personally find BLT not really offering much Disney Magic or feel and only gets good votes due to it’s location and you can watch the fireworks from the DVC lounge, stick the same hotel on the I-4 and its just a hotel, the look and feel of the tower to me is the furthest away for a Disney look hotel.
We bought at Boardwalk Villas in 1999. We love it…..the boats to 2 parks, the beautiful lobby, good restaurants & other shops.
We r staying for 10 days this summer. We had no problem getting them all at once during the first week we could reserve them.
Though not physically the same buildings, it would seem that the Wilderness Lodge properties, taken as a whole with BRV and CCV, would vault into the #1 position.
Beach Club and Saratoga are my favorites!!
Own at BCV and it is our hands down favorite. Also really love Vero too.
Own at AKL and Hilton Head and love both resorts, but Hilton Head is my favorite. You get that old time Disney customer service from the cast members and what is really cool since we go often is that some cast members still remember my name.