Booking categories among the DVC resorts are pretty self-explanatory. However, there are some unique rooms that have great views or locations that do not necessarily coincide with their booking category. Below are a few villas to consider for your next room request. Room requests can be made by contacting Member Services by phone, chat, or the Help & Contact page. You can also place them using the chat feature in the My Disney Experience app. Although room requests for DVC resorts are never a guarantee, it never hurts to ask.
Village Green Deluxe Studios at the BoardWalk Villas
This room type is probably the most well-known of the booking category anomalies and a personal favorite. These Deluxe Studios on Floors 2 to 5 are part of the Garden/Pool View category and face the Village Green, but this means that they have a partial view of the boardwalk and Crescent Lake. These rooms are also conveniently located close to the elevators. The ambiance of the boardwalk at night is one of the best parts of staying at the resort, and it’s so nice to enjoy it from your balcony.
Partial Theme Park View Villas at Bay Lake Tower
There is a pretty substantial point premium for the Theme Park View villas at Bay Lake Tower, but there are some Standard View and Lake View rooms that have partial theme park views. This includes some of the even-numbered Standard View rooms on the Fifth Floor and below on the North side of the building that face the parking lot. For example, Villas 7212, 7214, 7216, 7312, 7314, and 7316 are all Standard View villas with views of the Magic Kingdom. You can find some additional rooms with similar views from this DISboards thread on Bay Lake Tower rooms and views. If you watch the fireworks from your room, don’t forget to tune in to channel 150 to pipe in the show’s soundtrack!
You also get a partial theme park view from some of the even-numbered Lake View rooms on the North side of the building, such as Villas 8202, 8204, 8206, 8208, 8210, and 8212. For the Lake View Rooms, the predominant view from the balcony will still be Bay Lake, but if you look to the left, you’ll catch a nice view of Cinderella Castle, Space Mountain, and Astro Orbiter, especially at night. As a bonus, you can catch both Disney Enchantment and the classic Electrical Water Pageant from your balcony.
Standard Old Key West Buildings that Are Still Close to Hospitality House
At Old Key West, many of the amenities like the front desk, Olivia’s, the Sandcastle Pool, and Conch Flats General Store are all located at Hospitality House. While there is a separate booking category to guarantee that you get a room in one of the buildings that is closest to Hospitality House (this includes Buildings 11 to 14 and 23 to 26), there are some buildings within the standard room booking category that are still within walking distance. For example, Buildings 15, 16, and 62 to 64 are all just across the street from Hospitality House. Buildings 62 to 64 are also the only buildings at Old Key West that have elevators.
Standard View Villas at Jambo House
There really aren’t too many bad views at Jambo House since many of them have either pool or savanna views, even when you book the Standard View villas. For example, Standard View Villas 5202 to 5209 are above the lobby and have savanna views. If you have one of the Standard View rooms on the Kudu Trail side of the building, it will also have a view of the Sunset Savanna.
What are some of your favorite DVC room requests and booking category anomalies? Let me know in the comments below!
