Best resort for 3 generations?

[Dyefrog]

I currently have a direct VGF contract which I purchased when Disney reopened direct sales last year. Did our welcome home trip 9/22 with 9 adults and 2 children. Had to resort hop every other day as our booking was within the 7 month window. Not an ideal strategy especially with small children as we are homeless for 6 hours every moving day. But we did get to stay at AKL, VGF, and SSR. My reasons for buying VGF had more to do with establishing the blue card membership for myself but more importantly, 3 of my adult children. My personal tastes while not perfectly aligned with VGF, found it quite enjoyable. Loved the convenience of the monorail, watched fireworks from our room, my family felt like royalty, close to MK, etc. But as I mentioned above, my DVC decisions focus on my family, not me (mostly).
I would like to add on to my 200 points but unsure which resort best meets our future needs. A few more data points:

• I'm 66, partner is 64, active lifestyle, retired
• I have an adults only trip scheduled for late November with 3 other couples. Have a 2 bedroom waitlisted at BCV with OKW booked. Adult only trips could become a habit.
• Suspect Epcot the preferred park for my generation.
• My adult children w/o kids prefer AK and HS but enjoy the EP festivals.
• My generation enjoys the resorts as much, maybe more than parks.
• Both generations, even those w/o kids, cater to the grandkids when they are there mostly. But also squeeze in "me" time.
• Can see Universal in the mix as time allows.
• Will have a car maybe half the visits
• Currently have 2 grandchildren <4 years old with 1 on the way.
• One of my adult children is a former Disney intern and is the one expecting. She is hardcore Disney fan.
• Not interested in non-Disney timeshares for now.
• Adult children's in-laws and ex-wife will be regular guests. Ex-wife seems interested in buying DVC.
• My partner and I, and I suspect my children, put a lot of weight on Dining inside the bubble. Using the various Disney modes of transport adds to the experience.
• My generation does not party into the night. My children do.
• Could see special events being a draw and don't mind planning 11 months out.
• Have no plans on going July/August but parents with kids may have to.
• Can only take so much lounging by the pool but like water parks. Like to stay busy with activities, bikes, sports, walking, exploring, etc.

Probably missed a few critical preferences but this is a start.
I have a few resorts in mind but I'll keep them to myself and see what suggestions come up.

 

[Sandisw]

RIV is now our favorite resort as Epcot has taken over as the go to park for the majority of the trip when not with kids.

But, it’s also so convenient to HS as well. We also do VGF for visits to MK and split stay almost every trip.

We love the ease and convenience to the Boardwalk area as well.

To get to AK or DS, all require a bus or car from the resorts.

So, that is my top pick and given direct is a great price right now, it makes it a nice deal.

 

[Nursemanit]

Riviera is the resort that hits 90% the needs of 90% of disney people - it is kind of a top 3 in every category resort. If you are buying for future generations 2070 looks good and restrictions don’t matter.

If this is extra points for you only then BW has some great resale deals.

 

[Straulin]

We are VGF and BCV. Wife and I are mid-forties and kids are 11 &13. We all four say VGF is our favorite resort. We have stayed at Port Orleans Riverside & French Quarter, Caribbean Beach, Yacht Club, AKL, VGF, and BRV. Our first actual Beach Club stay is set for October.

We toured RIV and don’t like the vibe. If the add-on is more for yourself I would recommend BCV or BWV as they as so close to the parks and don’t require a the skyliner for Epcot. If you want the kids to inherit, then RIV would be good on paper. Most folks seem to love it but we felt it was too tightly packed like an urban hotel versus the classic sprawling DVC resorts.

 

[Minniemoo15]

We travel as a large 3 generation family unit every year and the Poly is everyone’s favourite resort, hands down. We love the proximity to MK and EP, the theming of the resort, the amazing pools and splash pads and the studios are very spacious. We are waiting for PVB 2.0 to add on.

 

[Dyefrog]

I'm trying to like RIV and did a tour in September. Would need to do a stay there to get me over the restrictions if I was to buy resale. I think the adults would like it but not sure about the little ones. I don't like the point chart especially for the Tower. On paper however, it does check most of the boxes and it has a lifespan that exceeds mine which is a good point @Nursemanit & @Straulin pointed out. If it were just my generation, BCV/BW would be a better fit. My preference would be BCV over BW because of the pool which would be nice for the grandkids. I agree though that BW would be a better value currently. On a related note, how difficult is it to catch the monorail out of EP to MK from BW or BCV? To rope drop at MK from the EP resorts would require a bus, is that correct.

Poly really wasn't on my radar but with Poly2 coming up, (more variety of accommodations) it could be an outside favorite. My DD loves it there but my current contract at VGF made it seem a bit redundant. If I owned at CC or something not on the monorail, it would climb a few notches. I don't expect to make a purchase for about a year so I'll keep it on my short list.

 

[Nursemanit]

I'm trying to like RIV and did a tour in September. Would need to do a stay there to get me over the restrictions if I was to buy resale. I think the adults would like it but not sure about the little ones. I don't like the point chart especially for the Tower. On paper however, it does check most of the boxes and it has a lifespan that exceeds mine which is a good point @Nursemanit & @Straulin pointed out. If it were just my generation, BCV/BW would be a better fit. My preference would be BCV over BW because of the pool which would be nice for the grandkids. I agree though that BW would be a better value currently. On a related note, how difficult is it to catch the monorail out of EP to MK from BW or BCV? To rope drop at MK from the EP resorts would require a bus, is that correct.

Poly really wasn't on my radar but with Poly2 coming up, (more variety of accommodations) it could be an outside favorite. My DD loves it there but my current contract at VGF made it seem a bit redundant. If I owned at CC or something not on the monorail, it would climb a few notches. I don't expect to make a purchase for about a year so I'll keep it on my short list.

Unless they bring back all day park hopping the monorail is not an option as you can’t cut through Epcot in the morning. The bus is faster anyway. as the kids grow MK becomes less and less important- where HS and Epcot are lifetime parks.

The pool and play area at RR is great and easier to manage kids than BC if you have an age gap. The only “not great” pools IMO is at the treehouses or FW - and on busy times Poly is a bit mobbed.

 

[kboo]

I'm trying to like RIV and did a tour in September. Would need to do a stay there to get me over the restrictions if I was to buy resale. I think the adults would like it but not sure about the little ones. I don't like the point chart especially for the Tower. On paper however, it does check most of the boxes and it has a lifespan that exceeds mine which is a good point @Nursemanit & @Straulin pointed out. If it were just my generation, BCV/BW would be a better fit. My preference would be BCV over BW because of the pool which would be nice for the grandkids. I agree though that BW would be a better value currently. On a related note, how difficult is it to catch the monorail out of EP to MK from BW or BCV? To rope drop at MK from the EP resorts would require a bus, is that correct.

Poly really wasn't on my radar but with Poly2 coming up, (more variety of accommodations) it could be an outside favorite. My DD loves it there but my current contract at VGF made it seem a bit redundant. If I owned at CC or something not on the monorail, it would climb a few notches. I don't expect to make a purchase for about a year so I'll keep it on my short list.

As you can see from my signature - we love both Riviera and VGF. If Riviera with incentives had been the same price as VGF we would have bought more direct Riviera, but the extra few $ pp was what I needed to convince DH (lol). We adults like Riviera best, my kids (11, 7) like VGF best. (DH and I are in our 50s)

EP is the adults favorite park, with HS #2.
MK is still the kids' favorite park, although their most favorite rides are at HS and EP (guardians)

We started going to WDW more regularly around 9 years ago, so we have some recent experience with the pregnant-newborn (2 maternity leave trips) - infant - toddler - young child transition. Now both kids are tall enough to ride everything; old enough to ride by themselves, and know what they like. The 7yo still refuses upside down roller coasters and has reluctantly ridden Everest a few times. She likes everything else; Tron is on the list for our next visit.
Both of my kids are now strong swimmers but they weren't, initially.

Here are a few things to consider that came to mind that I didn't see above:

• BCV pool is not great for small kids! The entrance to both slides is across the walkway, the sandy bottom is fine if your toddler likes to sit and play, but it is very uneven and toddlers will fall. It's large so if you have people who want to do different things, there isn't a great location where you can all be. And the quiet pool is B.O.R.I.N.G. The lazy river current is pretty strong and it is all deep. I've seen families get separated or people lose their tubes and have to paddle out, so I would be careful about going in with kids unless they are strong swimmers. (I'm a former lifeguard and have helped push adults to an exit, helped kids retrieve their tubes, etc. Nothing that was necessary for the real lifeguards to deal with, but clearly wasn't fun for the people involved.)
• Do consider a stay at Riviera; the resort is lovely for adults and resort days! We do enjoy BWV and BCV but the Riviera but the compactness of the food and pool and "backyard" area is a plus for a resort day. The feature pool at Riviera is very friendly for the little ones, and the "quiet pool" is large enough to do laps and right across the way from the feature pool.
• Food: Although we enjoy the festivals and food at Epcot, the MK area and its resorts are a haven for foodies too. We miss 1900 Park Fare, but V&A is our adult favorite, and the family engages in lively debate over whether California Grill or Topolino's is our favorite dinner. Artist Point is probably our favorite character meal now. The bars and restaurants at Riviera are all excellent and we recently discovered Sebastian's Bistro at Caribbean Beach - the walk there is lovely, too. All of the food options at VGF and Riviera are strong. (and stronger than BCV/BWV)

 

[Straulin]

Poly is really nice and does have the best access to the TTC for both MK and Epcot access.

BCV we love the location and aesthetic. Our kids are strong swimmers and middle school age so the size of the pool and walkway to slide don’t concern us. It may be a concern for little ones. The good thing is they do actually have life guards stationed all around the area.

My wife and I will be Op’s age when our BCV expires. I hope they add a Yacht club DVC before then. At that point I will be begging Disney to take my money please.

Epcot area resorts cannot take the monorail for non-park hop days as you have to enter the international gateway and go through the park to get to the monorail. Even if they remove the park hopping restrictions, that hike, the time for the monorail, and the transfer at the TTC (to another monorail or the ferry) make it impractical unless you are already in one park and park hopping between the two. It is best to just do the bus from Epcot resorts.

 

[Genie+]

All things considered I think BCV wins.

You already have an MK resort with a nice long contract.

BC will be great for both your adult trips and as the grandkids grow.

It’s ok for BC to expire. It will serve a fantastic purpose before that.

You or the kids can still add something else down the line.

 

[RichVIII]

I may toss a completely different idea. More points at VGF. Why? More points give you much more flexibility at GF with the option to go other places. When we purchased a second resort, with far fewer points than our first resort (with three contracts), we struggle to get what we want. I love having LOTs of points at one resort to guarantee us of a Grand Villa or much larger rooms. With the larger pool of points, yes, it is a gamble at 7 months but we may have more options at other resorts. Just a thought.

 

[SleeplessInTO]

Either BW or BC would be my vote. Not a fan of Riviera (restrictions and the resort is so point heavy). Riviera does have an awesome Quick Service though. Beach Club QS is okay. Boardwalk doesn’t really have one.

If you like Epcot, then being able to walk there and back is amazing. I love the pool at Beach Club - the quiet one, that is. Stormalong Bay is awful with little kids, but everyone else seems to love it so we usually get the quiet pool all to ourselves. It’s right outside the DVC doors, which is convenient.

Boardwalk is fun and well themed. The green area is fun to play on (DD spent hours doing cartwheels and handstands on there once). As your grandkids get older, proximity to HS may be useful too. And you could get a grand villa for those big family trips.

I wouldn’t advise catching the monorail to go to MK via international gateway. It’s a long walk. Bus service has been decent from both BW and BC to MK.

If you think your family would prefer MK overall even in the future, the monorail resorts are all fantastic. Bay Lake is amazing for how close the walk to the park is, plus I like the food options at Contemporary and your grandkids would probably love Chef Mickey’s. Poly has great theming, the pools are both amazing there, and my family always enjoys staying there.

I’m in my 30s and own Boardwalk, Grand Floridian and Saratoga points. Kind of wish I’d bought Beach Club too, but we have 500 points now and can’t really justify paying additional dues.

 

[Straulin]

One thing of note on beach club is that there are no grand villas.

 

[Dyefrog]

I may toss a completely different idea. More points at VGF. Why? More points give you much more flexibility at GF with the option to go other places. When we purchased a second resort, with far fewer points than our first resort (with three contracts), we struggle to get what we want. I love having LOTs of points at one resort to guarantee us of a Grand Villa or much larger rooms. With the larger pool of points, yes, it is a gamble at 7 months but we may have more options at other resorts. Just a thought.

Interesting idea but as I found out trying to book my November trip, getting BW or BCV at 7 months is tough. I have BW waitlisted and what was surprising was that the point chart for BW and OKW was the same.

 

[ajksmom]

We bought in 2008 and have always travelled with 3 generations. Currently it’s 5 adults (age 58-22)and 5 children (age 1-17). Always have stayed in 2BR but after this upcoming trip we will have to move up to a GV. Awe such a shame.

By far our family has found OKW the best resort for us. Anyone with a voice begs for me to book us here. We’ve also stayed at SSR,GFV,BC,BWV,BLT,CC,VWL(BRV) so they’ve experienced the near park, different transportation, and vibes of most resorts.

I think it comes down to our time in the room; we can all hang out in the living area at OKW. With the couch, love seat, oversized chair plus the real table and four chairs no one is perched on an ottoman or sitting/leaning against a wall. Yet there’s plenty of privacy on the balcony(with another 4 chairs and table) or the bedrooms. The resort itself has a relaxing vibe, wonderful CMs, and quite close to DS for dining outside the parks/resorts. It’s also very quick and easy to escape the WDW bubble.

The point chart is phenomenal. We will likely add on points here probably resale and hopefully with a 57 expiration in the coming year.

 

[DVCPAT]

Interesting idea but as I found out trying to book my November trip, getting BW or BCV at 7 months is tough. I have BW waitlisted and what was surprising was that the point chart for BW and OKW was the same.

I think it’s a toss up between BWV and BCV. The epcot area is great, BWV standard view is a great value and will allow you to squeeze in extra trips in retirement. The BCV pool will be popular with the kids, although BWV pool is nice too. GFV when Christmas decorations are up.., you’ll have all the bases covered.

 

[Dyefrog]

Appreciate all the suggestions. For now, I'm going to keep my eye on BW as a first choice and BCV if I can get a good deal.

 

[RoseGold]

I would make sure your direct buy was structured correctly for the Blue Card. If I were doing this, I would have done it as a local LLC, because the whole board gets a blue card. We don't know how many points you already have or if they are already enough to pass the Blue Card down.

If you want to pass the Blue Card down to multiple adults (or just buy in their name), I don't think now is a terrible time to buy direct, but I would do it correctly, and that would require local legal advice.

 

[Dyefrog]

The three children along with myself are on the deed so AFAIK, they all have blue card status. Is there some other process required? That was the reason I put them all on it as well as avoiding probate at my passing.
I have 2 direct contracts, 1 for 150 points and 1 for 50 points that could be sold later and still maintain blue card status.

 

[Sandisw]

The three children along with myself are on the deed so AFAIK, they all have blue card status. Is there some other process required? That was the reason I put them all on it as well as avoiding probate at my passing.
I have 2 direct contracts, 1 for 150 points and 1 for 50 points that could be sold later and still maintain blue card status.

Nothing more. We did the same thing and all my children all are elgible.

Each child will need their own MDE and DVC account set up in order to have the DVC Y show on their MM pass.