Which DVC Villa to rent?

[takemetothemouse]

So I really want to stay Polynesian Villa BUT I don't like that the 1 bedroom isn't available. I plan to stay for 2 weeks and I want a full kitchen because (crazy I know), Disney food doesn't impress me. It's too expensive and doesn't compare to a basic restaurant, let alone an upscale one but that's a different conversation. I also will have a 4.5 year old as well as an 18 month old so I want convenience to the parks, preferably monorail but efficiency is the main goal. I like the pull down bed offered at Poly but as mentioned, I have 2 kids so I don't want the fight over that. I need a resort with a nice pool because 14 days at Disney with 2 young children, the pool will be used frequently. Suggestions & opinions are appreciated.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

I have completely uninformed opinions here, my DVC rental begins next month:

1. The cheapest MK area 1bedroom villa is probably a tie: Boulder Ridge @ WL or BLT @ Contemporary.
2. The biggest 1 bedroom villa in the MK area is probably at the Grand Floridian around 840 - 860 Sq. ft.
3. Unpopular opinion - all deluxe resorts have nice pools.
4. Bathrooms - BLT one bedrooms have TWO full bathrooms.
5. Sleeping arrangements - BLT has a king bed, queen sleeper and a sleeper chair. (Less toddlers kicking each other is good, right?)

I think I just convinced myself that BLT is heaven.

 

[Shellyred8]

Wilderness Lodge has good pools and also a splash pad for the little kids. Being able to take to boat to MK was really nice. Most (but not all) of the boats to MK allow you to walk on with your stroller without folding it up.
BLT would be my first vote if looking for convenience to MK. You can take the monorail or walk. The 1br's here are huge! And there are two bathrooms! This is probably one of my favorite 1br's due to it's amount of space and layout.


Have a great trip!

 

[wendlle]

Having just got back from a trip with two small kids, we stayed at 3 resorts all Studio Villas. Our fav was Boulder Ridge at Wilderness Lodge.
It was so close to MK and we loved taking the boat, only twice did we have to fold the stroller and even then we didn't "have" to, we could have waited 10mins for the larger boat if we wanted.
I can't comment on the 1BR as we didn't stay in those, but we were really happy with the studio I'm sure the 1BR is amazing.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

So I really want to stay Polynesian Villa BUT I don't like that the 1 bedroom isn't available. I plan to stay for 2 weeks and I want a full kitchen because (crazy I know), Disney food doesn't impress me. It's too expensive and doesn't compare to a basic restaurant, let alone an upscale one but that's a different conversation. I also will have a 4.5 year old as well as an 18 month old so I want convenience to the parks, preferably monorail but efficiency is the main goal. I like the pull down bed offered at Poly but as mentioned, I have 2 kids so I don't want the fight over that. I need a resort with a nice pool because 14 days at Disney with 2 young children, the pool will be used frequently. Suggestions & opinions are appreciated.

I agree with PP. I would look at BRV and CCV (both located at WL). The resort is gorgeous and the small pool and splash pad are really conducive to younger children. You will have boat access to MK and bus access to all other parks. I find the boats to be quite convenient. You could also look at a 1-bedroom at VGF, but it will be far more expensive (if budget is a concern). VGF has a zero entry pool and a children's splash pad. The villas at VGF are absolutely gorgeous, however, I wasn't a fan of how far away VGF is from the main GF resort (restaurants and monorail). If you want a good pool for young kids, I probably wouldn't consider BLT, though it is quite convenient to MK.

 

[Momager]

If it were me, I would choose the Beach Club. Awesome pool, and you can walk to Epcot, and take a quick boat road to DHS. That in itself makes touring sooooo much easier IMO, especially with young kids!

 

[ColonialMouse]

If you're planning on doing a lot of cooking, you might want to look at room size. IIRC Old Key West 1BRs are the largest and have a nice sized kitchen and eating area. You have to bus everywhere, but for a 2 week trip where you plan on spending time making a lot of meals in the Villa, I'd think seriously about it and find some pictures. (Or Treehouse Villa but that's WAY too much space). As Momager said, BCV is next to Epcot and it has the best pool on resort. BWV. But honestly, any of the MK resorts are also great to stay (better scenery at BRV, walk to MK from BLT, etc). I just find the kitchens OK for breakfast but wouldn't really enjoy making dinner in one.

Bruce

 

[Deb & Bill]

Stormalong Bay at BC/BCV/YC could be a nightmare with children the age of your two. It's crowded, it's spread out, there are very deep areas in the pool. The YC side would be better since that is better for little kids. Stormalong Bay in Dec could be cold.

Your biggest problem is getting two weeks in one villa and finding an owner with enough points for two weeks in that one bedroom villa. If you are planning on Sept, that is the beginning of what owners call Fall Frenzy - extremely popular time for owners. An owner can only book seven nights at one time. For two weeks, they would need to call back every day to add the extra night you want until you got all 14 nights. Don't plan on Value villas, standard at BLT, standard at BWV. Plan on a preferred view that requires more points per night. If you are looking at booking for Sept, you need to plan to book that soon at 11 months out.

If you are looking at December, that will be even harder since the first two weeks of December are the most popular time of the year for DVC members. If you are looking to book Dec, you need to have an owner in line to book your stay as soon as they can at 11 months out.