Disney Vacation Club Resort Rankings
My top Disney Vacation Club resorts at Walt Disney World are based upon a variety of factors, including theming, dining, pools, seasonal decorations, and the inarticulable “x-factors.” Disney Vacation Club has some excellent resorts; so many that it’s hard to determine which is best without putting some really top-notch resorts on the low-end of the list.
What’s interesting about this list is that even the bottom resorts are places we enjoy. Some of my best adult memories at Walt Disney World are at Saratoga Springs, where we stayed on our first real trip together. Walking back to Saratoga Springs after a night at the Adventurers Club was great, and proximity to Disney Springs gives it a lot of appeal. Likewise, Bay Lake Tower’s short walk to Magic Kingdom might be enough for many to put it at the top of this list.
Really, it seems like each resort has a strong selling point that could make it #1. From the spacious rooms and laid back vibe of Old Key West to the wildlife and self-contained “resort” experience of Animal Kingdom Lodge, each brings something to the table. They all compliment one another incredibly well, and part of the appeal of Disney Vacation Club is the ability to experience its many, varied resorts. I know all of this sort of undercuts the rankings (it becomes a “what’s the point?” kind of thing), but I thought it would be fun, nonetheless.
Which DVC resort reigns supreme? Let’s get right into the list…
9. Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
I’m admittedly a nostalgic person. Oddly, the Disney Vacation Club resort for which I have the most nostalgia is Saratoga Springs. This is because Sarah stayed here when we took our first serious Walt Disney World trip together as adults. It’s what caused us to fall in love with Walt Disney World again and it’s the resort we eventually chose as “home” for our Disney Vacation Club purchase (for purely economic reasons).
Some of my favorite memories of Walt Disney World include walking home to Saratoga Springs after some fun nights at the Adventurers Club, and it’s almost difficult to rank a resort at which we’ve had so much fun as last. But that’s where it lands, due to its theme (or lack thereof) and location. Read more in our Saratoga Springs Resort Review.
8. Old Key West Resort
Although these rankings are entirely mine, Sarah’s dislike of Old Key West does influence me a bit. By contrast, I love Old Key West. I love that it’s so spread out (walking it gives me something to do in the morning), and I love that the foliage has really matured here. It also has the largest Disney Vacation Club rooms, and was recently refurbished.
Even viewing Old Key West in the most favorable light, though, it pales in comparison to other resorts, which have better dining, better entertainment, and better location. Old Key West will likely always be divisive among Disney Vacation Club owners, and I suspect most will place it near the top or the bottom of their own lists.
7. Bay Lake Tower
Bay Lake Tower is Sarah’s #1 Disney Vacation Club resort, and I totally understand why…because we stayed here for New Year’s Eve and had a Grand Villa. Talk about an amazing experience! That experience is not representative of most stays, I suspect. I actually find it a bit difficult to give Bay Lake Tower a high or low rating.
On the one hand, I love the theming, which has been panned by some, and I also think its location is great (something few would dare deny). It also has access to the monorail, and great dining at the Contemporary. It might be another divisive resort for many, but I love it. I just don’t love it as much as the top 4 on this list! Here’s our full analysis of Bay Lake Tower.
6. Beach Club Villas
Since we originally posted this list a few years ago, Beach Club has fallen from grace. This is mostly because the underwhelming Beach Club Villas rooms had not been updated, and in the interim, very impressive rooms opened at the Grand Floridian and Polynesian Villas, while other resorts received nice room refurbishments.
Fortunately, Beach Club Villas is finally getting its room refurbishments, which will be finished by 2017. Once done, we will be ready to re-rank Beach Club Villas higher on this list. In the meantime, it still scores decently because of the pool. The amazing pool. But also its location and incredible dining options. Delving a bit deeper into the location, the Beach Club Villas are close to Epcot and offer the amazing Crescent Lake ambiance of the other resorts around there, but also has its own secluded, popcorn light-lit pathway. Given everything else that the Beach Club Villas offer, you will find yourself far less worried about the room here than you will anywhere else. Read our full Beach Club Villas Review for more.
5. The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
For a long time, we have been detractors of the Grand Floridian. Instead of the pinnacle of luxury at Walt Disney World, it felt dated to the early 1990s. This problem is slowly being fixed at the main resort, and we think that’s in large part due to the successful style of the Villas that opened a couple of years ago.
Guests can enjoy the many amenities that make Grand Floridian Walt Disney World’s flagship resort, but without those exorbitant rates. Granted, the per point cost is high–and we still don’t think it’s as good as the new Polynesian Villas–but the Villas at Grand Floridian bring a lot to the table, and there’s a lot to like. Not the least of which is that awesome fountain in the lobby.
4. Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas
We’re getting to a point on this list where any of the resorts remaining could be my number one, depending upon the day of the week. Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas offer incredibly amazing (the best, actually) rooms, and the dining at Animal Kingdom Lodge is also the best at Walt Disney World.
So what faults does it have? Well, location, but that can be minimized if you’re a fan of Disney’s Animal Kingdom or if you’re taking a trip to enjoy the resorts. It’s also amazing at Christmas, which is when I would encourage anyone to stay here. This is the one resort that should sneak to number one for a lot of you if you don’t agree with my number one. Read our full Animal Kingdom Lodge – Kidani Village Review for more info and photos.
3. BoardWalk Villas
Animal Kingdom Lodge’s rooms are better than Boardwalk’s, but I place a high value on location. Walking from the Crescent Lake resorts to Epcot is one of my favorite things to do at Walt Disney World, and I’ve weighted my top resorts in light of that.
If the walk isn’t fun for you, you will likely view these resorts differently. The pool at BoardWalk is awesome, the food is great, and the theming is a lot of fun. The rooms may not be the greatest, but everything else helps minimize that. Unlike some other entires, BoardWalk has no real weaknesses, and is pretty solid on every front.
2. Villas at Wilderness Lodge
The fact that I’ve used a photo of myself to illustrate what I love about this resort should be pretty telling. I love the ambiance of Wilderness Lodge at Christmas. Love actually might be too tame of a word. Looking at this photo takes me back to the night it was taken. Admittedly, I am biased towards Wilderness Lodge at Christmastime due to my own personal experiences there.
That said, objectively, Wilderness Lodge has great theming, great food, and is gorgeous at Christmas. The rooms were also recently refreshed, improving them and giving them a greater feel of luxury while still remaining on theme. Plus, with the current cabin expansion, it appears the Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge will up its slate of amenities. And then (again)…there’s Christmas at Wilderness Lodge. I think you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who has stayed there around Christmas who doesn’t absolutely love the place.
1. Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows are the newest Disney Vacation Club resort at Walt Disney World, with a laid back South Pacific theme near the Magic Kingdom. These villas score big points as my favorite Disney Vacation Club (studio) rooms at Walt Disney World. The rooms are not only the largest of the studios, but the space is utilized really well. The decision to have an added walk-in shower was a good one, and the layout of the rooms is great for both couples and families. (You can see inside the rooms in our Polynesian Villas Review.)
Likewise, the style here hits the nail on the head, balancing Disney theming with high-end luxury. Note that this ranking is based solely upon the villas. About the only downside is the point chart, but even considering that, we think the Poly Villas are worth it. We are just going to pretend the bungalows don’t exist for the purposes of this review (since most people don’t have the points for them, anyway. We did stay in the Bora Bora Bungalows, and suffice to say, the experience was not good.
Itching to Join DVC?
If this article has you excited about the prospect of becoming a Disney Vacation Club member, we highly recommend that you read our Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide to see if membership is right for you. That Guide includes every variable you should consider, and provides an objective approach to buying into Disney Vacation Club, rather than the emotional pitch the Disney salespeople will give you. If you’re ready to buy, we recommend using DVC Resale Market.
If you’re not interested in buying into Disney Vacation Club, but still want Deluxe Villa accommodations at Moderate Resort prices, we highly recommend renting points Disney Vacation Club points, as you will save considerably over booking directly from Disney (typical savings over even a discounted Deluxe Villa price are around 50%). Renting is also a great way to try Disney Vacation Club before buying to see if it’s really right for you.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts…
What are your Disney Vacation Club rankings? Favorite resort? Least favorite? Are you considering buying into Disney Vacation Club? Share your thoughts in the comments!
I guess I should have read and commented a long time ago, as the most recent comment before mine was over a year ago. Nevertheless… I find no fault with Tom’s assessments, but I’d definitely rank things differently. All of this stuff is, of course, personal preference. I have not yet experienced Beach Club, Animal Kingdom or any of the Wilderness facilities, but I’ve stayed at least once everywhere else. My personal favorite is Saratoga Springs, It’s our DVC home, for reasons similar to Tom’s, but it is just so darned comfortable. I’m originally from the north, and it does feel so much like a “resort” that city folks would flock to in the summer to get away from the heat and challenges of the city. I love the decor and the way the grounds are set up. The pool is wonderful, and it is SO easy to get to Disney Springs by boat or a pleasant walk. I don;t use the bus system, but it seems that there are buses headed everywhere all of the time. I really want to try AK soon, but it seems so far away from everything else at WDW – still we’ll do it this year or next. (I make three or four visits a year). Everyone else in my family loves the boardwalk, and my wife and I do enjoy the Poly, but down deep inside, Saratoga Springs really is my WDW home.
I do love reading your blogs, Tom, and your photography is of a quality to which I aspire. Keep up the great work.
We are relatively new to DVC but not to staying on Disney property. Our home base is Poly and I have to say that I do love it. The theming fits perfectly, the studios are spacious including a twin pulldown bed, and they have an extra bathroom! Even though we are just a family of four it was much easier getting ready with the extra bathroom and the sleeping arrangements were much better. On top of that the property is just beautiful, staff is friendly, dining is top notch, and I may be a bit swayed by the Dole Whip on property.
We stayed in AK over the Easter weekend and while our kids loved opening the sliding door and seeing animals right there we all actually hated the amount of walking we needed to take to get to the lobby, drink machines (especially when they are out of order on 3 floors), or just to get back and forth to the pool. That being said the pool closest to us (Kindani?) was well fun and the staff games with kids were fantastic. We didn’t have a chance to to utilize the game or movie rooms as they were closed each time we attempted to go. I wish that had transportation between both resorts though via pedi cab or golf cart:). Those long hallways of nothing to get back and forth in the building were really the biggest distractor for us.
We have also enjoyed an overnight in Bay Lake but found the pool, dining, etc not that thrilling for the kiddos.
We are curious to try the other locations.
Completely agree with the ranking, you have done a very nice job. Complete analysis of the Disney vacation club resort to give such a wonderful information. Thank you so much for the sharing…!!!
Regards,
ChoukiDhani Team. [choukidhani.com]
This site has excellent advice. As the article says, this is very subjective. I too love Old Key West, and that will only become very much better as the rooms are totally refurbished in 2017/2018. I love walking as I have a desk job. Saratoga has also massively shot up the rankings for us with Disney Springs. The restaurants here are now brilliant and it is a large selection right on your doorstep- also many are better value than at resorts and hotels. For me I find Grand FloridIan a little stuffy. Also I am probably in a minority but would prefer ambling over to DS from Saratoga to eat on an evening than having a more limited choice on a very busy and sometimes broken down monorail. I fancy trying AK as the rooms are refurbished and the 1 beds have 2 bathrooms, as well as the unique resort ambience. I like the Bay Lake location and 1 beds are v nice, but it’s a bit utilitarian. As the article says they are very different which is a good thing as you can have very different vacations.