Disney Vacation Club Resort Rankings
Which DVC resorts are best & worst at Walt Disney World? These rankings cover our top picks and least favorite villas based upon a variety of factors, including theme, rooms, dining, pools, and more. We cover the pros & cons of each Disney Vacation Club resort at WDW, and try to set aside our own biases. (Updated December 7, 2020.)
We’ve re-ranked the resorts on this list once again amidst the Christmas 2020 season (with a new #1 pick!), as the Disney Vacation Club resorts are now about 6 months into their so-called phased reopening. During this period, we’ve seen a few regular resorts also return to Walt Disney World, an array of other progress, and plenty also stay the same.
Unfortunately, the hotel sides of many DVC properties remain closed with no opening dates scheduled this year or in 2021. Making this list more important than normal for planning purposes, and meaning that if you want to stay at many Walt Disney World resorts, DVC is your only option. (You do not need to be a member to stay in these resorts–see our Tips for Renting DVC Points for help with that.) As such, we’re re-ranking the resorts based upon the current strengths and shortcomings of each…
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 kind of thing), but when I originally made this list, I thought it’d be fun, nonetheless. Since then, I’ve returned to this post several times re-ranking the resorts, and it’s become something of a hassle.
I’m almost to the point of removing the numbers entirely and just doing this as a simple “pros & cons” post because so much depends upon the purpose of our trip (e.g. is dining at Disney Springs a priority?), time of year we’re visiting (is enjoying Christmas in the Pacific Northwest important?), and more…
10. 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.
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).
Despite this, Saratoga Springs landed in last place on this list for years. However, it finally moved up to #9 during the 2020 update thanks to its nice new rooms, coupled with all of the superlative dining and shopping options within walking distance at Disney Springs. Years after Pleasure Island closed, Saratoga Springs is once again a place we loved staying. Read more in our Saratoga Springs Resort Review.
8. Disney’s Riviera Resort
The newest DVC property at Walt Disney World, there’s a lot to like…but also a lot to dislike about Disney’s Riviera Resort. The biggest downside is that Disney has taken a region rich in beautiful architecture and lavish design, and made one of the most thematically boring and uninspired resorts. That’s a huge disappointment, and it feels like so much potential has been squandered here.
The biggest upside is the luxurious accommodations and the high end finishing of the rooms. Moreover, the restaurants slate is formidable and Disney Skyliner access to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios is huge. The location is less appealing than Crescent Lake or Magic Kingdom DVC resorts, but Riviera Resort has enough to put it above Saratoga Springs and Old Key West. Read our full Disney’s Riviera Resort Review for more.
7. Bay Lake Tower
Now that Grand Floridian is also within walking distance of Magic Kingdom, Bay Lake Tower has lost its main selling point for us. Previously, that made up for a lot that BLT is otherwise lacking. Now, we cannot imagine what circumstances would convince us to book Bay Lake Tower over the Villas at Grand Floridian, as the latter is superior on every single front.
Nevertheless, Bay Lake Tower is a good option if you have small kids who will frequently want to take a midday break–or be in bed ~10 minutes after exiting Magic Kingdom at the end of a long day in the park. Even though it’s no longer the only DVC resort within walking distance of Magic Kingdom, it’s still the shortest walk, which counts for something. Bay Lake Tower also has access to the monorail, and solid dining at the Contemporary.
On the other hand, the rooms are smaller than counterparts at other resorts, the finishing isn’t quite as nice (we’ve had rooms here in rough shape a couple of times, which I’m told is not uncommon). Nevertheless, we really like Bay Lake Tower. We just don’t love it, as we do the other entries on this list! Here’s our full analysis of Bay Lake Tower.
6. BoardWalk Villas
We place a high value on location and the resort’s overall theme, and BoardWalk scores highly in both regards. Walking from the Crescent Lake resorts to Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios is one of my favorite things to do at Walt Disney World, and the overall atmosphere at BoardWalk Inn is exceptional.
However, the most recent room refurbishment at BoardWalk left them dull and like an ordinary chain (a trend you’ll see continue with other entries on this list). The easy way to offset that is by booking a BoardWalk View room–you’ll want to spend all your in-room time on the balcony! Suffice to say, there’s so much to love about this resort. Read our full BoardWalk Villas Review.
5. Beach Club Villas
Although the Beach Club Villas room update was really uninspired and underwhelming, we still love the resort as a whole. The rooms may be lacking in the personality department, but the common areas more than make up for that. Moreover, the Beach Club Villas score highly because of the amazing pool, location within walking distance of two parks and the Skyliner gondola station, and reasonably good dining options.
Delving a bit deeper into the location, the Beach Club Villas are the closest resort to Epcot and the International Gateway Skyliner station. Beach Club Villas 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.
4. Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas & Kidani Village
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House and Kidani Village could temporarily drop several spots or surge to the top, depending upon how you answer the titular question in our recent Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort Report: Spooky or Serene?
At present, the hotel portion of Jambo House–which is most of the resort–is not open. This means that roughly 10% of the rooms are currently occupied. Consequently, none of the hotel’s restaurants are open and the hotel has a totally different, much quieter, vibe. The animals are still there are most non-dining amenities are available, so whether this is a problem or a strength is debatable.
We generally loved our experience, but the lack of restaurant options was definitely a significant issue. Generally speaking, Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas offers solid rooms, and the dining at Animal Kingdom Lodge is among 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. Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows have a laid back South Pacific theme, plus a convenient location on the Magic Kingdom monorail loop. Temporarily, these drop a couple spots because of construction to the hotel side of the Polynesian, which means some amenities and dining options (among other things) are closed at the property.
Nevertheless, the Poly Villas score points as being among our 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.
2. Villas at Wilderness Lodge (All of Them)
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. 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.
Note that we don’t differentiate between Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge here as we don’t see the differences being significant or outcome determinative, but you can read about the pros & cons of each in our Ultimate Guide to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
1. Villas at Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
The biggest winner of our Christmas 2020 update to this list is the Villas at Grand Floridian. This is due to a confluence of factors, some temporary and some permanent. Long-term, it benefits tremendously from the new walkway between Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom (we told you that’s a game-changer and our favorite addition of the year!). Short-term, Grand Floridian operating its hotel side and most of its amenities also gives it a boost, especially as compared to other top tier DVC resorts that are lacking in dining and other amenities.
The #1 ranking might come as an especially big surprise given that we’ve been detractors of the hotel side of Grand Floridian for a while. Instead of the flagship hotel at Walt Disney World, it often feels dated and failing to over commensurate luxury for the price point. This problem is slowly being fixed at the main resort, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement.
However, the Villas at Grand Floridian have never suffered from the same woes. The rooms are beautiful, luxurious, and better-themed. Guests can enjoy the many amenities that make Grand Floridian Walt Disney World’s flagship resort, but without paying those exorbitant rates. The location is fantastic. That’s why if we could stay anywhere at Walt Disney World right now, DVC or regular resort, the Villas at Grand Floridian Resort would be our #1 pick. Read our full Villas at Grand Floridian Review.
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? Do you agree or disagree with our rankings? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I recently stayed at Boulder Ridge at Wilderness Lodge for the weekend of the 50th anniversary and absolutely loved the resort overall. The buses are very close to Boulder Ridge and I simply adore taking those boats over to the Magic Kingdom area. Wilderness Lodge has the wonderful combination of being both rather close to the core of the WDW complex and MK, and still tucked away and out of the traffic patterns of the rest of it.
The 2-bedroom villa we stayed in (6 of us) was roomy and comfortable, with a fully functional kitchen, plenty of bathroom space, and a good view from the balcony.
My only real criticism is that the power outlets didn’t ‘hold’ plugs as well as they should and I had to be careful to make sure they didn’t fall out. Also, there were no USB ports.
Tom, planning trip week after Thanksgiving at SSR. please give me an idea of quality at in-house restaurants. Thanks.
What about HHI or Vero Beach?
This is what makes DVC so great, because we are all drawn to different things. There is a resort out there for what ever makes you happy….. I think that is important! The idea of Riviera with the skylines makes me I’ll (Sorry!) So one else thinks it is great. Find what makes you happy.
Whoever ranked Grand Floridian over Animal Kingdom should be forced to address problems at Grand Floridian, because customer service there has had issues. And overall, I think it’s a little overrated. Don’t get me wrong, GF is still a great resort, but no way it’s better than AK.
there is, use the beach pool drink station
I have owned points at BLT for 12 years and usually stay at the 1 or 2 bedroom villas. I have also stayed at Boardwalk. I just stayed at BLT studio for 1 night and thought it was awful. Full size bed, very uninspired decor, kitchen space was a waste. I do not recommend it unless you are desperate. I moved to the 1 bedroom for night 2-6 and it was fantastic as usual. I am now planning my 30th wedding anniversary trip for May and am deciding amongst SS standard studio, OKW standard studio and AK Jambi studio. Thoughts appreciated. I use an ECV which factors heavily into the equation. I enjoy all the parks as well as DS.
Having been a DVC member for many years, families do not go to WDW for the resorts. They go for the experience of the Disney Parks. DVC ownership is expensive and making DVC resort reservations is a complex process. Non DVC reservations have priority because of the revenue generated for Disney, and unless one makes reservations at their home-resort at the 11 month window, a room with a view preference is almost not possible, and you are faced with accepting rooms that are left. Also, all of the perks of DVC ownership have been discontinued by Disney. The entire DVC ownership process and member priorities needs to be to be changed by Disney.
Hmmm. This is a bit too much of a blanket assessment, IMO.
My family does not ALWAYS go to Disney for the Parks, and have even found that parks-lite visits offer some time for reflection and relaxation. Though we don’t have a plethora of points, we do our best to alternate a parks-oriented visit and ones that are less fast paced and more oriented around recreation, restaurants and wine/cocktails. For this reason, I love that Disney has poured effort into Disney Springs and is thoughtfully renovating SSR, our home resort, for example.
Though I agree that the DVC booking process should be simplified, and there are certainly times of year that are higher demand than others, with the exception of Beach Club Villas, we’ve not had issues staying at other resorts when desired, even at 7 months.
Bottom line: YMMV 🙂
We considered a stay at Grand Floridian when we were rescheduling our 2020 trip for 2021. I love that it has a lot of dining choices and is on the monorail. We ended up not choosing it because of the walking. What’s a positive for you is a negative for me. I’m mobility impaired and the DVC rooms are just too far from the lobby, monorail, and most restaurants. Walking to Magic Kingdom from them isn’t even an option for me. It’s also a detraction that the most expensive resort on property doesn’t give shelter from the rain when walking from the buses to your room, a definite perk BLT has over GF. And getting rid of the live entertainment/orchestra was just the nail in the coffin for us.
So, I’m not sure how to plan for 2021. Like you, my home resort is Saratoga. Last year (2019) we invited friends to stay with us in a 2 bedroom at Animal Kingdom villas and loved they stay. Prior to COVID I was planning to try and get Beach Club for fall of 2021. However, not I wonder if that’s the best plan. If we cannot enjoy Cape May Cafe and Jelly Rolls, then Saratoga might be better. We can at least enjoy Disney Springs. We also eat all meals out and I like a place to get quick breakfast at least 2 to 3 days in our week long stay.
In light of COVID and resort closures, I’m looking for recommendations.
Oh, how I love love love the Grand Floridian, mostly for nostalgic purposes, but also for the GF Cafe (my “happy place” is a table in the rotunda with some eggs benedict) and the shopping and the monorail access. I do wish you were a little less pro-Floridian, I’m in the Mountain time zone so waking up for 5AM reservations is a bit of an inconvenience 🙂
Created a discussion thread with other people’s rankings and link to your article:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/dvc-wdw-rankings.3820062/#post-62517463
Nice–I wondered why there was traffic coming in from disboards!
Another thing I think is particularly fascinating here is the fall of BLT. If you told me a decade ago that it would be towards the bottom of my (or anyone’s) lists, I would’ve never believed it. That resort has not aged well–and it hasn’t help that superior “competitors” have since opened at the Poly and GF.
At the other end of the spectrum, even though it’s still near the bottom of my (and others’) lists, I’d say SSR has aged really well, actually improving significantly in that same decade. (Of course, part of that is due to Disney Springs, but still.)
I remember visiting Disney when they were heavily selling BLT. Think it was our first trip with the kids.
BLT was shiny and new. Felt like a new generation of DVC — first being built on the monorail, first “tower.”
But yes — a DVC on the monorail is no longer a novelty.
And unlike most DVCs, BLT feels truly “lesser” than its sister, the Contemporary. Contemporary rooms are among the largest at 394sqft. The 339sqft at BLT studios seems like a significant downgrade.
In a lot of ways, in hindsight, it feels like they cut corners on BLT, expecting that location would trump all else.
Tom,
We are staying at SSR largely due to your thorough reviews and more positive feelings about the resort. We just stayed there in February 2020 in a 1 bedroom and LOVED IT! Quick or maybe not so quick question. Do you know where they are in terms of room renovations? When we we there in February it looked like they were done with Congress Park and had moved on to The Springs area. Do you know if they continued during covid-19 or have they slowed down or stopped?
The GF Villas interest me a lot. I did read somewhere though that the walk to the drink refill station at the quick service is very long. Its a shame they can’t install a station somewhere closer to the villas. I know, first world problems.
I agree with most of your assessments, however I am going to lean towards WL due to its great atmosphere. Nothing beats the great outdoors feeling especially since we come from WI. Home to your favorite football teams, right Tom and Sarah!
Due to the Covid and being older, we have cancelled our January trip but are looking forward to our March vacation there. Happy Holidays to all!
I can’t comment on the DVC rooms as I have never stayed in one. However, we’ve stayed at Wilderness Lodge multiple times and it is my absolute favorite for all the reasons you listed. However, my husband loves the location of Beach Club especially since you can have a night out without worrying about driving back (we never use Disney transpo). Beach Club is great, but the coziness of WL can’t be beat. One year we had a particularly bad flight getting to Orlando–delays, etc. Once we checked in, I threw myself on the bed at WL and said “Ahh, now I’m home.” And it truly feels like that especially during Christmas although it is lovely during the rest of the year as well.
I agree with your feelings about WL. Can’t wait to get back!
What would you say are bucket list rooms with DVC? We have been lucky enough to cross off 3-bedroom theme park view(when there was fireworks) at BLT and savanna view at AKL. We have the cabins, bungalows on the list and the kids want to try the treehouses. What else are we missing?
My favorite part of DVC is there usually something for everyone’s different taste or way they travel. Poly is great until you have kids and want to throw a load of laundry in before the park. We normally stay in 1-bedrooms because of the laundry. Savanna view was awesome at AKL, but the bus rides weren’t much fun after a long day and 2 sleeping kids. At BLT we notice the higher point rooms being in better condition than the rest.
One factor makes OKW studios a winner for me- they have 2 beds. My late wife and I preferred 2 beds, so we had rented points for OKW because of that. The trip in late 2019 turned into me and a male friend, and it would have been very awkward to share a bed with him for 6 nights.
That said, we eventually moved to Pop Century for the final 4 nights, and the difference wasn’t that jarring. Sure we lost the sink, of modest use, and the microwave, which we didn’t use. The deck was the biggest loss. Yes, the OKW room was a lot larger, but frankly they don’t make much use of the extra space. We gained more frequent maid service; at OKW we had to flag the maid down for new towels because the warm weather meant daily showers were essential.
Alright, as a Riviera owner… who is generally unbiased… I’m still going to say you have Riviera too low.
The rooms are unquestionably among the nicest and biggest of any resort. OKW are bigger in most categories but not nicer. And Riviera runs pretty close to Grand Floridian.
That alone should bump it higher, especially higher than Bay Lake Tower’s small uninspired rooms. A theme park view that’s largely mostly parking lot unless you’re on a high floor. Yes, points for walking to Magic Kingdom but that’s no longer an exclusive benefit.
Riviera fitting in with Boardwalk and Beach Club is harder. The Riviera rooms are much much bigger and nicer. Boardwalk and Beach Club do have superior location, though there will be times of day when the skyliner makes the Riviera better. Beach Club has the nicest pool — shared with the Yacht Club AND Beach Club guests. Riviera’s pools are beautiful and limited to Riviera guests. That should keep the Riviera pools less crowded and often more enjoyable. Not to mention — you’re giving all the other DVC’s credit for their sister hotel amenities. While not officially a sister hotel, some consideration should be given to the Caribbean Beach amenities.
I won’t quibble with the top of your list, though again you’re more talking about the sister resort than the DVC aspect.
But I do think Riviera belongs above BLT, and potentially above Beach Club and Boardwalk. (Depends on weighting of location vs room quality).
It’s hard to argue with the Grand Floridian taking the top spot. Our stay there last month was a couple of weeks before the walkway opened, and that addition only enhances the great experience even more.
I will say our our Pandemic visit fit these odd times perfectly. My father and I were upgraded from a 2BR to a Grand Villa (room 1201), and that space is disconcertingly vast for a party of two. The unit was also conspicuously missing its coffee table (confirmed with pictures from our prior stay a few years ago in room 1101 directly below), and the edge of the fridge near the handle was curiously and permanently sticky. My biggest gripe with the GF though, is the lack of sound deadening between floors – the family above us had little kids stomping all over the place. That’s not a good look (or sound) for what is tops in all of DVC land. Minor quibbles aside, go and enjoy!
Good points all around. Sarah also agrees with your assessment that Riviera should be higher, so perhaps I’m biased *against* it. I’ll give that some consideration for the next update!
… and forgot to even mention that Beach Club Villas are tucked into a corner of the property disallowing any truly good view rooms.
I understand your rankings are meant to be subjective and personal. And there are so many different criteria to use, it becomes apples and oranges.
In so many ways Animal Kingdom Villas have some of the best resort theming, best restaurants, and unique savannah experience… But worst location.
Compared to Bay Lake Tower… great location, but small bland rooms, uninteresting resort apart from the Top Of The World lounge.
Easy to put Poly and Grand Floridian both around the top — top of nearly every criteria. (Though also quite expensive).
But for almost everyplace else has high highs and low lows.
Im loving the new pics added to the resort rankings. I visit this post often curious to see where you move around the villas based on your more recent stays. I enjoy seeing how you reassess strengths and weaknesses as things like refurbishments or dining changes really affect the resorts. I’m in the same camp as you and I actually rank BLT and contemporary last as I find everything about them uninspiring. It’s similar to me as Tomorrowland. Modeling anything on the future ages faster than Disney is willing to update the resort or area in the park. Just my opinion. And I finally visited the riviera and although I think it’s nice, I still can’t get over that fact that it basically overlooks a moderate resort. Is thematically just ok and skyliner aside, the benefit of some of the deluxe resorts is it’s easy to pop around different resorts to share amenities and riviera you can only easily visit Pop, AoA and Caribbean Beach which to me is a major step down. I do like the rooms though I just wish Disney had utilized its highest strength and somehow built it as almost an extension of world showcase like they did at Tokyo Disney sea.