Disney World Deluxe Villa Resort Rankings (2026)
Which Deluxe Villas Resorts are best & worst at Walt Disney World? These Disney Vacation Club rankings cover our top picks and least favorite based on theme, rooms, restaurants, pools, location and more. We cover the pros & cons of each property, and why we love each of them
We’ve re-ranked the resorts on this list once again for 2026 following more stays at the newest DVC resort, expansion at another, plus room redesigns at a few resorts and more on the horizon. As Deluxe Villas are our favorite category of accommodations at Walt Disney World, this list is in large part not just our favorite DVC properties, but our favorite resorts at Walt Disney World, period.
Before you close this post out as “irrelevant” if you’re not a Disney Vacation Club member, it’s worth noting that you do not need to be in DVC to stay at these resorts. For one, all are bookable directly from Walt Disney World, they’re the “Deluxe Villa” tier, which is treated just like a traditional hotel. For another, you can use our Tips for Renting Disney Vacation Club Points to step into the shoes of a DVC member–and save money in the process!
With that said, we do want to make clear is that there’s nothing objective about these Disney Vacation Club resort rankings. We initially tried that approach, but realized it’s a fool’s errand. For one, we have a lot of nostalgia wrapped up in our various vacations, and it’s tough to separate out our own biases from the basics of each property.
For another, this involves inherently apples to oranges comparisons. Unlike hotels as a whole, there are quirks to the DVC resorts. How does a purpose-built resort like Old Key West compare to an add-on like Bay Lake Tower or conversions like the Cabins at Fort Wilderness?
Speaking of which, do those cabins get penalized for only offering one room type? Are common areas shared with the hotel included? Are sister resorts ranked separately? Does point cost come into play? What about the difficulty of booking certain resorts or categories if they’re not your home resort?
It’s impossible for a simple list of rankings to account for all of those variables. As a result, this is more about our personal preferences and where we’d recommend family and friends stay with average-sized parties (couples or parents with 1.94 kids), than it is an attempt at anything definitive or comprehensive. Such a list is not possible, so we’re not even going to try.
There’s also the reality that this list is really competitive, in ways both good and bad. On the positive end of the spectrum, most DVC resorts now have redone rooms that are feature-rich and better balance form and function. On the negative end, there’s still construction occurring at and around several of our favorite resorts that impacts their rankings, albeit not nearly as much as last year.
Finally, 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 SSR 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. Honestly, walking to any resort to start the day or end the evening can be a gamechanger. If you spend disproportionate time at EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Magic Kingdom, you might skew towards the properties in walking distance of those parks.
Really, each resort has selling points 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. Beyond that, 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.
All resorts compliment one another incredibly well, and part of the appeal of Disney Vacation Club is the ability to experience its many, varied resorts. This leads to the caveat that this is all either just for fun or an exercise in futility, depending upon your perspective.
With all of that said, on with the rankings of our favorite Deluxe Villa Resorts at Walt Disney World…
11. 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 Olivia’s, which is beloved among longtime DVC members–and for good reason.
Even viewing Old Key West in the most favorable light, though, it pales in comparison to other resorts, which have more well-rounded dining rosters, better entertainment, and more convenient locations. Pretty much everything that OKW does well, another resort does better. Whether it be the isolation and seclusion of Animal Kingdom Lodge or the rooms at Saratoga Springs, which compares to OKW in a lot of ways and gets the edge in most of them.
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. I certainly don’t hate it and would happily book a stay here, which should further underscore the top-to-bottom strength of the DVC lineup at Walt Disney World.
Old Key West is receiving a badly-needed room refurbishment throughout 2026. It’s the last resort to receive a modernization, and our hope is that it utilizes the larger footprint of the OKW rooms better than the current rooms.
10. Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
I’m admittedly a nostalgic person. 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 a while. It was too bland, too far from everything worthwhile, and the rooms were nothing special. For years, it reminded us too much of a condo community we could find at home, and offered nothing to make us overlook those parallels.
However, Saratoga Springs Resort has aged like a fine wine. Over the last decade, thematic enhancements have been made to the pools and other common areas, and it now looks truly themed (albeit more lightly than other resorts) while also feeling fresh.
All of that, plus the superlative dining and shopping options within walking distance at Disney Springs makes Saratoga Springs a winner. Years after Pleasure Island closed, Saratoga Springs is once again a place we loved staying. Read more in our Saratoga Springs Resort Review.
The Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs are being refurbished throughout 2026. The expectation, based on typical timelines and project cadence, is that construction crews will move over to the rest of SSR after that’s done and do a light refresh to the regular rooms in 2027. Even before that, the current rooms are still pretty good (we still think of them as “new.”)
9. Cabins at Fort Wilderness
This is a taste-specific room category at a taste-specific resort. It’s likely the Cabins at Fort Wilderness will be towards the bottom of the list, if not dead last, for most guests. For a select few, it’ll be towards the top of lists. We absolutely love the Cabins at Fort Wilderness and look forward to staying here many times in the years to come.
The accommodations are nicer than the old cabins and there’s a lot to love about them from a usability perspective. They also offer tremendous bang for buck (or points), costing about the same as studios and far less than one-bedroom villas in the Magic Kingdom area. And that’s despite sleeping up to 6.
Although it’s just the 3 of us most of the time, we’ve already done a multi-generational stay in the cabins and found it worked pretty well–again, especially considering the cost in points. We’ll likely do many more trips like this in the future. So we’re seemingly odd ducks, being well-served by the Cabins at Fort Wilderness and loving them…but still ranking them #8.
Consider that a “for now” ranking. Our daughter isn’t quite old enough for the Cabins at Fort Wilderness to be an ideal option for us, and there’s currently major construction that “overlooks” the Settlement area of Fort Wilderness. More to the point with that, Disney Lakeshore Lodge is not yet open (since it’s under construction).
Three years from now, we expect the Cabins at Fort Wilderness to be higher on this list for us. Maybe they already are for you, but there’s an even better chance they’re lower. Again, very taste-specific, and in the spirit of this being a list of accommodations we’d recommend to family and friends…we mostly would not recommend the Cabins at Fort Wilderness right now unless we knew they hit the sweet spot for our friends’ unique needs, circumstances and preferences.
8. Disney’s Riviera Resort
Disney’s Riviera Resort has grown on me since it opened. Perhaps I’m getting used to the thematic shortcomings or maybe I’m focusing more on the practicalities of actually visiting Walt Disney World and using the accommodations–probably a bit of both. Regardless, it’s a resort we find ourselves wanting to book, and it arguably deserves a higher spot as a result of that.
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. That’s especially true when, after location, the biggest distinction Disney has over regular hoteliers is its richly Imagineered designs.
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. 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.
he newly-redone rooms at BoardWalk Villas are also a colossal improvement. Prior to this, the last room refurbishment at BoardWalk left them dull and like an ordinary chain. Between those new rooms and the exceptional BoardWalk View rooms (alternatively, the cheapest studios are a great way to conserve points), we love BoardWalk Villas.
The biggest downside is dining. Although there are a lot of great table service options around Crescent Lake, including the new Cake Bake Shop at BoardWalk, there isn’t much in the way of quality counter service. It also doesn’t help that you have to go outside to access the options on the BoardWalk, which isn’t ideal during Florida’s lengthy rainy season. And even though the pool isn’t as good as Stormalong Bay over at Yacht & Beach Club, there’s still so much to love about this resort.
6. Beach Club Villas
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. This is also another resort that received a room overhaul in the last year, and the new rooms are yet another win for updated DVC accommodations. (We’re at the point where most resorts have now been redone in the new style, so this doesn’t really count for all that much anymore.)
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.
5. Bay Lake Tower
Bay Lake Tower has finally completed its long overdue, year-plus hard goods refurbishment. We’ve now had a chance to stay at BLT since then, and we were blown away by the newly reimagined rooms at Bay Lake Tower. They’re a night and day difference, and an absolute game-changer.
BLT has smaller studios than many resorts, and thankfully, the new rooms introduced many space-saving design features, like adding the pull-down Murphy sleeper that is somehow both a comfortable couch and a comfortable bed. All of this makes the room feel larger. It also looks nicer. We’re huge fans, and all of this has helped BLT rocket up our list of rankings.
The biggest selling point of Bay Lake Tower has always been its proximity to Magic Kingdom. It is the closest hotel to Walt Disney World’s flagship park, and that ~10 minute walk makes up for a lot that BLT is otherwise lacking. That’s still pretty compelling, especially if the Villas at Grand Floridian or Polynesian are too far of a walk or you’d rather not book them for whatever reason.
Bay Lake Tower is an especially great option if you have small kids who will frequently want to take a midday break–or be in bed ASAP 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.
As parents to a toddler, there is something really satisfying about making the walk with no delays and also making it back to the room without waking a sleeping child. (We are ground-level room request converts!) Bay Lake Tower also has access to the monorail, but that’s also true of the Grand Floridian and Polynesian.
4. Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas & Kidani Village
Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House and Kidani Village arguably should be broken out and ranked separately given that the former is a room conversion and the latter is a quasi-stand alone resort. Yet, they’re a short walk from one another, have similar rooms, and largely share amenities. We see no material differences between them, and book interchangeably (with a conservation of points being our main goal).
The strength of both has long been the savanna, which is perhaps the best “amenity” offered by any Walt Disney World resort that no other hotel in North America can offer. This alone makes AKL a great “staycation” or resort-only experience, and would be enough to secure Jambo House and Kidani Village spots in the top half of this list.
But that’s not all that they offer. Both sides of the Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas offer solid rooms that do a good job of balancing theme and quality, the dining at Animal Kingdom Lodge is among the best at Walt Disney World, and the feature pools are underrated gems at both.
So what faults do they have? Well, location. 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 (and within walking distance of that park and the TTC). Now that the hotel overhaul is finished and Island Tower has opened, the overall experience is better and more well-rounded.
Speaking of Island Tower, its biggest asset is that it adds a wider variety of room types to the Polynesian Villas, and these rooms are quite nice. If these rankings were based solely on rooms, we’d be incredibly tempted to rank Island Tower and the Polynesian Villas as a whole at #1.
Otherwise, the upside of the Island Tower is much more debatable. The building itself is absolutely nothing special, looking worse than Disney’s Riviera Resort or Gran Destino Tower. It also adds visual blight to the area, but at least you don’t see the tower when you’re staying in the tower. It did add one exceptional waterfront lounge, which is a great asset to the dining scene.
On the other hand, the Island Tower has arguably induced more demand than it has added capacity. That waterfront lounge has a perpetual waitlist, and the Great Ceremonial House is busier than ever. Waterfront fireworks view is packed, and lines for the monorail can be bad. Suffice to say, a lot of sacrifices have been made for more room variety and that new bar. Island Tower also makes the already spread out resort even more sprawling, and it’s not as logically or intuitively arranged as the Grand Floridian or Contemporary.
Nevertheless, it’s the Poly. The atmosphere at this resort is top-notch, and it’s the iconic Walt Disney World resort for a reason. The pools are great, transportation is good to Magic Kingdom or Epcot, and the dining options are strong. It’s far from perfect, but the fantastic rooms and atmosphere of the Poly make it at least the third-best DVC resort. If anything, the Polynesian plus Island Tower is arguably underrated in this spot.
2. Villas at Wilderness Lodge (Copper Creek & Boulder Ridge)
Remember how I said this was not an objective list of rankings? Well, this is where my bias potentially comes into play. For a Walt Disney World first-timer debating where to stay, the Magic Kingdom monorail loop resorts or hotels within walking distance of EPCOT are hard to beat. Wilderness Lodge offers boat transportation to Magic Kingdom, which is underrated. Not quite on par with the monorail or Skyliner, but underappreciated.
Objectively, Wilderness Lodge has great theming, solid pools, and great food. Geyser Point is an underrated gem and Storybook Dining at Artist Point is now one of the hottest character meals in all of Walt Disney World. Whispering Canyon is one of the most fun restaurants at Walt Disney World, and even Roaring Fork has great options.
Note that we don’t differentiate between Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge here, but I prefer Boulder Ridge. That might be an “unpopular opinion” given that Boulder Ridge isn’t in the main building, but it’s such a short walk that it doesn’t even matter, and the new rooms in Boulder Ridge are excellent–my favorite in all of Walt Disney World and a big part of what pushes Wilderness Lodge into the top slot.
Wilderness Lodge is far and away my favorite resort at Walt Disney World year-round, but I really love it at Christmas. Love actually might be too tame of a word. When I think about everything Wilderness Lodge has going for it, and add its superlative themed design and exceptional atmosphere to the mix, this becomes the resort we recommend most highly to family and friends.
The vibe of the lodge is great counterprogramming to the parks, transportation is better than fans give it credit for, and there are (currently) fewer downsides than any of the other Magic Kingdom resorts. It’s a sleeper pick, but it’s the second-best option for us.
1. Villas at Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
For the longest time, the Grand Floridian did not live up to its flagship status. It ranked poorly on other lists that weighted for cost, but often overperformed on DVC rankings thanks to paying with points instead of dropping $1,000 per night on a resort with rooms that looked like mid-tier Marriotts and common areas right out of the 1990s.
That’s all changed as of 2026, thanks to the material completion of a multi-year reimagining. The main building and lobby reimagining is fantastic. There are a number of ways the Grand Floridian looks and feels fresh, and is once again worthy of being considered the crown jewel of WDW resorts. See our Review: Walt Disney World’s Flagship Hotel Finally Fits Its Status & Sky-High Prices.
Then there are the overhauled rooms. We love the new rooms at the standalone Villas at Grand Floridian and we’re also fans of the transformed Big Pine Key, which converted hotel rooms into Resort Studios. This offers room variety on par with the Polynesian, although albeit not quite at the same quality.
There have also been a slew of subtle improvements to the resort as a whole. The return of the Garden View Lounge is one, and before that the reimagined Citricos, Narcoossee’s, and 1900 Park Fare. We’re also really looking forward to the redone Grand Floridian Cafe (opening in October 2026), and greatly appreciate that Gasparilla Island Grill is one of the few counter service restaurants that’s open late.
The Villas at Grand Floridian benefit tremendously from the walkway between Grand Floridian and Magic Kingdom. That makes VGF really attractive for us, as we’d rather walk than wait in long monorail lines at the end of the night. Even though we far prefer the walk to BLT with a stroller, we’ll take the complete package of the Grand Floridian. And that’s what cements its status in the #1 spot when paying with points!
Itching to Do 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 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 or renting points for your 2026 Walt Disney World vacation? 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!
One thing I wish Tom and anybody else who reviews these resorts would mention is the private room entrances at OKW and SSR. If you have a car and you use it for whatever reason being able to park right outside the room is a real plus.
On a qualitative level the private entrance makes both OKW and SSR feel more like vacation homes than hotels.
Totally fair point, and glad you mentioned it. As someone who never drives to Walt Disney World, this isn’t a selling point for us, but I could see that change in the future if we need/want to rent a car!
I am considering a split stay between GF in a resort studio and Either Boardwalk or Beach Club.
I am really hesitant as I am personally more inclined towards both the rooms, style and smaller overall scale or the Boardwalk, but I guess my 7 year old would absolutely love Stormalong bay.
If none can make it it will be the swan.
We have been Long Time DVC (Joined 1996 BoardWalk home resort). We have since added on BLT and Disneyland Hotel Villas. We alternate years between the coasts. Our last stay this year was at BLT. I must say I was disappointed in BLT at first. It was a little ragged around the edges for sure, however it really grew on us. We stayed in a 2 bedroom villa. The 3 bathrooms were a life saver with 4 adults and 2 young children! Being able to walk to the MK was fantastic. Having to go to the contemporary for everything was at first a pain, but really not too bad. The view from the sky bridge never gets old! Our next trip will be split between BoardWalk and Bay Lake with 7 days at each. Only have to ride a bus to Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs. (I really don’t like Disney Springs near as much as the old Down Town Disney and Pleasure Island!) Oh well that is ‘Progress’ for ya. We always resort hop and I do agree Wilderness lodge theming is on point. We love staying at Old Key West for the rooms alone. It has always been our backup. Rivera just did not do it for us. My list will be BoardWalk, Bay Lake, Old Keywest then what ever resort we can get into on a late notice. I just hope they can upgrade the rooms at BayLake before our next trip.
Thanks for sharing your personal ranks.
I definitely like BLT a lot more once you upgrade to the rooms above the studios. The problem is that we almost never do that!
Another great blog Tom! We also bought SSR on the resale market way back in 2012 (at your recommendation, btw!). The only exemption at that time was Disney cruises, so we feel like we got a great deal! We literally have only stayed one night at SSR in the past 11 years! It’s a bit too spread out for me…too much walking after a day in the parks, and I’m not interested in waiting on yet another bus in order to get around the resort.
I agree wholeheartedly with Wilderness Lodge as the top pick! I absolutely love that resort! We’ve stayed at all the WDW DVC hotels except for GF, BLT, and BC. The first two just didn’t peak our interest enough (although, I will admit that GF is now a resort worth considering) and Beach Club is impossible to reserve at 7 months.
My daughter and I just stayed at Riviera in October and really enjoyed it. I had a foot injury at the time, so I had to rent a scooter. I loved the convenience and ease of using the SkyLiner, which never had to stop for me to get on, and the fact that I didn’t feel like I was inconveniencing guests by having to use a bus every day. From a female perspective, we loved the Riviera! It’s a beautiful resort, the food was delicious and the amenities were great! We loved our beautiful one bedroom villa and would happily stay there again.
Hi Tom,
Great article. When you have young children and/or babies, location is the greatest luxury. We have four children. There is nothing better and easier than the ability to walk from Magic Kingdom back to our home resort, the Grand Floridian. We have previously stayed at Pop Century and many other resorts. I guess if you’re not dealing with strollers, small children, and heavy backpacks, it doesn’t matter so much. We love all the resorts for different reasons, however, returning back to those resorts at the end of the day with small kids and babies nothing short of a drudgery. Our two favorite resorts are the grand Floridian and the Beach Club for this reason, primarily. Those resorts have a great amenities and are within walking distance of three out of the four parks. Again, if small kids and babies are not part of the equation, our analysis could change.
Hi Tom,
This post isn’t article related and you don’t have to post it. I just wanted to let you know that as a long-time subscriber to your newsletter I found this article particularly challenging to read. This issue is not the content but the quantity of ads, moving pop-ups, and the banner at the bottom. I understand revenue is important, but please take into account that some readers find the ads that grab for attention distracting enough to stop reading. I actually couldn’t scroll down without using two fingers – I read on an iPad. I would get to number 6 or so and I would get kicked back to the top. Same when reading the comments. I haven’t had these issues in the past. Just wanted to let you know.
@Sharon, I had the same issues with this post – also for the first time. I had to close out and reopen it to make the jumping issue go away.
You made it to the bottom to comment, though 😉
Thanks, Sharon.
We started having reports of this issue back in December, so I reached out to the ad provider and reduced the density of ads–that resolved the problem. Same thing happened last week, and I did the same again. This time, they also said there’s an issue with iOS that’s causing that they expect to be fixed soon. I’m honestly not sure whether that’s an excuse or true, but I have had the same problem on two other websites I read this week. In any case, if it doesn’t self resolve, I’ll reduce the number of ads again. I know there are a lot of them, and it’s a delicate balance between revenue and reader experience. Sorry about that!
Wilderness Lodge #1. As it should be.
Tom, enjoyed reading your analysis and mostly agree. However, I think you missed something that’s a HUGE selling point for Bay Lake Tower: the one bedroom units have two full bathrooms, two bedroom villas have three full bathrooms. As a family with older children, that alone makes it a top choice for us as DVC members. Only one other DVC property has that configuration: Kidani Village. Anyone with teenage daughters (which you and Sarah can look forward to!) understand the importance of a private bathroom for the kids. Right now, our only home resort is Grand Floridian, which we absolutely love. Polynesian doesn’t suit the needs of our family since it doesn’t have ANY one or two bedroom units, and the bungalows require too many points to make it feasible. But I totally agree that the units at Bay Lake Tower are crying out for an update!
This is a great point, and I’d imagine it’s just one of dozens of things that aren’t currently relevant to us that will be in the future that will cause these rankings to continue to ‘evolve’ over time.
On the plus side about the Poly, it’ll be remedying the accommodations variety shortcoming later this year! Now let’s just see if that tower causes issues with infrastructure, crowding, etc., that negatively impacts Poly’s ranking.
Old Key West is our home DVC resort….we love it. Some of the things that people complain about OKW, is why we love it. We love the fact that it is spread out. Yeah…it doesn’t have a huge variety of food options, but we love Olivia’s and have eaten there multiple times on some trips. We also have a car when we stay there so its location and it being spread out are not a factor.
While I’m sure the Animal Kingdom Lodge villas are very nice, but the way the resort is configured make me wonder how it got ranked so high. For the downgrading OKW and SSR gets because of how large the resorts are, I”m puzzled why the AKL villas get a pass on the “endless” hallways. The distance of some rooms from the lobby are gigantic.
Tom, could you factor in points value when ranking these? While BLT, VGF and Riviera are not my favorite resorts, I never even consider them due to the exorbitant points cost. If a weekend 1-bedroom is 36 points at OKW, how can you justify a 1-bedroom at VGF or Riviera for nearly double that??
We love OKW–been staying there for years. The resort is so so spacious. There is the golf course, tennis courts, table tennis table and a variety of swimming pools as well as a gym–all perfect for us. It is easy to access The Springs, either by bus, boat or walking. And of course an excellent Disney bus service to all the parks!!
Great post! So helpful. Thank you for taking the time to write a well-rounded ranking list of DVC properties.
I am trying to rent points to stay at Beach Club Villas, I went thru David’s Disney. The resort is available for my dates however they don’t have any points to fulfill my request. Is this common right now? I am in a waiting queue for points to be deposited. Just trying to figure out if I should wait or start to look elsewhere to book this? Anyone else having these issues or any other ideas?
Thanks!
Brian
I had the same problem when I was trying to book before the 7 month window. For more than 7-month bookings they can only rent points from an owner at the resort you want to stay at. After 7 months they can rent points from an owner at any property and use them to book Beach Club. I stayed on David’s waiting list and the day the 7 month window opened up they immediately booked my stay at Beach Club.
The Grand FL is great if you like have come in on a nursing home shuttle.
BORING BORING BORING
Tom- we are pet parents and like to bring our dogs with us on our WDW trips (we’re Annual Passholders). Are you able to write something about pet friendly recommendations/accommodations? We’ve chosen Ft Wilderness Cabins in the past over the other 3 offerings, because you actually get a “whole” cabin (a wilderness themed converted trailer). But we have recently opted to find pet friendly locations off site since the meal plan is no longer a draw for staying on site.
I realize many folks object to pets staying in rooms, and I respect that. Nonetheless, for many others like us, our pets are part of our family and go everywhere with us (the Parks and DS excluded, of course). If you have any information regarding reasonable, good, convenient, and even “resort style” options, I’m sure there are other pet parents who subscribe to your emails who would welcome your insights.
Ease of getting to the parks is our #1 criteria so our rankings are:
1.VGF
2. Beach Club
A #1/#2 split stay is our favorite choice of all as long as no one has to sleep on the dreaded pull out couch at Beach Club.
3. BLT
4. Riviera (it’s almost like walking as long as you time your exit well and the skyliner isn’t acting up)
5/6. Wilderness and Animal Kingdom Lodges when we want atmosphere.
7. We love Poly but rarely stay there because of the absence of units with kitchens. Likely to change once the new tower opens.
8. We’ve never stayed at Boardwalk but would consider it if Beach club was full. It was completely off the list until they got rid of the clown slide.
9. SSR-EDGE over OKW due to proximity to Disney Springs
10. OKW
Your pullout couch at Beach Club comment got me worried, I am trying to book there as I type this. Is the pullout couch a complete no go for adults? We have family a family of 4, so someone is there…..
It’s probably the worst DVC pullout I’ve experienced. Feb 2022 was our last stay in a 1 bedroom. My son was 10 at the time and said he preferred the floor to the pullout. There is a bar that is particularly uncomfortable and the mattress is very thin. We love the pull down beds but the only option for that near Epcot is Riviera which means relying on the skyliner. For 4 adults if a 2 bedroom at Beach Club wasn’t available I would probably opt for a studio or 1 bedroom at Riviera. It just depends how much the bed matters to you vs the ease of walking to Epcot and HS. I get cranky and don’t enjoy my vacation as well if not sleeping well so I’d lean towards slightly less convenient transportation to have a bed better than the floor.
The last two times we’ve had to use the pull out “bed” we’ve asked for egg crates (2 are needed) and put them under the sheets. it makes a huge difference. in a night’s sleep vs a night of bar dodging.
“Yet, they’re a short walk from one another…”
Regarding distance from Kidani to Jambo: Actually, we’re pretty fit but still found the early morning walk to the Mara from Kidani to be a haul…especially with hungry kids.
I definitely agree about BLT. We just stayed there (for the first time) this past October and HATED it! We did a split stay and started out at All Stars Music, and I never thought I’d ever say this, but the ASM was preferable to BLT. If Disney had offered a room/resort exchange back to ASM, we’d have taken it.
Disney’s new Magic Band+ and the Genie+ app makes charging your electronics a must. We had eight USB ports at ASM. We had ZERO at BLT. I asked the front desk cast member about it, and he was pretty rude. Told me to use the attachment you put on a charging cord to plug it into the wall socket. We didn’t pack any since we’ve never needed to at Disney before. We’d never had a room without USB ports. Then he said he’d have a USB lamp brought to our room. Mousekeeping came to the room and didn’t know what I was talking about. They don’t have USB lamps.
It’s also an incredibly small room for being a Deluxe Villa. I’m sure it’s larger than the room we had at ASM, but it sure didn’t feel or look like it was. We felt cramped in it. And there’s no dining or shopping in BLT. You have to go up or down to the 5th floor to access the skywalk to go over to the Contemporary. That’s a hassle when all you want is to refill your refillable mug. And it was really odd that a DVC resort wouldn’t sell food staples to its guests like all the other DVC resorts do. It’s not like I can pack a loaf of bread in the suitcase!
We’ve stayed at a lot of resorts, but this one is the only one-and-done regret we’ve had at Disney. And all I could think the entire time we were in the room was, “The eighties called. They want their rooms back.” It’s definitely not worth the price you pay for it.
Hi Tom, just stayed at Bay Lakes Tower in a 2 room villa last week (rented points-great advice) and agree with your assessment of the rooms–dated and prematurely aging, but still very acceptable and roomy for us – a group of 7 adults. Really loved that it had 3 baths and made good use of the full kitchen. As GL noted above, the Top of the World Lounge is open now as “Villain’s Lair”.
Our last visit to WDW was 2012, and it seemed to us the the monorail resorts were nowhere near as decorated for Christmas as they had been in that timeframe – any thoughts there?
Also was that you on the flight to Atlanta on Eve of Dec 2? – If not you have a doppelganger – LOL.
Read the blog all the time and your insights are great!
Well, I guess opinions art like elbows, we all have a couple. By the way Tom, I finally got the 50 year anniversary book you recommended about a year ago. Must say it is an incredible book and I am enjoying every little detail. Too bad the foreword written by Chapek wasn’t really who he was or we may have seen a better WDW.
Haha, I assume your first sentence is a polite way of saying you disagree with the entire list? Curious to hear your top 5 (no explanation necessary and I won’t take offense).
Totally agree about the book. I actually just opened it last week as I needed a reference for something and saw that preface. Maybe we can get a re-release with a different forward. I’d rebuy it!
What is the name of the book if you don’t mind sharing.
This is it: https://amzn.to/3iKjxGU Currently 30% off on Amazon, too!
Here’s the rest of our WDW and DLR library, if you’re curious: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/disney-theme-park-books/
Thank you.v
It may not change the rankings, but Top of the World Lounge reopened several months ago (with villains theming and an even longer name). They are testing out several formats for this space, with meals, dessert parties, etc, but you can go up any night and get food and drinks “to go”; ie to sit outside on the patio.
Still open to white cards? We bought resale in 2018 and were able to access Top of the World Lounge. The new wording on the website makes it seem like we might not have access anymore…