DVC Resorts with the best studios?

[Brett Wyman]

That is disappointing to hear. I was kind of warming up to the idea of staying at the Polynesian.

Thats just one persons take. Its our favorite studio unit by far and Ive never had of those issues mentioned. Two bathrooms and largest floor plan of any studio. Plus Poly is inarguably( ) the best resort at WDW.

Worth noting as well...staying at Poly means walking what feels like 17 miles to/from the main building every time you need to take the monorail. We found it was quicker to walk to the TTC than the Poly main building. Not ideal how far out the DVC building was placed.

Did you request Tokelau? Thats just a hop skip and jump to the GCH.

 

[chcknctlt]

Nah. I would in the future though. Unfortunately, we had no clue going in. Live and learn.

 

[westie55]

I love VGF. The Grand Floridian has so many great dining options and you're only a monorail ride away from dining at the Poly or Contemporary. One night we took a nice walk to the Poly for dinner. Our unit was in great condition. It was nice to have shower for my husband and myself and a separate tub for our toddler and baby. We could see the Electrical Water Parade from our balcony. We will definitely go back. On Epcot and MK days not having to fold up and unload the double stroller to get on a bus felt like heaven. I now understand why people pay more to stay on the monorail!

 

[TinkHappy]

We have always been a fan of OKW Studios! The size can't be beat. You get so much more room for less points. And the resort feel is really nice too.

 

[chicagoshannon]

We've only stayed at BWV and PVB. Out of those 2 we prefer BWV. It's brighter and the food in the area is more to our liking than PVB. IMO the PVB was really dark. We also don't love the quick service option and business of the Poly lobby.

 

[gluestickgirl]

we love the poly - both with and without the kids. the rainfall shower in the second bathroom is just awesome, and we love the decor of the DVC rooms. transportation wise we take the boats over to the MK and do the quick walk to the TTC if we want to get to Epcot, and the buses are fine to the other parks. the quick service (captain cook's and oasis) both have some great options, and that bars are top notch. on top of all that, there's nothing like sitting on your lake view balcony and watching the boats out on the seven seas lagoon with a drink in hand. =)

 

[DenLo]

I think the OKW studios are poorly laid out as much of the space is not really usable due to walkways. The bathroom is very large but poorly laid out for storage and usable counter space when using the sink. No separate shower for such a large bathroom is a real shame.

BLT is small but IMO perfect for a couple, tight for a family. I absolutely love the kitchenette with all the storage.

BRV has a large studio, but the bathroom with the separate vanity means that the person at the vanity has no privacy. Also if you get a lock off studio, then the noise from the one bedroom comes directly into the studio. We had a rough few nights when the neighbors in the attached 1BR had a colicky baby sleeping in the living room with their nanny. We heard all the conversations with the parents and the nanny and the screaming baby. I was so happy when they checked out after 3 nights.

BWV, SSR and BCV all the same as BRV, but the rooms appears to be narrower than the studios we have had at BRV, no sure why. And all have the same problem with a connecting 1BR off of the living room and the open vanity area which has no privacy, which reminds me of 1990s motel rooms.

VGF is beautiful and has a split bath due to a sliding door between the two rooms, with a tub/shower and toilet on one side and a sink and walk in shower on the other. It has the bunk bed sized Murphy bed under the TV for a fifth sleeping area. I just wish the points weren't so expensive.

At CCV the studios are narrow and long and only sleep 4. No Murphy bed. They have two categories, one with a walk in shower only and the other with a tub/shower. The rooms are nicely laid out. The top floor is dormer so the balconies are solid and let in less light into the room. When we sat down on the balcony even my dh at 5' 11" could see nothing but sky. We request a 4th or 5th room now as we prefer higher floors with a view.

We have stayed at the Poly only twice and both times got a lake view with wonderful views of the MK fireworks. The room is by far wider than VGF and just as long in the living/bed room portion. The walk space between the end of the bed and the open Murphy bed is much wider, more than 3 feet, that We are couple and only use the walk in shower, but it must be nice to have the second bathtub in the second bathroom. There is plenty of room for a small family in either the Poly studio or at VGF. I just wish the points were so expensive.

I haven't seen the Riviera studio yet, but they are supposed to be larger than either OKW, VGF or the Poly with a similar split bathroom like they have at VGF and a twin sized Murphy bed. And once again the point price is higher. Let's face it at DVC you pay for extra space.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I think the OKW studios are poorly laid out as much of the space is not really usable due to walkways. The bathroom is very large but poorly laid out for storage and usable counter space when using the sink. No separate shower for such a large bathroom is a real shame....BRV has a large studio, but the bathroom with the separate vanity means that the person at the vanity has no privacy. Also if you get a lock off studio, then the noise from the one bedroom comes directly into the studio. We had a rough few nights when the neighbors in the attached 1BR had a colicky baby sleeping in the living room with their nanny. We heard all the conversations with the parents and the nanny and the screaming baby. I was so happy when they checked out after 3 nights.

BWV, SSR and BCV all the same as BRV, but the rooms appears to be narrower than the studios we have had at BRV, no sure why. And all have the same problem with a connecting 1BR off of the living room and the open vanity area which has no privacy, which reminds me of 1990s motel rooms.
...

BRV and BWV have the connecting studio for a lockoff that connects in the living room. BCV and SSR have the door to the connecting studio at the entrance to the villa, not in the living room. BWV also has quite a number of dedicated studios that do not connect to a one bedroom. They used to call them Studio Plus because they had a small deacon's bench that could convert to a small bed for a child.

I don't have any problems with the OKW studio and thought it was laid out pretty good. The bathroom has plenty of counter space, but with the renovation they removed the drawers in all the OKW bathrooms and replaced them with shelves. Don't like shelves. There isn't room for a separate shower in the OKW studio. So you get the same combo tub/shower that you have at BWV, BCV, SSR, BRV.

 

[Castillo Mom]

I was wondering if some of you who have stayed in a few DVC studios could rate them based on:

1. Up keep of the room
2. Size of the room
3. Food options at the resort
4. Transportation options at the resort

I'd love to hear everyone's opinion on this. Initially I was looking into renting points at a resort just to save money but the more I've researched it the more I'm interested in the quality of the overall experience. Money and availability are still a consideration but I want my wife to really enjoy the place we stay and nobody knows better than all of you who stay there all the time.

There are many opinions! For us, it's hands down PVB. I've stayed there a total of three times, once on the hotel side as a non-owner, a 2nd time also as non-owner but in a studio and the 3rd time in a studio as well but that time as an owner and why I added on at PVB. Here are my reasons in nor particular order:

1. Monorail access to two parks
2. Beautiful theming
3. View of fireworks from your room, main pool or beach and they pipe in the music. Magical!
4. Access to various dining options due to being on the monorail line
5. Rooms are well-appointed, spacious and well kept.
6. 1.5 bathrooms.

I've never encountered cleanliness issues and four adults in a studio was doable for us which allowed me to save on points and squeeze two trips within 11 months of each other.

 

[TongaToast21]

As many have said, The Poly is our favorite (and home)... you truly feel like you are on a vacation within a vacation.. the MK direct boat, the torches, the room size, and double showers are what we really enjoy. We always request to stay in the Tokelau Longhouse, as it is the most central of the longhouses. There aren't many things better than taking a boat to MK with the sunset over Seven Seas Lagoon and GF roof lights in the background!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Our favorite studio...VGF. Love the monorail view.

 

[DVCRSheridan]

If you don't mind the higher price point, I would probably go with Poly based strictly on the room itself. Great size, 2 bathrooms, great location with access to the monorail and a short walk to TTC. Boat access. Multiple sit-down and QS food options. Nice pools and a beach.

BWV studios aren't as nice or as large as Poly, but have been relatively recently refurbed so they're still in very nice shape (for the most part) and the location can't be beat. Food/drink options are nearly unlimited in that area if you factor in the close proximity to Epcot/DHS and the other resorts. Transportation is the best you'll get as you truly only NEED a bus for AK or DS (for MK you can walk through Epcot and great the monorail).

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you don't mind the higher price point, I would probably go with Poly based strictly on the room itself. Great size, 2 bathrooms, great location with access to the monorail and a short walk to TTC. Boat access. Multiple sit-down and QS food options. Nice pools and a beach.

BWV studios aren't as nice or as large as Poly, but have been relatively recently refurbed so they're still in very nice shape (for the most part) and the location can't be beat. Food/drink options are nearly unlimited in that area if you factor in the close proximity to Epcot/DHS and the other resorts. Transportation is the best you'll get as you truly only NEED a bus for AK or DS (for MK you can walk through Epcot and great the monorail).

You can only walk through Epcot to get to the monorail to MK if Epcot is open and you have a park hopper ticket or AP.

 

[DVCRSheridan]

You can only walk through Epcot to get to the monorail to MK if Epcot is open and you have a park hopper ticket or AP.

But it is an option... thanks for your clarifications though.

 

[Tar_Heels_Love_WDW]

Tar Heel to Tar Heel, here's what I think:

1. Upkeep of the room: as several others have said, this varies unit to unit. However, in general, Saratoga will be the most worn due to age, whereas OKW is recently refurbished.

2. Size of room: advantage Old Key West and then everything else. OKW has 2 queen beds and are the largest studios by far. Haven't stayed in a studio that I've felt cramped in (VGF, SSR, OKW, AKL - Jambo, BLT, BWV) but I haven't stayed at Copper Creek yet.

3. Food options at resort: advantage everywhere except for OKW. Only having Olivias and a quick service can be a little sparse on a long stay. However, you're only a boat ride to Disney Springs. Some of my personal favorites: Jiko at AKL; Turf Club at SSR is a hidden gem; BWV has the advantage of the entire boardwalk.

4. Transportation options at resort: advantage everywhere except AKL. Having only bus transportation is awful/exhausting. Additionally, it's a long bus ride to anywhere except Animal Kingdom. Monorail resorts are good, but of these, I prefer the Poly due to being able to walk to TTC to catch the monorail direct to EPCOT. BWV and BCV have walking paths and boat transport to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. SSR is walking or short boat to Disney Springs. OKW is a boat or long walk to Disney Springs. BLT has a walking path to Magic Kingdom. CCV/VWL are a boat ride to Magic Kingdom, but bus everywhere else.

Conclusion: given your priorities, I believe that Poly or BWV would best suit your needs.

Go Heels.

 

[areno79]

I liked having the 2nd shower at the Poly because it was convenient for getting ready in the mornings, but the room felt dark to me, and I disliked the lack of storage space. The boat horn in the mornings was annoying too....although by the 3rd day we were so exhausted we just got used to it. I didn't like having to walk outside to go to the lobby for food or drinks, especially since 3 times it started downpouring as we were getting ready to leave our room.

For that reason, I like the BLT studio. It's small for more than 3 people, but the location is fantastic, I love the dining options, and there is a covered walkway from BLT over to the Contemporary main building.

I'm staying at CCV this Thanksgiving and think I will like that just as much. Having a QS option, convenience to transportation, and location are things we value when staying at DVC resorts, we've realized.