Which DVC resort is best?

Pluto777

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 10, 2017
I know different WDW DVC resorts have different transport options (Boat, Monorail & soon Gondola) but they ALL have buses. Which WDW DVC resort in your opinion (I haven't stayed at all yet unfortunately) has the BEST (fastest and most convenient) buses & schedules and which do you think is the worst?
 
All Disney resort buses are on a every 20 minute schedule but the issue is the can get delayed for various reasons. Still, all of them are supposed to be at that frequency. On buses alone - I vote AKV. They do not share buses with any other resort and only have the 2 buildings they stop at. MK takes the longest but I timed it and to do the pick up at Kidani stop at Jambo and arrive at the MK bus stop was approx 22 minutes. You can't drive there, park at TTC and then transport over to MK in that time so I consider the buses a win. Travel to all other parks from AKV are faster than MK.

Epcot resorts share buses. MK resorts share buses. I tend to find these two areas the worst for anything other than walking to parks. But when you can walk to 1 or 2 parks that eliminates relying on other transporation so there are trade offs. SSR is very central so once you get around the resort stops it's generally a short drive everywhere. Same for OKW.
 
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I know different WDW DVC resorts have different transport options (Boat, Monorail & soon Gondola) but they ALL have buses. Which WDW DVC resort in your opinion (I haven't stayed at all yet unfortunately) has the BEST (fastest and most convenient) buses & schedules and which do you think is the worst?

The "Best"-even for transportation-probably varies widely, depending on who you ask. My experience is that BCV has the worst transportation (except, of course, to DHS and Epcot, since you can walk). AKV has always been very good, although a lot of other people complain about transportation from there, so I'd consider that among the best.
 
^ Yes, like most things, personal preference varies widely on this subject.
Some people tend to arrive at stops right before busses at some resorts but tend to arrive after busses at other resorts..but it’s not a bad schedule, just bad luck. I think the bus wait times in the app help me (even though they change a lot).

Personally, I’m not annoyed by resorts with multiple internal stops, but BWV bus transportation is my least favorite, because occasionally going out of the way to the non-Disney Swan and Dolphin stops really annoy me...but the walking/boat to Epcot and DHS mostly make up for the bus inconvenience.
 


The "Best"-even for transportation-probably varies widely, depending on who you ask. My experience is that BCV has the worst transportation (except, of course, to DHS and Epcot, since you can walk). AKV has always been very good, although a lot of other people complain about transportation from there, so I'd consider that among the best.
So when you say "worst", I assume you are referring ONLY to the bus service from there, correct? If so why is that? (I have never stayed there)
 
So when you say "worst", I assume you are referring ONLY to the bus service from there, correct? If so why is that? (I have never stayed there)

For me the boats are not all that great at the Epcot resort either. They take fo-r-ev-er. And if you miss them double that forever. BWV to Epcot is great if it's there or arriving when you walk out to the Boardwalk. Otherwise walking is faster. They're nice if you're looking for a rest but they are not a speedy option. BCV you should walk to Epcot. DHS is a longer walk or a boat ride that may or may not take a while depending on your timing.
 
You'll get a different answer from every DVC owner you talk to. We love OKW, but BCV is nice for the Epcot festivals. But BRV is also a favorite.
 


Best for transportation? BWV (or BCV) for us. The ability to walk or take a boat to 2 parks and walk thru Epcot and take the Monorail to MK. You only really NEED a bus for AK or DS. The more we can avoid taking a bus, the better. BLT or Poly would be our next choice bc of the monorail and the ability to walk to MK from BLT.

If you’re talking solely based on buses? I’d say try to avoid the resorts with multiple bus stops within the resort itself.
 
You'll get a different answer from every DVC owner you talk to. We love OKW, but BCV is nice for the Epcot festivals. But BRV is also a favorite.
I never heard abut the bus situation at OKW, would you say it is better (more frequent) than most others?
 
The "Best"-even for transportation-probably varies widely, depending on who you ask. My experience is that BCV has the worst transportation (except, of course, to DHS and Epcot, since you can walk). AKV has always been very good, although a lot of other people complain about transportation from there, so I'd consider that among the best.
AKV is another place I have never slept in, I believe is a bus only resort therefore the bus situation is important for park goers. Do Kidani & Jambo share a bus?
 
AKV is another place I have never slept in, I believe is a bus only resort therefore the bus situation is important for park goers. Do Kidani & Jambo share a bus?

Yes. Bus only. The bus goes first to Kidani, and then to Jambo. But it is pretty fast and the trip between the two is only a minute or two

I know that a lot of people see Animal Kingdom Lodges 'WWWwwwaaaayyyy out there," and think it is too far from everything and will take too long, but not at all. It is the closest to one of the Parks - Animal Kingdom - and pretty close to Hollywood Studios. And I have found the bus transit from AKV to be much more steady and dependable that some other resorts. Besides, if you look at the actual transit times, on an average, from AKV to each park, it is better than most of the other Resorts, including resorts that would surprise you, such as Poly, GF, Boardwalk, SSR, OKW and Beach Club. Because each of those resorts has transportation problems and built in delays that aren't obvious, unless you look.
 
So when you say "worst", I assume you are referring ONLY to the bus service from there, correct? If so why is that? (I have never stayed there)

Yes, only in terms of transportation by bus. Overall, BCV is my favorite. But it always seems that the bus waits for AK or MK are the longest and the posting on the bus stop board keeps changing
 
Best for transportation? BWV (or BCV) for us. The ability to walk or take a boat to 2 parks and walk thru Epcot and take the Monorail to MK. You only really NEED a bus for AK or DS. The more we can avoid taking a bus, the better. BLT or Poly would be our next choice bc of the monorail and the ability to walk to MK from BLT.

If you’re talking solely based on buses? I’d say try to avoid the resorts with multiple bus stops within the resort itself.
Once again, you can only walk through Epcot to catch the monorail to MK IF Epcot is open for business and you have a park hopper or AP. But that is one long walk to get to the monorail. Hopping the bus would be a lot easier.
 
Once again, you can only walk through Epcot to catch the monorail to MK IF Epcot is open for business and you have a park hopper or AP. But that is one long walk to get to the monorail. Hopping the bus would be a lot easier.

Right, but it IS an option. Once again, thank you for your clarifications.
 
I know different WDW DVC resorts have different transport options (Boat, Monorail & soon Gondola) but they ALL have buses. Which WDW DVC resort in your opinion (I haven't stayed at all yet unfortunately) has the BEST (fastest and most convenient) buses & schedules and which do you think is the worst?

Most resorts have buses about every 20 minutes, but, due to the number of stops, and loading and unloading at each stop, gaps can develop and wait times can increase. This is hard to predict. If someone with a scooter gets on and they aren't very good at using it, you can assume it will add 2 minutes.

One problem that isn't apparent is that many resorts, perhaps most, have to make multiple stops. Multiple stops can significantly increase transit time, to or from your resort and make it less predictable.

* At Animal Kingdom, there are only 2 stops. Kidani first, and then Jambo. I personally think Disney recognizes this resort is perceived to be farther out, and they try harder. I know that a slightly higher percentage of the Membership Dues at AKV goes to transportation than at other resorts.

*At Poly the buses also go and stop at the Grand Floridian.

*BWV, Beach Club, Swan and Dolphin often share buses, with the buses typically making at least 3 stops and sometimes more.

*SSR and OKW have multiple stops (at least 5 or 6) INTERNALLY, as the buses meander around the property.

The monorail is typically slow and inefficient. The Resort Monorail, that runs Clockwise around the 7 seas lagoon takes about 25 minutes to make the loop. That is longer than you might expect, considering how close you are to MK. Transportation Center Monorail runs Counterclockwise, but it only stops at MK and TTC. To get to Epcot from BLT, Poly and GF, you need to either take the resort monorail around the loop, or walk to TTC from Poly. Then you wait a few minutes for the Epcot Monorail to arrive and load, then take another 15 minutes or so to Epcot. So, to get to Epcot from GF could require 40 to 45 minutes or so. MUCH slower than the buses from most resorts. And even the buses from AKL make it to EVERY PARK significantly faster than that. Once you are loaded onto the bus (from any resort) and it is moving away from the resort, you are 10 to 15 minutes from Everywhere.

The Friendship Boats/Ferries/Motor Launches typically take about 20 to 25 minutes from HS to Epcot, plus, sometimes, extra loading and unloading time.

The Gondolas will probably be a SUPERIOR way to travel to Epcot and HS, but, of the DVC Resorts, ONLY Riviera is in position to take advantage of it, until Disney expands the lines and extends them to other resorts.
 
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I find that now that you can see when the expected arrival of the buses are it's less stressful. Boats - still stressful. I just wish they'd get the monitors at the parks too. That would be a big plus.
 
Most resorts have buses about every 20 minutes, but, due to the number of stops, and loading and unloading at each stop, gaps can develop and wait times can increase. This is hard to predict. If someone with a scooter gets on and they aren't very good at using it, you can assume it will add 2 minutes.

One problem that isn't apparent is that many resorts, perhaps most, have to make multiple stops. Multiple stops can significantly increase transit time, to or from your resort and make it less predictable.

* At Animal Kingdom, there are only 2 stops. Kidani first, and then Jambo. I personally think Disney recognizes this resort is perceived to be farther out, and they try harder. I know that a slightly higher percentage of the Membership Dues at AKV goes to transportation than at other resorts.

*At Poly the buses also go and stop at the Grand Floridian.

*BWV, Beach Club, Swan and Dolphin often share buses, with the buses typically making at least 3 stops and sometimes more.

*SSR and OKW have multiple stops (at least 5 or 6) INTERNALLY, as the buses meander around the property.

The monorail is typically slow and inefficient. The Resort Monorail, that runs Clockwise around the 7 seas lagoon takes about 25 minutes to make the loop. That is longer than you might expect, considering how close you are to MK. Transportation Center Monorail runs Counterclockwise, but it only stops at MK and TTC. To get to Epcot from BLT, Poly and GF, you need to either take the resort monorail around the loop, or walk to TTC from Poly. Then you wait a few minutes for the Epcot Monorail to arrive and load, then take another 15 minutes or so to Epcot. So, to get to Epcot from GF could require 40 to 45 minutes or so. MUCH slower than the buses from most resorts. And even the buses from AKL make it to EVERY PARK significantly faster than that. Once you are loaded onto the bus (from any resort) and it is moving away from the resort, you are 10 to 15 minutes from Everywhere.

The Friendship Boats/Ferries/Motor Launches typically take about 20 to 25 minutes from HS to Epcot, plus, sometimes, extra loading and unloading time.

The Gondolas will probably be a SUPERIOR way to travel to Epcot and HS, but, of the DVC Resorts, ONLY Riviera is in position to take advantage of it, until Disney expands the lines and extends them to other resorts.
The gondolas would be superior if it was non stop, but it is not. You will have 2 stops on the way and I’m pretty sure you will have to exit the gondola at CBR and then get on another to go to Epcot. It will then stop at RIV but you would not exit. My guess is total time from HS to Epcot will be similar to the boats.
 
The best option is a split stay three way: one MK resort, one Crescent lake resort and one "out there" resort (AKV, SSR or OKW).
I'm doing a 12 nights stay this September at BLT, BWV and AKV, I'll be able to walk to 3 parks and 5 mins bus to another, plus two transfers. Bliss.
 
BWV bus to MK is hands down the worst bus on property when it stops at Swan Dolphin, albeit I saw someone the other day claiming they had stopped doing that. In all other respects, Boardwalk is a difficult hotel to better.
 
I'd like to bet that AKV is closer to Epcot and DHS than the monorail resorts. It took us about 12-13 minutes to get to Epcot from KV even with a stop at JH. The monorail resorts have to go to two resort to pick up to get to Epcot (if you don't take the monorail and change at the TTC), DHS and AK. OKW is probably the quickest to get to Epcot using transportation other than your feet.
 

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