BLT vs BWV vs VGF

[CricketMa]

WARNING: This question has probably been asked a million and ten times.

I'm wanting to purchase DVC this year. I have a trip coming up that I'll be renting DVC points for. I want to experience a resort that I haven't tried before before I decide which resort to purchase point at (I'll probably be doing resale). I'd like to use this upcoming trip to do that.

We are currently at Boardwalk but I'm considering seeing if we can switch to Bay Lake or the Grand Floridian. We are doing a multi-generational trip and there are 9 of us currently - 2 are toddlers. We plan to spend 5 days in the park - 2 of them at MK. My ONLY hesitation about boardwalk is that the theme-ing is very adult seems to be very little in the way of "Disney touches". This isn't a long term "issue" really but since the majority of the people going on this trip are Disney- newbies AND may even be their only trip I'd like to get as much theme-ing in there as possible. The other "issue" I have with it is the pool. I don't really care about the theme. I think it's funny, personally. But I'm not seeing anything about a kids area or anything.

Long term - when my daughter is old enough to bring friends with us and we don't care about theme-ing as much Boardwalk seems perfect for us. But while she is little a monorail resort with a little heavier of a theme seems better.

ANYWAYS. The primary questions is here. Which of the resorts should I try before deciding which to buy? The choices this trip are VGF, BLT, and BWV. I've stayed at Poly, Boulder ridge, and beach club already. Which resort do you think is better for a bigger family trip with some members that may never come back to disney?

 

[CMNJ]

I know you said your only hesitation is the theming but logistically Bay Lake is very convenient with toddlers in strollers for a short walk to and from MK. As far as “adult” theming Bay Lake doesn’t really have more kid appeal in my opinion. We haven’t stayed at GF but the theming there is also adult in my opinion (the lobby/main building is pretty formal). The boardwalk doesn’t have a kids splash area like GF, Poly, WL, AK but neither does Bay Lake-they do have a tiny slide that goes into the main pool and a small area that has a few sprayers that come out of the concrete but that’s it (not very impressive). That being said we own BWV and BLT and love both because of their locations. BWV also has a small playground area near the pool that might appeal depending on the kids ages. We have not stayed at GF but the kids splash area looks pretty great and on par with the Poly (which my son loves). One thing you didn’t mention is what size villa or villas you are booking. BLT studios are pretty small but the 1 and 2 BR are large and you get an extra bath vs the 1 and 2 BR @ BWV.
Also when you say “We are currently at Boardwalk but I'm considering seeing if we can switch to Bay Lake or the Grand Floridian” did you already commit to a rental? If so it may be difficult to change your reservation. Many DVC rentals do not make changes like that and even if they do you are also subject to availability once the 7 month window opens. Also a warning-if an owner has the boardwalk booked for you and you have them attempt to change to another location that is avail they have to cancel your reservation (to free up the points) then book the new reservation. It is possible to lose the old reservation and not get the new one (if someone else books it faster).

 

[DVC Sue]

I know you said your only hesitation is the theming but logistically Bay Lake is very convenient with toddlers in strollers for a short walk to and from MK. As far as “adult” theming Bay Lake doesn’t really have more kid appeal in my opinion. We haven’t stayed at GF but the theming there is also adult in my opinion (the lobby/main building is pretty formal). The boardwalk doesn’t have a kids splash area like GF, Poly, WL, AK but neither does Bay Lake-they do have a tiny slide that goes into the main pool and a small area that has a few sprayers that come out of the concrete but that’s it (not very impressive). That being said we own BWV and BLT and love both because of their locations. BWV also has a small playground area near the pool that might appeal depending on the kids ages. We have not stayed at GF but the kids splash area looks pretty great and on par with the Poly (which my son loves). One thing you didn’t mention is what size villa or villas you are booking. BLT studios are pretty small but the 1 and 2 BR are large and you get an extra bath vs the 1 and 2 BR @ BWV.
Also when you say “We are currently at Boardwalk but I'm considering seeing if we can switch to Bay Lake or the Grand Floridian” did you already commit to a rental? If so it may be difficult to change your reservation. Many DVC rentals do not make changes like that and even if they do you are also subject to availability once the 7 month window opens. Also a warning-if an owner has the boardwalk booked for you and you have them attempt to change to another location that is avail they have to cancel your reservation (to free up the points) then book the new reservation. It is possible to lose the old reservation and not get the new one (if someone else books it faster).

This is like the perfect post, CMNJ. The only think I will add (since I own all three) is except for the splash area BWV and BLT are all similar theme wise. GF is adult and the villas are not close to the lobby. BLT is not kid-friendly - period. BWV has a cool boat ride to EPCOT and DHS and there are some nice paths to Dolphin, Swan, Beach & Yacht. If theming is important - go back to Poly. Remember - it will be the "newbies" first time. The other point CMNJ is by FAR your biggest issue (besides a MUCH higher cost of points) - getting into GF or BLT is very tough for non-owners.

DVC Sue.

 

[culli]

All 3 are great, we have not stayed at GF but did a tour and pool hop there a few times. One thing BLT and BWV have that GF doesn't is the community center. We personally love BWV mainly due to walking distance to EPCOT and HS then we also walk thru EPCOT and Monorail to MK. However, BLT is awesome with a nice zero entry pool for small kids, plus easy walk to use the contemporary pool...and of course easy walk to MK. It really depends on which parks you value the most, I guess from the info you have here I would go with BLT as you stayed at the Beach Club and Poly which are somewhat similar experiences as far as location goes to the BWV and GF. We have stayed at BLT and BWV many times with the kids and you will be a winner with any of the 3 you pick. We use to always have APs so another thing we always did is wander into EPCOT every night just to hang out at the countries and relax, it becomes an extension of the BWV and BCV resorts.

 

[CricketMa]

I know you said your only hesitation is the theming but logistically Bay Lake is very convenient with toddlers in strollers for a short walk to and from MK. As far as “adult” theming Bay Lake doesn’t really have more kid appeal in my opinion. We haven’t stayed at GF but the theming there is also adult in my opinion (the lobby/main building is pretty formal). The boardwalk doesn’t have a kids splash area like GF, Poly, WL, AK but neither does Bay Lake-they do have a tiny slide that goes into the main pool and a small area that has a few sprayers that come out of the concrete but that’s it (not very impressive). That being said we own BWV and BLT and love both because of their locations. BWV also has a small playground area near the pool that might appeal depending on the kids ages. We have not stayed at GF but the kids splash area looks pretty great and on par with the Poly (which my son loves). One thing you didn’t mention is what size villa or villas you are booking. BLT studios are pretty small but the 1 and 2 BR are large and you get an extra bath vs the 1 and 2 BR @ BWV.
Also when you say “We are currently at Boardwalk but I'm considering seeing if we can switch to Bay Lake or the Grand Floridian” did you already commit to a rental? If so it may be difficult to change your reservation. Many DVC rentals do not make changes like that and even if they do you are also subject to availability once the 7 month window opens. Also a warning-if an owner has the boardwalk booked for you and you have them attempt to change to another location that is avail they have to cancel your reservation (to free up the points) then book the new reservation. It is possible to lose the old reservation and not get the new one (if someone else books it faster).

I LOVE the idea of the playground. I didn't realize that BWV had one. It's a small thing but also a big thing for us.

We are really open to anything TBH. Any combination of rooms. I'll probably buy enough points for a 1 bedroom where ever I purchase at since I really hope to allow my daughter to bring a friend (or cousin) etc in the future and have their own little space to stay up late. For this trip all possibilities are open. We are a little bit wanting to go all out so to speak since it is such a big family trip. Obviously within reason but would be okay with a handful of studios or a grand villa.

ALSO, I DID not realize that you have to release your current reservation in order to secure the other one. That is terrifying and changes a lot.

 

[CricketMa]

This is like the perfect post, CMNJ. The only think I will add (since I own all three) is except for the splash area BWV and BLT are all similar theme wise. GF is adult and the villas are not close to the lobby. BLT is not kid-friendly - period. BWV has a cool boat ride to EPCOT and DHS and there are some nice paths to Dolphin, Swan, Beach & Yacht. If theming is important - go back to Poly. Remember - it will be the "newbies" first time. The other point CMNJ is by FAR your biggest issue (besides a MUCH higher cost of points) - getting into GF or BLT is very tough for non-owners.

DVC Sue.

I've only been in BLT while riding the monorail. So I REALLY appreciate your feedback. I guess I just thought there was supposed to be heavy Mickey theme-ing to it.

Is it always difficult for non-owners to book GF and BLT? I was leaning towards Poly for ownership just because I've heard the same thing.

Themeing isn't THAT important to me/us. That's why I put the word "issue" into quotes because those are my only real hesitations about BWV and even those aren't that big of a deal. PLUS I kind of want to own somewhere that doesn't have super heavy themeing so that when we are away from the parks we are away from the parks. If that makes sense. This trip though I'd hate for my family to miss out on any "magic" if you will.

 

[CricketMa]

All 3 are great, we have not stayed at GF but did a tour and pool hop there a few times. One thing BLT and BWV have that GF doesn't is the community center. We personally love BWV mainly due to walking distance to EPCOT and HS then we also walk thru EPCOT and Monorail to MK. However, BLT is awesome with a nice zero entry pool for small kids, plus easy walk to use the contemporary pool...and of course easy walk to MK. It really depends on which parks you value the most, I guess from the info you have here I would go with BLT as you stayed at the Beach Club and Poly which are somewhat similar experiences as far as location goes to the BWV and GF. We have stayed at BLT and BWV many times with the kids and you will be a winner with any of the 3 you pick. We use to always have APs so another thing we always did is wander into EPCOT every night just to hang out at the countries and relax, it becomes an extension of the BWV and BCV resorts.

I didn't think about the community centers either.

The hardest part of picking a home resort for ownership is what works for us now - may not work for us later. Right now we are big MK people but mostly because my daughter is small and there just more for her there. But eventually she will like Hollywood studios more. I do love, as an adult, the opportunity to walk to Epcot at night for dinner and drinks. Of course if I'm on the monorail then that's still basically a possibility too.

I probably should have mentioned this will be my older sisters first trip and she has been obsessed with GF since we were kids - that's the main reason why its on the list. I'm not sure how much I'll love the grand floridian but who knows, right?

It's looking like keeping our reservation at BWV, right now.

 

[CMNJ]

I LOVE the idea of the playground. I didn't realize that BWV had one. It's a small thing but also a big thing for us.

We are really open to anything TBH. Any combination of rooms. I'll probably buy enough points for a 1 bedroom where ever I purchase at since I really hope to allow my daughter to bring a friend (or cousin) etc in the future and have their own little space to stay up late. For this trip all possibilities are open. We are a little bit wanting to go all out so to speak since it is such a big family trip. Obviously within reason but would be okay with a handful of studios or a grand villa.

ALSO, I DID not realize that you have to release your current reservation in order to secure the other one. That is terrifying and changes a lot.

As far as purchasing goes while I love BWV with the price increases and early expiration date 2042 it may not be the best deal out there unless you only ever want to stay there (it can be difficult at times and I suspect once Star Wars land opens at DHS it will only get harder.) I love the Poly too and we usually stay in studios as we have a small family but I love walking to parks even more and was concerned that due to the high point bungalows at the Poly (and the sale of fixed weeks)eventually there might be an issue with availability at times or worse point reallocation. Not saying it will happen but that was my thought when we decided to purchase a second contract and bought BLT over Poly.
As far as changing the reservation goes unless the owner has enough points to cover both reservations you have to release the 1st reservation to free up the points for the second. There is a way to kind of trick the system into holding the new room @supersnoop has detailed then quickly cancelling the old one. Of course if you have a website glitch it is still possible to lose both reservations (less likely but possible). As an owner I don’t think I’d take the chance for a rental because if you somehow lost both you’d then have to do a lot more work trying to rerent your points. Brokers do NOT do this and I suspect most of not all owners renting directly would be the same. So unless you rent from a friend/family member willing to take that chance once you book a place you are pretty much locked into that location and date.

 

[CraigInPA]

I think you've got a difficult dilemma. Today, you need a 2 bedroom for 9 people. That eliminates Poly (unless you want to spend a LOT of money on a bungalow). Poly is the most "themed" of the monorail resorts, and is the easiest to commute from (resort monorail to MK, TTC monorail to Epcot, both in walking distance). Your remaining monorail choices are GFV and BLT. Both of these are more restrained in their decor. Both have 2 bedroom units. BLT is an easy walk to the MK. If you have a double stroller, you'll appreciate that. GFV has a better pool for young ones.

If I had young children, and buying resale, I'd choose Poly. If my children were tweens or older, I'd choose BLT over BWV solely due to the expiration date on the contracts. Both are lovely resorts with the full range of room types (Studios, 1BR, 2BR, Grand Villas).

Disclosure: My wife and I own at BLT. We were life-long fans of Poly, and stayed there for hundreds of nights, but we didn't like the placement of the long houses they converted for DVC, nor the lack of 1 and 2 bedroom options. We stayed in BCV, and loved the easy walk to Epcot, but not the rooms themselves. We decided we wanted to be on the monorail loop, so it came down to BLT and GFV. We rented some points and stayed in a lake view BLT studio. The first time we walked to the MK, we were hooked!

 

[CricketMa]

As far as purchasing goes while I love BWV with the price increases and early expiration date 2042 it may not be the best deal out there unless you only ever want to stay there (it can be difficult at times and I suspect once Star Wars land opens at DHS it will only get harder.) I love the Poly too and we usually stay in studios as we have a small family but I love walking to parks even more and was concerned that due to the high point bungalows at the Poly (and the sale of fixed weeks)eventually there might be an issue with availability at times or worse point reallocation. Not saying it will happen but that was my thought when we decided to purchase a second contract and bought BLT over Poly.
As far as changing the reservation goes unless the owner has enough points to cover both reservations you have to release the 1st reservation to free up the points for the second. There is a way to kind of trick the system into holding the new room @supersnoop has detailed then quickly cancelling the old one. Of course if you have a website glitch it is still possible to lose both reservations (less likely but possible). As an owner I don’t think I’d take the chance for a rental because if you somehow lost both you’d then have to do a lot more work trying to rerent your points. Brokers do NOT do this and I suspect most of not all owners renting directly would be the same. So unless you rent from a friend/family member willing to take that chance once you book a place you are pretty much locked into that location and date.

Yeah, This is why deciding on which one to purchase is so hard. There are just too many factors. I kind of wish that DVC were set up for there not to be home resorts. You just get a set amount of points to use at which ever resort you want to stay at during that time period. I'm sure that set up would come with some downsides though.

I'm renting though an individual but I wouldn't want to ask too much of them. They were the ones that offered but I would really hate to put them in any position like that.

I think you've got a difficult dilemma. Today, you need a 2 bedroom for 9 people. That eliminates Poly (unless you want to spend a LOT of money on a bungalow). Poly is the most "themed" of the monorail resorts, and is the easiest to commute from (resort monorail to MK, TTC monorail to Epcot, both in walking distance). Your remaining monorail choices are GFV and BLT. Both of these are more restrained in their decor. Both have 2 bedroom units. BLT is an easy walk to the MK. If you have a double stroller, you'll appreciate that. GFV has a better pool for young ones.

If I had young children, and buying resale, I'd choose Poly. If my children were tweens or older, I'd choose BLT over BWV solely due to the expiration date on the contracts. Both are lovely resorts with the full range of room types (Studios, 1BR, 2BR, Grand Villas).

Disclosure: My wife and I own at BLT. We were life-long fans of Poly, and stayed there for hundreds of nights, but we didn't like the placement of the long houses they converted for DVC, nor the lack of 1 and 2 bedroom options. We stayed in BCV, and loved the easy walk to Epcot, but not the rooms themselves. We decided we wanted to be on the monorail loop, so it came down to BLT and GFV. We rented some points and stayed in a lake view BLT studio. The first time we walked to the MK, we were hooked!

Poly is currently number one on my list. I really love everything about it. I don't think, for this trip and the size of the bungalows, that we will do Poly. But I figure that I could purchase enough points for a week each year in a studio at Poly and then down the road purchase more points for a bungalow to accommodate friend/family. But I want to at least try the other resorts before committing. I also plan on visiting CC while we are there because my biggest complaint about Boulder ridge was that it was outdated.

 

[disneynutz]

IMO you should do a adult only fact finding trip prior to buying. BWV has a open room on display so you don't need to stay there to see what's available. Also IMO boardwalk has great theming. If you want pools, BCV is the place to be. BLT has zero theming but you can walk to the MK.

I would start a list of pros and cons for each resort and decide what's important to you then see what rises to the top. Do a split stay at three of them and decide then.

Bill

 

[paults]

I wouldn't buy anything Direct from Disney. You can get more points going resale. You don't get much anymore going Direct. JMO

 

[Cyberc1978]

I DID not realize that you have to release your current reservation in order to secure the other one. That is terrifying and changes a lot.

Actually it’s only a problem if the owner do not have any additional points which can be used. If the owner have enough points to secure a new reservation while keeping the old then it’s not a problem. Depending on how many points you have rented it could be a problem.

It will however give the owner a lot of extra work, to try and secure your new reservation and changing all the names.

Before assuming anything I would recommend that you contact the owner which you are renting from to get some clarification.

 

[thelionqueen]

There is really no way to predict what your future plans will be other than probably needing more space.. which, even that is subjective. I would suggest looking around and finding what suits your needs best now, which, IMO, is BLT. I personally do not like BLT, but the proximity to MK, lower MF's and longer ownership seem to make sense. I personally love BWV and would buy there, but everyone is different. If there was a way to do resort hopping before buying, I'd highly recommend that!

 

[TexasChick123]

I own BLT and VGF. We are staying at Poly this summer for 1 night and BWV this fall. If you would EVER stay in a 1- or 2- bedroom, then Poly is out. We didn’t even consider it. I completely disagree about VGF and BLT not being for kids. It’s Disney. Everything is for kids!

With BLT, it’s a cheaper buy in, on the monorail, lower MF’s, and a short walk to MK.

With VGF, it’s the premiere resort, on the monorail, has a great splash pad, big rooms, and we just love it. VGF rents out at a premium compared to the other two if that’s a consideration.

With BWV, your family is too young IMO to buy there. It expires in 2042, and the prices are going to take a nosedive as that gets closer.

It will really come down to personal preference. We bought VGF because we love the GF and being on the monorail. We bought BLT because of its close proximity to MK and the lower price per point.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[CricketMa]

There is really no way to predict what your future plans will be other than probably needing more space.. which, even that is subjective. I would suggest looking around and finding what suits your needs best now, which, IMO, is BLT. I personally do not like BLT, but the proximity to MK, lower MF's and longer ownership seem to make sense. I personally love BWV and would buy there, but everyone is different. If there was a way to do resort hopping before buying, I'd highly recommend that!

It's not a bad idea. Maybe I can fit in an adult only trip to

I own BLT and VGF. We are staying at Poly this summer for 1 night and BWV this fall. If you would EVER stay in a 1- or 2- bedroom, then Poly is out. We didn’t even consider it. I completely disagree about VGF and BLT not being for kids. It’s Disney. Everything is for kids!

With BLT, it’s a cheaper buy in, on the monorail, lower MF’s, and a short walk to MK.

With VGF, it’s the premiere resort, on the monorail, has a great splash pad, big rooms, and we just love it. VGF rents out at a premium compared to the other two if that’s a consideration.

With BWV, your family is too young IMO to buy there. It expires in 2042, and the prices are going to take a nosedive as that gets closer.

It will really come down to personal preference. We bought VGF because we love the GF and being on the monorail. We bought BLT because of its close proximity to MK and the lower price per point.

Good luck with your decision!

I didn't realize that BWV expired so soon. I would love to TRY VGF just to see. I'm not sure its my style but I could be wrong. My top choice right now is the Poly but I'm wanting to try other resorts before I make up my mind.

 

[paults]

don't forget Poly only has studios. and expensive bungalows

 

[Shellyred8]

One other nice thing about BWV is that it's walking distance to Fantasia Mini Golf. We make at least one trip over there every time we stay at BWV.

Have a great trip!

 

[holden]

The deal maker for us was the extra bath in the 1 and 2 bedrooms at BLT.

 

[DizneyPilot]

We own at BLT and it is our favorite DVC resort. We have used our points to stay at every DVC property except Poly. BLT is super convenient and offers great transportation options. Our kids were very young when we purchased and they have loved it ever since. I thought BWV was a little boring but love the boardwalk area. VGF is great and we loved the rooms, but I think the point charts are a little high. I say go for what will make you happy in the long run because your ideas and plans will change with each year of ownership. Also consider annual dues. I am also a big fan of Saratoga Springs. It’s very relaxing and loved our stay there. Best of luck in your decision.