3. Old Key West Resort
Old Key West ResortOld Key West offers one of the best lake views in Florida. Image © Disney
The original DVC property is still among the top three. I understand the philosophy that newer is better with regards to hotels, and I share that philosophy as a rule. Like most people, I was skeptical that Old Key West would be anything other than a dinosaur among a sea of superior options. I quickly realized I was wrong, which explains why Old Key West is my home resort, the place where I am incentivized to stay every time I visit Walt Disney World.
The key is in the room design. The hotel rooms at Old Key West are much larger in size than the later developments. A studio is 376 square feet while a one bedroom villa is an apartment-sized 942 square feet. Compare that to the newest Walt Disney World property. Bay Lake Tower has 339 square feet studios and 803 square feet one bedroom villas. 11 to 17 percent more square footage may not seem like a big difference right up until you are staying in the room. At that point, the extra space becomes immeasurably important.
Old Key West Resort is more than just an older resort with big rooms, though. It features one of the best pools at Walt Disney World, a part of an area designated Hospitality House. The hotel lobby, the convenience store, a wonderful table service restaurant named Olivia’s and a quick service restaurant are all located within a few steps of one another. Anything a hotel guest could desire is right there within walking distance of the hotel buildings located in the Hospitality House area, which can be specifically booked by DVC members. Old Key West is also much more adult in nature than many of the other DVC properties, a bonus to those without children or at least vacationing without them.
2. Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Grand Floridian Resort & SpaThe lake view of the Grand Floridian is breathtaking. Image © Disney
I suspect that the only surprise right now is that Grand Floridian is not number one. As such, I feel the need to defend its placement more than I feel any onus to justify it being ranked so highly. The Grand Floridian is the crown jewel of Walt Disney World in the same way that the Grand Californian is the crown jewel of Disneyland. It is an elegant hotel built for the refined members of society’s upper class. The property is also located close to the Magic Kingdom and can access the park quickly via the monorail.
Last year, the quarter century old property also added DVC villas, providing members with the opportunity to stay at one of the most expensive hotels in the south for a fraction of the cost. The unintentional result is similar to Jed Clampett striking oil then taking his kin to California…or a cast member of Teen Mom being taken seriously during a CNN interview. There is something of a disconnect between the five-star resort denizens expected to be seen in the lobby and the DVC members wearing dripping wet Target bathing suits in the lobby, but I find that entertaining rather than a negative.
If anything, the primary knock on the Grand Floridian is that it can feel a bit stuffy for DVC members, because it is natural to feel a bit self-conscious while wearing a dripping wet Target bathing suit in the lobby of a $600 a night hotel. Every aspect of the hotel itself represents the height of elegance. The fact that a person can exchange their DVC points for an extended hotel stay at the Grand Floridian is a tribute to Disney. Their determination to treat each customer like a member of their family is admirable.
1. Beach Club Villas
Beach Club VillasA frontal view of THE best DVC property. Image © Disney
Determining the best Disney Vacation Club property will always come down to personal preferences. My criteria are primarily based upon locality, hotel features and atmosphere. Given those parameters, the choice for the best of the best is unquestionably Beach Club Villas.
What makes this resort so special? Well, there is a short answer and a long answer. The long answer involves a description of the back door to EPCOT, an evaluation of a restaurant named Beaches & Cream and my personal feelings of warmth toward the property. The short answer is Stormalong Bay.
Those of you unfamiliar with DVC membership are likely unaware of Stormalong Bay. Beach Club Villas, for no apparent reason, has been designed to include a mini-water park onsite. This particular pool and its surrounding facilities are so popular that Disney has had to introduce measures to ensure that the only people enjoying Stormalong Bay are guests of Beach Club Villas. Without those security measures, getting a seat at Stormalong Bay would be a physical impossibility. The buzz for this swimming facility is so strong that demand vastly exceeds supply.
There are other singularly unique selling points to Beach Club Villas. One of them, I kid you not, is a dessert. The Beaches & Cream restaurant located at the resort features a sweet treat so decadent that they have cheekily named it the Kitchen Sink. It is roughly the size of a toddler and has the calorie count of approximately six straight meals at a buffet. If a key part of vacationing is living life to the fullest, the Kitchen Sink should be on everyone’s Disney bucket list.
Pools and desserts are the fun parts of vacation, but the true reason Beach Club Villas stands above the rest of the DVC properties is its location. While other hotels listed above such as Boardwalk Villas and Bay Lake Tower provide theme park access within walking distance, Beach Club Villas exists in a different category. My Fitbit informs me that the distance from the hotel to back entrance to EPCOT is 180 steps. In other words, a person visiting EPCOT for the Food and Wine Festival during the fall is less than 200 steps away from all the bacchanalian festivities. Even college students have to walk further during their drunken, meandering return trips from parties.
If the culture of the EPCOT World Showcase appeals to you in any way, Beach Club Villas is the DVC property to choose. Factoring in the epic pool and daredevil dessert, Beach Club Villas is a vacationer’s dream, which is fitting for THE best Disney Vacation Club property.
Comments
I agree. I own at AKV, and it is my favorite Disney resort, and I have stayed at many, including Boardwalk villas. We stayed in a 1 BR boardwalk view room at the very end of the hallway on the ground floor. The view had nothing on a 1BR standard view (no animals outside the window) at Kidani. It was kind of nice to be able to walk to Epcot. Hollywood Studios is our least favorite park, so it wasn't a big draw. I much prefer the 2 bathrooms that there are in a 1BR at Kidani, and the kitchen area is much nicer. Boardwalk villa is an older resort, and there weren't enough convenient electrical outlets for our computers and other electronic gadgets. Specifically, the bar in the kitchen area wasn't deep enough for my laptop, and there weren't any outlets to plug in the computer at the desk. At Kidani, it is nice to let my son use the second bathroom, and not have to deal with his mess on a daily basis. So, definitely, I would rate AKV as my favorite because of room design and view outside the room.