The Disney Vacation Club has become immensely popular over the last few years, and is a huge money-spinner for the company. No wonder Disney is investing so heavily in new DVC properties at present.
Members of the club must buy a real estate interest in a Disney Vacation Club Resort, and thereafter pay annual dues. This will earn them DVC “points”, which can be spent on vacations at any of the DVC resorts. Here, we’ve picked out 6 of the very best.
The prices reflect the high profile status. The absolute cheapest nightly stay at one of the best half dozen DVC properties is $327. The average night would cost $415 among the locations, and that cost is for the most basic rooms possible. Rates double for villas and concierge floor placement; they triple for deluxe suites. Nobody in their right mind would be paying such nightly rates unless they have at least partial ownership of a major sports franchise. These are not costs that the common vacationer can afford.
The magic of DVC is that a person who purchases the appropriate level of points can annually schedule a trip to these otherworldly resorts. For a one time lump sum plus modest annual maintenance fees, any of 12 (soon to be 13) properties may be visited “free” of charge. Disney Vacation Club has become one of the most trusted and popular time share concepts in the world. Read the descriptions below to learn which ones are the best of the best.
6. Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa
Aulani, a Disney Resort & SpaCheck out the view at Aulani. Image © Disney
The other five properties listed below are all located in Orlando. The sixth entry is an exception because Aulani is located in Hawaii. This site is devoted to theme park discussions as a rule, but come on. Everyone reading this that isn’t in Hawaii right now wishes that they were.
The Aulani resort is a unique property for Disney. The Hawaiian hotel is a beachfront location featuring a panoramic view of scenic landscapes indigenous to the islands. Unlike every other DVC residence, there are no bad views at Aulani. Every moment of time spent onsite is an exercise in exotic vacation bliss. Plus, the hotel is child-friendly for families yet also designed for couples seeking a romantic getaway. Such a combination is difficult to achieve in the hands of lesser architects. Disney’s Imagineers are more than up to the task, though.
A guest at Aulani will discover many more activities than people staying at the other primary beach properties, Vero Beach and Hilton Head. There is a lazy river pool that rivals the ones at Disney’s actual water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. History buffs will discover that they are only a short drive away from the Pearl Harbor tour. And the crown jewel of an Aulani vacation is a fireside luau complete with hula dancers and a master storyteller. Paradise never felt so much like home. If Disney ever created a theme park in Hawaii, Aulani would immediately jump to number one on the list of finest DVC properties. Even without amusement park rides, it is still the escapist fantasy we all dream about while struggling through a long week at work.
5. Bay Lake Towers
Bay Lake TowerThe theme park view at Bay Lake Tower is sublime. Image © Disney
The twin of Disney’s iconic Contemporary Resort, Bay Lake Towers was built specifically for Disney Vacation Club members. It is also the newest hotel at Walt Disney World. By doubling down on the Contemporary Resort concept, Disney designers accomplished a pair of impressive feats. They have provided DVC members with the ambience of one of Disney’s most storied hotels while adding the modern conveniences of a newer facility.
The real beauty of Bay Lake Towers is its location, though. This is the only Disney hotel where someone can walk a reasonable distance to the Magic Kingdom. There is no price tag that can be placed on such easy park access. Everyone has their favorite theme parks, of course, but the reality is that Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is the alpha of the industry. 18.6 million customers visited the park in 2013. Only a select few of them did so by walking to the park. The rest were left to roll the dice on inconsistent park transportation. We all (not so) secretly enjoy feeling superior to the other tourists, especially when it comes to hotel location. For the sake of convenience alone, Bay Lake Towers is a spectacular DVC property.
4. Boardwalk Villas
Boardwalk Villas Creepy ClownThe Creepy Clown is real, and it is terrifying. Image © Disney
This property is a throwback to the pre-World War II era of hotel design. In fact, if you have ever played Bioshock Infinite, the concept is very similar in style and tone. Boardwalk Villas is an atmospheric trip down memory lane, a celebration of a hotel concept lost in time. It even has an old timey dance hall and a strip of modern stores designed as throwbacks to the era of our great-grandparents. You have never eaten at an ESPN Club until you have eaten at one retrofitted to the days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The other selling point of Boardwalk Villas is locality. This particular property is a (somewhat long) walk away from both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, providing the guest tons of options about how to spend their free time. The only real negative about Boardwalk Villas is its legendary evil clown pool. Look at the picture above and stare into the face of evil. Nobody has any idea what Disney was thinking with this particular aesthetic choice.
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.
