First time to Orlando…

[Chili327]

Ok, so i just bought into BRV but ive never been to Orlando (WDW), i know some think thats crazy, but i think there is a slim chance ill hate it. lol
I've been a pass holder at Disneyland multiple times throughout the last 25 years, so I’m not new to Disney (just new to WDW).

My plan is to shoot for about 5 nights (minimum) at my new home (BRV), possibly 7-10 days total for the trip and i plan to spend a few days just exploring the other resorts as well as Disney Springs, and i wanted to add on another resort or two (either before or after), so im wondering what you experts might suggest.? (chance of late Oct trip, or more likely Jan, Feb or early March)
I realize im at the mercy of whats available at 7 months, but i think i might be able to add a couple nights at AKL &/or Poly. (or just stay at other non DVC hotels)
I’m also thinking 7 day hopper, so im in no rush to be anywhere, anytime, on any day.

Thoughts, or suggestions on hotels, parks, food, number of days, special events, etc.
In all honesty the rides are last priority, i have a small list of things i want to make sure i check out, but this first trip is to get a lay of the land to determine if DVC & WDW is for me (since im a west coaster, i may just prefer DL and Aulani)


Thanks in advance



*edit to add info from the trip*

2 nights Kidani 7350 (2nd to last building)
3 nights BWV 3062 (above walkway to pool)
5 nights BRV 2562 (very last room)

 

[intamin]

I would recommend waiting until after you visit before deciding to pick up another resort. These are large purchases and who knows how much you’ll even like WDW.. I’d recommend picking up a 1 week park hopper ticket and the rest of the time relaxing and exploring different resorts and just soaking it all in. You should visit all of the parks during that week. I’m still pretty amazed you haven’t been to Orlando yet you bought into DVC without really knowing the areas (I assume). Is there a reason you didn’t try renting first before buying in to see if you even like WDW?

 

[Chili327]

I would recommend waiting until after you visit before deciding to pick up another resort. These are large purchases and who knows how much you’ll even like WDW.. I’d recommend picking up a 1 week park hopper ticket and the rest of the time relaxing and exploring different resorts and just soaking it all in. You should visit all of the parks during that week. I’m still pretty amazed you haven’t been to Orlando yet you bought into DVC without really knowing the areas (I assume). Is there a reason you didn’t try renting first before buying in to see if you even like WDW?

I only spent $4950 (50pts loaded), and renting for 7 to 10 days would have been a similar price, & if i don’t like it i could get a good chunk of it back. I will have 3 years worth of points to spend, but my plan is to use it at least 3 times (every 3 years) and there would still be approximately 10 years left if i felt like selling.
Yes i plan to visit each park at least once, & trying to check out a bunch of resorts, also debating whether to bother trying fit in Universal for a day.
I’ll just book what i can with the 150 points I’ll have (or bank whats left if i don’t use it all)

This trip will give me a good idea where else i might want to buy a contract… or just get VDH (or have both, or maybe pick up Aulani as well)

 

[sndral]

I’m west coast based as well, grew up going to DL, these days I prefer WDW, & head to Florida once a year.
The thing that surprises my friends after their first WDW visit is just how much more spread out it is compared to DL/CA. That’s part of the reason I like it, but it takes awhile to become familiar w/ getting from point A to point B.
Staying at BRV you’ll see CCV since those villas are in the main Wilderness Lodge Building (+the cabins.)
From BRV it’s easy to get to the MK via a quick bus ride or a nice boat ride. Once at the MK you can easily visit the Poly, VGF, & BLT via monorail to check out those DVC resorts. Or you can boat from MK to the Poly & VGF. I often take a midway break from the MK and boat over to the Poly for a quick service lunch at Captain Cooks or to the GF to visit the Enchanted Rose in the GF’s lobby.
You can get to Epcot by bus from BRV or by taking the monorail from the MK to the TTC & transferring over to the Epcot monorail.
Personally for your additional days I’d try to get BWV which is walkable to Epcot and DHS. BWV is a medium sized DVC resort & thus easier to get at 7 months than nearby BCV - if you don’t stay there you can easily check out both resorts by leaving Epcot through the international gate (between France and England) and visiting both resorts. You can also walk or take a boat over to DHS from the BWV/BCV.
Riviera can be reached via the Skyliner at the Epcot International Gate.
I’d combine an SSR visit w/ a trip to Disney Springs - which is huge - you can walk, bus, or boat to SSR from Disney Springs. SSR is big - you might want to ride the bus there to get an idea of the size, layout of the resort, there are multiple stops. You can also boat/bus to OKW from Disney Springs.
I’d add a visit to AKV to an AK park visit, just grab a bus for the 5 minute ride from AK to AKV - be sure to check out both Kidani & Jambo house - they are very different IMO & there are DVC villas in both. The restaurants Boma & Jiko at AKL/V Jambo, & Sanaa at Kidani are really good.
You can also grab a bus at any park to most resorts you want to visit, I just like mixing things up by riding the boats, monorail, & Skyliner.

You didn’t ask - but rides you can’t do @ DL/CA:
AK - almost everything, don’t miss FOP*!
DHS - Mickey & Minnie RR*, Indy show
Epcot - Guardians*, Spaceship earth, Ratatouille*, Frozen (in Norway,) Mexico boat ride
MK - Tron, 7dwarves roller coaster.

 

[Matty B13]

Also, you can try and see a room at most resorts by just asking the front desk to see them. Sometimes they will say no, but sometimes especially if it is slow they will accommodate you if you say you were thinking about buying there.

 

[jimmytammy]

We have been to DL once and loved it. Its way more intimate and smaller than WDW, so each has its plusses. I won't go through a comparison, but you will find WDW to be big, like San Francisco big, if that gives you an idea.

We own at BRV and love it there. In my mind it'd the most beautiful resort on property, but I may be biased. Its a great place to wind down after a long day in the parks.

We bought site unseen in 01, though we had been to WDW 3 times before. I dont think you will regret it.

Late Oct based on my experience will be tough to get BWV or BCV, followed by BLT, because of Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. Jan, Presidents Weekend and Marathon weekend can be tough at a few resorts at 7 month window, Feb, you should be OK with most resorts, March, Spring Break, 7 months can be tricky.

AKL, OKW and SSR are all huge resorts and availibity at these at 7 months most times of the year is not so bad. These are all great resorts and I have stayed at all 3 on numerous occasions.

 

[kboo]

Personally for your additional days I’d try to get BWV which is walkable to Epcot and DHS. BWV is a medium sized DVC resort & thus easier to get at 7 months than nearby BCV - if you don’t stay there you can easily check out both resorts by leaving Epcot through the international gate (between France and England) and visiting both resorts. You can also walk or take a boat over to DHS from the BWV/BCV.
Riviera can be reached via the Skyliner at the Epcot International Gate.

All of @sndral 's advice but especially This! We are thinking about doing the reverse - been to DL a couple of times and tempted to get some VGC. I think the parks and areas that are the most different from DL are Crescent Lake (BWV/BCV area) and EP/HS, so if you were to add on, that area might be worth a look. (also AK/AKV) but I'm a little biased because EP was our favorite park even before all the new rides.

Also, you can try and see a room at most resorts by just asking the front desk to see them. Sometimes they will say no, but sometimes especially if it is slow they will accommodate you if you say you were thinking about buying there.

Yes! But: We did this at RIV where we *already* owned points, and walked through a GV, and now I want more points. So be careful.

Late Oct based on my experience will be tough to get BWV or BCV, followed by BLT, because of Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. Jan, Presidents Weekend and Marathon weekend can be tough at a few resorts at 7 month window, Feb, you should be OK with most resorts, March, Spring Break, 7 months can be tricky.

Hopefully you can get a 1br std or a studio p/g view. Those are generally pretty available at BWV at 7mo. All 2br at BWV are lockoffs, so when studios are gone, 2br are gone. My kids love the BCV pool and the short walk to Epcot and the skyliner, but I prefer BWV for the lower point costs, the Boardwalk area, and the shorter walk to HS.

 

[Genie+]

Congrats. Your plan sounds cool! Beside all the unique WDW rides, don’t forget to check out other attractions and shows. Stuff like the Indiana Jones show and Fantasmic in HS are not to be missed. Even the Frozen singalong and Live Beauty and the Beast (running since the movie opened) are great. Epcot has a bunch of shows too. We used to love to get some crepes and watch the Server Amusant show, a balancing act high up on stacked chairs. Not sure if they’re back. Beside a park map, there is also a showtimes guide in each park. So many people ignore the trails in AK because they ‘have a zoo at home’. Gorilla Falls and Maharaja Trek are superb. I’ve never regretted the time spent there. Epcot usually has bands playing 3x a day at US pavilion and most are top notch.

 

[Chili327]

Great info, thanks all!!

 

[Best Aunt]

Some of the resorts are clumped together, and that's how I think of them. If you want to visit resorts, you should keep in mind where they are located.

a) If you are at Epcot: you can walk out the back entrance (International Gateway) and walk to Beach Club and BoardWalk. You also can take the Skyliner to Riviera. (But familiarize yourself with how the Skyliner works first, because sometimes you have to get off and transfer.)

b) If you are at Animal Kingdom: the Disney bus ride is quick to both parts of Animal Kindgom Lodge & Villas (Kidani Village and Jambo House). There is a shuttle between the two parts of the resort.

c) If you are at Magic Kingdom: Bay Lake Tower, Grand Floridian and Poly are all on the monorail loop.

d) If you are at Disney's Hollywood Studios: you can take the Skyliner to Riviera. You can walk or take the boat to Beach Club and BoardWalk.

e) If you are staying at BRV: CCV is on the same property, in the main building at Wilderness Lodge.

f) If you are at Disney Springs: you can take the boat to Saratoga Springs, assuming the boat is running.

g) That leaves Old Key West as the odd one out.

 

[Chili327]

Yes, my plan is if I can get a couple nights at AKL and be fully immersed in AK (park and lodging) for a couple nights, then if i could get a BWV or BCV, id spend another few nights there and take in everything it has to offer (including both of those parks), then just use my BRV for the main filler, for everything else. If I'm not able to get/use points, then id look into some moderates to fill nights, but that gets expensive, and id rather spend money on experiences than hotel rooms.
I think my main issue is going to be scheduling park reservations accordingly, but i guess once i have my lodging figured out it'll be clearer which parks to reserve. & just start the day in that park & then move on to whatever i felt like doing for the rest of the day.
I am interested in checking out some of the Non-DVC spots as well, like Port Orleans, & Coronado (just to check out, not as a plan to book in the future, unless needed)

I just found out that my contract was waiting on me, so now that its moved on to the next step i should be good to go here soon, then i can start seeing whats available. I'm going to just book whatever i can (starting in Oct), & make adjustments as needed (5-7 nights at BRV), and anything else available with whatever points i have left. & if there just isn't enough available in Oct, I'll switch to Jan-Mar 2024, also just based on availability. (and/or events & pricing)

I have copied a bunch of info posted here and put into my "notes" for the trip. It's much appreciated.

*edit*
I also have a friend/contact that rents AKL points for pretty cheap, so that'll help.

Also OKW i'm not too concerned with, except for Olivia's.? (i think its called)

 

[intamin]

Yes, my plan is if I can get a couple nights at AKL and be fully immersed in AK (park and lodging) for a couple nights, then if i could get a BWV or BCV, id spend another few nights there and take in everything it has to offer (including both of those parks), then just use my BRV for the main filler, for everything else. If I'm not able to get/use points, then id look into some moderates to fill nights, but that gets expensive, and id rather spend money on experiences than hotel rooms.
I think my main issue is going to be scheduling park reservations accordingly, but i guess once i have my lodging figured out it'll be clearer which parks to reserve.

As long as you're flexible with which resorts you're going to stay at it shouldn't be an issue. Getting a studio at BWV/BCV will be difficult at the 7 month mark but you may be able to snag a night or two if you're lucky. I'd recommend adding in OKW/SSR as part of your plans as they're the cheapest rooms on property and have good availability at 7 months. I know SSR gets a bad rap in general here but it actually is a great resort at least IMO. Being walking distance to Disney Springs is huge especially if you're not spending all your time in the parks.

Think of the hotels as in different zones.

Magic Kingdom: Bay Lake Tower, Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Boulder Ridge/Copper Creek

Epcot/Hollywood Studios: Riviera (I know this doesn't apply since you're resale), Boardwalk, Beach Club

Animal Kingdom: This one's self explanatory

Disney Springs: Saratoga Springs, Old Key West

Edit: Changed my mind, forgot food and wine will be in peak season in October so I wouldn't count on being able to stay at BCV/BWV. I'd book SSR for the part of your trip you have no park days (maybe put it in the middle of your trip to give your feet a mid-week rest). Boulder Ridge for the part where you're at MK and AKV for your AK days.

 

[Chili327]

As long as you're flexible with which resorts you're going to stay at it shouldn't be an issue.

Edit: Changed my mind, forgot food and wine will be in peak season in October so I wouldn't count on being able to stay at BCV/BWV. I'd book SSR for the part of your trip you have no park days (maybe put it in the middle of your trip to give your feet a mid-week rest). Boulder Ridge for the part where you're at MK and AKV for your AK days.

Yep, I'm definitely flexible... I actually prefer to have a few split stays, I like to move around, just not every night or two.

and yes, those are long sold out for Oct, so if Oct seems like it might still work when i get the points, it wont be at BWV or BCV.

 

[intamin]

Yep, I'm definitely flexible... I actually prefer to have a few split stays, I like to move around, just not every night or two.

and yes, those are long sold out for Oct, so if Oct seems like it might still work when i get the points, it wont be at BWV or BCV.

Yeahhh BCV and BWV are traditionally hard to book at 7 months and then add in the fact that they’re doing the refurbs right now and limiting the inventory even more.. just forget about it lol

 

[CarolynFH]

That leaves Old Key West as the odd one out.

If you’re at Disney Springs, there’s a boat to OKW too. It’s a separate boat from the one to SSR (and Port Orleans French Quarter/Riverside has its own boat too).

 

[Chili327]

Ok, so i just bought into BRV but ive never been to Orlando (WDW), i know some think thats crazy, but i think there is a slim chance ill hate it. lol
I've been a pass holder at Disneyland multiple times throughout the last 25 years, so I’m not new to Disney (just new to WDW).

My plan is to shoot for about 5 nights (minimum) at my new home (BRV), possibly 7-10 days total for the trip and i plan to spend a few days just exploring the other resorts as well as Disney Springs, and i wanted to add on another resort or two (either before or after), so im wondering what you experts might suggest.? (chance of late Oct trip, or more likely Jan, Feb or early March)
I realize im at the mercy of whats available at 7 months, but i think i might be able to add a couple nights at AKL &/or Poly. (or just stay at other non DVC hotels)
I’m also thinking 7 day hopper, so im in no rush to be anywhere, anytime, on any day.

Thoughts, or suggestions on hotels, parks, food, number of days, special events, etc.
In all honesty the rides are last priority, i have a small list of things i want to make sure i check out, but this first trip is to get a lay of the land to determine if DVC & WDW is for me (since im a west coaster, i may just prefer DL and Aulani)


Thanks in advance

Just wanted to update one of my first threads...

Leaving Friday for my first trip to WDW, & already have the BRV contract listed for sale on the resale market. lol (would be funny if it sold before i even left)

I did also purchase a VGC contract, so once I get that paid off later this year, I'll start looking into a SAP+ contract (most likely CCV) to replace BRV in WDW, assuming I love it & want to return.

I got multiple nights at Kidani, BWV, & BRV.
Also planning 3 extended evening hours (2 Epcot, & 1 MK)
I have a few must do restaurants reserved: Sanaa, Brown Derby, & Skipper Canteen (many others reserved, but not on my must do list)
My first meal (and WDW experience) will most likely be Jocks Hanger Bar, with Dinner at Sanaa that night.
Also I have Elephants & Rhinos booked for the first part of the trip.

I still don't think I'm going to make it to MK before day 5. lol (but it's possible) By day 7 or so i think i will be doing a lot more resort tours & just checking out the rest of "the World". Contemplating a trip to the Pro Bowl next Sunday, but I'm gonna have to be pretty bored to bother. lol


I've learned a lot from you folks over the last year about WDW & even more about DVC than I knew already.

 

[intamin]

Just wanted to update one of my first threads...

Leaving Friday for my first trip to WDW, & already have the BRV contract listed for sale on the resale market. lol (would be funny if it sold before i even left)

I did also purchase a VGC contract, so once I get that paid off later this year, I'll start looking into a SAP+ contract (most likely CCV) to replace BRV in WDW, assuming I love it & want to return.

I got multiple nights at Kidani, BWV, & BRV.
Also planning 3 extended evening hours (2 Epcot, & 1 MK)
I have a few must do restaurants reserved: Sanaa, Brown Derby, & Skipper Canteen (many others reserved, but not on my must do list)
My first meal (and WDW experience) will most likely be Jocks Hanger Bar, with Dinner at Sanaa that night.
Also I have Elephants & Rhinos booked for the first part of the trip.

I still don't think I'm going to make it to MK before day 5. lol (but it's possible) By day 7 or so i think i will be doing a lot more resort tours & just checking out the rest of "the World". Contemplating a trip to the Pro Bowl next Sunday, but I'm gonna have to be pretty bored to bother. lol


I've learned a lot from you folks over the last year about WDW & even more about DVC than I knew already.

Enjoy my friend! I'm sure you'll have a great time. Just remember you have 40+ years of Disney World to go so don't try to do it all in one trip

 

[Chili327]

Enjoy my friend! I'm sure you'll have a great time. Just remember you have 40+ years of Disney World to go so don't try to do it all in one trip

Yep, don't I know it... I'm afraid I'm going to want to add the same "space saver" in my signature as you after I eat at Kona Cafe & check out the rest of that property.

 

[Mle8308]

Yep, don't I know it... I'm afraid I'm going to want to add the same "space saver" in my signature as you after I eat at Kona Cafe & check out the rest of that property.

Have a fantastic trip!!! Make sure you eat at Geyser Point if you will be at the WL!

 

[Chili327]

Have a fantastic trip!!! Make sure you eat at Geyser Point if you will be at the WL!

Yep, it's already on my list multiple times, I have 5 nights at BRV.