Bay Lake Tower vs Grand Floridian DVC?

[MyDogTink]

We so appreciate your thoughtful response. It really helped us break up the pros and cons and affirm some of what we were already thinking. We have opted for the VGF at this time but for sure will be staying at BLT and who knows maybe like you we will buy there too! Juliana

GL with ROFR. You can't go wrong with either.

 

[MyDogTink]

Good luck w/ ROFR.
If you run the numbers on an excel spreadsheet BLT will likely ‘look’ better on paper than VGF - costs less to buy there & takes fewer points to stay there.
But DVC isn’t just about money & I own at VGF because I really like staying at the resort. My purchase there was very much about what I wanted & because staying there makes me happy I was willing to go w/ my heart & ignore my spreadsheet.
I like being surrounded by lawn & landscaping, I like walking into the quiet villa building’s multistory lobby & smiling at the whimsical penguin fountain, I like the short stroll to Narcoossees, Citricos, the Cafe, I think the stroll to/from MK is serene v. BLT’s need to cross the street & walk by the busy bus terminal, I like hanging out in front of Gasparillas to watch the fireworks, having a quick drink in the main building’s lobby at the Enchanted Rose, taking the resort boat to/from MK or the Poly. I like watching the monorails glide by my villa.
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All the things I would love to enjoy at VGF minus my 5yo. Just joking (sort of).

 

[Genie+]

So if staying at Poly you have two monorail choices from MK: (1) resort monorail to Poly or (2) TTC monorail, get off at TTC and walk to Poly? Good idea!

I did consider the ferry from VGF to MK when we were eating at Gasparilla's (which QS is a con for VGF) but was afraid I would have to fold the stroller.

That’s correct. For the DVC Poly long houses, they are right next to the TTC to board the express monorail. (Also where you’d get on Epcot monorail). Sometimes the big ferry is timing just right so we jumped on that instead to get to MK.

If we were in the heart of Poly resort before going to MK, then the best choices are resort monorail or the small resort boat launch that runs the Poly/MK/VGF circuit.

There are many options at Poly! Can’t wait for the Poly/VGF walking path to reopen.

 

[MyDogTink]

That’s correct. For the DVC Poly long houses, they are right next to the TTC to board the express monorail. (Also where you’d get on Epcot monorail). Sometimes the big ferry is timing just right so we jumped on that instead to get to MK.

If we were in the heart of Poly resort before going to MK, then the best choices are resort monorail or the small resort boat launch that runs the Poly/MK/VGF circuit.

There are many options at Poly! Can’t wait for the Poly/VGF walking path to reopen.

Thanks! Very helpful info on transportation. My rationale for buying Poly Tower is that I can make it my Epcot resort (walk to TTC and grab monorail even though I believe its location is far from the side of Poly near TTC). Also, my prior post was incorrect. I meant to say that Gasparilla's QS is a pro for VGF. We liked it a lot.

 

[JCCalistri]

That’s correct. For the DVC Poly long houses, they are right next to the TTC to board the express monorail. (Also where you’d get on Epcot monorail). Sometimes the big ferry is timing just right so we jumped on that instead to get to MK.

If we were in the heart of Poly resort before going to MK, then the best choices are resort monorail or the small resort boat launch that runs the Poly/MK/VGF circuit.

There are many options at Poly! Can’t wait for the Poly/VGF walking path to reopen.

I sure hope it does! I love the ability to just be a master of my own fate direction wise.

 

[WxKristin]

You can't go wrong with either really. As others have said if you plan to stay in studios VGF (despite the higher point cost) is the way to go. We may be in the minority, but we love the resort studios especially the turret rooms. By far the best use of space for a group of 5.

Another bonus is the dues per point at VGF are among the lowest across DVC and it always makes staying at other resorts feel like a bargain. My favorites are the value 1 bd at AKL and the standard 1 bd at Boardwalk.

 

[Genie+]

You can't go wrong with either really. As others have said if you plan to stay in studios VGF (despite the higher point cost) is the way to go. We may be in the minority, but we love the resort studios especially the turret rooms. By far the best use of space for a group of 5.

Another bonus is the dues per point at VGF are among the lowest across DVC and it always makes staying at other resorts feel like a bargain. My favorites are the value 1 bd at AKL and the standard 1 bd at Boardwalk.

Yeah as far as DVC studios go, VGF resort studios really stand out. The design, quality and attention to detail is on another level.

 

[Boardwalk III]

Thank you so much for the honest answer. We opted to put in an offer on VGF that fits perfectly into our family's goals/timeline. Juliana

Congrats on choosing VGF! We’ve owned at BWV for 20+ years and impulsively did a direct add-on direct contract at VGF two years ago. Love, love, love the Resort Studio rooms!

And while we still spend more of our time at BWV, the relaxing vibe at VGF can’t be beat. Pools are great, grounds are beautiful with wide open spaces, good dining options including the QS grill, resort feels safe and secure, and it’s just a terrific oasis from hectic park time.

And in terms of transportation to MK, the 10 minute walk is super easy and the monorail is quick, but my favorite by far is the small boat which is a 5 minute ride over to MK.

Enjoy!

 

[BaybeeYoda]

Congrats on your choice! VGF is more resort feel and BLT is more hotel/upscale condo feel. I do love the 1bd at BLT and would not stay in a studio bc of its size,

 

[JCCalistri]

Congrats on your choice! VGF is more resort feel and BLT is more hotel/upscale condo feel. I do love the 1bd at BLT and would not stay in a studio bc of its size,

Thank you! We will have to try out the 1 bedroom at BLT as so many has commented on it.

 

[JCCalistri]

Congrats on choosing VGF! We’ve owned at BWV for 20+ years and impulsively did a direct add-on direct contract at VGF two years ago. Love, love, love the Resort Studio rooms!

And while we still spend more of our time at BWV, the relaxing vibe at VGF can’t be beat. Pools are great, grounds are beautiful with wide open spaces, good dining options including the QS grill, resort feels safe and secure, and it’s just a terrific oasis from hectic park time.

And in terms of transportation to MK, the 10 minute walk is super easy and the monorail is quick, but my favorite by far is the small boat which is a 5 minute ride over to MK.

Enjoy!

Thank you for your response. We debated picking up BWR or BCR but shyed away from the 18 yr contracts. Ideally my fiancé would love a BCR and a VGF but he settled on VGF for now as it's hands down his favorite. I wish I could convince him on the Poly but the ceremonial house is a huge turn off for him. Maybe one day we will do direct but right now nothing interested us especially when you look at the $ vs the perks.

 

[starsaber25]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/purchase-resale-at-blt-or-vgf.3941309/

I asked your same questions a couple of months ago. My wife and I ended up going BLT. So you went the opposite! Enjoy VGF it was certainly a tough decision for us. I think ultimately the point chart is what was the determining factor for us. Both were great choices for what we wanted to accomplish. We will finally be staying at BLT for the first time next January.

 

[JCCalistri]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/purchase-resale-at-blt-or-vgf.3941309/

I asked your same questions a couple of months ago. My wife and I ended up going BLT. So you went the opposite! Enjoy VGF it was certainly a tough decision for us. I think ultimately the point chart is what was the determining factor for us. Both were great choices for what we wanted to accomplish. We will finally be staying at BLT for the first time next January.

I know right? So hard! Congrats on BLT. We don't close until after our Disney wedding but we will be excited for the next chapter of our lives with DVC.

 

[kboo]

That's easy! You can buy both, that's what I did.

I see you already made your decision, but this is what I would say! ^^

We like VGF better because of the studio options with resort and deluxe categories. The studios are also larger.

If you are considering BLT, now is probably time before the refurbishment.

We own at both, bought BLT first to dip our toes in to DVC. At the time it was the only walking option to MK (we were also considering BWV) and our kids were 1 and 5 so we had a lot of double stroller time. I didn't see the walkthroughs of the studios at BLT then (shame on me!)

Then we bought our first contract at VGF (we now have 4) and to maximize use of our points we upped to a 1br at BLT and stayed in a studio at VGF. Believe it or not, the deluxe studios' bathroom layout was better than the 1br if you had multiple people needing to shower. Anyway - once the kids were out of cribs and strollers, we've always been in 1 br or larger at BLT, but will sometimes do studios at VGF/Riviera because of their split bath and Murphy beds.

We've used the walking path at VGF once. Usually we take the monorail TO VGF and the boat home. Before we got Riviera, if we were headed to Epcot, we'd have an early breakfast at Poly and then walk to the TTC. We're not really monorail fans, especially now that we are out of strollers. You do have to fold strollers on the small boats to VGF but that's what the umbrella stroller was for... RIP umbrella stroller ...

We didn't consider Poly back then because there were only studios, and they often cost as much as VGF. Our points are grandfathered or direct, so we look forward to trying the new Poly (but once you've gone to Aulani and real French Polynesia, standards may be too high.) Right now my kids are in park commando mode, and we've been trying out alllll the resorts with our points. Their favorites are Riviera and VGF but once BLT gets the Murphy beds, that order may reshuffle again.

 

[JCCalistri]

I see you already made your decision, but this is what I would say! ^^




We own at both, bought BLT first to dip our toes in to DVC. At the time it was the only walking option to MK (we were also considering BWV) and our kids were 1 and 5 so we had a lot of double stroller time. I didn't see the walkthroughs of the studios at BLT then (shame on me!)

Then we bought our first contract at VGF (we now have 4) and to maximize use of our points we upped to a 1br at BLT and stayed in a studio at VGF. Believe it or not, the deluxe studios' bathroom layout was better than the 1br if you had multiple people needing to shower. Anyway - once the kids were out of cribs and strollers, we've always been in 1 br or larger at BLT, but will sometimes do studios at VGF/Riviera because of their split bath and Murphy beds.

We've used the walking path at VGF once. Usually we take the monorail TO VGF and the boat home. Before we got Riviera, if we were headed to Epcot, we'd have an early breakfast at Poly and then walk to the TTC. We're not really monorail fans, especially now that we are out of strollers. You do have to fold strollers on the small boats to VGF but that's what the umbrella stroller was for... RIP umbrella stroller ...

We didn't consider Poly back then because there were only studios, and they often cost as much as VGF. Our points are grandfathered or direct, so we look forward to trying the new Poly (but once you've gone to Aulani and real French Polynesia, standards may be too high.) Right now my kids are in park commando mode, and we've been trying out alllll the resorts with our points. Their favorites are Riviera and VGF but once BLT gets the Murphy beds, that order may reshuffle again.

Thank you for such a thoughtful response. My fiancé has taken it to heart especially as he considers (already) a second contract.

 

[kboo]

Thank you for such a thoughtful response. My fiancé has taken it to heart especially as he considers (already) a second contract.

After reading this whole thread, I think VGF / BLT boils down to - if you think staying in 1br or 2br *standard* is where you may want to go, BLT becomes a much better value than VGF. After the refurb, the room quality will be much better. If you think you may be in studios for some time, VGF sleeps 5 in murphy beds, is much larger, and the split bath makes it much easier. But our first VGF stay on our own points was in a standard studio and it was 199 points that Easter week in April, so ... you could stay in a 1br standard at BLT for less points.

Note: now that Poly Tower has larger units - it may be much more appealing since it has studios that sleep 5 and maybe even 1brs that have a better bathroom layout than VGF (1 tub, 1 shower, 1 toilet). They might be worth higher price direct points if there's 2 baths as well. (runs off to look at floorplans)

 

[BaybeeYoda]

After reading this whole thread, I think VGF / BLT boils down to - if you think staying in 1br or 2br *standard* is where you may want to go, BLT becomes a much better value than VGF. After the refurb, the room quality will be much better. If you think you may be in studios for some time, VGF sleeps 5 in murphy beds, is much larger, and the split bath makes it much easier. But our first VGF stay on our own points was in a standard studio and it was 199 points that Easter week in April, so ... you could stay in a 1br standard at BLT for less points.

Note: now that Poly Tower has larger units - it may be much more appealing since it has studios that sleep 5 and maybe even 1brs that have a better bathroom layout than VGF (1 tub, 1 shower, 1 toilet). They might be worth higher price direct points if there's 2 baths as well. (runs off to look at floorplans)

I can't wait to try the poly towers, depending on their point chart. That being said, I'm a bit curious about the fort wilderness 1bds also....

 

[kboo]

I can't wait to try the poly towers, depending on their point chart. That being said, I'm a bit curious about the fort wilderness 1bds also...

At the times we usually go, Poly studios tend to cost the same as VGF studios, so we didn't feel a real urge to switch. Now that there's larger units, though, I'm interested in checking them out.

Wilderness 1 beds were interesting too, but when we stay in larger units we usually only bring 2-3 days of clothes and do laundry. Also, if there's no good pool nearby, I think my kids would revolt! We're going to wait until there's more amenities, I think. By next year all our home resorts will all be still pretty new or newly refurbished.

 

[Genie+]

After reading this whole thread, I think VGF / BLT boils down to - if you think staying in 1br or 2br *standard* is where you may want to go, BLT becomes a much better value than VGF. After the refurb, the room quality will be much better. If you think you may be in studios for some time, VGF sleeps 5 in murphy beds, is much larger, and the split bath makes it much easier. But our first VGF stay on our own points was in a standard studio and it was 199 points that Easter week in April, so ... you could stay in a 1br standard at BLT for less points.

Note: now that Poly Tower has larger units - it may be much more appealing since it has studios that sleep 5 and maybe even 1brs that have a better bathroom layout than VGF (1 tub, 1 shower, 1 toilet). They might be worth higher price direct points if there's 2 baths as well. (runs off to look at floorplans)

hen we bought our first contract at VGF (we now have 4) and to maximize use of our points we upped to a 1br at BLT and stayed in a studio at VGF. Believe it or not, the deluxe studios' bathroom layout was better than the 1br if you had multiple people needing to shower. Anyway - once the kids were out of cribs and strollers, we've always been in 1 br or larger at BLT, but will sometimes do studios at VGF/Riviera because of their split bath and Murphy beds.

That’s interesting! You’ve made me feel better lol.

We booked 2 VGF resort studios (which I love!) over the 1BR at VGF, and then later questioned our choice. It’s the shower/toilet situation that seemed best to do 2 studios.

Later I look at 1BR VGF layout again:

… with remorse. It’s also a RARE case - 1BR is actually 1 point/nt cheaper than the 2 studios. Not common for WDW DVC.

Your comment is reassuring we made the right decision. While the 1BR looks fantastic, 2 studios have their upsides too.