1 Bed Villa at Boardwalk

[MK12]

Hello.

We had bagged a relatively good deal with the free dining plan offer earlier in the year at Beach Club with a regular room.

My wife saw yesterday that we could get a 1 bed villa at the Boardwalk Villas for a similar cost but without the dining plan using the 4 nights free and 20% off tickets offer. We are going with our 5 year old for 1 week at Universal, and 2 weeks at Disney.

I am trying to work out if the extra space of a villa is worth the loss of the dining plan. Our thoughts are it will give us some space after bed time if we sleep on the queen bed.

We did consider an off site villa, but I hate driving in the States.

What are people's thoughts on this?

 

[Genie+]

If staying 2 weeks in BWV 1BR, you’d could really make a grocery delivery worthwhile. That could reduce your total budget so bumping up into the 1BR ends up not being a large increase in cost.

That’s what I’d compare… look at studio with the free dining total budget. Then make a budget in the 1BR with a mix of grocery/making some meals and dining out. Personally if the estimate came in anything under an extra £100/night for the 1BR I’d likely do that. Having the room to sprawl out, have food handy, do laundry in unit, etc…

But if you like the idea of eating almost every meal out then the dining plan studio might be better.

 

[Lionezz]

The Beach Club and Boardwalk are both fantastic. We own at the Beach Club but love staying at all the Disney resorts because each has its own magic. A one-bedroom is leaps and bounds better than a studio—you won’t regret it. I made the ‘mistake’ of booking one 10 years ago, and now my family—and I—are addicted. It’s like upgrading from a bike to a luxury car; once you try it, there’s no going back! As DVC members, it costs double what a studio does, so I sneak in a few studio stays now and then to keep my wallet from revolting.

 

[man-from-nantucket]

If staying 2 weeks in BWV 1BR, you’d could really make a grocery delivery worthwhile. That could reduce your total budget so bumping up into the 1BR ends up not being a large increase in cost.

That’s what I’d compare… look at studio with the free dining total budget. Then make a budget in the 1BR with a mix of grocery/making some meals and dining out. Personally if the estimate came in anything under an extra £100/night for the 1BR I’d likely do that. Having the room to sprawl out, have food handy, do laundry in unit, etc…

But if you like the idea of eating almost every meal out then the dining plan studio might be better.

This.

 

[JackosinDIS]

Having the full kitchen is way better than the dining plan IMO. Being able to eat breakfast in your pjs and cook a healthy meal (if you want one) is fantastic. Not to mention the 1br is twice the size of the studio, so much easier to get the little one to bed and stay up in the evening.

 

[nursejackie]

We've rented DVC points and stayed in one and two bed villas in many Disney resorts. The one bedroom is much better than the studio, especially when you have a small child who needs to go to bed earlier. The separate room is a god-send. I'd go for BWV. The only downside of not staying at the Beach Club (if it's open during your travel dates) is not having access to Stormalong Bay, definitely the best resort pool on site.

 

[eticketplease]

We've rented DVC points and stayed in one and two bed villas in many Disney resorts. The one bedroom is much better than the studio, especially when you have a small child who needs to go to bed earlier. The separate room is a god-send. I'd go for BWV. The only downside of not staying at the Beach Club (if it's open during your travel dates) is not having access to Stormalong Bay, definitely the best resort pool on site.

With the OP having a 5 year old I think BW is the better option as SAB is a great pool but it is massive and imo BW is much more manageable when watching younger children. Also they have community hall at BW for arts and crafts which BC does not have.

 

[Maisiemop]

I would be tempted to change to the Villa, I stayed in one last year and it really was beautiful. The washer / dryer comes in handy too and the full kitchen will keep food costs down and compensate for no dining plan.

 

[Lionezz]

Three weeks sounds like the perfect amount of days for a vacation! We really enjoy living in the "bubble," especially when we visit the Disney parks. Even without the parks, I prefer Disney hotels above all else. For us, the hotel experience is the most important aspect that money can buy. The more points or money I invest in our accommodations, the better our experience tends to be.
The first five years i lived offsite but once i finally tried a deluxe disney hotel (2002) i couldnt go back.
now I love trying out different Disney hotels. I own dvc at the Beach Club (i finally bought my first contract in 2012), Grand Floridian (2013), and Animal Kingdom (2024). My first experience in a one-bedroom villa was at the Boardwalk. We visited during the summer when it was quite hot. We really enjoyed the community hall (the best among all the Disney resorts), the easy walk to Hollywood Studios and the Boardwalk, the large bed and the jetted tub. I loved being able to use the tub and open the window connected to the master bathroom. I'm not sure if it's still set up that way now, though. I've heard rumors that the jetted tub was removed after the Boardwalk's renovation.

We're planning a 12-day trip over Christmas: 7 days at the Beach Club (studio) followed by 5 days in a one-bedroom at Kidani.
Sometimes we rent a car but it can be pricey, and with the current exchange rate, we're skipping that this time.This trip, we’ll rely on Instacart, buses (like the bus to the Florida Mall from TTI or disney buses) and Lyft to save some money. However, we refuse to compromise on the hotel.

 

[eticketplease]

We really enjoyed the community hall (the best among all the Disney resorts), the easy walk to Hollywood Studios and the Boardwalk, the large bed and the jetted tub. I loved being able to use the tub and open the window connected to the master bathroom. I'm not sure if it's still set up that way now, though. I've heard rumors that the jetted tub was removed after the Boardwalk's renovation.

It certainly is the best Community Hall!!

The Jetted tub was replaced with a soaking tub and the window to the bedroom was covered up.

 

[nursejackie]

With the OP having a 5 year old I think BW is the better option as SAB is a great pool but it is massive and imo BW is much more manageable when watching younger children. Also they have community hall at BW for arts and crafts which BC does not have.

Yes, I agree, that's why I said I'd go for BWV! I just don't agree about the pool.

 

[RoseGold]

Three weeks of dining plan, wow. Can anyone eat that much? I'd take the extra space easy and get Walmart groceries delivered.

Wildcard here is the Beach Club pool, Stormalong Bay, which may or may not be open or be what your family is into. Very, very different than Boardwalk pool, which is a nice hotel pool. That is a major draw for Disney in general for our family. Maybe worth looking at some Youtube videos of the pools and the construction schedules.