The Best Views for Your Points: My top five DVC views that are worth the points

There’s a reason many DVC room categories are separated by views. For example, you’ll spend more points on a lake view at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows than you would for a standard view. For those of us who love to spend time watching the world go by from our DVC balconies, the view you book as well as the points they cost can be an important consideration when planning your trip. Here are five of my absolute favorite DVC balcony views that are a good value for your points.

5. Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa-Preferred & Standard: I feel that Saratoga Springs is an under appreciated location to spend your points. Some of the best views I’ve encountered are from this resort. As with any standard booking category, there’s always a risk of looking out over the parking lot. Despite this, I’ve found that many views here are of tranquil waterways, lakes, walking paths, and lush greenery. If you want to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the parks, this is the place to stay. However, If you’re looking to be more immersed in Disney, book a preferred room and request to stay in the Congress Park area where you could be looking out over Lake Buena Vista towards Disney Springs. Points at Saratoga Springs start at just 12 points per night for standard rooms and 13 points per night for preferred (which gets you closer to the lobby or the Disney Springs walking path) making this a great deal for the view.

Peaceful morning coffee from Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
The Springs, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Lake Buena Vista & Disney Springs, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

4. Standard View-Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridan Resort & Spa: It’s no secret to people who know me that the Grand Floridan is one of my favorite places to be on property. It is also our second home resort. The lake view villas here certainly offer a picturesque landscape. Yet, for less points you can enjoy watching the monorail go by right outside your room. To me, there is just something magical and immersive about having the monorail as part of your balcony setting. Standard view rooms start at 17 points a night compared to 20 points a night for lake view. In my opinion, standard view rooms are a better value for the points and still give a great view.

Monorail Blue, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Monorail Orange, Disney’s Grand Floridan Resort & Spa

3.Boardwalk View-Disney’s Boardwalk Villas: The Boardwalk Resort is another one of my favorite places to stay. There are so many great sights from the pool/garden view rooms. However, it is hard to beat the boardwalk views here. If you enjoy people watching, water views, or a potential peek of Epcot, these are the rooms for you. I love watching the boats go by on Crescent Lake and people strolling down the boardwalk. The garden/pool view and boardwalk view rooms both start at 15 points a night, but there are less boardwalk views to go around. If you can snag one of these rooms, it is a great deal and view for your points.

Boardwalk view, Disney’s Boardwalk Resort
Crescent Lake, Disney’s Boardwalk Resort

2. Savanna View-Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas: Animal Kingdom Villas is another special place for us. It is our first home resort and a great place to own for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, I believe the views here are a great value for your points. Savanna view rooms start at only 14 points per night. That’s a pretty good price to basically have a zoo outside your window. There is nothing quite like sitting on your balcony in your pj’s and watching animals grazing on the savanna as the sun rises.

Sunset Savanna, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge- Jambo House
Pembe Savanna, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge- Kidani Village

1.Theme Park View-Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort: While this is one of the more costly accommodations in terms of points, I’ve found the theme park rooms at Bay Lake Tower to be completely worth it. It’s also a great value when you consider what you’d pay in cash for a view of this caliber. If you want to be completely immersed, this is the room for you. We could see Space Mountain and Cinderella’s Castle from our bed! This is not an easy reservation to secure, but we lucked out and found three nights in October last year. We loved this view so much, we skipped out on the parks two nights in a row to watch Happily Ever After and HalloWishes from our balcony. Starting at 19 points per night, the theme park view rooms offer one of the most stress free ways to watch Magic Kingdom fireworks and you can’t beat that you can pipe the music in from your TV!

Magic Kingdom Park view, Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Theme Park View Deluxe Studio- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
HalloWishes, Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

While these are my opinions, I would love to know yours. What DVC rooms do you think offer some of the best views on property for your points?

12 thoughts on “The Best Views for Your Points: My top five DVC views that are worth the points

  • July 29, 2019 at 2:04 pm
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    I would put the Polynesian Lake View studio rooms in my top 2, perfect view of MK fireworks. Love the AKL savanna view rooms also, perfect for watching the animals feed around 2-4pm while catching some cool air in the room between parks.

    • August 6, 2019 at 9:43 am
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      We stayed at the Poly last month and it was quite nice. Although we didn’t have a lake view, it was wonderful to watch the fireworks from the beach and then walk back to our room. I also love the balconies themselves and the balcony furniture at the Poly. 🙂

    • November 9, 2020 at 2:44 pm
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      Like your resort picks for your home resorts. Ours are
      AK, RR and now SSR (just passed ROFR).

  • July 29, 2019 at 4:25 pm
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    Great list! My favorite of your list is easily Animal Kingdom, although full disclosure, we’ve never stayed at GF or BLT. I would like to add the POLY DVC studios. Beautiful views to be had there as well!

    • August 6, 2019 at 9:40 am
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      Good point! Even though we were facing the parking lot, we had a lovely view of the monorail at the Polynesian last month. It is definitely a well-liked resort. If you get a chance to stay at GF or BLT, you won’t regret it!

  • July 30, 2019 at 2:34 pm
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    Boardwalk our favorite but have been to Animal kingdom with safari view and Bay Lake when it first opened.
    Now we might be staying at key west especially since it has been remodeled
    Our home timeshare is Saratoga Springs but haven’t gone back in quite a long time visiting Disney

    • August 7, 2019 at 12:23 pm
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      Thanks for the article! One of my favourite views is overlooking the Epcot ball from Beach Club Villas (my home resort). Also, although it is not in WDW, The Grand Californian has unparalleled park views from the higher floors.

  • August 4, 2019 at 2:56 pm
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    My DVC friend snagged us a villa at OKW this past May. SO RELAXING! A balcony view of the golf course or the water way is the way to go, in my opinion. I fell in love with this resort! I’m surprised that it didn’t make your list

    • August 6, 2019 at 9:37 am
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      Adric, it only hasn’t made my list since we haven’t had the pleasure to stay at Old Key West yet. From everything I have read, it sounds like the views at OKW are so picturesque and peaceful. I can’t wait to try it out in the near future! 🙂

  • August 14, 2019 at 4:35 pm
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    Disney animal kingdom kidani village is the best view and customer experience. Stayed there over 10 times just gets better.

  • August 21, 2020 at 6:17 pm
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    Love the lake views from the Grand Floridian. Soon, the pathway connecting the Grand to the Magic Kingdom will be completed. Double the reason to stay there!!

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