Should I buy BWV direct or resale or promo on SSR

[VinceL]

Hi, my wife and i took the tour back in April of last year. We got married that week at the Boardwalk and fell in love with the resort. We really want to stay at the Boardwalk for our future vacations and are very interested in joining. I've read so many posts regarding booking reservations at the 7month mark and have seen many mixed reviews. I guess i dont' know what to do. On the resale market we can buy BWV at $84 pt and get points this Feb. I called Disney today and they said it's no problem at all to buy BWV direct from them but it's at $95 pt. They said there is no closing costs and that they could find us a contract that would have 2006 banked points. So, if i'm looking at 200 pts lets say, right off the bat i'm paying an extra $2200. I guess i'm saving approx $600 in closing by going direct. Am i gaining anything else by going direct? I'm not sure what the banked points get me if i can get a Feb use year and have points next month. I also don't really know about the dues as far as when they are due in either scenario. The CSR at Disney also thinks that the best deal by far is the $86 incentive at SSR that's supposedly good thru the 20th of this month. He thinks that in the future when AKV is opened, which he noted should start building by the end of 2007, that booking reservations at BWV would get eaisier not harder as some people have stated. Can anyone give me some guidance / advice on what we should do? Thanks in advance

 

[Starr W.]

If you love the Boardwalk, buy it. Just for the simple fact you get the 11 month booking window. If that's what you really want it will be worth the extra points. As I can see BWV fills up fast at 11 months for holidays, F&W(fall) and the Epcot flower thing(Spring). It will be worth the extra money IMHO.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

We bought BWV direct from DVC in 2005. When I ran the numbers, it was about the same price as most resales if you value the extra year's points at $10 per point (we got 2004 points in 2005 with an Aug UY). Now, if you can find a resale with banked points or negotiate an attractive price that still passes ROFR, that could be a better financial deal.

The best thing about buying directly is the convenience. I spoke with my guide by phone and gave him a $500 deposit on my credit card. I could immedially use my points to make a reservation. Paperwork from DVC followed, we made our final payment and our deed recorded, but we already had our Boardwalk view one bedroom reserved for F&W. By the way, I believe that our dues were prorated from the time the deed recorded.

We bought at BWV even though my DH had never stayed there and my DH loves it.

I would guess that, if you buy SSR, you will usually be able to stay at BWV if you book at the 7 month window and are willing to waitlist, but you are less likely to be able to book the Boardwalk view or the point-saving standard view and there may be times of the year (early Dec, F&W) when nothing is available at 7 months.

Best of luck in whatever you decide. -- Suzanne

 

[phorsenuf]

We bought at SSR last year under the same promotion. I've been able to book boardwalk with a 2 weeks notice and I booked at beach club with about a 4 month window. We like SSR so we don't mind staying there either. What decided it for us was the longer use we'll get out of it, an additional 12 years. That made a huge difference to us and something to keep in mind. Plus the discount was nice too! LOL

 

[Halle]

You really should buy where you want to stay. We own OKW and are in the process of buying a BW resale because we want to be able to stay there and book it during the busier DVC times. This past summer we were disappointed when we couldn't get BWVBW view, that's what pushed us into buying a resale. If you are planning a trip in the near future you are better off buying from Disney since you can book it immediately.

 

[DisneyKidds]

If you know you want to stay at BWV frequently, buy there. Yes, VAKL might attract more owners away from BWV at the 7 month mark, but it will also add more members into the system, some of which are bound to want to stay at the BWV. I think that as more memberships are sold resorts like BCV, BWV and VWL are going to get harder to reserve at the 7 month mark, and next to impossible at peak DVC times like after Thanksgiving. Just my speculation....I could be wrong

If you can find a BWV contract with banked points on the resale market, go with that and the savings. Otherwise buying direct from Disney seems like a good deal with no closing costs and Feb 2006 points banked in to the 2007 use year which you can try and rent through the end of January 2008

 

[byoung]

If you love the Boardwalk, buy it. Just for the simple fact you get the 11 month booking window. If that's what you really want it will be worth the extra points. As I can see BWV fills up fast at 11 months for holidays, F&W(fall) and the Epcot flower thing(Spring). It will be worth the extra money IMHO.

I agree that's why I own at Boardwalk.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

I have to recommend to buy BWV through resale. There's no advantage to buying it through Disney and if you know that's where you want to stay, then you really won't be happy owning somewhere else! Good luck!

 

[CarolMN]

If you want to be able to book the Boardwalk view rooms or the standard view rooms (to save points), buy at the BWV - your chances of getting those most times of the year are small, and IMHO, the stress of having to waitlist and risk moving isn't worth a few extra dollars.

If you aren't in a position to book at the 11 month window, are OK with a pool/garden view, or will be happy staying at SSR if things don't work out at 7 months, then buy SSR and enjoy the extra years.

 

[chainkid]

I had the same choice a month ago either to add on a small 100pt BWV
contract thru Disney at $95 per point or go resale route at about 85 per point. I decided to buy thru Disney for several reasons. One I could get the points immediately and with banking and borrowing could use 300 points to book a Nov 2007 reservation before closing. I paid 0 closing costs. I didn't have to wait to see if it would go thru ROFR. I lost two contracts a few years ago this way. Secondly, I lost money because in order to buy 100 more
BWV points, I sold my HH points. I made a small profit on those but not enough to close the gap. I simply love the BWV and do not usually stay anywhere else if I can help it. The hassle of being able to book only part of my points at the 11 month window for my Thanksgiving-1st week dec reservations was the deciding factor for me. Yes you can stay at most resorts
if you book at the seven month window. You will be locked out from certain views or at least waitlisted at certain times of the year. I like to make my plans and not have to be on pins and needles wondering if I'm going to have to settle for another resort that while very nice is not for my family.

I also am in my late 50's so the extra 12 years isn't important to me.

If you look at the resale Market the BWV and BC are very easy to unload at a significant profit. Disney discounts SSR so the resale difference isn't as big.

So the most important advice you will get is to buy small contracts at the resort you want to stay at the most. If you have financial difficulties it will be easy to unload at a profit.

 

[WendyinNC]

I had the same questions only a week ago and decided to buy a 175 point BWV resale with the owner paying closing costs. I decided that I really wanted to be able to book the standard view and didn't want to take the chance of not being able to stay where I wanted. In the future, I may purchase an add on at whatever the new resort is in order to gain the longer term to leave to my kids. But for now, I want BWV not SSR or AKV.

By the way, did you put in for the 200 Feb BWV? I see it's sale pending. I was watching that one. It was going to be my back up in case my 175 point contract did not pass ROFR.

Good luck.

 

[Granny]

We got married that week at the Boardwalk and fell in love with the resort. We really want to stay at the Boardwalk for our future vacations and are very interested in joining.

These two sentences tell me that you really, really need to purchase at BWV. I know that SSR gets you 12 more years of usage, but given your understandable emotional attachment to BWV, that's the place to buy. As others have said, the home resort booking advantage for Standard View and Boardwalk View rooms is important there. Whether you buy through resale or Disney (we've done both with no issues), that's the place to buy. Personally, I'd probably buy direct through Disney if the net difference is $1,500 or so and you get a year of banked points.

 

[kathy carleton]

Hey, have to say I am a little confused as to how OP was offered no closing costs... Have done as much research as I can, and worked closely with a DVC guide.. was told in no uncertain terms, that DVC now has closing costs on the 1st 150 points that you buy from them. In other words, if you purchase a 500 point contract, you pay closing on the 1st 150.... She was very clear about this. Also, if you watch TSS closely, many of the listings come with banked points. We ended up choosing SSR with banked points... it was not that different than direct from Disney, but had a good amount of points and a use year that my guide could not/would not offer...

 

[TenThousandVolts]

Hi OP- I just struggled with your exact dilemma- We were on the fence between resale at BWV and the SSR/$86pp promo. We went with the latter- however- you sound like you have strong feelings about BWV- it would be very romantic to own there for you are your spouse. I would probably go resale for BWV to save $. As far as the DVC guide saying that it will get easier to book BWV in the future- that is speculation and can't be counted on- they are motivated to get people to buy SSR- they want to sell that resort out so I would be skeptical about thjat statement.

 

[alldiz]

Go with your heart....I think thats at BWV..

I also struggled with the promo...
I love WL...at the peak...after thanksgiving...

I am waiting for rofr.....
BTW....I am very nervous it wont pass and then i'll miss
out on the promo

i am a nervous nelly though
good luck with whatever your choice.....you'll love it.
Kerri

 

[Trebor]

I also just recently bought Boardwalk through the resale market.

I haven't checked the ROFR thread lately, but at that time, $84 a point, especially for a contract with banked points, would not have passed ROFR -- $87 a point seemed the threshold. If that still holds true, when you add in closing costs, the difference is only about $1000.

So, the question is whether the agony of waiting to see if you pass ROFR and then waiting for your contract to close and waiting to get into the system worth $1000 (when you're already paying over $17,000)?

If I had to do it again, I probably would have just bought straight from Disney.

As for the contracts, I'd definitely go with 150/50.

 

[mydogdrew]

If you like SV, you can buy a 160 point contract at BW that yields similar utilization as a 200 point SSR contract (9 points vs. 11 for a studio for example). IMO this is far more important than the extra years plus you get the location you want.

 

[WendyinNC]

If you like SV, you can buy a 160 point contract at BW that yields similar utilization as a 200 point SSR contract (9 points vs. 11 for a studio for example). IMO this is far more important than the extra years plus you get the location you want.

That's exactly why I decided to buy BWV vs. SSR. It took me a while to notice this but the standard view at BWV seems like a great bargain.

 

[MommaX03]

Go for where you want to stay. If the anxiety of losing a resale contract through Disney acting on ROFR is too much to bear, buy directly through Disney.

 

[VinceL]

Thanks for all of the good information everyone! I think i've made up my mind and i'm going to buy at BWV. I'll find out from Disney what they have available with banked points first before going out on the resale market. As soon as our equity loan is finalized i'll be buying.