Buy now with $15/pt Discount or wait for Animal Kingdom?

[mydogdrew]

There really is no home advantage at SSR (no confirmed views, etc.). Assuming there is availability at SSR at 7 months (and there is virtually any day of the year), I have have as good a shot at the "best room" as any owner there. If it's strictly price then I would suggest OKW where for $10 less you will at least have the option of booking a 3 BR at 11 months. If you crunch the numbers, the value of the extra 12 years is not worth more in today's dollars than the $10 per point you'll save on purchase. You'll likely always save on dues at SSR but that's the only real advantage in my book.

With regard to AKV - it will be larger than I guess I would have expected but there almost definitely will be confirmed views, perhaps with multiple point structure (like BWV). My guess is it will be expensive but there will be real advantage to owning there. That's a formula for appreciation in value that SSR does not have.

 

[MILLZ]

Only thing I will add is I think people get hung up to much on where they want to stay...I mean we are talking 47 years lots of different vacations and time all the resorts are wonderful and beautiful in there own way...You will have plenty of time to stay at all of them for my wife and I it was to good of a deal to pass up

Just my 2 cents

 

[Jeremy&Susan]

We already have 270 pts @ SSR. I think I'll wait for VAKL and buy a minimum contract. Then we'll be done.

Yeah just another minimum purchase and well be done.. yeah that's right... just one more contract........

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Forget about pricing and advice.
2) Buy where you want to stay.
3) Too many people cannot get in at the 7-month window.

 

[cgcruz]

I am really on the border of buying, but definately know not to rush anything. I'm sure WDW will always have good deals. Now $85 per point looks good.... 5 years ago it would pbbly be considered a crazy amount. I'm sure DVC will have a deal for AKV. They want to SELL their PRODUCT. i am really loving the concept for AKV, especially for down the road when we have kids. They will love being close to the animals! Even though we really did NOT like Boma...ewh.

 

[rogerram]

The only other thing I can add is that there are some very strong indications that AKV will have a slightly longer contract term than SSR.

SSR's current expiration date is 2054. The speculation from many DVC guides is that AKV will have an expiration date of 2057 so owners would get the whole 50 year term.

I don't think is a sure bet. Past practice shows most likely will not change. The first DVC properties starting with OKW and every other except SSR end in 2042. Every other resort except OKW had less than a 50 year term. My BWV from 1999 gives me a 44 year term.

 

[Diznut84]

I would not base my buying decision on what availability is like at the 7 month window today. Resort availability can change dramatically over time. Rather, I would purchase at a resort that I really like and am likely to continue to like for a long time. It sounds like in your case that you like both resorts, so cost will probably be a significant factor in your decision (SSR today is probably quite a bit cheaper than AKL when it is released).

 

[mickeymarcor]

Remember, you are buying a contract at your Home Resort, the place you will call home, the place where you'll want to stay most. I chose SSR because I love the atmosphere there and the price was right. Being close to DTD was also a plus since it offers night life. As for VAKL, none of my family members are animal lovers, so it makes no sense for us.

I've seem complaints that these DVC Resorts are terrible because they do not reflect the local culture of Florida. i.e. there are no tropical themes or palm treess. Apparenetly some people look for only that in a vacation. I think a vacation should be a get-away. Each DVC Resort does that by exposing you to a different environment/atmosphere. If you want local culture, just drive to Orlando. Not many of us can go to one place (WDW) and get a sense of other places at the same time.

Just my two cents! (Maybe three cents due to inflation)

°O°

 

[JimMIA]

I've seem complaints that these DVC Resorts are terrible because they do not reflect the local culture of Florida. i.e. there are no tropical themes or palm treess.

People who make those statements sure don't know much about Florida! They've just been watching our tourism commercials...and of course we thank them for that!

Actually, most of Florida is in the temperate climate zone; you don't really get into the sub-Tropics until you get somewhat south of the Orlando area. There are a LOT more pine and oak trees in Florida than palms (he types, looking out his window at several dozen big palm trees... )

 

[JimMIA]

The speculation from many DVC guides is that AKV will have an expiration date of 2057 so owners would get the whole 50 year term.

Any guide who would say something like that is too dumb to be a guide and I wouldn't listen to anything they say.

They're shooting themselves in the foot -- basically telling you NOT to buy from them!

 

[bpmorley]

Yeah just another minimum purchase and well be done.. yeah that's right... just one more contract........

If that were the case I would have bought when they were offering AP's a few months back.

 

[diznyfanatic]

SSR's current expiration date is 2054. The speculation from many DVC guides is that AKV will have an expiration date of 2057 so owners would get the whole 50 year term.

JimMIA[/B]]Any guide who would say something like that is too dumb to be a guide and I wouldn't listen to anything they say.

They're shooting themselves in the foot -- basically telling you NOT to buy from them!

I see I punctuated that badly so I wll clarify, but I'm not sure why that statement would be the cause of such a harsh response anyway. We purchased BWV and VWL in 2006 which expire in 2042, so we sure aren't going to be able to take advantage of the whole 50 years either.

There should have been a comma after 2057 in my original statement to separate what we'd heard several times during our recent trip and my mathmatical conclusion IF they purchase when the points are first available.

Many others have apparently heard the same thing as this speculated AKV expiration date has been posted numerous times in various AKV threads here.

 

[Pluto 2]

just remember your home resort means absolutely nothing at the 7 month window. i have never had trouble booking where i wanted to stay at 7 months. what i do i will book ahead of time at my home resort then at 7 months i will change it to where i wanted to stay at. i had never had a problem. now sometimes you will have a problem at christmas, f and wine at bwv and bcv. if your getting a grand villa.

 

[mochabean]

I'd buy half at SSR now and the other half at AKV when it becomes available. The benefits to this half-and-half approach are as follows:
You get some points to use now.
You get less maint fees on half your points.
You get the potential existing member discount/presale for AKV which you wouldn't get if you are not already a member.
You still get some AKV home resort points.
You save money on half the points by buying some at SSR now.

 

[bpmorley]

I'd buy half at SSR now and the other half at AKV when it becomes available. The benefits to this half-and-half approach are as follows:
You get some points to use now.
You get less maint fees on half your points.
You get the potential existing member discount/presale for AKV which you wouldn't get if you are not already a member.
You still get some AKV home resort points.
You save money on half the points by buying some at SSR now.

That makes sense. We already have 270 @ SSR. We're debating over a minimum contract @ AKV. It's going to depend on the length of contract and $ per point.

 

[thirtycats]

Do you guys really think AKV is going to be over $100 dollars a point?

If SSR has a $15 dollar discount, might AKV have one as well?

Although that is for 150 plus points and we don't want that many....

Just 50.

I'm really hoping it's less than $100. But I guess hoping won't make it so.

Oh well.

 

[bpmorley]

Do you guys really think AKV is going to be over $100 dollars a point?

If SSR has a $15 dollar discount, might AKV have one as well?

Although that is for 150 plus points and we don't want that many....

Just 50.

I'm really hoping it's less than $100. But I guess hoping won't make it so.

Oh well.

I would like it to be < $100 per point, but I'm not holding my breath. I think I'd like to buy around 100 points at AKV

 

[Mtnman44]

The good news is that for a small add on contract of 50 points, the $per point amount is not nearly as important.

I'm more curious as to the point costs for staying there.

 

[bpmorley]

The good news is that for a small add on contract of 50 points, the $per point amount is not nearly as important.

I'm more curious as to the point costs for staying there.

That 50 might not go too far

 

[Gabby&Liv's Mommy]

Since I started this discussion, I thought I would just give you a quick update. We took the step and bought 250 points at SSR. After much discussion, we came to the conclusion that we will certainly want to stay at AKV, but SSR is our style and should be our home. Plus, while I wish it wasn’t, price is always a factor for us. Also, I think my DH is getting sick of me talking about it. =)

Thank you all very much. I appreciate your feedback and assistance.