A Year of Firsts - BWV - PTR - Nov 09

[boettj]

Let's start with the fact that this is my first PTR. Not sure how it will go, but I'll give it on for the old Gipper.


Second, it's our first time staying on the Boardwalk. Yes, we are going to sleep on the Boardwalk itself. Problably near the ESPN Zone. Sorry couldn't resist. We are staying at the BWV in a 1bedroom. Couldn't swing the two bedroom this time.


Our time of year is November. We started out as an October family, but that changed quickly as it still can get too hot there. However, our next time will be around Halloween again. We love the MNSSHP.


Next up, should we add points or not. "To be or not to be, that is the question."

 

[boettj]

When I made our booking for BWV 1bedroom, we only had enough points for 6 days. I personally like to go for 8 or 9 days when we go. The agent on the phone offered the opportunity to purchase the additional points to extend our stay. To add 1 night was $247ish. Don't recall the exact amount.

This prompted the inner workings of my brian to start turning. I am a Disney nut, and my DW can attest to this. Is now the time to add on points? We currently own 175 points at SSR with a December use year, and there are 5 of us in our family. Our first trip to SSR to a studio proved to be extremely cramped. However, it worked out. Is a 1bedroom enough for us?

This year we are staying in a one bedroom, however, I'd like to get the points before our stay. This way I can add more days to our trip. That leads me back to 1bedroom or 2bedroom. Should I get enough points to bring up to a 1bedroom? Or do I make the jump now to a 2bedroom?

To adjust our points for a 1bedroom, I'd need 19 points. I believe the smallest amount of points is 25. Which brings us to 200. To get to a 2bedroom, I'd need to add 80 points. So 25 or 80?


Next question is whether to buy from Disney or go through resale. Our original points were purchased through The TimeShare Store. The process was simple, and we were very happy with the results. To purchase the extra points in resale means:

1. Most likely maintaining two different use months
2. Possibily no points for this use year or next.
3. Disney's ROFR.
4. Challenge of reservation windows combined with use year points.
5. Lower per point cost, but closing costs often increase that to about what DVC would charge.
6. If I ever sold, I would have two contracts to deal with.

If we purchase with DVC, then the following applies:

1. Added to current contract. Resulting in same use month.
2. Higher per point costs
3. Receiving 2008 use year points along with 2009.

 

[boettj]

A topic that I have seen several times on the boards, however, we struggled again with it. Some school systems do not permit parents to take their children out of school for a family vacation. At the moment our school system does not have such a policy.

Even without a school policy, we needed to decide whether we should pull our DS9 and our DD7. DD7 can definetly handel missing a week of second grade. However, DS9 missing a week of 5th grade is a different story. He tries very hard, and is making progress. The last time we did this in 2006, we asked his teachers for work before hand. She did not provide any.

Each year it's harder and harder for us to justify the week out of school. I wish our school system would go to full year, and have a fall break.

We've already booked, but we are still going back and forth on this topic.

 

[boettj]

I am wondering whether it's worth the extra points for Preferred view at BWV? As we do not have a view of the boardwalk. Should skip the preferred view and extend our stay by 2 nights? I am on the waitlist for Boardwalk view. That would be worth the extra points in my book.


What does everyone else think?