About to buy at BLT

[Havana]

We are getting ready to purchase at Bay Lake this week. Any last minute words of advice we should know about before joining DVC?

We have gone over the numbers, are comfortable with the costs and are very excited about the purchase.
Although we are buying Bay Lake, it probably won't be our first choice of booking on most trips due to the cost of points it will cost to stay there. Are there any other BLT owners that feel the same? Is booking at 7 months out at other resorts usually a big problem?

 

[walkdmc]

I don't know the answer but we just closed Friday (got an email that night) on a BLT resale! We're also staying there for the first time in 2 weeks, on a cash reservation. I would love to try all of the DVC resorts and probably will rarely request BLT, just because we've done the monorail resorts before, nothing to do with points.

 

[thelionqueen]

CONGRATULATIONS and Welcome Home!!!

My "last minute" advice would be to split your contract into smaller ones (depending on amount of points purchased you may or may not be able to do this).

As far as owning at one DVC and booking at another, the advice that rings true and poster again and again on the DIS is to "buy where you want to stay."

I own at BLT and that is my first choice. That being said, every other resort that I looked at for every trip was available (except one day @ BC over Memorial Day weekend). However, that may change depending on when you vacation (peak times are most certainly going to be hard) and with more and more owners coming on board.

For example, you will likely not get BC or BWV during F&W, for your entire stay. As well as getting early December at WL is difficult as well.

If you normally travel off-peak, I'd say your chances are pretty good. And SSR & OKW are generally available at all times, so if you don't mind staying at either of those, you should be good too.

All that being said, there are no guarantees now or in the future, which is why the "buy where you want to stay" notion is sound advice.

BTW, I think once you stay @ BLT, you might change your mind. Although it is higher points than others, it is magnificent and worth every point IMO

 

[CarolMN]

....(snip).... Is booking at 7 months out at other resorts usually a big problem?

Depends mostly on when you like to travel. Off-peak for DVC reservations is NOT always the same as off-peak time for the parks. For example, all of the time between Thanksgiving week and New Year's Day is very popular and the smaller DVC resorts often sell out well before the 7 month window even opens. (There are other times, too),

Also depends on the resort. The smaller resorts (BCV, VWL, BWV, BLT) are often very difficult to get into at 7 months.

Also depends on the villa type. Some are very limited in number and popular with owners, who book at 11 months. Examples of those include the Concierge & value categories at AKV, Boardwalk view & standard view at BWV, and dedicated 2 bedrooms with two queen beds n the second bedroom at BCV, MK view and standard view at BLT. (There are others).

Also depends on the villa size. The THV at SSR and the Grand Villas at AKV, BWV & OKW are often very tough at 7 months.

Congratulations on your purchase and welcome home!

 

[Sandisw]

Congratulations and welcome home. As PP mentioned, I would suggest asking them to put your points in smaller contracts.

I own 180 BLT points, but one is a 130 point contract and one is a 50 point contract. They function as one big one in terms of booking and using points, but if I wanted to, I could sell off the 130 point one and keep the 50 and still be a member.

If you buy everything in one bigger contract, and want to ever downsize, it will be all or nothing.

Disney won't charge extra to do this. Trading out, as Carol mentioned, really depends on when and where you want to go and in what.

If you can't trade out at 7 months, will you be okay with staying at BLT? As long as the answer is yes, then buying there is okay.

If you find that for your travel, trading out is not happening as easy as you thought and will be disappointed, then I might do some more thinking. We bought BLT because that is where we wanted to stay.

We also travel, for now, in Magic Season, when the points for our stays are comparable to the other resorts we would choose (BCV or VWL) so for us, there was really not much difference.

Good luck!

 

[Crystal_27]

Although we are buying Bay Lake, it probably won't be our first choice of booking on most trips due to the cost of points it will cost to stay there. Are there any other BLT owners that feel the same? Is booking at 7 months out at other resorts usually a big problem?

I personally would never buy at a resort that I didn't plan on spending the most time at, especially given the significantly higher cost to buy in at BLT versus buying resale at another location. I personally would not want the hassle of having to worry about getting into a different resort at the 7 month mark every vacation (with every other DVC owner who is trying to trade into their non-home resorts during the same periods of time). My last minute advice to you would be to buy where you envision spending the majority of your trips.

 

[staceymay00]

Is it your goal to one day own enough points at BLT to be able to stay there? In that case I can see buying BLT even though for now you want to stay somewhere that requires fewer points. I think typically people have good luck booking at OKW and SSR at 7 months, except for grand villas and treehouse villas. You could buy SSR or OKW directly from Disney and book with the lower point requirements at 11 months. Then you don't have to worry about finding availability at 7 months.

 

[thebwit]

I just bought at BLT on Friday and I am super happy with it. We were able to change our already booked and planned vacation from the Poly to stay in a 1 Bedroom BLT for about65% cheaper than what we were paying at Poly. That alone made it worth it.

I have already started looking at several future vacations with the points and I am more excited now than I was before.

 

[lisa3635]

If you don't plan on staying at BLT often, you might want to consider buying a SSR resale and booking at 7 months. Booking other resorts can be tough at the smaller resorts depnding on the time of the year. December it'd be tough to get any resort with out home advantage.

I own at BLT but I plan to always stay at BLT. I wouldn't want to stay anywhere else, AK is nice but only for a day or two since it's so far from everything.

 

[bumbershoot]

We bought there.

While booking our big first-time WDW trip, I encountered nothing but problems booking elsewhere. Only lucked into a bit of time at AKV at the end there.

I was indeed booking the coveted "beginning of December" time, but certainly didn't anticipate NOTHING being open but SSR and OKW! But that's what we encountered until Dec 13th, which is when we got the Jambo room.

Alas, DH didn't express interest in staying at Bay Lake until we were about 9 months out, by which time everything in the right times was taken up...


So...if you're not flexible and you would have problems being given availability *only* at SSR and OKW (and I've heard that some people booking after I did encountered OKW being booked up as well)...then I would look into buying at a place where you *want* to stay, not just (as we did) at the place that was being actively sold and pushed at the time.

 

[TomD]

Here is my 2 cents and it is advice that has been offered in this thread and it was offered to me when I bought. I did not listen but I hope you do.

Buy where you want to stay

We bought at SSR and knew we wanted BCV but bought anyways due to the price. 1st time we got shut out at BCV at the 7 month mark I bought a contract at BCV. I just added on again at BCV.

So I can't say this enough

Buy where you want to stay and you will never be dissapointed

 

[dvczerfs]

Here is my 2 cents and it is advice that has been offered in this thread and it was offered to me when I bought. I did not listen but I hope you do.

Buy where you want to stay

We bought at SSR and knew we wanted BCV but bought anyways due to the price. 1st time we got shut out at BCV at the 7 month mark I bought a contract at BCV. I just added on again at BCV.

So I can't say this enough

Buy where you want to stay and you will never be dissapointed

i agree with tom. the only reason 7 mon. window works for us is we stay at okw and norm for us is off peak. (there were only 2 resorts when we bought, but it was only $60 per point.) and 30 years to go!!!!

 

[wdrl]

Although we are buying Bay Lake, it probably won't be our first choice of booking on most trips due to the cost of points it will cost to stay there. Are there any other BLT owners that feel the same? Is booking at 7 months out at other resorts usually a big problem?

We originally joined DVC by buying at BLT, and then we did a 100-point add-on at AKV. Our second trip as DVC members is coming up from 9/30/2010-10/9/2010. At the 7 month mark we switched from BLT (2 days) & AKV (5 days) to BLT (3 days) and BWV (6 days). We initially went on a waitlist at BWV - which didn't surprise me because our trip is during the first week of the Food & Wine Festival. But the waitlist came through in less than 48 hours.

Many people think BLT is very expensive to stay at compared to the other WDW resorts. And that is true if you look at the MK-view room rates. However, BLT Standard View villas are very comparable to other resorts. In 2011, a one-bedroom Magic Season Standard view costs 268 points for the week. When compared to VWL (271 points), BWV Preferred (271), and BCV (269), a BLT villa is in line with other resorts. Of course, SSR (241) and OKW (222) are much cheaper. So, if you are willing to book a Standard View at BLT, you might be pleasantly surprised about the cost of staying at BLT.

 

[dizfan]

Many people think BLT is very expensive to stay at compared to the other WDW resorts. And that is true if you look at the MK-view room rates. However, BLT Standard View villas are very comparable to other resorts. In 2011, a one-bedroom Magic Season Standard view costs 268 points for the week. When compared to VWL (271 points), BWV Preferred (271), and BCV (269), a BLT villa is in line with other resorts. Of course, SSR (241) and OKW (222) are much cheaper. So, if you are willing to book a Standard View at BLT, you might be pleasantly surprised about the cost of staying at BLT.

Some of these BLT standard view rooms even have views of the MK fireworks. One of the nice thing about owning at BLT is that it's difficult for non-owners to get the Standard view rooms. (We've heard BWV standard view and AKV value rooms are also very difficult if you don't own there).

One other tip for someone buying from Disney. If you would like to book a trip with your new points, make sure to mention this to your guide. Our guide was able to work some magic. Last year we started the contract in May and our guide was able to get us an early December stay at Kidani and BLT. Obviously if a resort is sold out and fully booked, they will not be able to do anything.

 

[spiceycat]

I sold OKW to buy at BLT - because love the place.

so unless you love it - would reconsider - which place do you want to stay at most of the time - BWV, BCV, VWL, AKV, OKW or SSR.

DVC will if you push them sell you points at any of them. that is why they ROFR contracts.

of course you can do better on the resale market - if you don't mind a stripped contract - and will be okay not going to WDW until 2011 (or 2012)

now when can't get BLT standard view have gone with AKV value view and no problem getting it. (would have taken AKV standard rooms too)

the demand is generally the greatest for the lastest 2 - BLT and AKV - at WDW - so if you want something either tell Disney - or go resale.

 

[Jason@dvcstore]

So I can't say this enough

Buy where you want to stay and you will never be dissapointed

In my opinion it should be "Buy where you want to stay, make your reservations more than 7 months in advance and you should rarely be disappointed."

Jason

 

[johnsbelt]

Some of these BLT standard view rooms even have views of the MK fireworks. One of the nice thing about owning at BLT is that it's difficult for non-owners to get the Standard view rooms. (We've heard BWV standard view and AKV value rooms are also very difficult if you don't own there).

The wife and I are looking at buying in at BLT. Will probably go resale since we want a smaller number of points (50 range) so we can go every other year and stay in a studio in the fall. Now if the DVC in Chicago can sell a 50 point as an initial package, then it's time for a road trip (we're 5 hrs from Chicago & am suffering from Ed Debevic (sp) withdrawl)!

Which are the standard view rooms? I would have in initially thought those faced into the afternoon sun but then realized those also have a view of the MK.

John

 

[Havana]

John,
While talking to our DVC guide this weekend, he mentioned that we could buy 50 points as an intial purchase! That is what got us interested. He said this is very new. Although we talked ourselves into 100 points now!
I don't think you will get an incentive price at 50 though.
Give them a call to get the details

 

[wdrl]

Which are the standard view rooms? I would have in initially thought those faced into the afternoon sun but then realized those also have a view of the MK.

John

Work2play has an excellent thread on the Planning board with maps that show the location of the BLT Standard View villas (see http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2257082). Some Standard View villas face the pool but a handful face the Magic Kingdom.