AKL vs OKW

[RoseMom]

This is a lot of hassle and commitment when you only plan on visit every other year. DVC is a lot of money upfront and it’s not an easy system to use or plan.

There are lots of other options, like renting a week at Bonnet Creek on Redweek, that will be cheaper and get you a kitchen.

Right now, you can only borrow 50%, which makes attenuated planning like this even more difficult. As 2020 showed, they can change the rules under you and you can’t even

This is a lot of hassle and commitment when you only plan on visit every other year. DVC is a lot of money upfront and it’s not an easy system to use or plan.

There are lots of other options, like renting a week at Bonnet Creek on Redweek, that will be cheaper and get you a kitchen.

Right now, you can only borrow 50%, which makes attenuated planning like this even more difficult. As 2020 showed, they can change the rules under you and you can’t even pull of what you want to do. If I were visiting every other year, I would rent DVC points or another timeshare system.

The boardwalk 1BR is a sweet spot on the point charts, and I would argue renting boardwalk points for a 1Br at 11 months is a better mathematical plan than buying either contract.

Please tell me more about “this is a lot of hassle and commitment when you only plan on visit every other year.”

 

[Sandisw]

So are you all saying no one does an initial buy in buying only 100-120 points? My family will not be coming to Disney World every year. We would be banking/borrowing and only coming probably every other year. We like to experience the world, not just Disney, including overseas travel. I just think initially buying a small contract and then possibly adding more points later down the road is what makes more sense for my family. I would think it’s easier to add points than take them away!

I don’t think so at all. We started small as well…75 points. Of course, didn’t take long and we are now at 800! Lol

Definitely stay within what you think you need and go from there because adding on is definitely easy!

As long as you understand how many points you will have, especially given that banking and borrowing are subject to change, you will be fine!

 

[RoseGold]

Please tell me more about “this is a lot of hassle and commitment when you only plan on visit every other year.”

The math on renting points was pretty close before contracts are expensive as they currently are. Add in closing costs, and you make your points cost even more on a small contract.

You don't have to spend five figures to accomplish what you are trying to do. You could rent DVC points or rent a week at Bonnet Creek and have a kitchen, without tying up all this money and being locked into WDW.

If you really want to game the system, 1BR is the easiest availability because they are point hogs. People show up with distressed points they have to use last minute all the time. In DVC terms, that means in the next few months. There's no way buying any contract will compete with that math, if you are traveling "last minute."

 

[DonMacGregor]

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s always borrow.

Well, I guess I need another lesson, because I’m in the exact same position, points-wise today as I was in 2019. One trip planned in February and one extra planned in August or September for F&W. E wise I have banked points.

 

[RoseMom]

The math on renting points was pretty close before contracts are expensive as they currently are. Add in closing costs, and you make your points cost even more on a small contract.

You don't have to spend five figures to accomplish what you are trying to do. You could rent DVC points or rent a week at Bonnet Creek and have a kitchen, without tying up all this money and being locked into WDW.

If you really want to game the system, 1BR is the easiest availability because they are point hogs. People show up with distressed points they have to use last minute all the time. In DVC terms, that means in the next few months. There's no way buying any contract will compete with that math, if you are traveling "last minute."

I never said I was traveling “last minute.” You really seem to be hung on sending me off site to Bonnet Creek! Not sure what your deal is but that’s not going to happen. We have never stayed off site in our 20+ trips and not starting now!

 

[RoseGold]

I never said I was traveling “last minute.” You really seem to be hung on sending me off site to Bonnet Creek! Not sure what your deal is but that’s not going to happen. We have never stayed off site in our 20+ trips and not starting now!

Since you are buying such a small contract, you haven't allocated enough resources to do this. 100 points would be three nights in AKL with a 1BR in the summer, which is middle of the pack on the point charts. You need a 1BR in DVC to have a workable kitchen.

To make this trip work with the same amount of money, you could go offsite. If you want to stay onsite, you need to rent points or buy more points.

These boards can be very helpful if you know what your priorities are. But we have no idea where you want to stay or when you want to go, or your room type. All we do know is what you want to spend, which doesn't seem to match what you want. The "last minute" suggestion was how to get what you want within your budget, as is renting BW 1BR, which I would argue is more luxurious plan than either AKL or OKW, and gets to the goal of a kitchen.

 

[perchy]

So are you all saying no one does an initial buy in buying only 100-120 points? My family will not be coming to Disney World every year. We would be banking/borrowing and only coming probably every other year. We like to experience the world, not just Disney, including overseas travel. I just think initially buying a small contract and then possibly adding more points later down the road is what makes more sense for my family. I would think it’s easier to add points than take them away!

This is what I’m doing. Starting with a small contract to bank and/or borrow. And then not have hefty dues in however many years.

The benefit to a smaller contract is that it could be easier to sell later on. Say you decide to get a second contract… you can do that and have the points until you don’t want as many anymore….(or rent them).

I’m buying the 2042 OKW because I think I’ll love it. 2057 would have been nice but I did go with a small contract and I didn’t want to wait for one. And when I’m 70, I’ll be ok with not having it anymore. Maybe I’ll be a second contract. I’ll pay more closing costs but I’m not tied to one giant commitment either.

So…do what feels right for you. And definitely don’t listen to me because I’m new too. Haha.

 

[matt and beth]

Having stayed both a few times. OKW kitchen is not huge. Go with AKL. But we’ve loved both

 

[DonMacGregor]

I never said I was traveling “last minute.” You really seem to be hung on sending me off site to Bonnet Creek! Not sure what your deal is but that’s not going to happen. We have never stayed off site in our 20+ trips and not starting now!

I’d sit back and let a few more folks weigh in with other opinions if I were you. Some opinions are better than others. Some have agendas, others don’t. I’ll leave it at that.

 

[perchy]

I never said I was traveling “last minute.” You really seem to be hung on sending me off site to Bonnet Creek! Not sure what your deal is but that’s not going to happen. We have never stayed off site in our 20+ trips and not starting now!

One time I tried booking a night off site in the name of saving money. I couldn’t get excited about any option and booked Caribbean Beach instead. Stay in the bubble. It’s better in the bubble. You buy in for the bubble. Not to have a kitchen and be near the bubble. Or even sort of in the bubble.

 

[Leight19]

I own at both akv and okw 150 points each. I am more of studio cheap points type person so don’t have much to say about the 1brs other then what I’ve seen for point charts and availability. Some points between two below.

Layout: okw is some of the biggest rooms and with recent refurb look amazing, akv isn’t as spacious but rooms are still excellent and kidani 1br come with extra bathroom so that’s nice selling point; akv is also coming up on hard refurb so expecting Murphy bed update but haven’t heard anything official

Point charts/value: both resorts have excellent point charts with okw being slightly cheaper for studio and 1br compared to akv standard but 2br akv is generally cheaper then okw but not appreciably. The akv value rooms are even lower and I believe are the cheapest point charts anywhere on site. However, as others said these are very hard to book.

availability/11month advantage: whenbuying home resort it really comes down to 11 month advantage since you can technically book all resorts at 7 months. For most part, both resorts are relatively easy to book at 7 months but that could change. Main booking window advantage for akv is the value and club level rooms. These are very tough to get even at 11 month window and many would suggest not to buy with idea of getting these. However, they are possible to get sometimes so do offer some small advantage and I would add 1br value is much more possible to get then studio (still walked most times of year but once dates walked past there’s decent availability for flexible shorter trips).

The okw 11 month advantage really seems to be the near hospitality house booking category which can get limited at 7 mons and the grand villas which have the most reasonable point chart of any resort by far.

resort amenities: I think a lot of this is person specific but imo akv is hard to touch here with a literal savannah. Akv also has some of my favorite free activities for kids (bead activities, night vision goggles) but not sure what has/will return. Both have community hall for dvc but can’t say pros or cons comparison of these as limited experience. General consensus seems to be dining is much better at akv vs okw but some of top “flavors” at akv may not fit all people’s taste and okw does much better if you build in proximity to DS and include that as option.

transport: this is the big negative for both resorts relative to other dvc resorts but is a wash between the two imo. Akv is buses to everywhere and is relatively further on bus then others to everywhere but ak. Okw is busses to all parks as well but maybe slightly worse due to the multiple stops within okw. Balancing the internal bus loop main redemption is the boat to Disney springs and (albeit long) pathway to walk there as well.

price value: Resale price for these two are generally among lowest price per point of dvc resorts with okw being slightly lower due to most resale being 2042 vs 2057. Direct prices while higher then resale are also the most reasonable of direct prices so good entry for blue card if that’s important to you (we bought direct for blue card and that’s only thing l regret for any of my dvc purchasing since benefits are garbage now).

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

We have decided to buy into DVC, more than likely resale. I’m have a terrible time deciding between AKL and OKW. We want to start small without going in over our heads so about a 100-120 point contract. We have 2 kids- 11 and 2 years old.

AKL- We have stayed here before but not in a villa. Loved the resort, pool, kids water area, and restaurants. However, didn’t love the rooms. The rooms are dark and the kitchen looks small on the videos I have watched.

OKW- We have never stayed here but I’ve been watching/reading tons of information. Doesn’t seem as kid friendly as AKL. However, I love the look of the villas and the kitchens look huge. We will be a family that utilizes the kitchen. Our daughter has type 1 diabetes and the one thing, in my opinion that Disney does not do well is provide nutrition information on the food served in their restaurants. It will be nice to have a kitchen to cook some meals while on vacation that we know the exact carb count so we can dose her insulin correctly.

Please give your thoughts on AKL and OKW. I know unless we get an extended OKW contract that years of the contract is going to be a big difference. Also, if we buy AKL, how likely are you still able to book OKW at 7 months?

How did you narrow it down to AKL and OKW? I haven't yet stayed at OKW, but I have stayed at SSR and didn't care for how sprawling the resort is, although that did make it seem very calm. I stayed at AKL and loved the animals and the Jambo pool, but that resort is also enormous. All three of these resorts often have rooms available at the 7-month mark.

Have you considered BLT? It may cost a bit more up front, but the dues are lower than AKL, the resort is more compact, and the location is excellent for Magic Kingdom with a 2-year old. It also requires a bit more points per night than AKL or OKW, but it does have more of a home resort advantage, especially for standard view.

You might also take a look at the points cost for a 1-bedroom vs a 2-bedroom. There is a large jump - basically double - the point cost between a studio and a 1-bedroom, but it's only about 10 points more a night for a 2-bedroom.

I do think you'll want to take a look at the points charts for various resorts and seasons and buy enough points for your travel plans. 100 every other year should be okay, but it may be a little short for your goals. It is easy to add on, but keep in mind that small (25-50 or so) contracts have a cost premium, can be hard to find, and get snapped up quickly. At AKL, 160-point contracts are very common because that was the minimum when that resort was on sale, so you may consider buying 150-160 points instead of 100-120.

 

[mort1331]

So as an SSR owner here let me toss my hat in. I have stayed at all the above resorts multiple times, with and without my kids. Started when they were 3&7 , now 10&14. My youngest still loves SSR the most due to the to main pools. My oldest is good with any. Now we do split stays most times to enjoy the different resorts and locations. For the 3 resorts, have never had problems booking at 7 months. Booked spring break, end of school, just never over christmas break so cant comment on that . My 2 cents is SSR, and not because its our home resort, because it has a longer time line then reg OKW, lower dues than AKL, and now with the change in point chart, has some really low point rooms.
WIth having any of these resorts you can sleep around at all 3, so just dont look at the upfront cost,,look long term dues. With AKL dues always going to be higher,,and OKW just having the big ? on what happens in 42. SSR is the happy middle.

 

[DonMacGregor]

So as an SSR owner here let me toss my hat in. I have stayed at all the above resorts multiple times, with and without my kids. Started when they were 3&7 , now 10&14. My youngest still loves SSR the most due to the to main pools. My oldest is good with any. Now we do split stays most times to enjoy the different resorts and locations. For the 3 resorts, have never had problems booking at 7 months. Booked spring break, end of school, just never over christmas break so cant comment on that . My 2 cents is SSR, and not because its our home resort, because it has a longer time line then reg OKW, lower dues than AKL, and now with the change in point chart, has some really low point rooms.
WIth having any of these resorts you can sleep around at all 3, so just dont look at the upfront cost,,look long term dues. With AKL dues always going to be higher,,and OKW just having the big ? on what happens in 42. SSR is the happy middle.

That's how we roll.

 

[DebLovesPooh]

We have decided to buy into DVC, more than likely resale. I’m have a terrible time deciding between AKL and OKW. We want to start small without going in over our heads so about a 100-120 point contract. We have 2 kids- 11 and 2 years old.

AKL- We have stayed here before but not in a villa. Loved the resort, pool, kids water area, and restaurants. However, didn’t love the rooms. The rooms are dark and the kitchen looks small on the videos I have watched.

OKW- We have never stayed here but I’ve been watching/reading tons of information. Doesn’t seem as kid friendly as AKL. However, I love the look of the villas and the kitchens look huge. We will be a family that utilizes the kitchen. Our daughter has type 1 diabetes and the one thing, in my opinion that Disney does not do well is provide nutrition information on the food served in their restaurants. It will be nice to have a kitchen to cook some meals while on vacation that we know the exact carb count so we can dose her insulin correctly.

Please give your thoughts on AKL and OKW. I know unless we get an extended OKW contract that years of the contract is going to be a big difference. Also, if we buy AKL, how likely are you still able to book OKW at 7 months?

I think the kiddos will enjoy AKV much more. But the fact that you don’t like the rooms would give me pause as well. It’s a lot of money to not love where you are staying. I think if you really wanted OKW, an extended contract would make sense. You could easily find AKV at 7 months and other resorts when you can. I would also definitely recommend at least a 1-bedroom to start so you can enjoy that kitchen.

 

[davidl81]

I’ll chime in and also suggest SSR or AKV. OK2 has the 2042 exp date which IMO is too close for someone’s first time buying in. And for the most part AKV and OKW are available at 7 months, especially 1BRs if that is what you are going to book.
We own SSR and AKV and mostly book 1BRs. At 7 months we generally have a choice of multiple places to stay in 1BRs.

 

[DonMacGregor]

I’ll chime in and also suggest SSR or AKV. OK2 has the 2042 exp date which IMO is too close for someone’s first time buying in. And for the most part AKV and OKW are available at 7 months, especially 1BRs if that is what you are going to book.
We own SSR and AKV and mostly book 1BRs. At 7 months we generally have a choice of multiple places to stay in 1BRs.

This is us. We have our first, big point contract at SSR, and our smaller ones at BRV. We do 2Br’s, but find the same good availability at 7 months. Being in So Cal, our preferred travel period is late winter to early spring. Otherwise, our weather is better. Lol. So that clearly helps. We have even found plenty of availability at 4-5 months for our primary trip, and somewhat more challenging, but doable, booking if we decide to go to F&W in the summer. For that second trip, staying at our home resort is just fine.

Never walked a reservation, never will.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I've stayed at both, and generally prefer OKW for family trips. However, I'd recommend buying at AKL if the prices are the same, for the 11 month window. You very rarely, if ever, need the 11 month window at OKW. Just this morning I booked at OKW 6 months out. And they had availability for all of April. at least in a 1 Bedroom. However, AKL, especially if you ever want a value room, can be much more difficult.

 

[bwang123]

We own at AKL but have stayed at OKW (a would again). AKL is an experience to us.

 

[Jimmy Geppetto]

I own at both akv and okw 150 points each. I am more of studio cheap points type person so don’t have much to say about the 1brs other then what I’ve seen for point charts and availability. Some points between two below.

Layout: okw is some of the biggest rooms and with recent refurb look amazing, akv isn’t as spacious but rooms are still excellent and kidani 1br come with extra bathroom so that’s nice selling point; akv is also coming up on hard refurb so expecting Murphy bed update but haven’t heard anything official

Point charts/value: both resorts have excellent point charts with okw being slightly cheaper for studio and 1br compared to akv standard but 2br akv is generally cheaper then okw but not appreciably. The akv value rooms are even lower and I believe are the cheapest point charts anywhere on site. However, as others said these are very hard to book.

availability/11month advantage: whenbuying home resort it really comes down to 11 month advantage since you can technically book all resorts at 7 months. For most part, both resorts are relatively easy to book at 7 months but that could change. Main booking window advantage for akv is the value and club level rooms. These are very tough to get even at 11 month window and many would suggest not to buy with idea of getting these. However, they are possible to get sometimes so do offer some small advantage and I would add 1br value is much more possible to get then studio (still walked most times of year but once dates walked past there’s decent availability for flexible shorter trips).

The okw 11 month advantage really seems to be the near hospitality house booking category which can get limited at 7 mons and the grand villas which have the most reasonable point chart of any resort by far.

resort amenities: I think a lot of this is person specific but imo akv is hard to touch here with a literal savannah. Akv also has some of my favorite free activities for kids (bead activities, night vision goggles) but not sure what has/will return. Both have community hall for dvc but can’t say pros or cons comparison of these as limited experience. General consensus seems to be dining is much better at akv vs okw but some of top “flavors” at akv may not fit all people’s taste and okw does much better if you build in proximity to DS and include that as option.

transport: this is the big negative for both resorts relative to other dvc resorts but is a wash between the two imo. Akv is buses to everywhere and is relatively further on bus then others to everywhere but ak. Okw is busses to all parks as well but maybe slightly worse due to the multiple stops within okw. Balancing the internal bus loop main redemption is the boat to Disney springs and (albeit long) pathway to walk there as well.

price value: Resale price for these two are generally among lowest price per point of dvc resorts with okw being slightly lower due to most resale being 2042 vs 2057. Direct prices while higher then resale are also the most reasonable of direct prices so good entry for blue card if that’s important to you (we bought direct for blue card and that’s only thing l regret for any of my dvc purchasing since benefits are garbage now).

Agree with everything shared in this post. Only point I would add is that OKW has 3-bedroom villas with EXTREMELY reasonable point chart. You'll need 11 month booking to grab them. They go quick. We own at OKW and love it, but AKL is incredible too! You can't go wrong. We recently went through this debate and landed on OKW because of its proximity to DS as well as the 3-bedroom villas. We like to bring the extended family once a year.

We bought direct (extended 2057) when there were some great incentives. I would not purchase a 2042 contract at OKW. If that is what you're considering then the scales tip heavily to AKL for your scenario IMO.