AKV Direct or BRV Resale

[RoseMom]

What would you do: 150 points AKV direct or 200 points BRV resale? This will be our first contract. We like both resorts. We are in our 40s with a preschooler and a middle schooler. We are not park open to close people and enjoy our resort time. I know there are more years on the AKV contract but is getting 50 more points initially worth the difference in years?

 

[BamaGuy44]

The remaining time on BRV will get your kids into adulthood, and you into your 60s. The additional points will make it easier to afford 1BR villas, giving you more room and making it easier to book non-home resorts at 7 months . The 11 month advantage is more needed at BRV than AKV (in general)

If you enjoy both resorts equally, IMO everything favors BRV outside of the expiration date. Personally in your shoes I would want the extra points, but only you can decide how heavily the expiration weighs against the other considerations for your family.

The other consideration is direct vs. resale. They both have their pros and cons, but IMO unless you place high value on being able to book Riviera and other possible future resorts regularly with these points, I can't see paying for direct. Again personally I'd rather have the extra points/

 

[Lorana]

So I admittedly own both BRV and ALV but we bought BRV first. Part of this was our love of the Wilderness Lodge, but also because we could get more points initially. Also, the studios do sleep 5, and that’s important if your kids don’t want to share a bed (as ours do not). Also more points for 1BRs is great (though there’s no third bedding in the 1BRs). If you look, the cost difference between 1BRs and 2BRs most of the year is between 8 and 11 points a night.

 

[Lorana]

Conversely, though, AKV direct means you can book Riviera, DLT, and future resorts, if that matters to you, and if you plan on Annual Passes, direct would give you access to the Sorcerer’s Pass once they open up sales again.

 

[gregskellington]

Honestly, neither. If resale is on the table I'm buying 200 points resale at AKV for a very similar price point as 150 points direct, while getting the (IMO) better resort and longer contract.

 

[DonMacGregor]

The remaining time on BRV will get your kids into adulthood, and you into your 60s. The additional points will make it easier to afford 1BR villas, giving you more room and making it easier to book non-home resorts at 7 months . The 11 month advantage is more needed at BRV than AKV (in general)

If you enjoy both resorts equally, IMO everything favors BRV outside of the expiration date. Personally in your shoes I would want the extra points, but only you can decide how heavily the expiration weighs against the other considerations for your family.

The other consideration is direct vs. resale. They both have their pros and cons, but IMO unless you place high value on being able to book Riviera and other possible future resorts regularly with these points, I can't see paying for direct. Again personally I'd rather have the extra points/

This right here. AKV is definitely cool, but I personally think that there are more recreation options at BRV/Wilderness Lodge, especially if you're not rope drop to fireworks people (we pick one or the other with our "rope drop" being around 10 am or so). While not on the Monorail, you are a boat ride away from MK or the Contemporary (which gets you on the Monorail), and within a decent hike or bike ride to Fort Wilderness. (I wish they had a walkway to the TTC though. From the bottom end of the WL parking lot, it's less than 1/4 mile to the edge of the TTC drop-off area, as the crow flies). Plus, we like the pools at WL too. With the upcoming refurb, I think BRV is the choice I'd make (again).

Of course, we are also pretty much 1BR or 2 BR exclusively, only grabbing the occasional studio at VGC for staycations. For me, BRV or CCV are the perfect Goldilocks resorts: close enough to the theme parks to feel like you're nestled in the Disney cocoon, but not completely surrounded and hemmed in like the Epcot resorts.

 

[Blizzyblizz]

Honestly, neither. If resale is on the table I'm buying 200 points resale at AKV for a very similar price point as 150 points direct, while getting the (IMO) better resort and longer contract.

+100

Option A: 150 points @ AKV * 36 years = 5,400 lifetime points
Option B: 200 points @ BRV * 21 years = 4,200 lifetime points
Option C: 200 points @ AKV * 36 years = 7,200 lifetime points

Option C would be a no-brainer for me.

 

[Type1ofaKind]

+100

Option A: 150 points @ AKV * 36 years = 5,400 lifetime points
Option B: 200 points @ BRV * 21 years = 4,200 lifetime points
Option C: 200 points @ AKV * 36 years = 7,200 lifetime points

Option C would be a no-brainer for me.

 

[Doberge]

I'd do the 150 at AKL as long as you're good with the maintenance fees. BRV will become a faster depreciating asset and you can always scoop up some resale points there later if desired.

 

[cate2]

I'd also do the direct 150 AKL, you can always add on some re-sale points later. Right now they are not selling annual passes, But, there was a $400 difference between the pass you could buy as a blue card holder and the pass you could buy as a white card holder. If you plan to travel more then once a year, that savings could really add up, plus the little discounts at stores and restaurants.

 

[wilkydelts]

People always speak of the discount for difference in APs. There is NO discount, it is an allowance by blue card members to buy a DIFFERENT level AP. That $400 difference in APs comes with 3 weeks of blackouts around Christmas and Easter. If you DVC during Christmas and Easter then the benefit of having a blue card membership doesn’t even matter for APs.

 

[DVCsloth]

BRV would be my choice. 20 years left might be considered a good thing by some, myself included. As long as you get a pretty decent price and keep it. Wilderness lodge is an awesome resort. This is where I first wanted to buy but I didn't know about resale, so I bought VGF which we love as well. Ended up adding on at CCV and alternate between the 2 resorts. We used our points at Riviera a few times and love it there as well. We stayed at AKV once and enjoyed it, but I would choose BRV over AKV. I don't think you can wrong with either one because they are both great. As others have stated BRV is in need of a refurb so keep that in mind. This should be the next resort to get done though.

 

[KVacc]

We are in the same age with a 5 YO. We did the math and looked at the shorter contracts but thought about not wanting to have to fork over that large amount again in a shorter amount of time. Once we did the math with what were looking at it was just a better value to get a longer contract. Ultimately our son won’t be able to book RIV or anything newer with his family in the future but that’s ok, still lots of good choices.

 

[Sandisw]

People always speak of the discount for difference in APs. There is NO discount, it is an allowance by blue card members to buy a DIFFERENT level AP. That $400 difference in APs comes with 3 weeks of blackouts around Christmas and Easter. If you DVC during Christmas and Easter then the benefit of having a blue card membership doesn’t even matter for APs.

The new passes are blocked at Thanksgiving and Christmas. No longer Easter.

You are correct that it’s not a discount but it is a discounted pass that you can buy and as long as you don’t travel those holidays it is a great savings.

We do not so for our family and our adult children families it’s a savings of $3600 a year.

 

[wilkydelts]

The new passes are blocked at Thanksgiving and Christmas. No longer Easter.

You are correct that it’s not a discount but it is a discounted pass that you can buy and as long as you don’t travel those holidays it is a great savings.

We do not so for our family and our adult children families it’s a savings of $3600 a year.

Again it is not a discounted pass. A discounted pass would mean you are getting the exact same item for a lower price. Blue card membership allows you to buy a particular AP that is cheaper in price. People need to stop calling it a discount.

 

[The Jackal]

People always speak of the discount for difference in APs. There is NO discount, it is an allowance by blue card members to buy a DIFFERENT level AP. That $400 difference in APs comes with 3 weeks of blackouts around Christmas and Easter. If you DVC during Christmas and Easter then the benefit of having a blue card membership doesn’t even matter for APs.

It was changed to Christmas and Thanksgiving with the new passes. Easter is no longer blocked out. I’m not sure how WDW handled this for people who had a inactivated gold pass, then activated it to use at Thanksgiving. When you activated a old pass it was updated to the new ones. But they would give you memory maker with it. New passes that is a $99 add on.

 

[CarolynFH]

I’m not sure how WDW handled this for people who had a inactivated gold pass, then activated it to use at Thanksgiving.

I saw reports from some who had booked park reservations for Thanksgiving based on their Gold AP vouchers before the new APs were announced and spoke to MS or GR about it and were given park hopper tickets for the blacked out dates. I can't say that was done for all, given Disney's inconsistencies.

 

[Sandisw]

Again it is not a discounted pass. A discounted pass would mean you are getting the exact same item for a lower price. Blue card membership allows you to buy a particular AP that is cheaper in price. People need to stop calling it a discount.

Semantics. I consider that to be a discounted pass because I have a less expensive option.

I also consider FL resident passes discounted passes because they cost less than the Incredi pass. Yes, different product, but still provides a savings.

 

[ivieanne]

I received the pricing for AKV today, direct, with incentives. I didn’t know they were offering anything since it wasn’t on the DVC website. 150 points has a $5/pt incentive and 200 at $10/pt. Just in case this helps at all…

 

[RoseGold]

I can't think of a scenario I would mathematically buy BR over AKL, even if you are in love with WL. Even then, I'd pitch CCV, mathematically.

I would choose AKL or CCV resale. Sell it if you change your mind.

If you plan to hold forever, I can see an argument for direct. If that's you, I would do AKL or BLT direct.