AKV or BLT add on????

[Cerigirl]

We have points at VB, but would like to add-on a few points (50) at a WDW resort. We have narrowed it down to AKV or BLT, both of which I could get with my December use year.

However, I am undecided on which to buy. I like both MK and AK - when we go to WDW we always hire a car, so being out at AKV isn't a worry. I love the idea of BLT with it's clean design and different high rise approach, the monorail and MK access. The AKV's appeal with the Savannah/main building/water play areas and lower points for a studio. So how do I choose??

The price-per-point prices are similar and the slightly higher BLT prices would be counteracted by the dues being higher at AKV. With our other home resort being VB (high maintenance fees) I feel we should be keeping them as low as possible. BLT are the lowest of course. HELP ME MAKE UP MY MIND!!

 

[JaxFLBear]

Both. AKV is our home resort and we added 50 points at BLT.

 

[hakepb]

I'd lean BLT.
Unless you are wanting to use the 11 month advantage on your new points to book AKV value or Concierge, chances are AKV will be big enough that there will usually be 7 month availability.

I am not sure you could say that 7 months will be as easy at BLT and you may need some of that 11 month window, there.
That said, if you can still trust your bank with your money more than DVC, I'd hold out for a better deal. DVC did (for the first, but perhaps last time) offer 50 point add on incentives last spring.
At this point you do not gain anything other than braggin' rights here by buying 50 BLT points (can't make a reservation yet and no discounts)

 

[Cerigirl]

You're right about maybe other incentives being added at BLT I guess, but we want to do this add-on with Disney Finance and we are going in November(5th-19th), so have to make a decision real soon!! We own outright our other points, and have to be in the US to take advantage of Disney Finance, which we plan to pay off in a year. Now I am steering towards BLT with the 11 month booking window.

Do AKV value units go pretty quickly, as if so, the lowest points after that are kind of comparable to BLT.

Did I hear AKV value studios are only in Jambo House and not Kidani????

 

[bobbiwoz]

...
Do AKV value units go pretty quickly, as if so, the lowest points after that are kind of comparable to BLT.

Did I hear AKV value studios are only in Jambo House and not Kidani????

Value studios are in limited supply and are only in Jambo. They are a true bargain, imo!

Bobbi

PS. And yet, I'm more inclined to book a savannah view for most of our AKV stays. I've stayed in value villas, twice, but they have been weekend exclusive stays, for the point values, couldn't be beat. I've also booked savannah views on weekends when I feel I have the points to spare. The savannah views that we've had have been fabulous!

 

[spiceycat]

if you go with BLT go for 60 points not 50 - 60 will get you a studio in the off season for 5 nights.

for AKV you can definitely get by with 50 - sometimes 40 (value studio in off season), 45 (standard studio in off season)

 

[Uncle Remus]

First, please excuse me, I'm considering buying a DVC and unaware of all the ins and outs as of yet, but how does one go about buying an add on for BLT (that is the DVCs offered at the Contemporary, right?). I'm interested in buying else where and doing an add on and would love to have that 11 month window for the Contemporary, is that possible with an add on?

 

[hakepb]

First, please excuse me, I'm considering buying a DVC and unaware of all the ins and outs as of yet, but how does one go about buying an add on for BLT (that is the DVCs offered at the Contemporary, right?). I'm interested in buying else where and doing an add on and would love to have that 11 month window for the Contemporary, is that possible with an add on?

I think here, An "add-on" is an additional DVC purchase made by an existing DVC owner.

If you are not a current DVC owner, you would have to first become an owner by buying points (BLT minimum points is 160 for new owners) through Disney or resale (No BLT contracts are available resale, yet)
If you do not yet own DVC, you can buy smaller contracts (minimum 25 points) resale, and then add-on BLT, or jsut go straight to DVC and buy BLT as a new owner.

 

[Uncle Remus]

I think here, An "add-on" is an additional DVC purchase made by an existing DVC owner.

If you are not a current DVC owner, you would have to first become an owner by buying points (BLT minimum points is 160 for new owners) through Disney or resale (No BLT contracts are available resale, yet)
If you do not yet own DVC, you can buy smaller contracts (minimum 25 points) resale, and then add-on BLT, or jsut go straight to DVC and buy BLT as a new owner.

Yep, that's the way I understood it, thanks for verifyin' it.

I do think I'm gettin' clearer on this.

I just need to calm down a bit.

 

[DVC Mike]

So how do I choose??

I would do add-ons at both -- we did.

 

[stitchineeyore]

buy where you want to stay. this is repeated over and over again in these boards, and it is so true. we have been members since '99, and hadn't bought new points since early 2001. Saratoga Springs and Animal Kingdom just didn't "speak" to us. We had heard the rumors about DVC at the Contemporary, and then we saw the announcement on allearsnet. Were on the phone with our guide that day, and became founding members. and joined the disboards! the point is, we really want to stay here. that should be the bottom line in making a decision on where to buy your points.

 

[TheTazDev]

Have an add-on question........

We purchased an AKV add-on (100 points) this year. Our master contract was OKW (150).

Now, I would like to sell my OKW contract and buy at BLT (100-150 points.....not sure yet).

Will disney still consider my BLT "add-on" a true add-on since I will no longer have the master contract ? IOW, want to use the money from the sale of my master contract at OKW to pay for the BLT add-on. Can I do this ? I do own a 100 points at AKV, but it's not the required minimum that disney requires for the master contract ? So essentially I'm asking if disney will require me to purchase at least 160 points at BLT (the current minimum contract) ? I've been a DVC Member for 8 years.

Not sure if I explained this clearly. I lurk from time to time, but have not seen this question asked.

Thanks.

 

[Tara]

Have an add-on question........

We purchased an AKV add-on (100 points) this year. Our master contract was OKW (150).

Now, I would like to sell my OKW contract and buy at BLT (100-150 points.....not sure yet).

Will disney still consider my BLT "add-on" a true add-on since I will no longer have the master contract ? IOW, want to use the money from the sale of my master contract at OKW to pay for the BLT add-on. Can I do this ? I do own a 100 points at AKV, but it's not the required minimum that disney requires for the master contract ? So essentially I'm asking if disney will require me to purchase at least 160 points at BLT (the current minimum contract) ? I've been a DVC Member for 8 years.

Not sure if I explained this clearly. I lurk from time to time, but have not seen this question asked.

Thanks.

No, a member is a member. Even if you bought a tiny contract through resale, you're a member in DVC's eyes, so you can add on at any time for any size contract.

 

[MiaSRN62]

To the OP...
I'm thinking buy the add-on at BLT. Have a feeling it'll be a little tougher getting a reservation there at 7 months than vice versa. However, if you are interested in the value rooms or even concierge, AKV will have the "home" advantage in that respect.

 

[Cerigirl]

Thanks Guys - I really love the look of BLT and to see it when I swish past on the monorail in a couple of weeks, it may just make my mind up - just hope my guide hasn't got AKV papers all ready, as I sort of indicated that way when I last spoke to her.

Everyone is saying the 7 month window would be pretty difficult to get at BLT - but if I wanted to stay at AKV would I need that 11 month window for the value rooms, if so, I might as well do BLT as it would be value rooms I was looking at points wise at AKV.

 

[TheTazDev]

No, a member is a member. Even if you bought a tiny contract through resale, you're a member in DVC's eyes, so you can add on at any time for any size contract.

Thanks for getting back to me Tara

 

[Tara]

Thanks Guys - I really love the look of BLT and to see it when I swish past on the monorail in a couple of weeks, it may just make my mind up - just hope my guide hasn't got AKV papers all ready, as I sort of indicated that way when I last spoke to her.

Everyone is saying the 7 month window would be pretty difficult to get at BLT - but if I wanted to stay at AKV would I need that 11 month window for the value rooms, if so, I might as well do BLT as it would be value rooms I was looking at points wise at AKV.

FWIW, when we saw the construction at the Contemporary this summer (I hadn't been following DIS boards for a while so I had no idea it had progressed as far as it had), we got really excited about it. That stay kind of pushed my husband over the edge in terms of considering DVC - he'd always been on the fence. So we did a tour and though we didn't really care for AKV in terms of location and themeing, we bought in because the incentives were really good. But once we got home, we realized it was a mistake for us - we weren't buying where we loved. So we canceled.

THANK GOODNESS. 90 days later, here comes BLT and instead of being saddled with 240 points to pay for at a resort we didn't love, we were free to buy into BLT. For us, it's all about location. Quick walk to MK, 1 monorail stop from the Epcot monorail, easy access to some of our favorite restaurants, setting that isn't as spread out, lighter/brighter room decor. So now we are just waiting for our deal to close on our 280 points there. It's win-win...we canceled but ended up with a deal we're MUCH happier with and Disney ended up with more of our money for their trouble.

So...if your guide already has your order written up and in the system, then it can be redone. Any guide worth her or his salt wants you to be a HAPPY member, so they'll get the contracts rewritten for you.

Good luck with making your decision!

 

[Cerigirl]

Thanks Tara - your post made my decision a bit easier - swaying to BLT now myself, although the children still like the sound of AKV!!! thing is they don't realise you have to use more points to get a Savannah view and then these are comparable to BLT points. Oh dear - I get so into these things - hubbie is no help as he just shrugs his shoulders!!!

 

[Tara]

Thanks Tara - your post made my decision a bit easier - swaying to BLT now myself, although the children still like the sound of AKV!!! thing is they don't realise you have to use more points to get a Savannah view and then these are comparable to BLT points. Oh dear - I get so into these things - hubbie is no help as he just shrugs his shoulders!!!

And if you're going to buy BLT, then you should be able to use your points for a savannah view room at AKV every once in a while. Just book your BLT room at 11 months out as a backup, then try to get AKV at 7 months and switch. Everyone wins.

 

[chalee94]

I'm interested in buying else where and doing an add on and would love to have that 11 month window for the Contemporary, is that possible with an add on?

just be aware that a 50 pt add-on at BLT only gives you the 11 month window for those 50 pts at BLT. you can bank and borrow to give you up to 150 pts every third year at BLT from that add-on contract, but you won't be able to book BLT using your other resort's points until 7 months out.