AKV or BWV or CCV - I Can't Choose!

[MamaTotoro]

We are a family of 4 (2 girls, ages 7 and 5). We are looking into buying our first DVC, but we are having a difficult time deciding what our home resort should be. I'm torn between these 3 options: Animal Kingdom Villas, Boardwalk Villas, and Copper Creek Villas. And sometimes even debate about Beach Club or Boulder Creek... - at least we eliminated a few resort options!.

• BWV: We love the idea of being within walking distance/skyliner to Epcot and Hollywood Studios (especially Epcot!). Is there a lot to do for kids at this resort?
• AKV: Animals! Should I say more. But our large disadvantage is that it is not within walking/skyliner/boat distance from any of the parks.
• CCV: Beautiful and fun water play area for the kids. Great that it is close to MK. Not in love with the kitchen layout.

We would love your feedback! Thanks so much!

 

[RanDIZ]

We are a family of 4 (2 girls, ages 7 and 5). We are looking into buying our first DVC, but we are having a difficult time deciding what our home resort should be. I'm torn between these 3 options: Animal Kingdom Villas, Boardwalk Villas, and Copper Creek Villas. And sometimes even debate about Beach Club or Boulder Creek... - at least we eliminated a few resort options!.

• BWV: We love the idea of being within walking distance/skyliner to Epcot and Hollywood Studios (especially Epcot!). Is there a lot to do for kids at this resort?
• AKV: Animals! Should I say more. But our large disadvantage is that it is not within walking/skyliner/boat distance from any of the parks.
• CCV: Beautiful and fun water play area for the kids. Great that it is close to MK. Not in love with the kitchen layout.

We would love your feedback! Thanks so much!

The thing I love about owning AKV is the fact that it is secluded from the rest of the bubble. Some of the best restaurants on property. You don’t have as many visitors just passing through. I would be totally content staying here anytime if there were no parks. It’s a destination in itself. Low point charts and cost as well. Plus you get 2 pools if that is an interest. Short ride to AK. Longer rides to the other 3.

I just added on at CCV so I can split stay and be closer to MK. Just a boat ride away. Love the layout, theming and choice of restaurants. It is difficult even at the 11 month mark which I knew. So I’m gambling with this one.

BWV is obviously an excellent location. Walk to EP and HS, what else can I say. Plenty of food and entertainment options. I guess the big negative here is the expiration at 2042. But if you’re not looking for a lengthy DVC, this is the one. A little on the high side price wise but also low point charts. It can be tough to get 11 month mark as well.

 

[sethschroeder]

BWV is the winner based on location and theme. Also during normal times (hopefully) you will have entertainment on the boardwalk again.

With AKV you can easily stay there pretty much any time of year if you happen to want to stay there a couple different trips. With CCV you are going to be fighting more and more over Studios and possibly 1BR as well because of the Cabins point allotment.

Is there a lot to do for kids at this resort?

No more or less than elsewhere really? While AKV does have the animals at BWV you will have the boardwalk entertainment. Then you have the normal stuff like arcade or community center and nightly entertainment like movies.

Primary downside for BWV is contract length. Its why I sold off 2 of my 3 contracts and just ended up going with Riviera instead. I had looked at AKV (hated the bussing and had bad experience with it there) and CCV (theme is nice but I can get that where I am from and boat/rooms already hard to book because of cabins ended up being to much for me).

You basically made the decision I did originally.

 

[20000LeaguesUnderTheSea]

We are a family of 4 (2 girls, ages 7 and 5). We are looking into buying our first DVC, but we are having a difficult time deciding what our home resort should be. I'm torn between these 3 options: Animal Kingdom Villas, Boardwalk Villas, and Copper Creek Villas. And sometimes even debate about Beach Club or Boulder Creek... - at least we eliminated a few resort options!.

• BWV: We love the idea of being within walking distance/skyliner to Epcot and Hollywood Studios (especially Epcot!). Is there a lot to do for kids at this resort?
• AKV: Animals! Should I say more. But our large disadvantage is that it is not within walking/skyliner/boat distance from any of the parks.
• CCV: Beautiful and fun water play area for the kids. Great that it is close to MK. Not in love with the kitchen layout.

We would love your feedback! Thanks so much!

How many points are you looking to buy? If you're buying CCV recommend getting a Guaranteed Week, as the fight for studios is real. The lodge IS beautiful, especially in December, but you wont be able to stay there that time of year if you don't own (and even then it's a challenge). You might want to consider BRV as well. Less competition for studios, larger rooms, 2042 deed exit (if you are looking for a shorter deed) and it'll get renovated in 2022.
As other have mentioned availability at AKV is the easiest of the 3 options you mentioned. Your chances of staying here at 7 months is much better than the other 2 options. For that reason, I would opt for either CCV or BWV. That said, beautiful resort, amazing food and attraction (animals). But having to take a bus everywhere is a detractor for me.
We LOVE the Epcot area....and my 2 girls have a blast with the boardwalk's nighttime performers (juggler and magician). It has Numerous restaurant options (including those at Swan, Dolphin, BC/YC) and nothing beats WALKING to 2 parks. Your girls will grow....there will possibly come a time where Epcot and HS will be their preferred parks over MK...and nothing beats spending New Year's Eve at Epcot while staying at BC or BW.

 

[Spark65]

Have you stayed at all the choices you have listed, they all have downfalls that you may hate. Too be honest sounds like you are going resale and if I was you I would book a trip and stay at all the resorts your considering you would get a much better idea of pro's and cons although since Covid I am not sure you'd get the best representation.
People making comments on this thread are going to be basing them on their personal choices not yours so your views won't align with theirs.

BWV - short contract life not good for a young family and children don't love epcot like mommy and daddy

AKV - rooms are great very large and 3 baths good when kids are older especially if you have girls, animal view is good for a few days after that it's OK and depending on which lodge bar can be small and a little bit of walk to breakfast****** you will need a rental car if you stay here trust me

CCV - I like the boat so if going to MK all good but the bus forget about it. The outdoor bar is great don't need to stay here to use it. Very large and nice theme if you need one the indoor river is good too.

If I had to choose between them I would pick AKV because the rooms are just large and spacious so if you bring lots of people you can have your "house party" with room to spare and the animal view is nice and BOMA you can't get a better breakfast buffet.

I own POLY and RIV for a reason though so my opinions are just mine. Good luck with your DVC purchase.

 

[Pens Fan]

What type of accomodations are you interested in? If it's a studio CCV can be tough and almost impossible at popular times.

We own there but only book 2BR. We've always been able to get what we want with no problem except for our latest reservation. Our 2021 Dec trip was a challenge. But logging in every day for a week and a half at 8AM I was still able to pick up what I wanted from the rooms the walkers were dropping. A 1BR probably would have been even easier, but the fact that I got what I wanted in early Dec (one of the most coveted times for DVC and without walking!!) when the system is overloaded with points due to Covid (probably a worst case scenario) gives me hope that going forward I can get what I want even at popular times.

We have no interest in the 2042 WDW resorts, so BWV would be a hard pass for our family.

AKV is a bit of a conundrum for me. Love the resort. Love, love, love the restaurants (once they all reopen). But hate that it's so isolated from the parks. At the end of the day, there always seems to availability there, so I don't see the need to make it a home resort. You can probably grab a room at 7 months with no problem, so why tie yourself to that as a home resort?

All resorts have pluses and minuses based on what type of accomodations you are looking for.

 

[fgaini]

Bwv for me is a no go due to the 2042 expiration. I love the location, but is too pricy for the years left
Akl I bought resale. We love the animals and the restaurants. Owning there open up value studio for short / cheap stays. I agree with others, you can find availability there at the 7 month deadline
Ccv is our first home. We love it during Christmas and our small daughter love mk. Availability is a nightmare especially for small room. Even owning is not enough.

If I had to go back I would buy akl again, not so sure about ccv. Ccv at the moment Is more of a gamble. If we find a room we are super happy, if not we have to take akl standard room or Saratoga at the 7 month deadline.

 

[vacay77]

BWV would be my choice but for the expiration date. I love the location. While some say that kids don't enjoy Epcot, that hasn't been my family's experience. My 8 year old son's favorite park is Epcot and not MK. I agree with others - I'd give it a test run first to see which one you like the most. My second choice would be CCV. I love AKV, but I wouldn't want to stay there every time I go to WDW due to its location. Other than Animal Kingdom, waiting for transportation to and from the other parks can take a while.

 

[bookwormde]

I did not see of you were buying in direct or resale, which makes a difference.

If you intend on keeping the contract for a long time, I would take BWV off the table since in 20 it will have zero value

You only really need AKV for 11 month booking if you want value, CL or travel in the very busiest times.

CCV is somewhat harder to book now but if it follow past patterns that is temporary "new resort" situation. The exception to this is if you plan to visit at Christmas There also may be significant demand drop if/when Reflections is built.

Some of the other factors are what size, will you do spit stays and do you plan on cooking meals regularly and like having a washer dryer.

Many members start out thinking that a studio will be all then need but beware once you stay in a villa it is hard to go back so expect to add on

All in all I would suggest CCV for the overall feel, MK proximity, assurance of being able to book, and knowing that you will be able to take the grandkids until they are adults

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

The price, the way the rooms are set up, and the expiration date make AKV the winner for me. I have never been to CCV, just watched YouTube tours, but I didn't love the room set-up. I agree with others about the price point of BWV for years left, even though the location is nice. We tend to Uber or Lyft at AKV to Disney Springs or dinner so it's not so far as on a bus

 

[Deb & Bill]

IF there is a chance you expand your family, you'd need to book a two bedroom at CCV with five people.

 

[The Jackal]

IF there is a chance you expand your family, you'd need to book a two bedroom with five people.

At CCV. The other 2 slept 5.

 

[Lorana]

We own at both CCV and AKV, and love both for different reasons. We don’t mind split stays; but we also generally switch resorts between years. If you’re struggling on which to buy, you could buy more than one and do that strategy utilizing banking and borrowing to do a different resort each year. Then you don’t have to decide!

Similarly we did want one in the Epcot area too and spent a looooong time debating on resort. This is partly because we love the pool at Beach Club and it’s proximity to Epcot, and we love the theme of the resort and area around Boardwalk. But we don’t like the 2042 expiration date, partly because points we’re buying now we are hoping will be there in retirement to allow us to continue visiting Disney — and that rules 2042 resorts right out. Which is why we eventually landed on Riviera. Rooms are large. Studios and 1BRs sleep 5. This is important because while our boys would share a bed when they were little, they will sleep on the floor before they share a bed as teenagers. So having Studios and 1BRs that have that extra bed is important! And while the Skyliner isn’t walking to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, it IS the next best thing. We thus have easy access to the Boardwalk and its restaurants, as well as Epcot and Hollywood Studios. While I’m not as enamored of the theming - I’m definitely a WL/AKL gal - and the pool is “boring,” it’s a nice resort with a lot of perks and a great location. Also with incentives we got it for ~$143/point. Yes, there are resale restrictions, but we broke it into small contracts (though right now I’m kicking myself for not getting a fixed week!!) and the resale market so far has shown good pricing for RIV resales. The dues are a little high, but the 2021 dues showed that Disney estimated well for RIV and that gap between RIV and other resorts is much less. It’s still higher, mind you, so do consider that long term.

 

[20000LeaguesUnderTheSea]

We own at both CCV and AKV, and love both for different reasons. We don’t mind split stays; but we also generally switch resorts between years. If you’re struggling on which to buy, you could buy more than one and do that strategy utilizing banking and borrowing to do a different resort each year. Then you don’t have to decide!

Similarly we did want one in the Epcot area too and spent a looooong time debating on resort. This is partly because we love the pool at Beach Club and it’s proximity to Epcot, and we love the theme of the resort and area around Boardwalk. But we don’t like the 2042 expiration date, partly because points we’re buying now we are hoping will be there in retirement to allow us to continue visiting Disney — and that rules 2042 resorts right out. Which is why we eventually landed on Riviera. Rooms are large. Studios and 1BRs sleep 5. This is important because while our boys would share a bed when they were little, they will sleep on the floor before they share a bed as teenagers. So having Studios and 1BRs that have that extra bed is important! And while the Skyliner isn’t walking to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, it IS the next best thing. We thus have easy access to the Boardwalk and its restaurants, as well as Epcot and Hollywood Studios. While I’m not as enamored of the theming - I’m definitely a WL/AKL gal - and the pool is “boring,” it’s a nice resort with a lot of perks and a great location. Also with incentives we got it for ~$143/point. Yes, there are resale restrictions, but we broke it into small contracts (though right now I’m kicking myself for not getting a fixed week!!) and the resale market so far has shown good pricing for RIV resales. The dues are a little high, but the 2021 dues showed that Disney estimated well for RIV and that gap between RIV and other resorts is much less. It’s still higher, mind you, so do consider that long term.

Other financial to consider is the point charts. BWV, CCV, AKV all have much better point charts than Riviera...hence your points will go further in these resorts. In the end I opted for CCV for my add on contract due to the resale value in 2042 where others are zero (plus love WL at Christmas)

 

[Lorana]

Other financial to consider is the point charts. BWV, CCV, AKV all have much better point charts than Riviera...hence your points will go further in these resorts. In the end I opted for CCV for my add on contract due to the resale value in 2042 where others are zero (plus love WL at Christmas)

That is a good point. BWV Standard Studios are one of the best point values, as are AKV Value Studios.

We also purchased fixed weeks at CCV to mitigate the studio availability issue at Christmastime.

 

[smisale]

I purchased at animal kingdom started out looking at SSR based on price alone I was soon vetoed by my family i have older kids with grand children so size was an issue and the value resorts at AKL made sense and the kids love the animals and its
coronavirus proof don't need the parks the animals alone is a great stay cation

 

[sethschroeder]

BWV Standard Studios are one of the best point values

One thing I realized though when deciding to sell off some of my BWV for RIV is that I personally didn't want to stay at BWV in a Standard Room. So in reality I was comparing BWV Preferred vs RIV Standard or Preferred. I also think RIV Standard is a fairly good deal with the views of Epcot.

So when I broke down the math I wasn't looking at a huge difference.

 

[sethschroeder]

Bwv for me is a no go due to the 2042 expiration. I love the location, but is too pricy for the years left

Its really not pricy though. When you just do a straight line comparison:
BWV @ $115 = $5.47/yr + $7.81 MF = $13.28
CCV @ $145 = $3.08/yr + $7.59 MF = $10.67
AKV @ $110 = $3.05/yr + $8.07 MF = $11.12

Mid October 7 Night Stay in 2022 for a Studio:
AKV-STD $1,112.00
BWV-STD $1,288.16
CCV $1,291.07
AKV-SAV $1,445.60
BWV-PREF $1,606.88

If you are just looking for cheapest though places like SSR or POLY will get brought up though. There is a reason why BWV isn't even more expensive because it would be in the $140-$150 range likely if it had 30-40 years left.

If you intend on keeping the contract for a long time, I would take BWV off the table since in 20 it will have zero value

This is the downside that in 20 years you will need to buy a new contract. There is no easy way to predict what options might be or pricing. At the same time having a longer resale contract might be a detriment as well since things will drastically change when 2042 drops off and there is a large shift in availability for resale owners for 7 month hopping.

 

[MamaTotoro]

How many points are you looking to buy? If you're buying CCV recommend getting a Guaranteed Week, as the fight for studios is real. The lodge IS beautiful, especially in December, but you wont be able to stay there that time of year if you don't own (and even then it's a challenge). You might want to consider BRV as well. Less competition for studios, larger rooms, 2042 deed exit (if you are looking for a shorter deed) and it'll get renovated in 2022.
As other have mentioned availability at AKV is the easiest of the 3 options you mentioned. Your chances of staying here at 7 months is much better than the other 2 options. For that reason, I would opt for either CCV or BWV. That said, beautiful resort, amazing food and attraction (animals). But having to take a bus everywhere is a detractor for me.
We LOVE the Epcot area....and my 2 girls have a blast with the boardwalk's nighttime performers (juggler and magician). It has Numerous restaurant options (including those at Swan, Dolphin, BC/YC) and nothing beats WALKING to 2 parks. Your girls will grow....there will possibly come a time where Epcot and HS will be their preferred parks over MK...and nothing beats spending New Year's Eve at Epcot while staying at BC or BW.

We are looking to buy between 200-300 points.

 

[20000LeaguesUnderTheSea]

We are looking to buy between 200-300 points.

As other posters have mentioned, this is a personal decision based on your family’s preferences, travel habits (including schedule) budget and whether having a blue card matters to you. But if you are asking me what I would do if I were you....I would buy a december guaranteed studio week at CCV and then resale at BWV. Two home resorts will give you flexibility and you’ll have a MK and an Epcot resort you can call home.