AKV owners: why did you buy there? Any regrets?

[MamaBear12]

Just for your information, there are only 18 value studios at AKV and 10 of those make up part of a 2BR. No matter what time of year you travel, please do not plan on being able to get 2-3 value studios for an entire trip. It is possible, but it is not a guarantee, even as an owner.

We are a family of 4 (2 daughters) and we bought a 100-point resale contract back in 2008 when the girls were 3 and 5. At the time, we could book a value 1BR for our 5-night June stays for 100 points. There was an adjustment to the point chart in 2010 so we have had to tweak our travel plans. Now, we do more split stays, alternating between studios and 1BR's. With only 100 points, the AKV points chart is very appealing, especially for those 1BR's in the value category. Now that the girls are 11 and 13, they are really starting to enjoy Epcot. They loved our most recent trip to F&W and it was their first time staying at BWV. If I were starting over, it would be a very tough decision between BWV and AKV. Since we prefer 1BR's and we don't typically stay over a weekend, we have a better chance of getting a room (preferred view) at BWV during F&W at 7 months than those who want studios. On the flip side, we would probably not have a chance at a value 1BR at AKV during the same timeframe.

When we bought, we also did not plan on taking the girls out of school for vacation. Our plan was to travel over spring break (first week of April) and early June, right after school gets out. The girls actually have a fall break now which allows us to travel in October and we only have to pull them out of school for 2 days. So not only has our resort preference changed a bit, but our planned vacation times have changed as well. If I had to do it over, I would probably still buy our contract at AKV and take my chances at BWV in the fall. We actually enjoy split stays so even if we could only get 2-3 nights at BWV, we'd be happy.

The beauty of DVC is that you can be flexible and there is something for everyone. If everyone loved AKV, then it would be VERY hard to get a reservation there. I like the fact that there are plenty of folks who do not like it and would prefer to stay elsewhere.

Thank you!

Just for your information, there are only 18 value studios at AKV and 10 of those make up part of a 2BR. No matter what time of year you travel, please do not plan on being able to get 2-3 value studios for an entire trip. It is possible, but it is not a guarantee, even as an owner.

We are a family of 4 (2 daughters) and we bought a 100-point resale contract back in 2008 when the girls were 3 and 5. At the time, we could book a value 1BR for our 5-night June stays for 100 points. There was an adjustment to the point chart in 2010 so we have had to tweak our travel plans. Now, we do more split stays, alternating between studios and 1BR's. With only 100 points, the AKV points chart is very appealing, especially for those 1BR's in the value category. Now that the girls are 11 and 13, they are really starting to enjoy Epcot. They loved our most recent trip to F&W and it was their first time staying at BWV. If I were starting over, it would be a very tough decision between BWV and AKV. Since we prefer 1BR's and we don't typically stay over a weekend, we have a better chance of getting a room (preferred view) at BWV during F&W at 7 months than those who want studios. On the flip side, we would probably not have a chance at a value 1BR at AKV during the same timeframe.

When we bought, we also did not plan on taking the girls out of school for vacation. Our plan was to travel over spring break (first week of April) and early June, right after school gets out. The girls actually have a fall break now which allows us to travel in October and we only have to pull them out of school for 2 days. So not only has our resort preference changed a bit, but our planned vacation times have changed as well. If I had to do it over, I would probably still buy our contract at AKV and take my chances at BWV in the fall. We actually enjoy split stays so even if we could only get 2-3 nights at BWV, we'd be happy.

The beauty of DVC is that you can be flexible and there is something for everyone. If everyone loved AKV, then it would be VERY hard to get a reservation there. I like the fact that there are plenty of folks who do not like it and would prefer to stay elsewhere.

Thank you for sharing your experience! We're a family of 4 as well (kiddos are 4 and 1.5). Glad to hear purchasing at AKV worked out for your family!

 

[drusba]

Thank you for sharing your experience! We're a family of 4 as well (kiddos are 4 and 1.5). Glad to hear purchasing at AKV worked out for your family!

I do not recommend buying AKV with the idea of often getting value rooms. The value rooms have an 11 month issue, particularly studios (and resulting 2BRs) but sometimes even 1BRs, in that they can actually fill moments after the 11 month window opens at 8 a.m. online for any given day 11 months out, meaning getting one studio depends on your computer communicating faster than others at exactly 8 a.m. 11 months out, and many lose that race. In fact, days can sometimes even disappear shortly before 11 months out via someone reserving with a start date shortly before yours.

The result is that you can lose the race to even get one value room, much less three. As to when that has occurred in the past: about 70% of the time during WDW's high DVC demand season, which runs from late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan; however, it has also occurred about 40% of the time during the low to moderate DVC demand season from mid-Jan to late Sep, and one of those times has been early June, which actually happens to be one of the higher demand times during that 8 1/2 month low to moderate demand season. For example, the studios were gone very quickly after 8 a.m. at exactly 11 months out for June 1,2,4,5,6 and the 1BRs did the same for June 4, and on July 5, 2016, the 1BRs disappeared for June 5-8, 2017.

 

[MamaBear12]

I do not recommend buying AKV with the idea of often getting value rooms. The value rooms have an 11 month issue, particularly studios (and resulting 2BRs) but sometimes even 1BRs, in that they can actually fill moments after the 11 month window opens at 8 a.m. online for any given day 11 months out, meaning getting one studio depends on your computer communicating faster than others at exactly 8 a.m. 11 months out, and many lose that race. In fact, days can sometimes even disappear shortly before 11 months out via someone reserving with a start date shortly before yours.

The result is that you can lose the race to even get one value room, much less three. As to when that has occurred in the past: about 70% of the time during WDW's high DVC demand season, which runs from late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan; however, it has also occurred about 40% of the time during the low to moderate DVC demand season from mid-Jan to late Sep, and one of those times has been early June, which actually happens to be one of the higher demand times during that 8 1/2 month low to moderate demand season. For example, the studios were gone very quickly after 8 a.m. at exactly 11 months out for June 1,2,4,5,6 and the 1BRs did the same for June 4, and on July 5, 2016, the 1BRs disappeared for June 5-8, 2017.

Thank you for the advice. I should have clarified that I don't expect to get 2-3 value studios ever. I can just see the benefit of booking a value studio one year so we can bank our extra points for larger accommodations (or 2-3 standard studios) the next year if we're bringing family. We're not opposed to split stays either, so if we can get a few nights in a value and the rest in a standard, or savannah even, it seems like it would still allow us to stretch our points a bit farther.

 

[disneynutz]

Thank you for the advice. I should have clarified that I don't expect to get 2-3 value studios ever. I can just see the benefit of booking a value studio one year so we can bank our extra points for larger accommodations (or 2-3 standard studios) the next year if we're bringing family. We're not opposed to split stays either, so if we can get a few nights in a value and the rest in a standard, or savannah even, it seems like it would still allow us to stretch our points a bit farther.

Anytime that you expect to book rooms that have limited inventory, you may be disappointed. Values, standards, CL, all have a large group waiting to book at 11 months and sometimes they walk the reservation.

Bill

 

[MamaBear12]

We now consider AKV one of our HRs every though we do not own there. We trade out 95% of the time on all of our trips and AKV is our first choice.
Why not buy at SSR that way you own at a resort that is close to DS, have lower MFs, and it is easy to book at AKV at 7 months.

I've thought about this. Correct me if I'm wrong, but SSR studios and 1 bedrooms only sleep 4, right? No Murphy bed or fold out chair for a 5th occupant? That's not a big deal now (family of 4 and kiddos are 4 and 1.5), but we have a girl and a boy and I know in a few years they won't be ok sharing a bed. Given the whole "buy where you want to or don't mind staying" philosophy, I'm not sure SSR will be that for us long-term.

 

[gillep]

No regrets, we love AKL and bought in 2009 for the longer contract period and the ability to be able to book Club Level rooms. We knew that it would be difficult to book CL rooms, and not guaranteed, even at 11 mo, but we wanted to have the option, and have been able to get at least half of our week long stay, and more often our full week, in a CL studio yearly since 2010. We just took family to WDW in November for F&W and the race, and used our points, and loved the fact that we could get a 1bdr with two full baths at Kidani. We want to add points at BCV via resale, but we have no plans of getting rid of our AKV points.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

We bought BWV in 2008 and loved it. Then we stayed at AKV and loved it so much more. After using BW points to stay at AK several times, we bought there. Now we have become so frustrated with parking struggles at BW we have talked for over a year about selling those points and getting a second contract at AK. The thing holding us back is our BW points were from before the first resale restrictions and AK were bought after them but before the most recent one. I like having one contract that is under the old rules.
I know people talk about the high dues at AK, but our 160 points get close to two weeks in a value studio. At about $1 per point higher dues than SSR, we pay $160 a year to know we can book AK values at 11 months. That is about $10 a night and well worth it to us.