AKV vs. BLT vs. PVB vs. SSR - Advice needed

[Blerghityblergh]

We own at 3 of the 4 you’ve mentioned and don’t have much to add beyond what’s been said, except for a consideration around being 7 mo/11 mo planners. When we bought we originally thought we would be 11 month planners but over time we’ve found it’s closer to the 7 month mark. One thing that has made this ok for us is that we are open to, and even enjoy, split stays. Do you think you’ll want to be in one place for a week? Or are you ok with several 2-3 night stays? If the latter, 7 month availability might work well for you and in that case SSR is a good economical choice as others have said. But if you want to be in one place for a week or more, depending on the resort, 11 mo availability really helps and that will be important at BLT and poly.

The other question is if you’re ok with having to put some work into planning your vacation. 11 month availability will be more of a breeze (usually) but at 7 months, even with split stays, for some trips at more popular resorts we’ve had to waitlist and check back each morning. We don’t mind this at all and we actually managed to snag 5 straight days at grand Californian with some persistence but not everyone wants to put themselves through that!

All that said, we love SSR for the quiet, AKL for the animals, activities and restaurants, and I actually don’t love BLT but the proximity to magic kingdom is chef’s kiss. We are trying 2 nights at poly soon with some lucky 7 month booking and a split stay!

 

[Disney Spaz]

I was originally also considering CCV but the 4 people to a 1 bedroom combined with the fact people don’t seem to love the transportation and small room sizes kind of had me not considering it anymore. Do you think otherwise?

As a CCV owner and one who has stayed in both studios and 1bdrms with 4 I would not recommend CCV unless you are looking at buying enough for a 2bdrm. Especially with 5. We bought CCV because we love CCV and the main building but the rooms are smaller and we have learned that even when it is just 3 of us a 1bdrm is necessary for everyone's comfort.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

My opinion has changed over the years. I used to say buy where you want to stay, but as kids grow, home resort choices change. I say buy where you get the most for your money and if you are going to rent, where rentals bring you the most. AKV has the value rooms which really go far and you could rent those rooms out for a decent price. We love SSR - especially with older kids. BLT is great for points and dues and the extra bathroom. Poly not so sure - points are really high, but the extra bathroom is great too - but the price is high for resale and direct. I would lean towards either BLT or AKV then it comes down to preference and dues. BLT usually need home resort priority to get the standard view rooms

 

[NVDISFamily]

We love SSR - especially with older kids. BLT is great for points and dues and the extra bathroom. Poly not so sure - points are really high, but the extra bathroom is great too

Thought I was about to make it through the thread and not have anyone point out the extra bathrooms at some of the resorts. IMO this extra bathroom at both BLT and AKL Kidani are huge perks and a big plus as it allows you to make great use of the 1BR and get an extra bathroom which is a huge advantage/perk when trying to get a family out the door quickly to make a rope drop and it also allows you to keep your bedroom door locked/shut should mom and dad need some privacy (your on vacation too...).

Some other "perks" of AKL that I'd point out are -

Amazing theme. Great resort to just hang out at. Awesome food. Very broad range of rooms with some great point charts. Fairly easy to book at most of the year. Only resort with lounge access.

When I look at a random week in July (sorry that's what I tend to look at as it's one of the seasons we are most likely to travel to WDW) I see that you would need a lot less points to stay at AKV Savanah vs BLT Lake View (or whatever they call it now). I'm hopeful that the Kidani remodel will be done in a few months and go well and upgrade the rooms to the new murphy pull downs.

Now, I'm biased to AKV vs BLT given that I don't like to spend too much time in the MK area as we spend a lot of time at Disneyland. With that said, I do love the remodel of BLT and if I had a huge bucket of money to keep expanding my DVC portfolio I'd have to admit I'd be tempted to cheat on my WL/CCV and look into some BLT tower points for that extra bathroom. As of now, we usually just get a 2BR for our family for the extra space/bathroom but that does cost more points than a 1BR at some of the resorts with that "bonus" bathroom.

 

[jason423]

We love to have the convenience of the monorail or walking paths to Epcot but if you are doing just one park a day or are going to have a car really none of the resorts are a problem. AK was really the only one that I felt was a bit extra work as a drive but it is a terrific resort.

My two cents on the various resorts is that there may be more value in BLT or PVB. You would get the easy access to MK while your kids are young, which should be a big plus, and would still have the access to the monorail to epcot as they get older. As others point out your needs change over time and in my opinion there will be more value to those two resorts if you wanted to sell down the line either to choose a new resort with home booking priority or simply to move on from DVC.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Thought I was about to make it through the thread and not have anyone point out the extra bathrooms at some of the resorts. IMO this extra bathroom at both BLT and AKL Kidani are huge perks and a big plus as it allows you to make great use of the 1BR and get an extra bathroom which is a huge advantage/perk when trying to get a family out the door quickly to make a rope drop and it also allows you to keep your bedroom door locked/shut should mom and dad need some privacy (your on vacation too...).

Some other "perks" of AKL that I'd point out are -

Amazing theme. Great resort to just hang out at. Awesome food. Very broad range of rooms with some great point charts. Fairly easy to book at most of the year. Only resort with lounge access.

When I look at a random week in July (sorry that's what I tend to look at as it's one of the seasons we are most likely to travel to WDW) I see that you would need a lot less points to stay at AKV Savanah vs BLT Lake View (or whatever they call it now). I'm hopeful that the Kidani remodel will be done in a few months and go well and upgrade the rooms to the new murphy pull downs.

Now, I'm biased to AKV vs BLT given that I don't like to spend too much time in the MK area as we spend a lot of time at Disneyland. With that said, I do love the remodel of BLT and if I had a huge bucket of money to keep expanding my DVC portfolio I'd have to admit I'd be tempted to cheat on my WL/CCV and look into some BLT tower points for that extra bathroom. As of now, we usually just get a 2BR for our family for the extra space/bathroom but that does cost more points than a 1BR at some of the resorts with that "bonus" bathroom.

+1 on extra bathrooms and the BLT remodel

 

[Brob2132]

We’re looking at AKV for a small resale. I just really like it as a resort and want to be able to book at Christmas.

I do think the AKL transportation conversation is a bit overblown. But we really don’t mind the bus. So

 

[matt_in_nh]

Lots of excellent points but to clarify, you can still buy ALL the resorts (except Grand Floridian currently, and if you buy Grand California there can be a wait) direct from Disney,

Right but Poly has incentives right now.

 

[Brob2132]

Right but Poly has incentives right now.

$4 per point is pretty lack luster at 150 points. Totally get the buying direct as we did, but if I wanted a different resort $600 isn’t making the difference.

 

[jparilla]

Cost to buy-in and the fact that we don't book 11 months out were the determining factor for us buying SSR. With the budget we had, it was going to be <100 points at CCV or BLT, or go with 100-125 points at SSR. That's just how we set the budget, and SSR worked out (I understand CCV and BLT have lower dues and longer expiration). We found a nice, fully loaded contract and are pleased so far.

I also think jumping into DVC and deluxe hotels is a matter of perspective. I'm used to staying at Pop Century or the Disney Springs hotels. "Settling" for SSR didn't really feel like settling at all. Riding the Disney buses is a nostalgic aspect of any trip I take to Disney, so places like SSR, OKW, and AKL seem great. That said, I was able to book a 2 night trip for next month at the Boardwalk as well as 4 nights over the July 4 weekend at the Polynesian...all with my SSR points.

 

[LiamLogan2510]

Interesting mix of resorts, pretty much what I was considering. I did not have PBV but I get why you would. I ended up bidding on SSR and BLT and got a larger BLT contract for what I thought was a decent price. I have a bunch of thoughts.

1. From a financial perspective AKV has high dues and that will result in you paying more over time than the other resorts. You have to pay for the animals. This is our favorite resort yet we opted for another resort but plan AKV trips. Getting rooms at AKV is good at 7 months. There are websites that show you that. You will not get club or value but even if you own these are highly competitive. We like Savannah views and you can get those at 7 months almost always.
2. SSR has been coming up in cost and BLT has come down. BLT has a 2060 expiration date vs SSR 2054. Dues are less at BLT and you can get a better deal than you listed. I h ad been eying SSR probably for the same reason you did, best overall value with dues, entry cost and expiration date but the pendulum has swung a little.
3. Look at the ROFR thread for what people actually pay, not listings.
4. BLT and PVB are monorail resorts which will always make them more valuable than say SSR. You can walk from either resort but BLT is basically at MK, premium location even though the tower has a different feel.
5. I think PVB resale is high right now with the new tower and it is on sale. If you are willing to pay for PVB resale, you might consider direct. This might be the last time to get a resort that does not have resale restrictions and you would get direct benefits.
6. I would add CCV to your list depending on your criteria. Someone recently got a deal at $123 per point. They have a longer expiration date and you get the original 14 while they are still available.
7. I considered overall value vs "this is what I want". At the end of the day, DVC is nothing but a splurge to do fun stuff. So you have to weigh cost/value with what you want. Everyone is different and in different financial positions. We wanted to try a lot of resorts so I would not pay PVB prices for that.
8. In the end I considered potential resale as a factor and I though having the resort at the front door of MK with a long time before expiration at what seemed like a good price was the right move.

Is there anywhere the ROFR data is aggregated anywhere? Just curious if I should skim that thread or there is somewhere with more aggregated data to check on. Sorry - new to all this.

 

[pzw90]

Is there anywhere the ROFR data is aggregated anywhere? Just curious if I should skim that thread or there is somewhere with more aggregated data to check on. Sorry - new to all this.

There is a quarterly ROFR thread. Its the third post. See below. Historical are linked in first post in thread

Post in thread 'ROFR Thread January to March 2025 *PLEASE SEE FIRST POST FOR INSTRUCTIONS & FORMATTING TOOL*'

Dec 31, 2024

PASSED


AKV:


StitchBro626---$110-$12550-100-AKV-Sep-100/24, 100/25, 100/26-Seller pays '24 MF- sent 12/16, passed 1/6

jayt684---$105-$23480-200-AKV-Dec-98/24, 200/25, 200/26- sent 1/2, passed 1/21

khoeyjr---$108-$12244-100-AKV-Aug-0/24, 72/25, 100/26- sent 1/7, passed 1/24

Dealz2012---$95-$18616-170-AKV-Mar-0/24, 175/25, 170/26- sent 1/7, passed 1/27

Heynowirv---$102-$18506-160-AKV-Aug-0/23, 160/24, 160/25, 160/26- sent 1/9, passed 1/28

Atariclassic17---$100-$30400-270-AKV-Jun-0/24, 340/25, 270/26- sent 1/11, passed 1/29

kjw22x---$100-$12672-120-AKV-Dec-0/23, 39/24...

• pangyal

• 

 

[We’reAllMadHere]

Is there anywhere the ROFR data is aggregated anywhere? Just curious if I should skim that thread or there is somewhere with more aggregated data to check on. Sorry - new to all this.

If you google DVC ROFR, there is a website with a lot of charts and things.

 

[matt_in_nh]

Is there anywhere the ROFR data is aggregated anywhere? Just curious if I should skim that thread or there is somewhere with more aggregated data to check on. Sorry - new to all this.

Yes, take time to read the first few posts and see what is there, it is very useful. You can also see previous quarters deals people got going back many years.

Thread 'ROFR Thread January to March 2025 *PLEASE SEE FIRST POST FOR INSTRUCTIONS & FORMATTING TOOL*'

Dec 31, 2024

Hi everyone!


This thread can be an invaluable tool for buyers looking for some help when researching the most up-to-date prices for DVC contracts on the resale market, so I encourage everyone to post their contracts when they are sent to Disney, no matter if they are big, small, or in-between !

If you would like me to post your details, PLEASE USE THE FOLLOWING LINK TO GENERATE YOUR DATA STRING OR I CANNOT ADD YOU (yes, I am being totally mean this round, as with all rounds!):

https://rofr.scubacat.net

Just plug in all of the relevant data and post the...

• pangyal
• Replies: 1,187
• Forum: Purchasing DVC

• 

 

[intamin]

Cost to buy-in and the fact that we don't book 11 months out were the determining factor for us buying SSR. With the budget we had, it was going to be <100 points at CCV or BLT, or go with 100-125 points at SSR. That's just how we set the budget, and SSR worked out (I understand CCV and BLT have lower dues and longer expiration). We found a nice, fully loaded contract and are pleased so far.

I also think jumping into DVC and deluxe hotels is a matter of perspective. I'm used to staying at Pop Century or the Disney Springs hotels. "Settling" for SSR didn't really feel like settling at all. Riding the Disney buses is a nostalgic aspect of any trip I take to Disney, so places like SSR, OKW, and AKL seem great. That said, I was able to book a 2 night trip for next month at the Boardwalk as well as 4 nights over the July 4 weekend at the Polynesian...all with my SSR points.

Just to provide a counterpoint we book pretty consistently greater than 7 months out, I rarely book within the 7 month window at least to start. I always book my home resort and then if what I think what is a more desirable room for my needs at the time (cheaper, better location) is open, I'll switch.

Now, I love SSR and I like knowing that it's pretty much always available but at the same time, it's part of the reason why I don't really want to own there. I know I can stay there whenever I want and in time I will stay there when there's not availability elsewhere but I'm not going to willingly choose it for the most part just because if I were, then there's no point in me purchasing more expensive points.

When dues make up over 70% of the cost of a contract over its lifetime and the dues are roughly the same between the two resorts, it puts into perspective that me saving another few thousand dollars on the initial buy in in the grand scheme of things is not that much to guarantee I can book what I want. Not only that but even if I could've bought more points for the same initial buy in, I'd also be paying dues on more points.

There's no wrong way to go about this. Whether you go at it from a value perspective vs. a buy where you want to stay perspective, only you know what matters most to you OP.

 

[LiamLogan2510]

Still very torn here, feel myself being pulled toward BLT based on some of the comments here. If buying right now is that where people would lean? Having trouble finding anyone willing to go down to $115ish a point, seems $130 is a lot of sellers lowest willing price.

 

[intamin]

Still very torn here, feel myself being pulled toward BLT based on some of the comments here. If buying right now is that where people would lean? Having trouble finding anyone willing to go down to $115ish a point, seems $130 is a lot of sellers lowest willing price.

At the end of the day it all just comes down to personal preference. Don't buy based on what we tell you but based on what resort you enjoy the most. BLT, CCV, PVB, SSR can all be great resorts to buy, it just depends on what your travel habits are like and what resort you see your family vacationing at. 130 is still reasonable for BLT.

 

[Blerghityblergh]

Still very torn here, feel myself being pulled toward BLT based on some of the comments here. If buying right now is that where people would lean? Having trouble finding anyone willing to go down to $115ish a point, seems $130 is a lot of sellers lowest willing price.

We got ours at $113 for a non stripped contract a few months ago but it was an outlier because sadly the owner was dealing with court bankruptcy proceedings. I’ve seen others get it in the 120s which was I think common a few months ago but I’m not sure about the more recent market. I would say the general rule of thumb is if you’re willing to wait eventually you’ll find a good deal but it is an investment of time and persistence. And of course also being within reason, clearly no one is going to take $100 for BLT. Also consider if it matters to you whether it’s stripped or loaded with points (that did matter to us). As others said though, don’t listen to us, buy where you want to stay and at a number that makes financial sense for you. Good luck and happy shopping!

 

[Brian Noble]

I would not sweat small differences in price if it is a contract that is a great fit for your needs.

 

[Brob2132]

A slightly different way to phrase what Brian said. If $1000 extra really breaks the bank on the perfect contract otherwise, I would rethink whether buying DVC is a good choice.