AKV vs SSR

[DenLo]

Thanks skier_pete. I was wondering if there was something else about AKV that made people dismiss it other than MFs.

I have actually never been to WDW so I don't have experience with any of the resorts there. (I'm a west coast DL girl.) I actually wouldn't mind staying at any of the WDW resorts to be honest, so buying into SSR, which I think is beautiful from the pictures that I've seen, doesn't seem like a bad option to me.

I plan on staying at AKV three times in the next 10 years for nephews' birthdays, but it doesn't appear that getting a good room at 7 months should be an issue. I've ruled out pretty much everything but AKV or SSR based on either price or contract life, other than BLT...I just don't like the decor, sorry.

After that I would love to add another contract at VGC and/or Aulani!

Many people like to stay near Epcot, so will only book at Epcot resorts. They buy cheaper points and never stay at their home resort. Which can backfire if the Epcot resort owners decide to stay at their own resorts all the time. I prefer to book early at my home resort. If flying it will give me a longer time to find good air fare and I know I will like my hotel when I get there.

 

[Dean]

I would like to point out to anyone who is considering buying another timeshare to trade into DVC. Be very careful, fully understand what you are doing. Most timeshares are not like DVC where you can rent, sell, or even cancel reservations. So be careful!

I'd suggest that statements applies to DVC as well and equally. DVC is a great option for some situations and a horrible one for others. The same can be said for many of the reasonable timeshare options out there. For example, if someone said they wanted to consider a timeshare to visit Disney every 3-4 yrs and non DVC the rest or the years or DVC every 3-4 yrs and DCL the rest of the yrs, DVC is a horrible option for either of those options. For the yearly travel with Disney being only a smaller portion, there are better choices than owning DVC IMO but the circumstances can vary dramatically. To expand on a principle I quoted above, better to make a $1K mistake than a $10-20K but it's even better to make the right choice the first time.

 

[ponyboy]

Thanks skier_pete. I was wondering if there was something else about AKV that made people dismiss it other than MFs.

I have actually never been to WDW so I don't have experience with any of the resorts there. (I'm a west coast DL girl.) I actually wouldn't mind staying at any of the WDW resorts to be honest, so buying into SSR, which I think is beautiful from the pictures that I've seen, doesn't seem like a bad option to me.

I plan on staying at AKV three times in the next 10 years for nephews' birthdays, but it doesn't appear that getting a good room at 7 months should be an issue. I've ruled out pretty much everything but AKV or SSR based on either price or contract life, other than BLT...I just don't like the decor, sorry.

After that I would love to add another contract at VGC and/or Aulani!

Buy where you want to stay or buying somewhere else will be dependent upon you but there's no way I'd buy anything without going there first and at least understanding what it's all about and seeing things for yourself.

 

[djohn06]

I do think there are times when buying DVC makes sense and when buying only non DVC makes sense. Actually one of the best approaches for some who can travel at least a couple of weeks a year is to buy both.

For new buyers essentially NONE of them have enough knowledge and experience to know where they want to stay routinely or they already plan to use the points to play the field.

Sounds like you know how to work system and realize financially there is a certain point where it really makes little sense to continue purchasing DVC resorts from a financial only standpoint.

I agree about a new person not knowing where to stay. I have been in DVC for 17 months and stayed at 4 resorts. I have pros and cons for each. However, I do not think the process needs to be over thought. Most rooms are the same. You just need to decide what kind of location and theming you want. That's really the only difference. There isn't a bad resort at all as you mentioned. The fact that if you screw up and buy a resort that you thought you liked, but end up finding one that you like better means little because you can book the resort you like most at 7 months in most cases.

Most people going to Disney in DVC invest at least 5k per trip. IMHO, an extra $200 per year to stay where you want to stay is minuscule. 1 dinner for a family of 4 can easily be $200. But, the message is pick SSR because it's better from a financial standpoint? The arguement loses credance because $200 per year is very insignificant on a WDW trip. Again, there are other things a person can do to recoup $200 that are less important than buying a place where you want to stay.

I also believe that one should never buy unless they pay cash and have no other consumer debt which makes a smaller purchase more likely to be reasonable than a larger one. Far more common are those that THINK they want X where X is the newer resort or they have just arrived at that conclusion emotionally. While I'd agree with you there are emotions involved, I'd suggest that those emotions are essentially never helpful in helping us make good decisions. Thus I stand on 2 ideas, that it's better to underbuy and try to move up when you can even if disappointed at times and that one can do an occasional rental or transfer for the difference in costs if needed than to overbuy.

I agree with having a good financial footprint. I would also subscribe to paying cash for any timeshare.

I would have to disagree with emotions being a bad thing when making a decision. I am not saying, make an emotional purchase, but first use sound financial judgement when buying. Whatever major purchase one buys, he or she should feel good about it and have an opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labor. After all, everyone going to Disney is going because, "its the happiest place on earth." The whole trip is an emotion. It an oxymoron to say take emotions out of a timeshare purchase at WDW. Everyone (including you) used emotions to buy, whether it's making memories for their family or leaving something for their kids. At some point you figured it was cheaper to do it thru DVC or RCI or II, but you do it from emotion. Otherwise, everyone would just stay home.

Let me turn it around the other way which is really the way I view this issue. If one must have X resort and can afford it (definition above) then go for it. In most other cases for new buyers it only makes sense to make the long term cost the first and most important criteria.

To say I was pro SSR (or against it) would simply be wrong, I'm on record believing that SSR has had the single largest affect on the 7 month window of any resort and really than every other resort combined to date so to some I'm a SSR hater.

Would never use long term costs as my main factor. I think it's crazy to think that $200 more a year decides where I will buy on a trip that costs 5k on average. Sure, I would look at what the Maint fees are, but if your Maint fees are your deciding factor to buy your first DVC resort, then a person probably shouldn't be buying it at all. Especially when considering buy in prices that are nearly identical.

I paid bigger parking fees than yearly Maint fees.

And, I don't think you were picking on me. As always, I enjoy discussions with you and always leave learning something. I just struggle with a few points that you have.

 

[Dean]

Sounds like you know how to work system and realize financially there is a certain point where it really makes little sense to continue purchasing DVC resorts from a financial only standpoint.

It really depends on one's situation and intended usage. There are many who buy DVC that should really look elsewhere or consider both. Often they assume Disney=good and other timeshare equals bad and neither are correct in general. As I've posted many times, DVC makes sense for those that can afford it (my def pay cash), value staying on property, have enough experience and info to make a good decision, will use the points for DVC only and will go at lest every other year or so. I'm sure there are a couple of caveat's I've left out but you get the picture. The thing about other timeshares is there is a little more learning curve and there is an economy of scale. For a week a year the difference between off property in good places and SSR really isn't that great overall esp when you give value to the flexibility and is actually less than the difference between buying DVC on the cheap vs retail and/or top end DVC.

I would have to disagree with emotions being a bad thing when making a decision. I am not saying, make an emotional purchase, but first use sound financial judgement when buying.

It sounds like we mostly agree that emotions should not play a large or primary roll in the purchase decision, small variations really aren't important. However they often cause one to make a bad purchase where DVC is concerned. I've seen many that had to have the new resort or had to buy retail related to emotions and IMO that's always a bad thing. I think the only place emotions should be helpful would be in making a choice between various options that make sense without emotions.

Would never use long term costs as my main factor. I think it's crazy to think that $200 more a year decides where I will buy on a trip that costs 5k on average. Sure, I would look at what the Maint fees are, but if your Maint fees are your deciding factor to buy your first DVC resort, then a person probably shouldn't be buying it at all. Especially when considering buy in prices that are nearly identical.

Certainly one doesn't want to be penny wise and pound foolish and personal situation and preference has to play a roll, it's just that we rarely have enough info about a given situation to take that into account on a specific thread and it's so variable that there really isn't much we can generalize. Take a family of 5, the issues are much different than a family of either less or more until you get over 8. But I'd suggest there are real dollar differences between SSR & AKV for example and more risk for AKV and OKW. But I'd agree that for those that should be buying into DVC, and can afford it, it's sunk money anyway so the question is, in part, how much money can you throw away and not miss it which is the end of the day situation anyway.

In addition I think it's easy for people to think "it's only an extra $200 so it doesn't matter" and of course those people make that choice time and again in their every day lives. So I guess I'd qualify it if one has the info and is thinking clearly and feels they are getting value for an extra $200 then it's reasonable but just to say that $200 a year doesn't matter, it does in my book.

And, I don't think you were picking on me. As always, I enjoy discussions with you and always leave learning something. I just struggle with a few points that you have.

No not at all and it's good to get info out there so those considering DVC (both posting and just reading) can get enough info to decide for themselves what's best. I've owned DVC for over 20 yrs and other timeshares almost as long and the one constant is that things change and that represents risk. Plus changes are rarely for the better. I'm always amazed at people that take the best case scenario and assume DVC will be just as great in 30 yrs as it is now, that a small contract will always be a better thing to own and sell, that dues will only go up 3-4% or that there will not be any special assessments, etc. And yes, this is the type of discussion I enjoy as well.

 

[huggybuff]

I appreciate everyone's time and informed viewpoints...you've given me a lot to think about. One thing I definitely concur on is paying cash straight up while having no consumer debt. Financing DVC while also having credit card debt sounds like the best case scenario for things to go wrong and cause you to have to sell.

 

[mjillard]

Hi folks, I have been researching DVC for awhile now and I have a question after reading multiple posters/sites that recommend buying SSR resale. Why aren't people also recommending AKV in the same breath? It seems like a comparable price per point and it has more time than SSR on the contract. I must be missing something obvious (MFs maybe?) for SSR to get all the love. Thanks for any responses!

If you are looking at AKV or SSR the only reason to get AKV would be concierge or value. Everything else can be had at 7 month mark. That said, I would love to stay concierge and AKV is the only dvc to have it.