All too common question... DO WE HAVE TO BUY WHERE WANT TO STAY?

[dmdj232]

HI GUYS!! NEED SOME HONEST OPINIONS!!!! I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT TIME AND TIME AGAIN BUT we are really trying to figure out how we can make the home of the Mouse our home as well for the next 39 years! Our favorite place is Beach Club but I just can't justify spending double the money on points while getting 12 yrs less on the contract. The place where we would be able to afford to buy the points we need would be SSR. Basically, what I'm trying to get feedback is honestly how hard is it to get into all the other DVC Resorts at the 7-month mark during late Summer. For now a Studio would work but as the family grows we would def need a 1-2 BR. TIA!!!

 

[CarolMN]

Maybe, but there are no guarantees and you would need to be online to book the second the 7 month window opens. 1 bedrooms book a little more slowly than studios and 2 bedrooms. If you would be OK staying elsewhere if you can't get BCV, then go for a home resort that better meets your financial criteria.

In the meantime, check out drusba's post in this thread - you'll find it very helpful and IMO, it is very accurate re availability at 7 months:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/an...vailability-for-days-7-11-months-out.3281173/

Good luck with your decision!

 

[dmdj232]

Maybe, but there are no guarantees and you would need to be online to book the second the 7 month window opens. 1 bedrooms book a little more slowly than studios and 2 bedrooms. If you would be OK staying elsewhere if you can't get BCV, then go for a home resort that better meets your financial criteria.

n the meantime, check out this thread - you'll find it very helpful and IMO, it is very accurate re availability at 7 months:
http://www.disboards.com/threads/an...vailability-for-days-7-11-months-out.3281173/

Good luck with your decision!

THANK YOU!! I WILL DEF HAVE SOME MORE HOMEWORK TO DO!!

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you definitely want to stay in a specific location during a specific time in a specific villa, you want to own there and book it at 11 months out. Otherwise, own any resort you wouldn't mind staying at if you couldn't book your dream location. And buy at WDW, not VB, HHI, VGC or Aulani, if you don't plan on staying there.

 

[michelleiada]

I always say buy where you really want to stay. I belong to several on line DVC groups and the one complaint that I see most common among DVCers is that they can't ever get into the resort they truly desire to stay at, at the 7 month mark. So my advice is to purchase at the resort you truly love and book at the 11 month window. That will guarantee your happiness with DVC booking. If you will be happy at SSR then buy there. When we were considering buying many years ago, we rented points a few times to try out the resort we thought we loved (BCV). It confirmed our love and we knew we would always want to stay there so we bought there. I considered the shorter length of the contract also but knew it was really where we wanted to call "home". BCV is a smaller resort and sought after for the location. It can be difficult to get at 7 months, not impossible....but difficult.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

IMO you should buy where you won't mind staying to be safe rather than a resort that you absolutely don't want to stay but if you have a little flexibility - and intend on mid to late August for you trips you should have opportunities to trade to another resort. The best I can say is that I'd feel comfortable doing what you are talking about but I'd be planning on all different resorts and not depending on BCV every time.

 

[southerngirl528]

If you definitely want to stay in a specific location during a specific time in a specific villa, you want to own there and book it at 11 months out. Otherwise, own any resort you wouldn't mind staying at if you couldn't book your dream location. And buy at WDW, not VB, HHI, VGC or Aulani, if you don't plan on staying there.

Everyone here has made some very good and accurate comments, Dmdj232. But as a DVC member for 22 years, I REALLY agree with Deb & Bill's post. It is imperative you understand that if you do NOT buy where you really, really want to stay, you may not end up a happy DVC camper for the decades remaining on the membership. Only you and your family can decide which is more important to you: budget or long-term happy resort stays. My advice is virtually always to buy where you want to stay. IMHO there are very few exceptions to this. Good luck!

 

[supersnoop]

I just want to make the point that it only really matters if you can book 7-11 months in advance. I've seen a few posts where people complain that they can't get a decent room at 4 months out, "not even at our home resort." At 7 months, everyone's equal. If you'll never book that far out, then your ability to book at any resort is inconsequential; your home resort is irrelevant.

 

[dmdj232]

WOW! Some great advice here! THANK YOU ALL!!! As it stands right now we are torn, we definately LOVE Beach Club but just can't afford to buy there and I personally would hate to spend nearly double the amount of money for a 30% shorter contract. SSR is def not our favorite but probably the only one we could afford to buy the amount of points we need/want and we would be ok with settling for AKL in a "worst" case scenario booking at the 7-month mark. Sounds pretty crazy that I'm saying "settling" for AKL as it is one of the most beautiful resorts I have ever seen (Location is the biggest drawback in our opinion)

 

[disneynutz]

If it didn't matter, everyone would own SSR and book at their favorite at 7 months. Disney is smarter than all of us, they set up the DVC system the way they did for a reason, if you want a guaranteed stay, buy there.

Bill

 

[DVCcurious]

Where you want to stay is subject to change. We bought into VWL in 2012 because we love the theme. Prior to buying in we did a split-stay rental for AKL and OKW. Since we bought into VWL in 2012 we have stayed there twice, AKL once and in August we'll stay at the Boardwalk. We also just bought a second contract at BLT in October.

What I didn't realize at the time, or I guess you could say I didn't appreciate fully, is that I'm a cheap SOB. We love VWL, so why are we staying at the Boardwalk in August? Because the point difference is HUGE. A 1BR std is 206 points at BWV vs 255 at Wilderness Lodge. As much as we love VWL (and we really do love it), we're not sure if it's worth spending 50 extra points. Especially since we can rent those points for $650. So is VWL really $650 better than BWV?

When we were deciding on buying in we really agreed with the idea of "buy where you want to stay" and personally my big thing was being near a theme park, especially MK. Currently our kids are 3 and 5 and we have a stroller, so walking from BLT or riding the boat from VWL works well. I hate taking a stroller on the bus. But in like 3 years we'll be done with strollers. And the bus ride won't be that big a deal. I guess you could say I'd rather stay at BWV and get $650 cash and have to ride the bus to MK then stay at VWL and ride the boat and get no money.


What this long-winded post is boiling down to is this: my wife and I now realize that we just want to be on site anywhere. Especially since you have to ride a bus to half the theme parks no matter where you decide to stay. And if we just want to be onsite and want to do it as cheaply as possible the choice is obvious: buy SSR and stay at OKW or BWV std.

Do I regret buying BLT and VWL? Yes, I do. I really think we should have bought SSR and booked OKW or BWV at 7 months. And if we wanted to do VWL (which we love) that would be no problem since our trips are Spring Break and late August and VWL is always open then. And we book 1BRs which are always last to fill up.

Unless you KNOW you want to stay somewhere specific (GFV, BLT, BCV) every trip and travel at peak times like F&W or early Dec I'd highly recommend buying SSR and trying your luck. VWL, BLT lake view, AKL std and Savannah, BWV premium view, and OKW are almost always available at 7 months, and I'll guarantee at least one of them would be available at 7 months. You could buy SSR and never stay there. Ever.

I made a mistake and I'm willing to admit it.

 

[Missyrose]

WOW! Some great advice here! THANK YOU ALL!!! As it stands right now we are torn, we definately LOVE Beach Club but just can't afford to buy there and I personally would hate to spend nearly double the amount of money for a 30% shorter contract. SSR is def not our favorite but probably the only one we could afford to buy the amount of points we need/want and we would be ok with settling for AKL in a "worst" case scenario booking at the 7-month mark. Sounds pretty crazy that I'm saying "settling" for AKL as it is one of the most beautiful resorts I have ever seen (Location is the biggest drawback in our opinion)

Sounds like you really want BCV. DVC isn't going anywhere. Waiting a bit longer while saving up to buy the resort you want, rather than settling for a resort that doesn't interest you at all could be the best route for you to take.

You've gotten some great advice from some of the most-experienced veterans on this board. The only thing I have to add is that any DVC contract is a lot of money to spend and "hope" you get to book where you really want to stay each year. Be really honest with yourself about how much BCV means to you. It's one of the smallest DVC resorts at WDW. And while August should be a good time to be able to switch resorts at seven months, A) There's no guarantee it stays that way (Disney could always create new events to fill the resorts at that time of year -- like the Frozen Summer Fun at DHS and B) Your traveling patterns may change and you could end up traveling at times that is much harder to get into BCV.

 

[Lynne M]

Do you really want to spend thousands of dollars to 'settle'? To be spending hundreds of dollars or more every year on maintenance fees for decades....for a resort that would be a 'worst case scenario', or a resort that's 'def not our favorite'?

If it were me, I would either wait till I'd saved enough to buy BCV, or not buy at all. You can still stay at BCV without buying DVC. You can even rent points and stay at BCV.

 

[djohn06]

I buy where I don't mind staying. For me it's BWV, BLT and AKV. If I was just going to buy one contract there is no way I would buy at a resort that I just felt was ok. Besides, my 3 resorts all have value and standard rooms that you only can get as an owner there. All have community centers that the kids love. Even at 7 months during the month of Christmas, AKV quickly fills up. My life is such that I can't stay pasted to a computer trying to book at 7 months. It just doesn't happen. As long as I am at my Fav 3 (BWV, BLT or AKV) I am home.

 

[CarolynFH]

OP, you mention that a studio will work for now but you'll need more space later. You might look at buying sufficient BCV points for a studio now and then adding on later as your needs and hopefully your finances change.

 

[bumbershoot]

I just can't justify spending double the money on points

Are you seeing it as twice as much per point between SSR and BC?

I personally would hate to spend nearly double the amount of money for a 30% shorter contract. SSR is def not our favorite but probably the only one we could afford to buy the amount of points we need/want and we would be ok with settling for AKL in a "worst" case scenario booking at the 7-month mark.

But would you pay more *to get just what you want*? Because that's the real thing to look at, not at the contract length, IMO. If length of contract were the most important thing to you then you would buy new Poly points, but that's not what you're doing.

Settling for AK means you're online at 11 months getting what you want with your AK points. Then trying for the next 4 months to get what you want. Is that how you would want to spend those 4 months? Really think about the cost of your time.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Then trying for the next 4 months to get what you want. Is that how you would want to spend those 4 months? Really think about the cost of your time.

Just to clarify - it would be trying to change after 4 months - not spending 4 months trying to change.

Am I confused bumbershoot or do you own BLT but don't stay there very often?

 

[Minniesgal]

I have to say for us we are very happy to own where we want to stay.

I like our accommodation being locked in at 11 month knowing I can buy my flights as we have our room. I like not having to scramble to move at 7 months. I like not having the uncertainty of where will we be staying . We bought 3 separate resorts and have traded out but are moving toward a future of home resort only and I feel so much more relaxed about future trips.

Our travel logistics are complicated so it is nice to at least have simple accommodation.

 

[dmlovullo]

I have an added question...If you were to book at your home resort at 11 months out to make sure that you have a place to stay, can you check on other resorts you may want to try out at the 7 month mark and if they are available, switch your booking?

 

[chalee94]

I have an added question...If you were to book at your home resort at 11 months out to make sure that you have a place to stay, can you check on other resorts you may want to try out at the 7 month mark and if they are available, switch your booking?

of course. that's what we are talking about.

it's not at all uncommon for people to own at one resort and try to trade out at the 7 month window. but the OP is talking about owning a home resort where he doesn't want to get "stuck" so there's no point booking it at 11 months out.

SSR has more than 4 times as many points as BCV - it's a MUCH larger resort. if most BCV owners buy to stay there, there will rarely be much availability at 7 months out. a few owners at other resorts will be able to trade in but if half of the SSR owners bought into SSR with the notion that they would never have to stay at SSR, then some will be disappointed.

when you buy DVC for the home resort where you most want to stay AND you book at 11 months out, DVC is a great/easy experience. when you are scrambling to get in elsewhere at 7 months because you don't like your home resort, there tends to be more frustration and disappointment.