Anyone else have trouble pulling the trigger on higher point resorts?

[snoopy5386]

I will start this by saying we own a small 100 pt contract at AKV and almost always book 11 months out so we get a value villa, by far the best deal on property and we love AKV. I am a saver by nature and I love having points to bank and have such a hard time justifying changing a reservation from a value villa at AKV for a villa at any other resort because of the huge jump in point costs.

Recently I had to book a stay at less than 11 months out which meant a standard view villa at AKV and I had waitlisted value view. I was all ready to change my ressie over from AKV to VWL at the 7 month mark which happens to be Friday since it was only 3 points more. But today my wait list for a value studio at AKL came through and now the point difference between AKL and VWL jumped from 3 points more to 12 points more!! And I'm doubting my choice to change resorts. But if I won't pull the trigger to stay at a different resort for more points on a 3 night studio stay, when will I? We've been DVC owners for 5 years now and we've stayed at AKV for every stay except for one because I can't justify the extra points!!

Anyone else like me?

 

[lodge]

Mostly, but the appeal of VGF overtook this nature within me!

 

[crisi]

We own Boardwalk - so I'm either booking standard view, or Boardwalk View - yeah, spending more points sets me on edge. Now that Spaceship Earth is back to its pristine state, Boardwalk View is quite lovely (never liked the big hand) and I can't imagine spending more points to look at the castle. Or the BLT parking lot with the rooftops of the MK, and some castle .

(I think standard view at BW is a better value - but I'm biased )

 

[kristenrice]

I could be your twin!

I loved my stay at BWV (standard view) and my 2 nights at BLT were OK (we only had a studio) but AKV is my home. I look at the difference in points between a LV 1BR at BLT and a standard 1BR at AKV and I cannot justify it either. We also own 100 points at AKV and the value 1BRs are a great deal. DH and I honeymooned at WL and I can't justify the extra points to stay there either. Forget SSR or BCV too. OKW is great and we've stayed there three times... The rooms are huge and the points are fairly comparable. I will try for BWV standard on occasion since they are in line with AKV as well.

I have stayed in savanna view rooms and I cannot justify the added expense for those either. Sure, the view is fantastic and unique, but I would rather save the points and stay an extra night. There are plenty of other places to hang out and watch the animals besides your own balcony.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[RSWA2]

I agree, if you can get value, stay with value, why pay more for something you don't want?

I would only go elsewhere if you want to try another resort, but with 40+ years of ownership, you'll have that chance, if it's not this next trip.

 

[TLPL]

We should start our own club for this.

I also always book Value studio as default. But I also like to try different resorts too! I especially like BWV standard since they seen to be as good of value as AKV's value rooms.

I would try BWV standard since you haven't try it before. It is hard to get at 7 month sometime, if it is available, why not try it!?!

 

[cvjw]

We own at several resorts, and have enough points that we feel OK booking almost everywhere - except GFV. 156 points for 3 nights in a standard view 1 bedroom is about my limit.

 

[bobbiwoz]

The only time I have balked is for upcoming January. At 12 months, I booked 5 nights in a value AKV studio. The dates were opened at VGF, when I could book, but I would have had to borrow what I felt was just too many points to stay there, so I left things as they were.

 

[TSMMANIAC]

I had a BW view 2BR booked for next March. When I looked online at 7 months a 2BR was available at the Grand. It was almost 100 pt difference in the resorts. I had to think about it and discuss it with various family members but we decided to try the new resort. I like conserve points but it's fun to splurge sometimes!

 

[delilah]

We originally bought at SSR, and stayed at the studios. Then when AKV was available, we bought more points there. I really like the savanna view rooms, and, honestly, have never stayed in a standard view at AKV. We usually also stay in the 1 BR if we are staying longer than we can pack for comfortably in 1 carry on per person. We bring three changes of clothes, and wash them mid trip. Don't care to spend vacation time hanging out in the laundry. What makes the trip to AKV for me is sitting on my balcony, having my morning coffee, watching animals in my sleeping clothes, before my shower. Can't do that in the common viewing area. If I want, I can throw a load of clothes into the washer, leave them to dry while we are at the parks.If the choice were standard view at AKV vs standard view either at BLT or one of the Epcot resorts, I woud choose the latter, due to proximity to the parks. But, standard view is hard to get a 7 mos. As it turns out, of my choices, I least prefer the rooms at SSR. Too far from parks (can't walk to any of them), generally too far to the laundry/restaurants, unless you are lucky. So, in 10 years of owning SSR, we have stayed there 3 times out of probably 25 trips or so, the majority being to AKV 1 BR savanna view. But, we have a total of 350 points, so we have plenty.

 

[DenLo]

We often stretch our points by staying in an AKV value as the length of our vacation matters. But having a view is more important. I'd much rather sacrifice a night than give up a view. I agree with delilah, sitting on the balcony is part of the vacation experience for us.

BTW, that why we have added on more than once.

 

[jerseyduke]

I can understand being tight with your points.

Since you normally book at 11 months, I would consider:

making a dummy res to chew up the rest of your current points.
Switch, and buy 1 time points for VWL for those 12 points (its 168$..not that bad)
cancel dummy res, that way you still have those points to use at the 11 month mark

 

[DougEMG]

I love the BWV standard view rooms for their location and point cost, because of that it makes it very hard for me to pull the trigger on staying anywhere else.

 

[lisaviolet]

I love the BWV standard view rooms for their location and point cost, because of that it makes it very hard for me to pull the trigger on staying anywhere else.

BWV standard view rooms are such a steal.

But someone should do something/make some decision about the trees being planted too close though - it's really changed a lot of views over the years. I'm sure no one has an issue with a partial tree view. But some of them now look like the tree is totally taking over.

_____________

On the higher points. It depends. Sometimes I want what I want, case closed. And other times I'm looking for a steal.

 

[Judique]

I will start this by saying we own a small 100 pt contract at AKV and almost always book 11 months out so we get a value villa, by far the best deal on property and we love AKV. I am a saver by nature and I love having points to bank and have such a hard time justifying changing a reservation from a value villa at AKV for a villa at any other resort because of the huge jump in point costs.

Recently I had to book a stay at less than 11 months out which meant a standard view villa at AKV and I had waitlisted value view. I was all ready to change my ressie over from AKV to VWL at the 7 month mark which happens to be Friday since it was only 3 points more. But today my wait list for a value studio at AKL came through and now the point difference between AKL and VWL jumped from 3 points more to 12 points more!! And I'm doubting my choice to change resorts. But if I won't pull the trigger to stay at a different resort for more points on a 3 night studio stay, when will I? We've been DVC owners for 5 years now and we've stayed at AKV for every stay except for one because I can't justify the extra points!!

Anyone else like me?

In a way, yes!

I started out like you and made a purchase with a particular vacation in mind. Over the last 13 years, things have changed however. One is I've tripled my points! When I had a small amount of points they covered just so many nights and I would have had to give up a trip to spend more at a higher point cost resort or room.

Now after job promotions and a much higher salary, which enabled me to purchase more points, I still can economize when necessary, or splurge when i get the itch to stay at the new place. I've got my vacation booked at GFV for February, and I've stayed at BLT several times. I own most points at BWV and stay standard view there, so as you see it's expensive in my mind to splurge after the low cost of BWV.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

I'm right there with you. We had waitlisted a value studio for an upcoming trip in May 2014. If our wait list didn't come through we were going to splurge and try for a split stay at GFV and maybe BCV. Well our wait list did come through and now I just can't bring myself to spend over twice the points to stay at the grand. I really really want to stay there, but the huge point differential has scared me off.

 

[nolanboys]

I have a hard time spending the extra points when I know I will be just as happy spending less. I've been agonizing the past week trying to decide where to book our spring break trip. The only resorts we haven't stayed at in WDW is BLT and our kids haven't stayed at BWV. BWV is out because all four kids want to be in beds and not sleeper sofas. I looked online this morning and I had my pick of any 2 bdrm I could have wanted - even BLT standard. But OKW won out. It was about 50 points less. We love it there, not only for the huge rooms, but also for all recreational options. I'll save the points for a longer trip next time or a long weekend away with just DH. I keep saying I want to own at the Poly, but after seeing VGF points, I don't see it happening.

 

[tink519]

Yes we are like that to a certain extent as well. We had a 1BR book at BCV a few years ago and then my inlaws decided to come with us. When we looked at how many pts it would be for two 1BRs vs. a 2BR at SSR we went to SSR. I was dying inside but it made the most sense. We also booked standard at BWV and loved it. I don't need the view and would much rather have an extra day or two. We are barely in the room anyway. We are at OKW this time because BWV wasn't available and AK Savannah was much more.

I have set a new goal to stay in all the DVC resorts though so we'll have to splurge a little. I already said we'd have to give up our 1BR and stay in a studio at BLT and VGF because they are way too many pts!

 

[Minniesgal]

We love to visit other resorts and for us staying at BLT is worth the points due to the location. We stay at Kidani for the atmosphere and the animals but we have e to have e some nights at BLT to visit our fa route restaurants and to see the MK from the room. The location is worth the points to us. We would feel like we were missing out if we stayed I. The same resort always

 

[melissac]

We are OKW lovers because 1. the resort but 2. the low point value. We have only once stayed at BWV instead of OKW or SSR but I want to travel more so I need the points and we always have a 2BR. I wish they didn't change the points at the THV I loved when they where the same as a 2BR.