Argument on home resort options please

[trilliank]

Thank you for all your help! I think we are going to look at all 3 resorts and look for the right amount of points for a good deal. We plan on adding some direct when we can. I know it is smarter to save and pay it up front, but everytime we save we go to Disney! I will definately go over the points chart a few times before making my final decision, I really like the option of 2 connecting suites at the Poly! Thank you again for all the advise!

 

[kniquy]

but would be ok with a studio as long as it slept 5

I think with your kids age you will probably feel pretty cramped in a studio w/ 5. We did a SSR studio w/ my twin 9 yo boys and we felt that we were on top of each other and that was only for 3 days. Buy the points to afford a 1Br and if you prefer a studio for some of your trips you can bank the extra points for the following year.

We usually book trips 6-9 months out and go March, June and/or Dec

As for selecting the resort you do need to consider your ages and where you will be when the contract expires. The buy in price for VWL is pretty close to AKV and the VWL MF are a little less. When you plan on traveling is a big factor in where you need to buy. It sounds like you could get BLT for your March and June trips but December is a toss up -- if you are planning a couple trips per year then you could actually purchase 2 different contracts - one contract w/ a feb or mar UY to cover your March/June trips at one resort and then purchase a separate contract at a different resort for a December trip. Then if your kids get older and you only want a once a year trip down the road, just adults then you could down size and sell off one of the contracts.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Not only will your likes and how you do Disney change as you own DVC, as your children age it will also influence your approach and even potentially how often and who goes to Disney with you.

 

[jerseyduke]

I think 5 in a studio would not be a whole lot of fun. It is cramped, and these studios that sleep 5 have virtually no storage space.

Remember, the price you pay for any DVC contract, is for the 11 month booking window. If you are not going to take advantage of that, then SSR is the only smart choice.

If you are going to take advantage of it, then I am with the buy where you want to stay school of thought.

OKW, BCV, BWV, VWL all have 2042 expiration dates. Wilderness Lodge is on the cheaper side per point.

One thing about AKV, I do not think Kildani has a quick serve.

To me (and I just bought VWL on the resale market myself), I think one saving grace of DVC resale is that the contracts hold their value well. So you can also recoup a lot of your money should you decide you made a mistake. (That is not to say you wont take a hit, but typically its not a 30% hit).

Based on what you said, I would either buy VWL, or save another year and buy BLT.

You might not even hold onto any contract you buy until 2042. Then again if you do, I am sure there will be ways to buy another resale contract at that time too.

Final thought is do not dismiss Maintenance Fees...they add up, and greatly affect the true cost of ownership.

Another BLT case: One pitfall to MK is leaving; you are kind of stuck there. You HAVE to take a bus, boat, or monorail, and sometimes, that can just be a long wait. BLT is just a walk away. This has never bothered me, but I know some people do get frustrated by that 'trapped' feeling.

 

[CraigInPA]

Frankly, if this was my choice, I'd be considering enough points in the same use year at BLT to give me a 2 bedroom for one trip per year, or a 1 bedroom for two trips per year. I believe you'll find the difference in maintenance fees, over the years will negate any difference in the "buy in price" as BLT has some of the lowest maintenance fees right now. Plus, you're apparently happy with the Contemporary.

 

[lisaviolet]

To clarify: there are 5 of us, kids are 8, 9, and 13. We usually stay club level tp view contemporary but in Dec are staying at the cabins so our niece (16) can stay with us. We would like to stay in 1 bdrm, but would be ok with a studio as long as it slept 5. So my 1st choice would be the 1 bdrm at BLT - either Lake or TP view. 2nd choice would be a studio at the Poly OR a 1 berm villa at AK. We have spent well over 50K on Disney over the. Past 5 years so I don't know why it is so hard to decide to spend 20-30k on dvc! We should have bought in 5 years ago!

With this information -

I would buy at BLT, since you love the Contemporary. And stay in a one bedroom, since the studio is not an option for five there.

BLT being a great choice for a one bedroom, since it comfortably sleeps five - meaning it actually has the bed/bedding/towels for five. And two washrooms, nice for children that will be teenagers in no time. And your own washer and dryer. And vacations to save points with Standard and splurge with TPV. Lake is a truly lovely view. All great decisions.

As for Wilderness Lodge, the only way that might be a good fit for you would probably be waiting for the brand new development and seeing if it fits your vacation style. And getting the extended contract. I would concentrate on longer contract resorts because of your young family. Have you discussed the upcoming development? Maybe that could be your direct add-on that you have mentioned.

I see that you seem very excited about the Polynesian as well. Don't worry about that one. It has a ton of inventory to have vacations there. It is so peaceful, you really do feel as though you are taken away. But you will be giving up the laundry and the two washrooms (toilets). If it was your favourite by far, that might be okay. But you do love the Contemporary. And might want two bedrooms one day.

I would not buy at AKV, you can get a vacation there easily - just not Value or Concierge rooms.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

Thank you for all your help! I think we are going to look at all 3 resorts and look for the right amount of points for a good deal. We plan on adding some direct when we can. I know it is smarter to save and pay it up front, but everytime we save we go to Disney! I will definately go over the points chart a few times before making my final decision, I really like the option of 2 connecting suites at the Poly! Thank you again for all the advise!

Just remember that connecting rooms are never guaranteed, no matter what your guide or Member Services tells you on the phone, so be careful if you're purchasing at the Poly expecting that.

Otherwise, good luck with your purchase, I'm sure you'll enjoy whichever you choose!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Just remember that connecting rooms are never guaranteed, no matter what your guide or Member Services tells you on the phone, so be careful if you're purchasing at the Poly expecting that.

Otherwise, good luck with your purchase, I'm sure you'll enjoy whichever you choose!

However just to point out that with every studio at the Poly connecting to another studio except for 2 it's a relatively easy request to meet. Nor have we had even a single report of that request not being met. It is good to recognize it's not guaranteed but IMO it's the most "guaranteed" of anything that is a request with DVC.

 

[rwcmath]

We are on our way to BLT right now! Heading there for NYE as well. Based on what you say, I think you would be happy with that as your home resort, especially the 1 bedrooms.

 

[theSurlyMermaid]

I think 5 in a studio would not be a whole lot of fun. It is cramped, and these studios that sleep 5 have virtually no storage space.

Agreed 100%. One of the greatest things about DVC is losing that cramped hotel room feeling. With your family size you need to consider that a studio probably isn't going to be all that pleasant for extended stays. My kids are 9 and 6 and we have always done a one bedroom.

 

[Vader-was-framed]

You also could look at the near future. BLT is going to be pretty far removed from avatar land, Star Wars land, and toy story land. AKV is 5 mins from one and 10 from the others.

 

[gharter]

I think it comes down to either buying the cheapest resort you can (if you don't care where you stay this works) or buy where you want to stay (this was important to us and the option we chose). The correct answer is different for each person. You need to decide how many points you need, how large of a room you need and what time of year you want to travel. If you are traveling at a busy time of year, buying where you want to stay makes sense. If traveling in the off season, then buying a cheaper resort seems to work well.