Beach Club Availability

[Dancing_Nancy]

I'm looking to buy into DVC with hopes of making a couple trips a year. We love AKV and will probably buy there for a spring trip. But we'd like to make a quick trip to BCV during Food and Wine. Will we have any chance of getting a 2-BR villa during October if we only have the 7-month window? Any input is appreciated

 

[CarolMN]

Some members do manage to get into the BCV (and the BWV) at 7 months for Food & Wine. Some are successful using a waitlist. However, most who try are disappointed. (You'd also have to book online as soon as the window opens. If you wait until MS opens, you'll probably be too late).

If F&W trips at BCV are important to you, you pretty much need to own there. Reasons to choose AKV as a home resort over BCV include - longer lease and ability to book the value rooms and Concierge rooms (those need the 11 month window).

Only you can decide what is most important to you.

Good luck!

 

[mjc2003]

If you want to buy and visit both AKV and BCV, I would buy at BCV. Reason being, for your spring trip it's probably 95% likely that you can find what you want at AKV with BCV points. AKV is very large, and often one of the 3 most available (along with SSR and OKW). I booked a stay at AKV last year on a months notice, and got a Grand Villa at AKV last november at 6 months.

Conversely, AKV points will yield only moderate success at BCV at anytime throughout the year as BCV is really the hardest resort to get a reservation at. I would not say it's impossible that you could get something during F&W at BCV with AKV points, but it's certainly going to take some work and require you booking at 8 a.m. online at the 7 month window. Even then, you are looking at maybe a 30% chance?

Just as an example, I am a BCV member and looked at 7.5 months (2 weeks before the 7 month window) for a weekend at the end of October at BCV, and it was not available. Some people buy at BCV exclusively for F&W. So if I as a member couldn't get a room over an October weekend outside of 7 months, then that should give you an indication of what might happen as a non-member. Of course things change, there are always waitlists and some people do have success.

All things being equal, I would think just buying at BCV would virtually guarantee that you'd be able to get both your spring AKV room and October BCV rooms with little problem so I'd consider going that route.

 

[crisi]

Any chance...sure. Any good chance, no.

There are a lot of Epcot resort area owners who own specifically for food and wine. Enought that those resorts are sometimes completely full before the seven month window opens for some nights.

 

[tjkraz]

It's the dilemma every potential DVC owner faces. BCV is one of the pay more / get less destinations: you'll pay more to own there than at several others and the contract length is shorter than many.

Buy at Animal Kingdom and you'll probably pay about the same but have FIFTEEN EXTRA YEARS of vacations.

Buy at Saratoga Springs and you'll pay less and have TWELVE more years of trips.

I agree with the others that booking BCV at 7 months is very difficult. Some years you may have success but not always. Just no way to know if the success will be 10% of the time or 50% or 90%. Most times you will probably find yourself sitting on the wait list, hoping for a match.

Main question you need to ask yourself is whether the price for BCV--the extra dollars and years sacrificed on the back end--is worth it for the increased booking success.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We have stayed at BCV several times and used to own points there. We sold that contract. We tried to get mid-Oct 2012 in a one bedroom (which is usually easier than studios or two bedrooms) and could not get seven nights in a row at seven months out. I think it will only get harder to book BCV at seven months out in the DVC popular times (from end of Sept to mid-Jan).

 

[crisi]

It's the dilemma every potential DVC owner faces. BCV is one of the pay more / get less destinations: you'll pay more to own there than at several others and the contract length is shorter than many.

Only if "get less" is measured in room nights. And if that is your only measure, there are a lot of cheaper options that aren't DVC at all.

But besides quibbling with that, yep.. The idea here is to measure the value to the individual buyer against the difference in cost. For a lot of people, that will mean paying more for fewer room nights, but for those room nights you will be staying where you want. For other people, that will be paying less and not being able to reliably book a room at BCV in October. And for others, it will mean paying even less, but staying off property or going with value resorts.

 

[arthur06]

You could also buy at both resorts. Then you would have the 11 month window from each stay.

 

[sadiespicks]

I'm looking to buy into DVC with hopes of making a couple trips a year. We love AKV and will probably buy there for a spring trip. But we'd like to make a quick trip to BCV during Food and Wine. Will we have any chance of getting a 2-BR villa during October if we only have the 7-month window? Any input is appreciated

Two for two during F&W in 2-BR's the last two years. This year not so lucky yet and not feeling good about my chances. The last two years the wait list came through very quickly.

 

[twinboysmom]

BCV is the only WDW dvc we have yet to stay in because we have never been able to get a complete stay here (5 nights). I hVe not even attempted to book it during food and wine, only stays in early May, September before food and wine, and maybe once or twice for early June. Always at the 7 month window and I have been flexible with my size of rooms as well. Truly, I don't know if we will ever stay there.