Best DVC to purchase

[mcroker]

I was thinking about buying about 100 to 125 points at one of the DVC resorts, what would be the best deal to buy?

 

[heynowirv]

The resort you like the most,since that is the one that you'd have an 11 month window to book in.

 

[Tamar]

Depends on whether you will still be goingto Disney in 2043.

 

[zavandor]

The cheapest option (combining MF and purchase price) is SSR.

But if you have a favorite resort and you know that you want to stay there or you'll be disappointed AND you can plan 11 months out, then it's better to purchase that resort.

 

[disbound09]

SSR is least overall cost, is available most if not all the time so you kinda waste the 11 month advantage. My SIL has stayed at all resorts at one time or another and she is AKV so they are available at the 7 month mark just not for the most popular days of the calendar. But don't think you will be locked into one resort. That said pick where you love in case Disney ever changed the rules to restrict you to your home resort.

 

[a742246]

I would say if you haven't toured a DVC yet. Rent some points first, then tour all the resorts at WDW. Then you can tell what would be the best deal for you!

 

[drusba]

I am assuming that your intent is to stay mainly at WDW. If instead you want to mainly stay at VB, HH, GCV or Aulani, you should likely buy at the particular resort. If WDW, consider:

First, seriously consider buying resale. Prices are a lot less than Disney is selling. You give up access to certain Disney collections for trading out to (such as cruise, Disney hotels other than Disneyland, Adventure vacations) but reality is most don't do those things, the point cost is expensive, and DVD could actually cease offering those to everyone if it felt like doing so.

Second, consider if you want any of the following because for the particular resorts you are very often not going to be able to get them unless you own at the resort and have the 11 month reservation window: (a) BLT standard view; (b) BWV GVs or rooms with standard or boardwalk view, (c) AKV concierge or value rooms; (d) OKW GVs at the Hospitality House area, a booking category (usually OKW GVs are availalble at 7 months elsewhere).

Third, consider time of year you are likely to go. If it is any time between the the Tuesday after Marathon weekend in Jan and about Sep 27, then your main downsides in getting something at 7 months out will often be those mentioned in the the second point above although once in a while you may also have some trouble getting BCV or BLT theme park view during that period at 7 months out. If you instead intend to mainly travel between the end of Sep and the Monday after Marathon Weekend in Jan, then you may also often have problems getting anything at BCV, BWV, or BLT and sometimes even VWL. Moreover, if your intent is to go during the very end of Nov through mid-Dec, or Christmas week, you are likely to find at 7 months out that you are limited to OKW or SSR and possibly AKV standard and savanna view.

Fourth, if in evaluating the above you are considering buying BWV, BCV or VWL to assure getting what you want at 11 months out at one of those, consider another negative. The end date for those resorts is Jan 2042. SSR is 2054, AKL 2057 and BLT 2060; OKW has contracts with 2042 end date and with 2057 end date. 2042 is 29 years away. If you are under 45, and particularly if under 40, that 2042 end date should be considered a real issue. There are many of us who are actually going more often as we get older, such as into the 60s. Thus, that should be a consideration when thinking about purchasing the 2042 end date resorts.

Fifth, weigh in costs in evaluating what you want. In resale, the best bargain is still SSR and its dues are reasonable in comparison to others. If you are fine with SSR when you cannot get elsewhere at 7 months out, you should definitely consider it. BLT has the lowest dues per point but its sale price per point is high. Hilton Head and Vero are less in price than any others but dues are high, a pattern likely to continue when you are dealing with two resorts that have high dues for a variety of factors including being close to salt (corrosive) air from the sea and being in hurricane zones. AKL is currently somewhat more expensive than SSR and its dues are likely to remain higher than SSR but it is also a consideration other than SSR if you want to capture the possiblity of getting concierge or value rooms.

 

[montrealdisneylovers]

Just to correct a little typo. BLT has an end date of 2060 (not 2050 as noted above).

 

[drusba]

^Thanks, I corrected it in the post.

 

[lovin'fl]

My 2 thoughts are this:

1- if you want the most points for your money upfront- then VB, HH, OKW, SSR...in that order (but VB is highest annual dues and isn't a place that everyone wants to go to every year...same with HH). So, if you want to use your points to go to WDW mostly, then OKW or SSR (OKW might be a tad cheaper, but SSR has lower annual dues).

2- if you want points that can go farther- then AKV and BWV are good as you can book the cheaper view villas at 11 months out (they are usually booked by the 7 month window)...and then OKW is cheaper to book as well. For example we are looking to go to WDW 12/20 to 12/25 (5 nights) and we need a 2BR:
A- OKW is 190 points
B- BWV (standard view...which go fast so you need to own there) is 196 points
C- AKV (value at Jambo...which go fast so you need to own there) is 170 points and AKV (standard view at Kadani) is 189 points and we hope to book this
Those are all I can get for under 200 points...all others go from 211 (SSR)-314 (Magic view at BLT).

Notice OKW is on both thoughts (1 and 2)...but SSR is pretty comparable as well.

 

[Geomom]

If you plan to go during Food and Wine Festival and want to stay at BWV or BCV--buy one of those. It's very hard to get one of those at 7 mths during Food and Wine.

I agree about buying resale. We bought at OKW resale in 2008 (cheapest on Disney property at the time with reasonable dues). We felt comfortable with a 2042 date as DH will turn 75 that year. We have been lucky enough to stay at other resorts with the 7 mth booking. OKW, SSR and AKV were the only ones available at about 6 mths out for Columbus Day weekend one year. SSR was the only one available for Thanksgiving within 5 mths. So that gives you an idea as to which resorts have availability at closer dates.

I have to say that with OKW as our home, I feel like I can book at 7 mths and feel certain that OKW would still be available most times of year as a fall back resort.