gpts@disney
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2007
- Messages
- 51
Best Valentine's Day Gift
- Thread starter gpts@disney
- Start date
BLTisforME
Headed to Orlando.... again!
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2012
- Messages
- 29
gpts@disney said:So for several months (and hours upon hours of research here) I've been trying to convince my wife to buy into DVC and its been a bit of a struggle. Well I got this Valentine's Day gift yesterday and thought I'd share it with y'all. Very excited... Now which home resort to choose?
What a gift!! Congrats. To think, all I got was Mickey Mouse chocolates.
Enjoy the membership. We love ours.
gpts@disney
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2007
- Messages
- 51
Still not sure, but BCV, BWV and AKL are probably the front runners. Although BLT, OKW and VWL look like nice options as well. I have 2 daughters age 14 and 11 - any recommendations?
That rocks!!!!! We are adding on AKV...DH wanted cheapest points and was talking about VB and HH (which we do own a small contract at HH so adding on there wouldn't have been too bad) but I really wanted BWV or AKV (for a 3rd home resort and to book the cheaper point villas...value or standard view). DH finally agreed, as an early 40th birthday gift to me, to adding on at AKV. I wish he surprised me and printed up a nice award thing like your wonderful DW did. But he just told me, over the phone, to go ahead and make an offer on a AKV resale that had just popped on the market.
My thoughts on home resort. We have 3 kids...twin DDs about to turn 14 and DS who just turned 16. My SIL also has 3 kids (and are DVC members and big Disney lovers) that are going to be 20, 18 and 15 in the next few months (older 2 are boys and youngest is a girl). SIL owns SSR and AKV...we own OKW, HH and AKV. We have stayed at many of the East coast DVC resorts between our 2 families (all except BLT). SIL's boys LOVE SSR and they always request (and get) the Congress Park section so that their kids can walk over to Downtown Disney a lot (I guess they really like to do that...maybe to girl watch or to get mocha frappes or something). MY DS keeps saying that he would like to stay at SSR too (we did once and weren't so impressed...too far from parks and too many internal bus stops that take forever...DH and I aren't into Downtown Disney either). My niece (almost 15) likes AKV...she more hangs with her parents (even when we vacation with them and my 2 DDs are only 9 months younger...niece is just very private and likes adult company). My family has not done AKV yet, but we will hopefully stay there next. We, including my 3 kids, like BCV and BWV for the ability to walk to and from Epcot and HS (or take boat). There are tons of places to eat around that area (and eating is a big part of our vacation experience). We just stayed at BCV and let the kids go to/from on their own a bit...they just had to be together (the girls...DS could be on his own). OKW is also very far from the parks, but it has the largest villas and is good for when you need lots of space (we did a 2BR with our 5 and MIL and FIL...needed OKW for that space). But you can pretty much get OKW at 7 months out fairly easily and SSR too (AKV is also easier to get as it's also a large resort). But the benefit of AKV is that you can get the lesser point value or standard view villas...BWV has that perk too (if you own there and can book at 11 months out...7 months out, those lesser point villas are all booked).
Now, owning at HH is good because we can alternate beach trips with WDW trips and save $$$ by not having to buy park tickets or airfare (we def can drive to HH from MD, but FL is getting harder to drive to as we get older). Dining would be cheaper in HH too. HH is tough to book 7 months out for the summer as well.
I hope I am making sense....feeling under the weather today and all bobble headed. Congrats and good luck on your DVC contract hunt!
My thoughts on home resort. We have 3 kids...twin DDs about to turn 14 and DS who just turned 16. My SIL also has 3 kids (and are DVC members and big Disney lovers) that are going to be 20, 18 and 15 in the next few months (older 2 are boys and youngest is a girl). SIL owns SSR and AKV...we own OKW, HH and AKV. We have stayed at many of the East coast DVC resorts between our 2 families (all except BLT). SIL's boys LOVE SSR and they always request (and get) the Congress Park section so that their kids can walk over to Downtown Disney a lot (I guess they really like to do that...maybe to girl watch or to get mocha frappes or something). MY DS keeps saying that he would like to stay at SSR too (we did once and weren't so impressed...too far from parks and too many internal bus stops that take forever...DH and I aren't into Downtown Disney either). My niece (almost 15) likes AKV...she more hangs with her parents (even when we vacation with them and my 2 DDs are only 9 months younger...niece is just very private and likes adult company). My family has not done AKV yet, but we will hopefully stay there next. We, including my 3 kids, like BCV and BWV for the ability to walk to and from Epcot and HS (or take boat). There are tons of places to eat around that area (and eating is a big part of our vacation experience). We just stayed at BCV and let the kids go to/from on their own a bit...they just had to be together (the girls...DS could be on his own). OKW is also very far from the parks, but it has the largest villas and is good for when you need lots of space (we did a 2BR with our 5 and MIL and FIL...needed OKW for that space). But you can pretty much get OKW at 7 months out fairly easily and SSR too (AKV is also easier to get as it's also a large resort). But the benefit of AKV is that you can get the lesser point value or standard view villas...BWV has that perk too (if you own there and can book at 11 months out...7 months out, those lesser point villas are all booked).
Now, owning at HH is good because we can alternate beach trips with WDW trips and save $$$ by not having to buy park tickets or airfare (we def can drive to HH from MD, but FL is getting harder to drive to as we get older). Dining would be cheaper in HH too. HH is tough to book 7 months out for the summer as well.
I hope I am making sense....feeling under the weather today and all bobble headed. Congrats and good luck on your DVC contract hunt!
moredisneyplease
Working towards more DVC!
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2008
- Messages
- 1,812
As a wife of a DH who does NOT like Disney at all I give you this: 
Way to go husband!!
Way to go husband!!
butsy113
AKV Owner
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2012
- Messages
- 1,091
When we were deciding on a home resort, we had it narrowed down to the same three. We liked BWV because of the boardwalk and location, BCV for the pool and location, and AKV for the theme atmosphere and value villas.
We chose AKV in the end. We love the animals and the theme and decor of the resort. The pool at Kidani is great too! The kids love the Mara at Jambo House. We also like that the resort is farther out. It seems quieter and seems like we are able to relax more there, but when we want to head to a park it's a quick bus ride. We have always had excellent bus service. One big plus at AKV is the value villas. We have a value studio Jan 2-9 2014 for only 69 points! Can't beat that, but those rooms are hard to get at 7 months.
All that being said, we check in at BCV in 79 days! We can almost always stay somewhere else, but if we have to stay at our home resort it's one that we absolutely LOVE! Good luck with your decision, you can't go wrong either way!
Congratulations!!
We chose AKV in the end. We love the animals and the theme and decor of the resort. The pool at Kidani is great too! The kids love the Mara at Jambo House. We also like that the resort is farther out. It seems quieter and seems like we are able to relax more there, but when we want to head to a park it's a quick bus ride. We have always had excellent bus service. One big plus at AKV is the value villas. We have a value studio Jan 2-9 2014 for only 69 points! Can't beat that, but those rooms are hard to get at 7 months.
All that being said, we check in at BCV in 79 days! We can almost always stay somewhere else, but if we have to stay at our home resort it's one that we absolutely LOVE! Good luck with your decision, you can't go wrong either way!
Congratulations!!
Kidanifan08
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2011
- Messages
- 2,027
That is so awesome! What a great Valentine's gift. Looks like you are in for some fun shopping!! 
Some important principles of shopping:
- given your list of resorts, I assume you are looking at buying resale. You will save a ton of $$$ that way, and you don't really lose anything of value by doing so (at this time).
- if you don't ever see yourself being able to book in the 7-11 month window, home resort doesn't matter -- buy the best value (SSR).
- make sure you understand the limitations of the Use Year and try to buy something that will work for your travel patterns the majority of the time. Of course, that is sometimes hard to predict, since the contracts are so long.
- if you absolutely have to have an Epcot resort for F&W or the early part of December, you must own there. This is also true of VWL and to some extent BLT during the Christmas timeframe.
- if you want a value or concierge room at AKV, you usually need to own there.
- contract of less than 100 points seem to sell in less than 3 days, and I am guessing that they go for asking price (which is particularly true for BWV and BCV). If you want a small contract, you need to call as soon as you see it listed and you should probably offer asking price, or someone else is going to get it. My first resale contract of 50 points was purchased on the day it was listed for the asking price. There was another 50 pointer that sold on that same listing day as well, presumably for the asking price.
- keep your eye out for "loaded" contracts -- those are the most valuable, but make sure the points will be in your account in time for banking, if necessary.
- choose a home resort that you would be happy staying at if nothing else is available, or if DVC changes the rules. There is nothing worse that paying all of that money and then being stuck at a resort that you don't want to be at.
We love our AKV and would be completely satisfied if it was the only place that we were able to stay for the next 44 years of Disney trips. Of course, I am always scanning the resale sights for a small BWV or BCV to use every other year for F&W or the holidays.
I am sure there are other principles, but this is all I could come up with at this point in time. Have fun shopping!
Some important principles of shopping:
- given your list of resorts, I assume you are looking at buying resale. You will save a ton of $$$ that way, and you don't really lose anything of value by doing so (at this time).
- if you don't ever see yourself being able to book in the 7-11 month window, home resort doesn't matter -- buy the best value (SSR).
- make sure you understand the limitations of the Use Year and try to buy something that will work for your travel patterns the majority of the time. Of course, that is sometimes hard to predict, since the contracts are so long.
- if you absolutely have to have an Epcot resort for F&W or the early part of December, you must own there. This is also true of VWL and to some extent BLT during the Christmas timeframe.
- if you want a value or concierge room at AKV, you usually need to own there.
- contract of less than 100 points seem to sell in less than 3 days, and I am guessing that they go for asking price (which is particularly true for BWV and BCV). If you want a small contract, you need to call as soon as you see it listed and you should probably offer asking price, or someone else is going to get it. My first resale contract of 50 points was purchased on the day it was listed for the asking price. There was another 50 pointer that sold on that same listing day as well, presumably for the asking price.
- keep your eye out for "loaded" contracts -- those are the most valuable, but make sure the points will be in your account in time for banking, if necessary.
- choose a home resort that you would be happy staying at if nothing else is available, or if DVC changes the rules. There is nothing worse that paying all of that money and then being stuck at a resort that you don't want to be at.
We love our AKV and would be completely satisfied if it was the only place that we were able to stay for the next 44 years of Disney trips. Of course, I am always scanning the resale sights for a small BWV or BCV to use every other year for F&W or the holidays.
I am sure there are other principles, but this is all I could come up with at this point in time. Have fun shopping!
AKV was my Valentine's gift 5 years ago. My family has loved owning DVC and we're looking forward to a another trip in mid March.
So far we have stayed at HH, AKV (regular and concierge), OKW, SS, BWV and BC. They each have great things about them but looking back now I can say that I'm so happy that it was AKV that we purchased. Here's why...AKV, unlike any other resort, has two booking categories that are extremely difficult to get all year round. Other resorts have their "tough" seasons as previously mentioned but this "tough" time exists all year at AKV for value and concierge rooms. Yes, you may be lucky enough to get an Epcot DVC during Food and Wine at 7 months or by waitlisting, or WL at Christmas the same way, but I can still experience all those things by staying at AKV if the waitlist doesn't come through. Just hop on the bus and I'm at FW (yes, not as convenient as walking but still possible to experience) or do a resort tour at Christmas to see the beautiful WL (yes, not quit the same as staying there but still able to experience) However, I could not get a room for value points anywhere else all year long and I could not get the concierge experience anywhere else all year long if my waitlist didn't come through.
We'll be heading back to OKW for the 3rd time in 5 years next month. We love the low points and size of rooms there. Family members will be meeting us and this resort suits them well. However, even though we've stayed at OKW more than we've stayed at AKV lately when we add on it will be at AKV again.
BTW...we stayed concierge at AKV a few years back over Thanksgiving. While we slept during the night the lobby was transformed into it's Christmas glory. It was awesome waking up and walking out of the room and overlooking the huge tree.
I just hope you're not looking for a contract at AKV with an October use year and around 100 points...trust me, they're tough to find!
Happy shopping!
So far we have stayed at HH, AKV (regular and concierge), OKW, SS, BWV and BC. They each have great things about them but looking back now I can say that I'm so happy that it was AKV that we purchased. Here's why...AKV, unlike any other resort, has two booking categories that are extremely difficult to get all year round. Other resorts have their "tough" seasons as previously mentioned but this "tough" time exists all year at AKV for value and concierge rooms. Yes, you may be lucky enough to get an Epcot DVC during Food and Wine at 7 months or by waitlisting, or WL at Christmas the same way, but I can still experience all those things by staying at AKV if the waitlist doesn't come through. Just hop on the bus and I'm at FW (yes, not as convenient as walking but still possible to experience) or do a resort tour at Christmas to see the beautiful WL (yes, not quit the same as staying there but still able to experience) However, I could not get a room for value points anywhere else all year long and I could not get the concierge experience anywhere else all year long if my waitlist didn't come through.
We'll be heading back to OKW for the 3rd time in 5 years next month. We love the low points and size of rooms there. Family members will be meeting us and this resort suits them well. However, even though we've stayed at OKW more than we've stayed at AKV lately when we add on it will be at AKV again.
BTW...we stayed concierge at AKV a few years back over Thanksgiving. While we slept during the night the lobby was transformed into it's Christmas glory. It was awesome waking up and walking out of the room and overlooking the huge tree.
I just hope you're not looking for a contract at AKV with an October use year and around 100 points...trust me, they're tough to find!
Happy shopping!
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