BLT or AKV for our stay?

[LauraLap]

Right now we have a 2 bedroom Savannah view for 8 nights in November. I was thinking of trying to get a 2 Bedroom BLT when we're able to try. The ages of our kids are 4 and 5 and we'll also have my 15 year old sister. Do you think AKV will be better or should we try for BLT??

Ugh...decisions, decisions!!

 

[ibela]

I guess it depends on which park you plan on spending more time in but personally, I'd try for BLT. Good luck, I'm sure you'll have a great time at either resort!

 

[taurus8012]

I switched From 2-Bedroom at Kidani To Blt in Aug/Sept only because I own at Kidani . I wanted to experience BLT just once . I like the convience of walking the kids home from Magic Kingdom instead rushing to the bus and I am going to enjoy using the monorail to/from Epcot and the boat transportation from epcot to DHS is going to be pretty cool. I MIGHT BE PULLED INTO BUYING ANOTHER 160 PTS

 

[spiceycat]

with a 4 and 5 you know your main park will be MK - so would go with BLT for now.

when the kids are older say 9 and 10 - then might go for AKV.

now if AKV is your home resort and this is your first trip as DVC - go with AKV.

you want to bond with your home resort - so you will love it if you have to stay there.

the first dvc resort stay really does make you want to stay at that place again and again. It definitely worked on my family with OKW.

so yes very evil for selling OKW to buy BLT.

 

[thelionqueen]

I agree with PP's; I would go with BLT with the ages of your kids. The walking distance and monorail access will be priceless at the end of the day. Good luck with either decision, it's a win-win!

 

[jamie&Greg]

Gosh - I guess I have to vote diffrent. I say AKL (espically if you have never stayed there before). I like how close BLT is to MK, but to me AKL is just so much more special - or you could try my persaonal fave. WL

 

[bjakmom]

We LOVE AKL(V) and own there (and BWV). Here is my thinking. . . I am going to try for BLT for my Oct trip with just DGrD(5). As much as we LOVE AKV, we have many years ahead of us to stay there - and I think this year may be my best chance to book BLT at 7 mos and try out a brand new resort. Also, we will be there mainly for MK and want to attend 1 or 2 MNSSHPs - and do several meals at the monorail resorts. We spent a Dec week at Contemp when she was 3 and the location cannot be beat for little ones (IMHO). If we end up at AKV we'll still be happy because (did I mention?) we LOVE AKV!!- you just can't go wrong!

 

[LauraLap]

with a 4 and 5 you know your main park will be MK - so would go with BLT for now.

when the kids are older say 9 and 10 - then might go for AKV.

now if AKV is your home resort and this is your first trip as DVC - go with AKV.

you want to bond with your home resort - so you will love it if you have to stay there.

the first dvc resort stay really does make you want to stay at that place again and again. It definitely worked on my family with OKW.

so yes very evil for selling OKW to buy BLT.

It is our home resort and it will be our first visit. I'm just thinking that this may be our best chance at getting BLT since it is not sold out yet

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

All things being equal, I'd book at AKV for kids that age, but since BLT is just opening I don't think they are, and I'd bet it would be slightly easier to book there this year.

AKV will always be easier to get into. If you want to try BLT and it's open, grab it. If not take AKV.

My 4 year old LOVES AKV. We're going to stay at BLT in Oct because we have the baby and we love not folding up the stroller to go to the MK.

This is like when the desert menu comes out. There aren't any real bad choices.

 

[jco_direwolf]

It is our home resort and it will be our first visit. I'm just thinking that this may be our best chance at getting BLT since it is not sold out yet

Just because it's not sold out doesn't mean there is space available/rooms sitting empty. In a traditional condo/timeshare development those rooms most likely would be sitting empty till they where sold. But that isn't how Disney and Disney Vacation Developments (DVD) do things. DVD gets the rooms from Disney, they declare them into inventory, and can start selling them.

Right now there is something like 75 rooms in inventory (I think people said there where 50 in Oct and another 25 or so in Jan.) So that means there are like 10 floors of rooms which Disney still owns and DVD can't sell.

So if you wanted to do a Cash Reservation. Now is a great time. Because Disney has the rooms in there reservation system.

Now I'm not sure if DVD can book rooms that Disney owns and they somehow "pay" or if DVD can only book an average of 75 room-nights for the next 11 months. I suspect that DVD can "pay" for them, but I'm not sure.

However, there is a HUGE pent up demand from DVC members for the rooms. People have been wanting a "DVC Monorail resort" since 2002/3 (which is when I started following DVC, I took the 1990's off from Disney.)

So I would guess in the next 5 years or so, the demand for BLT will drop down (especially since the per night cost of the rooms is high compared to other resorts.) Look at how much stress people have about them raising the point costs durning the week, in the low season. I don't see anyone complaining about the corresponding drop over Christmas. (Because over course of a year the number of points at resort can't increase or decrease they can only move the points around.)

Now that is more of an explanation that you wanted. So to answer your question. Stay at DAKV, we love it, it's our home. Book BLT when you want change.

johno

 

[LauraLap]

Just because it's not sold out doesn't mean there is space available/rooms sitting empty. In a traditional condo/timeshare development those rooms most likely would be sitting empty till they where sold. But that isn't how Disney and Disney Vacation Developments (DVD) do things. DVD gets the rooms from Disney, they declare them into inventory, and can start selling them.

Right now there is something like 75 rooms in inventory (I think people said there where 50 in Oct and another 25 or so in Jan.) So that means there are like 10 floors of rooms which Disney still owns and DVD can't sell.

So if you wanted to do a Cash Reservation. Now is a great time. Because Disney has the rooms in there reservation system.

Now I'm not sure if DVD can book rooms that Disney owns and they somehow "pay" or if DVD can only book an average of 75 room-nights for the next 11 months. I suspect that DVD can "pay" for them, but I'm not sure.

However, there is a HUGE pent up demand from DVC members for the rooms. People have been wanting a "DVC Monorail resort" since 2002/3 (which is when I started following DVC, I took the 1990's off from Disney.)

So I would guess in the next 5 years or so, the demand for BLT will drop down (especially since the per night cost of the rooms is high compared to other resorts.) Look at how much stress people have about them raising the point costs durning the week, in the low season. I don't see anyone complaining about the corresponding drop over Christmas. (Because over course of a year the number of points at resort can't increase or decrease they can only move the points around.)

Now that is more of an explanation that you wanted. So to answer your question. Stay at DAKV, we love it, it's our home. Book BLT when you want change.

johno

Thanks for that explanation....makes sense. I really think the kids will appreciate the animals and such. It's certainly a unique experience. They are used to "regular" hotels.

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

When a resort first opens they don't open every unit to book on points on day 1. But there is always more rooms declared than points sold AND Disney has been doing a preopening plan where the can release undeclared rooms into the mix if they want. Check the boards here. It seems a bunch of non-owners got BLT last week when it opened for booking.