BLT or AKV

missypaws

Mouseketeer
Joined
May 1, 2002
Messages
199
Big dilema. Which would you choose---BLT or AKV? We are buying but need help with picking our home resort. We are in are mid-40's and like MK and AK and we do not have kids. We love the theme at AKV but the BLT is in the m iddle of the magic. The dues are $1 more at AKV but you get $20 OFF COMPARED TO $18 at BLT. We enjoy the concerige service and the larger rooms at AKV but BLT will have computers in the rooms. I think that there is more ammenities at AKV but more restaurant choices at BLT. We need to decide by Thursday. Thanks for the help. :)
 
We just bought in to DVC, because of BLT. We love the CR and the MK so it was no choice for us so I am really biased toward BLT.

We have been going to WDW since 1994 almost every year (we have 3 kids) and never bought in because we wanted to be close to MK. Just being able to walk over, just the two of us at night (the kids are now older) is wonderful.

Right now, though, it appears that they are letting new members buy in at both. Have you considered this and then you could alternate between the two resorts every other trip (ie: stay one year at BLT and the other at AKV using banking and borrowing)? This way, you get the best of both worlds, and I have heard that they use the total points to determine your discount!

Good luck!!
 
For me, it's a matter of taste. I don't like the decor of the BLT villas. I much prefer the the AKV decor, albeit a bit dark. I suspect VWL would be my favorite decor but I haven't stayed there yet (and I do love the WL but not the updated room decor so much).

Plus, BLT is quite a bit more expensive, point wise, to rent than the others. So the annual dues are lower but you could get less usage out of the same number of points.

In the middle of the magic? Well, nothing can top BLT for location, location, location! That is the primary drawback of AKV ~ they are out in the boonies.

I guess only you can decide how you want to spend your hard earned $$!
:3dglasses
 
Big dilema. Which would you choose---BLT or AKV? We are buying but need help with picking our home resort. We are in are mid-40's and like MK and AK and we do not have kids. We love the theme at AKV but the BLT is in the m iddle of the magic. The dues are $1 more at AKV but you get $20 OFF COMPARED TO $18 at BLT. We enjoy the concerige service and the larger rooms at AKV but BLT will have computers in the rooms. I think that there is more ammenities at AKV but more restaurant choices at BLT. We need to decide by Thursday. Thanks for the help. :)

What do you mean by "you get $20 OFF COMPARED TO $18 at BLT"? I am wondering because I just bought into BLT.
 

That's tough. If I was always going to use the extra points and get a SV when at the AKV, I would buy there. If not then BLT.
 
We are in our late 40's-50's.

We loved our stay at AKL in May. Being able to sit on the balcony and watch the animals was incredible.

That being said, we just called our guide tonight and are in the process of buying at BLT. For us, the location was the deciding factor. and having monorail, easy access to MK and Epcot, MK and LK views, easy access to restaurants at GF, Poly, Contemporary, and WL. Our parents may be staying with us on a trip or two and would likely need scooters, so the monorail would be much more convenient than buses.

We definitely plan to stay at AKV in the future. It's a beautiful resort. We're hoping it will be easier to book AKV at 7 months than BLT, but it's purely a guess on our part.

Good luck with your decision. I don't think you can go wrong with either resort.

Dan
 
Ultimately it is your decision, but here are my thoughts on it:

1) Don't buy AKV for concierge. Without owning at AKV, you will likely never get it, but even if you own there, it would still be a rare treat that you would get to experience only a very few times over the life of the contract. Maybe once every 5 years-10 years. From what i've read, you simply get daily maid service, and a selection of refreshments. A nice treat, certainly, but I wouldn't consider it worth it in the long run.

2) The initial price isn't going to make that much of a difference in the long run. If AKV is only $2 per point cheaper than BLT, then BLT's $1/pt less expensive annual dues will make up for that in just 2 years. After that BLT will be cheaper.

3) Getting in to AKV most likely won't be difficult. It is the 3rd largest DVC resort, next to SSR and OKW. SSR has 1,320 rooms available. OKW has 761 rooms available. AKV has 708 rooms available. While BLT has 428 rooms available. Unless you absolutely must have concierge or want one of the value rooms, then I wouldn't worry about getting in to AKV. It'll be just like SSR and OKW: That's where there will be a room when there isn't a room anywhere else. However, getting in to BLT during peak times will likely be very difficult. MK view anytime during the Christmas season will likely be impossible, unless you own there. I could also see it becoming popular for F&W since it's monorail access to EPCOT. All of that is speculation, but I think my reasoning is sound.

4) BLT does NOT have computers in the rooms. This is an amenity of the Contemporary Resort rooms, but NOT the BLT rooms. You will still have free internet while you are staying.

5) As others have said, BLT's lower dues will be eaten up by the higher point per night room costs. However, when you use your BLT points outside of BLT, like at AKV, then you will get a bargain. If you use your BLT points at OKW, then it will be a REALLY good bargain. However, those who use their AKV points at BLT won't get such a good deal.

6) BLT most certainly has it's location going for it: All the restaurants at the contemporary. A quick monorail ride to ALL the restaurants of the MK, Grand Floridian, Poly, and EPCOT. A quick boat ride to Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. A quick 5 minute walk to the MK bus stops (or take the monorail if you're feeling particularly lazy) to any other resort. That's quick and easy access to two parks plus 5 resorts (contemporary, poly, GF, WL and Fort Wilderness) for Dining and pool hopping or just resort exploration. If there is any one resort that is at the center of WDW transportation, it is DEFINITELY the Contemporary.

#6 is what sealed the deal for BLT for me. Convenience for almost everything on WDW property. With AKV, you are out in the middle of nowhere. The buses are dedicated, and from what i've read they are good, but you are still at least 2 bus rides from any other resort, it's the furthest resort from the MK and EPCOT. The Animal Kingdom Park is the only thing it's convenient to.

Also imagine that you've had an exhausting day at the MK. You've watched Spectro, and Wishes JUST ended. You were right at the castle to watch the fireworks, but you've now got all of Main Street ahead of you for the bus back to AKV. You'll have to wait about 30 minutes (or more) for a bus, you MIGHT get lucky and get a seat. And if you don't it's another 30 minutes back to the resort on the bus. Your feet crying the whole time. Or, you could just take the 5-10 minute walk back to BLT and be back to your room and soaking in the hot tub within 15 minutes :)
 
My DH and I bought into AKV in February. We toured the mock-ups in September, and I fell in love with BLT. (Magic Kingdom is my favorite park!) DH was pushing for AKV. When we finally decided to buy, we looked at the rooms online again and really focused on the Studios. We don't have kids, so that would mostly likely be the type of room we would reserve.

You know what the BLT deal breaker was for me? The fact that the bathroom sink/grooming area is shared with the kitchenette. That totally grossed me out! I could just imagine finding someone else's hair in the kitchen and gagging.

After that, we decided to go with AKV. The extra square footage was an added bonus!
 
Oh and forgot to add:

We had a chance to experience staying in both a Studio and a 1-bedroom on May 31, due to a room shortage. I don't regret buying AKV in the least. We loved it!
 
Just to confuse things!!:lmao: We were faced with the same dilemma - and we split our contract between the two!!:goodvibes

I wanted the convenience of the BLT for the MK, but also knew that we will want to spend some time 'away from it all' and possibly on future trips we will just stay at AKV and not even bother with the parks (I know - shock horror!:lmao:)

Whilst I couldn't imagine not wanting to stay at BLT when I visit MK (we love the monorail hotels), I also couldn't imagine staying there when I wanted a 'park free' stay. (Could you see that Castle everyday and not want to visit it!!:goodvibes)

So for us a split purchase was perfect - hope that helps a little!!:thumbsup2:thumbsup2
 
I love both and own at both. If it came down to picking one over the other, I guess I would pick BLT (won't know for sure until I stay there).

You may want to read the Choosing Your Home Resort - What to Consider? thread to ensure you take into account all the various factors when making your decision.

Good Luck!
 
Oh my goodness, the more I read, the more confused I get. I just bought into BLT on Fri., haven't received paperwork yet, & I'm now thinking of splitting my points between BLT & AKV, 100 points each. I'm really not sure what to do.
 
I love both and own at both. If it came down to picking one over the other, I guess I would pick BLT (won't know for sure until I stay there).

You may want to read the Choosing Your Home Resort - What to Consider? thread to ensure you take into account all the various factors when making your decision.

Good Luck!

Mike: I just read "Choosing Your Home Resort - What to Consider? and based on the following, I have decided to keep all my points at BLT. Thanks for the info.


"Keep in mind that if you have more than one home resort, all vacation points being used to make a reservation during the Home Resort Priority Period must be associated with that home resort. That is, you cannot combine points from multiple resorts to book one resort during the Home Resort Priority Period. You may combine all the points you have at all your home resorts and book any DVC resort only at the 7-month window."
 
Also imagine that you've had an exhausting day at the MK. You've watched Spectro, and Wishes JUST ended. You were right at the castle to watch the fireworks, but you've now got all of Main Street ahead of you for the bus back to AKV. You'll have to wait about 30 minutes (or more) for a bus, you MIGHT get lucky and get a seat. And if you don't it's another 30 minutes back to the resort on the bus. Your feet crying the whole time. Or, you could just take the 5-10 minute walk back to BLT and be back to your room and soaking in the hot tub within 15 minutes :)

I actually had to chuckle at this. DH and I bought into BLT when we were at Disney in March and, in the same scenario you are describing (our last night of vacation; after Spectro/Wishes; soooo tired from walking all week yet still having to hoof it to the busses and wait for a bus). As you are walking to the bus stops from MK, BLT is like a shining beacon of wonderfulness (you can almost see the heavens open up and can almost hear the angels singing); it really is amazing how close it is. We kept ourselves amused thinking that for the next 50 years, we can just keep on walking for another 5 minutes and be back at our hotel relaxing.

To the OP's question, we chose BLT (and would chose it over any DVC) simply for location. AKV is arguably the most beautiful and interesting DVC, yes, but the fact that it's a bus ride to everywhere (including its closest park) immediately nixes that resort for me. I'm sure that eventually we'll get around to staying at AKV, but having to build in an hour travel time each day just isn't something that I would want for every vacation. Either way, good luck with your decision!! :goodvibes
 
My thought process was straightforward:

o A DVC membership is a form of real estate investment.

o The 3 rules of buying real estate are "location, location, location."

o No other location compares to BLT--monorail access and a 5 minute walk to MK. I also love the location of BWV and BCV, but nothing beats walking to the MK!

It was just that simple for me!:thumbsup2
 
I too own both at AKV and BLT. In fact, I just added another 50 points to BLT. Initially, I didn't think I would like the decor, but once I went to tour the model, I knew I wanted to stay there. My wife and I both thought the decor at AKV are a little dark, but I do like having the animals right outside our windows. Another added bonus at Kidani Village is the covered parking! We went to eat at Sanaa and was so glad we didn't have to go into a hot sauna of a car after the meal. The pool at AKV will be better than at BLT, in my early opinion.

We added on at BLT during our last trip to Magic Kingdom over Christmas. My wife said "wouldn't it be nice to stay in a hotel along the monorail". I had to agree. We have a toddler, and being able to take her back to the hotel for an afternoon nap will be a nice bonus.
 
Another benefit, I see, for AKV is the fact that in the lobby they always have a list of programs going on for the kids and adults. You can try night-vision animal watching--complete with night-vision goggles, head out on an exclusive safari, do rubbings of some of the authentic carved bronze artwork around the resort, sit around a bonfire to hear tales told by African story-tellers, listen to African ambassadors talk about their home countries, attend free wine-tastings at Jiko--The Cooking Place (home of the largest North American collection of South African wines!), etc....
 
For me it was a "no brainer". I originally looked at resales, because I was not about to spend $112 per point, but then when DVD started offering great incentives for BLT I knew I had to buy there. My reasons were partly logistical and partly sentimental.

First, one of the things that I love about going to WDW is that I do not have to drive for an entire week. We live in the Washington, DC area, so we spend a good portion of our life stuck in traffic. :headache: Because of this, we never rent a car at WDW and always take DME from the airport. Staying at BLT offers so many transportation options for the "carless".

Second, I remember going to WDW in 1977 when I was 4, and then again from 1982-1991. To me MK is WDW. Granted we do visit the other parks when we are there, but I do not have an emotional connection to them like I do to MK. I used to feel this about EP, only to a lesser extent (I still call it Epcot Center :rotfl:), but that feeling has dissipated since none of the attractions in FW are the same anymore. Anyway, I am so thrilled that I will now be able to stay next to the one place that provides me with so many fond memories. :mickeyjum

Will I ever want to stay at AKV? Absolutely! But, I could not imagine calling any other resort "home" but BLT.
 
Like many people, my wife and I LOVEthe location of BLT but also loved the look and feel of AKV. We decided to buy points at both and either stay at each every other year or stay a few days at one followed by a few days at the other. Our thought process is, the first part of any given trip we stay at BLT in a MK view, are in the middle of the action, yet close to "home" and can easily get to everything in the World in short amount of time.....then the later part of the week we move over to AKV Savanna view so we can relax, sit on the balcany watching the animals, go to a much nicer pool complex than BLT (based on pictures so far BLT looks pretty sterile), eat at some great restaurants, go to AKV and wind down our vacation...especially since we have 50 more years of them! So to us, having the ability to switch off is what sold it for us...plus it is nice to have home booking priorities for 2 resorts...:banana:
 
I always say buy where you want to stay, but if you're torn equally between the 2 consider these thoughts...

1. AKV continues to be in great supply on the resale market, which makes it financially less desirable than BLT for now.

2. The location of BLT and lower maintenance fees make the overall cost of BLT much less than AKV (of course not including current, just released incentives)

3. AKV will be much easier to get at the 7 month window than BLT will ever be IMHO, with the exception of concierge (if that interests you).

I personally would buy BLT because it is my personal favorite, but I think for location and resale value, it's more financially promising than AKV. Just my .02
 



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