BLT or OKW

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Which of the following would you do?

50 points at BLT or 100 points at OKW.

50 points at BLT would allow us to stay 5 nights in a MK view studio every other year.

100 points at OKW would allow us to stay 7 nights in a 1 bedroom every other year.

We currently have 100 BWV points that we . We mostly stay in studios now, and avoid the weekends. An add-on would allow us to stay 6 nights at BWV with a preferred 1 bedroom every other year.

We are planning on kids in the next couple of years. We love the Contemporary - but hate the new lavatory/kitchenette layout in the studio. (Stayed in '94 & '02) As for OKW, we do usually drive to WDW, but depend on Disney transportation. Dh really doesn't like OKW decor. If this helps, we really like the grounds of POR, but have never been to OKW.

50 points at BLT would be $5,600 and would have MFs of about $200/yr.
100 points at OKW would be less than $7,200 and would have MFs of about $460/yr.

We may be able to afford more in the future, but for now...these are the choices that fit our budget.

What do you guys think???

We have some interest in II, cruises, or even ABD but haven't had enough points to even think about it.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

Personally, I love OKW, so my opinion is a little biased. While I will stay at BLT, I don't see us staying there often. The point structure is high, and if I wanted to be close to MK, VWL is an absolutely beautiful resort (and one of my favorites). Also, if you ever think you will reserve grand villas, OKW is an awesome place to own. Their grand villas are somewhat affordable compared to the other resorts! But...you almost have to own there to get one.

I was in the same place as you. Earlier in the year when all of the focus was on BLT, I really thought I wanted points there. However, we love the ocean, so we opted to buy 150 points at VB instead. I'm really happy with our purchase, even though maintenance fees are high there.

 

[JaxFLBear]

We did a 50 point BLT add-on, so that was my vote.

 

[SSRFred]

Depends on what you prefer and want. I'm an OKW type but, in your case I would say BLT. Why?
1) You own BWV. BLT is similar with location and transportation to park.

2) You say you are planning on kids. Kids love MK. BLT is the way.

P.S. Don't worry about the sink. It's actually a nice addition of counter space. Contrary to opinion, it's the kitchen sink that has more germs than the bathroom sink. Not that it helps the argument any...

 

[TIGGERmetoo]

I vote for BLT. If you're planning on kids in the future, you will definately want to be on the monorail route and close to Magic Kingdom. I remember 3 or 4 vacations we took and stayed at the Poly when our boys were young and I was SO glad we stayed there. DH and I would get the kids to bed and then sit on the balcony and watch while people were still trying to get out of the MK.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'll stick with OKW. Not that I won't try BLT sometime, but with OKW you get more (larger) room and a longer vacation. Considering the number of years that you will be owning, the OKW value is much greater.

 

[Yen Sid]

We have stayed many places and loved them all, to make this simple just look at the numbers, would I want 50 points or 100, very simple answer for me would be the 100 points.

 

[christa112]

Though, I don't own DVC yet if it was me purchasing I would purchase OKW. I saw the new BLT rooms in person in Sept and the rooms are beautiful, but a bit too fancy for my liking.

 

[DVC Mike]

OKW is a condo style layout with multiple buildings spread out over a large area, while BLT is a lakeside tower with everything close by.

BLT has an upscale (luxurious) decor, while OKW has a more laid back decor. Of course, the rooms at OKW are larger.

BLT is brand new, while OKW is 17 years old.

At BLT, you can walk to the Magic Kingdom or take the monrail (also to other resorts for dining and Epcot). OKW has limited dining (Olivias) and you must take the bus everywhere.

For me, I would choose BLT over OKW any day.

 

[dr&momto2boys]

You mentioned you are planning to have kids...so I have to vote for BLT. You will so appreciate the location!

I've never stayed at OKW though...I imagine you get to MK by bus? How long is the ride? It sure seemed like a long one from BWV! But I love BWV too, and the short distance to Epcot and DHS make up for the long ride to the MK.

Just my $.02, having two (almost 3) little ones.

We own at BWV and plan to buy at BLT soon.

 

[DisFlan]

We'd go with OKW - for us, it would be more bang for the buck (and we like it). BLT's location isn't a must for us.

DisFlan

 

[JimC]

BLT is a premium location. It has the longest contract. It is likely the best direct purchase value at the moment. We don't know how the annual dues will play out relative to other resorts.

All that said, it comes down to what you will enjoy. We have stayed at all of the resorts and own at three. But we stay at five on a regular basis. Each one offers a unique Disney holiday.

The three we own at:
AKV: a special gift to ourselves because it is an exceptionally well executed concept on a theme we very much enjoy and a possible 2nd 11 month booking advantage for certain times of the year.

BCV: 11 month booking for December near Epcot for CP

OKW: the bulk of our points; when we purchased resale in 2002 the best value in terms of cost of ownership. It is also a favorite of ours because of the condo layout and Key West theme.

Maybe the best advice I can give is buy based on whats most important to you -- value, location, theme, amenities.

 

[Geezer]

More points for less dues...OKW.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I don't think we are just talking about choosing between different resorts or locations here. There is a HUGE difference between 50 points and 100 points in the first place, and an even bigger difference beteween 50 points at BLT and 100 points at OKW. 50 points at OKW will go a lot farther than 50 points at BLT in the first place, and that has everything to do with the point "cost" of a stay inn any size unit. Secondly, the cost of the BLT 50 points will be more costly all around when you consider maintenance fees and number of points needed per stay. In both of those catagories, it would make little economic sense to own 50 points at BLT over 100 points at OKW. Since I tend to break things down in to "how often can I go and stay in the largest accommodations (for comfort), for the longest length of time given a specific number of dollars (or points)....I'd choose the more points for less cost route every time.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Thanks everybody.

I now see why this is such a tough decision.

Dh and I have very sentimental reasons for staying at the Contemporary, and love, love the convenience and the monorails. Part of me, though, really like the idea of maximizing our points while the costs are down.

We are pretty satisfied with having 100 points.

How will our vacations change if we have 150 points? 200 points?

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thanks everybody.

I now see why this is such a tough decision.

Dh and I have very sentimental reasons for staying at the Contemporary, and love, love the convenience and the monorails. Part of me, though, really like the idea of maximizing our points while the costs are down.

We are pretty satisfied with having 100 points.

How will our vacations change if we have 150 points? 200 points?

I can't imagine owning less than 150-160 to get any kind of true DVC vacation. The point of DVC is to have the amenities of home. If you are only staying in studios all the time, you aren't getting the true use advantage out of DVC. With a 1 bedroom or larger, you will have a full kitchen, washer and dryer, Jaccuzi tub, stretchout space in the living room, etc, etc. We started with 230 points, and quickly discovered it was NOT going to be enough for our travel plans. We quickly added on another 150 point contract at the same resort to maximize our usage. We are a retirment age empty nest couple, so our 380 points at one resort and 69 points at another serves us well. Even with that, we still have to occationally use studios on weekends to make our points stretch enough.

I think it's a rare DVC buyer who sticks to that resolve of "only staying in studios" mantra. I HATE having to share a room with others, including our children when they were young, so the whole point for me is to have our own room and a king sized bed like we do at home! I can't get taht unless I book 1 bedrooms or larger.

Oh, and it IS possible to stay at resorts other than your home resort as long as you are willing to book at the 7 month booking window. Most of us book our home resort at 11 months and then change to the resort we want at the 7 month window. Don't plan on doing that for holiday times or other high demand times, but the waitlist always makes it a possibility.

 

[kristenrice]

I agree that comparing a 100 point contract to a 50 point contract isn't exactly a fair comparison. The only observation I would like to add is that if you are planning on a MK view at BLT, you will probably need the 11-month booking window. IF you are not planning on utilizing a GV at OKW, you might not NEED the 11 month window...yet. That could change in the future. Right now, if you plan on staying MK view at BLT, I would choose to own there. You will have a better chance of getting OKW at 7 months than vice versa.

On the other hand, if you would be satisfied with ANY view at BLT and you're willing to stay at OKW, you could buy the bigger contract and cross your fingers that you can get BLT at the 7-month window.

Personally, I LOVE OKW and BLT really doesn't do anything for me . I would get the 100 points at OKW and if I happen to get a room at BLT in the 7-month window, then great. If not, OKW is a wonderful "fallback" !

 

[hellerjw]

I'm of the "I've stayed in a 1 & 2BR now and can never go back to a studio" mindset, so my vote is for the 100 pts at OKW.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I agree that comparing a 100 point contract to a 50 point contract isn't exactly a fair comparison. The only observation I would like to add is that if you are planning on a MK view at BLT, you will probably need the 11-month booking window. IF you are not planning on utilizing a GV at OKW, you might not NEED the 11 month window...yet. That could change in the future. Right now, if you plan on staying MK view at BLT, I would choose to own there. You will have a better chance of getting OKW at 7 months than vice versa.

On the other hand, if you would be satisfied with ANY view at BLT and you're willing to stay at OKW, you could buy the bigger contract and cross your fingers that you can get BLT at the 7-month window.

Personally, I LOVE OKW and BLT really doesn't do anything for me . I would get the 100 points at OKW and if I happen to get a room at BLT in the 7-month window, then great. If not, OKW is a wonderful "fallback" !

In a perfect world, I would just buy a whole bunch of BLT points and be done with it. However, I'm trying to balance my competing wants of BLT-MK View stays and having a lot more points.

By adding on, we'll be able to stay in 1 bdrms at the Boardwalk every other year. I would really hate to purchase 50 points and need 100, and then need another 50 and only be able to get another 100. {{Did that make any sense?}}

Will we really hate going back to studios, even at BLT after staying in 1 bdrms every other year?

We'll have a 1 bdrm to ourselves for the 1st time over Thanksgiving at HH. Maybe that will help us make up our mind.

We did share a 2 bedroom with my sister and her family at BWV.
I REFUSE TO FRY BACON DURING ROPE DROP, AND WILL NOT EVER DO IT AGAIN!!

 

[Jaaron2]

I would od the 100 points at OKW. Just seems to be much more value to me.