BLT points: WOW ! Expensive, not $wise

[keishashadow]

Well, lets see. 80% of the rooms don't have MK view....several hundred rooms...a few thousand guests...

Yeah, a viewing area for a few thousand guests. Not too much to ask for at all.

evidently, ur expectations r lower than mine

i don't care about the logistics...make it work!

whether a viewing spot is only guaranteed once for a 5 day stay, whatever

 

[keishashadow]

BLT cost more like all real estate it is about location location location and views. I sure can agree it will be nice to watch fireworks from balconey and then relax and not fight the crowd back. Do you think they will have the music from the fireworks in the room. LOL Now that would be magical

they do @ the CR

and they also provide 2 viewing areas (CA Grill-private for diners) and the public area in the concourse...which is probably where most of the BLTers will wind up jockeying for a vantage point

 

[mnra]

Yes i just enjoyed the fireworks on day at california grill this past august but i was hoping to have the music right in my room. Is that too much to ask lol

 

[twinklebug]

Who here didn't know the price per point was going to go up? Who here didn't know the points per night were going to go up? I think we all knew it was going to be a double whack. What surprises me are the folk who are out there looking at it saying "what a deal!"

A little bit tougher thought to chew on for the rest of us who own & love the other, more frugal pt/nt locations is that the BLT location does not trade out equally say to VWL. So when the BLW owners start saving points by booking the other locations the open inventory remains at the higher pt/nt location. Nothing new though I suppose ... same thing happened to OKW.

 

[Budshark]

What surprises me are the folk who are out there looking at it saying "what a deal!"

Compared to rack rates in the tower... its a steal not a deal!

Compared to any other DVC... its expensive.

But then again - you get the same sleeping arrangements in a Value as you do in the Contemporary... but people still stay at the Contemporary...

 

[bellazachmom]

Yep - it will! I think Disney better fire up the luggage transfer services. I'm willing to bet a lot of people will do what we are contemplating... a 2/2 or split vacation.

Prior to BLT we'd never think of splitting our stays. Now, we are seriously considering 2 nights at BLT with MK trips, and 2 nights at BWV for Epcot and Hollywood...

It actually sounds really nice to us to spend our vacations this way. Always walking/boat ride distance to the park. Experience two separate areas... Looking forward to it!

That's what our family will be doing!

I have to say, I never even considered a split stay before this, though! When it is time to add points to our membership I always planned to purchase enough points so that we could stay our entire 8 nights at one place ... just don't need to add that many on to make it possible for 8 nights at BLT booked at 11 months, even if we could afford it!

But, planning our trips so that we can always walk to the park we are interested in sounds like a great plan that would certainly be doable once the kids a re a bit older .... now we just need that pathway from AKV to AK!!!

 

[Chellymouse]

We were thinking of adding on at BLT, but now I'm second guessing that. It's going to be very hard to choke down 270 points for a 1br for a week, especially when I just booked a 2br at SSR during Magic season for 280 points! We're going to take a wait and see approach. I'm *hoping* that BLT isn't going to be the hot seller as thought because of the economy and that some incentives may become available down the road. We may definitely learn the fine art of split stays though, with BLT being so high, but as someone else mentioned....it's really no surprise!

 

[eliza61]

I just did some "planing" on the DVC Member interactive points calculator. And WOW !! was I unpleasantly surprised !! BLT rooms cost a lot more points then either BWV and VWL. For my plans, about 20% more points for the same vacation and room/view equivalent (we usually go 10 or more days during Magic Season). I was amazed.

Upon examination, I see what the DVC powers to be did. They seemed to shave points off the weekend nights at BLT, BUT they added 1 or 2 points during the weeknights........well guess what! There are a lot more weeknights than weekend nights, and those extra weeknight points eat those points real fast!

IMHO,
DVCDAVE

Once again, It's all about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. I think it would be pretty cool to get a room and see the Castle at night outside your living room window.
Not buying there but I do want to stay there once or twice.

 

[DVC Mike]

Once again, It's all about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. I think it would be pretty cool to get a room and see the Castle at night outside your living room window.

My plan exactly!

 

[snackyx]

Old Key West (used Thanksgiving week for both)
1-bedroom 193
2-bedroom 261
Grand Villa 430

BLT (all Lake View)
1-bedroom 264
2-bedroom 346
Grand Villa 751

Want to compare to the MK view? Take some Pepto Bismol and consult the points calculator--if you dare.

Ouch!

 

[xipetotec]

It continues to amaze me people are surprised at the cost of BLT.

It was either going to cost $$$ or points...

The surprising part is people are surprised.

Contemporary is very desirable by location.
Contemporary costs more on a room basis than any other Hotel attached to a DVC.
Contemporary provides a room level that compares to nothing else DVC has (MK View)

Lake view is comparable to every other premium level out there (better views) - but its close to MK, so it costs a little more.

MK View - we have nothing like it in the system. Its got views, location, views and location. Of course its going to cost more.

There was never any doubt that the BLT rooms were going to cost more than rooms anywhere else...

Well though I'm not one of the surprised ones, it costs more $$$ *AND* points ( not *or* ). Which is kinda crummy. But oh well, as you say, it's as expected.

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

Last night I was comparing the cost of BLT with the higher point value but lower MF to my BWV points and actual $$$ cost was less at BLT.

Let me explain-- I do realize most people are not in this category but I paid a premium for my BWV points(It was my choice since that is where I wanted to stay). Since the contract had only 38 years left and I paid $92 per point, my cost is $2.42 per point + when you add on MF of $5.00 its about $7.42 per point.

BLT buy in cost is only $2.14 per point (due to the 50 year contract) + lower mf of $3.97 its only cost me $6.11 per point.

So even though It will cost more points to stay at BLT its actually cheaper for my family to stay there. Plus the weekend points are lower.

 

[Robo-Daddy 3000]

Old Key West (used Thanksgiving week for both)
1-bedroom 193
2-bedroom 261
Grand Villa 430

BLT (all Lake View)
1-bedroom 264
2-bedroom 346
Grand Villa 751

Want to compare to the MK view? Take some Pepto Bismol and consult the points calculator--if you dare.

Ouch!

Wow! So using those numbers, you can get a GV and a 2BR at OKW for 691 points and yet you'd still need another 60 points to just get the GV at BLT.
Pass the Pepto, please!

 

[StayFLA]

This will be a split stay for me. Two nights MK view studio. Three nights elsewhere in a one bedroom. I'd like to see it, but I won't buy there.

Ralph

 

[Brian Noble]

Compared to rack rates in the tower... its a steal not a deal!

I did this earlier today. Using 7% annually for amortization and lost opportunity:

BLT 1BR Lake view: 298 points, purchase price $107, dues $3.76, so first-year "cost" is ($107 * 0.07 + $3.76) * 298, or about $3,350, plus or minus. The MK view: 360 points, total cost is about $4,050.

2008 rack rates for a week in the tower: $3,870 Lake view, $4,300 MK view. So, a couple hundred bucks less, and a full 1BR rather than a mere hotel room. Even with the relatively high price per point and spendy point charts, it still looks like a pretty good deal.

 

[edk35]

It continues to amaze me people are surprised at the cost of BLT.

It was either going to cost $$$ or points...

The surprising part is people are surprised.

Contemporary is very desirable by location.
Contemporary costs more on a room basis than any other Hotel attached to a DVC.
Contemporary provides a room level that compares to nothing else DVC has (MK View)

Lake view is comparable to every other premium level out there (better views) - but its close to MK, so it costs a little more.

MK View - we have nothing like it in the system. Its got views, location, views and location. Of course its going to cost more.

There was never any doubt that the BLT rooms were going to cost more than rooms anywhere else...

I actually think the point cost is much LOWER than I thought it would be.....I really thought it would cost more. Still steep in my book but not near as bad as what some thought. You get what you pay for......BLT it is all about that location.

 

[DVC Mike]

I actually think the point cost is much LOWER than I thought it would be.....I really thought it would cost more. Still steep in my book but not near as bad as what some thought. You get what you pay for......BLT it is all about that location.

See, maybe DVC did float that rumor of $140-180 just so we'd all breath a sigh of relief and think $112 isn't bad, eh?

 

[Budshark]

I did this earlier today. Using 7% annually for amortization and lost opportunity:

BLT 1BR Lake view: 298 points, purchase price $107, dues $3.76, so first-year "cost" is ($107 * 0.07 + $3.76) * 298, or about $3,350, plus or minus. The MK view: 360 points, total cost is about $4,050.

2008 rack rates for a week in the tower: $3,870 Lake view, $4,300 MK view. So, a couple hundred bucks less, and a full 1BR rather than a mere hotel room. Even with the relatively high price per point and spendy point charts, it still looks like a pretty good deal.

Thank you for putting that together.

In magic season, a studio LV is 151 points and MK view is 182 points. So using your calculation and the studio as a comparable "hotel" room the numbers are dramatic:
($107 *.07 +$3.76) * 151 = $1700 (savings of $2170)
($107 *.07 +$3.76) * 182 = $2050 (savings of $2250)

And for those who like to know how many "years" it takes to pay off - the answer is roughly 5 years of 1 week vacations in comparable rooms. One of the faster returns of all DVC options.
($107/5 +$3.76) * 151 = $3800
($107/5 +$3.76) * 182 = $4580

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Wow! So using those numbers, you can get a GV and a 2BR at OKW for 691 points and yet you'd still need another 60 points to just get the GV at BLT.
Pass the Pepto, please!

But the OKW Grand Villas require fewer points than any other resort, so simply comparing to BLT is not exactly a true test.

 

[lenshanem]

Wow, I think alot of members are thinking they'll just do a couple nights there and then move to a resort that doesn't require so many points. I know that is what we've already discussed!

I'm really wondering when all is said and done and the excitement fades if it will be just as easy to get a lake view BLT as it is SSR or OKW. I just think once people realize they can stay at VWL, BWV and even BCV! for so less of points it just won't book up as fast.

I had really wanted to add on, but too many cons as opposed to pros for us right now. I can't justify it.