Booking at a resort other than your home resort?

[jack'smom]

We are looking at possibly buying into the Villas at Wilderness Lodge. How hard would it be to book a 1 or 2 bedroom at Animal Kingdom Villas? We would probably be going in the low season.
Alternately, does anyone know what the price would be per point to buy in at AKV? Would it be pretty easy to book at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge if AKV was our home?
Thanks for all your help!!

 

[AKV707]

The current price at AKV is $104. I am not sure what the current incentives are. In terms of ease of booking, that is hard to say. The tried and true logic is to buy where you want to stay. You can book your home resort at 11 months, and a stay at a DVC resort other than your hoem at 7 months. Clearly, you would have a much easier time booking at your home resort.

 

[crisi]

Another rule of thumb is that smaller resorts are more difficult to book than larger resorts. VWL has its peak popularity in the Fall and Winter, but is easier to book at seven months for the summer.

AKL will be a large resort, but some of the room types will be a very small overall number of rooms. I think you'll have more luck getting VAKL at seven months overall than VWL - but if you are looking at a certain room type, you'd be better off with an AKL contract.

 

[DVC Mike]

AKV will have 458 rooms, while VWL only has 136. Unless you really want to book the concierge or value rooms at AKV, I would go with VWL.

Which resort would you want to be your default resort? Which do you prefer?

 

[Deb & Bill]

What do you consider "low season"? Might be high season for DVC members.

 

[Dean]

For a direct retail purchase I think AKV will be a better choice and if you're truly going to travel low season, you shouldn't have any trouble getting VWL at 7 months out. And I think that AKV is also worth the difference over SSR for that situation. OTOH, if you'll truly stay most trips at VWL and want to go resale, I think it's essentially a wash though overall AKV might still be the better long term value. The other question is if DVC offers the extension at VWL, one can likely buy there at the same price as AKV for the same length of RTU. And depending on how many points you wanted to buy, you might buy one and add on at the other getting the best of both worlds.

 

[jack'smom]

Can I buy 2 smaller contracts (one at VWL and one at AKLV) and have 2 home resorts, thus being able to book at 11 months out for either? If so, could I use all my points at just one of the resorts?
I love Wilderness Lodge, but AKV intrigues me too!
Also, anyone know the smallest contract I can buy for AKLV?
Thanks. Everyone has been so helpful!

 

[Dean]

Can I buy 2 smaller contracts (one at VWL and one at AKLV) and have 2 home resorts, thus being able to book at 11 months out for either? If so, could I use all my points at just one of the resorts?
I love Wilderness Lodge, but AKV intrigues me too!
Also, anyone know the smallest contract I can buy for AKLV?
Thanks. Everyone has been so helpful!

Yes you can. The only thing you could not do would be to use the VWL or AKV points at the other resorts until 7 months out. But you can combine them at 7 months out. It's a great choice for many.

 

[LisaS]

Can I buy 2 smaller contracts (one at VWL and one at AKLV) and have 2 home resorts, thus being able to book at 11 months out for either? If so, could I use all my points at just one of the resorts?

At 11 months from your check out date, you can use only your VWL points to book VWL and your AKV points to book at AKV. At 7 months from your check out date, you can use points from either or both contracts to book any resort.

What many of us do is purchase enough points to stay at a particular resort every other year by banking points. For example, in even numbered years you could bank your VWL points and stay at AKV. In odd numbered years you bank your AKV points and use the 2 years' worth of points you have accumulated in your VWL contract to book at VWL.

 

[JimnSha]

we just purchased 300pts at AKV...... and just booked our 1st trip at VWL for the week though Easter 08' without a problem ( AKV was booked for that week ) fyi

 

[doconeill]

Also note that AKV is pretty small right now. When it is complete it will be much larger, and therefore booking might be easier.

 

[Jaaron2]

At 11 months from your check out date, you can use only your VWL points to book VWL and your AKV points to book at AKV. At 7 months from your check out date, you can use points from either or both contracts to book any resort.

What many of us do is purchase enough points to stay at a particular resort every other year by banking points. For example, in even numbered years you could bank your VWL points and stay at AKV. In odd numbered years you bank your AKV points and use the 2 years' worth of points you have accumulated in your VWL contract to book at VWL.

We did the same thing with AKV (Oct UY) which we will use for Nov / Dec holidays and BCV (April UY) which we will use for the summer. Since we went resale we actually have 2 different UY. Now with the new rules I am happy that our BCV contract has a April UY.

 

[salmoneous]

Historically, WL has been a more popular resort than AKL and VWL is much smaller than AKL. *Just from a booking standpoint* I think you are better off owning at VWL and booking at AKV than vice versa.

But that ignores the different point cost (you can buy VWL resale cheaper than AKV), and that AKV has 15 extras than VWL.

 

[jack'smom]

I'm confused as to the 15 extras that AKL has over VWL?

 

[LisaS]

I'm confused as to the 15 extras that AKL has over VWL?

That was a typo in salmoneous' post. It should read that AKV has 15 extra years. AKV contracts expire on Jan 31, 2057. VWL contracts expire Jan 31, 2042.