We are now planning to buy DVC points, after 5 years of careful consideration. We want to buy resale to get the best bang for our buck. Our resort of choice is Bay Lake Tower because of proximity to MK, monorail for easy access to signature dining choices and Epcot, lower points per night than VGF and I'm sure will be lower than the Polynesian Villas, and the newness of the property (I'm thinking lower maintenance fees for longer due to newer construction but I may be wrong). The easy access to 2 parks and a large choice of dining experiences will be great for us in retirement years, especially if we have any mobility issues as I suspect we may due to the fact I have foot problems (my mom has the same issue and has had limited mobility since her early 50's). Our second choice is Villas at Wilderness Lodge, because we have been in love with WL since the moment we saw it and for us it is far and away the most beautiful & relaxing resort. The only hesitation is the 2042 expiration date, but that is of course a huge drawback. That being said, we are actually considering buying Villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge because it may be a better fit for us. We like the property and would enjoy staying there if we could not get another resort at the 7 month mark, we love the AKL restaurants, it's newer like BLT but has a lot of the same things we love about WL, expiration date would put us into our early-late 80's, and the points are much cheaper resale at $75-$80 or so vs. BLT at $100-$110. Price per point is comparable at VWL to VAKL, but of course you get 12 less years at VWL, making the overall value lower. Value for our dollar and saving money are a big factor for us, in order to make the purchase "worth it" for us financially.
Background: We are a childless couple, in our mid-30's to 40's, although I do have a young-adult stepson who will travel with us from time to time, I expect more and more after he marries and has children. Also we would like to be able to bring my mother-in-law every few years, my mom and my young nephews (currently ages 9 & 3) occasionally (more difficult for them to travel than my DMIL who lives near us). We love the parks of course, but the resort experience and sit-down dining experiences are getting to be equally important. We usually travel in December, but are wanting to vacation mostly from the end of October-early December, and maybe occasionally late Feb-early April. We do not plan to go in temps above 80 or so or anytime school is out. We will most likely book studios when it is just the 2 of us traveling, but the garden tub and in-room laundry in the 1 bedroom are very appealing and may become a choice for us even when its just the 2 of us. 8 days (9 nights) is our preferred vacation length, though we often spend our first night in a value or off-site to save money as we don't arrive until around 8pm or later on our travel day. We generally drive (about 12 hours + 1 hour for time change).
My questions are: In consideration of the above info, is VAKL the best fit for us? I'm considering purchasing 200 points. Does that seem like enough? My thoughts on this are if we do need more, I can add a smaller contract at a future date, then have the ability to sell one of the contracts & keep one if our situation changes in retirement due to health issues. I'm thinking an August or September use year, but to be honest, the use year importance is confusing to me still.
Thank you for reading this long post! I look forward to your advice!
Background: We are a childless couple, in our mid-30's to 40's, although I do have a young-adult stepson who will travel with us from time to time, I expect more and more after he marries and has children. Also we would like to be able to bring my mother-in-law every few years, my mom and my young nephews (currently ages 9 & 3) occasionally (more difficult for them to travel than my DMIL who lives near us). We love the parks of course, but the resort experience and sit-down dining experiences are getting to be equally important. We usually travel in December, but are wanting to vacation mostly from the end of October-early December, and maybe occasionally late Feb-early April. We do not plan to go in temps above 80 or so or anytime school is out. We will most likely book studios when it is just the 2 of us traveling, but the garden tub and in-room laundry in the 1 bedroom are very appealing and may become a choice for us even when its just the 2 of us. 8 days (9 nights) is our preferred vacation length, though we often spend our first night in a value or off-site to save money as we don't arrive until around 8pm or later on our travel day. We generally drive (about 12 hours + 1 hour for time change).
My questions are: In consideration of the above info, is VAKL the best fit for us? I'm considering purchasing 200 points. Does that seem like enough? My thoughts on this are if we do need more, I can add a smaller contract at a future date, then have the ability to sell one of the contracts & keep one if our situation changes in retirement due to health issues. I'm thinking an August or September use year, but to be honest, the use year importance is confusing to me still.
Thank you for reading this long post! I look forward to your advice!
Bill
