Comparison of the different DVC resorts?

[bethy]

Hi All,
We are sold on DVC overall but are still trying to figure out where to buy and how much, etc. We have never been to WDW and won't be going for at least 1-2 years since our travel schedule is currently packed. Is there a nice discussion or summary that compares and contrasts the different resorts anywhere on the internet? They all sound wonderful and I know there is something for everybody. We are just trying to figure out which home resort might be ideal for our family. Villas at the Grand Californian would probably be absolutely perfect for us (we're West Coasters and big DLR fans) but I'm not counting on being able to buy there and also want to consider all of our options from a longterm perspective.

thanks!

 

[Greg K.]

Just my opinion, but I think the idea of "home resort" is over-rated.

We rarely make our travel arrangements more than six or seven months in advance, and have always been able to stay at one of our two "homes," no problem. And we've usually vacationed during peak times (June and July).

FWIW: We joined DVC in '02 with points at BC, and two years later bought additional points at BWV, thru the Timeshare Store.

So, your mileage may vary.

Now this year, we ended up making last minute arrangements -- less than two months out. And the only place available was SSR. So we're giving that a whirl.

I wouldn't agonize over a home resort. But that's me.

 

[FLYNZ4]

Hi All,
We are sold on DVC overall but are still trying to figure out where to buy and how much, etc. We have never been to WDW and won't be going for at least 1-2 years since our travel schedule is currently packed. Is there a nice discussion or summary that compares and contrasts the different resorts anywhere on the internet? They all sound wonderful and I know there is something for everybody. We are just trying to figure out which home resort might be ideal for our family. Villas at the Grand Californian would probably be absolutely perfect for us (we're West Coasters and big DLR fans) but I'm not counting on being able to buy there and also want to consider all of our options from a longterm perspective.

thanks!

I wouldn't buy site unseen. I suggest a trip to WDW before making your decision. It is a bit of a PITA to get there from the PNW... but we do make the trip at least once/year... and often more often.

You may find that it replaces DL as your favorite

/Jim

 

[#1DisneylandFan]

We bought AKV in January without having seen the resort and not having been to WDW since 1999. We took our first trip in March and visited as many resorts as possible to see what they were like. We will definitely be adding on when the Villas at Grand Californian open - as you can see from my screen name DLR is still our favorite! We probably won't be making yearly trips to WDW with air fare going up, so I want to have CA as our home resort in order to have a better chance of getting in. The WDW website has a basic comparison of the resorts, but you can search this site for any previous threads where the resorts were described. Good luck!

 

[wisbucky]

I would say "buy where you want to stay" particularily if you plan on staying at high times. Such as the frist two weeks in December. But I do agree with someone esle and that is go see the place first before you buy. You may find that another resort has caught your eye. Ask yourself some questions such as what do you expect from the resort, entertainment - such as boardwalk, viewing animals - Animal Kingdom, or maybe being close to DTD - Saratoga Springs. I would really go see the resorts and speak to a guide. A little research on these places will help with your decission. Good luck wherever you buy!

 

[hellerjw]

You can get a good idea of the existing DVC resort's theming, room layouts, pools, restaurants, etc from the DVC website (www.disneyvacationclub.com). Click on Destinations, then Disney Vacation Club Resorts.

It won't let you do a side-by-side comparison but you can go through the pages for each resort and weed out the ones that don't interest you.

 

[GranddadTom]

This is a pretty big purchase and the 11 month booking was important to us. We use WDW as a gathering with out four children and their families so we do plan ahead in order to coordinate our schedules. And there are 11 grandchildren involved so we are pretty much stuck with busy times. We took the time to visit each of the on-site resorts (AKL wasn't open then) and that made us much more comfortable with our choice. If you will never use the 11 month window - buy resale at Hilton Head, it would be much cheaper.

 

[bobbiwoz]

The summers seem to still be a time that you can make reservations 6 months out or so and still have a choice of resorts to pick from as far as the WDW resorts go. That's not necessarily the case at VB or HH.

I wouldn't buy something I wasn't going to visit for 2-3 years yet. Plenty of things can happen in that time.

Bobbi

 

[minniekissedme]

In addition to cost, resale or buying direct from Disney, you should consider the one constant $$$ which is the maintenance fee for each property. SSR at $4.21/pt is significantly less than the $5 at BWV and $6 at Vero. Just something else to think about.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

We really like the availability of standard or preferred views at BWV.

We can stretch our points if we like, or we can have a beautiful view over crescent lake. Its also great being so close to 2 parks and the bdwlk activities.

In hindsight, we liked the idea of the GVs at OKW, with reasonable point charts, but don't know when we would use them.

AKV has it all, and the points expire in 2057. Of course, they cost more, and you are kind of out of the way.


BCV and VWL are the smallest and hardest to get into.

 

[bethy]

Thanks everyone. If we do buy soon we would use the interim points at the DLR hotels (I know it's not the best scenario but as long as I make the decision knowing that ahead of time then I'm comfortable with i.) Also, if we buy in now we would still do a 160 pt contract at VGC. One of the motivations we have to look at DVC seriously is indeed having some type of potential priority during that offering.

I just can't imagine I wouldn't like every single one of the DVC resorts. I am not a picky person and most of the time we go at off times. So if I really liked another resort better I'd likely be able to maybe get it. I'm just not a picky hotel person. But if I am going to buy I might as well up the odds of my liking it better . . . For some reason I'm not drawn to AKL because of the darker furnishings and I fear I'd get weary of the animal thing. I'm also not drawn to VWL because my backyard and all of the hotels in the Northwest look just like that. VGC looks just like that too but since it's the only offering and by far the nicest resort I think I'd survive. But I'd much prefer a tropical/beach theme.

Finally, my last concern is resale value. I want to know I can unload my contract. So all of this makes me most attracted to BCV. I don't love the decor in the rooms as much as some of the other resorts but that's OK.

On the one hand this is a large purchase but on the other hand it isn't *that* big when you consider the length of contract. I just feel like buying into DVC is generally a safe bet and one that I wouldn't regret.

 

[spiceycat]

dvc favorite time and WDW favorite time - vary.

dvc
dec 1-14
thanksgiving
food/wine festavial

very hard to get a WDW resort then - do to low points and christmas decorations, shows, specials. food/wine at Epcot also draws a bunch of DVCers.