Convenience vs Cost

[baggsfamily]

Hello-
Finally prepared to buy, but facing a debate. We love Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Love the idea of the ability to walk or boat to these parks from Beach club and Boardwalk. Haven't done this yet as we have only stayed at AKL, but next trip this would be ideal.

In buying, looks like Saratoga might be best bang for our buck with a reasonably long lease and pricing around $70-75 per point. BCV BWV seem to only have shorter time periods available...have any owners been given chance at extensions past 2042?

Wondering if BCV and BWV book up quickly for mid June through mid July (our regular travel times) at 7 months out. What about week before Christmas (possible extra trip this year only)? We might consider AKL if we can find the right price...but felt bus service was slow when we stayed there last year.
Thanks for your advice!

 

[disneynutz]

If you want BWV or BCV consistently then you should buy there. If you are willing to take a chance then buy at SSR.

Two thoughts:

You should stay at BWV and BCV before buying especially at BWV with the different room categories.

You can't predict the future, Disney is always coming up with events to increase attendance so a slower period today may be really busy tomorrow.

Bill

 

[bakerworld]

We're bus adverse. We own at BL and BC and well as AK. AK you can stay 5N for 45 pts in a value studio and for Spring Training this is a plus as we won't visit the parks much (if at all). When we stay at BC we only go to Epcot and HS. BL is a bit more friendly as you can catch a bus from and to many places from a monorail resort or TTC plus having the monorail for Epcot altho I admit we usually do not do AK or HS.

Just things to consider as you mentioned slow bus service from AK.

Another option you might consider is Dolphin/Swan. When book thru airlines you can get great deals which include the room fees - then you just need to purchase you park tickets elsewhere.

 

[chitwndan]

The one point I hear over and over which really strikes home is buy somewhere you will not be disappointed to stay at. So we focused our search on 2 places BLT for a higher priced option (yours would likely be BCV) and AKL for a lower priced option.

I don't like buses so BLT provided the most busless travel option IMO. With the young kids and a DW who loves MK, and the fact that the contemporary is probably our 3rd favorite resort (transportation excluded) behind Poly and AKL. Whether the value is there for you or not I can't say.

With that being said, right now, based on everything I've read in the past two months, which is a lot. It seems like you'd have a decent chance to get in, but you can't be sure of it.

Look at post #3 in the following thread by drusba for some great info.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3281173&highlight=best+resort

 

[NoleFan]

For us, we bought where we want to stay. We would be disappointed staying elsewhere or taking our chances. Bcv can be difficult to get during the summer. Week before Christmas is a busy DVC time. It also depends on how much you value the length of the contract. If we own our contract until expiry, we are happy. 28 years is good for us (2042 expiry date). We always look forward to our bcv & bwv stays. We have tried other places & although they are nice, we prefer having home resort advantages at our favorites. We only own 150 points total so the $$$ difference was not too significant vs SSR or akl

 

[DizBub]

If you really want to stay at BCV/BWV then that's where you should buy. Plus be prepared to book your stays at the 11 month mark.

SSR is a wonderful resort with a longer time left on the contract and lower MFs. If you won't be disappointed staying there when you can't get into the Epcot resorts then buying SSR would be a good option.

As stated earlier, the AKV value villas are an unbelievable value. I'd even put up with the bus service for that. Frankly, if you were upset about the buses at AKV you will hate the bus service at BWV and BCV.

 

[ToddyLu]

We own at AKL. I talked DH into staying Halloween Night last year at BLT. We had been in the contemporary many times but not BLT. When the car pulled up to drop us off our hearts sank...it was just blah for us. The following day we were glad to be home at AKL.

Do not underestimate how much your trips will change once becoming a DVC member. The resort amenities will be very important after about 4 years of ownership. If swimming is important to you and the kids, and you see yourself enjoying that amenity--go for BCV, especially if the clown pool at BWV creeps you out. If you want to be on the other side of the lake and like the decor at BWV better, then choose BWV.

When spending thousands of dollars on a timeshare...Disney is a great perk which you can enjoy from any resort...if I want to have the perk of SAB, I had better own there. Imagine being stuck at your resort all day due to a sudden weather event or illness...will either of your choices make a difference? At AKV we love the decor, community hall, food options, pools and CM interaction. When it rained for our first two days in the May trip this year...we loved being at AKV.

 

[Msmithmd]

I agree with the general consensus. Buy where you want to stay.

The equation might be different if one resort cost triple what another did, but if you are looking at comparable priced properties, it is a no-brainer to purchase where you think you want to stay most often.

 

[HokieGCC]

We are relatively new to DVC but not to Disney. Over the years we dislike the buses more and more. So, when we bought it was BWV. Two of the parks are enjoyable walks. Still have to catch the buses for MK and AK but we find we spend quite a bit of time at Epcot World Showcase. So, if you are noticing how slow the buses are you might want to buy into a resort where you can walk to at least one park (BLT, BWV, BC).

I have a totally different feeling about the boats at the Wilderness lodge. I don't think they are any faster than buses but I find the boat ride pleasant so for at least me it is kind of like walking to the MK.

 

[NoleFan]

We definitely make more Disney trips now that we are DVC owners & spend more time at the resorts. For some, they are happy just being at Disney. For us, we are happy when we are staying at bcv or bwv.

 

[chitwndan]

I have a totally different feeling about the boats at the Wilderness lodge. I don't think they are any faster than buses but I find the boat ride pleasant so for at least me it is kind of like walking to the MK.

I have to 2nd the boats mentioned above. We just go back from 10 days at Fort Wilderness and couldn't have been happier with the boats. It's a nice relaxing trip out on the water. Even when the monorails were down, I believe due to weather but can't be sure, the response when leaving the park and asking about if the boats were running, "Yes sir. You can always count on the Navy." It still makes me smile, I don't know why.

 

[LSchrow]

we're of the "buy where you love" group
our initial purchase (in 1999) was at BWV, added on at BCV & SSR.
we've stayed at almost all the DVCs, as well as the deluxes & mods, and found BWV was our absolute favorite (the views are amazing, they have a fantastic community hall, & there is just so much too do.....or you could just relax. it is probably the most versatile WDW resort with all the options available.
we greatly enjoy SSR for more laid-back trips, where we are visiting DTD more (with great views from CP). BCV is nice, but the views are somewhat lacking, the resort & pool too noisy & chaotic for our tastes (we prefer the non-DVC YC side, and just avoid the main pool).

it shouldn't be too difficult to get into an EPCOT resort in june/july (again, assuming no events are added), but you really need to own where you want to stay from a week or two before t-day thru new years.
& anytime during EPCOT's F&WF, the EPCOT resorts are booked pretty solid (it's possible to get a few nights, but can be nerve-wracking).
hth

 

[skier_pete]

It seems like no-one has fully answered the OPs questions, so I will give it a try. I am relatively new to DVC, but have been listening to a lot of advice.

Hello-
Finally prepared to buy, but facing a debate. We love Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Love the idea of the ability to walk or boat to these parks from Beach club and Boardwalk. Haven't done this yet as we have only stayed at AKL, but next trip this would be ideal.

In buying, looks like Saratoga might be best bang for our buck with a reasonably long lease and pricing around $70-75 per point. BCV BWV seem to only have shorter time periods available...have any owners been given chance at extensions past 2042?

No, there are no extensions past 2042. The higher cost of BWV and especially BCV is due to their popularity. Very hard to book at certain times of year at the 7-month window. The negative is your contract runs out much faster there.

Wondering if BCV and BWV book up quickly for mid June through mid July (our regular travel times) at 7 months out. What about week before Christmas (possible extra trip this year only)? We might consider AKL if we can find the right price...but felt bus service was slow when we stayed there last year.
Thanks for your advice!

Week before Christmas you are most certainly out of luck. DVC in general and BCV / BWV in particular are VERY popular from the start of Food & Wine festival through to the first weekend of January (Disney Marathon). Summertime should be less of a problem, though I haven't been a DVC member long enough to be an authority on what's available at the 7-month window at BCV/BWV during the summer.

I also agree what most posters are saying: Buy at a resort you will be happy with. If what you really want is BWV - then that's where you should go. We bought at AKV mostly because we love it there, but I personally am not bothered by the buses generally. We seriously thought about BWV, but the shorter contract turned me off.

 

[a742246]

Another option is to rent someone's points and stay at BWV or BC, this way you will know for sure what you want.

For me I like the BWV standards, as I find that to be the best deal in DVC for me.

Remember, 25 years is a long time so if you choose BWV or BC you will get your monies worth. But with all the improvements they are making with DTD,
SSR may hold your interest in the future. Decisions, decisions....... At least they are good decisions.

 

[wdwfan1]

We own at BWV. It is difficult to book the end of December if you do not own there and book before it opens to everyone at 7 months. You may see a day here and there, but I would not count on getting anything if you don't own there.
I am trying to book an extra night mid December) and have had no luck with the waitlist or looking online myself. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Nanajo1]

We bought OKW in 1998. We loved the room sizes. We bought BWV in 2001 to be able to get to W+F easily. When finances allow we hope to add AKL. Each resort offers something different. I find the bus service at BWV the worst of all. We enjoy going to DTD for meals. Those busses always seem scace. AKL busses are really very good. It took less than 15 min to get to MK by bus.
We didn't extend our contract when it was offered. The contract expiration date 2042 doesn't bother us. We will have had 44 years of vacations and we'll be 93!

 

[nan214]

We just bought at BWV - 150 points. We initially were going to buy at SSR to save $$, but after doing the research, buying into where you want to stay a majority of the time is the way to go. We love BWV and wanted to make sure we could stay there. The extra $2000 over 28 yrs was a no brainier for us. We have friends that bought into SSR 3 yrs ago and they were hoping to stay at BWV or bcv - they still have not been able to get a room(they do only try for studios ).
Buy where you want to stay. Worth it in the long run.

 

[luckyman_apd]

We are currently on our first stay here at BCV and I love it. Would not hesitate. We love BLT where we own... But each place has its pluses and minuses. We also hate busses so this place is great along with BLT. We are not fans of AK Park so I forsee BLT BCV and BWV for our future staus

 

[DizBub]

We are currently on our first stay here at BCV and I love it. Would not hesitate. We love BLT where we own... But each place has its pluses and minuses.

BLT and BCV are our home resorts too. It's really nice to have a monorail resort and an Epcot resort to reserve at 11 months. However we love SSR and OKW and use our points to stay there fairly often. Would love to buy a 150/200 point SSR resale contract to free up the BLT and BCV points to stay at all our home resorts every year.

 

[ganban]

We bought OKW in 1998. We loved the room sizes. We bought BWV in 2001 to be able to get to W+F easily. When finances allow we hope to add AKL. Each resort offers something different. I find the bus service at BWV the worst of all. We enjoy going to DTD for meals. Those busses always seem scace. AKL busses are really very good. It took less than 15 min to get to MK by bus.
We didn't extend our contract when it was offered. The contract expiration date 2042 doesn't bother us. We will have had 44 years of vacations and we'll be 93!

NanaJo, I love your list of grandprincesses and grandpirates. You sound like us, although we're getting a late start with DVC. Though we've been to WDW 10+ times, we are finally buying. Just passed ROFR last Monday w/160 pts at SSR and hope to make our first visit in January. I'm 58 and DH is 60. When our contract expires, we'll be 98 & 100. But w/ all our kids and grandkids, someone will be glad of this investment. We like that we can walk to DTD from SSR,and we like the treehouses. When it comes to Disney, I want more, more, more. Would like to try all before maybe buying more. Hoping this is just a start.