Deciding which resort to purchase-any advice/thoughts?

[KAT4DISNEY]

Am I wrong? I saw the 2017 dues for BW at $6.5496 a point, while SSR was 5.8564 and BLT was 5.9226; clearly if this is the case BW is a decent amount MORE money in MF's..

It is, but it also has some lower point requirement rooms than the other two. BWV preferred is along the lines of BLT standard view. And of course BWV standard view is lower than any BLT rooms. SSR standard view is a little closer and generally the best dollar value because of lower dues, lower buy in and it now has lower point standard view rooms. If you're going to look to trade out frequently then it's more about purchase price and dues so SSR again is quite good.

 

[lovin'fl]

Between BWV and SSR, on a 100 point contract, it's only a $70 difference.

 

[Pluto777]

Between BWV and SSR, on a 100 point contract, it's only a $70 difference.

I'm not sure what you mean by a "$70 difference"? However if you DON'T like BWV (I personally don't care for the creepy clown thingy), then you should also remember that at 7 months all contracts are 100% equal - and the lower MF's are far more important over the long term than the buy in price aren't they?

 

[lovin'fl]

Between BWV and SSR, on a 100 point contract, it's only a $70 difference.

For annual dues.

 

[pineapplepalms]

Buy where you want to stay.

Don’t let the 2042 expiration bother you if that’s where you want to stay.

There’s a time value to money, but there’s also a time value to time. Enjoying where you want to stay for more than two decades now is worth far more than what will happen 23 yrs from now.

This is a luxury purchase. I wouldn’t compromise on the now for potential value/enjoyment when I’m in my 70’s. My kids won’t be kids in 23 yrs, etc etc.

We own three contracts, BCV, Poly, and AKV. If we could only keep one, it’d be BCV and that’s not even a debate.

If you still really love WDW and DVC in 23 years, you’ll have options. In the meantime, I wouldn’t sacrifice on a luxury purchase by not staying where you want to stay because of what might happen that far out.

There’s a time value to today.

I agree, especially if you're buying one contract for now, that it's important to buy where you want to stay if you know you care where you stay. We recently purchased BWV resale even though it cost more overall per point than our CCV contract because it's still worth it to us (paid cash and no plans to sell). We also purchased SSR resale for a second stay every year where we can try out different resorts over time (we'll likely use SSR points for non-peak DVC travel times and the others for fall-December stays). Epcot is my favorite park and I imagine we'll really love HS after the expansion is complete, so being able to walk to those 2 parks for the next 24 years is so, so worth it. We chose BWV instead of BCV due to the BW views and option for lower priced standard views if we ever wanted to save points, plus we like that BWV also has GVs if we ever want to bring along family/friends in the future. If you like going in the fall then it's important to own at an Epcot resort. I think we're not as biased towards MK because we drive to DLR several times a year and MK is the most similar park. If you're mostly staying at MK resorts in the summer, availability tends to better than the fall so home resort might matter a bit less. So definitely factor in where/when you like to stay, which parks you like to frequent, and how important it is to you to get the best value vs the best experience (it can be the same but not always).

 

[Pluto777]

For annual dues.

Ok, I see what you mean. Yes, on 100 points ONLY it's $70 every year, but what about 200 points? what about over 20 or 30 years?

 

[Pluto777]

For annual dues.

Lets do a hypothetical example; one SSR and one BWV contract, both 100 points - and let's even be generous and say you managed to find a BWV so cheap it cost the SAME as the SSR contract at a cost of $100 a point each (would you find that? I doubt it but never mind let's keep the math simple). So you paid 10,000 exactly for each (excluding closing costs etc).. For the next 24 years (until 2042) lets assume the MF's stayed at the same price difference of exactly $70 a year. That would mean that in 2042 you would have paid $1680 more in MF's for the BWV contract (an additional cost of 16.8%). Not only that, but in 2042 your BWV contract would end and be worth 0, but you would still have 12 years left on your SSR. As I said, I'm not knocking those who bought BWV or any other contract because they aren't concerned about costs vs value etc, but look at it only as a luxury item. In my own case however, I considered it from a monetary value standpoint, and my conclusion (and I could be wrong, but this was my opinion based on my own calculations based on the present situation - which of course CAN change) was to buy SSR (and I also own a smaller BLT).

 

[4luv2cdisney]

2042 IS a long time from now, but will it SEEM that way in 9 years (2027)? I bought for two reasons, 1) to enjoy it of course, but ALSO 2) with a practical view as well. The argument of 'will I still be going, alive or 'too old to go' in 2042'? Was NOT the factor for the purchases I personally made (I own BLT and SSR). In my case my plan is that when I am no longer interested in using my contracts I plan to sell them - not keep them to the last day of expiration. Therefore, it is not necessarily a case of 'will I still be going/interested in going past 2042'?, but a case of will I be able to SELL THEM and hope fully recoup some/all or even MORE than what I paid for them? I could certainly be wrong, but in my opinion when I am ready to sell in the future I THINK 2054 and 2060 will sound further out than 2042 and hopefully this get me a higher sale price as time gets closer. Of course as I said, I had TWO reasons for buying, if you are a buyer thinking ONLY of reason #1 then the simple 'buy where you want to stay' seems best; for me factor 2 was equally important.

I think there will definitely be a difference in value 10 years from now but probably not as much as some people think. Especially comparing BWV to SSR. It's a 12 year difference. In my real life, those same people were asking me if there were shorter options. The thought of a 10-15 year term was actually more appealing to them. Will they want a "deal" for a shorter term? Probably, but it's still going to come down to home resort advantage for a lot of buyers.

Also, at that time who knows what else there will be.... What will Riviera have as an end date? 2070? What resorts will come after that? So, SSR will have an end date in the middle of what's out there. I think more people will be deciding between Riv and BWV not SSR and BWV. So, one could assume a large-ish price difference between BWV and Riv but not a huge gap between BWV and SSR.

Also, if rental is still strong, people will hold on to their BWV points for the last leg and rent them out rather than dump them for pennies.

There is already a gap in end date and yet people are still paying more for BWV. I don't think it's because they're stupid.

 

[lovin'fl]

Yeah, for me, paying a couple grand more over the next 24 years if worth it to be able to walk to two parks, Epcot being one. Gosh, and in a year or so, when the Star Wars land opens, HS will be up there too. I suspect my BWV will be very very tough to get at the 7 month window then.

 

[Pluto777]

I think there will definitely be a difference in value 10 years from now but probably not as much as some people think. Especially comparing BWV to SSR. It's a 12 year difference. In my real life, those same people were asking me if there were shorter options. The thought of a 10-15 year term was actually more appealing to them. Will they want a "deal" for a shorter term? Probably, but it's still going to come down to home resort advantage for a lot of buyers.

Also, at that time who knows what else there will be.... What will Riviera have as an end date? 2070? What resorts will come after that? So, SSR will have an end date in the middle of what's out there. I think more people will be deciding between Riv and BWV not SSR and BWV. So, one could assume a large-ish price difference between BWV and Riv but not a huge gap between BWV and SSR.

Also, if rental is still strong, people will hold on to their BWV points for the last leg and rent them out rather than dump them for pennies.

There is already a gap in end date and yet people are still paying more for BWV. I don't think it's because they're stupid.

People can pay more for whatever they like. As I said, if you like a particular resort and are sure thats the place you want to stay - and money is NOT an issue, then you can go for it. In my own situation, I prefered to choose what I felt was the best value for my money. Is a 12 year difference a lot in terms of resale value (for SSR)? Or an 18 year difference for BLT? I don't know, but ask that question again in 2027 or 2037 on a 2042 vs 2054 or 2060 expiration and MY best guess is yes, it will be. Add an assumption for lower Maintenance fees on top of that and I think you can see why I made my choice. However, that said, everyone has their own preferences and even their OWN reasons for why they pick a particular resort.

 

[4luv2cdisney]

Lets do a hypothetical example; one SSR and one BWV contract, both 100 points - and let's even be generous and say you managed to find a BWV so cheap it cost the SAME as the SSR contract at a cost of $100 a point each (would you find that? I doubt it but never mind let's keep the math simple). So you paid 10,000 exactly for each (excluding closing costs etc).. For the next 24 years (until 2042) lets assume the MF's stayed at the same price difference of exactly $70 a year. That would mean that in 2042 you would have paid $1680 more in MF's for the BWV contract (an additional cost of 16.8%). Not only that, but in 2042 your BWV contract would end and be worth 0, but you would still have 12 years left on your SSR. As I said, I'm not knocking those who bought BWV or any other contract because they aren't concerned about costs vs value etc, but look at it only as a luxury item. In my own case however, I considered it from a monetary value standpoint, and my conclusion (and I could be wrong, but this was my opinion based on my own calculations based on the present situation - which of course CAN change) was to buy SSR (and I also own a smaller BLT).

Not all are just simply unconcerned about costs....just maybe have different calculations.

I have 5 nights at BWV booked in December for 2 value studios at 50 points...100 points total. Same stay in a standard at SSR is 120 and I personally would not be happy staying standard at SSR so I would book preferred at 150 points. So, my buy in and dues would be less at SSR, but it would require 50% more points.

So, for the math.....say SSR is $90/pt resale and BWV is $110/pt.resale plus dues (I'm gonna round everything)
BWV $11.50/pt
SSR $$8.50/pt

BWV stay is $1150
SSR stay is $1275

(Even at 120 points it's $1,020 for SSR. I don't think in terms of a WDW vacation $130 is a huge difference) Of course, there may be a time I don't get standard view. It's going to change the numbers. At $3/pt my trip will cost $450 more to stay in BWV. Or maybe I choose to book OKW for 100 points instead....... who knows.

Most importantly, I would not be getting that studio at BWV in December with SSR points.

Point is, there are lots of different buyers out there. SSR wouldn't necessarily save ME money but it may save you (and others) money. These conversations are good because it gives people a lot to think about as far as their wants / needs and budget.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'm not sure what you mean by a "$70 difference"? However if you DON'T like BWV (I personally don't care for the creepy clown thingy), then you should also remember that at 7 months all contracts are 100% equal - and the lower MF's are far more important over the long term than the buy in price aren't they?

Since you wouldn't use the BWV points at BWV and are planning on booking at 7 months it makes sense to purchase SSR. But if one wants to book at BWV at 11 months then buying BWV can still make sense as there are rooms there that require fewer points than SSR and help even out the difference. It's two different comparisons though.

 

[amccu18007]

Am I wrong? I saw the 2017 dues for BW at $6.5496 a point, while SSR was 5.8564 and BLT was 5.9226; clearly if this is the case BW is a decent amount MORE money in MF's..

I also look at the number of points needed per night for a premium resort( easy access to at least one park) and BWV costs less per night. We typically stay in studios as we like to go often and stretch our points and I find BLT studios rather small and SSR too far away for my liking so to me, the money value is just part of the full picture you should be looking at. Others have worked out the numbers but ultimately, I think it really does come down to buying where you want to stay regardless of how long the contract is because big things are happening at Disney and that is REALLY going to throw a wrench into switching resorts at 7 mos IMO.

 

[CraigInPA]

My wife and I own at BLT. Before we purchased there, we read all the "small studios" and "no Disney theme" posts here. But, being careful people, we decided to stay at the 2 resorts we were considering. Those were BCV and BLT.

We loved BCV for its easy access to Epcot and walking distance to the Boardwalk and DHS. We did not like the room itself (soon after the recent renovation, all the beach theme was gone), and especially did not like the views from the balconies (a wall of trees or the pool). The room itself was fine for 3, but 4 adults would make it seem "small".

We found the BLT studio a little smaller, but by no means claustrophobic. The views are amazing. The walk to the MK and the quick ride on the monorail to the TTC are huge selling features for us. I think 3 adults can fit into a BLT studio, but 4 adults would be out of the question.

We did not consider any of the "island" resorts (SSR, OKW, AKV) because we did not want to have to drive or ride a bus to go to a park. I don't know why we didn't consider BWV. We probably just overlooked it.

in the end, we chose where we wanted to stay. That BLT has an extra 18 years is an added benefit.

 

[MinnieB]

I think Poly is frequently overlooked as also being an Epcot resort. Our last stay was in the Pago Pago building, and the walk to the TTC to get to Epcot wasn’t much longer than going to the Long House to get to MK. It’s also nice to know it has almost all studios, making those much easier to snag. Plus it’s an amazing resort with lots of theming and fun activities and has lots of years left on the contracts.

We had really wanted BWV, but missed the resale benefits change cut off after we lost our first contract to ROFR. Discouraged, we ended up just buying a small contract direct at Poly and now are really glad we did!

 

[The Jackal]

Yeah, for me, paying a couple grand more over the next 24 years if worth it to be able to walk to two parks, Epcot being one. Gosh, and in a year or so, when the Star Wars land opens, HS will be up there too. I suspect my BWV will be very very tough to get at the 7 month window then.

No doubt it will be hard to few BWV, but I think Rivera will be even harder at that point along with the Star Wars Hotel (non DVC)built on site at DHS. That will be booked for a year or two in no time. It will probably be hard to get all Disney Resorts. Then there is a rumor of a new hotel at the front entrance of Epcot. Only time will tell. I wonder since Disney and the 4 theme parks are crowded all year long now has any plans on a fifth theme park. They had one open in the 70’s, two in the 80’s and one in the 90’s.

 

[hamilkm]

We own at the Poly and CC. Right now we have 150 at the Poly and 70 at CC. Later this year I am planning to add 60 more at CC. I am adding in small chunks as I save up money. I chose these 2 resorts because of theme, location, and expiration. I am 32 and expecting my first child. It will be just me and my daughter. My mom is the co-owner on my contract. Right now she travels with me on my trips. Later on, it will probably be just my daughter and I. I didn’t want my contract to expire when I was 56 and my daughter barely out of college. This is something I want to hopefully share with my grandchildren. If that doesn’t work out, the longer dates should make reselling easier. Our favorite parks are MK and Epcot. CC was our MK option and we are using the Poly as our MK/Epcot option. I was worried about studios only at the Poly in case I ever married/had more children, but 2 connecting studios at the Poly is still less points then most 2 bedrooms. CC gives us the one bedroom option if we want it some day. We have stayed at BLT and while we enjoyed it, I wouldn’t want more than 2 adults and 1 child in those studios. CC studios are also small but are laid out much better. We just stayed in a Poly studio with 3 adults and had plenty of room for a fourth.

I love both Epcot resorts but just couldn’t spend the money for a shorter contract at the position I’m in right now. For the foreseeable future MK will be my daughter’s favorite park. By the time we move to wanting to stay at Epcot, there won’t be many years left on those. I might consider a small add on at the riviera resort after I see rooms/point charts.