Do you own VB???

[supersuperwendy]

I was curious how many of you have points at Vero Beach? We were looking at the resales and there are some smaller contracts at a nice price. We are thinking that it might be nice to add on a beach vacation in conjunction with our WDW visits. Is it suggested to be an owner to get the summer season? Or not really and it's pretty easy to get at 7 months for a 2 bedroom? I've read about bugs that bite...do you stay away in the summer months because of them? We have never stayed there, but it seems like a great resort.

Could anyone share photos or great/bad experiences about VB?

 

[bobbiwoz]

We own at VB. We were there in June and went to 2 campfires and we did wear bug spray, and none of us (6 in all) were bothered by bugs at the campfires or at any other time on this trip.

I booked a 2 bedroom for a weekend about 3 months before the trip that began on June 10th. We were using other points for this trip, and at first it was just going to be DH and myself, but our DGC's family now live in FL and they were able to join us, so we went from just an OVIR to the 2 bedroom.

The MF's are high, but we are not sorry to have the VB points, and within the past year, we bought 50 more points, because we really like having a Beach Cottage, and we think that a family vacation in a BC every 2 years sounds just what we want to do. We've had 2 stays in BC's so far and at 7 months I've always been able to get 2-4 inn rooms for the other guests we invite. Only once, did one of the guests have to have a garden view room because at 7 months the ocean view inn rooms were all gone. The wait list for an OVIR never came through.

Bobbi

PS. My DGC love to do the arts and crafts projects that they offer and the CM's are very friendly. The DGC had a very nice time trading pins with the CMs on this trip. The kids are 6, 7 and 8. We also go to places off site, it was a long drive to Bathtub Reef Beach, Hutchinson Island, but it was worth the trip.

 

[DVCconvert]

If you haven't visited here:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2610219
there is tons of VB info on the above thread, and alot of frequent visitors & owners watch and post there.

Having said that, I do own at VB. For many years we just used our 7 month window with BWV points to book there. Never really had a big problem getting into what we wanted (mostly off peak) at the 7 month mark. However, then we stayed in a Beach Cottage. Man were we hooked on those!
So we start to acquire VB points to give us the 11 month booking window. The peak time there is basically Feb - April. IF you want to visit during these times then I think owning at VB is a big advantage. The bugs are the same as on any other beach - they are most noticable in the spring and early fall or in the cool of the nights in the summer. We never have found it to be a big deal.

Due to the cost of the MF's I would HIGHLY recomend you visit there prior to buying there - to see if you really do like it there enough to commit to the purchase and to commit to the MF's every year. For some, it's too laid-back, to remote, for us, it's perfect but by visiting before committing you can make up your own mind.

HTH

 

[wdw1972]

I used to have 3 contracts there but sold them all when AKV came on the market. The beach is lousy (compared to Hilton Head and many other FL beaches), the resort is not convenient to dining or anything else, and the dues are really high. Summer is hot & humid - unbearable even on the beach, so it's not hard to get in there at 7 months. Last time I did was 4th of July 2009 and I thought I was going to die by 11am! I live in FL, too - so I'm used to heat/humidity.

When looking at those attractive purchase prices, be sure to factor in the extra $1-2/year in higher dues for 30 years. You'll see those points really aren't such a value after all. Don't buy them unless you really want to be at Vero & plan to either get a Beach Cottage or visit during peak season.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I agree with Sue about the beach at VB. It isn't the Gulf Coast with white sugar sand and wide expansive beaches. There is a pretty good drop off not too far out.

We went to VB once for a few nights before our WDW trip. Been there, done that. We prefer Marco Beach to BV.

 

[Starr W.]

We own at VB, because we go for spring break and like the option of getting a beach cottage. We like the fact the resort is kind of remote and it's not some made up of huge white towers.



I don't do FL beaches in summer, we prefer to go to the mountains.

 

[sarahk0204]

I agree with Sue about the beach at VB. It isn't the Gulf Coast with white sugar sand and wide expansive beaches. There is a pretty good drop off not too far out.

We went to VB once for a few nights before our WDW trip. Been there, done that. We prefer Marco Beach to BV.

Definitely visit first. My grandparents lived on the Atlantic side about 20 miles north of VB, so for me, that kind of beach is "home". When I found DVC had a resort on A1A, I was thrilled. However, the Atlantic side and the Gulf side are very different.

We did VB before our WDW trip this summer. We liked it so much, we are planning a US/WWOHP trip with VB at the end for maybe 2013. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[queendarvet]

I really love VB. I grew up spending my summers on the gulf side (Sanibel) and while I love the gulf I prefer to swim in the Atlantic in the summer. The water is much cooler and there are less critters in the water! We bought a small contract so we could get a beach cottage. We stayed in one this June and were so glad we are owners. I booked it exactly at 11 months and tried to waitlist several months later for another night and it never came through. I have never had any issues getting an OV inn room at 7 months but usually just DH and I go in either January (which we love) or late May/early June. Definitely visit before you consider buying though, the MFs are high. A combo trip of WDW and Vero is perfect, the best of both worlds.

 

[BUDDYBEAR]

we like vb but we dont own there

 

[supersuperwendy]

Thanks for the input guys I appreciate it so much. Our add on conversation yesterday actually started after I read some great HHI trip reports. If I had my choice I think I'd add on there in a heartbeat but my husband thinks it makes no sense for us. Since we NEVER drive to WDW and always fly he thinks VB makes sense since we can visit while we're down there. I've been pushing to drive to WDW for years and maybe if we had HHI we'd have a reason to drive down rather than fly. I've seen pictures of the beach (VB) and I'm not too impressed. The biggest draw would be the beach cottages if I ever needed one. The beach at HHI seems familiar to me I guess. I grew up in NJ and went to the shore all the time and went down to VA Beach a lot. The beach at HHI reminds me of those beaches so much. This one might take me a while to win lol. It took three years to get him to agree to my SSR points

 

[supersuperwendy]

We own at VB. We were there in June and went to 2 campfires and we did wear bug spray, and none of us (6 in all) were bothered by bugs at the campfires or at any other time on this trip.

I booked a 2 bedroom for a weekend about 3 months before the trip that began on June 10th. We were using other points for this trip, and at first it was just going to be DH and myself, but our DGC's family now live in FL and they were able to join us, so we went from just an OVIR to the 2 bedroom.

The MF's are high, but we are not sorry to have the VB points, and within the past year, we bought 50 more points, because we really like having a Beach Cottage, and we think that a family vacation in a BC every 2 years sounds just what we want to do. We've had 2 stays in BC's so far and at 7 months I've always been able to get 2-4 inn rooms for the other guests we invite. Only once, did one of the guests have to have a garden view room because at 7 months the ocean view inn rooms were all gone. The wait list for an OVIR never came through.

Bobbi

PS. My DGC love to do the arts and crafts projects that they offer and the CM's are very friendly. The DGC had a very nice time trading pins with the CMs on this trip. The kids are 6, 7 and 8. We also go to places off site, it was a long drive to Bathtub Reef Beach, Hutchinson Island, but it was worth the trip.

Thanks Bobbi... Did you notice any activities for toddlers/preschoolers? If we decided to add on we probably wouldn't visit VB until 2013 and Leah would be 3 by then.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Thanks Bobbi... Did you notice any activities for toddlers/preschoolers? If we decided to add on we probably wouldn't visit VB until 2013 and Leah would be 3 by then.

The first time we went with the family was in '08 and the youngest was 3. Maybe because she had siblings, she was able to go to the Unbirtday party, but she had to have an adult with her. I think that 4 was the age to go unsupervised. There were definite things for younger set, I think going to find treasure in the pool area, since our 3 was the young one in her family, she didn't want to do things without sister/brother. However, now, they all do the things that they want to do. This was the third trip to VB for them, and they all know the "ropes" what they want to do!

There were activities for "all ages" like making paper airplanes and flying them from the first floor of the lobby, into the lobby proper. DS and Dh helped our DGC participate in that activity.

The Pirate Ship is great for the young kids, with a slide and lots of water sprinklers.

We have done the Pirate night family style dinner as well as the breakfast on Saturdays and both were very worthwhile for our family. The character interaction was great for the kids, and all of the adults enjoyed the food! We had more adults than just parents and grandparents. Our adult guest include people without children of their own, with very little knowledge of WDW and characters. EVERYONE had a good time!

When our DGC lived in Boston one of our nicest Thanksgivings ever was when they came to Cape May or with us to a cabin in the Smokies by Dollywood. I am hoping to get a BC for Thanksgiving next year!

DS/DDiL and family now live very near the Gulf Coast and the beaches are different there, and they love that, but with our New England, New Jersey background, nothing in Florida really says "going to the shore" to us as much as VB!

Bobbi

 

[supersuperwendy]

The Beach Cottages do look amazing!!!