Warning: following comments are from a
DVC newbie who just purchased a resell contract - YMMV
I have made a couple of longish posts on other threads regarding how to I figured out which resort and how many points I needed. I wont say the same stuff again, (big sigh of relief from the disers I am sure!
) but here is a few more things that helped me determin which DVC property.
1. Location/transportation: ease of transport was a huge issue for me, because when I go down with three kids by myself, I rely wholly on Disney transportation. Although I was very much drawn to AKL because of the gorgeous theming and great incentives, I had to cross it off my list because it was so geographically challenged (couple with the dining issue). Even though the bus system is very efficient for AKL, its still a looong bus ride. JMHO I dont think any other DVC resort has the same location challenge as AKL. I also like to use a multitude of transportation types, I always find taking the boat or monorail to get places half the pleasure, and walking is very convienent too.
2.Dining: we personally go down for longer trips, rather then several short ones. This makes a difference with the whole dining issue (MHO). If I am at a DVC resort that is more isolated, and relying only on Disney transport, well then-- my choices are 'eat at the park' or eat at the home resort. On a 10 day trip, no matter how great the home resort restaraunts are,,,, its going to get old fast. Counter service will be important too. I could try and do most of our dining ressies at the park we are visiting, but this requires sticking to ADR plans (you need to book months in advance for the good ones) and does not allow for as much flexibility as I would like to have. Dining was the deal breaker issue for me on AKL. If you were a person who wants many shorter trips in a year, then I dont think this would be a factor.
3. What kind of trips are you planning to take? Like I said, we tend to go down every year or every other year on a long trip. Getting ressies for DVC resorts for long trips is more challenging then for shorter trips. (harder to get same room type/catagory for consecutive days ) Here is where home resort advantage is critical for me -- We want to do long trips at peak travel times - ie, spring break, summer and christmas. If we were the type to take several shorter trips in one year, or during off season times, home resort advantage would not be so critical I dont think.
4. buying DVC is like doing a Will -- this is my own personal opinion. When DH and I were trying to make up our will a few years ago, it was very difficult to do, because we were trying to do one that would last 30 years or so ( we are optimists!
). The lawyer told us, its impossible to have a perfect will that will last that long, do one that is practical and useful for the next 5-10 years, and then revise it as life changes (like, we had more kids! and our executer got a mentally debilitating disease after 3 years)
Ok- here is the link to DVC. As I started trying to figure out which resort that would work for 35/45 years, I realized that life circumstances changed over the years, and what one resort had to offer us now, another resort MAAYYYYY be better for us in 10 to 20 years. Example - the epcot dvc's are perfect for us now because we could be in the thick of things, the kids will love the pools and action and eventually they will love the 'night life' of the boardwalk area. In 15 years, we retire and maybe at that point, SSR or OKW would be much better options (longer contract lifespan, quieter atmosphere, we could maybe do a month or so during the winter, being able to park our car right outside the OKW unit - you get the picture) So do I plan for the first 10 years of DVC, or the last 10 years? I think everyone should ask this question when buying. Ok, here is what I decided to do....
5. Big pile of rocks theory --(be advised in advance that I can just about justify anything to my DH....
) I decided to get the DVC that would best suit us for the first 10-15 years ownership. Here is my theory on the pile of rocks.... Imagine that each DVC property is a pile of rocks, and you want to stake your flag in one of them. The bigger DVC's with more rooms and availibility are the BIG piles of rocks, and the smaller DVC's with less available rooms are smaller piles of rocks... I decided to plant my flag in the small pile of rocks called BCV. I staked my claim. Now, at 11 months out, I know I have a good shot at staying at the resort I most want to be in, and should be able to get what I want. This is the same thing that could be said about ANY DVC by their owner. Now, here is where the flag running starts. At 7 months out, if I want to try a different resort, I need to run and place my flag at another resort. If they have a BIG pile of rocks (like AKL or SSR or even - I will say it! Dont throw tomatoes at me!!! -- BLT-- if I wanted a lake view after the first few years of it being on the market) then I am going to have an advantage over someone trying to come and stick their flag into my little pile of rocks. KWIM? Its more likely I will easily be able to taste some of the larger DVC's just because of the sheer number of size, then someone wanting to come over and stay at BCV. If I want to try another smaller DVC like BWV or WLV, well, I am on equal footing with the masses, and may or may not be lucky.
Another factor: BCV has held on to their resell value pretty darn good. If in 15 years I want to sell and then buy OKW, I think I wont loose too much on the deal. Or, it may be a non issue, I may be able to use my BCV points at 7 months to book consequtive days at OKW no problem. That will be a decision I have to make down the road.
I dont know if my comments will help you or confuse you more. What I do think is important for anyone going to purchase DVC (either from Disney or by resell) is ... Ask yourself the right questions. What type of trips do you plan to take..What time of year will you be taking them- during busy times or not? which parks or areas are important to you? What theme appeals to you? How will you be getting around (people who drive or rent have so much more flexibiity then those of us who rely on Disney transport), and well, the list could go on and on. When you read on these boards realize that one persons 'pro' can be another person's 'con', depending on what type of trips you will take, when you take them, and what you personally find appealing.
HTH
Sorry about the long post!
(probably around 160-200 points), and are having A LOT of problems deciding where to buy! AKV has some very good incentives, and we sould love the matching points to use on our next trip. The problem is that AK is my least favorite park, and we would rather stay closer to MK or EP (and not have to take the bus to all the parks). But, being relatively young, it seems like the newer resorts make more sense because of the longer contract. SO,, one of my question is, how hard is it to get into non-home resorts like BWV or VWL? We normally vacation in June, but would like to go at different times of the year with ownership. Also, I've also been considering buying 160 pts at AKV for the incentives, and adding on 40-50 pts at VWL or BWV to be guaranteed to stay there at least every few years. Any thoughts or suggestions would be much appreciated regarding where to buy or how to allocate our point purchase! 
AKL is so relaxing and we just knew it was perfect for us!
what MFs can cost you each year based upon your Home Resort & number of points you may be considering for your purchase.
so you are wise to ask many questions & to visit the resorts on your Nov trip. 
