First time buying DVC - it is so hard to chose the home resort!!! I could use some advice.

[bravenyc]

You all are so wise and helpful. All of the knowledge on this board has really helped me (and so many others).

I have rented DVC for many years and stayed at many resorts. We typically go to WDW every other August and stay for 8-10 nights (2 studios). I have stayed in 2BR's a few times and love them, but 2 studios works best for us as we travel with my brother and his kids. I plan to buy 150 points resale and have narrowed it down to Boardwalk and Boulder Ridge. I am okay with the 2042 expiration as I will be mid 70's by then and if we are still going a lot, then I will consider adding on somewhere else later.

WL is one of my favorite resorts and we would be happy staying there if we could not get anywhere else at 7 mos. WL is also much cheaper than BRV, which is of course appealing. I 100% do not want to finance as I think it only makes financial sense to buy a 2042 resort without financing - so I have a pretty strict budget. But, I also love the location of BW - especially since my brother, who always travels with us, uses a scooter and it is so convenient to have the proximity to 2 parks. I also have been thinking that with the lower point requirement for a standard room and the likelihood that I could get more $$ for renting BW points than WL point when needed, that the initial cost difference will wash out over time. Do you think it is worth stretching the budge a little to purchase at BW? I looked at the 7 month charts at the time of year we travel, it looks like it would be easy enough to stay at BRV when we wanted, but the opposite will not be as possible (trying to get BW at 7 months).

Which would you recommend? Thanks so much.

 

[DeeBee3]

BW would definitely be harder to get. Festivals, location, etc.

P.s. I own at CCV and love it, but the BW has a better location.

 

[ajiuo]

Honestly, I would buy a 100 pt contract for each resort, if it’s in the budget.

 

[Sandisw]

Between the two, I’d go with BWV over BRV. Those SV studios are hard to get if you don’t own there

And, thst ease to the parks is certainly a big plus.

 

[Nursemanit]

BWV is nice, but don't think you will book two of the SV studios in the low-point months. They are walked for months and go in seconds. Get comfortable with PV points - it is still fewer points than RR

 

[bravenyc]

Honestly, I would buy a 100 pt contract for each resort, if it’s in the budget.

I had not thought of this. If I did this would I get 11 month booking at each one? Could I combine the points - or would I have to book split stays (which I do not necessarily mind)?

 

[supersnoop]

I had not thought of this. If I did this would I get 11 month booking at each one? Could I combine the points - or would I have to book split stays (which I do not necessarily mind)?

Since you say you travel every other August, I wouldn't buy two different resorts.

You only get the home resort advantage (11 months) with the points at that resort. You could bank points and alternate, but that only really works if you travel every year; i.e. you bank points so you can use two years worth of points at BWV this year, and at BRV next year.

But, since you might not mind split stays, it could work.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I had not thought of this. If I did this would I get 11 month booking at each one? Could I combine the points - or would I have to book split stays (which I do not necessarily mind)?

You can NOT combine for the 11 month window.

I would recommend initially getting enough points at the resort that you know you want to stay at, and assume the least expensive rooms will not be available. Also, do not count on being able to borrow, as they can change the rules around that in the future.

It sounds like your heart is at Boardwalk. It may not be the best “value”, but it may provide you the best experience.

 

[gisele2]

Just make low ball offers. On fidelity right now there is a BWV contract at 115$ pp for 270 points. An another one at 113$ for 150 points. https://www.fidelityrealestate.com/property/disney-vacation-club/disneys-boardwalk-villas/6022579/

 

[gisele2]

Which would you recommend? Thanks so much.

So great prices right now on both resorts . I prefer BWV because you can walk to two parks. But great prices also on BRV. Fully loaded 150 points contract at 102$ pp.
https://www.fidelityrealestate.com/...der-ridge-villas-at-wilderness-lodge/6033381/

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

We stayed at BRV a few years ago and loved it but I would go with BWV if I was picking between the 2. For our August trip I just booked BWV for part of our stay as we want to be able to walk to Epcot and HS. We considered going back to BRV but went with BWV based on location. Also, BWV was a bit tricky to get at 7 months where BRV had full availability from what I saw.

 

[RoseGold]

I found this chart helpful:

https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/blog/best-economical-dvc-resorts-to-purchase-fall-2022/

I wouldn't buy any points planning to rent them out, especially BW points.

BW standard view has very few rooms. You could get lucky, but I wouldn't buy planning to book that. You are going off peak, so maybe if you are flexible and diligent on this, you could get some standard. If that is true, maybe buying BW makes sense? These rooms are stalked, and this will take work. This room is often listed for rent, targeted by the professionals. Also, worth noting that months with the waitlist and priority matter. This can take months of work, and it can fail, especially needing two rooms.

I'd always buy CCV over BR, unless you have to sleep 5 in a studio and love WL. CCV is an extremely long contract with an excellent chart. I don't even like WL, and I've been tempted by some CCV SAP contracts. BR is not a good SAP choice IMO, but if you love WL, you love WL. For what it matters, I hated WL with a wheelchair. We had to wait for the accessible boat all the time.

If the concern is the budget, I would go with old fashioned SSR. It's the classic SAP for a reason. So much of it moving hands. Sure, maybe you don't get BW or BR this particular trip, but that's part of the fun. And right now, there is SO MUCH on the market. Bid low. You only need one.

In August, with current charts, AK standard is about the same as BW value/SSR/OKW, and shouldn't be hard to book with any points. There are hundreds of those rooms. That's an acceptable backup to me. With a scooter, maybe it is not to you, and the BW points would be worth it. BR costs more points, which makes the whole thing cost more. Between BR and BW, I'd pick BW.

If you want BW, now is absolutely the time to buy. Pricing is bananas low.

 

[Brian Noble]

I also have been thinking that with the lower point requirement for a standard room and the likelihood that I could get more $$ for renting BW points than WL point when needed,

Given your intended use case, and how much you are thinking about buying, I don't think I'd worry about renting--you probably won't do that very often, if at all. If this were me, I'd worry that I was telling myself this to talk myself into the thing I really wanted without being totally honest with myself.

I think it is okay to stretch the budget a little bit to get the thing you want, even though it might cost a little more. If it is something you can afford to spend without financing, then you are fine. Yes, the BWV will cost a little more, but you want it a little more so why not just buy it?

For the record, BRV is my favorite of the ones I've tried so far (BCV, BLT, BRV, BWV, OKW, and SSR). But that's my favorite--and it doesn't have to be yours!

 

[theplanets14]

My family is debating about AKV vs BRV

We also love BLT and BWV but the point cost is much higher than resorts that expire in similar years.

Avg. Price per point for BRV is much lower than BWV. If they are close to equal in your mind then but BRV...but if you love BWV a lot more buy it!

All being said I ended up putting in an offer for a very small contract at OKW. This is our first offer on a DVC contract. It was accepted less than an hour later and am waiting to finalize the submission. The points per night on the studios are so low that a small contract will work for an annual vacation and it's so much cheaper than our resort preferences. Lol I doubt it passes ROFR though. Low price per point plus 2042 OKW.

Anyway- stalk the resale contracts and if something great comes up put an offer in!

 

[Noles235]

Just make low ball offers. On fidelity right now there is a BWV contract at 115$ pp for 270 points. An another one at 113$ for 150 points. https://www.fidelityrealestate.com/property/disney-vacation-club/disneys-boardwalk-villas/6022579/

I don’t get many replies from fidelity to my offers.

 

[bravenyc]

Just make low ball offers. On fidelity right now there is a BWV contract at 115$ pp for 270 points. An another one at 113$ for 150 points. https://www.fidelityrealestate.com/property/disney-vacation-club/disneys-boardwalk-villas/6022579/

THanks - these were the ones I had my eye on. I ended up putting an offer on the $113 one - almost too good to be true. Now let's just hope it passes ROFR.

 

[bravenyc]

Given your intended use case, and how much you are thinking about buying, I don't think I'd worry about renting--you probably won't do that very often, if at all. If this were me, I'd worry that I was telling myself this to talk myself into the thing I really wanted without being totally honest with myself.

I think it is okay to stretch the budget a little bit to get the thing you want, even though it might cost a little more. If it is something you can afford to spend without financing, then you are fine. Yes, the BWV will cost a little more, but you want it a little more so why not just buy it?

For the record, BRV is my favorite of the ones I've tried so far (BCV, BLT, BRV, BWV, OKW, and SSR). But that's my favorite--and it doesn't have to be yours!

I agree - BRV is actually my favorite too, but since we use a scooter - the convenience of BW is too great and I figure that we can still stay at BRV often since it is usually available at 7 mos when we travel. I was able to find a contract that was just a little more that BRV so I took a chance. Thanks for the advice.

 

[AnnaS]

THanks - these were the ones I had my eye on. I ended up putting an offer on the $113 one - almost too good to be true. Now let's just hope it passes ROFR.

Was your offer accepted? Good luck with ROFR. We love the proximity to DHS and Epcot.

 

[Straulin]

I’m a little late to the party, but I would have suggested BWV. We bought our BCV contract last year from the same broker. Our only issue was the seller taking a long time to sign.

You may want to look into the title company you want to use. If the offer is accepted that is the next thing you need to figure out if it wasn’t already discussed or set in your offer. Some are better than others.

 

[Cfabar1]

I don’t get many replies from fidelity to my offers.

Don’t need to bid at Fidelity to make lowball offers. But you can reference the fidelity sales price with other sites.