First Visit Thoughts

[disney ny]

Just thought I would post and see what others have to say on my situation. My situation is my fiance and I just bought in as owners at VWL at 100 points. I am a Disney addict and have been going every year or so and my fiance all on his own came up with the idea that we should buy in to save money if I am going to go each year. He is not a big Disney fan but has never gone and done it the "right" way. He has been once on a day trip to MK only where it was one of those cram it all in to one hot day things. He has NO idea what WDW has to offer and honestly doesn't really get my obsession. Now I am planning our first trip for next Feb. and have booked a studio at VWL. (We are taking his 13 year old daughter and our 2 year old son). Now I am reconsidering. Maybe I should book the 1 bedroom since it is much more of a luxury and it might really "hook" him. We would have privacy and I am thinking it would do a better job of showing what DVC is about so he might let me get more points! I hate to use twice the points because it would be almost 3 years of our points but then again I want him to have the best trip ever. I am also wondering if we shouldn't do BLT instead because that is the only one he has expressed interest in (we got a post card and he loved the view). I LOVE VWL but as a newcomer might he be even more wowed by BLT? I just don't know what to do because this might be my only chance to make him love it but yet I don't want to waste points when a studio could be fine for us. Any thoughts??????/

 

[oct2014]

For the sake of the 13 year old I think you should try to get a 1B. As far as which resort, get your home resort and then you can check BLT availability when you get to 7 months. Personally I would stick with your home resort for your first trip. If you can get BLT and he loves it, he might not be happy with what you actually bought. Plus, BLT takes more points, so it might not be a good fit for your plan anyway.
Good luck!
Caroline

 

[eastcoastcan]

I would book a 1-bedroom also - it feels very different than a studio which is really just a nice hotel room. Don't worry about your points - you can always rent from another owner if you need to "top up" for your next trip.
Have fun! I hear great things about WLV!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

1st congratulations and "welcome Home" I will tell you though, that once you stay in a 1br, going back to a studio will be tough. In your situation more so to do witht the age difference of the children, I think a studio may be difficult. Personally, only you know what style will or won't impress your fiance, as for me, I like all of the DVC resorts and they all impress me for different reasons. I understand your dilema, no one in my family shares my Disney obsession!

Good Luck!

 

[disney ny]

I have stayed in a 1 BR at Boardwalk so I know how nice they are. We stayed in a regular hotel room this past summer at WL which I think would be very similar to the studio. I am thinking the 1 BR probably is a good idea but am still being a points scrooge...............

 

[DizGirl20]

I say go for the 1 bedroom. That is what did it for us. We stayed at a 1 bedroom at OKW (prior to becoming DVC Members) and it was HUGE! It was during that trip that I noticed my husband started to become a little more interested in DVC. He even stopped at one of the DVC kiosks in Hollywood Studios to chat with them about BLT. When he heard the asking price he balked. But that's all I needed to start looking into resales. I convinced him resale was the way to go... until I signed up for a webcast and they were offering good incentives for AKV. Long story short I think he realized I wasn't going to let it rest and my happiness depended on buying into DVC !

Ultimately we purchased direct last December and now he has just agreed to add on!

It may take your fiance awhile to warm up to the idea but be persistent!

 

[cvjw]

Another vote for the 1 bedroom - they are so much nicer than the studio. To me the beauty of DVC is having spacious villas to relax and spread out in. I would be just as happy renting a regular hotel room from Disney and getting free dining as opposed to staying in a DVC studio.

 

[thelionqueen]

Congratulations!!!

In my opinion, VWL is a beautiful resort, but definitely not the same as BLT. Our first visit to VWL last year was less than spectacular. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice resort, but the rooms are very dated, and the carpet and bedding are in desperate need of updating.

I would totally make this trip a really great one for your husband and bring him over to "our" side

My DH was not a huge Disney fan until I took him on a similar trip. I made sure we had the best accommodations (to his liking..in your case, BLT) made sure to show him the true beauty and serenity of the World without all the crazy commando-type days. Let me tell you, it changed his and my life from that point on. He is at least as Disney Crazy as I am now, and we now have more than double the DVC points we were considering before this trip. It really does pay off to have them experience a vacation like that.

All that being said, I would book a studio or 1br @ BLT (1br if you can swing it) and make this the trip of a lifetime!! (I spent quite a bit of money on this trip, more than I would have normally, but it was WELL worth the extra money or points in your situation IMO).

Best of luck whatever you decide!!

 

[Coach81]

Book the 1 bedroom.. make a great impression..

 

[dvc deernut]

if you only have 100 points your points will go farther at okw. We have points at ssr and bwv but our first choice is okw. We really like the atmosphere. I suggest a 1 bedroom at okw pay cash for the fri and sat nites your points go further. The bus service is great at okw, i know you get a great view at blt but the extra points your using and because your limited how many you have, id choose okw. We have gotten okw many times within 7 months. The farther you stretch your points i think he would be as impressed with okw and longer stay and enjoy the view in mk.

 

[disney ny]

Well I have decided for sure to switch to the 1 br- now I just need to decide where. I am really thinking I will stay with VWL since it is my favorite and the lobby/pool/atmosphere sure wowed me. I don't think I want to switch to anything other than maybe BLT because of location. I want to be close to MK and we loved the boats from WL. I don't know if points wise I can swing BLT. Are the 1 BR villas at WL really outdated? I do want to impress....

 

[TLPL]

I think you should book 1 bedroom at your home resort right now, so for sure you get a room for your trip. When the 7 month mark comes, you can try your luck at other resorts, but for sure I would book the 1-bedroom at VWL right away.
And for the points, don't worry about it, if you do it right the first trip and get him hooked, maybe he will agree to add-on more points!!
And plan this trip carefully, show him how relaxing a DVC trip can be compare to those "once-in-a-life-time-trip-so-I-have-to-cram-everything-in-4days" trips. What does he like to do on vacation??

 

[ToddyLu]

I would stick with the 1 br at VWL. It is your home resort and it will be just special have all the room and to be together as a family. I wanted to impress DH when we did our first trip to AKV last year. I was waiting to hear something when we walked in our studio....I waited....he walked over to the sliding door....looked out at the savannah....and the smile and nod he gave me was awesome. It wasn't the biggest or best but it was just right for our first trip. We do not have children and we got the same accomadations for his Mother down the hall. I think your man knows how important it is to you and part of his enjoyment will be seeing how you and the kids love the space.

How can you not be impressed when you walk in that WL lobby.....it is fantastic. It's wonderful to see that babling brook throught the floor of the hotel looking out at the geyser and pool....I think the location alone will score points.

If you know he likes golf or something, be sure you make time for that so he feels like you are meeting his needs. My DH loves photography, so he gets a whole day at AK alone to do his thing. I do something else and we meet up later.

I know that some my find WL not to their liking but you have to agree the location, landscaping and vibe of the resort are one of a kind.

Have a terrific trip!!

 

[WonderlandsMostWantd]

I say you bought VWL for a reason - it's what you love. He loves you so I'm sure that once he's there and sees how much and why you love it like you do, he'll catch on. My DH now loves a lot of things he didn't "get" before simply because once he saw them through my eyes, and how happy they made me, he got a new perspective. Give him a chance to see WDW and VWL through your eyes.

As for the studio vs. 1 br argument, I say do what you can "afford" points wise. If it's going to take 3 years worth of points to do the 1 br, and part of the reason for buying was so you could go every year, IMO it defeats the purpose a bit - unless you already know you can afford to add on more points if he likes it and decides he wants to start coming with you. If you can't afford to add or rent more points right away, I'd think you're setting up a certain amount of disappointment if everyone wants to go back next year and you guys aren't able to because you already used up the points. Again though, I'm a budget-minded person, so that's just my opinion.

Either way, I'd say the biggest thing to take into account is time - book enough time to enjoy things at a more relaxed pace than his previous commando trip. Point out the details and enjoy the ride. If he loves it, then you'll all share the experience again. If it's just not for him, you know you still have 40+ years of Disney magic waiting for you, and he may come around later.

 

[disneynutz]

So you want to impress.

Stay in a one bedroom at a resort that is his style and taste. Everyone has different tastes, and enjoys different things about the resorts. Personally we aren't impressed with BLT and we own points there.

Bill

 

[badiggio]

If you're talking points,AK can't be beat.

 

[lucyem]

So you want to impress.

Stay in a one bedroom at a resort that is his style and taste. Everyone has different tastes, and enjoys different things about the resorts. Personally we aren't impressed with BLT and we own points there.

Bill

This was my first thought, go for something he will like. Thats how I got my husband to like Broadway. I started with something that I knew he would love and the next trip he was open to anything I wanted to see

On the other hand he has 2 kids and will see things through their eyes. Would the kids like BLT? I know these days my husband pays attention to what the kids enjoy. If the kids are not having a good time then neither are we.

 

[sleepydog25]

Well I have decided for sure to switch to the 1 br- now I just need to decide where. I am really thinking I will stay with VWL since it is my favorite and the lobby/pool/atmosphere sure wowed me. I don't think I want to switch to anything other than maybe BLT because of location. I want to be close to MK and we loved the boats from WL. I don't know if points wise I can swing BLT. Are the 1 BR villas at WL really outdated? I do want to impress....

The decor at VWL is a bit dated--it does need updating. That being said, I love VWL in part because of the quaint setting and ambience in the rooms. The rooms certainly aren't ragtag or threadbare by any means. You fell in love with VWL for a reason, and you bought points there. Stay there. And, if you can afford to do so, definitely do a 1BR--you'll appreciate the room.

 

[Crystal_27]

VWL has such a cool vibe (and its very close to MK) that I really don't think that you can go wrong there (plus its your home resort so you do have a booking advantage). I assure you that a first timer (your finance) is not going to be examining the carpet or the bedspreads to check for signs of wear (you might be doing that but he certainly won't - LOL) so don't worry about that aspect. I'm sure that the trip is going to be awesome for all of you. Happy planning!

 

[disney ny]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I think a 1 br at VWL it will be! I wish it was not still almost a year away!!