Good thinking or not?

[1momof3boys3]

Personal preference certainly plays a role. It really depends on how you use the points. I would not recommend anyone buy Old Key West unless they plan to stay there most of the time. If you hate Saratoga Springs that may not be the best option even though it is the cheapest option long-term. I can't imagine hating any Disney vacation club resort but certainly preferences are understandable. Have you actually stayed at Saratoga Springs?

No, we haven't stayed there, but we once did a quick walk through. We have only stayed at moderate resorts. The kids are getting to the age where we don't want to stay in studios anymore, which led us to exploring the deluxe resorts.... I agree. I can't imagine hating any DVC resort. Once we're there I'm sure we'll love it. =)

 

[kniquy]

SSR can make sense (low buy in and lowest MF) and save you a lot of money if you don't mind staying there when you travel in December. DVC high demand time is late September to early January - so your week in December could be booked at 11 months at SSR, and then try to change to another resort at 7 months -- might not be possible. So this is where you need to decide is the savings worth a little compromise in your location. If May is your other preferred time to travel then you should have a pretty good selection of rooms at most of the resorts. If your plan is to always have 2 trips a year then -- consider buying in to SSR which could be points used for your May trip then buy BLT to accommodate your wish for 1 week in December.

Just something else to consider - once your kids start school the leaving to travel when you want gets a little more difficult. You older child should be ok for the first few years but as they start getting into the 3rd-4th grade work does get a little more demanding so to miss a week of school in May and December might be tough. You are good for at least the next 4 years, but my guess is your travel habits will change.

You really need to write down your budget, your resort/contract options and figure out financially what will work. Keep in mind the different OKW contract expirations. with a young family you would certainly want to look at the longer contracts

 

[Dean]

No, we haven't stayed there, but we once did a quick walk through. We have only stayed at moderate resorts. The kids are getting to the age where we don't want to stay in studios anymore, which led us to exploring the deluxe resorts.... I agree. I can't imagine hating any DVC resort. Once we're there I'm sure we'll love it. =)

It sounds like you need at least one good DVC stay and possibly 2 to make an informed decision. If you're going to buy in for the cheaper options, SSR will be the cheapest and likely the best. I think Bumbershoot's experience is the most common, that people THINK they want a given resort without sufficient knowledge/experience and end up feeling quite differently. Of course non of us know what's going to happen in 5 or 10 years and it's quite possible most of us will change our preferences over time. However, the better decision you can make now, the better off you'll be long term. If you're going to buy something and hate it, OKW isn't the one to do that for WDW options IMO though VB & HH would be even more difficult situations. The money 1-2 rentals will cost will easily be made up for if you make a better decision. Shoot, you may find you don't care for the compromises of a timeshare, esp when you realize Disney ceases to cater to you as much as they do for cash stays.

 

[1momof3boys3]

SSR can make sense (low buy in and lowest MF) and save you a lot of money if you don't mind staying there when you travel in December. DVC high demand time is late September to early January - so your week in December could be booked at 11 months at SSR, and then try to change to another resort at 7 months -- might not be possible. So this is where you need to decide is the savings worth a little compromise in your location. If May is your other preferred time to travel then you should have a pretty good selection of rooms at most of the resorts. If your plan is to always have 2 trips a year then -- consider buying in to SSR which could be points used for your May trip then buy BLT to accommodate your wish for 1 week in December.

Just something else to consider - once your kids start school the leaving to travel when you want gets a little more difficult. You older child should be ok for the first few years but as they start getting into the 3rd-4th grade work does get a little more demanding so to miss a week of school in May and December might be tough. You are good for at least the next 4 years, but my guess is your travel habits will change.

You really need to write down your budget, your resort/contract options and figure out financially what will work. Keep in mind the different OKW contract expirations. with a young family you would certainly want to look at the longer contracts

Yes, I keep reading that moving to another resort at 7 months is getting tougher as the years go by. We'll definitely consider this when making a decision.

My kids are in 8th, 5th, and 3rd... but we home school, so I purposely take them to WDW during the school year. One of the perks of homeschooling! lol But, I'm sure even then travel habits change over time.

If it weren't for the OKW expiration date, I think I would have a much easier decision. I know my husband loves that resort and thinks he wants to buy there, but having a contract that ends when we're 60 is just a bit unsettling to me. Even if we take price out of the equation, that means doing all this again in 25 years.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Maybe if I explain to hubby that SSR is the best financial decision, I might just win him over. I cannot explain with words how much he dislikes the theme there. You would have to see his face to fully understand. Haha! But you're right. We're not stuck there. Especially if his favorite is OKW. It doesn't seem like we'll have a problem getting in there at 7 months. And if so, we're still near Disney Springs and still in a Disney deluxe hotel! Can't really complain about that. =)

In the refurbs they are doing they are changing things up a lot. The SSR that is today will possibly look quite a bit different in a few years. I'm not certain when it's on the schedule for a full refurb but going by age of the resorts I think it should be next on the list after they do OKW.

 

[1momof3boys3]

It sounds like you need at least one good DVC stay and possibly 2 to make an informed decision. If you're going to buy in for the cheaper options, SSR will be the cheapest and likely the best. I think Bumbershoot's experience is the most common, that people THINK they want a given resort without sufficient knowledge/experience and end up feeling quite differently. Of course non of us know what's going to happen in 5 or 10 years and it's quite possible most of us will change our preferences over time. However, the better decision you can make now, the better off you'll be long term. If you're going to buy something and hate it, OKW isn't the one to do that for WDW options IMO though VB & HH would be even more difficult situations. The money 1-2 rentals will cost will easily be made up for if you make a better decision. Shoot, you may find you don't care for the compromises of a timeshare, esp when you realize Disney ceases to cater to you as much as they do for cash stays.

Good idea. I'll look into renting points and taking some time to explore the resorts. It's tough to make a decision only based on numbers and pictures.

 

[Dean]

Good idea. I'll look into renting points and taking some time to explore the resorts. It's tough to make a decision only based on numbers and pictures.

There's no way to make a good decision from just numbers and pictures. A trip to experience and explore would be a good idea.

 

[DVC Doctor]

If it weren't for the OKW expiration date, I think I would have a much easier decision. I know my husband loves that resort and thinks he wants to buy there, but having a contract that ends when we're 60 is just a bit unsettling to me. Even if we take price out of the equation, that means doing all this again in 25 years.

I have to laugh at that as 25 years is a LONG time and you may not even want to go to Disney then.

I say, buy OKW if that is where you like the best as they offer the largest rooms at the lowest price per room and the resale prices are pretty low (as compared to the newer resorts) and the dues is reasonable.

You can always buy a OKW with an extended (15 more years) if you want, but may have to hunt for those as they are harder to find.

 

[1momof3boys3]

I have to laugh at that as 25 years is a LONG time and you may not even want to go to Disney then.

I say, buy OKW if that is where you like the best as they offer the largest rooms at the lowest price per room and the resale prices are pretty low (as compared to the newer resorts) and the dues is reasonable.

You can always buy a OKW with an extended (15 more years) if you want, but may have to hunt for those as they are harder to find.

LOL!! I'm a planner. I like to know what I'm doing tomorrow.... and in 25 years! Haha! Thank you for the advice. =)