Help deciding- BLT, GF, or AK?

[justme0729]

I have a specific budget amount that I am willing to spend on purchasing DVC. I am deciding where to buy points and have 3 resorts in mind: GF, BLT, and AKL. I have pretty much decided that AKL would be best for us because we could afford more points there and, therefore, have more flexibility in how to use them. We are a young married couple with no kids yet so we are very happy in studios now and would be probably for a long time with kids but we do like the option to book a one bedroom. We would probably use our points to travel every other year. I shared my (long!) thought process below with my options for what I can get with my budget and I am wondering if you agree that AKL is the best choice for us?

1. 110 point contract at Grand Floridian
-Dues would be $675/ year (I know dues will vary)

During spring break, I would be able to book:
-7 nights in standard studio every other year
-6 nights in lake view studio every other year
-3 nights one bedroom standard every other year
-5 nights one bedroom standard every 3 years

Concerns: Not being able to get standard view studios even at opening at 11 months, barely being able to get a one bedroom

2. 120 points at Bay Lake Tower
-Dues would be $710/ year

During spring break, I would be able to book:
-5 nights standard studio every year
-7 nights standard view studio for 2/3 year cycle (take one year off)
-7 nights TPV studio every other year
-5 nights standard 1 bedroom every other year
-7 nights standard 1 bedroom every 3 years

Concerns: If our family grows to more than 4 people, BLT studios only sleep 4 and we could only book a 1 bedroom at home resort. We could only have enough points to do that every 3 years with banking/ borrowing.

3. 150 points at Animal Kingdom Lodge
-Dues would be $1015/ year (BUT because I could potentially book value rooms that are less points, I don’t actually HAVE to use 150 points a year to get a vacation. I could rent out at least 30 points a year for $445 currently to make dues be ONLY $570/ year if I didn’t like the higher due cost.)

During spring break, I would be able to book:
-7 nights standard studio EVERY year
-7 nights standard 1 bedroom every other year
-7 nights standard 2 bedroom every 3 years
-7 nights CL studio every 2 years (if available)
-7 nights CL 1 bedroom every 3 years (if available)

AND at BLT at 7 months, I could book 7 nights in a 1 bedroom lake view every 3 years or a studio lake view every 2 years OR even 5-6 nights in a BLT studio EVERY year with any view- which is more nights or better views than I could do if I owned at BLT

AND at GF at 7 months, I could book 4 nights in a 1 bedroom standard every other year- which I could only book 3 nights in a 1 bedroom standard every other year if I owned there because I would have less points.

Concerns: That we won’t be able to book at other resorts at 7 months but we would be happy to stay at AKL still.

So… it became a no brainer to me that AKL is best because I realized that I could have more points, could get any type of room, could book more nights at BLT and GF than I could if I owned there, AND have the lowest dues if I rent out extra points that I don’t need if I stay in value or standard rooms for awhile.

My parents own DVC at AKL so we have stayed there and I do really like the resort. I would be very happy to stay there often but I absolutely love the MK area resorts for special trips. Even if the rules changed or availability became bad and say I couldn’t book at BLT or GF at 7 months, I have more points with AKL so I could rent them out and use the cash to rent points at GF or BLT worst case if I wanted to stay there sometimes. If you made it this far, thank you for reading!! Is there something I am missing?

 

[Greg36]

Sounds like you have given it lots of thought! I am sure others have far more wisdom to share than me, but here are some of the thoughts that came to me:

-Don't forget income tax when you calculate savings on renting points
-I suspect it will be far easier to find a 160 point AKL resale versus a 150 point so you might want to budget for that
-We have not been members long, but watching the RAT, standard bay lake tower rooms can be difficult to get even at 11 months, so if you do decide to buy there, you may want to factor that into your equation
-AKL value rooms are a great deal (we have two weeks booked there for late October, 138 points!). They are difficult to get, but certainly not impossible.
-It is pretty cool that your parents own at AKL so I would see that as a value add if you were planning to vacation with them

Overall, it sounds like you are probably pretty experienced with AKL. It is a beautiful resort, but it is far from the MK area. We definitely find the bus system can take a little longer to get you places. For us, the resort itself makes up for that, but our girls are a little older now. If I was thinking about annual Disney trips going forward with years of afternoon park breaks and strollers on the bus, I would be weighing that into the equation...

 

[Ben E N]

To me, it sounds like AKV is your best bet. The one thing I think you are overestimating is the ability to easily rent out exactly 30 points. You will either be stuck with them or be asked to rent out a lot more than that.
You should be able to get into BLT lake view pretty easily, but GF will be a lot harder to get. If you are good with that, it sounds like you have a pretty good plan in place.

 

[zachatak]

We own at both BLT and AKV and we actually prefer AKV over BLT at this point. At first we were park warriors but now we tend to actually enjoy hanging out at the resorts and the vibe at AKV makes for a more relaxing vacation. I think your logic all makes sense and like the previous poster said, you will probably find a 160 point contract more easily than a 150.

 

[justme0729]

To me, it sounds like AKV is your best bet. The one thing I think you are overestimating is the ability to easily rent out exactly 30 points. You will either be stuck with them or be asked to rent out a lot more than that.
You should be able to get into BLT lake view pretty easily, but GF will be a lot harder to get. If you are good with that, it sounds like you have a pretty good plan in place.

If we stay in a studio every other year at AK, we could rent our full 150 points or more one year we aren’t traveling. I was thinking 30 as bare minimum but good to know!

We own at both BLT and AKV and we actually prefer AKV over BLT at this point. At first we were park warriors but now we tend to actually enjoy hanging out at the resorts and the vibe at AKV makes for a more relaxing vacation. I think your logic all makes sense and like the previous poster said, you will probably find a 160 point contract more easily than a 150.

Do you know why there are contracts with 160 more than other increments?

 

[Dean]

I have a specific budget amount that I am willing to spend on purchasing DVC. I am deciding where to buy points and have 3 resorts in mind: GF, BLT, and AKL. I have pretty much decided that AKL would be best for us because we could afford more points there and, therefore, have more flexibility in how to use them. We are a young married couple with no kids yet so we are very happy in studios now and would be probably for a long time with kids but we do like the option to book a one bedroom. We would probably use our points to travel every other year. I shared my (long!) thought process below with my options for what I can get with my budget and I am wondering if you agree that AKL is the best choice for us?

1. 110 point contract at Grand Floridian
-Dues would be $675/ year (I know dues will vary)

During spring break, I would be able to book:
-7 nights in standard studio every other year
-6 nights in lake view studio every other year
-3 nights one bedroom standard every other year
-5 nights one bedroom standard every 3 years

Concerns: Not being able to get standard view studios even at opening at 11 months, barely being able to get a one bedroom

2. 120 points at Bay Lake Tower
-Dues would be $710/ year

During spring break, I would be able to book:
-5 nights standard studio every year
-7 nights standard view studio for 2/3 year cycle (take one year off)
-7 nights TPV studio every other year
-5 nights standard 1 bedroom every other year
-7 nights standard 1 bedroom every 3 years

Concerns: If our family grows to more than 4 people, BLT studios only sleep 4 and we could only book a 1 bedroom at home resort. We could only have enough points to do that every 3 years with banking/ borrowing.

3. 150 points at Animal Kingdom Lodge
-Dues would be $1015/ year (BUT because I could potentially book value rooms that are less points, I don’t actually HAVE to use 150 points a year to get a vacation. I could rent out at least 30 points a year for $445 currently to make dues be ONLY $570/ year if I didn’t like the higher due cost.)

During spring break, I would be able to book:
-7 nights standard studio EVERY year
-7 nights standard 1 bedroom every other year
-7 nights standard 2 bedroom every 3 years
-7 nights CL studio every 2 years (if available)
-7 nights CL 1 bedroom every 3 years (if available)

AND at BLT at 7 months, I could book 7 nights in a 1 bedroom lake view every 3 years or a studio lake view every 2 years OR even 5-6 nights in a BLT studio EVERY year with any view- which is more nights or better views than I could do if I owned at BLT

AND at GF at 7 months, I could book 4 nights in a 1 bedroom standard every other year- which I could only book 3 nights in a 1 bedroom standard every other year if I owned there because I would have less points.

Concerns: That we won’t be able to book at other resorts at 7 months but we would be happy to stay at AKL still.

So… it became a no brainer to me that AKL is best because I realized that I could have more points, could get any type of room, could book more nights at BLT and GF than I could if I owned there, AND have the lowest dues if I rent out extra points that I don’t need if I stay in value or standard rooms for awhile.

My parents own DVC at AKL so we have stayed there and I do really like the resort. I would be very happy to stay there often but I absolutely love the MK area resorts for special trips. Even if the rules changed or availability became bad and say I couldn’t book at BLT or GF at 7 months, I have more points with AKL so I could rent them out and use the cash to rent points at GF or BLT worst case if I wanted to stay there sometimes. If you made it this far, thank you for reading!! Is there something I am missing?

If you're truly ready to buy, I'd likely go for BLT and wait until you can afford a slightly larger contract so you'll have more choices. Basically I'd wait until you can afford what you need rather than trying to fit your purchase into a set budget when it doesn't fit well. You'll need a cushion of at least 10-20% long term. You already have AKV covered with the parents plan. Or I'd add SSR to your list so you can afford more points now.

 

[Greg36]

Do you know why there are contracts with 160 more than other increments?[/QUOTE]

apparently that was the minimum sold by Disney for awhile

 

[disneynutz]

Only you know what is most important to you, save money or buy your favorite resort. Enjoy your resort or spend all of your time away from the resort. Being close to the parks or being more remote. Being close to AK, MK, or Epcot area.

What ever you decide, you will be living with your decision maybe for years.

Bill

 

[kboo]

We are owners at BLT and VGF, so... take everything I say with a grain of salt! (We also love AKL/AKV, but we have 2 girls, 6 and 2, and we take afternoon breaks usually back at the room.)

It's hard to plan what you will vacation like when you have kids and strollers, but some potential reasons NOT to get AKV are: 1) your parents already own there, so buying another resort gets your extended family the option of 2 home resorts (ie you already could get 11 mo advantage at AKV, so why not get another resort); 2) strollers and buses are no fun, and afternoon breaks if you're at a faraway park are hard; 3) AKV savanna view is pretty readily availble at 7 mo, and standard is sometimes available; 4) dues.

BLT is without at doubt the most convenient with little kids, but the studios are tiny (we actually have never stayed in them... too chicken). 1BR std are pretty easy to get at 11 mo, and you can bank/borrow to work out a trip there. Also, I have found I get pretty frugal about Friday and Saturday nights. Our next stay is actually Mon-Sat. and we are staying at the Dolphin on points to get some Epcot/HS time. ALSO ALSO - what do you do? Are you able to travel at off times before your kids are in school? Easter break is actually one of the MOST expensive times to go, and we like to go in late summer despite the heat, because it's a little cheaper in points and parks are not crowded. BLT has the extra bathroom in the 1BR units, too, which may be nicer with kids. And dues are relatively low.

And VGF - costs a lot in points to stay there, but ... wow. And it's relatively undervalued (still) compared to BLT, it really varies contract by contract. The studios are a LOT more livable even with a family of 4 (and can sleep 5). The bathroom set up in the studios is great too. Walking distance to Poly, so even though you have to monorail to get to parks, if you want a low key resort stay, there is a lot to do.

BLT studios are great for you now without kids, but if you buy there, consider buying enough to get into a 1BR occasionally. Or, if your careers are such that you'll be able to afford an add on later, then do that.

VGF you could stay in studios pretty comfortably with up to 3 kids. They're big and well laid out, so yes, it costs more for the points and you need more points to stay, BUT it's a lovely resort and you could go a while with little kids without feeling like you would need to add more points.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

We really like AKL, but we own at VGF and we love it there.

I would think about your dilemma this way:
Rather than calculate how many nights you can buy at the various resorts, think about how you would really like to do Disney. Is it every year? Every other year? Multiple times a year? How many nights would you like to do?
Then, where do you want to stay? (sounds like you have your top 3)
Then calculate the purchase cost (and MF) for each of the options you are considering, using the same frequency and length of stay.
Keep in mind that over 50 years, your circumstances may change a lot, so focus in on the next 10 years. Anything after that is much less important in your analysis.
When you see the hard dollar amounts, if the difference between the resorts is material to you in your current financial situation, then you are back to the answer you get by setting a fixed dollar constraint. If you can make up the difference to what you really want with a little more saving, go for it.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I would not worry about ability to get a VGF studio at 11 months for spring break.

Marathon or early December? Yes, worry. Spring break? Naw.

 

[MrInfinity]

Those are all good calculations but it's so mathematical. Vacations are not based on math as much as they are emotion and love.

AKL is best because I realized that I could have more points
More of something that isn't necessarily what I want doesn't sell me.
My parents own DVC at AKL
As @kboo said, why double up? Get something new so you can vary your experiences.
I absolutely love the MK area resorts
Soooo.... you know where this is going.

You said 150 AK = 120 BLT because the up front cost is the same. But the up front cost is only one component of the overall cost of ownership. For example... AK 150 x $100 = $15,000. BLT 120 x $125 = $15,000. So you're right, they cost about the same up front. But over 40 years... You'll spend $28,400 maintaining the BLT but $40,600 maintaining the AK (before inflation and alternative use of money) $12,200 more!

I could rent out at least 30 points a year for $445
I think you're overstating the value in converting points to $$ and the likelihood that you'll actually do this once you own. For one, AK points don't go for $15. They're the bottom of the barrel on the rental market. Yes I know the mantra out here on the Dis is that it's easy to rent them but it is a pain, it does take work, and if you're overbuying to rent, then you've overbought. I just got an email from a rental place offering me $14 for my BLT points so AK will be less than that!

You're putting all your eggs in one basket. Your parents own AKL... You'll own AKL... You'll get tired of AKL, value rooms, the parking lot view, and bussing to the parks. So different from owning at the GF where being across from the MK and on the monorail will never go out of style... or BLT where you can walk to the MK any time. You love the MK area so... buy there. Stay at the AKL on your parent's points every once in a while.

Between GF and BLT... It's hard to pick. Which resort do you love? Any reason the Poly is not in your selection list?​

 

[JETSDAD]

Those are all good calculations but it's so mathematical. Vacations are not based on math as much as they are emotion and love.

AKL is best because I realized that I could have more points
More of something that isn't necessarily what I want doesn't sell me.
My parents own DVC at AKL
As @kboo said, why double up? Get something new so you can vary your experiences.
I absolutely love the MK area resorts
Soooo.... you know where this is going.

You said 150 AK = 120 BLT because the up front cost is the same. But the up front cost is only one component of the overall cost of ownership. For example... AK 150 x $100 = $15,000. BLT 120 x $125 = $15,000. So you're right, they cost about the same up front. But over 40 years... You'll spend $28,400 maintaining the BLT but $40,600 maintaining the AK (before inflation and alternative use of money) $12,200 more!

I could rent out at least 30 points a year for $445
I think you're overstating the value in converting points to $$ and the likelihood that you'll actually do this once you own. For one, AK points don't go for $15. They're the bottom of the barrel on the rental market. Yes I know the mantra out here on the Dis is that it's easy to rent them but it is a pain, it does take work, and if you're overbuying to rent, then you've overbought. I just got an email from a rental place offering me $14 for my BLT points so AK will be less than that!

You're putting all your eggs in one basket. Your parents own AKL... You'll own AKL... You'll get tired of AKL, value rooms, the parking lot view, and bussing to the parks. So different from owning at the GF where being across from the MK and on the monorail will never go out of style... or BLT where you can walk to the MK any time. You love the MK area so... buy there. Stay at the AKL on your parent's points every once in a while.

Between GF and BLT... It's hard to pick. Which resort do you love? Any reason the Poly is not in your selection list?​

With regards to renting through brokers, AKV points get the same rate from the brokers as BLT and any of the other 'premium' resorts.

 

[CraigInPA]

If you are envisioning renting small numbers of points, be aware that you'll be renting them yourself. The brokers won't touch anything under 50 or 100 points. Of course, you'll probably never actually rent those 30 "leftover" points. You'll undoubtedly bank them for a better room or an extra day the next year.

If you're justifying AKL on the basis of getting more points, rather than that you really want to stay there, you might as well buy SSR points and get even more points. Of course, switching at 7 months is getting more and more difficult, so where you buy should definitely where you wouldn't mind staying.

I own multiple BLT contracts, and have stayed at the Poly and GF numerous times, so I am somewhat biased. For me, staying at a monorail resort, with easy access to the MK monorail (or BLT's walkway to the MK), and easy access to the Epcot monorail trumps taking buses everywhere. The time savings alone, for me, justifies spending more for these resorts. Of course, I believe BCV and BWV (and the future Riviera resort), with easy access to both Epcot and DHS, also falls into the same category.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I don't think you mentioned when you plan to travel? That can matter for what you might expect to be able to book at 7 months.

Remember that the MF's are what is really going to add up over time vs a specific budget amount for buy in. Plus, you are looking at resale I believe and so are going to be somewhat constrained to what you can find. For example, 120 points at BLT is't an extremely common contract and once you get into buying multiple contracts the closing costs add to the overall purchase price.

It does sound like MK is a draw to you and I'd probably recommend adding a bit more to the budget and looking for a slightly larger BLT contract as it seems like 7 nights is the amount of time you look to travel? And don't budget for a standard view there. Although possible to get I wouldn't want to need to get it.

 

[.landry]

Your considerations look VERY much like mine were before we just bought at BLT.
After we shook it all out, we ended up at BLT over VGF because of the overall cost. The initial buy-in for VGF was more expensive but the total point number needed per night was also higher. We ended up going for enough points to stay in a 1br 6 nights per year. We really like VGF but I couldnt justify the cost (for us) when we are more than happy to have our home be BLT.
AKL was on my list for a minute because the upfront costs were so attractive but once you start to look at the maintenance you realize that it isnt as much of a bargain as it seems. So that vs a lower overall cost and monorail resort, we took the plunge with BLT.
I looked over all of @skier_pete and @Bing Showei 's collected data about 1 brs and they arent that hard to come by at 7 months. It really seems that all of the difficulty booking at 7 months comes with the studios that use the least number of points. I could still be convinced that SSR is a good overall value if you buy enough points to stay exclusively in 1brs. There is a lot of availability at most of the resorts for 1brs at 7 months.
good luck in your decision making!

 

[skier_pete]

I looked over all of @skier_pete and @Bing Showei 's collected data about 1 brs and they arent that hard to come by at 7 months. It really seems that all of the difficulty booking at 7 months comes with the studios that use the least number of points. I could still be convinced that SSR is a good overall value if you buy enough points to stay exclusively in 1brs. There is a lot of availability at most of the resorts for 1brs at 7 months.
good luck in your decision making!

We are in the process of updating the availability charts. I didn't see anyone link it for the OP - so here it is:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...tudios-some-1-bedrooms-prepared-2015.3419112/

We are in the process of updating charts, and this much is true. Studios are becoming harder and harder to come by, but 1-bedrooms are becoming if anything easier. In fact, I agree that if you want to buy for a 1-bedroom, you really could buy practically anywhere and likely would be able to stay wherever you want at 7 months.

The only other comment is the OP mentioned AKV Concierge Level - but realize there are 5 rooms available total, so unless you book right at 11 months it is a very difficult thing to get for more than 1 or 2 nights. It's a nice perk in concept - but not a reason to buy there.

I also always argue that when you are talking about the dues price per point - that shouldn't really make you decide where to buy. My 160 pts at AKV - if I'd bought at SSR instead, I'd save about $120 a year. $120 a year to stay where I want versus where I don't want is not much of a factor.

Finally - remember to be happy where you buy. If you are ever going to be disappointed that you are "stuck" at your home resort - you've bought the wrong home resort. Maybe it's not your favorite resort. For me, the Poly is my favorite, but I bought at AKV for 40% of the price, and I love it there too, so even if I can't stay at the Poly - and the point cost there gets me - I am still happy. If I had bought at SSR to save even more, I would be dissappointed with staying there, while others might not be.

 

[kboo]

I have a specific budget amount that I am willing to spend on purchasing DVC. I am deciding where to buy points and have 3 resorts in mind: GF, BLT, and AKL. I have pretty much decided that AKL would be best for us because we could afford more points there and, therefore, have more flexibility in how to use them. We are a young married couple with no kids yet so we are very happy in studios now and would be probably for a long time with kids but we do like the option to book a one bedroom. We would probably use our points to travel every other year. I shared my (long!) thought process below with my options for what I can get with my budget and I am wondering if you agree that AKL is the best choice for us?

1. 110 point contract at Grand Floridian
-Dues would be $675/ year (I know dues will vary)

During spring break, I would be able to book:
-7 nights in standard studio every other year
-6 nights in lake view studio every other year
-3 nights one bedroom standard every other year
-5 nights one bedroom standard every 3 years

Concerns: Not being able to get standard view studios even at opening at 11 months, barely being able to get a one bedroom

2. 120 points at Bay Lake Tower
-Dues would be $710/ year

During spring break, I would be able to book:
-5 nights standard studio every year
-7 nights standard view studio for 2/3 year cycle (take one year off)
-7 nights TPV studio every other year
-5 nights standard 1 bedroom every other year
-7 nights standard 1 bedroom every 3 years

Concerns: If our family grows to more than 4 people, BLT studios only sleep 4 and we could only book a 1 bedroom at home resort. We could only have enough points to do that every 3 years with banking/ borrowing.
......

If the initial purchase amount between BLT and VGF is only 10 points, I would maybe consider which of these resorts you like more. Because: if you are willing to wait for the right contract, seller and UY, I think it's possible to get VGF at $140pp and BLT at $125 pp. A $15 per point difference over 10 points is $150 in upfront cost. In which case, it almost doesn't matter. A bigger factor to consider is how long you will be staying in studios. While VGF studios are more points, they are much more comfortable for families with kids, while the BLT studios are much smaller. If your home resort is BLT, you may find yourself wanting to stay in 1BR sooner, while with VGF, you may decide that studios work for your family for longer.

Edited: If you are going to stay in 1BR, I think the BLT 1BR may beat the VGF 1BR because they cost less points and have the extra bathroom. Also, sleeper chair either ties or beats pull down bed.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I wouldn't plan for a Standard 1BR at 7 months necessarily either. 1BRs are much easier to get, is true, but some remain the backup plan for those who cannot get certain studios.

 

[Cyberc1978]

VGF you could stay in studios pretty comfortably with up to 3 kids. They're big and well laid out, so yes, it costs more for the points and you need more points to stay, BUT it's a lovely resort and you could go a while with little kids without feeling like you would need to add more points.

YMMV but I wouldn’t say they are big, we stayed there last year 2 adults and 1 kid(6). That was doable but no way would I cramp 3 kids and 2 adults into any studio, they are just too small to make it work. That goes for any DVC studio, 5 persons may be allowed in some studios but with luggage and the alike you would have too little space to move around on. OTOH you could let the kids sleep out on the balcony to free up some space

Next year we are going 2 adults and 3 kids 6,13,14 and we are getting a 2br. In my family everyone likes some sort of privacy and that’s not possible in a studio.