Help! OKW or SSR

[drag n' fly]

Dh and I are going to purchase DVC. What we are having trouble with is deciding which one. We are making a trip in April to check out each resort. Is their a thread that talks about the pros and cons of each resort? TIA

 

[Redbudlover]

Subscribing. Same decision problem. Trying to decide between SSR and BWV

 

[NARM Forever]

I've not seen a specific thread that has discussed the pros and cons of each resort but you might want to do a search and check out maintenance costs on each. You will also see a lot of talk on this board about the cost to extend the years for either OKW or BWV, so you might want to take that into account. Many people say "buy where you want to stay" because of the 11 month advantage. Personally, I like to sleep around (pun intended) and want to stay in all the DVC properties and as I can't own at them all I'm happy to go for the extra years at SSR. Plus I got a UY that on the whole suits us (We will tend to travel in March and our UY is Feb).

NARM

 

[tarzanman]

I agree with the "buy where you want to stay" thing if you are a holiday traveler. It is sometimes very difficult to get larger accomodations for holiday periods at times other than 11 month windows.

You can address this issue by buying in at one resort and then adding on at another.

I like the pools at SSR better than OKW but I like the home feeling from OKW better than SSR. Because both of these resorts are so big, you probably have plenty of opportunities to use both in the future.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Demosthenes]

personally would buy either SSR or AKV for the extra years of use, but I am 31 and those extra 12 years mean more to me now than they would if I was even just a few years older. As far as the pros and cons of each resort, the truth is, all of them have their plusses and their minuses, and even the most devoted fan of their home resort will eventually stray to another resort. Only concern yourself with buying your preferred home resort if 1) you aren't flexible with your travel dates, 2) you can plan vacations more than 7 months in advance, 3) you travel during busy seasons, 4) you require specialty accommodations (BW view, Grand Villas).

Almost all of the on-site accommodations are pretty similar as far as size goes. The exception to this is OKW which has rooms about 30% larger than the other DVC resorts. OKW was the first DVC, and the rooms here (and at Vero Beach) are much larger, at least that 30% feels like a lot more to me. The rooms are located in a series of buildings. This resort is more like an apartment complex built in the middle of a golf course. It is a really relaxing location.

AKV will have 1 bedroom villas that sleep 5, in case that is a consideration. BCV are in hotel style buildings with inside access corridors. It has the best pool, good proximity to Epcot, the Studios and the Boardwalk. Counter service dining is basically non-existent here. Bus transportation is shared with 5 other resorts, and transportation to MK and AK is poor to fair. BCV have a limited number of available rooms, and are difficult to book within the 7 month window.

BWV are in the same basic location as BCV. They, too, are in a hotel style building. Some people complain about the long walk to the room from the lobby of the BWV, though I must admit that my experience here hasn't been bad at all. BW also has limited counter service options. The BW pool is nice with a very good slide, though it is nothing like the BCV. BW shares transportation with BCV and suffers from the same transportation issues with that resort.

WLV is the only Magic Kingdom Resort Area DVC hotel. The rooms are identical in size to those at the BWV and BCV. The rooms are located in a separate wing of the Wilderness Lodge hotel. WL has a nice, albeit undersized pool. It has a much better marina than that available at BC, primarily due to the size of Bay Lake (the lake the resort sits on the edge of). WL has two sit-down restaurants and 1 counter service location. In addition to boat and bus transportation to MK, the WL also has a boat that goes to the CR and FW. Apart from the boat to MK, most other transportation is pretty poor.

SSR is located at/near DTD. The rooms are, again, identical in size and scope to the rooms at BCV, BWV and WLV. The rooms here, though, are arranged in apartment style accommodations. The pool(s) here are probably the best outside of the BCV, and SSR is the only DVC with a spa. SSR has two dining spots, one sitdown and one Counter Service. The proximity to DTD makes it the best option for "foodies." SSR is remote, and while it does have dedicated bus service, it can take a while to get to the theme parks. The resort is also pretty spread-out.

The AKV are under construction, but room models show some unique upgrades over other DVC villas. As was mentioned previously, the rooms here will feature 5 person accommodations in 1 bedroom villas. The rooms feature a variety of available views, from value, to concierge. I suspect that unless you own here, you will struggle to get concierge or value accommodations. AKL is remote, and it feels like quite the long haul from the parks. It also has no good outdoor activities apart form swimming (no tennis, no boating, no jogging...yet). The rooms here are hotel style accommodations.

 

[JKMJ441724]

We just put in a bid at SSR. Our deciding factor was the extra years of usage. We probably won't use those extra years, but firmly believe they will make a difference in the amount that we could get when (and if) we decide to sell. And we won't have to buy the contract extension.

 

[veenstra56]

I actually might like OKW better than SSR (though I really like both) but in the end I purchased an add-on with SSR for the extra years and the double developer points incentive. I figure I can stay at either at the seven month mark (for the most part), so the extra years was the deciding factor.

 

[sharond150]

IF those are you're two favorites, I would go with SSR. I stayed at OKW last month and didn't think it was nearly as nice as SSR. Seemed a little worn out and shabby to me. SSR would be more attractive resale as well. And I think you would most likely be able to get a reservation at OKW at the 7-month mark. SSR is beautiful and I never stay at OKW again, though!