Help picking home resort

[Angela0917]

We are planning to buy into DVC in the very near future, and plan to buy a resale contract for between 160-180 points. I'm having a hard time deciding on a home resort. Our 3 favorites are AKV, BCV, and BWV. I know AKV is the easiest to get past the 7 month mark, but we would have an extra 15 years on our contract with the later expiration. We are a younger family, my husband and I are both early 30s, and my kids are 4 and 1, so it would be nice to have the extra years to pass on to them so they can take their families someday. But we really love Beach Club and Boardwalk, and I know they are harder to get past 7 months. Boardwalk's resale price is a good bit less than Beach Club, but my husband really likes the Beach Club, and thinks the kids will really like it as they get older for the pool. I don't plan to stay at the same resort every year, we've been going the past 5 years and we always pick a different place to stay, but I don't want to get stuck at the same place every year either if nothing else is available. For the price of 160 points at BC, I can get around 200 points at AKV or BWV, but they are easier to book than BC, right? What would you guys pick?

 

[disneynutz]

If you want storm-a-long bay for the kids then buy BCV.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that you will pass your ownership on to your family. They may not like Disney, the resorts my be owned by the Marriott and the parks owned by Six Flags.

Bill

 

[Goofy DVC]

Your situation sounds much like ours when we joined in 1993. We were in our young 30s with two young children.
We obviously bought OKW, only game in town in 93, and later added on resale at BCV in 2009 for Food & Wine.
We learned the following during our ownership:
1.) What you like now will most likely change as you and your family grow and get older.
2.) The times that we visited when the kids hit school years were relatively easy to book because it was "off season" for DVC, summer. Home resort booking window really didn't matter that much. FWIW, we never had a problem booking.
3.) When the kids were done with school we found that the times we wanted to go, early December and Food & Wine, were difficult to book if it wasn't your home resort. You need that 11 month window.
4.) If $$$, view, and lower points are most important than I would pick BW.
5.) If smaller resort, two elevators, better parking, and SAB are most important than BCV is the winner. For us, we don't value view as much as others but to each his own.
6.) If length of contract is most important than AKV wins.
7.) Where ever you buy make sure that you would be happy staying there if you couldn't get in elsewhere.
8.) You can always start small and buy more points later at a different or same resort. DVC is not going anywhere.
9.) Of the three resorts you mentioned BCV has the cheapest dues but not nearly as cheap as SSR.
10.) If you're thinking about trying all the resorts and not have a go to resort than SSR is the best value by far when looking at price, contract length, and dues.
11.) What works for others may not work for you. We have friends that love BWV but dislike BCV. Like I said, to each his own.
12.) If you know if your heart of hearts that one of those 3 resorts is the right fit, go for it. Don't let other's likes and dislikes sway you. They're only opinions.

Sorry, but I probably didn't help much and gave you more to think about. Good luck with your quest.

 

[lovin'fl]

I own at BWV and AKV (and OKW and HHI). We chose BWV over BCV, even though we like BCV a little more than BWV, because as owners we can save points by booking standard view rooms. We added on just 80 BWV points so we went direct with Disney just recently.

Buying AKV, in 2013, was kind of spur of the moment. We were trying to add on more HHI points (small contract) and found a contract, made an offer that was agreed on and then sent to ROFR. Just 8 days into the 30 day ROFR, the sellers cancelled on us. So, we looked at what else was for sale and we were getting e-mails from 1 company when hey had new contracts listed. And e-mail came through with 100 points at AKV with our UY. At the same time, we were talking about planning a Xmas trip with all my inlaws and SIL, who owns at SSR and AKV and will only stay at those, agreed to do AKV since we didn't want to do SSR and she wouldn't do our OKW. So, we bought that 100 pointer at AKV for a great deal and it was a pretty loaded contract and had enough for us to book a 2BR and a studio for 5 nights at Xmas. Our Xmas trip (2013) was our 1st stay at AKV and it turns out to be my very fave resort (overall...still love BWV and BCV for location).

I will say that we have stayed at BWV (twice and another stay coming up) and BCV (once...BCV is tougher to book) on our OKW points...yes, they can be tough to get at 7 months out but can be done sometimes. AKV- value or concierge level are also tough to get at 7 months out.

When will you typically go? If always in the summer, then BCV will be tough to get (the one time we got it was for a Jan trip). It is also tough to get BCV and BWV during F&W...that's why we added the BWV points.

It's a tough call. We were not as worried about expiration but we will be 69 when the BWV, HHI and OKW expire...then we'll have the 100 AKV points to still use (or our kids will be using). I'd like to add on at the Poly to get a few more later expiration. Maybe you could do like us and get 100 points at AKV and 80 points at BCV or BWV. It will be 2 closing costs and the smaller contracts cost more per point.

 

[Angela0917]

Thanks guys! Its such a big commitment, I don't want to regret where we pick. We've stayed at all three resorts, but when we stayed at Beach Club, it was not a DVC room. In the past years, we've gone twice in April, twice in November, and once in May. I think we like April best, but I know that will prob change once the kids are in school. Is April a busy or slow time for DVC? This year we booked our May trip in February (we rented) and were able to get savannah view at Kidani, but I know everything else was booked, including Jambo house, except for OKW and SSR. Beautiful resorts, but wouldn't be my top choices. I guess my main thing is I want to have options. I'm afraid if I buy AKV, then none of the other resorts I would want would be available at 7m. But if we had BC or BW, we could at least bounce between there and AKV. Does that make sense? But then there's the whole 15 year difference... this is a tough decision!!

 

[Angela0917]

How would that work booking with two contracts? Would you have to bank and borrow to use one contract at a time? Or can you combine the points?

 

[DizBub]

How would that work booking with two contracts? Would you have to bank and borrow to use one contract at a time? Or can you combine the points?

No combining points from 2 different resorts at 11 months. You can combine at 7 months.

I have 2 contracts at the same resort that I can combine at 11 months though.

As for your dilemma, I say you should buy a resort that you want to stay at consistently. If that means BCV or BWV even with the shorter contract life. We have a 160 point contract at BCV because 2 years in a row we were unable to get what we wanted right at the 7 month mark. Good news is that after you buy your "must have" resort you can get a contract at AKV with a longer contract. Add-on-it-is is inevitable.

 

[Angela0917]

We already have plans for a "someday" add on at Poly!

 

[lovin'fl]

I agree with Dizbub...sounds like you should go with BCV or BWV.

April can be tough to book BCV and BWV due to the now popular Flower and Garden show (since they added the booths like F&W) which is early March to mid- May.

If you did get 2 contracts, you could bank and borrow to use AKV one year and then BCV/BWV the next year. I will use the banking/borrowing to book 4 nights in a 2BR- standard view at BWV and 3 nights in a 2BR-savannah view at AKV for next Aug (can't wait to book in Sept)...split stay.

 

[Dean]

We are planning to buy into DVC in the very near future, and plan to buy a resale contract for between 160-180 points. I'm having a hard time deciding on a home resort. Our 3 favorites are AKV, BCV, and BWV. I know AKV is the easiest to get past the 7 month mark, but we would have an extra 15 years on our contract with the later expiration. We are a younger family, my husband and I are both early 30s, and my kids are 4 and 1, so it would be nice to have the extra years to pass on to them so they can take their families someday. But we really love Beach Club and Boardwalk, and I know they are harder to get past 7 months. Boardwalk's resale price is a good bit less than Beach Club, but my husband really likes the Beach Club, and thinks the kids will really like it as they get older for the pool. I don't plan to stay at the same resort every year, we've been going the past 5 years and we always pick a different place to stay, but I don't want to get stuck at the same place every year either if nothing else is available. For the price of 160 points at BC, I can get around 200 points at AKV or BWV, but they are easier to book than BC, right? What would you guys pick?

For this situation I'd likely go with BWV due to the standard view option and lower cost than BCV. The other option would be BLT or SSR mostly because getting BWV garden and AKV are not that difficult most of the year and both should be cheaper long term than BCV or AKV and possibly than BWV as well. Ultimately there's no right or wrong answer and your personal preferences will end up being make or break. I WOULD NOT let the RTU expiration date be the determining factor though but I would keep in in mind related to price and value.

 

[Angela0917]

Thanks guys! We decided to go with Beach Club AND put in an offer last night! Wish me luck!

 

[lovin'fl]

Thanks guys! We decided to go with Beach Club AND put in an offer last night! Wish me luck!

Wishing you a speedy and successful ROFR!!!!

 

[Goofy DVC]

Thanks guys! We decided to go with Beach Club AND put in an offer last night! Wish me luck!

Congrats and Good luck with the process!

 

[DizBub]

Thanks guys! We decided to go with Beach Club AND put in an offer last night! Wish me luck!

How exciting! Please come back and let us know how it goes.

Best of luck with your offer and ROFR!

 

[Angela0917]

No luck. The sellers decided to keep their contract another year and take it off the market. I'm bummed! Now I'm back to thinking I should buy at Boardwalk! I need to stop driving myself crazyyyyy!

 

[lovin'fl]

Oh no...that stinks. Maybe Boardwalk was meant to be for you guys.

 

[bcvlover]

My vote is to try again for bcv. It has a kids club and bwv doesn't.

So we could have a date night occassionally. Priceless.

 

[bcvlover]

Sorry you didn't get bcv on first try...


Sending pixie dust and good luck your way for whatever you decide to do next.

 

[DizBub]

No luck. The sellers decided to keep their contract another year and take it off the market. I'm bummed! Now I'm back to thinking I should buy at Boardwalk! I need to stop driving myself crazyyyyy!

Well, that was quick. Sorry to hear it.

If you really have your heart set on BCV don't give up, keep trying. Your perfect contract will be there eventually.

 

[Angela0917]

Thanks guys! I'm going to keep looking! Hopefully something else pops up soon!!