"Home" Choice Importance?

[JimMIA]

Here's a link to a post started several months ago, which starts off with a discussion of the home resort question. Everybody's "best answer" is different, but hopefully this discussion will help.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=778634

 

[Cruelladeville]

The least busy times of year for DVC are September and January. The fall--after September--is very busy. If you began looking now, for example, for October-January, you would probably be disappointed. There are very few rooms available anywhere, for anything. It turns out that October has the food and wine and golf tournaments, then there is the very merry Halloween party, the very merry Christmas party, the decorating, then the holidays are here. Once you pass January, February has Presidents Week and then it's March, which is very popular, then it's Easter, and after that is the flower festival. Don't forget the Sci Fi weekends, the soap weekends, and the ever-popular Gay Week! Since you homeschool, you could call and say,"What do you have between now and Christmas?" If you really are that open, you could buy anywhere.

 

[Disney Doll]

FWIW, when DH & I were purchasing, we only had OKW & BWV to chooose from (1997). We really liked them both. OKW was a little cheaper per point & dues were a little cheaper. We loved the size of OKW, we loved the location of BWV.

We discussed it at length, and came to the conclusion that we would purchase at OKW, since the overall cost was less. We decided that if DVC changed their rules somewhere along the line (not that I am thinking they will, but hypothetically) & made a rule that you could only stay in your home resort from now on, that we could & would be perfectly happy at OKW every time we went to WDW.

So far, we have been very fortunate & have pretty much been able to book at whatever resort we want whenever we have wanted to go. Sometimes we have been waitlisted, but, other than 1 time, the waitlist has always come through. When we do go to WDW, we generally go in Janaury, early May, October or November. What I do is book OKW at the 11 month window so I a sure I have a room. Then at the 7 month window I call and see what's available if I want to try somewhere different. If what I want is available, then great! I cancel OKW, rebook at the new place and we're set. If what I want isn't available, I waitlist.

We like all the DVC resorts for different reasons, so where we stay isn't a huge issue. We really feel fortunate to be members, and feel like every resort is as nice as the next, they each have their own little charm in their own different way, but one is not worse than the other.

I would concur that if you are a person who would not enjoy your vacation as much if you were unable to get a room in a specific resort, then buy where you want to stay. If that is not an issue for you either, then I would buy the least expensive. I'd still be careful with VB or HH if your desire is to spend most fo your vacations at WDW though.

 

[deba]

Disney Doll~ Very helpful...I was thinking along these very same lines. Thanks to all who've offered their help!