Home Resort? Which one and why?

[gharter]

Where you have your home resort is based on a lot of variables. How many kids, how old, how many will be traveling each visit.
How often do you plan to go to WDW? What size room do you plan to reserve? We started with the studio and now use the ! BR most times.
Does DVC even make sense for you?

There is a huge amount of information on this site about DVC that I would review before starting with your questions.

Since you asked:
We own BWV - love the theme, location can't be beat. We use for Food and Wine season. Close to walk to 2 parks. Love the evening entertainment. Many restaurants close by.
We own AKL - love the design. We use this in the spring for a long weekend. Downside, not close to any park, must use the bus or drive, similar to several others. The 1 BR is huge is a plus when we travel with a larger group.

 

[montrealdisneylovers]

I think it depends what you are looking to get from your Disney vacation.

We only go 3-5 nights a year and want to be immersed in Disney for the time we are there. We love our BLT MK view as we feel we are always part of the action even when in our rooms. Seeing Cinderella's castle whenever we look out the window makes us feel like we are in the magic kingdom. We love sitting on the balcony with a coffee or glass of wine watching the monorail, ferry boats and busses coming and going. The train that goes around the park is fun to watch as it whistles when it goes by. We often head back to our room to watch the fireworks from there. So even after a full day in the parks we enjoy the action that comes from being near the MK. We think we would probably enjoy a boardwalk view at BWV for the same reason. After our Disney trip we head to the beach for the calm unwinding part of the vacation.

Others spend their whole vacation time at Disney and therefore appreciate getting away from the hustle and bustle from time to time. The more remote locations are ideal for that. You enjoy the action when you want and then get away from it all at the resort. If we were to spend our whole vacation at Disney, we would probably enjoy spending some of the time at these resorts as well.

 

[crisi]

We own at Boardwalk. We like the proximity to Epcot, the availability of both Standard Views and Grand Villas. We like the pool - especially the scary clown slide - although it is not a great pool for young kids (no zero entry, no kiddie slide). We like the restaurants (Flying Fish is a favorite), the Boardwalk Entertainment.

I like the theming at VWL more, but proximity to Epcot beats that out. I also love the animals at VAKL, but again, proximity to Epcot.

But we are in our fifties now, and our son is out of high school - our daughter is a Senior next year. We aren't looking for another 30+ years of ownership

 

[DougEMG]

We own BWV for the location and cheap standard room. We own SSR and OKW because they were cheap to buy. I wish I owned at BLT or VGF for easy access to MK.

 

[nfouey]

We own at Poly! A few reasons why we love it and it was right for us.
1. Monorail/MK proximity- we usually go to MK 3-4 times over our trips even if it's just for dinner or an evening. Plus with 2 young kids not having to fold up strollers and get on the bus is amazing! Also you have monorail access to Epcot (direct via ttc). Love this!

2. Rooms/Size- we are studio people. No desire to cook while on vacation, but do appreciate extra space. The rooms at the poly are huge! Plus the lake view option to watch evening fireworks and water parade is magical. Having a boy and a girl the dresser Murphy bed is also a big bonus! Every gets their own special bed!

Theme/amenities- we love the lava pool and splash pad, tons of great restaurants to pick from, dole whips on demand, plus the kids club. Also just really enjoy the overall tropical feel of the resort.

As others have mentioned if you have the chance, try out a few Dvc's by renting before picking your home resort. We did a few trips as renters and did split stays to accomplish this. Tried Poly, BC, BLT, GF, SSR, and AKV over a few trips. We really liked them all for different reasons but thought we would most often pick Poly. Of course there may be trips that we are going with friends/family and want the option for a kitchen and could pick BC or AKV for example of available.

But I really believe at the end of the day you should buy where you want to stay. The best way to know that is by trying them out!

Welcome to the world of DVC! It's awesome.

 

[ppjluvsdvc]

We own at three:
BCV: We bought because we love EPCOT area. timing was right also
SSR: We bought because I wanted more points and that was what was new at the time. We do actually enjoy staying there -especially when we do want a break from parks.
VGF: We love there but only bought enough points to stay every 3 years as now we need a 2 bedroom. My husband was the main reason we bought there as it is his favorite resort.

Just be sure to buy where you like!! The 11 month booking window is key during those busy(isn't it always busy now?) times of the year.

 

[Shellyred8]

Our first home resort was BWV. We love the Boardwalk area and being within walking distance to two parks. I love the Boardwalk area at night when it's all lit up and the lights reflecting off the water. I just like the atmosphere of that area. My only regret is that we didn't buy more points!

 

[kniquy]

Buying in is a very personal decision. For your family size of 4 - pretty much any resort would "fit" your family, but will your kids want to share a bed, will you and your husband want to be in the same room as the kids for a week. It can get a little cramped in a studio for a week with that many people. Figuring out your best sleeping arrangements might help determine your resort -- as some studios offer the Murphy bed, which might help if your kids refuse to sleep together. I know my 9 yo twin boys refuse to sleep together because one moves around way too much, so not fun to deal with for a week.

We personally own at AKV -- have never stayed there (booked there for April) but we chose that resort for a number of reasons -- -the points cost was reasonable, for a similar price is SSR, but we stayed there and although i could be stuck there, I'd rather not. The MF are higher, but the resort with the animals is truly unique and worth the little extra in MF compared to SSR. The points cost for the rooms is reasonable - once you start looking at Poly, BLT or VGF the same room type costs much more points- so you are left buying a more expensive contract.

The beauty of DVC is that you are not locked into your home resort -- it is great to book what you like at 11 months and then see what is opens up and what you have points for at the 7 month mark.

You need to sit and look at your family room needs, then see what resorts fit what you need, look at the points cost for said room, then start looking at the resale market to see what fits your budget. Sometimes narrowing it down can help in the decision making process.

 

[Toreby]

We're a family of five and expect to be in 1 BR for at least a few years before we need a 2 BR. Having never stayed at any DVC properties we came up with a list of resorts we'd prefer to stay at, then eliminated the ones we found too expensive. We then further narrowed it down to AKV and BLT because of the extra bathroom in the 1 BR. AKV ultimately won out because of the cheaper buy in, and because our youngest loves animals.

 

[jeepnjudy]

Hi all!

Looking for you to tell me about your home resort. What do you love about it? What do you wish were different? Is your home resort the one where we should purchase points? Why or why not?

Thank you!

We own at VGF. We love this resort because of the monorail. I have 2 DS that are train fanatics and would be content to never enter the parks but ride the monorail ALL day! We also travel during holidays because we do not pull our kids out of school for vacation so the only down side is if you do not own at VGF and want to stay there in a studio during peak season, you may not get that studio at the 7 month window.

 

[ToddyLu]

We own at AKV--we purchased sight unseen. I would never recommend that to anyone. But luckily it is the perfect resort for us. I had always wanted to stay there since it seemed so exotic. Evidently DH felt the same. I was going to purchase SSR for us but DH must have looked through them and said, "absolutely not, I only want to stay where the animals are"...the rest is history. We spent one night at BLT, one...the studio was small, the theming modern and the shower curtain kept attacking DH and sticking to him. We were so ready to get "home" to AKV the following day. The grasses that blend in to the buildings and kind of hide them slightly as you drive up. The darker décor. We like being away from the parks and I don't know of another hotel in the US with a giraffe walking past your balcony. it just fits us...and the longer you own, the important that will be. We try to go twice a year for 9 nights in a value studio and then take family in alternating years. The value studios help us gift a great stay to our guests. I am now married to a DVC purist--he will only stay at the home resort.

Reasons we didn't pick the others--and everyone has a favorite and they are ALL beautiful...
BLT--too modern, no desire to be that close to MK
SSR--huge lovely resort and extremely quiet, pristine in fact, which for us was a turn off
OKW--We live on the Gulf Coast, so too much like home
VWL and CCV--DH worked for the Dept of the Interior fighting forest fires in his 20s--reminded him of National Parks which was a turn off ( a little cra cra but I love him)
BWV and BCV--Again on the water, décor too much like home, wanted more theming
Poly, VGF and CCV were not developed yet but would not have tempted us for the reasons already given
HHI and VB--we wanted a resort at WDW for sure.
GCV-in California and we live in MS.

DVC changes your Disney vacation.

 

[littlestar]

We have owned at VWL, BCV, BWV, and SSR. Now we only own Saratoga points. Disney's Wilderness Lodge is my favorite themed resort on Disney property, but the annual dues are too rich for me. We feel that Saratoga's expiration date, lighter decor, steady dues, standard point chart, and closeness to Disney Springs makes it a top resale choice. I am especially glad our points are deeded at SSR with all the property tax increase talk aimed at the close to the parks resorts. When our latest resale purchase closes we will have 215 SSR points. Yahoo!

I will add that at one time we owned over 500 DVC points , but we downsized those and bought resale timeshares, specifically: Wyndham points and a Marriott week. Our travel needs changed over time so we branched out and tweaked what we owned.

 

[tasha99]

We own at BWV and VGC (75 points each). BWV for proximity to Epcot, and VGC because we go to Disneyland every few years. At one time we owned 150 SSR points as well, but we downsized.

 

[jvattes]

We have owned at VWL, BCV, BWV, and SSR. Now we only own Saratoga points. Disney's Wilderness Lodge is my favorite themed resort on Disney property, but the annual dues are too rich for me. We feel that Saratoga's expiration date, lighter decor, steady dues, standard point chart, and closeness to Disney Springs makes it a top resale choice. I am especially glad our points are deeded at SSR with all the property tax increase talk aimed at the close to the parks resorts. When our latest resale purchase closes we will have 215 SSR points. Yahoo!

I will add that at one time we owned over 500 DVC points , but we downsized those and bought resale timeshares, specifically: Wyndham points and a Marriott week. Our travel needs changed over time so we branched out and tweaked what we owned.

Ah, so you would recommend buying several contracts in smaller point portions? Do you see any downside to doing this?

 

[crisi]

Ah, so you would recommend buying several contracts in smaller point portions? Do you see any downside to doing this?

I WOULDN'T recommend that for most people. You can't combine the points until the seven month window - so you'll want enough points at the in demand resorts to make your entire reservation there. You end up managing multiple contracts. You'll pay closing costs on multiple contracts. Smaller contracts are sold at a premium, so you'll pay more per point. Multiple small contracts though DVC are advanced DVC, and you really need to understand the system and what you are getting into.

Now, for some people, multiple home resorts are perfect. They spend a lot of nights at Disney, taking several trips a year. The management of the contracts is something they have a good grasp on. And the price differential is worth is because they know they want a small BWV contract just for F&W and that they want a small GFV contract for their anniversary trip every year, and they know that every other year they spend a weekend at Disneyland and on the alternate year they go to Hawaii. I don't think that describes most DVCers.

 

[Dean]

Ah, so you would recommend buying several contracts in smaller point portions? Do you see any downside to doing this?

Cost and aggravation are an issue, this is a poor choice for most people.

 

[littlestar]

Ah, so you would recommend buying several contracts in smaller point portions? Do you see any downside to doing this?

I do not recommend several smaller contracts for most people. What happened with us in 2002 when we first joined DVC was we would take a Disney trip and do a 50 or 60 point add-on direct through Disney. Closing costs were free back then. We had what's called "add-on itis". We ended up with multiple contracts and when my husband was downsized during the Great Recession we sold them all off except for a 25 point SSR contract.

When employment improved for us, we increased our SSR ownership. With the closing costs and higher price of smaller contracts, I would not recommend multiple DVC contracts for today's resale buyer.

 

[Coastie]

We liked the multiple home resorts... Boulder Creek for Christmas, Boardwalk for F&W, and Poly for everything in-between... on occasion, we use these points to "try out" the other resorts.

 

[skippytx]

I'm in the process of buying at BLT. We decided on BLT because it was the best fit for how we like to vacation.

The top reason was location, location, location. My first WDW trip we stayed at a AoA Family Suite and it felt like I spent 1/3 of the trip either walking to/from, waiting for, or riding the buses. We like to take a siesta in the middle of the day, and the kids are 7 and 5 right now so they tend to still take a nap. We generally hit a park in the AM, head back to the room between 2-3, siesta, and then spend almost every night at MK. An 8-10 minute walk to the room beats waiting for the bus(es) to take us back to the resort. Being on the monorail is nice, but honestly the proximity to MK is the biggest selling point for us.

Last year we rented BLT points to try it out, and we just LOVED the 1BR villa. My kids don't eat a ton at the parks, so having the option to cook a quick breakfast and have a fridge full of drinks and snacks was nice. We usually ate lunch during our siesta in the room as well. I can only handle so many burgers and chicken strips. Having in room laundry was also fantastic. We could pack light and do a load during naps, and another at night no problem.

We've looked at many of the other resorts, unfortunately Poly doesn't have 1BR villas so that was out, and VGF is very nice, but it's just not my thing. When the kids are older though, or my wife and I go just the 2 of us I could see staying at Beach Club. We spent a couple nights there and I liked it. Proximity to EPCOT isn't important to us right now, but when we're older and not so focused on MK it would be nice. We visited Animal Kingdom and while it was really nice the location just makes it a non starter for us.

I think it really just depends on how you like to spend your time at WDW. We like to take that midday break, and end most days at MK so travel time and location is more important to us than a lot of other things.

 

[ArielSRL]

We just offered at Boulder Ridge at WL Wednesday and paperwork was sent to Disney today. We chose there because we stayed there last month and fell in love with it. We love the boat to MK, we love the theme, they are almost done with refurbing the resort because they are actually adding new DVC there (Copper Creek)...so new pool, new QS option. We loved eating at Whispering Canyon, one of the two TS there.

Its also very affordable right now through resale, which is the route we took.