Home Resort

[gkrykewy]

We bought at AKV since AKL is our favorite place to stay, and have not had any trouble booking elsewhere at 7 months (BWV, BLT, and GCV so far).

While incentives are likely to improve this fall, I would look very very hard at resale if I were buying in now.

I would also *not* buy Aulani as my primary membership - take a look at the resale prices for VB and HHI.

 

[JimMIA]

The two cautions I usually give for people considering home resort are:

1. Understand whether the home resort booking advantage is really an advantage to you or not. For the 11-month window to have any value, you have to be able to consistently book vacations during that window. Many families can do that, many others can't.
2. And second, never buy a home resort where you would NOT want to stay. It will probably never happen, but DVC could restrict us to our home resorts. More important, you might have a situation where you book a stay at your home resort at 11 months with the intention of switching at 7 months. If that doesn't work out, you don't want to be devastated by having to stay in your home resort.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I would also *not* buy Aulani as my primary membership - take a look at the resale prices for VB and HHI.

I would never recommend someone buy VB or HHI if their intent is not to stay there the majority of their trips.

I think outside Disney World properties are higher risk of being restricted if it were to ever happen and the dues are some of the highest around (dues are more important then purchase price on the long term).

 

[wildernessDad]

My decision process was easy - I bought at all of the Peter Dominick based resorts.

 

[ToddyLu]

I picked DVC and DH picked AKV. He loves photography and wanted to be around the animals. Now we did purchase sight unseen. We had been to WDW 8 times since 2002 and never stepped foot on that resort. We always thought it was too expensive for us. DH was happy at Values...not me . I was initially reading this forum to just learn about DVC and I don't think I knew all of the different DVC resorts. I researched here and gave DH the choices. We LOVED out first visit to Kidani. I don't understand how people can say it is far from everything. AK is right there, practically across the street. It may not be everyone's fav, but it is a neighbor and a theme park.

I think you just have to decide what your style or wants are. Are you into lounging or parks? Do you want condo or hotel style resorts? Do you need counter service? I do not like the decor of BLT, we live on the Gulf Coast so BCV and OKW are too much like home. WL is awesome but DH needed the savannah. VGC is too far away. Aulani would require more Ativan for DH to fly there. SSR was too quiet although DH has expressed interest in the THV. VB and HHI are too much like home also. AKV is perfect for us. But that is what is SOOOOOO awesome about DVC--something for everyone and then if you need a break from the home resort, you have that too.

We just needed more theming for it to really feel like a vacation and Disney. I think that was our main draw to AKV.

 

[adminjedi]

Additional members means additional rooms.

I like how you simplified that!

Basically, if you book before the 7 month window at your home resort, it doesn't matter how many other dvc hotels or members exist.

What I think some don't like is this: new resort DVC members can stay at the older resorts and the older resort owners don't want to stay at the new resorts (which they perceive as "lesser"). Basically, they think it is unfair that others can partake of their home resort (which the older members perceive as "better").