Home resort

[momof2TNboys]

Hi, I know this question is asked often, but I do want an expert opinion if possible. My DH and I are strongly considering buying a resale contract in the next few months with cash. We want around 150-200 points and I want the cheapest reasonable contract I can get. Our situation is that we have two sons, 3 and 5, and love Disney. I plan on taking them there as long as they will go. We absolutely love Hawaii and Hilton Head, so we are intrigued by the resorts there. I love the GF and I know there is rumors of DVC being built there right now. I plan on buying a contract there, but do not want to wait. I am having a hard time with home resort. I had thought about Hilton Head, but after reading the boards, I think I may need to buy onsite to guarantee somewhere. My DH is a teacher so we will have to travel during higher occupancy times. How hard is it to get a resort at 7 mos? What went into your thinking when choosing a home resort? It is so confusing trying to decide.
Thanks for all your help.

 

[spiceycat]

if you can only make reservations after the 7 months - then go for the cheapest - OKW, SSR or (lately) BWV

 

[chalee94]

the ideal rule is: buy where you want to stay. if you want to stay at HHI during the summer (or in a BLT MK view) and can book there at 11 months out, you are in great shape.

you can sometimes get what you want at 7 months, but there is certainly a risk of disappointment...more of a risk in some cases than others.

the other rule is: buy where you don't mind staying.

SSR and OKW are onsite at wdw and have pretty cheap resale prices plus reasonable annual dues. if you are happy just to stay onsite at wdw, buy at one of these and book at 10-11 months out...then try to change at 7 months. you'll often be able to switch at 7 months, but if not, you are still onsite at wdw...so it's all good.

the last few years of recession have limited some travel plans, so i think DVC owners have generally had more luck at the 7 month window than is typical. but as the membership grows, i wouldn't count on being able to get your first choice at 7 months any more... how much risk you want to take is up to you.

 

[Kidanifan08]

If you are looking to buy 150-200 points, your points will probably go the farthest at OKW. Each resort seems to have its own little perks, and it does become somewhat of a personal choice. We own at AKV, mainly because that is what was selling when we bought in and we love the decor and the feel of that resort. We are at OKW now, and I already don't like the detached buildings and walking in the heat to the gift shop, but again, it is clear that many love this place. If you are looking to get in for the lowest cost and primarily plan to stay on property, OKW and SSR are your best bet followed by AKV. AKV does have a wider variety of point level options, but for the value rooms, you probably need to plan at the 11 month mark. Most OKW contracts end in 2042, with SSR at 2054 and AKV at 2057. Since your kids will be in their 30's when OKW expires, any of those would probably work well for you.

Have fun researching this BIG decision.

 

[Sandisw]

I think that it is wise to buy a WDW resort if that is where you plan to use your points most of the time.

Deciding on which one can be a little tricky but I think you have to first decide how important being at a particular resort is to your vacation happiness.

You want to be sure to buy at a place that you will be comfortable staying in if you can't get something else to suit your needs at 7 months. If you really have no preference at all, then I say SSR or OKW are great buys (lower buy in and MF"s combined).

We own BLT and spent more to get it. We are in the process of closing on a BWV contract as well. This one, we got a pretty good deal.

But, we bought both these resorts because for us, where we stay is crucial to our vacation. We want to be within walking distance to both Epcot and MK and these resorts give us that. I teach so we travel in the summer most of the times. We simply wanted to be able to book the resorts we wanted at the 11 month mark without any worries.

Good luck!

 

[RayRing]

Check out the point charts.

Look at some sample dates you might want to stay at WDW, the type of room you would want to get (and the location of the room - point wise), and the resort you might like to stay at.

Factor in how often you will likely travel to WDW. Once a year, Twice a year, Once every two years

That will give you a better idea of how many points you want to get.

I'm thinking 150 - 200 might not be enough.

 

[momof2TNboys]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! It really gives me something to think about now. I think location does matter some to us. As you can see from my trips, I am partial to the monorail loop. Would VWL be a good option? Should I buy possibly BWV to be near Epcot since I will most likely be buying a contract to GF when it is built? Also, we plan on taking 2 trips per year and are fine with studios. How many points would you buy? Thanks again for all your help!

 

[TaleasoldasTime]

i am also a teacher and we usually travel the last week of june to july and feb break. that being said i like being able to book at the 11 month mark at the resort of our choice (BLT). We stayed at SSR and we were not thrilled that the buildings were far apart and it took quite a walk to get to the main building and pool. we also stay at AKL and liked it a lot.

we chose BLT because we like being able to walk back to the hotel after the fireworks/parade and not have to wait for bus/monorail.

Hope it helps!!

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! It really gives me something to think about now. I think location does matter some to us. As you can see from my trips, I am partial to the monorail loop. Would VWL be a good option? Should I buy possibly BWV to be near Epcot since I will most likely be buying a contract to GF when it is built? Also, we plan on taking 2 trips per year and are fine with studios. How many points would you buy? Thanks again for all your help!

VWL is very nice and the boat ride to MK is not bad. You even have the option to boat to the CR, and then walk. It takes a bit longer, but if you wanted to, its possible. But, it is a completely different feel than the Boardwalk area. We have stayed at both (and own VWL as our first contract) and decided, because we bought BLT, that owning VWL wasn't for us so we sold it.

If your plan is to buy at GF down the road, then I might choose BWV over VWL at this time.

Our summer trips are always split stays so that we don't have to worry about it and get to stay in both areas. We love, as I said, being able to walk to the parks and not have to rely on buses, or boats, or the monorail, for that matter. The only park we have to take transportation to is AK--and for that we rent a car--or, as I am doing this summer because we have too many in our group for mini van--taking a taxi there in the AM!!!!

 

[Simba's Mom]

One thing to remember is that wherever you buy, you'll be paying dues there for many years. For us, we just couldn't see paying dues to a resort we'd never visit. For some peope, maybe it wouldn't matter, and some of your dues go to overall things, but we wanted the idea of knowing (or at least thinking) when we go to our favorite resorts every year, that maybe our money had a part in the upkeep/refurbishments at that resort.

 

[castleri]

SSR might be a good choice as it offers the closeness to DTD and is a longer contract than OKW. My favorite is OKW and if you could get a resale contract with the extra years that would be my first choice. If you really like the proximity to the parks then BWV or BCV would work and then you can add on the GF points once they become available. Both of those resorts have the 2042 expiration date at this time. It really comes down as many have said to what resort would you be happy staying at if that was the only one you could stay at. If you can make a reservation at 11 months and then change at 7 to a different resort every time it would be great but there is no guarantee to that. The choice of a home resort is really a personal one that no one can make for you. I would not want to stay at BWV every time - in fact hardly ever - and others feel that way about SSR which I would be content with. You really need to research as many pictures and as much info as you can get and decide if you want detached condo buildings, hotel style. closeness to parks, or away from the busyness of them, etc. Good luck with your decision and hope we can say Welcome Home soon.

 

[disneynutz]

Selecting a home resort is a very personal thing. What many people love sometimes leaves me scratching my head and I'm sure that they feel the same way. You will also change the way you feel about Disney and WDW, your favorite parks and how you spend your time. Going there twice a year you will not be as excited as you once were and you start to appreciate the little things and the resorts more. We truly take relaxing vacations at WDW. No rope drop, visiting parks based on crowd projections, only visiting 2 or 3 attractions then going home to our villa.

Good luck with your decision and remember it's only money, not a life long commitment.

Bill

 

[supersuperwendy]

Did you consider the contract length at all? We love BWV for example, but the contract ends too soon. We are only in our early 30s so we wanted the longest possible contracts at the time we joined so we bought AKV. Now if GFV is for real we'll probably buy there too! I'd love to be on the monorail when I'm 90!

 

[jupers]

Hi,

I'm a teacher too with kids similar ages and went through this decision. In the end I chose SSR because of the longer contract date and knowing that when my kids are older and maybe less enchanted with WDW we still would be in a great location...and I got a great deal via resale. We bought sight unseen and were able to visit SSR this past July on a quick offsite trip. It was so great to have my decision confirmed!!! I loved SSR...Good luck. BTW we bought 142 points (I know weird amount) and I'm already finding addonitis, because we keep inviting people to come with us!!!

 

[momof2TNboys]

Thanks everyone for the great advice! My DH and I are going to WDW next month and plan on looking around at the DVC resorts one day. After your comments and more research, I am really leaning toward SSR because of the expansive grounds, walking trails, golf near and just how serene it appears. I think BWV may be too hectic all the time. I am already going to buy GFV if possible so I will have one option near theme parks. My question is how many points did you start out with at first? We are thinking 200-250 now after looking at the amount of points it will take to have two vacations per year that are a week long each. Thanks again!!

 

[6of7]

Just my humble thoughts.

When I bought the fist DVC points I was a Disney novice. We went for value because I thought we would rarely be able to plan more than 7 months out. I had also only stayed at OKW and SSR. For us OKW is still so magical.

We have found that location (close to two parks) is an important factor for us. So the next time I bought was at BCV. The pool is great! But we tend to go go go. And the pool didn't get used much.

Next time I'll buy BWV. Location really suits us.

So...I guess, just jump in. It's all great. Can you go wrong?

 

[LSchrow]

Thanks everyone for the great advice! My DH and I are going to WDW next month and plan on looking around at the DVC resorts one day. After your comments and more research, I am really leaning toward SSR because of the expansive grounds, walking trails, golf near and just how serene it appears. I think BWV may be too hectic all the time. I am already going to buy GFV if possible so I will have one option near theme parks. My question is how many points did you start out with at first? We are thinking 200-250 now after looking at the amount of points it will take to have two vacations per year that are a week long each. Thanks again!!

just to let you know, the BWVs are definately not "hectic all the time". i love waking up early and watching the few joggers thump along the BW in the early morning fog, we often stroll and chat quietly as music plays softly in the background, the walk to DHS is beautiful (and you get to play with the squirrels, bunnies, and ducks along the way), great places to read/lounge are the big comfy sofas and chairs in the elegant lobby, or the pretty seating/resting areas strategically placed along each floor level, or on the gorgeous balcony overlooking village green, or the sweet little nook under the balcony. there are tennis courts, and a wonderful community hall alongside the quiet pool.
in the evening, the BW itself is bustling, but it really doesn't seem to affect the elegant serenity of the interior of the resort. we especially appreciate that evening entertainment is right at our fingertips, but not in our faces.
btw, we also own SSR, and love the serenity there. we just love that the BWVs offer both the serenity and options for activities, if we so choose (fyi, we also own at the BCVs but rarely stay there because of the high noise level and chaotic lobby).
we started in 1999 with the exact amount of points we would need to stay in a 1bdrm in the season we normally stayed, plus half of what we would need for a 2-bdrm every other year - based on our then vacationing style. we added on twice since, as our kids have grown and vacationing changed. the ability to bank and borrow, change room sizes and seasons, have made it easy to use DVC throughout our changing family dynamics.
hope that helped