home resort

[mjillard]

I am in the early stages looking for resale contracts. The resort we are most interested in staying is akv. However, the maintenance fees are a concern, and it does not seem to be difficult to get in at seven months. We do want to go at least once for food and wine. Should I buy at boardwalk just for the rare times we want to stay there or go with ssr for the low buy in and low maintenance fees?

 

[Msmithmd]

Really depends on whether you would want to book the AKV concierge or value rooms in the future. If you would want these categories, then you should buy where you want (AKV). If not, then there are pluses and minuses to the other two resorts that you mention.

Do consider contract length dates as well as the maintenance fee differences. Over the course of several years, you would save enough money paying dues on SSR versus BWV, that you could pay cash for a room at Boardwalk if there wasn't DVC availability- and use your points in another way that year. So if you think you would go to food and wine often, buy BWV. But if you really mean "once," then buy the cheaper maintenance and pay cash for your BWV trip if it isn't available on points at seven months.

To me, the bottom line is that if you are patient in resale and get a very good deal, that functions in a way as insurance- in that if five years from now you decide you don't like your home resort, you can sell and buy something else without taking a big hit.

 

[crisi]

I agree, if you mean Food and Wine once (or even once in a while) take your chances. We booked a hard to get Hilton Head summer reservation by renting points at the eleven month window and then renting ours out to pay for it. The other thing about that BWV contract is that it will expire a decade before the SSR one does. Not a huge deal if you are 50, may be a big deal if you are 25.

And unless you are looking for value or conceirge at VAKL, there isn't a big reason to own there. So far there has been no shortage of availability at seven months outside of those room types - you might sometimes find yourself at Kidani when you wanted Jambo.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I would go with the Boardwalk because the lower points for standard view are a nice perk of owning there. ( Booking at 11 months of course! ) Once you stay at BWV with the lower point costs, SSR seems less desire able, IMO.

Bobbi

 

[disneynutz]

If the resort is important to you then buy where you love to stay. If you don't know where that is, take the time to find out or be willing to buy additional contracts later.

Bill

 

[DVC Dude]

The answer depends on how many points you want to buy as small 100 point contracts are really not that much different in cost, but a 500 point contract the difference is large.

The long term effect of Dues is the most significant factor in ownership.

That said, SSR continues to be the best bargain (at least now) and AK is $1pp more and BWV is a little more than $1 more.

SSR and AK have longer RTU than BWV by 12-15 years.

Resort 2013 Dues 2014 Dues Increase
Animal Kingdom Villas $5.6749 $5.9748 +5.28%
Bay Lake Tower $4.4972 $4.7846 +6.39%
Beach Club Villas $5.6458 $5.7904 +2.56%
BoardWalk Villas $5.8409 $6.0067 +2.83%
Old Key West $5.3447 $5.5411 +3.67%
Saratoga Springs $4.8129 $4.9148 +2.11%
Wilderness Lodge $5.7931 $5.9265 +2.30%

 

[Kidanifan08]

I am in the early stages looking for resale contracts. The resort we are most interested in staying is akv. However, the maintenance fees are a concern, and it does not seem to be difficult to get in at seven months. We do want to go at least once for food and wine. Should I buy at boardwalk just for the rare times we want to stay there or go with ssr for the low buy in and low maintenance fees?

You did not provide much information about your travel style, but if you can't book at 7-11 months, keep in mind that your home resort is "wherever". Home resort is taken out of the equation at 7 months. All of the points that we own are at AKV, because we want the option for concierge. But, we know that we can book at exactly 11 months 99.99999% of the time. And you are correct, AKV is fairly easy to get at 7 months, with the exception of the December Adventure season, which is the highest demand time for DVC.

 

[mjillard]

Thanks for the thoughtful replies! Yes, AKV is where I would prefer to stay most of the time, and the first two weeks of December would be nice to be able to book 11 months out because of the low number of points and christmas activities, but I could always book SSR and wait list AKV. Alternatively, I could just vacation at other times. I can pretty much pick my own work schedule, so I can be very flexible. One thing that worries me with akv is transportation so I think I will rent points to stay there first. I keep reading people on these boards recommending that. Oh, and we would really be more interested in savannah view studios and 1 bedrooms, so not having access to concierge and value is not of much concern. Thanks, everyone! It looks like I am leaning more toward ssr but if I rent akv points and like it so much more than ssr and want to book first 2 weeks of december I may buy there. One thing I have ruled out is bwv. Based on what I keep reading, I may not even want to stay there during f&w.

 

[disneynutz]

Thanks for the thoughtful replies! Yes, AKV is where I would prefer to stay most of the time, and the first two weeks of December would be nice to be able to book 11 months out because of the low number of points and christmas activities, but I could always book SSR and wait list AKV. Alternatively, I could just vacation at other times. I can pretty much pick my own work schedule, so I can be very flexible. One thing that worries me with akv is transportation so I think I will rent points to stay there first. I keep reading people on these boards recommending that. Oh, and we would really be more interested in savannah view studios and 1 bedrooms, so not having access to concierge and value is not of much concern. Thanks, everyone! It looks like I am leaning more toward ssr but if I rent akv points and like it so much more than ssr and want to book first 2 weeks of december I may buy there. One thing I have ruled out is bwv. Based on what I keep reading, I may not even want to stay there during f&w.

Disney/DVC is a learning experience, what you think you know and what you will learn are two very different things.

When we bought AKV we pictured being in the middle of a savanna with animals all around, our reality is that a few animals are on display kept in an area by food feeders. Room location determines what you see and you aren't guaranteed a location. Your dues pay for the very expensive animals.

At BLT we assumed that the Theme Park View would give us a wonderful view of the theme park, the reality is that you see the top of space mountain, the top of the castle in the distance, the rest of the view is blocked by hedges and trees and you get a great view of the BLT parking lot.

All resorts have rooms that are below standards and in need of repair, DVC/Disney Resorts just do not keep them up for reasons that they only know. We have had sub-par rooms at BLT, SSR, OKW, and BCV, it's the luck of the draw.

Bill

 

[drusba]

Some facotrs to include in your evaluations:

1, The end dates for the resorts can be an important factor particularly if you are still young. BWV, VWL, BCV, VB, and HH all end January 2042. OKW, as a result of an option that was made to extend, has contracts that end in 2042 or 2057. The 2042 contracts have only 29 years left and and unless you are currently at least in your late 40s, that can eventually have a real impact. SSR is 2054, AKV 2057, BLT 2060 and VGF 2064 and thus all offer a longer comfort zone.

2. Current reservation patterns may change in the future including because Disney could do something to change them, e.g., move Food & Wine to the Spring or create some other new popular event for some particular time of year, or change seasons for something, e.g. move early December to a higher cost season while moving sometother dates to the lower cost season. Nevertheless, the current patterns can be summed up as follows when it comes to the 7 month reservation window for WDW resorts when you can reserve things other than home resort:

(a) End of Sep through marathon weekend in Jan is by far DVC's highest demand quarter and during that time it can be difficult to get near park resorts (BWV, BCV, BLT and likely VGF) at 7 mionths out particularly if looking for more than two or three days in a row, and the same for VWL for time beginning near Thanksgiving to early Jan. Nevertheless, wailtlist is an option and many times comes through. Also, 1BRs tend to be the last to go any time of year and those can often be open at 7 months out for near park resorts during that quarter.

(b) During that quarter, AKV (except club level and value), OKW, and SSR are usually open at 7 months out but there are even times during that quarter when AKV and OKW can have some (and I emphasize that it is only some) risk of having some days full by the 7 month window such as time around Columbus Day weekend, the weekend following that, few days at Thanksgiving, first week of Dec and time around NYE, and SSR treehouses around Thanksgiving, first week of Dec and NYE time.

(c) During that quarter there are three easy periods when near park resorts are usually still open: Nov after Veterans day to Monday before Thanksgiving, third week of Dec, and time between Jan 3 and Wed before marathon weekend.

(d) Certain categories of rooms have a risk being gone, not just during that 4th quarter but any time of year, before 7 months out because of their high popularity and limited number: AKV club level and value, BLT standard, BWV boardwalk and standard view, BWV GVs, the OKW GVs in the hospitality house booking category, and at times, like around holidays or some times in June, BCV studios and possibly 2BRs, and BLT theme park studios. Though the evidence is not in yet, that will likely be true for VGF studios The exception is that 1BRs in some of those categories are often open at 7 months out.

(e) Otherwise, the time between the Monday after marathon weekend in Jan to end of Sep (when Food & Wine begins) is a slow to moderate DVC demand season, including any holidays during that time, and near park resorts except for the possible exceptions noted in (d) above are generally easy to get at 7 months out. There is a time during that period that approaches the level of demand of the last quarter and getting a near park resort can be difficult: the weekend in the latter part of Feb when Disney holds the Princess half marathon.

3. Thus, if you regularly want AKV value or club level, BWV standard or boardwalk view, BLT standard, a BWV GV, and likely VGF studios, you would be wise to purchase at the given resort. Moreover, if you regularly want a near park resort during the fourth quarter, you should seriously consider owning at the particular resort. However, if you plan to usually travel between mid-Jan and end of Sep you could easily buy SSR and have a high probability of getting a near park resort at 7 months out, with the caveat the demand patterns could change in the future particularly if Disney does something that could change demand patterns.

 

[samfsu]

We just closed on a SSR 250 pt contract. We live 2.5 hrs from WDW and travel usually 3-4 times a year. When deciding where to buy as a home resort, we use finances as our guide. We typically book trips 3-4 months ahead of time. The key on if you buy in at a less expensive price point is that you have to be flexible where you will stay.

IN the past few days I have booked two trips. One for 2/27 (3 nights) and one for 5/2 (2 nights). So basically one trip is 2.5 months away and one is 4.5 months away. For the 3 night we are staying at BLT in a 2 bedroom theme park view. We wanted to be on the monorail for this trip so while i would have not stayed in a TPV normally, we did because that is what was available. if nothing was available we would have stayed at SSR or AKV. For the 2 night, we are at BWV in a garden view. Again I would like the standard but garden is what is available and we wanted BWV or VGF.

I think the key is if you want a lower buy in cost (especially good if you are doing 150+ points) then you need to be more flexible with room type and resort but you can always book at your home resort 11 months out and then bounce around reservations that u really want at the 7 month point as they are available.

For the 5/2 trip, I changed from Boardwalk 1 bedroom (all that was available) at the time, to a studio at boardwalk the next day since I saw it came available.