How do you decide?

[mum2threemonsters]

Hi everyone

I just wanted your thoughts on a few issues that keep coming to mind...

Firstly how do you decide on a resort? There are so many fantastic hotels I cannot decide what would be best!!!

AKV - I have always loved this hotel from afar, Iv never visited WDW but for many years I have viewed this hotel thinking that I would never be able to afford staying here. Both my sons absolutely love Giraffes and I think educationally this would be a good option. We also love the kids area at Kidani Village and my OH loves the menus in the restaurants! However distance and the fact that the standard rooms seem to be available at a 7 month mark make me wonder whether this should be a hotel we visit occasionally rather than as a home resort!

BCV - This to me seems like a holiday resort. I could spend many hours lazing round the pool area relaxing however with 3 young children (they are currently 8, 6 and 1) is this going to be possible until they are much older? I can see my older two getting use out of SAB in a couple of years time as they become more independant but it seems like a millenium away before my youngest would get use out of SAB without myself or OH accompanying him permanently. I also like the fact of Epcot being so close with numerous restaurants available for evenings. However at a higher price-point than AKV is it worth the extra?

OKW - Again this would purely be on the fact of larger accomodation and cheaper points. We are staying here on a package holiday in 2013 with 5 to a studio room. We do like our space with having 3 children especially during holidays when they seem to accumulate lots of toys and never seem to tidy up after themselves! However as nice as the resort seems I just doing get the excited feeling I would had I bought at AKV or BCV. The pool area looks a little small and bland and I can imagine getting bored relatively quickly. Coming from the UK our holidays are likely to be a minimum of 14 days and I can see the shine of this resort wearing thin rather quickly.

Of course I love all the other resorts too, Wilderness lodge looks lovely and certainly somewhere I would like to visit at least once however from looking at photos I am not entirely comfortable with the outside areas looking so dark and overshadowed by the hight of the building. I could be completely wrong about this of course and all Iv read is glowing reports. Saratoga Springs Treehouses also appeal to me as this would be fantastic for the children however they are so large that I feel they are too big at the moment for our children and possibly in the future when they have partners or friends we would be able to justify the extra points. Bay Lake seems too small for us and we would have to rent a large villa to feel comfortable. I also think the pool area seems very small and not somewhere Id spend even a day.

Does anyone have any thoughts on my feelings? Are my judgements wrong? I will not jump in to DVC purchase and we are aiming to give ourselves 12 months to consider and save for the initial purchase. We would be tempted to do the tours with DVC during our holiday and then buy resale afterwards but would like to research how much we will need and our points requirements.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[AJA]

The way we decided, DH and I discussed what our two favorite DVC resorts/locations were, for us that's BLT and BCV. We're a family of 3 and while DD is really young we need a studio (she would not sleep alone in the living room of a one bedroom, in a few years I'm sure she'll change her mind ) and in the future we'll want a one bedroom. Right now we needed 150 points and maybe add on another 100 points in the next 3-4 years. We wanted to pay cash so BCV with it's lower price per point won out. Our plan is to add on at BLT (or even the Poly if/when it's built) in the future.

Since we have a small family we could base our decision on location and favorite resort even though we had to stick to a strict cash budget.

Will you always want a 2 bedroom? Or while the little one is so young would a 1 bedroom be ok? If a one bedroom will work for you (of your three choices above) I would choose AKV because you'll be able to put five in a room, that's a huge savings in points. You can always add on later.


I think your one year plan is a good one. It took us 3 years from "thinking" about DVC to actually being comfortable enough to put in an offer.

 

[zavandor]

AKV: However distance and the fact that the standard rooms seem to be available at a 7 month mark make me wonder whether this should be a hotel we visit occasionally rather than as a home resort!

True, but consider also that value rooms are the best bargain of all DVC and those are rarely available at the 7 month marks.

There are two main theories on DISboards:
- buy where you want to stay: this is important for difficult booking resorts (like BCV, BWV during food and wine, VWL, VGC), or some views all year (AKV value or concierge, BWV standard and boardwalk, BLT standard and theme park). If you want one of those accommodations, you must own there and book at 11 months

- buy where you don't mind to stay if you have: getting a room everywhere during Easter, first 2 weeks of December, the week between Christmas and NYE can be hard. Many members book their home resort at 11 months and then try to switch at 7 months. But it's not always possible, so you may end staying at your home resort. Would you be upset if this happens? So for this strategy, buy the cheapest resort that you like and try to switch when you can

I bought SSR because I found a cheap contract, but I like it and its position (able to walk to DTD). I'll try to use my points for different resorts, but I'll be happy to stay at SSR as well.
Planning to travel mostly off season (end of January or September) helps with my plan.

 

[DizBub]

You didn't say whether you were looking at resale or buying direct. Resale versus direct can save you loads of money.

Agree that you should buy where you want to stay. If that is AKV for the value accomodations or BCV for the pool area/Epcot access then that's probably where you should be looking to buy.

Don't count OKW or SSR out. OKW has the largest rooms and lowest point requirements. Very attractive, and it's beautiful. SSR is the most bang for your buck, low buy in cost and lower MFs and it's beautiful. Access to DTD is a major plus, at least for me because I absolutely hate the parking/bus rides to and from there.

I would suggest that when you come on your holiday, take a day or 2 and tour all the resorts to get a feel for them. Years ago before we bought we always thought BWV would be the ultimate place for us. We still love it but hate the parking situation and the long hallways we have to deal with to actually stay there. That's just us, we are old and tired.

Agree with SAB not being relaxing trying to monitor 3 kids. But your kids will grow and how awesome will that be in the future?

If you need an idea about point requirements at different seasons try David's Disney Vacation Club Rentals. They have a neat point calculator, very user friendly. It will give you a decent idea of how many you will need.

 

[DoryDorito]

My personal advice is go with the resort theme you like best. We bought at AKV. It's not the ideal location but in know that we will eventually rent a car in the future so the distance isn't a factor for us. Our favorite restaurants are at AKV. Jiko and Boma! Yummy.

I guess what I'm saying is don't let the transportation issue detour you from buying at a resort you like.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[mum2threemonsters]

Will you always want a 2 bedroom? Or while the little one is so young would a 1 bedroom be ok? If a one bedroom will work for you (of your three choices above) I would choose AKV because you'll be able to put five in a room, that's a huge savings in points. You can always add on later. QUOTE]


At the moment as we are on a package deal we are staying cash in a studio room. Luckily the 5th occupant is still under the age of 3 but for subsequent visits we would be looking at 1 bed. We may still upgrade to a 1 bed this coming trip however as we would like to pay cash for the purchase we are trying to hold off on luxuries and put it towards DVC!

 

[mum2threemonsters]

True, but consider also that value rooms are the best bargain of all DVC and those are rarely available at the 7 month marks.

There are two main theories on DISboards:
- buy where you want to stay: this is important for difficult booking resorts (like BCV, BWV during food and wine, VWL, VGC), or some views all year (AKV value or concierge, BWV standard and boardwalk, BLT standard and theme park). If you want one of those accommodations, you must own there and book at 11 months

- buy where you don't mind to stay if you have: getting a room everywhere during Easter, first 2 weeks of December, the week between Christmas and NYE can be hard. Many members book their home resort at 11 months and then try to switch at 7 months. But it's not always possible, so you may end staying at your home resort. Would you be upset if this happens? So for this strategy, buy the cheapest resort that you like and try to switch when you can

I bought SSR because I found a cheap contract, but I like it and its position (able to walk to DTD). I'll try to use my points for different resorts, but I'll be happy to stay at SSR as well.
Planning to travel mostly off season (end of January or September) helps with my plan.

True I never considered the value rooms and they are such a good use of points!

I would be happy to stay at any of the Disney resorts however I think I would be more excited about staying at BC or AK! Im hoping OKW warms on me nearer the time. SS just doesnt stand out to me so it may be worth nipping in whilst Im at OKW next year. Im not sure what it is about it really - possibly no wow factor and the distance from MK however as my kids grow I can imagine MK becoming less of a problem. Being close to DTD seems good - I do like to shop!

 

[mum2threemonsters]

You didn't say whether you were looking at resale or buying direct. Resale versus direct can save you loads of money.

Agree that you should buy where you want to stay. If that is AKV for the value accomodations or BCV for the pool area/Epcot access then that's probably where you should be looking to buy.

Don't count OKW or SSR out. OKW has the largest rooms and lowest point requirements. Very attractive, and it's beautiful. SSR is the most bang for your buck, low buy in cost and lower MFs and it's beautiful. Access to DTD is a major plus, at least for me because I absolutely hate the parking/bus rides to and from there.

I would suggest that when you come on your holiday, take a day or 2 and tour all the resorts to get a feel for them. Years ago before we bought we always thought BWV would be the ultimate place for us. We still love it but hate the parking situation and the long hallways we have to deal with to actually stay there. That's just us, we are old and tired.

Agree with SAB not being relaxing trying to monitor 3 kids. But your kids will grow and how awesome will that be in the future?

If you need an idea about point requirements at different seasons try David's Disney Vacation Club Rentals. They have a neat point calculator, very user friendly. It will give you a decent idea of how many you will need.

Id look at Resale. Whilst I love the thought of buying Direct its clear to see that its just not worth it to me. If we buy next Sept/Oct it would be another 12-18 months before we were to travel anyway so the waiting doesnt bother me!

I have tried to look for ADRs at many of the resorts so we can wander in. Im looking forward to visiting BC for an Ice Cream although I can imagine Id be tempted to buy there and then just for the sake of the Ice Cream!

SAB I suppose would be a fantastic feature when they are teenagers or even when they bring their own children (save me now). And I suppose if we visited for a trip without Theme Park tickets BC seems like a good location for a 'holiday'.

 

[mum2threemonsters]

My personal advice is go with the resort theme you like best. We bought at AKV. It's not the ideal location but in know that we will eventually rent a car in the future so the distance isn't a factor for us. Our favorite restaurants are at AKV. Jiko and Boma! Yummy.

I guess what I'm saying is don't let the transportation issue detour you from buying at a resort you like.

Good luck in your decision.

I think the transportation issue is just a concern with the children being so young and get cranky and bored quickly. I can see that this is a long term investment and I shouldnt really factor this in!

 

[mum2threemonsters]

my final thoughts would be:

As I have 3 children and I like to plan for all eventualities (used to work in pensions) Im wondering whether (despite initial purchase costs) it may be better to have 3 smaller (100pts) contracts than a larger 250 point contract at one resort. This way we get 3 home resorts and also I can leave one to each of the children. Of course working out a way to get each of the 3 contracts to a similar price would be difficult and arguments may arise! Hopefully of course Ill still be holidaying with them far beyond the contract expiry date!

 

[AJA]

At the moment as we are on a package deal we are staying cash in a studio room. Luckily the 5th occupant is still under the age of 3 but for subsequent visits we would be looking at 1 bed. We may still upgrade to a 1 bed this coming trip however as we would like to pay cash for the purchase we are trying to hold off on luxuries and put it towards DVC!

I could be very wrong but I don't think most 1 bedrooms will hold 5 people, you'll be forced to go up to a 2 bedroom at most resorts. (I'm pretty sure AKV has rooms that will hold 5 in a 1 bedroom? I'm not educated enough about it since I can't see us bringing more than one of DD's friends with at a time, so the most we'd have is 4).

 

[DizBub]

my final thoughts would be:

As I have 3 children and I like to plan for all eventualities (used to work in pensions) Im wondering whether (despite initial purchase costs) it may be better to have 3 smaller (100pts) contracts than a larger 250 point contract at one resort. This way we get 3 home resorts and also I can leave one to each of the children. Of course working out a way to get each of the 3 contracts to a similar price would be difficult and arguments may arise! Hopefully of course Ill still be holidaying with them far beyond the contract expiry date!

3 smaller contract instead of 1 larger one seems like a good idea as they can be more easily sold if that eventuality ever arises. Remember that points from 3 different home resorts cannot be combined until 7 months. With careful banking and borrowing it could be achieved. Something to consider. You could also get 3 smallish contracts at the same resort, same UY and not have that problem.

I hear you about 3 contract and 3 kids!!
We have 3 daughters and will soon have 3 contracts, all different sizes. They are already starting to fight over the 160 BCV (we have 210 and 100 at BLT). Ultimately it will come down to who wants to pay MFs where.

 

[DizBub]

I could be very wrong but I don't think most 1 bedrooms will hold 5 people, you'll be forced to go up to a 2 bedroom at most resorts. (I'm pretty sure AKV has rooms that will hold 5 in a 1 bedroom? I'm not educated enough about it since I can't see us bringing more than one of DD's friends with at a time, so the most we'd have is 4).

OKW, BLT and AKV all have sleeper chairs in the living rooms. Only BLT and AKV have 2 full bathrooms in the 1 bedrooms. OKW has 1 bathroom.

 

[sonofasailor]

Seems to me that you are looking at this fairly realistically...take your time...ask questions. During your three weeks at WDW you should have good opportunity to explore all the resorts...will give you better feel for future decision. Our home resort is OKW and we love it. We always try to get grandvilla near the hospitality center...pool at hospitality center is great...probably best resort waterslide or atleast as good as any at other resorts. About a 10 minute boat ride to DTD, relaxing. Buses to parks very convienent and parking in front of your villa for your car. Rooms are large and very comfortable with nice balcony. I think you will enjoy OKW...my recommendation is try to stay near hospitality center. Cheers.

 

[mum2threemonsters]

Thankyou everyone I know it would be ultimately personal choice but it is nice to have someone to bounce my thoughts off especially when I am basing them off speculation over the internet.

My OH loves the idea but ultimately he knows how obsessive I am and knows that if he leaves me to it I will make the right choice! Which is nice but scary!

The studios at all the resorts sleep 4 plus another child up to 3. Therefore we are ok this time round. However from our next trip we would need to book a 1 bed as my little one will be over 3. The one bedrooms sleep 5 I believe. And as they are DVC bookings we wouldnt worry too much. Our 3 are happy to crash in a double bed together, they are all super skinny for the time being!

 

[AJA]

Thankyou everyone I know it would be ultimately personal choice but it is nice to have someone to bounce my thoughts off especially when I am basing them off speculation over the internet.

My OH loves the idea but ultimately he knows how obsessive I am and knows that if he leaves me to it I will make the right choice! Which is nice but scary!

The studios at all the resorts sleep 4 plus another child up to 3. Therefore we are ok this time round. However from our next trip we would need to book a 1 bed as my little one will be over 3. The one bedrooms sleep 5 I believe. And as they are DVC bookings we wouldnt worry too much. Our 3 are happy to crash in a double bed together, they are all super skinny for the time being!

Just making sure you know, from your original list, only AKV and OKW will allow 5 in a one bedroom (also BLT) -as the pp listed for me.

In a one bedroom on Disney property:

BCV - limit is 4
BWV - limit is 4
VWL - limit is 4
SSR - limit is 4

 

[Meggysmum]

As others have said you should buy somewhere that you will always be happy to stay. I expected to want AKV as I thought I would love them but as soon as I saw the outside I hated it on sight so opted for BLT. It may not have the most exciting pool complex but remember that as a DVC member you can pool-hop to some other resorts (but not AKV and Stormalong I think).

The "outside" rooms at BLT are very spacious, especially the one-beds so i was surprised when you said you would need to rent a bigger room there. The 1-beds also have the two bathrooms and the large sleeper sofa so makes it the best choice for our family and nothing beats a short walk to MK!

 

[JamesF408]

My wife and I decided to purchase AKL simply because we love Africa and animals. We have been pleased with it since 2007. The only things I find about AKL that is an drawback is they have long hallways to get to your room, which is kind of annoying after a long day at the parks and the distance they are from the other resorts and parks. To me that is minor so it doesn't bother me much.

We also purchased timeshare at SS because we like the Tree House Villas that sleep 9. We took friends there in April this year and everyone had a great time. SS is a short boat ride away from DTD. The one drawback of SS is it is so big. The property goes on for miles and you can easily get lost at SS. At least for me that is what I found.

But that's my feedback of why we chose to purchase at each of these resorts. I haven't stayed at any other resort on WDW property so I can't offer feedback for those.

Like everyone else is saying, think about where you would want to stay and not worry about transportation or distance to/from other areas.

The good thing is you know once you purchase any timeshare with DVC, you will be going on great vacations for a long time to come. We used our points already to check out Aulani 2 months after it opened...barely anyone there. So DVC definitely has it's benefits.

 

[justright6]

Just making sure you know, from your original list, only AKV and OKW will allow 5 in a one bedroom (also BLT) -as the pp listed for me.

In a one bedroom on Disney property:

BCV - limit is 4
BWV - limit is 4
VWL - limit is 4
SSR - limit is 4

If booking on points through MS 5 are allowed in the above one bedroom's but linens are not provided. My 3 sleep very comfortably in the queen pullout in the one bedroom. They are 6,7, and 8.

 

[AJA]

If booking on points through MS 5 are allowed in the above one bedroom's but linens are not provided. My 3 sleep very comfortably in the queen pullout in the one bedroom. They are 6,7, and 8.

I guess I'm falling back on the advice I see listed "buy where you want to, or at least don't mind to, stay" and "make sure DVC makes sense for the next 10 years or so" -as planning for 30-50 is almost impossible! lol. What works right now wont work the same when kids become teens in a few years. If Villa's that have extra sleeping room are on the buyers short list they may work better a few years down the line?

Of course OP if OKV is on your list (and in the future you find you need the sleeping arrangements) you'll more than likely be able to book there at 7 months out anyway. Having the 11 month window at AKL would be nice as it has the value views if you ever need to conserve or save points.