How do you decide?

[disneynutz]

Many people don't care where they stay when they first buy, they are excited just being at WDW. As the years go by, you have seen and done all of the attractions and parks many times over. You still enjoy the parks but you also are spending more time at your resort.

We took 2 years to start buying contracts. We stayed at some resorts on cash and visited all of the DVC resorts and checked out the rooms. We made some mistakes and got caught up in the marketing hype for BLT. 26 contracts later we have settled on a favorite resort, BWV.

Bill

 

[Deb & Bill]

...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!

Four plus one UNDER three. If your little one is already three, you have too many. Five in a studio is a bit crowded. You might as well be in any hotel room.

 

[mum2threemonsters]

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

Thankyou, this is something I hadnt considered. I knew that the studios could sleep 5 if one was under the age of 3 so just presumed the 1 beds would always be bigger. This is an important factor to us as my DD is nearly 9 and Im sure she wont be sharing a bed with my DS who is nearly 7!

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!

Iv only seen videos on Youtube for the studios and it seems like the sofabed is touching the bed with hardly any floor space when pulled out. However if it will be 1/2 bedrooms we would be needing then perhaps I need to look at this layout. The styling is much more to mine and my OH style than the other resorts so it would always be worth having on the list but I do like the thought of having a nice pool complex within walking distance to the room.

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.

Thankyou for your views, its good to hear other peoples thoughts. We are big animal lovers too and would love to give my children chance to understand all about the animals as they grow up. My DS who is 6 has loved Giraffes since he was a toddler and we travel the UK just to take him to see them. They are such beautiful creatures. We are also lucky that DS2 has followed his big brother and sleeps with his giraffe teddies each night. In fact at 1 year old 'Jraff' was one of his first words! Because of these memories I have a Giraffe Pandora charm that reminds me of my boys and I think the resort will always remind me of them.

The long corridors sound quite scary for me, Im usually exhausted after a full day with my 3, however they seem to have unlimited energy and perhaps it would help them run off their remaining energy! hmmm

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.

Thankyou, this is what I was considering. My 3 are not big in any sense and often share a bed when we travel at present however my DD (8) is at that age where she doesnt want to sleep with her brothers and I suppose I need to start considering that aspect. I grew up with a sister so had never considered it.

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.

That is a good thought and presently the idea that is sounding the most suitable for our circumstances. If our family becomes larger or our space requirements increase we would almost always be able to fall back on OKW. Coming from the UK our holidays often fall in the US quieter seasons so hopefully availability wouldnt be too much of a concern.

Many people don't care where they stay when they first buy, they are excited just being at WDW. As the years go by, you have seen and done all of the attractions and parks many times over. You still enjoy the parks but you also are spending more time at your resort.

We took 2 years to start buying contracts. We stayed at some resorts on cash and visited all of the DVC resorts and checked out the rooms. We made some mistakes and got caught up in the marketing hype for BLT. 26 contracts later we have settled on a favorite resort, BWV.

Bill

Wow 26 contracts! I can only begin to imagine the fantastic holidays and memories you have had. Staying at our resort more is one of the things that we are considering for 2 reasons. Travelling from the UK is expensive alone so their may be times that if we want to get away we wont be able to afford park tickets on top and also as the children get older parks such as MK may not always suit them and they may prefer Seaworld of Busch Gardens.

Four plus one UNDER three. If your little one is already three, you have too many. Five in a studio is a bit crowded. You might as well be in any hotel room.

My youngest will be 2 when we travel in 2013 however for subsequent trips we know that he would be too old to fit in the room requirements. We were considering to upgrade at OKW to a 1 bedroom however for our 21 days it was another £1000(approx $1500) to upgrade which would be a significant proportion of our DVC purchase. Plus we have stayed in smaller rooms before in DLP Paris. We are also crossing our fingers for an upgrade as it will be our honeymoon although we know its not guaranteed!


Thankyou everyone again, your views are all equally good as it allows me to see things from every perspective. Being a family of 5 AKV seems to be becoming more like a serious contender, which to me is good as its the resort I always favoured. Of course I do love BCV and I may have to have a small contract there just so we could have a few nights with SAB. I could leave the boys the AKV contract in my will and my DD the BCV!

Now for the serious savings as we have a £10k ($15,000) holiday to pay for and cash to save for a DVC purchase, Im hoping to pay up front so I can relax a little afterwards. The following 14 months are going to be very quiet! Beans on Toast!

 

[Deb & Bill]

...The long corridors sound quite scary for me, Im usually exhausted after a full day with my 3, however they seem to have unlimited energy and perhaps it would help them run off their remaining energy! hmmm...

It's really considerate of your neighbors if the kids get rid of their excess energy outside instead of in the long corridors. I know you were probably kidding, but there are some guests who aren't so considerate of the rest of the guests.

BWV and BLT also have what can be considered lloooonnnnngggg corridors. BCV and VWL are both smaller resorts, so the corridors are shorter. OKW and SSR both have exterior walkways since they are more condo-like.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

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.

Honestly I have similar questions - I love all the DVC resorts and have been researching a DVC purchase now for a couple of months. I basically decided I would stay at the resorts I was considering to be my home resorts to make my final decision. So far I've only stayed at AKL and SSR but it has helped me decide I definitely want AKV to be one of my home resorts.

I also want to book a stay at BWV for my next "try" and am considering a GFV purchase in the future.

Have fun choosing!!

 

[mum2threemonsters]

Honestly I have similar questions - I love all the DVC resorts and have been researching a DVC purchase now for a couple of months. I basically decided I would stay at the resorts I was considering to be my home resorts to make my final decision. So far I've only stayed at AKL and SSR but it has helped me decide I definitely want AKV to be one of my home resorts.

I also want to book a stay at BWV for my next "try" and am considering a GFV purchase in the future.

Have fun choosing!!

Ooh congratulations! I hope I am joining you soon...

We've been doing some serious and exact sums today and are considering cancelling our holiday for next year and buying DVC instead... We are worried about throwing money down the drain to a Travel Agent that in theory would pay for the majority of a small resale contract (150 points). We may not get as big a holiday in 2013 as planned (2 weeks instead of 3) but we would then own a contract fully which would initially get us 2 weeks in a studio once every 18 months. In the future we can add on to this.

Iv seen an excellent OKW contract however Im just browsing to see if I can get a similar AKV one. I may be a neighbour soon!

Isnt DVC fantastic, the hotels are to die for. I viewed the Youtube video of Aulani today and I fell in love. I cant wait to go there!

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

Ooh congratulations! I hope I am joining you soon...

We've been doing some serious and exact sums today and are considering cancelling our holiday for next year and buying DVC instead... We are worried about throwing money down the drain to a Travel Agent that in theory would pay for the majority of a small resale contract (150 points). We may not get as big a holiday in 2013 as planned (2 weeks instead of 3) but we would then own a contract fully which would initially get us 2 weeks in a studio once every 18 months. In the future we can add on to this.

Iv seen an excellent OKW contract however Im just browsing to see if I can get a similar AKV one. I may be a neighbour soon!

Isnt DVC fantastic, the hotels are to die for. I viewed the Youtube video of Aulani today and I fell in love. I cant wait to go there!

Good luck with all your DVC plans and preparations - think you are way ahead of me on the research!! I know there is so much so consider - have fun as you plan!

Hoping to be a dvc'er soon in sunny Florida - ok for the moment rainy Florida. Hugs to those in flooding areas.

 

[k3chantal]

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!

I would initially buy one larger contract because with three children you will need, at least, a one bedroom. If you get three smaller contracts, you may not have enough points to book 11 months out for a week's stay. Therefore, you would have to wait to the 7 month mark and then you may not be able stay where you want.

We are very happy with our 280 point contract at AKL. It's enough points that I can book a two bedrooom savannah view villa for a week which means that we can bring friends or additional family if we like.