How many of you don't stay at your home resort?

[loveswdw]

My DH & I are seriously considering purchasing DVC. (In fact, I talked to DVC guide Carol Ann tonight for about 40 minutes on the phone!). We took the tour in 1999 of the BWV and just LOVED them! We couldn't afford it then and of course BWV is now no longer available thru Disney. I know we could do a re-sale but with MB going on and Disney snapping up cheap re-sales quickly, it just makes more sense to me to buy BCV thru Disney and be able to finance. I can't come up with 12 grand out of my pocket right now. Most BWV re-sales are going for between $68-$72 pp right now, add the $500 in closing (another $3 pp) and you get at least the $74 pp at BCV thru Disney.


I know the consensus (sp?) is to buy where you want to stay. The BCV look pretty nice in photos but the room decor just isn't really our tastes.


So, to make a LOOONNNGGG question short-- how many of you have bought at a home resort but stay mostly at another?

Thanks!
loveswdw

 

[lacool]

I know this doesn't answer your question, but what resort were you really wanting? I ask because when DH and I took the tour on Christmas eve morning, we were offered BCV and VWL. So if you are at all interested in WL, perhaps you could call your guide back and inquire whether it is available. I found it strange that when I got home and checked out the boards people kept saying VWL was sold out -- but it was definitely an option offered to us less than two months ago.

The general consensus on this board is buy where you want to stay. I do not speak from experience...just a lot of hanging around the DVC DIS Board.

 

[InstImpres]

I think it depends on how you schedule trips...are you going in prime weeks (Christmas, Easter, etc.)? If so, home resort may be very important. If not, I stay everywhere. You may make an 11 month ressie at your home as a back up and than call in the 7 month window. I have also called 3-4 months out and gotten a room at other resorts. It all depends on your travel plans (and how set you are at staying other than home)

Good luck

 

[loveswdw]

lacool-- We were really wanting Epcot area. I do love WL but Epcot is our main area. I would definitely consider an VWL add-on! I love WL and the pool there! It doesn't even feel like your in Florida while at the WL! Thanks!

InstImpres--Thanks for your response! Right now as we don't have any kids, we will not be traveling in prime weeks. We usually travel between Sept.-Dec. and love it because of low crowds and lower temperatures. I think that's a good idea about reserving at the home resort then calling at the 7 month window for another resort's availability. That may be just what I'm looking to do.

Thanks again, guys!

loveswdw

 

[TDC Nala]

I love BCV but I am staying at OKW quite a lot to save points. I haven't had any trouble getting reservations there at 7 months, but it hasn't been prime vacation times.

If what you really want is BWV standard view rather than preferred, I understand it is much harder to get at 7 months because there aren't a lot of them.

 

[lacool]

Okay, two more points ...

First, I did read a post somewhere that pointed out that slow times for the parks can be busy times for DVC, because of the lower point requirements. It was a problem I hadn't considered, but it seems valid.

Secondly, if you are really interested in BWV, you can still get it through a reseller. That's what I did. I just closed and made my first reservations last week. For the record, both BWV and BCV were booked three and a half months in advance. I suppose I'd have had a better shot if I could have called seven months out. But I am looking forward to using that 11 month advantage when I plan our next trip. Now that I own at the BW I want to stay there!!!

 

[SOBDOSNV]

We have been to WDW with DVC the last 2 years, (Dec&Jan), without staying at our home, BWV. We've made ressies at BWV at 11 month window, and then changed at 7 month window. But we had the BWV to fall back on. We actually have plans to go to BWV this year, But who knows, might change mind at 7 month. But that's the great thing, THE OPTION to do this. I don't think you could go wrong with any of the locations in DVC at the WDW.

 

[owensamo]

We actually own at Hilton Head, but we've never had problems getting the reservations we want at WDW. We've taken 2 DVC trips so far - one to VWL and one to HHI - and we have 2 planned this year so far to WDW, at BCV and BWV. The only time we've been on a waitlist was for HHI for Thanksgiving, and we cancelled that before it came through (and it did come through).

We do travel to WDW in general in the low season, and we do stay over or start our often on weekends. Our BWV trip this year is for our anniversary in July. We're going Thu-Sun and I didn't even bother asking if there were any standard view available. We even added the Thursday night on after the initial reservation was made without any trouble. So if you're flexible, then you shouldn't have any problems finding rooms outside your home resort.

Just a note - we purchased at HHI because we knew we'd want to stay in Grand Villas in the summer. Our HHI trip last year was a GV in June, and it was *beautiful*. I'm glad we purchased there, and I can't wait to go back - but we do have AP vouchers burning a hole in our pocket...

Mur!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I wish I could stay somewhere else, but we love VB & VWL to darn much to give it up.
We want to stay at HH, but I'm afraid I'll want to buy points there too!

 

[dizfanz]

There are those diehard fans that say buy where you want to stay. I bought VWL and it just turned out that it became my favorite resort. But I have stayed at all the DVC properties at WDW. To me Disney is Disney, especially considering it is 70+degrees right now and I am stuck knee deep in this white crap in PA. Depending on when you visit, it may be important. But if you visit off-season(Sep., Jan., etc...) you will be OK.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

My advice is to buy where you want to stay most. If you want to stay at BWV most often, go through the resale route to purchase exactly what you are looking for. This is too large an investment to settle for less, or be concerned about a small difference in price as opposed to purchasing exactly what you'd like. Availability may change over the next few years with the continued addition of new resorts. The small difference in price for BWV can easily be offset by using the standard view point schedule to strech your points. If the resort room isn't consistent with your tastes, purchase one that is. Don't buy a Caddilac when you want a Lincoln, purchase what you want, and where you'd like to stay most often. My $0.02.

 

[Merilyn]

We are members of OKW and VB. We have stayed at all of them except WLV and BCV. I am sure we will make reservations at those someday. They only had OKW went we joined. We like BWV but the points are so high. All the resorts are beautiful and we enjoy all of them.

 

[yasuern]

Hi loveswdw,

Okay since joining in dec 2001 - which makes me a semi newbie - we have stayed at OKW 1bdrm - originally booked at VB then 3 days before we were to arrive in july switched to OKW. This past Dec stayed at VWL 1bdrm - booked at 11month window - just a heads up the 1st 2 weeks of dec fill up fast with DVCers. We had a ressie at VWL 1bdrm for 8 nights this coming june - at seven months switched to BCV 1bdrm and just this week since some extra family is coming switched to a 2bdrm at OKW, and in jan(the21st) we booked a 4 night stay in a studio at BWV for just me and the hubby. I would say its best to buy were you want to stay - but if you plan well in advance - I think most times of the year you will get what you want.

 

[Richyams]

There are MANY reservations that you can't count on at the seven month window. There are some that will be very, very, difficult, just about impossible, at the seven month window.

I know, we will get the person that says "I got that at seven menths...." For that one person, there were probably hindreds trying to no avail.

You already know the list, sv at BWV, GV at OKW, any room anywhere during the first two weeks of December.

You do have some flexibility. The one piece of advice that I would take very seriously is to, at the very least, buy on site. This way you are guaranteed of a rom at WDW with the eleven month window.

 

[Lynn K]

I bought at OKW because in 1993, that was the only vacation club property.
I prefer to stay at BWV or BCV because I love the location. I make my reservations 11 months ahead at OKW and then switch at 7 months. I usually stay in a studio. This works for me, I have had to go on a waitlist once and that came through for me.
My advice is go ahead and buy at BCV. The worst that can happen is that you will "get stuck" staying at BCV. That would not be so bad, you are still at WDW.

 

[Cruelladeville]

We have been members for 7 years now, and originally I insisted on BWV. I do love it there, but have stayed at all the resorts except HH. My favorite place is OKW, but I have no points there. Generally, we stay at Christmas at BWV, spring break is BCV, and in the summer we stay at OKW (I'm a teacher, can you tell? The most difficult time to get ressies is Christmas-New Year's, without a doubt. I just added 2 nights to my spring break ressie last week, six weeks before we are going down, so it is possible. Most of the time 7 months is doable, but you may need to be more flexible than you are used to. If you must have Christmas at BWV, in a standard view 1 bedroom, for example, you may want to consider a resale. Just remember that Disney has stepped up their ROFR efforts, and are snapping up resales sold under $72, so I may get those OKW points yet!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Cruelladeville, as another DVCer who's a teacher, I appreciated your comments. Just wondering, which time of year did you find least crowded when you went? Also, by "spring break", do you mean March or April. Our spring break is in March and I'm already thinking ahead to next year and wondering how crowded it would be (also at BCV). And weatherwise, which time did you like the best?

 

[CaptainMidnight]

It would be an interesting poll to find out which resort owners are less likely to stay at their home resort and prefer another resort to that one they purchased. Part of it may be longevity as a DVC member, but who knows. Different resorts have different advantages. I'll bet riding the boat from WLV to MK is nice, I haven't tried it yet.

 

[loveswdw]

Thanks so much for all your replies! WOW!!

This really, really helped us a tremendous deal with figuring out our plans! We are going to go ahead and buy at the BCV!!

Woo hoo!!

loveswdw

 

[Terry S]

We have and will stay at our home resort. We bought at BCV because we love it there! I would reccomend buying where you want to stay most often.