How to choose your 2nd DVC Home?

[DanenRox]

Now that we own where we love most, we are (well, I am) thinking of a small add on. I frankly don't know whether to add-on to current property (BCV) or look for a different spot that would give the vacation a whole different feel (OKW?). Any suggestions?

 

[dianeschlicht]

That depends a bit on how many points you are thinking of. If you add on at a different resort, be sure you research the number of points well enough so that you can easily use the 3 year bank/borrow plan. Remember, that while you only need to buy 50 points to get financing from Disney, you can add ANY number of points aboved that. For example, if you want to get a 2 bedroom in value season at OKW for a week, it will cost you 218 points. If you added on 73 points, you would have an every 3 year ressie that way.

We decided to add on at our home resort to have all points available at the same place at the same time.

 

[Cruelladeville]

Before you buy, you need to visit the other resorts to see which ones you especially like. On my first add-on, I bought what everyone else liked, at BCV. When I actually went there, I didn't like it at all. I love BC, but I did not like the villas. On the other hand, I thought I would hate OKW because it was too large, but I loved it after I stayed there. I sold BCV and bought OKW. After I stayed in a GV, I knew I had made the right decision.

 

[Doctor P]

We own at BCV (32 pts.), OKW (182 pts.) and HH (60 pts.). I like the variety of three home resorts, as well as the lower points required for accomodations at OKW (and HH depending on the season). We don't mind splitting our stays and aggressively managing our points to get maximum use and value. Our Xmas 2005 stay included three nights at BCV and six nights at OKW which was quite doable and allowed us to get the best of both worlds. Where to add on depends on your vacation habits and your desire to stay at a particular resort. We added on at HH because we like studios and travel during high season. Getting a studio at HH in high season at the seven month mark can be very difficult, so we did our small add on at HH for that reason. We like doing WDW at Xmas time and love Candlelight Processional, so having some BCV points allows us to get a short stay there at the 11 month mark to take advantage of its convenience to the World Showcase. We like the option of the more relaxing and spacious atmosphere at OKW, so owning points there gives us that option.

 

[jade1]

Easy one for us, VWL. We really like a boat to MK and concentrate on MK when we stay at VWL (esp XMAS decor), BCV for EPCOT/MGM. It is also beyond beautiful, small-meaning ressies are a challenge for non owners, has a smallish but nice food court for late night park returns or a quick breakfast, Bay Lake for water rentals/fishing, couple nice restaurants and a really nice workout facility. Demand/return will only go up as the mega resorts continue to fill up IMO.

 

[MinMouse]

We have three contracts; all 150 points; the first two are at BWV which we bought through resale. We felt we really wanted to be close to EPCOT/MGM parks and at the time it was what we considered a great deal. We wanted a few more points and decided to add on at SSR because of the incentives they were offering (last year's points plus 2 AP's and 4.95% 1 year financing with 50% down). We figured we have the benefit of the 11 mos window for our trips to BWV and we would use the other points to use to stay at SSR or use at the 7 mos window to try other resorts. We want to stay at all the DVC resorts. So far we've been to BWV, OKW and have a trip booked in June for BCV and October for VWL. We're hoping to try SSR next Easter. I think we would sell the SSR if after trying it and all the other resorts we find another we prefer. One of the reasons we felt comfortable buying DVC was the resale market and that's why we choose smaller contracts.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Now that you own where you love most, you have to decide-is that one resort the one you want to stay at every time you go? If so, do your add-on there, if you can. And how often do you go? We did an add-on at a different resort(BCV) because although DH wants to stay at one resort all the time, I go solo sometimes and want to stay at a different resort. So every other trip-OKW, alternate, solo trips-BCV.

 

[shantay1008]

I'm waiting to see if DVC does any add-ons at any of the existing resorts (CR or Poly or AKL). We don't technically need any more points, so we can play the wait and see game.
Shannon

 

[byoung]

I know if I add on it will be at OKW.

 

[Joe&Peg]

Our strategy was to add on OKW because the points were less expensive and the dues were a little lower the past year. We intend to use the OKW points for some things other than staying at OKW, keeping our BCV points for our annual trip there in October. We gave some points to one of my employees, and want to be able to do that again. She used BCV points for OKW because we hadn't added on yet and she couldn't get in BCV on short notice. I wanted to be able to save BCV points for trips to BCV in the future. Now, we're adding on some points at BWV for an occasional weekend trip to Epcot.

 

[ceejay13]

Before you buy, you need to visit the other resorts to see which ones you especially like. On my first add-on, I bought what everyone else liked, at BCV. When I actually went there, I didn't like it at all. I love BC, but I did not like the villas. On the other hand, I thought I would hate OKW because it was too large, but I loved it after I stayed there. I sold BCV and bought OKW. After I stayed in a GV, I knew I had made the right decision.

WOW - you sound like us, Cruelladeville. We had purchased 2 contracts at the BWV back in 2000 and got the add-on bug a couple of years later when the BCV were on sale so bought another hundred points. We have since added on 2 more times at the BWV. We have only stayed at the BCV once and prefer OKW when we are not at the BWV. It's not that we really disliked the BCV but just prefer the other two. I am trying to convince my DH to sell our BCV contract but we are still holding on to it. As to where to add on that is totally personal preference I think. Having said that we have enjoyed all the resorts we have stayed at, just our personal preference for the BWV and OKW.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Our first home is BWV. We tried to buy VWL first, through resale, the contract was ROFR'd. Disney was selling the BWV points from the office that they had there, and SSR was the next to come. I think they had a few BCV points and VB points at the time. We went with BWV, the program that they had, Magical Beginnings worked out best for us. I truly love the standard view point structure and we like the location of BWV. We have enough points to do a nice vacation with extended family, one year in VWL, and the next in BWV (once we get out of borrowing point debt, that is. We borrowed for the Members Cruise because our grown son/wife told us it would be years until they wanted to take the little ones to WDW. Well, they changed their minds real fast, we're trying it this summer, on strictly borrowed points). We also own at VB because we love that resort, and even when we move to Florida in retirement, about 2-3 years away, we will not be along a coast, and VB fills the bill for us for ocean get aways.

We think that the mix of Boardwalk location and the Magic Kingdom lake area that we have is perfect for our needs. The only possible addition that I (we) see is a possible add on at OKW for a GV vacation with the DGC. We would buy 1/3 of the points we need for a GV vacation every 3 years.

Since you asked, I like the different "feel" of each resort. If BCV is the only one you ever want to stay in, that's where my add on would be. It seems that it will be harder for you and for everyone with "other than" BCV points to use at BCV in the future.

Bobbi