If you were me... What would u do?

[pamkat1820]

we are Disney nuts. We are buying into DVC resale. I have done all my research even visited most of Disney resorts on past trips. Knowing what u know now already having your membership, would you......

Purchase a contract at a resort you like for just enough points to make your vacations work from year to year. Because it's your top pick and have 11 month window there.

Or

Purchase more points (due to the price being cheaper) at a resort that is not your top pick but if you had to stay there you would totally be ok with if you had to stay there. taking into consideration we travel during the summer months rarely ever during the fall.


Ok so option 1 less points at an Epcot resort

Option 2 more points at old key west ( roll the dice on a room at 7 month window at BWV BLTor bCV) with the understanding it may not happen every year.

 

[Jason@dvcstore]

we are Disney nuts. We are buying into DVC resale. I have done all my research even visited most of Disney resorts on past trips. Knowing what u know now already having your membership, would you......

Purchase a contract at a resort you like for just enough points to make your vacations work from year to year. Because it's your top pick and have 11 month window there.

Or

Purchase more points (due to the price being cheaper) at a resort that is not your top pick but if you had to stay there you would totally be ok with if you had to stay there. taking into consideration we travel during the summer months rarely ever during the fall.


Ok so option 1 less points at an Epcot resort

Option 2 more points at old key west ( roll the dice on a room at 7 month window at BWV BLTor bCV) with the understanding it may not happen every year.

Under Option 2 if the only availability is Old Key West or Saratoga Springs will you be disappointed? If the answer to that question is yes then I would choose Option # 1.

 

[chiisai]

Option 2, only because you say you are totally ok with it. Get extended contract.

 

[iheartglaciers]

If you're truly happy also staying at OKW or SS if you can't switch resorts, than I'd do Option 2. But only you know if you and your family would be disappointed to stay there over an Epcot resort.

You'd also have more flexibility if it gives you enough points to book 1-BR at other resorts. It seems that the current availability of 1-BR, especially in the summer months, at 7 months is decent.

 

[pamkat1820]

Me - I would rather have more points to play with knowing that if I had to stay at OKW I am still at Disney. My husband might be disappointed with the size of the resort. (I would rent a car to fix that)

My biggest worry is hearing it's getting harder and harder to find a room at the 7 month mark

 

[_auroraborealis_]

What would the impact of the additional dues on additional points be, as well?

 

[Novatrix]

I recommend going with Option #1.

Less angst at the 7 month booking window as you need to bare in mind that availability at the EPCOT resorts is only going to get worse as more DVC resorts are added. For example, look back at threads 5 years ago where people were complaining about how hard it was to reserve somewhere else around the 5 month mark, vs now where lots of the desirable resorts are booked up at the 7 month window exactly.

Also, if it's Boardwalk is where you're interested in, you'd have a better shot at getting a standard view room to save points. If Beach club is where you're interested in, it's a tiny resort and very hard to book due to Storm-a-long Bay's reputation. It's so much better to plan vacations that you're ecstatic about the resort, rather than it's merely okay.

Also, bare in mind that your vacation habits will change over the course of your ownership. You will probably become less fanatical about the parks and more interested in the resort amenities over time. If you're restricted to summers due to school schedules, hard as it is to believe, the kids will grow up and leave home and then that smaller point contract will go further during other times of year.

I say this with the full disclaimer that my family have been OKW owners for 25 years. We love OKW. But we've also never willingly booked a resort other than OKW (the 3 other times were due to no availability at OKW.) If you're looking at buying a contract with the hopes of switching often, I think you might risk being disappointed.

/2cents

 

[Ben E N]

What's your age? Option 1 goes away on 25 years. Option 2 is 40 or so. More time, but also a longer financial commitment.

 

[JETSDAD]

If you're happy/content staying at OKW then I'd go with more points.

 

[skippytx]

Buy where you want to stay. It’s too much money to not be 100% happy.

I went through the same decision before I purchased. The idea of picking up less expensive SSR or OKW points was tempting, but I wouldn’t have been happy if I couldn’t get something on the monorail with them.

We bought BLT and couldn’t be happier.

Also consider with your home resort booking advantage you have a shot at less point expensive rooms. If I wanted BLT at 7 months I’d have no shot at standard rooms. Lake and Theme Park view rooms cost 30, or 100 points more than standard. Which means I’d need more points (and the extra dues that come with them) to book at 7 months.

The upfront price is one thing, but I think people don’t pay enough attention to the annual dues that will keep going up over the years.

 

[pamkat1820]

Buy where you want to stay. It’s too much money to not be 100% happy.

I went through the same decision before I purchased. The idea of picking up less expensive SSR or OKW points was tempting, but I wouldn’t have been happy if I couldn’t get something on the monorail with them.

We bought BLT and couldn’t be happier.

Also consider with your home resort booking advantage you have a shot at less point expensive rooms. If I wanted BLT at 7 months I’d have no shot at standard rooms. Lake and Theme Park view rooms cost 30, or 100 points more than standard. Which means I’d need more points (and the extra dues that come with them) to book at 7 months.

The upfront price is one thing, but I think people don’t pay enough attention to the annual dues that will keep going up over the years.

You make a really good point! Thank u

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Knowing what I know now we probably could have purchased the majority of our points at one of the 2 your considering. VGC is a different matter but at WDW it probably would have worked out fine as I'm often booking with non-resort points in the 7 month window. If I were going in the summer the majority of the time I'd pretty comfortable owning somewhere I was ok staying at that gave me more points - assuming more points was important for the length of stay I wanted - vs owning fewer points at a more expensive resort. We enjoy all of the resorts though - some more than others but they all are nice and I wouldn't necessarily want to stay at the same resort all of the time anyway. If I did have a single resort I wanted to stay at then I'd just buy there.

 

[MrInfinity]

Ok so option 1 less points at an Epcot resort
Option 2 more points at old key west

Option 1 of course.

It's not about more. You're buying a luxury item -- get what you want. It would drive me insane to think I spent $20k (or whatever) on something where I'm always fussing with being up against people who have gotten the resort or room type I want way before I could even try for it. I would not tolerate anything except having first shot at getting what I want every time I want it.

You are doing mostly summer which is like us. This was actually a selling feature for us. We can get exactly the rooms we want and even have a little wiggle room which is great.

Also one mistake I see most people make out here on the DVC forums is they lock themselves into going only DVC. Remember just because you buy fewer trips on your DVC doesn't mean that's all you can go! You can / should mix in regular stays too. For example we're staying in the Boardwalk. Didn't have to buy points there because we got a Deluxe Club Level room. We can use our points when we want a Grand Villa at BLT and stay at the Poly or Boardwalk, cash. Remember Poly DVC rooms are just like Poly cash rooms. So any time you want to stay at the Poly you can just go find your best over the counter deal and stay there with no commitment.

Get the resort you want. Don't set yourself up to be forever behind the gun on getting your resort preference. Every trip you ever book would be less fun.

 

[pamkat1820]

We made a decision we decided to go with option 1, I put an offer in on A listing at Boardwalk this morning. So it's official we started the process. Last night we discussed the different resorts and my husband is against buying in were we would need a car just to get around the resort. I agree with everyone else too I'm not paying all this money not to stay where we like to be. It defeats the purpose. So fingers crossed! Let's see what happens

 

[iheartglaciers]

We made a decision we decided to go with option 1, I put an offer in on A listing at Boardwalk this morning. So it's official we started the process. Last night we discussed the different resorts and my husband is against buying in were we would need a car just to get around the resort. I agree with everyone else too I'm not paying all this money not to stay where we like to be. It defeats the purpose. So fingers crossed! Let's see what happens

Good luck with ROFR!!! We'll be neighbors, I just bought into BWV too. I think you'll be much happier having BWV points... it's going to be much harder to book there once SW land opens. You don't go on unlimited vacations, so you should stay where you want to be

 

[gillep]

We made a decision we decided to go with option 1, I put an offer in on A listing at Boardwalk this morning. So it's official we started the process. Last night we discussed the different resorts and my husband is against buying in were we would need a car just to get around the resort. I agree with everyone else too I'm not paying all this money not to stay where we like to be. It defeats the purpose. So fingers crossed! Let's see what happens

Good Luck!!!!! I would have made the same decision, it is too much money to not be able to stay where you want when you want.

 

[DVCjj]

Option 1 - Buy where you want to stay. Staying at your first choice adds more enjoyment to all the money spent at Disney.

 

[linzjane88]

I guess it would depend on if you travel at peak times and how bad you would be disappointed if you had to stay at OKW/SSR , but for us we would do more points cheaper.

We have 220 points at Saratoga. We've owned since early 2016 and have stayed at AKL , BLT, Aulani (twice, last May and were going again this upcoming May), and will be staying for the first time at SSR in January. This January trip was booked with 35 days notice so that was all I could find but I'm fine with it. If I had to do it again I would buy more points or just get a fully loaded contact. For as much as you think you won't change your travel style after DVC there's a good chance you might. I bought with the intentions of being a points miser and staying in low point cost studios in a standard view. Well, for one, those go first so you may not be able to book them. And for two you might just find yourself in a 1 bedroom and deciding you can't go back. We also travel with family/friends and find that we choose the 2 bedrooms so we can have them stay with us. I prefer deluxe level accommodations (dvc spoiled me) but my friends and family can only afford moderates. I would rather splurge on my points so we can all stay together than be split up. Unfortunately I've become a chronic borrower of next years points.
So much for staying in standard studios

 

[GMG_3]

I am new to all of this but will throw my 2 cents in.

WDW is the #1 most visited amusement park 140 million (2016) and averages a 3 million increase every year. With Star Wars and 50th Annv, They will only be more people, higher prices, more dvc resorts, and harder to get The ressie you want.

Buy where you want and it will feel like a bargin after 10 years.

 

[sndral]

I bought where I wanted to stay both times, even though it cost more. From the time I started seriously considering DVC several years ago to now the equation has shifted, IMO, there are a lot more owners w/ all the additional resorts & the point rental market has exploded thus buying were you want to stay has become more important every year, IMO. In OP’s case, my guess is BWV will be even more in demand once DHS opens its’ new lands, although Riveira might moderate that a bit.