Is AKV not an option?

[peaches0313]

WE are looking into purchasing DVC...looked online on the disney DVC website a while...are the only buy-ins right now through Disney the Poly, GF and Aulani? No Animal Kingdom? I know there is resale but was hoping for Animal kingdom through disney...

 

[coastalhh]

Yes you can buy it through Disney if you want..but why do you want to pay double the price for no reason?????

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Actually direct is Poly and Aulani being promoted buy you can also buy AKV, SSR, BWV and BLT I believe if you let them know that you really only want one of those.

But I'd also ask the question - why pay almost double? Direct price is $155/pt for AKV direct vs approx $80 for resale.

 

[Dean]

Actually direct is Poly and Aulani being promoted buy you can also buy AKV, SSR, BWV and BLT I believe if you let them know that you really only want one of those.

But I'd also ask the question - why pay almost double? Direct price is $155/pt for AKV direct vs approx $80 for resale.

I agree with Kathy, unless you're looking at a very small contract (50 pts or under), why pay double when you get nothing of value for retail.

 

[chalee94]

i have some disney stock, so i have no problem with you paying extra to buy direct...

but it's true that you'd be throwing money away. you do realize that when you go to sell, your only option will be resale? might as well get comfortable now with the idea of resale now...

 

[disneynutz]

All resales were first sold by Disney as new contracts. The only benefit buying direct is that the transaction is quicker than buying resale because Disney delays the resale processing by about 60 days making that total time 90 days.

Bill

 

[peaches0313]

I am not excluding doing it through resale.. just seemed easier dealing w/ Disney. I don't know who to go to for resale. Also, aren't there exclusions if you don't go through Disney, for one not being able to use points on cruises? (I would like to go on a cruise but hubby doesn't so I don't think that will matter). Are there any other differences/ exclusions? Thanks!

 

[kollerbear]

I am not excluding doing it through resale.. just seemed easier dealing w/ Disney. I don't know who to go to for resale. Also, aren't there exclusions if you don't go through Disney, for one not being able to use points on cruises? (I would like to go on a cruise but hubby doesn't so I don't think that will matter). Are there any other differences/ exclusions? Thanks!

This is true, but I think a lot of people will tell you that the value for your money using your points outside of the DVC properties is pretty terrible. You'd be better to rent your points for the year and get the cash value and apply that towards your vacation than use points on the other options offered through Disney. But if anyone has cold hard numbers to disagree with me please let me know, I'm basing this off of some preliminary research I've done and don't have the #s in front of me.

 

[peaches0313]

Kollerbear: That's interesting... I didn't know that. Thanks.

 

[Dean]

I am not excluding doing it through resale.. just seemed easier dealing w/ Disney. I don't know who to go to for resale. Also, aren't there exclusions if you don't go through Disney, for one not being able to use points on cruises? (I would like to go on a cruise but hubby doesn't so I don't think that will matter). Are there any other differences/ exclusions? Thanks!

You get nothing of value retail, the other options such as cruises cause you to pay a LOT more per point AND to buy more points. Where there isn't a big price difference one might as well buy retail, otherwise it's not justified.

 

[JimMIA]

(I would like to go on a cruise but hubby doesn't so I don't think that will matter)

A couple of comments:

• First of all, and most important -- OF COURSE it matters!
  • "If Momma ain't happy, ain't NObody happy!"
• If you ever get hubby on a cruise, he will LOVE it. Great vacation bargain, which is why there are so many cruise lines and so many wonderful cruises.
• DCL is a horribly overpriced cruise compared to the rest of the industry. Even the newest ships are 20 years behind the industry.
• The DVC points required for DCL are terribly high, making the horrible overpricing much worse.
• Twice in the last 5 years, even direct DVC purchasers have been blocked out of DCL/DVC points cruises for 10 months at a time!

 

[Kaigler]

If you want AKV, you almost have to go resale. Unless you're just a straight ballar with bathtubs of money, making it rain bottles of Dom Perignon every night!

 

[DWorldOrBust]

If you want AKV, you almost have to go resale. Unless you're just a straight ballar with bathtubs of money, making it rain bottles of Dom Perignon every night!

This literally made me L-O-L!

 

[DVCcurious]

If you want to stay at AKV you should buy SSR resale. Unless you will book at 11 months and stay concierge or value every time.

Why? Because SSR dues are $1 less than AKV dues. And because AKV is ALWAYS available at 7 months, and it's almost always available at 2-3 months.

So buy SSR, save the $1 per point per year and then book AKV at 7 months.

I'll also say that as someone who really liked AKV the first time I went and had a terrible second visit and will never go back again: you may not want to stay at AKV every time. With SSR you can try the other resorts at 7 months and see what you like. AKV is a bus-only resort. Eventually you may see how awesome walking to Epcot and HS is from Boardwalk or how being close to MK at VWL or BLT is what you want.

FYI, the reason I won't go back is that it takes an hour to get from your room to MK, HS, or EP when you're at the Animal Kingdom.

10 minute walk from room to bus stop
20 minute wait for bus
5 minutes to pick up people at Jambo
20 minute bus ride
5 minute walk to MK gate

When I was at OKW it never took that long to get places. AKV is really far away from everything.

 

[Dean]

If you want to stay at AKV you should buy SSR resale. Unless you will book at 11 months and stay concierge or value every time.

Why? Because SSR dues are $1 less than AKV dues. And because AKV is ALWAYS available at 7 months, and it's almost always available at 2-3 months.

So buy SSR, save the $1 per point per year and then book AKV at 7 months.

I'll also say that as someone who really liked AKV the first time I went and had a terrible second visit and will never go back again: you may not want to stay at AKV every time. With SSR you can try the other resorts at 7 months and see what you like. AKV is a bus-only resort. Eventually you may see how awesome walking to Epcot and HS is from Boardwalk or how being close to MK at VWL or BLT is what you want.

FYI, the reason I won't go back is that it takes an hour to get from your room to MK, HS, or EP when you're at the Animal Kingdom.

10 minute walk from room to bus stop
20 minute wait for bus
5 minutes to pick up people at Jambo
20 minute bus ride
5 minute walk to MK gate

When I was at OKW it never took that long to get places. AKV is really far away from everything.

I ran the numbers one time and I'm going from memory. IIRC, one had to stay 65% of the time or more AKV value to break even compared to SSR to stay in standard view at AKV. And that assumes one never would get AKV value using SSR.

 

[peaches0313]

DVCcurious-- very interesting-- see a thread I literally JUST posted about whether to do AKL or SSR... before reading your comments.

 

[peaches0313]

Kaigler- that made me laugh too. We are definitely not ballers.

 

[djohn06]

If you want to stay at AKV you should buy SSR resale. Unless you will book at 11 months and stay concierge or value every time.

Why? Because SSR dues are $1 less than AKV dues. And because AKV is ALWAYS available at 7 months, and it's almost always available at 2-3 months.

So buy SSR, save the $1 per point per year and then book AKV at 7 months.

I'll also say that as someone who really liked AKV the first time I went and had a terrible second visit and will never go back again: you may not want to stay at AKV every time. With SSR you can try the other resorts at 7 months and see what you like. AKV is a bus-only resort. Eventually you may see how awesome walking to Epcot and HS is from Boardwalk or how being close to MK at VWL or BLT is what you want.

FYI, the reason I won't go back is that it takes an hour to get from your room to MK, HS, or EP when you're at the Animal Kingdom.

10 minute walk from room to bus stop
20 minute wait for bus
5 minutes to pick up people at Jambo
20 minute bus ride
5 minute walk to MK gate

When I was at OKW it never took that long to get places. AKV is really far away from everything.

Every resort has its pros and cons, even the mighty Epcot or MK resorts.

BWV is great transportation wise, if you plan on only going to DHS or Epcot. When you have to leave the resort to catch a bus a bus anywhere else, it takes longer than going from Bwv than any other bus that leaves AKV. Depending on where you stay in BWV, you might be 8 to 10 mins away from a bus stop via walk. That platform to catch the monorail at VGF, solid 10 min walk too. Want to catch the boats at VGF? It's a 13 min walk to the boats. Hell, you can get to AK park from AkV via bus quicker than VGF to MK. Just because you can see MK from VGF, it still will take you 20 to 25 mins to enter the gate from your room.

If you get a AKV standard room by the lobby, it takes 4 mins to walk to the bus stop and that is with small kids. I had at the most a 12 min wait the last time I was there in May. I waited 5 to 7 mins on average for a bus.

I know everyone loves to buy SSR on the cheap and use their points elsewhere. With the monthly changes WDW makes, this would scare me to spend thousands of dollars at a resort that I didn't care for, just to save $1.30 per point per year. Don't get me wrong, I have purchased cheap resorts on eBay for $500 where I trade into WDW via RCI. Those cost me little. I just can't see dropping 18k on a resort and using this strategy when an even cheaper and much safer alternative exists. I would be better off just buying AKV and finding el cheapo resort on eBay and trading into WdW before I would spend 18k (if I didn't care for SSR).

Sorry, these are luxury items and I want to feel good about my purchase too. Also Akv rooms were booked pretty solid at 7 months for Christmas. Granted, I didn't check exactly on the first day, but I think it is filling up faster these days. Sometimes my job gets in the way of DVC and I miss day one of the 7 month mark where it's off to the races to get a better resort than the one I own.......

 

[suebeelin]

Buy resale. And buy where you don't mind saying.

That being said, we almost bought akv, but decided being on a bus only resort wasn't for us. We bought BWV instead, and just recently purchased BLT.

Good thing, because when we stayed at akv 3 years ago (2bd/3bth for only 3 people-- one was only 3yrs old), we liked the HUGE room but did not like staying on a bus only resort with a little toddler. We won't be staying there again.

So, buy where you don't mind staying. We love BWV for it's location. I'm sure we will love BLT for it's location as well.

 

[djohn06]

Buy resale. And buy where you don't mind saying.

That being said, we almost bought akv, but decided being on a bus only resort wasn't for us. We bought BWV instead, and just recently purchased BLT.

Good thing, because when we stayed at akv 3 years ago (2bd/3bth for only 3 people-- one was only 3yrs old), we liked the HUGE room but did not like staying on a bus only resort with a little toddler. We won't be staying there again.

So, buy where you don't mind staying. We love BWV for it's location. I'm sure we will love BLT for it's location as well.

AKV is not great for strollers. I admit this 100 percent.

But once the strollers are gone, for those who have kids 5 and up (I'm assuming they are out of strollers. Mine lost his at 3 1/2), AKV is one of a few truly self-contained resorts at DVC. Also, if you are spending less than 50 percent of your time at the park, it's a great place to be. Great pools, best kid programs, biggest African art collection in American other than the smithsonian. It is the #1 family resort for a reason. Also it's the only DVC with club rooms.

Now, BWV and BLT are very nice too..... I bought there as well. But if I need a slower pace, I will head for AKV in a heartbeat.