Looking to pick a home resort. Easiest place to book a studio?

[TheBackson]

We are a family of 3. Our extended family isn't likely to be interested in joining us at Disney, so we would do fine staying in studios and maybe once in a while a 1BR. I know Poly has no 1BRs but I'm considering it for a home resort. My priorities are, ease of transportation with a strong preference for monorail or within walking distance of a park, ease of booking at my home resort, nice pool. I am hearing that it's becoming more difficult to get studios. Right now it seems easy to get studios at Poly but people say it will change bc they will sell enough points to fill the bungalows but people will want the studios bc Bungalows are so $. I had one thought to buy BCV because that is the only way I would get a studio there during food & wine, then until Poly is more sold I can still stay there also. I am open to other resorts but those are my favorites right now. Where is it easiest to get a studio that is convenient for transportation. I want to hear about any headaches with booking studios, so I know what I am getting into. Price of the contract is an issue BUT I may be willing to pay more for a home resort that has a longer contract.

 

[Dean]

We are a family of 3. Our extended family isn't likely to be interested in joining us at Disney, so we would do fine staying in studios and maybe once in a while a 1BR. I know Poly has no 1BRs but I'm considering it for a home resort. My priorities are, ease of transportation with a strong preference for monorail or within walking distance of a park, ease of booking at my home resort, nice pool. I am hearing that it's becoming more difficult to get studios. Right now it seems easy to get studios at Poly but people say it will change bc they will sell enough points to fill the bungalows but people will want the studios bc Bungalows are so $. I had one thought to buy BCV because that is the only way I would get a studio there during food & wine, then until Poly is more sold I can still stay there also. I am open to other resorts but those are my favorites right now. Where is it easiest to get a studio that is convenient for transportation. I want to hear about any headaches with booking studios, so I know what I am getting into. Price of the contract is an issue BUT I may be willing to pay more for a home resort that has a longer contract.

Don't overpay for the RTU expiration and often people do esp if buying retail or the newest resorts. The best dollar value will be SSR, the easiest to reserve will be OKW, the second best value will be BLT and as you're posted, will be the best value to meet all of your needs. But you are buying a timeshare and will be competing with other owners for reservations. IMO unless you just have to have Poly, it's not a good choice as the first or only ownership unless you'll stay there almost all the time. Do you have enough Disney experience under your belt to know how you'll feel about the other transportation options and that you truly want the monorail as your main transportation option?

 

[CarolMN]

If you are planning to travel regularly in the fall & want a studio, buy where you want to stay and book during the home resort priority period.

IMO, all the WDW DVC resorts are convenient for transporation. If by convenient, you mean "minimal dependence on buses", then your choices are pretty much limited to BLT, VGF, Poly, BCV, & BWV. All of those need to be booked during the home resort priority period for fall travel in a studio.

We won't really know what will happen with the Poly until it is sold out. Currently, there is some studio availability there for virtually all times of the year at 7 months. I doubt that will continue after it is sold out in a couple of years. The others are already very difficult to get at 7 months during the fall - BLT Lake vVew and BWV Pool/Garden studios are a little easier to get at 7 months than the others, but the "prize" goes to the early birds and those willing to use the waitlist (with a back up plan), or accept a split stay.

Here are two post thats you will find helpful:

Easiest 7 month Availability by drusba

7 Month Summary by drusba

 

[disneynutz]

Couple of items to consider. When new to DVC we still did mostly park time with MK being our favorite and we stayed in studios. After a few years we grew tired of the crowds and lines at the MK, we had seen everything and rode the same rode over and over. Our park time got shorter and our resort time longer. Then we switched to 1 bedroom units, best thing ever. Then we bought resorts for our MK time and our Epcot/DHS time. We either do split stays or rotate locations every other stay.

Bill

 

[kniquy]

convenient for transportation

Yes, the location can be of top importance, but I wouldn't eliminate those resorts where you have to use the bus system. It really isn't that bad or inconvenient - you just have to plan accordingly if you need to be somewhere by a certain time.

I want to hear about any headaches with booking studios

It seems as though studios do book up quicker than 1-2 BR due to the lower points cost and often many of the studios do allow for 5 people.

Price of the contract is an issue BUT I may be willing to pay more for a home resort that has a longer contract

If price is an issue then you would definitely want to look at resale. If length of contract is important, which if you are a younger family could be a big deciding factor. So your longer contract better deals seem to be SSR or BLT. BLT has a higher price per point (low $100's) and slightly longer contract. It is on the monorail so that fits your need to be close to the park. SSR has plenty of life left in its contract and the price per point is lower (80's) and it is close to disney springs -- so a nice option for a no park day. One option to help stretch your dollar would be to buy one contract now at SSR to allow for trips every other year and at some point, once you are familiar with the DVC system, you could add on a contract at BLT for the opposite year use.

You really need to first decide on a budget, see how many points that budget can get you at SSR and BLT or what ever resort you are interested in, then figure out the time of year you want to traditionally go and how many points that would be-- points vary by season so looking at point charts is very important. Then you will see which makes more financial sense at this point in time. My guess is that SSR would make the most sense and you can still use those points to book at any of the monorail/park resorts.

 

[pinklotusflower]

I'm an advocate of buy where you want to stay, as it's getting more difficult to get in to the near park resorts at certain times of year. We stayed at SSR last year and really enjoyed it we prefer our home resort of BWV. I love being able to walk to two parks and the boardwalk has a lot to offer on an evening as well.

Could you rent points for your two favourites to try them out & see which you prefer, have you thought of buying some points at BCV for food & wine & then Poly for your other trips?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

In general, so long as you're booking your home resort at 11 months, you can almost always get your home resort at 11 months.

There are limited exceptions to this. The core exceptions are not home resort, but room type. The resort exception case would be VGF in the fall for studios. The room type exceptions are greater, and mostly apply to BWV and BLT Standard studios, and AKV Club and Value studios. But if you own at BWV and have the points, it's rare not to be able to book a P/G studio at 11 months; the same is true of Lake at BLT, or Standard/Savannah at AKV.

Poly only makes sense if you're not price-sensitive and intend to spend most of your trips at Poly.

 

[TheBackson]

Thanks all. My reason for wanting monorail is because I use a scooter. The buses aren't terrible for that but I do find it frustrating with buses. Aurora....are you saying that it's tough or easy to get a studio at VGF in the Fall? I wasn't clear on that.

 

[Dean]

Thanks all. My reason for wanting monorail is because I use a scooter. The buses aren't terrible for that but I do find it frustrating with buses. Aurora....are you saying that it's tough or easy to get a studio at VGF in the Fall? I wasn't clear on that.

For that BLT is likely the best because you could get there without doing the monorail. Or BWV, BCV for DHS and EPCOT which is likely better still for many in this situation.

 

[disneynutz]

Thanks all. My reason for wanting monorail is because I use a scooter. The buses aren't terrible for that but I do find it frustrating with buses. Aurora....are you saying that it's tough or easy to get a studio at VGF in the Fall? I wasn't clear on that.

With an ECV I would plan on a 1 bedroom, you have plenty of room for the ECV inside your room. For a MK resort I would pick VGF or VWL, BLT is another choice that we own but really don't care for. At BLT you can ride the ECV to MK in 15 minutes, no bus or monorail required.

Bill

 

[_auroraborealis_]

VGF can be difficult to book a studio in fall, even with home resort. There are only 47 of them.

 

[TheBackson]

Thanks, Aurora. Thanks everyone. I think I need to see more of the hotels around the boardwalk. At Beach Club are a lot of DVC rooms far from Stormalong Bay? It looks like BWV can be a good place to get a room near the big pool. I had overlooked BWV but it may be good. I think I need to plan trips to investigate. I am afraid I've caught the fever of all of my money going to Disney one way or another.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You'll still need to book your stay closer to 11 months out than seven months out, no matter where you own if you want to go for the fall months.