More ?'s about DVC - buying sight unseen!

[WDWorld2003]

I know we're probably crazy but may buy sight unseen at a DVC! We just don't know where, any input may help our decision.... We know the program appeals to us and we'd really like to purchase at this point in time - it just seems right! Kids are 15 and 13 so and these boards keep convincing me.....

BC - appeals to us because of the great location & SAB, however, the thought of having a view of the road bothers us somewhat. Is this really a problem? (thanks for the input on the previous post )

Resales

BWV - again appeals because of location. However, not sure we want to be quite so close to the action.......

VWL - It sounds wonderful because of the close proximity to Magic Kingdom. We do a vacation in the mountains at least every other year so may want a change of scenery (we've been to Old Faithful Lodge a few times). We go to Florida for the sunshine and beach like atmosphere to escape winter here! Still, we could be swayed.

OKW - again, sounds wonderful and laid back. However, sounds like it's easier to get into at the 7 month mark so our rational is to buy at one of the others and see if we can get into OKW.

Or, wait for the new DVC? (but we don't want to wait )

We know it is probably unwise to buy sight unseen but we do know that we love WDW and would love to go back many times so this seems like a logical solution to fill that need. We are not generally picky - have stayed in all kinds of accomodations from camping to 5 star - it just has to be clean!

I know buy where you want to stay but since we haven't stayed at any we need some help

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Loubon]

We bought "sight unseen" as well. However, having been to Disney many times before we really didn't look at it that way.

So it really just comes down to buying which one. And again our intentions are to stay at all of them (several times) over the next 39 years. Even if you look at the "negatives" posted about each resort you will notice they really do get down to the personal taste level and on the whole any one of the resorts would be more than enjoyable.

We picked the BCV because of availability and the Travel channel's feature on the Beach Club. We've eaten at the WL & BW and would have been just as happy there. And we stayed right next door to OKW and wouldn't have had a problem there either.

See, it's real easy when there really isn't a "wrong" choice.

 

[WDWorld2003]

Didn't realize Beach Club was on the Travel Channel - I've seen Grand Floridian and AKL. Does anyone know if Beach Club is on Travel Channel in the near future? Would love to see it......

 

[JOC]

We weren't interested in purchasing VWL or OKW (because as you stated, OKW seems to be the easiest resort to get into at the 7-month mark), so that narrowed it down to BWV or BCV. We also bought "sight unseen" in that we didn't actually tour the DVC models, but we did tour around the Beach Club and Boardwalk resorts last December. Based upon that, we chose Boardwalk Villas for two reasons:

1. My husband isn't a big Disney fan but we discussed purchasing DVC and he agreed to buy in if we bought at BWV because he liked the resort better from when we toured in December. Yes, the parking lot is "far" from the resort entrance but the walk didn't bother us (and we have a 3 yr. old).

2. We wanted the 11-month booking window for Standard View rooms, which use less points so our points can go a little further. (we're able to plan our vacations that far out).

With your kids being 15 and 13, maybe one of the Boardwalk area resorts would work for you due to proximity to Epcot and MGM.

 

[Granny]

We bought VWL sight unseen as well, so I wouldn't worry that you won't like the accommodations.

The "which DVC resort should I buy?" question comes up a lot on these boards. As always, it really is a matter of personal taste and preferences in theming, location, and amenities.

Try this...put down on a piece of paper the most important thing about your future DVC home. Would it be cost? Location? Proximity to certain parks? Amenities such as pools? Any of these are valid because they are your choice, no one elses.

Or here's an even easier way to tell where you should buy. Pretend that there are no rights to book in any DVC home except your own. Which of these resorts would you most likely be happy to stay in every year for the next 38 years? I know that you don't have to stay there, but for key holiday periods or other busy times, you are most likely going to be staying at your home resort.

The one thing everyone pretty much agrees on is to "buy where you want to stay the most". Figure out where that place is, and buy there.

You mention that

sounds like it's easier to get into at the 7 month mark so our rational is to buy at one of the others and see if we can get into OKW

I don't understand this logic at all. If the goal is to stay at OKW the most often, why wouldn't you buy there? After all, it is the lowest cost per point to purchase and the lowest annual maintenance fees. If you think OKW is the place you'd like best, then I'd suggest you purchase there. Except for the busiest times of the year, I don't think you'd have a problem getting into any of the DVC resorts at the 7 month mark, with a little flexibility on your part.

Good luck!

 

[zulaya]

Bought BCV sight unseen. DVC's reputation, these boards, plus my own insane addiction convinced me it was the right thing to do.

 

[WDWorld2003]

Just wanted to clarify our OKW rational - just that I've read it's easier to get into at the 7 mo. window. We haven't even seen it so can't say what we think of it. We would be travelling during peak times for at least the next 5 to 7 years so wanted to be able to have a few options - seems like the others fill up faster because they are smaller. All of them really look wonderful to us....!

 

[Pa@okw95]

They all are nice, just make sure you buy enough points for a 2 bedroom unit. I have read a lot of posts lately where people are trying to put way too many people in these units. To enjoy them I would never use the living room fold down bed for starters, so with your family a 2 bedroom is almost a must to enjoy DVC. I would buy BWV or BCV with the age your kids are-it is closer to the action. Like I said they all are nice.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

I bought sight unseen and almost unbuilt. What you are doing is neither crazy or unheard of. My vote would be to go where you plan to spend the most time.

 

[ftmyersgirl]

I was in your predicament. Wanted to buy, had never seen the resorts. I just came back from Hilton Head as a cash guest and also have toured all the resorts except OKW. I am still undecided.

I have narrowed it down to BCV BWV. I loved Hilton Head but I have property in Charleston and can go to Hilton Head anytime.

BCV is newer and looks it. BWV just feels better to me. I go back and forth and cannot decide.

So seeing the villas only makes it clearer that you want to own not which resort to call home.

 

[jimmytammy]

We bought site unseen also. Our feeling was you cant go wrong with Disney(and they know that also). We had never even seen any of the DVC resorts for that matter, unless you count seeing the rooftop of WLV from the monorail. Anyway, I was really hoping for BWV for its location(walking distance from Epcot). We ended up with WLV and we couldnt be happier. I know that ALL the other DVC resorts are just as nice and each is unique in its own way and we cant wait to try them all out.
Coming from someone in similar situation, take the plunge cause you wont go wrong with DVC. I do agree with Pa@OKW do get enough points for a 2bed stay. Or make your points work for you through bank and borrow. We stayed in studio 1st trip and realized with soon to be teens that we were going to need a 1 bed at least for every trip. Good Luck!!

 

[Terry S]

You kind of sound like me in that I go to Florida because I want the sunshine and beach like atmosphere. That is exactly why we waited for BCV's to be built before we bought DVC. We could have bought earlier, but BCV was the exact fit for our family. We sort of bought sight unseen because we bought before the BCVs were even built, but we had seen the Beach Club before and knew we loved the themeing and atmoshphere at that resort.

As far as the rooms with the road at BCV goes, it does not bother us at all. On our first stay we were given one of the rooms that overlooks the road, which by the way also had a direct view of spaceship earth, which is amazing lit up at night and a spectacular view of illuminations fireworks. Since then I have requested this same view 3 times, so that will tell you that the road did not bother us one bit! I have stayed in a room at the Beach Club (not the villas) that overlooked the lagoon and the boardwalk. I would take my view of the road, spaceship earth and illuminations over that any day!

 

[crisi]

May I suggest you make a list of what you want, weight it, and rate the resorts against the criteria. Very methodical - espcially if no single resort is tugging at your heart.

Our list might have looked like this:

Total cost of resale under $10k (this was over a year ago)....10
Pool the kids will enjoy (i.e. pool slide)........4
Something for the kids to do as they get to be teenagers .....8
Big Rooms .......... 5
Good Access to Parks without using a rental car.........8
Low dues......1
150-200 point contract available......9
Good use year for our needs available .....9

etc.

You then give points to every option - but its subjective. For instance, I'd OKW give a 10 on big rooms, the rest of the resorts get a 5. BCV gets a 10 on pool, BWV and VWL both get 7s, OKW gets a 1.

With the total cost of resale under $10k, our options would have been quickly narrowed down to OKW and BWV (VWL resales at that point were rare and sold at a premium and BCV only through Disney which was pricey). And with good access to the parks and the pool with slide in there, that makes BWV a little more attractive to us than OKW.

Someone else's (Richyams) list may look like this:

Big rooms......10
Low dues ......10
Best point value.....10
Park in front of unit ......10
Laid back atmosphere.....10
Availablilty of GV.....10
Pool slide.......1

I suspect OKW would get a 10 from Richyams on big rooms, the rest of the resorts would get a one. Subjective....

Other things that may be on your list:

Room decor (a lot of people don't like the VWL decor - others love it).
Difficult to get at 7 months out
A variety of restuarants within walking distance

Some things that need to be heavily weighted - if you really want to be in the Epcot area for the Food and Wine festival, or at VWL over Christmas, if you really want regular access to a GV - especially at peak times, you will want to weight those things heavily. There are ways to get into VWL at Christmastime with a BWV contract (basically, trade points with a VWL owner who really wants to be at BWV over the food and wine fest), but if its important to you, factor it into your decision.

 

[jjohns]

We also bought 'sight unseen'. I knew I would enjoy many Disney vacations and was just waiting for the kids to get 'old enough'... which was 6 (DS) and 4 (DD) in our case! LOL

We were planning a trip to Disney when a friend clued me in on Disney's version of timeshare. He had a 'traditional' timeshare in Orlando and DVC, and said in hindsight he wishes he hadn't bought the traditional one (it came first).

We were short on time (it was March and we were planning on going in May), so we bought directly from Disney. WLV was selling at the time.

Since then, we added on at WLV and just last week at BWV. The recent add-on caused major anst - BWV or BCV... Epcot/MGM area was the huge draw, but both resorts are great for that. Kids currently love the Luna Park pool and slide but I suspect Stormalong Bay will become a favourite in the future.

In the end, BWV won out so we had a chance at getting rooms using the Standard points structure, and might be able to stretch our points out a bit further that way.

DW's favourite is OKW - spacious rooms and closer-than-nearby parking are her key points. The kids also like the pools - I can't say the lack of a slide leaves them moping! LOL

Despite owning at WLV, we haven't stayed there... yet!

From our experience, another thing to weigh in your thoughts is whether you will want a car at WDW and if so, how much you will use it. If you think a lot, then OKW may merit stronger consideration.

As far as how many points to get.. that's a tough one - so says someone who's added on twice now! HA. Personally, I favour spreading the points around, to get the 11-month advantage at more than one resort. But, this does mean you need to manage your points more closely. And, make sure you've got 'enough' points at each resort to get the room type you want in the season you need. In our case, the BWV add-on will allow us to stay at BWV at least once every three years (bank + current + borrow).

The 'best' deal is probably still going to be found resale. But you need patience - the right contract for you (location, price, points balance) won't necessarily be sitting there waiting for you to come by. Also, if you're going the resale route, be sure to contact a broker and tell them what you want - many contracts get sold without ever being posted on a broker's web site.

HTH, Jeff

 

[new_yawka]

I so enjoy reading posts of some of the great ideas for individuals considering buying at DVC...I wonder if I would have approached my buy differently.

I bought before BCV and VWL were available, so my choices were limited.

We bought at BWV instead of OKW bassed upon a limited understanding that BWV may have more trade and/or resale value. Realistically though, it was an emotional purchase and we were just ready to sign.

I think BWV gives the best of BCV, VWL and OKW...you get great location, lots to do AND the option of spending lower points on a WDW accommodation at the 11-month window (with standard view rooms).

Realistically, you cannot go wrong. Although the "Buy where you want to stay" addage is a mantra around here, I have a more flexible feel for the purchase decision, if, like me, one is interested in enjoying all of the opportunities available at the various resorts. JUST BUY!

Actually, if you are intending on staying during premium times, the 11-month window becomes a more real consideration. I think you can't go wrong with BWV, BCV or VWL.

In any event, I will be happy to join the rest in saying "welcome home" when the time comes.

 

[jaysue]

Nothing wrong with buying site unseen - we just did that with BCV - I know you are weighing all options but we had the choice of either BCV or VWL as we were buying from Disney since as non-US residents we figured it was easier than buying a resale - so this narrowed choice to BCV or VWL - below are the key points we used in our decision - hope they help:


BCV vs VWL - had this last week for us

OK, so we bought DCV last week and we had a choice between BCV and VWL - we bought BCV and here are the factors involved (some came from other posters to this board so I cannot claim 1000% original thinking)

VWL "+"

Great Themes
Rustic/Out of the way vacation spot
Boat Launch to MK (I like this - some would not)
DW likes it
Awesome Lobby
Close to FW for other activities

BCV "+"

Stormalong Bay
Central Location - important to use since typically no car
We like Epcot so location location location
As our kids get older we figured BCV or BWV would work best
More expensive for rooms than VWL so figure that if we wanted to stay at VWL or WL we would go during a code rate period and pay for the reservation and bank points (or go twice that year!!!)
More accessible for our parents in terms of parking lot/parks etc
Can pool hop at times to all other resorts except for AKL but cannot pool hop to SAB

I will not get into the "-"'s since we based the decision on a straight up comparison of what we say as the positives of both. I would say at the end of the day, the three key factors were:

1) As kids get older we saw BCV as better destination
2) Pool hopping not being equal
3) The cost of a room/unit at VWL/WL less than BCV

Hope this helps

Thanks
Jason

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

We recently bought at BWV (waiting to close on it), but really didn't put a whole lot of thought into our "home" resort. Our preferrable place would have been VWL (but, of course, we didn't see a good resale for it, but one did come available a couple days after the seller of the BWV contract accepted our offer). But, really, all of the resorts are nice. We wanted to be at WDW, and BWV just made sense to buy at. Some of the pluses we saw for BWV were:

1) Location - walk to Epcot or MGM
2) Possible Boardwalk View (very, very limited)
3) Standard View point levels
4) Lots of close dining options

Back when we took the DVC tour in 2000, we should have bought then (we did the tour at the Boardwalk). The villas did look nice, and we would have paid a bit less. After 5 additional trips to WDW since taking the DVC tour, it was time to become members.

 

[Merilyn]

sight unseen. All the literature they can send you really is just as it is. I would buy where you think you will like it best. I am with you on the OKW plan. It is easier to go to OKW at 7 months. If you want quiet, OKW is the place. If you want action, BWV or BCV are both fine. It is easier to get around at BWV and BCV but OKW is very nice. We own there because it was the only DVC when we joined. I do like the fact that it is less points. We stay in a GV most of the time and it is really better point wise. We own at VB also, and have stayed at OKW, BWV, HH, and VB. Love them all.

 

[WDWorld2003]

Wow, thanks everyone for the GREAT responses!!!! Your help has been invaluable.

We're getting closer to our decision Now it's between BC and BWI...... A few more things to think about but we're getting there. I have to watch that video one more time!!!!

 

[chip1]

For us, because of years of staying at Y&B, when the BCV were being built, we knew they were for us. We, too, bought sight unseen. We were the 1st contract written for BCV. We have been home 2 times, and are going again in November. I've never stayed anywhere but BCV, but no matter where you decide, I am sure you are a winner!!

GOOD LUCK, and WELCOME!!