Need advice on Home Resort

[CDS1037]

Hi,

We have decided to take the plunge and become DVC members
(should have done it back in 99!)

Disney has advised us that we can choose our home resort from either Boardwalk Villas, Beach Club Villas or wait for Sarasota Springs.

Have 2 sons ages 12 and 16. Any opinions or recommendations would be greatly apprceciated.

Thanks.....

 

[BillPA]

Welcome to the DIS.

Either location is right in the middle of the action, if that is what you are looking for. The BWVs have standard view rooms that have a lower point/night rate, about 20-30% less than the BCV or BWV perfered view. This could help with s.t.r.e.a.c.h.i.n.g. out those points. Also BWV has some 3 BR Grand Villas, where BCV don't. BCV is the only DVC resort that lets you swim at Storm Along Bay (SAB) most folks think it's Disney's best pool.

If you wait for SS, that resort will also have 3 BR villas, but we don't know about the size of the rooms or the points at this time. General opinion is the price will go up by the time SS opens, so keep that in mind too.

There is also a good re-sale market, that will allow you to own at OKW or VWL as well at BWV and BCV, usually at a lower cost.

Hope this help. Good luck picking one. The most common reply will be "Buy where you want to stay", there is that 4 month booking advantage at your Home Resort.

 

[Richyams]

OKW has the largest rooms, lowest dues, lowest point schedule and you can park right in front of your unit. OKW is very available through resale, usually even cheaper than the other WDW DVC resorts. It is much larger than the other resorts, so it is a bit, quite a bit, easier to get into at seven months, but if you ever want to be sure of a GV, early December reservation or go during the Food and Wine Festival, you need to buy where you want to stay.

Welcome, and let me warn you, there are some people here who will promote their own favorite resort and not give any other resort its due. Be careful, take people's posts that recomend other resorts with a grain of salt.

 

[Disney Doll]

Basically, what you have to choose from right now, if you want to buy right now, is BCV or BWV. Based on oyur description of your "family unit", I would say BCV, because SAB is the ebst pool on property, it is located in a busy part of WDW, with lots to do. YOur children are getting older and may one day not be vacationing with you anymore, and you will still be close to the action of the Boardwalk, with all of its entertainment possibilities,Epcot,and MGM.

SSR may turn out to be a lovely resort, but it will probably be more expensive points-wise, and you don't know what kind of pool/recreation it will have.

 

[bcvillastwo]

I don't think you can go wrong soliciting opinions on this board. It's a good way to gather information quickly, but as someone else already noted, be carefull because some people have some very definite opinions about their resorts. These views are not doubt well intentioned but are also viewed through the lenses of their own needs and desires.

So ask all the questions you have but also take time to consider your own families likes, dislikes, needs and desires, times of the year you will travel, how often you think you might like to visit WDW. In short there are lots of factors to consider.

At the end of the day, I don't personally think you can go wrong with any of the DVC properties and the best and most frequent advice dispensed is--buy where you want to stay.

Good luck in your decision.

P.S. We are recent DVC BCV members (1.5 years) and we are very, very, very pleased with BCV but we've never stayed at one of the other resorts so take what we say as very biased and ill informed at this point.

 

[DeeP]

All the DVC resorts are very, very nice. Choosing a home resort depends on your family and your likes and wants. All have their own unique and varied atmospheres and their pros and cons. The price difference in cost, dues or points is really not significant enough to really matter in the whole big picture. A much bigger consideration should be the resort villas, the resort location and the resort amenities, these have a much higher degree of extreme variations between the various DVC resorts then the small difference in dues between the resorts are, and also the yearly dues can vary and do change from yr to yr and from resort to resort. Go visit all the DVC resorts, see the rooms, have a meal there, get a feel for the resort and then pick whichever resort fits best with your family. A home resort that may be perfect for one person may be and very often is the exact opposite for someone else.
PS, Mr Yams, I noticed the %'s are gone from the infamous quote, are we re calculating the %'s, maybe???? LMAO!

 

[spiceycat]

BCV - Atlantic Seaboard kind of place - best pool on property

BWV - Atlantic Broadwalk kind of place - if you like to party - you will be very happy here.

both are very nice

go to this website for pictures and things of each of the resort - only you will know what is right for you and your family.

www.dvc-resorts.com

also the 1-bedroom and up at BCV have a desk in the master bedroom this is a very nice addition and I think adds to these units.

 

[Richyams]

I only use the % when I feel it is apropriate. Now I have to clear this up for this newcomer. I am sure he will thank you.

To look at the resorts quantitatively, this may help.

BWV room are generally 25% smaller than OKW rooms, the points are 25-100% higher per night, the dues nearly 25% higher per point, when you put this all together, BWV dues are 75% higher per sq ft per night than OKW.

Then comes the WOW factor. Walking into a tiny BWV one bedroom unit leaves one at a loss. The first thing that you notice is just how tiny the unit is. We have found this to be quite convenient. Its nice to be able to reach in to the fridge from the balcony to get a beer without getting up. Cleanup is real easy. You can clean the whole unit with one paper towel standing in one place. No worry about kids getting up and wandering around at night without you noticing, they can't take more than a step without bumping into you.

Walking into a one bedroom or larger unit at OKW is breath taking. You are immidiately taken with the splendor and granduer of the units. You realize that you are home....it does have its drawbacks. Young children can get lost in all that space. You get winded walking from on bedroom to the other. All these problems are made up for by the ability to park right in front of your unit. There is nothing better than coming home at night, parking your car and taking twenty or thirty steps to your room.

Many consider OKW the only 'real' DVC resort.

Thanks for the request DeeP.

 

[DeeP]

BWV room are generally 25% smaller than OKW rooms, the points are 25-100% higher per night, the dues nearly 25% higher per point, when you put this all together, BWV dues are 75% higher per sq ft per night than OKW.

Oh but they are the same %'s quoted as last year before OKW had the highest dues increase out of all the DVC resorts for the year, so some new calculations are needed!!!!!!!!!!! AND now there is even speculation that BWV GVs may actually be bigger......HORRORS!!!!! Also how about the %'s for all the other DVC resorts, because they do ALL vary to a slight degree! Come on, step up to the plate, you are slipping! LMAO!!!

 

[Richyams]

If you want to figure them out exactly, you are welcome to. I am just trying to help a newcomer with unbiased information.

CDS1037, remember the type I warned you about. There are some people that think so much of their own home resort that they won't give other resorts the respect they deserve. Please take DeeP's protestations with a grain of salt.

 

[DeeP]

That was fun, now I gotta go--going to the Cher farewell concert with DD, thanks for the comedy relief Yams!

 

[jaysue]

C'mon everyone play nice in the pool!

CDS1037 , welcome as well to the DIS

We own at BCV but we do have opinions +/- about all the WDW DVC resorts

Some questions for you first though

* Do you plan on having any other children?
* Do any of the themes catch your fancy - Villa Wilderness Lodge for NW Rocky Mtns type, Beach Club Villas for lazing by the beach in the late 19th century, Boardwalk Villas for Atlantic City/boardwalk type themes, Old Key West for South USA walk up buildings with lush vegetation....?
* Remember regardless of where you buy you can always try and book the other resorts 7 months from arrival date

* Do you have specific times of year you travel - for example if you travel at busy times, and bring a large crew of relatives you may want to consider BWV or OKW for the Grand Villas

In any case, the questions above might help with the answers you will see on this board and do not be scared of Rich - he is always this way!!!

Thanks
jaysue

 

[CaptainMidnight]

CDS1037, one option might be to rent some points and go visit the resorts for yourself to see which one you like. There's a great website with pictures at:
http://www.wdwig.com/g_bcv.htm
if they might help. There are lots of threads about the pros and cons of each home resort, spending some time going back through those threads might be very helpful, there are lots of great folks on this board who have been discussing this decision for quite a while.

Good luck, what a fun decision to consider.

 

[jimmytammy]

We own at VWL and very much enjoyed our stay there. We have never been to other DVC resorts BUT Im sure they all have their own unique qualities. We wanted to own at BWV but VWL was only available resort through Disney at the time. We are glad we ended up at VWL after all because of the peaceful atmosphere.

Whatever decision you make, you will be satisfied with cause you will be part of the magic of DVC. And you can stay at all the DVC resorts sooner or later.

 

[giants fan]

here's my answer - with respect to everyone else. We've stayed at OKW ( not our cup of tea but the choice of very many users - posters whose opinions I value, appreciate and esteem, at VWL where we enjoyed so much that we puchased an add- on:stayed at BCV and also own at BW and can recomend any of the resorts if you are interested. My ranking would place BWV first and WVL a close second.No indirect criticism of OKW but we don't get a car and like the usual proximity of a park.All rooms have been great,service has been fine.You almost can't go wrong

 

[DeeP]

I am back and glad to see this thread is still going strong, as you can see from the majority of posts....all the DVC resorts are wonderful and all have many things that appeal to one group vs the opposite of another group, which is the wonderful thing about DVC and even WDW as a whole, when you think about it....there is something for everyone. No matter which DVC is your home resort they are all wonderful and all the DVC resorts are available for your use and pleasure as a DVC member, it is definitly a win-win situation all the way around!
BTW, if anyone gets a chance to go to Cher's farewell concert, run don't walk! What an unbelievable show she puts on! A production equal to a Disney production in first rate entertainment all around.

 

[SheriB]

I can't speak for the other resorts, because I've never stayed at any others, but we just returned from our first trip home to BCV. However, my kids are exactly the same age as yours (although my 16 year old is a girl), so this may count for something. I would say that the proximity of BCV fits our needs to a T. Nice boat ride either way to Epcot, MGM, and the BW. The pool is awesome. While staying there, we did pool hop over to BWV. Went down the slide 3 times, and hopped back over to SAB. BWV pool was boring to my kids. SAB was their preference. With the ages of our kids, I had no problem letting them wander around the resort or get on a boat to go to the Boardwalk by themselves.

Even my parents, who came with us and are in their early 60's, absolutely loved BCV. They're used to staying at CR or Poly, but said they would love to stay at BCV again.

I don't think you could go wrong with either BCV or BWV, because of their proximity to everything. Right now, at this time in our kids' lives, it was all about the pool. And when they become bored with the pool (I don't see that anytime soon, since even my parents had a blast there), we still have a beautiful resort to come home to.

JMHO
Sheri

P.S. Good luck, whatever you decide. You will not regret it.

 

[timC]

Comparing the three resorts, you are interested in BWV, BCV, SSR I would boil the choices down a couple of unique selling points:

BCV will give you all of the amenities of the entire Boardwalk resort area, plus the BC/YC exclusive SAB, the best pool on the planet!

BWV is a few steps closer to the action, a little cheaper on points, but you can swim at SAB. If pool is not a big factor, go with BWV

SSR is not done, so you'll have to wait, and risk all of the point costs going up. I'm not sure what the unique selling point will be here. Access to DTD? Pleasure island? Spa? I don't see any of these as being a good reason to buy there.

---- You didn't ask, but let me assess the others ----
OKW - Best point value, and largest rooms of all... but boring as a stump

VWL - Get up at 6am, grab a coffee and walk out to the dock to watch the sun rise over Bay Lake. It's the best.

 

[CDS1037]

Hello All,
Just wanted to say thank you for all your input, insights and for often keeping us very entertained!! We have been eagerly awaiting every chance to get to the computer to see our responses!! We have eliminated waiting for SS to open, we want to go ahead with everything now. I keep changing my mind from BWV to BCV and back again. But all of you are right, I don't think we can go wrong either way and can also stay at either one once we are officially in. The availability of SAB pool is a big factor. I'm waiting for a big package of info from DVC to come and I am really hoping it comes in todays mail....I have DVC on the brain and can't seem to focus on much else!!!! Well, keep sending us your opinions until we make our choice and have a great day!

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Originally posted by Richyams
.....Welcome, and let me warn you, there are some people here who will promote their own favorite resort and not give any other resort its due. Be careful, take people's posts that recomend other resorts with a grain of salt.

Yes, I've seen this as a problem as well, some posters going overboard trying to overly tout thier home resort and also unnecessarily repeatedly bashing other home resorts with repetatve lines that really weren't that funny the first time, let alone the 20th. Offsite resorts seem to be a particularly favorite target. Gather all the information and understand people have invested large sums of money in thier decisions, they are vested in them.

But that's not what your asking, your asking for home resort advice. We really enjoy our visits to Vero beach, and it was our first choice as a home resort, that's just us. I doubt we would have bought if there also wasn't a beach option. We also own at BCV so we have the advantage of an onsite home resort as well. Questions you may want to consider are:

How important is location and transportation options to the parks to you? Will you want to use GV? Will you be travelling during peak seasons and Where will you most want to stay at that time? How many points will you be buying and how important is it for you to stretch those points. My personal ranking of resorts, (and it is not meant as a negative reflection on anyone else's views, each resort has wonderful advantages of it's own) is:

1. Vero (we don't necessarily want to be at the parks during spring break.)
2. BCV (Room layout, interior spaces, SAB and location, no GVs)
3. BWV (location, standard points, GVs)
4. WLV (Theming, boat to MK, ideal marina, no GVs)
5. HH (struggled with where to put this one, there's lot's of nice things about the resort, and if you want pime summer time, you'll need ownership there, beach if fabulous, separate beachhouse-resort area)
6. OKW (too remote for us, not enough amenities, we don't drive to parks, we're familiar with the room size advantage we have that at Vero, not as important to "US" but may be very important to others, more power to them. People love the quietness, close parking, gvs, lower point requirements and wildlife.)

I also have a more detailes comparison of BCV and BWV which I'll sent you in a PM.