Newbie with 7 mo questions, home resort and more

[sndral]

Loved the location, liked my view of the canal/river w/ boats going to/from DHS and liked the entry hallway & the location of the washer/dryer in the villa.

 

[lovin'fl]

Lots of people love BWV, but I disliked the bathroom layout & lack of privacy w/ the shutters between the master and the spa tub

All the DVC resorts at WDW, except VGF and AKV, have this. Gosh, HHI and VB do as well.

 

[sndral]

All the DVC resorts at WDW, except VGF and AKV, have this. Gosh, HHI and VB do as well.

Good thing I own AKV & am searching for the perfect VGF contract The VGF spa tub doesn't look too grand, but I liked it a lot. Couldn't figure out how to make the TV in the mirror work, tho'.

 

[lovin'fl]

Good thing I own AKV & am searching for the perfect VGF contract The VGF spa tub doesn't look too grand, but I liked it a lot. Couldn't figure out how to make the TV in the mirror work, tho'.

Is the VGF tub a jetted one? I was wondering as it looks, from pictures, like a stand alone tub. Since you called it a spa tub, I guess it does. I love to have the jetted tubs.

 

[Dean]

Hi all, first post on the boards! I am in my early 30s, dh early 40s.. I think we've determined that expiration year does matter to us. Again, not sure but leaning towards Yes to longer contracts.

Recently stayed at Kidani 1 br. Really enjoyed AKV (and like the long contract) but would have liked Jambo more for convenience to more dining, more lively lobby, more "action". We would choose Jambo if we purchased at AKL. Although we liked the resort, I didn't feel like we fell in love. Also, I understand the 1 br at Jambo is one of the smallest which would be disappointing for our home resort and not consistently desirable to only have only this choice at the 11 mo mark for a 1 br. What makes it smaller than Kidanis 1 br.. ??The sleeper chair absence?

If BWV was a longer contact, it would be a no brainier for us. That's our #1 choice. So, if we choose Jambo for the contract exp, as our home resort, how difficult or easy is a 7 mo reservation at BWV in a 1 bedroom villa... Or a studio. Travel dates to be between March and October. After our child is older, travel primarily July or August.

Also threw around the idea of BLT and SSR for contract exp. BLT for its proximity too MK.. Our favorite park by far. And monorail line. Upfront higher cost set off by lower dues would make it financially doable but higher point values for stays would be the one drawback in our mind, making the 11 month mark not usually an advantage to us with the exception of a splurge every few years

SSR.. I think I'd rather take AKV over SSR since they are comparable prices and contract expirations... (Guess could say the same for OKW 2057s), bus transport from AKL and much better theming.. Even given the small 1 br.

Stuck on BWV but that 2042 keeps coming back to our mind.

opinions please .. Which home resort would you choose?

thanks all!!!!

I wouldn't let RTU expiration deter you from a better option. DVC MAY offer extensions but at a price. If you prefer BWV an will stay there most of the time either for BW view or standard view, it's still worth considering. The savings with standard will decrease the cost somewhat since you could do less points. I do feel BLT is the second best value at WDW long term after SSR but it's the same reason AKV is more expensive, dues. As you now know you can't guarantee Jambo in reserving. Once you've sufficiently educated yourself these issues should all become fairly clear, until they are you likely aren't ready to buy. If you're uncertain but decide to proceed, try to minimize the emotional component. Since you're fairly flexible and traveling at times not that can be relatively easy to reserve, I'd still consider SSR. Some of the times you mentioned (Easter) are difficult to reserve and certainly the EPCOT resorts can be at certain times. Good luck with your choices.

 

[boxer]

We were in the same boat as you, and kept coming back to BWV and BCV (but also scared about the ending date). We have owned:

VGF: LOVED this place, but the battle to get a Studio is becoming more-and-more of a problem. Making matters worse was we bought 'direct' from Disney, so we paid a little more than we probably should have.

BLT: Really thought I would have liked it more, but felt like we were staying in a typical high-rise hotel. Loved the proximity to MK, but I need a little 'more' from the resort to let me know we are in a Disney room. Didn't hate it, but just felt there were better options to buy into than BLT.

VWL: Rented points technically, but just didnt' get that vibe that it was somewhere we wanted to buy into. Beautiful resort, but didn't care for the DVC side.

BWV: Our current ownership, and to be honest, this is where we should have been from the start. LOVE the renovated rooms, and just the general feel of the Boardwalk. With the kids getting older, we spend more-and-more time in Epcot, plus they can kinda go on their own around the Boardwalk area. It was really a toss-up between BWV and BCV--the deciding factor being the deal I got on BWV.

If you are worried about ending dates, I agree with the previous posters that 'most' people don't stay in their contract for the whole time anyhow, so you may as well buy where you want to stay. I also think Disney will offer some type of extension anyhow, as I find it hard to believe they will just 'end' the DVC at some of these resorts. Not sure what that will cost--or the details--but I really think something will be offered.

EDIT: Forgot to add that we haven't had trouble booking the standard rooms during the Food and Wine (the time we travel)--but even if we can't get that, the preferred views aren't terribly point-costly anyhow.

 

[sndral]

Is the VGF tub a jetted one? I was wondering as it looks, from pictures, like a stand alone tub. Since you called it a spa tub, I guess it does. I love to have the jetted tubs.

It doesn't have the jets that traditional spa tubs have.
The tub has little holes that release air - it's like bathing in champagne. Throw in a Basin White bath bomb (conveniently on offer in the main lobby) and relax.......

 

[lovin'fl]

It doesn't have the jets that traditional spa tubs have.
The tub has little holes that release air - it's like bathing in champagne. Throw in a Basin White bath bomb (conveniently on offer in the main lobby) and relax.......

If only I could get DH to try VGF. He says it's too fancy. Sigh!!!

 

[crisi]

I think more and more, people who own at the Epcot resorts own to stay there and there will be less and less availability moving forward at seven months. Why is anyone paying that sort of premium on a shorter contract unless that is where their heart is? And I tend to agree with what was posted above, many of the original owners at BWV have moved on - kids grown, they've gotten older - I'd guess the majority of people who own there had a choice of something other than OKW and BWV at this point in time, and chose BWV because they felt strongly about it - its (almost) always had a premium on resale.

That said, at this point in time, in a one bedroom, if you are on the ball at seven months and don't plan on October through January, that one bedroom should be available more often than not. Three years from now, maybe not.

 

[Deb & Bill]

This is a minor point if you don't have a car or seldom have a car, but we have found parking at BWV to be the hardest of all. VWL isn't that close, AKV-JH isn't that close. But sometimes you might not find any parking at all at BWV and be required to valet park for $25 a night.

 

[crisi]

This is a minor point if you don't have a car or seldom have a car, but we have found parking at BWV to be the hardest of all. VWL isn't that close, AKV-JH isn't that close. But sometimes you might not find any parking at all at BWV and be required to valet park for $25 a night.

That will likely get better as Disney seems to be interested (finally) in restricting parking at BWV.

We don't always have a car, but we've never had any issues finding SOMEWHERE to park it at BWV - however, the parking lots are not exactly right out your door.

 

[PlutoFan10]

I never had a desire to stay at Contemporary because the style is not generally what we chose in a resort. UNTIL.... We decided to buy BLT due to proximity to MK and we LOVE it! The BLT 1BR is a really nice size and the extra bath is a plus along with the sleeper chair to accommodate another guest. We have had great views of fireworks and the castle from our room and the convenience of the location has been everything we expected. Look forward to going "home" which includes spending time at the Contemporary for food and shopping -- loving that, too! The Wave has a great buffet breakfast and if you have kids, heading to Chef Mickey is a short walk!

 

[Jessiemendez1]

Hi all, first post on the boards! I am in my early 30s, dh early 40s.. I think we've determined that expiration year does matter to us. Again, not sure but leaning towards Yes to longer contracts.

Recently stayed at Kidani 1 br. Really enjoyed AKV (and like the long contract) but would have liked Jambo more for convenience to more dining, more lively lobby, more "action". We would choose Jambo if we purchased at AKL. Although we liked the resort, I didn't feel like we fell in love. Also, I understand the 1 br at Jambo is one of the smallest which would be disappointing for our home resort and not consistently desirable to only have only this choice at the 11 mo mark for a 1 br. What makes it smaller than Kidanis 1 br.. ??The sleeper chair absence?

If BWV was a longer contact, it would be a no brainier for us. That's our #1 choice. So, if we choose Jambo for the contract exp, as our home resort, how difficult or easy is a 7 mo reservation at BWV in a 1 bedroom villa... Or a studio. Travel dates to be between March and October. After our child is older, travel primarily July or August.

Also threw around the idea of BLT and SSR for contract exp. BLT for its proximity too MK.. Our favorite park by far. And monorail line. Upfront higher cost set off by lower dues would make it financially doable but higher point values for stays would be the one drawback in our mind, making the 11 month mark not usually an advantage to us with the exception of a splurge every few years

SSR.. I think I'd rather take AKV over SSR since they are comparable prices and contract expirations... (Guess could say the same for OKW 2057s), bus transport from AKL and much better theming.. Even given the small 1 br.

Stuck on BWV but that 2042 keeps coming back to our mind.

opinions please .. Which home resort would you choose?

thanks all!!!!

Hi,

My husband and I are in the same boat - early 30's & early 40's. 4 kids. We had considered buying BWV resale but ended up buying AKV due to the expiration year difference. I just felt the contract was a cheaper price per point for 15 years extra. We don't travel over the super busy seasons. More an early September, early June pack. We are going in September and got 10 nights at VGF in a 2 bdrm - no issue. And I would have no problem staying at AKV over a busier season. I prefer AKV over SSR. Good luck!!

 

[lorenni]

Thanks so much for the input. I am definately leaning towards BLT for the reasons you mentioned but I think that decision will really come to staying there because vibe and over feel is pretty important to me. It's one of those intangibles that does make a difference about how I feel on vacation. Now, BWV although they don't have the 2nd bath, we absolutely loved the proximity to the BW dining and entertainment and really liked the theme and feel of BWV. visited on our recent stay at AKV. Thanks for mentioning that standard views are difficult at BWV... That is something to consider for me. Any chance you have stayed at a renovated room yet at BWV?

I bought at BLT for the reasons others have mentioned (walk to MK, wishes from TOTWL, monorail) and a few others (easy boat ride to Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge). Since buying my resale contract just a few years ago, we've stayed at AKL, OKW, BLT, VWL and Vero Beach and have an upcoming trip to BCV. While I followed the very good advice to buy where you are happy to stay, you can see we've enjoyed a variety of resorts.

I didn't mind the BLT theming, though I am generally not a modern decor type of person. For instance, VWL has those amazing Murphy beds with the Bambi scene painted on, but you also wait FOREVER sometimes for a bus. (And I mean literally an hour at times, to the point that bus drivers were telling us to take any bus to MK and switch there for our ultimate destination!) It's a trade off - with a small child, I chose convenience to the park we are most likely to visit over theming.