Picking a Resort to make Home

[knoble2]

I am currently looking into buying DVC and cant decide what I want my home resort to be. Anyone have any suggestion of which ones are better than others?
Also I ame going down in May for a couple days. We haven't been to a lot of the DVC resort so I don't know what they are like or what the rooms are like. I was thinking about just taking a day and going around to them and checking them out but I was wondering if you can ask to check out the rooms to see what they are like?

 

[RoseGold]

Maybe you are fancy and only want the flagship. Maybe you have a party of 12 you need to accommodate. Maybe you only care about the pool. Maybe you really want the animal savannah view. We do not know what your family's preferences are, and the home resort choice is a preference, not a "better," right or wrong answer.

 

[MonkeyKnifeFight]

I don't know about getting room tours. But we went to a lot of meals at various resorts and that helped us decide sort of. There are a lot of factors on what is the best choice and it comes down to family size, ages, and what parks you like best and how you vacation. We spent over a year researching DVC and just got back from a 10 day trip and stay at the Polynesian villas. Based on that trip we finalized our preferences did a little more research, crunched the numbers again, and made an offer.

 

[bakerworld]

We bought DVC as a compromise between a FL vacation home and enjoying the parks. The included transportation from the airport and on-campus was a large age induced factor. We purchased initially on the best deal, followed by where we wanted to own and ended with the park we liked the best.

Frankly, I wish we'd've based our original purchase on the park location as the resort amenities work for us on non-park vacations. Now, we're like hoarders - we use the first two homes largely for trading but we're not ready to sell.

 

[CraigInPA]

I suggest you take a look at the room videos on youtube. Virtually every resort and type of room is represented there. Then, knowing what size room you need for your trips, figure out what your top 3 or 4 resorts are. On your next trip, take a walk around those resorts. If you ask nicely at the front desk, you may find that they can "slip you in" to see an actual room (but don't expect this to always be the case, especially if you want to see grand villas, bungalows, or cabins). The best advice I can give is, once you have decided on 1 or 2 possible resorts, rent a night or two there and see how it works for you. The cost of renting for one or two nights is a pittance compared to the cost of DVC, and will sometimes change your mind about a resort.

When my wife and I were looking, we considered 3 resorts. One we were very familiar with, because we had stayed there at least 10 times in regular hotel rooms. We crossed that one off because the DVC side was on the side of the resort we didn't like. Of the other two, we thought the one near Epcot was the stronger contender until we rented there. We HATED the views from both sides of the hotel. Our third choice, BLT, was a surprise winner. When we walked into the lake view room (on the 12th floor, looking at the marina), we knew this is where we wanted to stay. We then began an almost year-long process of watching for "just the right resale contract" (right use year, right size, right price). I finally found that Cinderella contract, immediately put in an offer, and bought it. Since then, we've added on twice at the same resort so we could extend our vacations. We just returned from a 12 day stay yesterday, and my wife is already planning next year's 14 day stay.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It is very rare you can get a room tour. Either they are occupied, or they are being turned over. DVC runs at 95%+ occcupancy.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I would push the pause button on a purchase and rent points the next few time you travel to WDW at resorts you think you may be interested in. Do split stays if needed. But definitely try to stay there at least once. Another benefit is points are very high right now and may drop soon. You may get a good deal by waiting to purchase.

 

[D-Trick]

I agree with the PP. @knoble2 you haven't told us that you know about contract end dates, UY, or any other information, so perhaps there is still a lot for you to learn about DVC. No worries though, as everyone on these boards are super knowledgeable and can help make the decision that best fits your situation.

 

[MICKIMINI]

I tend to do things the old fashioned way (no computers in 1996 when we bought)...the same way we suggested our son contemplate big decisions when he was a kid and right up to grad school: take a piece of paper and write it down. You need to consider many things, but I believe #1 is LOCATION...what do you and your family enjoy? What is your budget for purchase and annual fees? That should narrow it down a bit and you can then look at the vibe of various resorts, expiration date, villa sizes and point requirements for dates you may vacation which will help you focus on UY. It is not going to be a quick and easy decision since you haven't been to the resorts and if you rush and buy the wrong contracts, it's like buying the wrong car - maybe worse. Take a deep breath...

Tell us more and you'll get good guidance here...

 

[ClemTig]

Love them all for different reasons. All also have issues for various reasons. You'll have to do your own analysis, but for me Wilderness Lodge (either incarnation- CC or BR) and BLT are tops. SSR or BLT would be where I would buy today, however.

 

[holden]

We decided on BLT because of the extra bathroom in the 1 and 2 bedroom units and the ability to walk to MK. Those factors were important to us. We knew with two growing girls we’d need an extra bathroom and the extra space! The decor (which I don’t care for) wasn’t important to us.

You have to decide what’s important to you and then find the resort that meets those requirements.

 

[SleeplessInTO]

Location was key so we booked at BWV for our first ever trip. Being able to walk to two parks is great. (Did a cash stay with Disney in a 1 bedroom at BWV and bought resale a couple months after that.) Instead of spending cash on trips to check out other DVC resorts to make sure I’ve got “the perfect one”, I’m using my Boardwalk points to stay at AKL and Beach Club in 2020. I like it enough, and short of Disney moving either park, it’ll always have a great location.

What’s important to you?

 

[TTA Rider Matt]

I second the idea of looking at videos on YouTube of all the rooms at the different resorts. My wife and I just did this, and we settled on Poly because of the size of the rooms and the two showers, as well as the monorail, 2066 contract expiration, and since I was a kid, I’ve always had a fascination with Poly. We were also considering BLT, but the studios are much smaller, and we are generally a studio family. Every resort has its pros and cons, you just have to decide what you value most while considering price, location, rooms, amenities, expiration date, difficulty of booking at 7 months, etc.

 

[Disney mac]

We bought our first contract at Poly, which is still one of our favorites. We bought our second contract at AKL, as we love the atmosphere and quiet atmosphere there. Our third contract was at GF.m, which we have never stayed at and don’t know if we ever will. We just a fantastic deal on it and know that if we ever want to trade with friends, they will gladly take our points. My advice is try to figure out what kinds of rooms are important to you and look for variety. We love that AKL gives us options of value, standard, savana, 1, 2, 3 bedrooms. However some people want to consider the pull down beds to make a little better sleep accommodations. Just do your hw.

 

[knoble2]

The main ones we are looking at are BLT, BWV, and BCV. We like the ability to walk to the parks from all three of them.

 

[ClemTig]

The main ones we are looking at are BLT, BWV, and BCV. We like the ability to walk to the parks from all three of them.

I own 2 of the 3. BCV sold out quick. And BLT is my favorite sandwich.