Please share your thoughts on "home" resort question

[ZerasPride]

I'd like to get an idea of how other DVC members feel about their "non-home" resorts. When you think of your DVC membership whether your "home" is at one resort or all six resorts, do you feel you own an interest in the "network" of DVC properties or just where your 11 month window is? I know the 11 month window is very important, especially at peak times but sometimes I forget there is a 7 month window which gives us the ability to sample each property if we want.

I bring this up because I was kinda bummed that we are not able to add on at BCV at this time. It might happen one day and then again it might not happen at all. I was sad until I realized that I can stay at BCV without owning points there (duh) . I might have to be more flexible than someone who has the 11 month advantage but basically I still "own" a piece of the magic and that's all that really matters!

I would really like to get other people's opinions on this. Am I looking at this the right way or am I just seeing the glass as half full instead of half empty because it suits me?

And finally, for the record, I love my home resort. I have no regrets in having the 11 month window at Hilton Head. I do, in time, hope to sample each DVC resort and grow to love each one for its uniqueness. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Lisa

 

[~Magical Princess~]

If we ever were to buy we'd buy at "OKW". That is our favorite resort. However, I'm curious to know if people own at all the resorts - i.e., OKW, BWI, WVL and now BCV ?? Not so much owning at Vero or HH - but just the 4 Disney World properties. How nice it would be to say have 200 OKW, 200 BWI, 200 WVL and 200 BCC - YIKES that's 800 points!! LOL

Anyone?

 

[spiceycat]

I can't afford BCV right now either - so don't feel alone - I love OKW and would have no difficult staying there forever. I also brought at VWL (60 points), BWV (50 points) - both of these are for the first two weeks in December - my favorite time. Now if I didn't go in December I probably would not have brought either of these.

So I think it just depends upon when you want to go - hey HH has the same problem in the summer. (I don't go anywhere in the summer-so I was not tempted to buy there).

 

[Regina]

I've never looked at it this way, but it does make sense.

I have two "homes", OKW and VWL. I guess that we're more attracted to the quieter locales.

The day may come when we want to try the BW of BCV, but, for now, we subscribe to the "join where you want to stay" motto.

 

[Chuck S]

We own at OKW, and had booked at VB, but had to change plans. I've not stayed at another resort for two reasons. 1) Usually we'll take guests, and get two studios (for privacy), and we like the 2 queen beds in OKW studios. and 2) OKW really does feel like home, since we've owned there since 1992. I would like to stay at VWL sometime. We've visited BWV for dinner to get an impression of the resort. It's lovely, but we prefer the quieter areas.

 

[fireplug]

We were sold on the idea of being a part of the whole package, not just one "home" resort. Yes, there is the 11 mo vs 7mo window thing but so far it hasn't hurt us. We have stayed at four of the dvc properties and are going to try BCV one day. We are not attached to any of them. I think the flexibility is one of the best features of being members.

 

[caverill]

Great question...

We own at BWV and feel it is our "home".

We just returned from our second DVC trip and spent two days at VB, which we enjoyed very much!

My DW and I were discussing that we will try to stay at the other DVC resorts, but we will always make our first reservation at the 11 month mark since we have to travel during a peak vacation time (my DW is a teacher).

We did that last year. We reserved 7 nights at BWV and a the 7 month mark changed two of the nights to VB. It just takes a little planning.

 

[DebbieB]

I own at BWV but alternate stays at OKW. When I bought in 1999, I decided to make BWV my home because it was harder to get a reservation there at 7 months especially when I wanted to stay there the beginning of December. Our OKW trips are in May, no problem at 7 months.

 

[kem330]

For us right now it is Location. Location, Location. That's why we bought BWV and BCV. It is important to us to be able to walk into Epcot and MGM and we really like the theming of the Y&BC area. Maybe some day we'll change, but right now we have no desire to stay elsewhere- except maybe VB.

 

[HookdonWDW]

When I think of home, I think of where we actually have points. However, we are planning a trip with my bil and his family, and we will probably try to stay at OKW, because of the room size and point value.

 

[baileybrad]

We have stayed at all of the resorts but Vero (tentative plan for a 5 night stay there next spring) and feel as though we are "visiting" when we stay at the Orlando DVC resorts. We enjoyed VWL the most, followed by OKW and BWV in that order. Even though we don't really "own" anything at HH, it does feel more like our "special" place. We have visited WDW many times and even though we have enjoyed our stays at the on-property DVC sites we would have never joined the DVC if not for the HH location. We do and plan to continue alternating our stays between HH and Orlando DVC with occasional off-site (Vistana Village this past January) stays when our points are running low. We hope to stay at BCV next January but again it will most likely feel like we are "just visiting".

 

[ZerasPride]

Thanks so much everyone for your opinions! They really have been helpful. I am just so happy to be a part of DVC since its something I've been bugging my hubby about for so long. I think my sentiments run similar to bailybrad and fireplug. For us, Hilton Head will always be "home" and other resorts nice places to visit and I guess that's why DVC offers the different type of resorts because there are all different types of people. Thanks again!

Lisa

 

[downontheBW]

After first purchasing at BWV, I felt like BWV was my home. Since then, we've stayed at BWV, HHI and OKW. During our stays, I felt like each one was my home. Now I feel a part of DVC more so than just any one of the resorts.

In the future when we visit WDW we will probably stay at the resort that best fits our group. When by ourselves, DH and I will stay at OKW because of the quiet but when we have young neices and nephews in tow, we'll go for BWV or BCV because of the location. If our college-age boys are with us, we may stay at VWL because WL is their favorite.

I'd like to visit VB sometime and hope to get back to HHI, it was terrific. I love having options for our vacations.

 

[Laurabearz]

Okay... here is how we feellll (as new DVCrs!)

We love OKW the momment we saw it.... and bought 430 pts re-sale. Our first trip planned with those points is to the Poly and CR(?) in May!. (We know, we know, not the 'best' way to use our points but hey... we got a great deal with lots of banked points!)

My husband said to me the other day.... you know honey... we now OWN the WORLD! How right he is......

WIth our DVC memebership we can go just about anywhere..... do just about anything......

SO when we think of HOME.... we think the world!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

I loved Laurabearz answer!

We originally thought we would stay at all the DVC resorts and even some of the other Deluxe on-site hotels. Then we stayed in a GV at OKW and saw the benefits of the space and the point value, and just have never stayed anywhere but our home of OKW. We usually make the 11 month ressies too. I think we assume we "own the world" too, but so far we only use our OKW part of it!

 

[CaptainMidnight]

We might be a a little different boat. DW is a teacher, so our non-summer vacations are only available at peak season times, where we'll need the home resort advantage. That's why we wanted the nice relaxing beach location of Vero and the action packed, prime location of BCV.

But we also take great pride in being part of the network. I look forward to taking friends to WLV during the summer sometime, as it is their dream location, and are glad the large number of units of BW may also let us use Vero point there should one of our summer trips work out there. A GV at OKW would be very nice one year, if that is eaven possible on the 7 month window. Our honeymoon was at the GF, so going back there sometime would also be fun. I have memories when we were young of vacations in the Contemporary and camprounds as well. It's great to have the options, I don't think we would have purchased without them. HH may be unreachable for us, given the high demand on the summer months and our limited 7 month availability, so we have to drive an additional 6 hours to our beach home at Vero. For us it was a better choice because of the desire for warm weather vacations during the winter, and this nice option of combined 1/2 WDW and 1/2 Beach vacations, which works out vary nicely, although I can't decide if I like relaxing on the beach and looking forward to the 2nd half in the world, or hitting the world first, and then resting up afterwards on the beach.

Some year, it will be Hawaii, maybe some year Europe. And in the plans at some future juntion is that rafting trip down the grand canyon.

But those years when we can get away during the Christmas school break and Easter break, we are very glad for the 11 month availablity at the two best resorts in our view.