Saratoga Springs as a Home Resort

[disneyterp]

I need some advice. I am currently looking to buy a timeshare and was hoping to get some opinions on the best resort to be my HOME resort. Disney VC does have a promotion for the Saratoga Springs right now but I was wondering how it compared to the BW, BC and WL resorts. I do not mind getting on a waiting list for one of those resorts if one is better than the other and I would not have to worry about the 7 month scheduling rule for a non home resort. I just want to make the right decision. My wife and I have two boys ages 7 and 4. Thanks for any help.

 

[Granny]

First off, welcome to the DIS boards!

There really aren't any "best" resorts. Purely a matter of taste, vacation styles and personal preferences.

We wanted a resort we felt like we fit well with, that felt like "home" to us. For us, that means VWL and BWV.

Others couldn't imagine not having the ambience of OKW, SSR or BCV.

Have you visited any of the resorts? Does the theming, location or feel of any of them "grab you"?

None are better than others...they just are different which makes DVC even more attractive.

If you think you will want to stay at a particular resort the most, I'd advise to purchase there to secure your home resort booking advantage.

If none of them appeal to you more than another, I'd buy at OKW for low points and dues or SSR for low points, dues and an extra 12 years of use.

The only way to really advise you is to know what you are looking for in a home resort.

Location (proximity to a specific park or area)??

Longest use life...SSR

Low point schedules (such as BWV Standard View, SSR and OKW)?

Biggest rooms? OKW wins that one hands down.

Amenities such as the great pool at BCV?

Each resort has its own charm and appeal. But because they are different, they tend to appeal differently to different people.

Any particular area or resort at WDW that makes you feel "at home"?

If you're not sure, I'd advise visiting each one on a future trip before buying. You might find that certain resorts don't appeal to you at all, and it's hard to know that before experiencing it.

 

[jpolak]

When we purchaased last year we went through the same process. We ultimately decided to go through Disney and bought at SSR. We are staying at VWL for our next trip (10 days ) and had no problem getting it at the seven month window. You say in your post if one resort is better than the other, that's a personnel opinion. I will tell you this, since I have joined the DIS I have found that if you stay on these boards long enough you will find every possible viewpoint on every possible topic. So here is another one, I say go for SSR and get the 12 extra years. Whats the worse that can happen? You might actually have to stay in a beautiful room that overlooks DTD?

 

[cobbler]

Like Granny said, no resort is better than another it's all about personal taste.

I love SSR, yet have no desire to stay at OKW. I will someday I am sure, but it's at the bottom of my list just after BCV.

I too advise you to look at the resorts and get a feel for which one you and your family prefer.

 

[Neal1968]

It really depends upon what you are looking for on each trip. We plan to try them all. We are relative newbies. We have stayed at our home resort SSR in our 1st year - 2005. Loved it. Walked to DTD and bussed to everywhere else.

We stayed at BCV last month for trip #2 - booked 7 months out - no problem. Loved the pool, took the boat to MGM, walked to Epcot. Great location, great pool.

We are planning a trip with the kids' cousins in a couple of years and plan to do OKW because we hear they have the biggest rooms.

Bottom line - If you love Disney, you'll love the DVC experience regardless of which resort is your home. If you plan well ahead, you'll probably get what you want at the 7 month window most of the time. Tip: Book SSR at 11 months out and change it to the resort you want at the 7 month window. Then you will guarantee a trip - and hopefully get what you want at the 7 month window. It worked for us on trip #1.

Good luck and welcome !

 

[cruisinpan55]

My family has been DVC member for about 9 years now. Our home is WL. We love it. One of the best things about VC membership is sharing. We just love to bring family and friends with us who either can't go financially or have never been able to stay "on resort". So I say go for the lowest points and buy as much of them as you can afford and "share the wealth"!!!

 

[Dean]

First, are you set on DVC or are you looking at other timeshare options as well. If you're looking at timeshares in general and looking at trading as a large part of your usage, DVC may not be for you. But assuming you're only looking at DVC, you need to know where you'd prefer to stay to make the best choice, not that any are bad choices. If you want a specific resort most of the time, you should buy there. If you mostly want BWV/BCV/VWL you should buy one of those. If you just want to try all the resorts, buy the cheapest in terms of both cost and yearly fees. Usually the cheapest are VB/HH/OKW/SSR. I would generally not do one of the off sites options unless you plan to stay there part of the time.

 

[lisareniff]

I see you have children 4 & 7, they are starting to get to the age where it becomes more difficult to take vacations during less popular times, losing your flexability due to the demands of school. (This, of course is a matter of opinion) If you will need to go during popular school breaks then you many want to 'buy where you want to stay'. It might not be as easy to switch resorts at the 7 months during those times. We like to go during Pres. Week and are waitlisted for 1 night at VWL. I'm sure it will come through (I hope!) but it wasn't a piece of cake. The other nights I called day-by-day at 7 months. I'm also waitlisted for the other half of the trip (3 nights not day-by-day) at BW. Our home resort is BCV which I reserved at 11 months and if the waitlist doesn't come through we will be at a resort we really like. I just wanted to try something different, but my girls want to go back to BCV.

So.. My point is that if you go during popular times for DVC (which also include early Dec.) you may want to go with 'buy where you want to stay' as opposed to 'points are points'.

 

[4mcbjCtr]

We bought SSR last year, after taking a tour. We love SSR. It is absolutely gorgeous. It is the newest resort, so in the best condition. It is close to DTD. It has beautiful theming. However, we had the opportunity to book at Boardwalk this last summer and absolutely fell in love with it for very different reasons than we fell in love with SSR. Boardwalk has the hustle and bustle, while SSR is more laid back and quiet. We will soon be adding on at BWV.

I say this because I really think you have to get a feel for the resorts to know what you are looking for. I am so glad I have my SSR points because that gives me a certain type of vacation (quiet, restful, relaxationg, while my future add-on at BWV will give me a totally different type of vacation (more busy, hustle and bustle, late nights) than what SSR can offer.

If you are going to be in the WDW area anytime soon, I would recommend taking some time and checking out the different resorts. The theming is going to be key. If you don't care where you stay, then SSR will definately be great for you. If you do want to stay at a particular resort and will be unhappy if you don't get your preference, then the recommendation is "buy where you want to stay."

 

[off to neverland]

To the OP:
What a fun decision to make!

Like others have mentioned, I think you need to decide what your priorities are, and make your decision from there. For us, the longer contract life and lower price of SSR made it a no-brainer. We wanted something our kids would inherit and take THEIR grandchildren to.

We also bought SSR with the thought that we wanted to "try them all." So far we have tried Old Key West, Beach Club, and Wilderness Lodge, and we have loved them all... We have two kids, ages 3 and 6, and they have really enjoyed all of the resorts.

In December we will be staying at SSR for the first time,and we are excited to try that.

But other people are different. My friend recently bought BCV, with the knowledge that she would be devestated if she had to stay elsewhere. She doesn't care about the extra contract life; she simply wants to be at BCV.

It's all a matter of priorities and taste............

Keep us posted on what you decide!

 

[Ms. WDW]

Hi and Welcome!! We originally purchased at the BW. Our reasons were many, but basically we loved the closeness to Epcot and MGM and enjoyed the liveliness of the Boardwalk at night. Plus our son absolutely loved the themed pool. Now, he's old enough where he and his friends can venture off on their own and they really enjoyed the short trip to Epcot.

Now, we just recently purchased at SSR. DH and I enjoy the relaxing atmosphere there. It's still Disney, but we call this our "adults only" vacation. These two resorts, while totally different from eachother, satisify the needs and wants of this family!

Everyone has their own reasons for buying where they have. But I will voice what others have said. Try to "buy where you want to stay".

 

[DVC Grammy]

Like some of the others on this thread, we, too, bought first at one resort (Boardwalk), which we love. But when got hit by "addonitis", we chose SSR, in part for its extra years, and in part for its different feel.
This October's trip will be a split stay, with part at SSR, and the last week at BWV. This way, it'll feel like two different vacations!
Because we have kids, and now, grandkids, those extra years were especially important to us (we're all Mickey-maniacs )!
Whatever your decision, good luck .

 

[Disney MAINEiac]

If you really like being in the middle of the action and walking distance to EPCOT go with BCV or BWV, If you like the idea of extra years do SSR. They really are all top notch first class accomodations.

You might want to rent points at a one of the resorts that you think you might really want to experience and then visit the other resorts to get a feel for the layout.

we went with SSR mainly for the extra years (though we really like the resort as well) the extra value for money just made sense for us. We do stay at other resorts and thus far (fingers firmly crossed) we have got the rooms at the resorts we wanted with no trouble. If that ever doesn't happen i won't be crushed or anything, just like to try them all. either way If you're a disney fan you won't regret the purchase....probably just kick yourself for not doing it sooner and spending money on rooms that could have been applied to the purchase price

 

[drakethib]

When we purchaased last year we went through the same process. We ultimately decided to go through Disney and bought at SSR. We are staying at VWL for our next trip (10 days ) and had no problem getting it at the seven month window. You say in your post if one resort is better than the other, that's a personnel opinion. I will tell you this, since I have joined the DIS I have found that if you stay on these boards long enough you will find every possible viewpoint on every possible topic. So here is another one, I say go for SSR and get the 12 extra years. Whats the worse that can happen? You might actually have to stay in a beautiful room that overlooks DTD?

Agree.