Should we preview our short list of potential home resorts? (and other questions)

[KAT4DISNEY]

After having vacationed in WDW on average every other year for the last 30 years (I am 37) my wife and I are in a position where we are financially capable to take the DVC leap.

We typically stay at value resorts but we did stay at Yacht Club and WL for our honeymoon. We have narrowed down our home resort to three (in order of interest) Polynesian Villas, Beach Club Villas, and Bay Lake Tower. We were initially going to take the leap without having previewed any of these even though it has been our dream to stay at Poly (the food!), we've always wanted the benefit of staying at the Contemporary to walk to MK, and staying at BCV and being close to Epcot (one of our family's favorite parks) with the added bonus of Stormalong Bay would be awesome.

With all of that out of the way I think it would be worth it (before putting out $20k in cash for DVC) to preview each of these with a split stay for the time we usually vacation (the last week or two of August). I was planning on taking 2 nights at each to see which we liked the best and using rental points to do so.

Has anyone else been in this boat or am I just trying to justify an extra and unnecessary trip to WDW before having my own points to use?

I also wonder if anyone has opinions on these resorts they could share, positive or negative. I am also shying away from BCV because of the contract expiring sooner then the others and my points not going as far compared to BLT and Poly, is that reasonable?

For the time of year we usually book will we have a hard time at the 7 month window getting one of the other resorts if we want to split our trip up between two of them (which we ideally would like to do)?

Thanks and look forward to the conversation!

Not a bad idea at all and it is done by some especially if they've never stayed at the resort that has grabbed their interest. Studios can be a bit difficult at 7 months but the end of August is one of the better times to try and get a 7 month booking. PVB has the most studios by far and should be doable. For BLT you should be budgeting for Lakeview at 7 months.

A couple of thoughs.

PVB has only the studios and the very expensive Bungalows. If the plan is studios most of the time that works and they are nice big studios with a split bathroom that has 2 showers to speed up getting ready in the mornings. But you wouldn't have a resort that would give you home priority for a 1BR or 2BR. If you go late summer it isn't too difficult to book the larger villas somewhere else though. And it has the longest contract left. It's also not terrible for MF's but is a point hog compared to BLT and BCV. Because the DVC longhouses are at the end by TTC it gives good access to both MK and Epcot. MK by monorail, ferry or small water craft. And you can just walk over to TTC and catch the direct monorail to Epcot eliminating any transfers.

BLT - can't beat the location! And has all the villa sizes. You mentioned walkability to MK. It has the lowest dues of the three you're looking at and is middle of the bunch for point requirements. Standard views are popular and not the easiest to book there so I recommend buying for Lakeview at least and you'll be a happy owner. I'm sure you'd get standard view sometimes but I don't recommend anyone count on the cheapest point categories. A lot of years remaining on the contract too.

BCV - can't beat this location either! Walkability to Epcot and will have an easy wallk to the Skyliner. It's also walkable to DHS but not quite as convenient for that as BWV is. It has the lowest point requirement but the shortest contract length remaining and probably a little bit higher buy in now than BLT. You want to be definite about staying there to make it worth the premium of owning there. It has the highest maintenance fees of the three. SAB is nice but you have to walk thru the main lobby to access it which I don't particularly care for.

 

[The Jackal]

Correct me if i'm wrong but I believe at GF they are building a walkway to MK, and currently there is a walkway from Poly to GF. I don't know how long of a walk it would be but by choosing Poly you would eventually have the option to walk to both MK and Epcot.

It’s well over a mile from the Poly.

 

[The Jackal]

BLT studios are tiny. With four of you, you will be crowded. So plan on a one bedroom or larger. Bungalows are a lot of the total points at Polynesian. You'll need to book before the seven month period to make sure you get a studio if that is what you want. Polynesian studios are booked a lot (especially by renters who are getting savvy on booking DVC), so they may start showing lots of wear and tear. The bathrooms take up a lot of that roomy space in the studio, so you really get a lot less living space than the 2042 studios.

BLT is handy for being able to walk to the MK, but you'll need two monorails to get to Epcot. BCV you'll be a short walk to Epcot, longer walk to DHS (or take a boat or the Skyway).

You may want to consider OKW or SSR. SSR has started a complete renovation about a month or two ago. OKW just finished a complete renovation. OKW studios have two queen beds instead of a queen bed and sleeper sofa. And they are the biggest villas of all since they were the first (they just completed a total renovation at OKW a few months ago). If you consider OKW, go for the 2057 expiration instead of the 2042. Both OKW and SSR are a short boat ride away from Disney Springs and not that far from Epcot or the MK by bus. SSR and OKW require fewer points than most of the other resorts except for the BWV standard view (20% of the resort) or AKV-Value Villas (about 5% of the resort). You may be able to book both OKW and SSR with whatever points you buy, but it's really fun booking those expensive resorts using your cheaper OKW or SSR points.

We bought in 1997 and paid $50 a point for our 175 OKW points direct. There were only four DVC resorts at the time, OKW, BWV, HHI and VB. We liked OKW the best and still like it the best. We did own 100 BCV points many years ago, but sold them when we decided we didn't like sending Disney so much of our money every month.

We don't stay in studios (except for once a year two or three night stay at OKW) because we consider them nothing more than glorified hotel rooms. We were sold on DVC so many years ago to get a separate bedroom than our son, a full kitchen and a full sized washer and dryer. He never really like sleeping on the sleeper sofas, but he did it to be able to go to WDW. We weren't going to book a two bedroom villa so he could get a real bed. Kids can usually sleep everywhere.

Poly studios are larger then OKW studios, but most of that is for the second shower and sink area, big plus to Poly. The largest DVC studios are actually at HHI at 455 square feet. PVB are 447 square feet and OKW 390 square feet. OKW has the largest 1 and 2 bedroom units and they are 3rd largest 3 bedroom after VGF and VGC.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Poly studios are larger then OKW studios, but most of that is for the second shower and sink area, big plus to Poly. The largest DVC studios are actually at HHI at 455 square feet. PVB are 447 square feet and OKW 390 square feet. OKW has the largest 1 and 2 bedroom units and they are 3rd largest 3 bedroom after VGF and VGC.

Aren't Jambo GV's larger too?

 

[Networth]

I don’t believe it is necessary to stay at the DVC section prior to buying. We never stayed at the VGF (stayed plenty at the hotel side but never DVC). We now own 2 contracts at VGF and are very happy.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I don’t believe it is necessary to stay at the DVC section prior to buying.

I really do think it varies by resort. Someone who is used to BC/YC might be surprised by the lobby walkthrough for SAB. Or the hallway length at VWL versus the main lodge. Or the fact that the one building with significant parking lot views at Poly was made DVC.

It is at least worth doing a walkthrough to know these things.

For some, realizing that VGF is a separate building might even be a deal breaker.

 

[Networth]

I really do think it varies by resort. Someone who is used to BC/YC might be surprised by the lobby walkthrough for SAB. Or the hallway length at VWL versus the main lodge. Or the fact that the one building with significant parking lot views at Poly was made DVC.

It is at least worth doing a walkthrough to know these things.

For some, realizing that VGF is a separate building might even be a deal breaker.

Funny you mention about VGF being in a different building. Prior to buying in my wife and I had a discussion about that. Until we realized we were walking to one of the outer buildings on the hotel side anyways. Had a good little laugh at our thought process.

What is the problem at BCV? Just out of curiosity.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I really do think it varies by resort. Someone who is used to BC/YC might be surprised by the lobby walkthrough for SAB. Or the hallway length at VWL versus the main lodge. Or the fact that the one building with significant parking lot views at Poly was made DVC.

It is at least worth doing a walkthrough to know these things.

For some, realizing that VGF is a separate building might even be a deal breaker.

I agree. I think it depends. As you mention BCV is tucked back and has the walk thru the main lobby to get to SAB. It may not be too very different than BC but it is a little bit. BLT is close to CR but I really wouldn't compare the two. PVB is almost exactly like Poly but if you've never stayed there I think it's one that deserves that. I stayed in one of those longhouses years ago before the conversion so to me it's just the same of course. Yet Poly itself has a darkness that a lot of people don't care for at all and because it was a conversion from buildings that were 30+ years old it doesn't have a new feel that you might otherwise think would exist.

VGF? I wouldn't think that would be a deal breaker actually as GF has several separate outer buildings too that leave you just as far away from the main lobby and there are no covered walkways between them. VGF at least has a very nice lobby and pool with pool bar right there and a covered walk to the main building should it be raining. I like VGF a lot but did not like staying at GF much. I wasn't going to decline a stay there but given other options I'd have picked most other places.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

What is the problem at BCV? Just out of curiosity

Couple things, in my mind.

1. It is tucked in back. You have to go via the lobby to get to SAB. Every. Time. Pool view there is of quiet pools, you are really nowhere close to SAB.

2. Views are iffy at best. For someone who has stayed at BC who has booked views, the lack thereof at BCV is often surprising. We see it from renters all the time - can you see fireworks or the lagoon? Generally, you see a tree. And your balcony may suck.

VGF? I wouldn't think that would be a deal breaker actually as GF has several separate outer buildings too that leave you just as far away from the main lobby

My thought there comes from some of the questions I have seen potential buyers ask - what building to request for unit assignment, where is mug refill, can you book Club Level, why is LV so pricey when it is not a fireworks view.

 

[Deb & Bill]

What some people say is the problem at BCV (you have to walk through the lobby to get to the themed pool) is pretty much the same situation at BWInn and the themed pool there (Luna Park). It's on the opposite side of the resort from the pool (pool is in the Villas area). You have a leisure pool right there, just like BCV and Dunes Cove pool. I've never been much of a fan of SAB because of the crowds and some of the aspects of the pool. I hate the sinking sands area and since I never really learned how to swim growing up in an area where we had no lakes and very few pools, I hate the "lazy river" portion of the pool. It's not really a lazy river, more like a really deep (8 feet deep) swift current little loop. It's not much like the lazy rivers at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon.

This was our most recent view at BCV from a one bedroom villa. Pool views or views of the BC/BCV courtyard are a bit better. We've had pool views before. This was the worst.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

And there is the road side at BCV and the noise is real. We've had rooms that looked that way twice. It was the least amount of time I've ever spent on a balcony. Actually no matter what room I've never had an appealing balcony at BCV that I've wanted to spend time on albeit we have never gotten a view towards the pool. However I had a BC room once looking towards Crescent Lake and spent a ton of time there. That had beautiful views that you can't get at BCV.

My thought there comes from some of the questions I have seen potential buyers ask - what building to request for unit assignment, where is mug refill, can you book Club Level, why is LV so pricey when it is not a fireworks view.

Many of those are generic questions to DVC though, aren't they even if the ones you reference were contemplating VGF? I'm pretty certain that one of the Concierge locations at GF is actually in one of the non-connecting buildings. It's definitely not my favorite set up as far as Disney "hotels" go. The main building is probably better - never ended up assigned to it though. The villas are better IMO.

 

[kboo]

Not a bad idea at all and it is done by some especially if they've never stayed at the resort that has grabbed their interest. Studios can be a bit difficult at 7 months but the end of August is one of the better times to try and get a 7 month booking. PVB has the most studios by far and should be doable. For BLT you should be budgeting for Lakeview at 7 months.

A couple of thoughs.

PVB has only the studios and the very expensive Bungalows. If the plan is studios most of the time that works and they are nice big studios with a split bathroom that has 2 showers to speed up getting ready in the mornings. But you wouldn't have a resort that would give you home priority for a 1BR or 2BR. If you go late summer it isn't too difficult to book the larger villas somewhere else though. And it has the longest contract left. It's also not terrible for MF's but is a point hog compared to BLT and BCV. Because the DVC longhouses are at the end by TTC it gives good access to both MK and Epcot. MK by monorail, ferry or small water craft. And you can just walk over to TTC and catch the direct monorail to Epcot eliminating any transfers.

BLT - can't beat the location! And has all the villa sizes. You mentioned walkability to MK. It has the lowest dues of the three you're looking at and is middle of the bunch for point requirements. Standard views are popular and not the easiest to book there so I recommend buying for Lakeview at least and you'll be a happy owner. I'm sure you'd get standard view sometimes but I don't recommend anyone count on the cheapest point categories. A lot of years remaining on the contract too.

BCV - can't beat this location either! Walkability to Epcot and will have an easy wallk to the Skyliner. It's also walkable to DHS but not quite as convenient for that as BWV is. It has the lowest point requirement but the shortest contract length remaining and probably a little bit higher buy in now than BLT. You want to be definite about staying there to make it worth the premium of owning there. It has the highest maintenance fees of the three. SAB is nice but you have to walk thru the main lobby to access it which I don't particularly care for.

This assessment is pretty much aligned with mine. I think reading between the lines, OP either has small kids or will have small kids at some point. So here's my added $0.02 (our home resorts are BLT, VGF and RIV):

POLY:
The lack of options besides studios really got me here. I like the location and we like the restaurants there, but the studios cost about the same amount of points as the VGF studios, and I like the layout of VGF studios better (you have 2 showers, but one less sink, I believe, than the Poly studio. And of course, you have the option of going to a 1br or larger with home resort availability. Both types of studios are totally doable with a family with 2 kids; we have done a VGF studio twice and it's great. At least at VGF, even if you rate the studios "equal" to each other, you have the option to go to a 1br.

(VGF - I know you didn't ask about it, but if you're considering Poly, the point costs are about the same, although the $price per point is higher at VGF - but you're paying for (imo) a nicer resort, that's quieter, with a more private building (separate, concierge-like check in))

BLT:
Every time I stay there, I love the convenience. If you really like the contemporary tower, I found BLT to be very convenient and it felt much closer than the Contemporary garden wing, where I have also stayed. I actually love the walkway to the Contemporary. You'll need home resort priority most likely to book standard room categories of any size, and most studios. The studios are small if you have a kid. One kid in a pack and play would be fine, but more than that would be a little squishy. That said, many standard rooms have decent fireworks views, and most of the rooms, generally, have good views. Like I said studios can be a little cramped for a family with kid(s), but the 1br and larger make up for it by being the best laid out - only AKV-Kidani also has (n+1) baths - i.e. in a 1br, you have 2 full baths. 160-185 points would get you a studio one year and a 1br the following year (and alternating like that) in the summers for close to a week, because that's about what we thought we would do (and then got addonitis very quickly)


BCV:

Generally, you see a tree. And your balcony may suck.

Ha, this is so true. The walk to SAB is looong, and it is cold through the lobby. We had a long balcony that was covered and half of it was tucked into a little jog, so it was almost like a 3-sided porch or something. It overlooked the road, which was sort of annoying. It was close to the elevator, though, and that time we forgot to put the rain cover on the stroller when we were at dinner and there was the thunderstorm ... that covered area ended up being a good place to let the stroller sit upside down overnight to drain...

When my DH saw SAB - he went for a walk when I had the kids napping in the room on the day we checked in - he came back wanting to sell our BLT contract and buy BCV. The pool is great, but it's not easy if you have little kids or are not a strong swimmer. Like previous posters have said, the "lazy river" is all-deep and has a strong current, so if you want to take your kid in it, you had better be able to handle yourself and your kid. The sandy beach area is great for really little kids, except when they are walking and unsteady, because then you need to be sitting or standing arms-length away in case they fall down. (this ended up being mostly my job during our BCV stay, when our younger daughter was a toddler and ALL she wanted to do was walk around unsteadily in the chest-deep (to her) water). The slides are awesome but the little slide is across the walkway from the rest of the pool, and faces the other direction, and the pirate ship slide starts there and puts you out in the main pool - so kids have to exit the main pool area, cross the walkway to Epcot and climb up the ship to slide down - again better for older kids who are strong swimmers. The afternoons we spent at the pool, DH and I had to split up with each of us taking a kid. And then you get to walk through the lobby, dripping wet with the AC ...

And, the 2042 end date gets me...

ETA:

Oh, and you asked about squeezing in another stay to check out the rooms ... I actually think that if you can afford it, it might be a good idea for a short trip to see how you are in each space. When we bought BLT, we had already stayed there in a 2br on rented points (and had previously stayed at BWV), and got spoiled by the space. We bought thinking we would stay in studios and 1br, and while we did do an adults only weekend in a studio, we have not stayed in a BLT studio with the kids. Yes, it's doable and being at disney in a smaller than average studio is still better than not being at disney at all, but we have since stayed in a 1br and 2br again and much, much prefer them.

We stayed at VGF on rented points also before buying in there, and this time in a studio with the kids, so we knew what we were in for. We stayed at BCV (also in a studio) to consider whether we might want to add on there, and decided not to. At VGF and BCV, our younger daughter was still in a crib, so the studios felt quite large because our older daughter could sleep on the murphy bunk and we kept the couch folded up and used as a couch. The last time we were at VGF the 2 girls slept on the sofa bed together and it was still good. And we were SO thankful to have 2 showers in the VGF studio.

 

[bakerworld]

When we bought we thought we were only really interested in MK and I though the BCV were boring. Now we rarely use our BL contract or visit MK. We spend the majority of our time in Epcot and HS. Our favorite resorts are BC (!) and the AK. Go figure. So not sure if visiting the resorts is really worth it. I think it would be more time worthy to visit the Preview center at SSR or the 'open house' at BW (is that still there?).

 

[sndral]

... I think it would be worth it (before putting out $20k in cash for DVC) to preview each of these with a split stay for the time we usually vacation (the last week or two of August). I was planning on taking 2 nights at each to see which we liked the best and using rental points to do so.

Has anyone else been in this boat or am I just trying to justify an extra and unnecessary trip to WDW before having my own points to use?
...

Before I bought my first contract I stayed at AKV in a 1 br. which was where I planned to buy & the size villa I planned to stay in. I fly from the west coast, so it was not a ‘cheap’ trip, but I saw buying DVC as a long term commitment, the initial buy in was just a drop in the bucket when I factored in MF, tickets, airfare, food, etc.. I’d previously stayed in a regular room at AKL and knew I liked staying there, but really wanted to see how staying at DVC was. I’m glad I took that trip because after it I was positive AKV was the right choice for me.
After I bought that contract I used those points to stay a few nights at BWVs and a few nights at VGF. My original plan had been to buy AKV, use those points to make sure DVC really worked for me, and then buy an Epcot resort.
I knew I did not want BCV because I’d wandered over there when I’d stayed at the YC in the past and didn’t like where the villas were located in the resort and the lack of views. I’m so glad I stayed at the BWVs because after staying there I knew that it wasn’t the right ‘fit’ for me. I’d loved staying at the GF in a regular room in the past (my favorite resort) but wasn’t sure if I’d like staying in the DVC building there & wasn’t really looking for a MK resort. After that stay I knew that the VGF was the choice for me, so I ended up buying my second contract there.
Basically doing a ‘test drive’ before I bought made my first purchase less stressful and saved me from buying the wrong resort (for me) for my second purchase.
Regarding your potential purchases, have you considered a 2 resort portfolio? We stay one year at AKV and the next at VGF. At present your children are small - ages 7 and 4 months, but in 6 short years you’ll be entering the teen years & may really want more space than a studio offers, w/ the Poly you’ll always be stuck in a studio. I thought I’d love the Poly, after I stayed there in a regular room (before they converted long houses to DVC) I realized it wasn’t for me, too crazy crowded in the lobby. In looking at the DVC floorplans it seems the livable space in the studios is smaller than the regular rooms since they used so much space for the bathroom facilities. Others love the Poly, but it seems to me you won’t know until you experience it.
BLT does not appeal to me aesthetically (nor does the Contemporary) although I like TOTWL. I don’t like walking by the parking lot and crossing that busy road to get to the MK from BLT. I’m really looking forward to that GF/MK walk along the lake. Others love BLT and with young children BLT may be a perfect fit for you.
Of course you can always use your points to sleep around - but availability is getting more challenging & w/ the new restrictions owning where you want to stay is becoming even more important IMO.

 

[What_13th_floor?]

Not a bad idea at all and it is done by some especially if they've never stayed at the resort that has grabbed their interest. Studios can be a bit difficult at 7 months but the end of August is one of the better times to try and get a 7 month booking. PVB has the most studios by far and should be doable. For BLT you should be budgeting for Lakeview at 7 months.

A couple of thoughs.

PVB has only the studios and the very expensive Bungalows. If the plan is studios most of the time that works and they are nice big studios with a split bathroom that has 2 showers to speed up getting ready in the mornings. But you wouldn't have a resort that would give you home priority for a 1BR or 2BR. If you go late summer it isn't too difficult to book the larger villas somewhere else though. And it has the longest contract left. It's also not terrible for MF's but is a point hog compared to BLT and BCV. Because the DVC longhouses are at the end by TTC it gives good access to both MK and Epcot. MK by monorail, ferry or small water craft. And you can just walk over to TTC and catch the direct monorail to Epcot eliminating any transfers.

BLT - can't beat the location! And has all the villa sizes. You mentioned walkability to MK. It has the lowest dues of the three you're looking at and is middle of the bunch for point requirements. Standard views are popular and not the easiest to book there so I recommend buying for Lakeview at least and you'll be a happy owner. I'm sure you'd get standard view sometimes but I don't recommend anyone count on the cheapest point categories. A lot of years remaining on the contract too.

BCV - can't beat this location either! Walkability to Epcot and will have an easy wallk to the Skyliner. It's also walkable to DHS but not quite as convenient for that as BWV is. It has the lowest point requirement but the shortest contract length remaining and probably a little bit higher buy in now than BLT. You want to be definite about staying there to make it worth the premium of owning there. It has the highest maintenance fees of the three. SAB is nice but you have to walk thru the main lobby to access it which I don't particularly care for.

Thanks for the input, helps reaffirm some of my thought process!

Poly studios are larger then OKW studios, but most of that is for the second shower and sink area, big plus to Poly. The largest DVC studios are actually at HHI at 455 square feet. PVB are 447 square feet and OKW 390 square feet. OKW has the largest 1 and 2 bedroom units and they are 3rd largest 3 bedroom after VGF and VGC.

Good to know...

Couple things, in my mind.

1. It is tucked in back. You have to go via the lobby to get to SAB. Every. Time. Pool view there is of quiet pools, you are really nowhere close to SAB.

2. Views are iffy at best. For someone who has stayed at BC who has booked views, the lack thereof at BCV is often surprising. We see it from renters all the time - can you see fireworks or the lagoon? Generally, you see a tree. And your balcony may suck.


My thought there comes from some of the questions I have seen potential buyers ask - what building to request for unit assignment, where is mug refill, can you book Club Level, why is LV so pricey when it is not a fireworks view.

Mug refill is a small thing but can be a big deal, especially after a long day and you promised the kids some soda for toughing thru it!

This assessment is pretty much aligned with mine. I think reading between the lines, OP either has small kids or will have small kids at some point. So here's my added $0.02 (our home resorts are BLT, VGF and RIV):

POLY:
The lack of options besides studios really got me here. I like the location and we like the restaurants there, but the studios cost about the same amount of points as the VGF studios, and I like the layout of VGF studios better (you have 2 showers, but one less sink, I believe, than the Poly studio. And of course, you have the option of going to a 1br or larger with home resort availability. Both types of studios are totally doable with a family with 2 kids; we have done a VGF studio twice and it's great. At least at VGF, even if you rate the studios "equal" to each other, you have the option to go to a 1br.

(VGF - I know you didn't ask about it, but if you're considering Poly, the point costs are about the same, although the $price per point is higher at VGF - but you're paying for (imo) a nicer resort, that's quieter, with a more private building (separate, concierge-like check in))

BLT:
Every time I stay there, I love the convenience. If you really like the contemporary tower, I found BLT to be very convenient and it felt much closer than the Contemporary garden wing, where I have also stayed. I actually love the walkway to the Contemporary. You'll need home resort priority most likely to book standard room categories of any size, and most studios. The studios are small if you have a kid. One kid in a pack and play would be fine, but more than that would be a little squishy. That said, many standard rooms have decent fireworks views, and most of the rooms, generally, have good views. Like I said studios can be a little cramped for a family with kid(s), but the 1br and larger make up for it by being the best laid out - only AKV-Kidani also has (n+1) baths - i.e. in a 1br, you have 2 full baths. 160-185 points would get you a studio one year and a 1br the following year (and alternating like that) in the summers for close to a week, because that's about what we thought we would do (and then got addonitis very quickly)


BCV:

Ha, this is so true. The walk to SAB is looong, and it is cold through the lobby. We had a long balcony that was covered and half of it was tucked into a little jog, so it was almost like a 3-sided porch or something. It overlooked the road, which was sort of annoying. It was close to the elevator, though, and that time we forgot to put the rain cover on the stroller when we were at dinner and there was the thunderstorm ... that covered area ended up being a good place to let the stroller sit upside down overnight to drain...

When my DH saw SAB - he went for a walk when I had the kids napping in the room on the day we checked in - he came back wanting to sell our BLT contract and buy BCV. The pool is great, but it's not easy if you have little kids or are not a strong swimmer. Like previous posters have said, the "lazy river" is all-deep and has a strong current, so if you want to take your kid in it, you had better be able to handle yourself and your kid. The sandy beach area is great for really little kids, except when they are walking and unsteady, because then you need to be sitting or standing arms-length away in case they fall down. (this ended up being mostly my job during our BCV stay, when our younger daughter was a toddler and ALL she wanted to do was walk around unsteadily in the chest-deep (to her) water). The slides are awesome but the little slide is across the walkway from the rest of the pool, and faces the other direction, and the pirate ship slide starts there and puts you out in the main pool - so kids have to exit the main pool area, cross the walkway to Epcot and climb up the ship to slide down - again better for older kids who are strong swimmers. The afternoons we spent at the pool, DH and I had to split up with each of us taking a kid. And then you get to walk through the lobby, dripping wet with the AC ...

And, the 2042 end date gets me...

ETA:

Oh, and you asked about squeezing in another stay to check out the rooms ... I actually think that if you can afford it, it might be a good idea for a short trip to see how you are in each space. When we bought BLT, we had already stayed there in a 2br on rented points (and had previously stayed at BWV), and got spoiled by the space. We bought thinking we would stay in studios and 1br, and while we did do an adults only weekend in a studio, we have not stayed in a BLT studio with the kids. Yes, it's doable and being at disney in a smaller than average studio is still better than not being at disney at all, but we have since stayed in a 1br and 2br again and much, much prefer them.

We stayed at VGF on rented points also before buying in there, and this time in a studio with the kids, so we knew what we were in for. We stayed at BCV (also in a studio) to consider whether we might want to add on there, and decided not to. At VGF and BCV, our younger daughter was still in a crib, so the studios felt quite large because our older daughter could sleep on the murphy bunk and we kept the couch folded up and used as a couch. The last time we were at VGF the 2 girls slept on the sofa bed together and it was still good. And we were SO thankful to have 2 showers in the VGF studio.

This was some thought out and concise information and i appreciate the time it must have taken! The 2042 end date gets me too.

The kids are 7 and 4 and the fact that in 6 years (or 3-6 trips) he will be a teenager was a more recent factor. We are used to the value resorts and do not spend a ton of time in the rooms. We were basically to a point that we wanted to upgrade to moderate resorts but the moderates do nothing to move the needle for me. The deluxes on the other hand are somewhere we want to be eventually, we know we are going to be going to disney for a long time so for me locking in a moderate (or less!) resort price with the amenities of a deluxe is why we are turning to DVC.

I will get to your points breakdown in a moment.

Before I bought my first contract I stayed at AKV in a 1 br. which was where I planned to buy & the size villa I planned to stay in. I fly from the west coast, so it was not a ‘cheap’ trip, but I saw buying DVC as a long term commitment, the initial buy in was just a drop in the bucket when I factored in MF, tickets, airfare, food, etc.. I’d previously stayed in a regular room at AKL and knew I liked staying there, but really wanted to see how staying at DVC was. I’m glad I took that trip because after it I was positive AKV was the right choice for me.
After I bought that contract I used those points to stay a few nights at BWVs and a few nights at VGF. My original plan had been to buy AKV, use those points to make sure DVC really worked for me, and then buy an Epcot resort.
I knew I did not want BCV because I’d wandered over there when I’d stayed at the YC in the past and didn’t like where the villas were located in the resort and the lack of views. I’m so glad I stayed at the BWVs because after staying there I knew that it wasn’t the right ‘fit’ for me. I’d loved staying at the GF in a regular room in the past (my favorite resort) but wasn’t sure if I’d like staying in the DVC building there & wasn’t really looking for a MK resort. After that stay I knew that the VGF was the choice for me, so I ended up buying my second contract there.
Basically doing a ‘test drive’ before I bought made my first purchase less stressful and saved me from buying the wrong resort (for me) for my second purchase.
Regarding your potential purchases, have you considered a 2 resort portfolio? We stay one year at AKV and the next at VGF. At present your children are small - ages 7 and 4 months, but in 6 short years you’ll be entering the teen years & may really want more space than a studio offers, w/ the Poly you’ll always be stuck in a studio. I thought I’d love the Poly, after I stayed there in a regular room (before they converted long houses to DVC) I realized it wasn’t for me, too crazy crowded in the lobby. In looking at the DVC floorplans it seems the livable space in the studios is smaller than the regular rooms since they used so much space for the bathroom facilities. Others love the Poly, but it seems to me you won’t know until you experience it.
BLT does not appeal to me aesthetically (nor does the Contemporary) although I like TOTWL. I don’t like walking by the parking lot and crossing that busy road to get to the MK from BLT. I’m really looking forward to that GF/MK walk along the lake. Others love BLT and with young children BLT may be a perfect fit for you.
Of course you can always use your points to sleep around - but availability is getting more challenging & w/ the new restrictions owning where you want to stay is becoming even more important IMO.

So we had a friend this weekend who is a DVC member (family of 5 with 160 points a year at AKL). We bounced some things off him and got an idea of where we expect to be in a few years.

1.) I am likely going with a 2 resort portfolio. I want to purchase 75 direct and 50 resale. Initially the member discounts were not a big deal because we already have the Visa Card and will not be buying AP's. However since i did not originally factor in free parking to resorts and we drive, saving $175 a trip is significant.

2.) One of our concerns was that once we have DVC we will not be able to stay at the main portion of each resort and for primarily that reason we crossed CCV of the list. However I was not aware that the right wing of WL was CCV and that for me puts that back in the running. My orignal plan was to buy direct for PBV but with the lower cost pp for CCV that may be more worth it top us because WL is one of our favorites.

3.) I feel like a direct contract is going to be necessary once the 2042 contracts expire. I could see DCI not extending those contracts as they did with OKW primarily to be able to resell them at whatever the 2042 inflated direct prices will be and they will also likely have the same resale market limitations that Riviera will have. Also the pool of available resorts for people with resale only contracts will be limited and therefore limit availability for those individuals.

4.) Based on the time of year we go availability likely would only be an issue for BCV towards F&WF. In this case we would back up to BWV.

So with all of this in mind I am right now thinking CCV as our home resort via direct sale and one of either BCV, PBV, or BLT as resale contracts. I would likely base that decision on availability for the time of year we go. We would typically like to do a split stay with one of the MK resorts then EC resort area the second half or vice versa.

We considered buying points direct at SS or OKW but for the price difference between those and CCV, for the extra money, if we ended up getting locked out of all other resorts and needed to fall back on CCV as our home we would be more then happy with that. It wouldn't be a bad option to have for a home resort Christmas season trip one year either.

I really appreciate all the feedback here, thanks folks!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Resort parking is not a direct benefit. It applies to all stays on points.

However since i did not originally factor in free parking to resorts and we drive, saving $175 a trip is significant.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

We considered buying points direct at SS or OKW but for the price difference between those and CCV, for the extra money, if we ended up getting locked out of all other resorts and needed to fall back on CCV as our home we would be more then happy with that. It wouldn't be a bad option to have for a home resort Christmas season trip one year either.

Super important note: people get locked out of CCV studios at 11 months during fall. Most of the year, CCV studios are an 11 month booking, and they are often gone the morning of 11 months. A CCV studio for Christmas will require walking most years.

Availability there is awful due to a small quantity of studios and many points sold for over water cabins.

You need to know this because a lot of people bought not knowing this and it is a source of much angst and anger on message boards.

 

[Yinn]

After having vacationed in WDW on average every other year for the last 30 years (I am 37) my wife and I are in a position where we are financially capable to take the DVC leap.

We typically stay at value resorts but we did stay at Yacht Club and WL for our honeymoon. We have narrowed down our home resort to three (in order of interest) Polynesian Villas, Beach Club Villas, and Bay Lake Tower. We were initially going to take the leap without having previewed any of these even though it has been our dream to stay at Poly (the food!), we've always wanted the benefit of staying at the Contemporary to walk to MK, and staying at BCV and being close to Epcot (one of our family's favorite parks) with the added bonus of Stormalong Bay would be awesome.

With all of that out of the wa I think it would be worth it (before putting out $20k in cash for DVC) to preview each of these with a split stay for the time we usually vacation (the last week or two of August). I was planning on taking 2 nights at each to see which we liked the best and using rental points to do so.

Has anyone else been in this boat or am I just trying to justify an extra and unnecessary trip to WDW before having my own points to use?

I also wonder if anyone has opinions on these resorts they could share, positive or negative. I am also shying away from BCV because of the contract expiring sooner then the others and my points not going as far compared to BLT and Poly, is that reasonable?

For the time of year we usually book will we have a hard time at the 7 month window getting one of the other resorts if we want to split our trip up between two of them (which we ideally would like to do)?

Thanks and look forward to the conversation!

You're in the exact situation I'm in. Same travelling time, preferences, etc.

Our last trip, we got to learn the transportation system pretty well. We stayed in value's so we already knew the busses...of the value resorts. Pop and AoA spoiled us as they have dedicated busses. All-Stars to an extent because it's one after another. We found that while close to the park, the bus frequency and stops for Wilderness Lodge was slightly annoying; but at least the bus was empty. But we also acknowledged that in terms of the decor and feel, this was our favorite.

We learned that Hollywood Studios was walking distance to BWV, but it's a long walk. So we took the boat, then got off at the wrong place (boardwalk) and then walked to Epcot. Our immediate thought was, this is CLOSE. On another day we had breakfast at Beach Club Cafe..the place is gorgeous. When we started looking BWV & BCV were THE places we wanted. Unfortunately at $225/$6.94/2042, we quickly eliminated BCV, and the clown slide eliminated BWV my SO. We then started looking to buy from a reasonable standpoint vs emotional and asked what fit us in our travelling style.

Poly, we never stayed there. But after learning the studios had 2 baths, it intrigued us. We did eat at Ohana and Kona, and it was an ok experience. We liked Wilderness better, but there was an undeniable nostalgia at Poly. The monorail here was also nice and imo better than the other resorts. While VGF or Contemporary would be at the beginning or end of the line depending on whether you're coming or going. Poly was a consistent - not too bad of a ride tp MGK, but it would be a pain to go full circle to TTC. So a walk to TTC isn't bad, from the DVC buildings. It's .2 miles, 5 min from Tokelau, 4min from Moorea, 3min from Pago. Comparatively, it's the same walk from a one of the preferred/main pool studios at the value resorts to the bus stops. The downside is that we found the monorail was broken down several times during our stay. If more space is needed, the rooms are apparently connecting/lockout.

Price wise, this was the most attractive. We continually used BLT as comparisons as they're highly touted for values here. Like the monorail, the Poly doesn't solidly win in any category; but its sneaky good in all of them. Dues - 5th lowest @ $6.76, 2 pennies higher than the highly touted BLT. 3rd highest direct pricing - $10 more than BLT, but 5th lowest in resale $20 less than BLT, 3rd longest contract term +6 years over BLT. We even found the pool to have some pretty favorable reviews. Oh and going back to transportation/walking. BLT is a .5mi - 9 min walk to MGK, so the walk to TTC is actually better from Poly than the walk from BLT to MGK.

So while it doesn't get the same love, Poly is actually pretty attractive. Which is why site unseen, we felt comfortable and now have a pending offer in ROFR on Poly. Over the entire contract term, inflation adjusted, taking into account historical dues and increases. This was by far the cheapest over the long term, even when including SSR and OKW. The only downside I could find here was the lack of 1/2BR. But with nearly every room a connecting room, this concern was nearly eliminated as we could simply grab 2 if we wanted, or book at another resort; which leads me to...

I took a look at the availabiliy post. For the last week of August, almost anything is open at 11mo. 1BR at AKL, BLT, BCV, BWV BRV were all found to be open at 7 months as well for our timeframe. Even at 1mo, a 1BR AKL, BWV, or BRV can be found or stands a good chance on waitlist - but I wouldn't bank on it.

With that said, we did want membership. So we're going to be going resale + direct. We will wait until our resale clears so that we can try to get the same use year and will mostly get another resort to get 11mo availability there. Hope this helps!

 

[What_13th_floor?]

Resort parking is not a direct benefit. It applies to all stays on points.

Super important note: people get locked out of CCV studios at 11 months during fall. Most of the year, CCV studios are an 11 month booking, and they are often gone the morning of 11 months. A CCV studio for Christmas will require walking most years.

Availability there is awful due to a small quantity of studios and many points sold for over water cabins.

You need to know this because a lot of people bought not knowing this and it is a source of much angst and anger on message boards.

Before someone corrects me on my understanding of the home resort booking window. We would not wait until 7 months out to book our home resort. My thinking is book CCV and whatever our 2nd contract is at 11 months. If there is somewhere else we want to attempt to book (PVB, BLT) that year then attempt to book it. But at worst case scenario we would always (hopefully) have our CCV as our default rather then having most of our points tied into SS or OKW which we would not prefer.

You're in the exact situation I'm in. Same travelling time, preferences, etc.

Our last trip, we got to learn the transportation system pretty well. We stayed in value's so we already knew the busses...of the value resorts. Pop and AoA spoiled us as they have dedicated busses. All-Stars to an extent because it's one after another. We found that while close to the park, the bus frequency and stops for Wilderness Lodge was slightly annoying; but at least the bus was empty. But we also acknowledged that in terms of the decor and feel, this was our favorite.

We learned that Hollywood Studios was walking distance to BWV, but it's a long walk. So we took the boat, then got off at the wrong place (boardwalk) and then walked to Epcot. Our immediate thought was, this is CLOSE. On another day we had breakfast at Beach Club Cafe..the place is gorgeous. When we started looking BWV & BCV were THE places we wanted. Unfortunately at $225/$6.94/2042, we quickly eliminated BCV, and the clown slide eliminated BWV my SO. We then started looking to buy from a reasonable standpoint vs emotional and asked what fit us in our travelling style.

Poly, we never stayed there. But after learning the studios had 2 baths, it intrigued us. We did eat at Ohana and Kona, and it was an ok experience. We liked Wilderness better, but there was an undeniable nostalgia at Poly. The monorail here was also nice and imo better than the other resorts. While VGF or Contemporary would be at the beginning or end of the line depending on whether you're coming or going. Poly was a consistent - not too bad of a ride tp MGK, but it would be a pain to go full circle to TTC. So a walk to TTC isn't bad, from the DVC buildings. It's .2 miles, 5 min from Tokelau, 4min from Moorea, 3min from Pago. Comparatively, it's the same walk from a one of the preferred/main pool studios at the value resorts to the bus stops. The downside is that we found the monorail was broken down several times during our stay. If more space is needed, the rooms are apparently connecting/lockout.

Price wise, this was the most attractive. We continually used BLT as comparisons as they're highly touted for values here. Like the monorail, the Poly doesn't solidly win in any category; but its sneaky good in all of them. Dues - 5th lowest @ $6.76, 2 pennies higher than the highly touted BLT. 3rd highest direct pricing - $10 more than BLT, but 5th lowest in resale $20 less than BLT, 3rd longest contract term +6 years over BLT. We even found the pool to have some pretty favorable reviews. Oh and going back to transportation/walking. BLT is a .5mi - 9 min walk to MGK, so the walk to TTC is actually better from Poly than the walk from BLT to MGK.

So while it doesn't get the same love, Poly is actually pretty attractive. Which is why site unseen, we felt comfortable and now have a pending offer in ROFR on Poly. Over the entire contract term, inflation adjusted, taking into account historical dues and increases. This was by far the cheapest over the long term, even when including SSR and OKW. The only downside I could find here was the lack of 1/2BR. But with nearly every room a connecting room, this concern was nearly eliminated as we could simply grab 2 if we wanted, or book at another resort; which leads me to...

I took a look at the availabiliy post. For the last week of August, almost anything is open at 11mo. 1BR at AKL, BLT, BCV, BWV BRV were all found to be open at 7 months as well for our timeframe. Even at 1mo, a 1BR AKL, BWV, or BRV can be found or stands a good chance on waitlist - but I wouldn't bank on it.

With that said, we did want membership. So we're going to be going resale + direct. We will wait until our resale clears so that we can try to get the same use year and will mostly get another resort to get 11mo availability there. Hope this helps!

Awesome to hear you are on your way! As you said it sounds like you have a similar background we do. I have nothing against anyone who has been able to experience the benefit of staying at Deluxe resorts and this is not to assume everyone whose has provided their insight has stayed at Deluxes their whole lives. But I wonder if there are those whose interpretation of things like the time suck transportation can be (I'm looking at you Country section at AS Music or having camped at FW for years in the 80's and dealing with that bus loop) if they have not experienced it at it's lowest level before. I am just making the point that for us 15 minutes from room to gate at any park is a huge improvement when there are times when it took us 10 minutes just to get to a bus stop!

 

[CraigInPA]

My wife and I did the EXACT same decision making process a few years ago.

Initially, we had waited (not so patiently) for a Poly DVC. We had stayed at the Poly probably 10 or more times together and numerous times before we got together (including me, as a young boy, in 1974, and her, as a young girl, in 1974). It is a special place for us, and we knew the resort like the back of our hand. Over the years, we had gravitated to the Fiji and Hawaii longhouses as our favorites. So, when they announced that the DVC longhouses were completely on the other side of the resort, we decided to consider other options.

We rented points, and stayed a week at BCV. We liked Stormalong bay, and the convenience of walking to Epcot. We hated the views from the room (fireworks over the trees at night was nice, but a solid wall of leaves during the day was not). The restaurant choices were limited in the resort, but Epcot offered us anything we could imagine. The DVC building seemed "remote" compared to the rest of the resort. Overall, for us, it was "meh".

We rented points again, and stayed a week at BLT. We liked the easy walk to the MK, and the dining options. Our stay was in a "lake view" room, but that room had an excellent view of the ELP. We noted there were theme park view rooms available, and if we asked for the other side of the tower, we might get a lake view that included Tomorrowland and a view of the nightly fireworks. And, once we were DVC members, it would be an easy elevator ride to TOTWL to view fireworks whatever our view.

In short, BLT was the clear winner for us of the three resorts. We purchased resale and then added some direct points. Our first trip on our own points, we had a lake view room with an unobstructed view of Tomorrowland, and a "lean out slightly" view of the castle and the fireworks.