Your husband and I are kindred spirits. El-cheapo all the way! Your thoughts are definitely making the Poly seem more and more like a good option for us if we could stick with a studio for several years and then find available 1 BRs at the 7 month mark once our kids are older. I really want to be able to try out lots of other resorts once they aren't needing mid-day naps. Thanks!
Haha - from a logical standpoint I think our choices are very good ones. But there's always something that we may not have thought of, like the variance in room sizes, how some resorts have more restrooms than others, etc. Honestly this conversation has triggered me to look into Poly, which I never looked at before both due to buy in price and # of points needed. That might actually be a more economical choice for us in the long run if we can stay in a studio longer than we would at other resorts.i Totally get your excitement! However-you asked what we would do, though your mind seems completely made up-I wouldn’t buy two resorts site unseen, especially right before a trip. You haven’t done a ton of trips, and this is a big commitment, especially if you aren’t going back for two years. Resale prices seem to be stabilizing somewhat and I don’t think there’s the same urgency to purchase as there was say in a December.
Walking distance is important to you and it seems like you have some worry about expiration date too. I’d just buy at BLT then-take the monorail to Epcot and not have to move resorts with little kids every day.
I definitely like the thought of trying other resorts in a few years when my kids are older and we don't have to take multiple trips back and forth for mid-day breaks (or at least I hope that will no longer be a daily requirement at some point). I love hearing people say many 1 BR options exist at the 7 month mark. Thanks for your insight!
Oh man - my thought process is exactly what yours was. I had booked the Poly for our 2017 trip, but swapped to WL once discounts came out and it was SOOOOO much cheaper and only marginally farther away from MK. I don't regret it at all, but I might regret a non-poly DVC purchase that is more "permanent".
Yes, I think that's the only option if we definitely think an EPCOT/HS park is a great option for us - I don't really have much interest in the Riviera at this point. Walking seems so much more convenient to me than the gondola. Thanks for your first hand insight!
We aren't going to hate any of them - that's what is kind of making the decision harder for me. I mean it's still a Disney vacation. But I do dwell on things and will pick apart my decision, regardless of what we choose.
I am 100% certain my husband will agree with you - he is comfortable with what we've chosen and we really don't want to wait until after our December trip if we see prices creeping up. I'm about 75% I will feel the same way because I tend to second guess myself and see the negative aspects after the fact. Even though bottom line is there will be negatives and positives with all of the resorts. So glad to hear from people who bought and still love their sight unseen purchases!
I am willing to accept my decision.Can you buy without touring, yes. Can you get lucky and like what you bought, yes. If your are willing to accept your decision either way then it really doesn't matter. If you are particular about making sure that you love your new home, then tour.
Bill
SSR seems like a great purchase if we would routinely be able to try out other resorts as you are. Have you had any problems getting what you want? We had such a hard time with our upcoming Dec trip, which is what led me to research buying in. Home resort advantage seems so important - but I am just basing it off this one experience.
Unfortunately for my kids, this is more of a philosophical decision than a financial one. My husband and I have worked with a lot of people who grew up in much more affluent families than we did and some of them seem entitled and unappreciative. So we try to limit the luxury items and experiences they have to some extent in the hopes we can help them develop a better sense of appreciation for the opportunities they are given. I mean they will be getting annual beach and bi-annual Disney trips - their only "concession" is they have to share a studio with their parents. There will probably be some day I want to book a 2BR, but I'm fairly certain my husband will pull the plug on that idea faster than I can pull up Youtube videos of them - he keeps me grounded
Dec. is hard to get. We here in the DVC section of DIS do go on a bit about availability on occasion - here is a somewhat dated but very useful analysis of availability (I think an update is in the works - also check for most recent posts in the thread)
Bill
Yes, your understanding is correct. We won’t make a purchase before 2019 unless it looks like prices are rising. So we want to have a game plan ready in case that’s sooner rather than later. My husband thinks we should make this plan from our online research and minimal first hand experience. I would feel slightly more confident in our decision if we tried before we bought, but not sure I want to spend the money an impromptu trip would cost. If prices would temporarily decrease until December, that would be the perfect scenario
Thanks - that’s very helpful!
Not at all! I need a good pep talk when I’m caught up in the minutiae.Your husband sounds like a great guy!
Everyone has their preferences, but I also find that some people can be extremely nitpicky.
I'm simply thankful that my wife and I are in a position where we can afford DVC and can make these trips every year. One year we couldn't book early enough to get a room at AKV so we booked OKW. A lot of people might "refuse" to stay there? Why? It's a nice resort with a great feel to it. Another person had posted on here once that they needed to be "walked off the ledge" about a potential stay at SSR. Is it really the end of the world to stay at SSR? These are first world problems to me.
It's easy to look up room square footage. It's easy to find out how many people can be accommodated in each room size and how. It's easy to know you might not want BLT because you don't want to be in a high rise hotel. These are things you don't need to visit a resort to discover. Every resort has a different feel, but IMO, they are all nice in their own unique ways. Of course there are pros and cons to each, but I don't find anything about any of the resorts to be dealbreakers. Don't psych yourself out by focusing on the negative aspects before you even do something- you're just setting things up to fail.
Rather than focusing on the NEGATIVE, you should make a list of both what you want and don't want out of your DVC resort. Look at which resorts check which boxes and why. If your positives are checked, then you can't let something like not liking the color of the curtains bother you. It sounds like location is of primary importance, and both resorts check that box. Make some lists and see what other boxes get checked - that might help you feel better about things.
And, at the end of the day if you really don't like something, you can resell it yourself, probably with zero loss, and look into a different contract somewhere else. At the end of the day, you're never "locked in" even though it's a bit of a hassle to have to sell and re-buy somewhere else.
I re-read this post and admit I come off a bit preachy, but that's not my intent - I just think you'll realize that once you own DVC you'll very more than likely feel good about it and will enjoy your trips, so don't second guess yourself too much.
