Staying at home resort or sleep around after many years of ownership?

[🍀TwinsMom]

Just curious, do long-time owners (say, 10+years) find they like to stick to their home resort, or do you get bored and like to sleep around? I ask because I like the idea of sleeping around, while my husband loves our home resort and doesn't want to stay anywhere else. Wondering if he'll eventually crack, LOL, if he gets tired of it, or is it nice to really know all the nooks and crannies of your home base, restaurants, transportation ins and outs, etc.?

 

[CWTC]

We have owned for 12 years (first at BCV, then bought VGF, then bought BLT). We have used points once for a last minute trip at SSR (never again, will pay rack rate to stay at a deluxe if we can’t get room at a near park DVC - we really like being able to walk to at least 1 park), twice to stay at VGC (totally worth using points at Grand Cali - love it), and due to covid we transferred points to RCI (they were going to expire and we figured RCI was better than losing them).

We bought resale BLT to use at BLT but also to use for Poly bungalows and CCV cabins (we don’t want to own or stay regularly at either of those resorts but occasionally would want to stay at their extra fancy accommodations).

Otherwise we stay strictly at BCV and VGF. We might do a few nights at AKL in the future for a Savannah room view but just hesitate because we don’t want to be solely bus dependent.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Well, if you buy enough home resorts, you can always stay at your home resort!! But seriously, we love the option to try different resorts. We have OKW and AKL as our primary home resorts. If we're planning and decide we want to stay at BLT, we'll make the reservations 11 months out at either OKW or AKL, and then look to switch at 7 months. If there is availability, we'll switch. If not, we're quite happy to stay at one of our own. But over the years (members since 93), we've enjoyed many other resorts, including Grand Cali. Actually, thinking back on it now, I think we've had the good fortune of staying at least once at all the WDW DVC locations, except Riviera, so far.

 

[disney212]

We bought BLT to be walkable to MK then added on at BWV to walk to Epcot and HS so we prefer those. We've done several last minute trips and stayed at different resorts and enjoyed them. Just did 4 nights at SSR in a 1 bedroom and enjoyed it. Sometimes we will book SSR for a long weekend for it's proximity to DS. If they ever build a walkable to AK resort we will add on there. We are not fans of the busses.

 

[MainStreetMouse]

Long time BCV owners and have never stayed anywhere else but at the Beach Club

 

[AdamsMum]

we really like being able to walk to at least 1 park

This for me. I'm all about location. Which is why I love to stay at BW/BC. I've stayed at other resorts when I've been late booking, or invited friends or family to travel with me. However, I'm considering buying a few points at SSR for the convenience of Disney Springs. I'm trying it out this year. The parking and even the buses for DS never seems to work for me.

 

[The Jackal]

I’ll take a bus from any resort than drive a car to the MK. Walk a 1/2 mile to stand in line to get on either a ferry, monorail or bus to get you to the entrance. Takes way too long. I’ll gladly ride in a bus with AC. We drive and have a car at our disposal. We usually only take it to DS. We have stayed at most resorts, they are all nice. Mostly now we stay at the two we own at. Staying at other resorts might get you Add-on-itis.

 

[Sandisw]

We have tried all but OKW. We now know we only want to do RIV and VGF or BLT in split stays.

So, that is where we will be!

 

[chalee94]

Just curious, do long-time owners (say, 10+years) find they like to stick to their home resort, or do you get bored and like to sleep around?

I started out eager to try the different resorts (AKV/BCV/BLT/VGF/BWV/HHI - also stayed at SSR on a last minute rental while my contract was still closing), but have gone more to OKW the last few years. If I get "stuck" with OKW every trip until expiration, that's not the worst thing I can think of. I definitely love it. Not sure I'll ever try Poly/Riv/BRV but you never know.

(I think Riv is overpriced for pts per night - for me as a cheapskate - and I hate the resale restrictions...but I definitely think it is a very nice resort to visit. The mosaics and grounds are beautiful and on cooler days, I love eating outside on the water and watching the skyliner.)

 

[smjj]

We sleep around but go so often we are able to stay at our home(OKW) about once every year. Love OKW but also love trying the different DVC resorts. They all have an appeal to us but "There is no place like home" as the saying goes...ºoº

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

28 years OKW only one night back in 1997 at BWV all the rest at OKW - currently there now.

 

[Suzabella]

After years of using our HHI points to go to WDW, we finally purchased BRV in 2019. That's where we always tried to stay so right now, we're content to stay there. We waited 10 years to finally get the kids through college so we could buy there. Recently added BWV so we'll start doing split stays for our Epcot days.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

Just curious, do long-time owners (say, 10+years) find they like to stick to their home resort, or do you get bored and like to sleep around? I ask because I like the idea of sleeping around, while my husband loves our home resort and doesn't want to stay anywhere else. Wondering if he'll eventually crack, LOL, if he gets tired of it, or is it nice to really know all the nooks and crannies of your home base, restaurants, transportation ins and outs, etc.?

We've owned for 20 years and have only stayed at one other resort, BCV. We've gone on wait list many times for other places but never came through. The only reason we got into BCV was it was just a 4 day trip in beginning of March, according to MS. That was in 2018, I think.

 

[YourEveryDayAdam]

I've owned BLT and AKV direct for 13 years now.

At first we stayed at BLT nearly every trip. We did stay at AKV. We also got developer points that had to be used at SSR for the first year. We hopped around a good bit. Stayed a time or two at BCV, BWV, OKW, and BRV all within the first 5 years or so.

I didn't care for SSR at first. BLT and AKV were my favorites at the time. BLT for transport convenience to MK and other hotels, and AKV for the theming the on-property restaurants. OKW, BCV, BWV and BRV were all fine. I longed for a Poly DVC.

Over time my preferences did change. As the newer DVCs were established (Poly, Riv, CCV) and the SSR refurb happened, we enjoyed those newer resorts more. We stayed in a few of the SSR refurb rooms and we now really like SSR. We have some new favorites.

Right now, after 13+ years, Poly, Riv, CCV, SSR, BLT, and AKV...I would stay in any of those in a heartbeat. I'm liking the OKW refurb photos i've seen, but haven't stayed in one yet. I'd prefer Poly, Riv, CCV over BLT and AKV now...probably once they Refurb BLT and AKV my feelings will change. I just think the BLT rooms feel dated now, and AKV is far and some of the restaurants aren't really open yet.

For me the big things are convenience and amenities. Monorail and Skyliner add a TON of convenience for those resorts. Now that SSR has preferred rooms, I can more guarantee a location. Plus now they have two feature pools and a more convenient bridge for getting around the resort and a walking path to Disney Springs. We've been considering buying an SSR resale contract to add on.

I haven't stayed at non-WDW DVCs or GFV yet. GFV looks very nice and has modern rooms, but the theme of the resort is just not my style. It's gorgeous, I'm just not into the super-fancy high-class theme going on. I would stay there if given a chance, but there are many other options that are available so I always book something else.

In terms of non-WDW DVCs we plan to go to Aulani and GCV at some point. It's on our list, just many wrenches and such with Covid...but we'll make it out there. Probably do a 2-week long thing and hit both GCV and Aulani in a big trip.

 

[CarolynFH]

We have tried to stay at each of the other resorts at least once. That's how we found out we like AKL-K enough to go back there for a few nights "on purpose" as we will in January. The other resorts are fine, if we have an opportunity such as an RCI exchange into SSR with our other timeshare or a credit card rewards stay such as we had at Riviera when it first opened, but those lovely BWV points charts, not to mention being able to walk to two parks, keeps us at BWV most of the time!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Twenty years of ownership-we find we like to stick to our home resorts (we have two-OKW and BCV). However, when I go solo, lots of times I'll do a split stay with the first part being a "new" (to me) resort, and the second part being BCV. That way, if I don't like the new resort, I know I have the one I love to look forward to.

 

[crisi]

I think you are less likely to sleep around. We do use our points at HHI, but I have don't have a lot of desire to "try" different resorts....especially the ones with much higher point charts!

 

[LSchrow]

We used to do split stays with a few nights at a different resort.
Once we tried them all, we found our absolute favorites (BWV & RIV) & aren't as open to sleeping around - those 2 are the only that have everything we love about WDW Resorts. We are really interested in the refurbs though, so may start another round of trying different resorts just for the first few nights of a trip.

 

[keishashadow]

Well, if you buy enough home resorts, you can always stay at your home resort!!

How we roll, nice to know if diligent at 11 months, can normally rest secured.

Has gotten to certain trips at certain resorts (F&W @ BW). WL @ Xmas & 4th of July. AK handles the rest

Have flipped over to try the other resorts we’ve had interest over the years, nice way to preview before purchasing.

 

[jodifla]

Owned OKW and BCV for 25 years. We stay all over. Last trip was BCV and Riviera. Really like RV!!