Suggestions from you multiple resort owners

[MarineFam]

We currently own 320 points at AKL that we purchased direct. We really like it there. We would like to purchase at another resort too. Don't know very much about resale but open to buying one. We love BWV and it being close to Epcot/World Showcase. Wasn't able to get into Beach Club because every time we were going to book there, we needed a 2br because we had family with us.

Which resort would you recommend?
We have 2 teenage boys one will be 18 next month and the other is 15. Thanks everyone!!!

 

[disneynutz]

I recommend that you stay at other resorts and decide for yourself. Nothing worse than buying based on others opinions and finding out that you bought a resort that isn't your favorite.

Bill

 

[lovin'fl]

Absolutely BCV!!!! In early 2014 we wanted to add on an Epcot resort for F&W trips. I called my guide to buy direct since we wanted a small add on in one of our 2 use years (we have June and Aug). For the same price we could get either BCV or BWV. Since we were just adding a smaller contract, we decided to go with BWV in order to save points by booking standard view rooms. BCV is our fave though (BCV and AKV...then VWL are are our tops). We love the short jaunt into Epcot. We love the lobby and the pool. We love Beaches and Cream. We love the quaint feel of the DVC villas building and it's relaxed and quiet. Gosh, we even like the lobby smell. And we have found that booking standard view rooms at BWV for F&W time, even exactly at 11 months out, is tough. Especially if booking a studio which is all we had points for when I booked for F&W 2016. I had to use the points for pool/garden view and boardwalk view was also booked up. Kicking ourselves that we didn't just go for a BCV add on.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

BWV. Less expensive and easy walk to 2 parks. We sold our BCV and bought BWV although the price difference at that time was much more than now. It sounds like you've only stayed at one of them though? That makes it more difficult. One thing is that BWV is only lock-offs for the 2BR. If that's fine then it's a non-factor but BCV does have a few 2BR's with 2 queens in the second bedroom. But it isn't all so it might be difficult to get that at times too.

 

[lovin'fl]

Another difference is BCV does NOT have 3BR Grand Villas and BWV does.

 

[MarineFam]

I recommend that you stay at other resorts and decide for yourself. Nothing worse than buying based on others opinions and finding out that you bought a resort that isn't your favorite.

Bill

Most definitely. We have an idea. Just wanted others perspectives and thoughts.

 

[MarineFam]

Absolutely BCV!!!! In early 2014 we wanted to add on an Epcot resort for F&W trips. I called my guide to buy direct since we wanted a small add on in one of our 2 use years (we have June and Aug). For the same price we could get either BCV or BWV. Since we were just adding a smaller contract, we decided to go with BWV in order to save points by booking standard view rooms. BCV is our fave though (BCV and AKV...then VWL are are our tops). We love the short jaunt into Epcot. We love the lobby and the pool. We love Beaches and Cream. We love the quaint feel of the DVC villas building and it's relaxed and quiet. Gosh, we even like the lobby smell. And we have found that booking standard view rooms at BWV for F&W time, even exactly at 11 months out, is tough. Especially if booking a studio which is all we had points for when I booked for F&W 2016. I had to use the points for pool/garden view and boardwalk view was also booked up. Kicking ourselves that we didn't just go for a BCV add on.

That is a big thought for us for the Epcot area. We took a short trip in November during F&W and later on when we don't have to work around schedules for the Boys we will go for that more. Looks like we will have to work on getting into BCV to try.

 

[gdrj]

If you are looking into BCV and BWV at a minimum visit each or stay if you can. There are 1000 reasons to like each one. We own at BWV and really love it. We have stayed at BCV as well but prefer BWV (I know there are many with the opposite thought). Here are our reasons for BWV.

1- I like the Lobby area, for me the low ceiling height in parts of the Beach Club make me feel claustrophobic.
2- The Villas are part of the main resort where BCV is a separate.
3- We like the room views from Boardwalk, pool/garden and Courtyard. We use our balcony so I don't want to see cars or parking lot.
4- We enjoy the evening boardwalk activity and the stores.
5- We do like the pool bar at Beach Club (you can go there without entering pool area), but the BWV pool bar works fine for us.
6- If you were picking resort just for the pool BCV has it all the way, except that it is so large it can be hard to maneuver from 1 side to the other.
7- BCV definitely has BWV beat in regards to food options. That has minimal impact for us. In the AM we tend to eat in room or grab something at the bakery, or at the park. We don't tend to eat at hotel we are staying at but visit restaurants that we like. There are so many dining choices with HS, EPCOT, Swan, Dolphin, and BC and YC, not to mention the Boardwalk restaurants.

We love the area. Being able to avoid busses for 2 parks is a real plus for either resort. Wherever you buy, I hope it is exactly what you want.

 

[dd08]

I recommend that you stay at other resorts and decide for yourself. Nothing worse than buying based on others opinions and finding out that you bought a resort that isn't your favorite.

Bill

Best advice you will receive.

It's a big purchase and commitment.

When we bought BLT and AKV were on the table (we didn't know about resale). If I would have asked this board, the majority would have likely have screamed BLT.

But after staying at AKL, we bought there (I haven't stayed at BLT/Contempory, don't really have a desire to personally, but DW has and in HER opinion/tastes/likes thinks AKV is significantly better)

All you will receive from many posters here are what they like, tastes are so different and you really need to try both to see which one you like better.

 

[cvjw]

We own at both BWV and BCV. My husband and I love the Boardwalk and would stay there every trip. My two sons, age 19 and 16 HATE the Boardwalk and would stay at BCV every trip.

So, it just really depends on YOUR family likes and dislikes. Try them both for a few nights and decide for yourselves

 

[rwcmath]

We use our BCV points for times we can swim! Love SAB, I would buy BCV!

 

[MarineFam]

We are happy with our AKL purchase and I'm thinking it with most likely be either BWV or BCV because of the location. We really love BWV so just need to get into BCV to see how we like that.

 

[DenLo]

Both BCV and BWV are nothing like your home resort of AKV. I agree with the suggestion of staying at the two resorts before you buy there.

There is more availability at BWV however even at the 11 month mark standard view is not always available. The points in standard view BWV is much lower. BCV is slightly closer to Epcot and your family would have access to SAB, a mini water park, versus the Clown slide with a regular pool (no zero entry), in the Luna pool at BWV. Boardwalk is busier and often noisy on the Boardwalk side at night. All restaurants and dining is outdoors at BWV. I am not sure about BCV (the photos look the same at BWV) but at BWV the 1 & 2 BRs have an apartment size refrigerator in the extra small kitchen. With family with you that could be a factor. The 1&2 bedrooms in both BCV and BWV only have a pullout couch in the living room (not a pull out chair like AKV). The BWV lockoff 2BRs that are refurbished will have a bunkbed sized mattress murphy bed in the studio portion so that room will sleep five. There are no dedicated 2BRs at BWVs they are all lockoffs. There are three bathrooms in a 2BR at AKV Kidani but only two at BCV and BWV's 2BRs. Some of the dedicated 2BRs at BCV still have the 1 bed plus pullout couch at BCV in the second bedroom. You have to be sure to book a "2-Bedroom Villa – 2 Queen-Size Beds" to get a standard dedicated 2BR. I was surprised to see that the Member website showed the 2BRs for BCV sleep nine when currently they only have beds for 8. I guess they mean they will allow 9 guests but for one guest you have to furnish the mattress and bedding. I expect this will change when the refurbishment is complete at BCV as then the lock off 2BRs will truly sleep nine due to the addition of a murphy bed. However the dedicated two bedrooms will still only have beds for 8 guests at BCV.

BWV is undergoing refurbishment and is expected for it to be complete this spring and BCV's refurbishment will begin possibly as early as next week and be ongoing for most of 2016.

 

[NoleFan]

if you love SAB & plan to visit during warmer times to swim, go for BCV.
if you love the point saving standard rooms & can book right at the 11 month window many times of year, go for BWV. if you love the amazing BW view rooms and can book right at the 11 month window many times of year, go for BWV.
we like & own at both.we don't enjoy staying elsewhere. We stay at BCV when we swim & BWV when we don't plan to spend much of the day at the pool (basically non-summer months).

 

[LSchrow]

absolutely stay before you buy. we also own both BWV & BCV, and personally prefer BWV's amazing views, quieter interiors, elegance, nightly entertainment, & community hall. since we bought BCV prebuild, we didn't know until staying there (a few times) that it simply lacked too much of what we enjoy at a resort - that was a pricey lesson learned.
that's not to say that the BWV will be your favorite: you might have different likes & dislikes & prefer the BCV, but there is no real way to tell until you actually stay there.
enjoy

 

[Donna M]

I agree with what has been posted so far, these are just opinions and yours may differ. We own at SSR and like it there, even-though many would place it at the bottom of their list. My favorite now is VGF, and stay there as much as we can. For me, I actually don't like BWV after staying twice, I don't think I'll be there again so, you see, you don't want to make this big a purchase on other's opinions. Check them out for yourself, you'll be glad you did.

 

[Dean]

I would agree with considering your preferences, esp if looking smaller. However, BLT is likely the best value for a destination resort. You might also wait and see what happens with the new VLW II.

 

[Bullseye]

We like BC better than any resort in WDW. We purchased direct at BLT and then resale at AKV. I would have purchased BC resale, but the contract expires much sooner than some of the newer resorts which is something to take into consideration.

Bay Lake Tower expire 2060
Beach Club & Boardwalk expire 2042

 

[lovin'fl]

I just want to pipe in about staying at the resorts before you buy. I don't think many of us got to stay at all or even any of the resorts before we bought. We did one off site trip and one POR trip before we bought. The only resorts we had even set foot onto was POR, CR (for Chef Mickeys) and FW (for Hoop Dee Doo). We bought OKW resale, in 2006, to get the most points for our money. Then we started staying at all the places and learned what we like and don't like...and, yup, OKW is at the bottom. But we can stay there, if we must, and be happy. We have also used those OKW points to stay at every east coast DVC resort except VGF and Poly (and we don't really want to...cost too many points). It's not always easy or do-able but we have done it over time and by being flexible. We have also added on at other resorts (BWV for F&W trips and HHI for summer trips...both though to book with OKW points). If you start small to get a feel, then you can always add on. And smaller contracts are easier to resell if that need should arise. So, I don't think you need to stay at each resort before you buy.

 

[quinnc19]

If you enjoy sitting out on your balcony, need to go BWV.