The race to worthless

[jrub]

We're new to this whole thing and have a BCV in escrow. Not concerned about the 2042 expiration because compared to other vacations it is still well worth it for the price. We just booked a vacation to Hawaii on another island. The regular Marriott brands are 700-900/night.

If we ever decide we're done with it and the contract has value that's a bonus. I'd assume if we really love the program we'll probably sell the BCV in a few years after we go there a couple times and buy one with a later expiration. For now, the pool and location makes the kids super happy.

 

[VGCgroupie]

I rarely look at things this way - as I would never even consider the cost of rack rates at Disney hotels. That's why I tend to compare DVC to DVC rather than DVC to cash. DVC will always blow cash rates away.

I do it this way because that’s how I would have paid, I would have never rented points.

 

[LittleBitGoofy]

We're new to this whole thing and have a BCV in escrow. Not concerned about the 2042 expiration because compared to other vacations it is still well worth it for the price. We just booked a vacation to Hawaii on another island. The regular Marriott brands are 700-900/night.

If we ever decide we're done with it and the contract has value that's a bonus. I'd assume if we really love the program we'll probably sell the BCV in a few years after we go there a couple times and buy one with a later expiration. For now, the pool and location makes the kids super happy.

Great way to look at it. Any resale value down the road would be a bonus. And yep, for now, any 2042 resorts are just for fun of being where you love/enjoy/crave and that's the value in them.

We started with BCV last year as it's our family favorite location and it'll expire when our kids are into their 20s so the timing is perfect. Then our VGF and CCV contracts are for us to enjoy long beyond 2042, maybe just the two of us.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I considered trying to bust out this kind of analysis (or at least the conclusion of why BWV and, to a lesser extent, BCV are probably undervalued for anybody who actually wants to stay annually at the resort and don't need to decline much for another 10 years) but then I thought "if everybody here thinks its dumb to buy BCV at 120, and BWV at 100, maybe I'll be able load up more under 100 during the winter dip."

It's true it will be worth absolutely zero in 2043, but with an uncertain future of the DVC program structure and value (cough, CFW, cough), I already have more points than I want that extend out in to the late 2050s and beyond, I would probably only add at Crescent Lake (or VGC, at the right price... then again, BLT is tempting at it's current price)... Ok, I'm off to sign up for the Addonitis support group.

You just described my BWV purchase. Got a fully loaded 150 pt contract at $95 p/p - even when I compared my p/n price to the Swan (which is where we would have otherwise stayed) in a significantly discounted room at non-peak times I was still ahead.

Just booked 8 nights in a P/G BWV studio for 161 pts during Spring Break - as a comparison for those same nights:

- VGF TP studio: 231 pts
- RIV Preferred studio: 225 pts
- SSR Preferred studio: 148 pts

The point chart + solid price make BWV a no-brainer.

 

[E2ME2]

You just described my BWV purchase. Got a fully loaded 150 pt contract at $95 p/p - even when I compared my p/n price to the Swan (which is where we would have otherwise stayed) in a significantly discounted room at non-peak times I was still ahead.

Just booked 8 nights in a P/G BWV studio for 161 pts during Spring Break - as a comparison for those same nights:

- VGF TP studio: 231 pts
- RIV Preferred studio: 225 pts
- SSR Preferred studio: 148 pts

The point chart + solid price make BWV a no-brainer.

That's a GREAT price for BWV!
& I agree with your value assessment of BWV points.

 

[disneylandtour]

You just described my BWV purchase. Got a fully loaded 150 pt contract at $95 p/p - even when I compared my p/n price to the Swan (which is where we would have otherwise stayed) in a significantly discounted room at non-peak times I was still ahead.

Just booked 8 nights in a P/G BWV studio for 161 pts during Spring Break - as a comparison for those same nights:

- VGF TP studio: 231 pts
- RIV Preferred studio: 225 pts
- SSR Preferred studio: 148 pts

The point chart + solid price make BWV a no-brainer.

I'm not saying Boardwalk is not a good value. But your comps??? VGF has a Theme Park View; Boardwalk does not. AND a VGF studio is nearly 100 sq ft larger than one at Boardwalk. The RIV studio is also larger, though not by as much. Some of what is baked into these points is square footage--also location. Anyway, you'll have a fantastic time.

 

[Mikey15]

I'm not saying Boardwalk is not a good value. But your comps??? VGF has a Theme Park View; Boardwalk does not. AND a VGF studio is nearly 100 sq ft larger than one at Boardwalk. The RIV studio is also larger, though not by as much. Some of what is baked into these points is square footage--also location. Anyway, you'll have a fantastic time.

As far as paying for location goes though, BW is probably the best location in WDW (so excl. VGC & VDH) for being a short walk to two parks. Can’t top that.

 

[disneylandtour]

Wait, what? Somehow BLT got left out of this?

 

[atthebeachclub]

Wait, what? Somehow BLT got left out of this?

Can’t fit 5 in a BLT studio though. Still a great location for 1+ BR!

 

[DVCsloth]

As far as paying for location goes though, BW is probably the best location in WDW (so excl. VGC & VDH) for being a short walk to two parks. Can’t top that.

As far as location goes, BCV and BWV are probably the best overall locations especially for Epcot and HS. I do think that Riviera is almost as good of a location as both and if it wasn't for resale restrictions it would have already been sold out. For people that like Riviera and are knowledgeable about the restrictions it can be a great buy resale.

 

[atthebeachclub]

As far as location goes, BCV and BWV are probably the best overall locations especially for Epcot and BWV. I do think that Riviera is almost as good of a location as both and if it wasn't for resale restrictions it would have already been sold out. For people that like Riviera and are knowledgeable about the restrictions it can be a great buy resale.

They need to build a bridge to Epcot so people who don’t want to take the Skyliner can walk. Then the location will be almost as good. The Skyliner is my main hangup there and I am not alone.

 

[2010dvcfan]

Last month I spent over 40 minutes at a bus station at RIV trying to get to EPCOT (an electrical storm had shutdown the skyliner)— 4 busses to MK and 3 to DHS passed us before we gave up and took an Uber to the front of the park, missing our dining reservation at my husband’s favorite restaurant (Shiki Sai). It’s worth the current premium, and probably a 100% premium, to us.

This is where my mind went on value, I walk from Epcot to BCV at end of the night, shower and unwind for the night all of this is done before most people board the first bus to get back to their resort. Location can't be beat, everything else about the resort is icing on the cake.

Value of purchase justified.

 

[DVCsloth]

They need to build a bridge to Epcot so people who don’t want to take the Skyliner can walk. Then the location will be almost as good. The Skyliner is my main hangup there and I am not alone.

I'm a big fan of the Skyliner and it is frustrating when it goes down. I think Disney is a bit overcautious when they shut it down, but I'm not an expert on lightning strikes. A bridge would be great, but it would require a walking path, and it would be a pretty far walk to IG and the front. Skyliner is a home run for Disney IMO. Edit: we also aren't rope drop or stay till park close so the Skyliner works out perfectly for us 99% of the time. The busses to the other parks seem to be excellent from Riviera as well. Last time we stayed at BCV, we tried to get to MK for extra morning hours and the line was almost to the bridge and we were there over an hour before park opening.

 

[Chuck S]

If you're so worried about a resort being worthless in resale, then maybe you should not of purchased a timeshare with an ending date. Many of the original DVC resorts will be worthless in resale by January 2042, unless there is some sort of extension offered....but the issues they had with the OKW extension, I really don't see that happening.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I'm not saying Boardwalk is not a good value. But your comps??? VGF has a Theme Park View; Boardwalk does not. AND a VGF studio is nearly 100 sq ft larger than one at Boardwalk. The RIV studio is also larger, though not by as much. Some of what is baked into these points is square footage--also location. Anyway, you'll have a fantastic time.

I wasn’t picking those comps to make the numbers work - just didn’t want to pick the studios with the lowest point requirements at each resort for consistency.

But yes - the rooms/resorts are different - no question there. As an owner at all 3, I’d still pick BWV 100% of the time.

 

[atthebeachclub]

I'm a big fan of the Skyliner and it is frustrating when it goes down. I think Disney is a bit overcautious when they shut it down, but I'm not an expert on lightning strikes. A bridge would be great, but it would require a walking path, and it would be a pretty far walk to IG and the front. Skyliner is a home run for Disney IMO. Edit: we also aren't rope drop or stay till park close so the Skyliner works out perfectly for us 99% of the time. The busses to the other parks seem to be excellent from Riviera as well. Last time we stayed at BCV, we tried to get to MK for extra morning hours and the line was almost to the bridge and we were there over an hour before park opening.

If they still ran busses to Epcot and Hollywood Studios even, I might consider the location. Skyliner was a huge nope with my kids though and stopped every few minutes for wind gusts (winds were low; not sure what was happening). What was supposed to be a ten minute trip turned into 20 very quickly. It feels unreliable because you have no idea when you’ll arrive, and I still picture worst case scenarios like somebody needing the potty while suspended up there for longer than anticipated (with my kids this seems likely to occur). Give me walking or buses any day over that. As it stands, I am more inclined to pick a bus only location than Riviera. Bus traffic is pretty predictable.

 

[atthebeachclub]

If you're so worried about a resort being worthless in resale, then maybe you should not of purchased a timeshare with an ending date. Many of the original DVC resorts will be worthless in resale by January 2042, unless there is some sort of extension offered....but the issues they had with the OKW extension, I really don't see that happening.

I think the concern is more with becoming worthless prior to expiry.

 

[TinkAgainU]

I'm a big fan of the Skyliner and it is frustrating when it goes down. I think Disney is a bit overcautious when they shut it down, but I'm not an expert on lightning strikes. A bridge would be great, but it would require a walking path, and it would be a pretty far walk to IG and the front. ...

I think a few of us looked at the satellite view and thought, hey, a bridge in at Germany Pavillion would work in a pinch, lol. Pixar Hotel and Grand Californian both have essentially their own entrances to California Adventure, so it's not an unknown theory to add a Hotel Gate.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I think a few of us looked at the satellite view and thought, hey, a bridge in at Germany Pavillion would work in a pinch, lol. Pixar Hotel and Grand Californian both have essentially their own entrances to California Adventure, so it's not an unknown theory to add a Hotel Gate.

I’m still holding out hope that this will happen at some point!

 

[CarolynFH]

I think a few of us looked at the satellite view and thought, hey, a bridge in at Germany Pavillion would work in a pinch, lol. Pixar Hotel and Grand Californian both have essentially their own entrances to California Adventure, so it's not an unknown theory to add a Hotel Gate.

The bridge would need to be similar to the ones over E. Buena Vista Dr. at DS. They built those, so maybe they’d build one for RIV/CBR, as well as an additional Epcot entrance gate, but I’m not holding my breath.