Thoughts on buying SSR with intentions on elsewhere

[ckb_nc]

First, amazing analysis on this site. Torn between these two - buying SSR at a lower intro price but thinking we would likely stay elsewhere like BLT.

What is the risk of wanting 2 bedroom at BLT 7 months out - have tended to go in off peak seasons but this may change some. Thoughts?

 

[bellablue2]

i think many of us would like to buy ssr and stay at blt. some get lucky, most do not.

 

[CMOORE185]

I think if BLT is where you want to stay the majority of the time you should buy there. That being said I own SSR and have never had trouble booking BLT at seven months.

 

[LeslieLou]

I have never had a problem getting what I want at 7 months, but that doesn't mean other people don't. We usually go the first week of June so I'm sure time of year is a big factor. Also - if you want a Standard view or MK view at BLT, I think that would be much harder than paying the Lake view uncharge (vs. standard). If you're willing to be at BLT sometimes and other places other times, I'd buy the SSR points.

 

[disneynutz]

Buying SSR to give DVC a try makes sense to me. It gives you a chance to learn the system and experience the different resorts and availability first hand.

Should you later decide that BWV or the Polly is your favorite resort you can always sell SSR and buy at those resorts to improve your booking success.

Buying isn't a life long decision as some seems to think.

Bill

 

[DVC Doctor]

Rule #1 is to buy where you WANT to stay. Then consider price. I own both SSR and BLT and the 2 bedrooms during off season are relatively easy to book at 7 months out. With the new price premium at Poly and VGF then I expect to see more competition for BLT as it is a better value.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

What do you consider off peak? That is often very different from off peak DVC.

 

[DVC Mike]

I'm a proponent of buying where you want to stay, if you really love a resort and provided that you can reliably plan and book to take advantage of the 11-month home resort booking advantage.

If you don’t have a particular fondness for a certain resort, or if you’re not a planner and anticipate always booking at the 7-month window (or less), then buy the best overall deal, or at least one you wouldn't be unhappy staying at.

 

[Minniesgal]

Personally I don't see the point in spending a significant amount of cash and not being able to stay where you want. So I buy where I want to stay not what is cheapest.

As for your strategy, sometimes it will work sometimes it won't, depends on the time of year and your flexibility.

 

[heynowirv]

I agree with most posters that you should buy where you love.That being said your tastes or needs change in time. Especially the time of year that you vacation.And DVC peak times don't always coincide with everyone else's peak times.Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[crisi]

Assume the BLT standard view will never be available when doing your calculations. It RARELY is, even at slow times of year, at seven months.

If you buy BLT and buy only enough points for standard view, you might come out ahead over buying enough points to stay SSR points to stay Lake View at BLT - most likely to be available. BLT has really expensive rooms per night in terms of points, and standard view there is a bargain.

Look at per night cost when comparing your options - dues+ buy in x number of points for the night - with the various options you have in mind, and factor in availability - in general, any bargain room in DVC is seldom available consistently for non-owners (BWV Standard and VAKL Value have similar availability challenges)

Finally, DVC does not end up saving money for many people. Buying SSR and staying somewhere else is a money aware thought. But DVC is an excellent way for Disney to pick your pocket in other ways while making you think you got a great deal. So if you are doing this needing to save money (you might, it might be a little more realistic to think that in the end you'll likely spend more, but feel you got more value) consider whether DVC is a good choice for you at all.

 

[nalajms]

Buying SSR to give DVC a try makes sense to me. It gives you a chance to learn the system and experience the different resorts and availability first hand.

I'm a big proponent of this concept. Do you know that you love BLT? We own at 3 resorts we know we love and want to book at 11m for specific rooms and specific dates. Last year I bought another contract at SSR for the "stay elsewhere trips". This includes our summer and last minute trips. Basically, I'm not going to use my VGF points at 7m to try and get beach club in the summer. At the same time, if we book 3m out and only SSR is available, we're ok with that. It's a beautiful resort.

If you're flexible on dates, willing to do split stays, and avoid busy DVC times you'll be able to stay at BLT.

 

[beer dave]

If you buy SSR as opposed to BLT, for the same money you can get more points--- and if you upgrade your view category at BLT with the extra points, you will have a much better chance of getting the room you want at 7 months. I have 4 contracts, including SSR. I recently booked labor day weekend (low demand) in the 11 month window at BWV, and a few days ago cancelled and re booked at BLT (one I don't own) with no trouble at all. Used my SSR points and saved my BWV for the next 11 month booking. I have recently done the same thing for a trip this march. I have never had a problem, but I don't go on the big holidays (Christmas, Easter) I would like to own at BLT, (maybe next) but right now the lower buy in is more important to me than the lower maintenance fees.

 

[DVCcurious]

I was in your exact situation last October.

We own VWL and we wanted to add on points to stay at BLT or VWL. We visit MK at least 60% of the time on our vacations so we have no interest in non-MK area DVCs (we tried OKW, BWV, and AKV and they weren't good enough to overcome the bus ride to MK). I wanted either an SSR or a BLT contract instead of another VWL due to their longer expiration dates.

We are going to use the points in the last week of August which is a low demand time. We are going to stay BLT 1 BR Lake View which is the easiest category of BLT to book at 7 months. So we would be a good example of buying SSR and staying at BLT. However we decided to buy at BLT. Why? Because I don't know what the future holds. I want to stay at BLT and with the 11 month booking window I will be happy every August when I go to BLT. If I bought SSR there may have been a trip or two where I couldn't get an entire week at BLT. So that would tick me off. I don't want split stays. I want to stay at one place for a full week and I want that place to be BLT or VWL, so I own at both.

If you are willing to stay anywhere but would "like" to stay at BLT then buy SSR. If you would be upset or disappointed if you didn't get BLT then you need to buy there.

In 2008 there were only five DVC resorts (OKW, SSR, VWL, BWV, BCV). Now there are 9 (OKW, SSR, VWL, BWV, BCV, BLT, VGF, AKF, Poly). In 10 years there will probably be 12 or 13. DVC is printing money for Disney. As more people buy in there will be more people who can book BLT, VGF, or Poly at 7 months. The MK area resorts will ALWAYS be in high demand. They aren't making anymore of them so you're looking at more demand chasing stagnant supply.

Among MK area resorts BLT has the most "reasonable" point requirement. I expect full weeks BLT to not be available at 7 months at any point of the year in 10 years. So that's why I bought BLT. I don't want to be angry I bought SSR in 2025 when there are still 30 years left on the contracts. That's a long time to stay at SSR when I would prefer BLT.

 

[beer dave]

I was in your exact situation last October.


Among MK area resorts BLT has the most "reasonable" point requirement. I expect full weeks BLT to not be available at 7 months at any point of the year in 10 years. So that's why I bought BLT. I don't want to be angry I bought SSR in 2025 when there are still 30 years left on the contracts. That's a long time to stay at SSR when I would prefer BLT.

This is a good point-- I'm not sold it will happen, but possible. Luckily the older resorts are still considerably lower in points per stay, and the cost of buy in is increasing, resulting in a lot of people who will possibly be using their "expensive" points for a longer stay at the "cheaper" resorts.

Suppose the cheaper resorts become more desirable due to low buy in, and the demand there increases, for length of stay. Could have the opposite effect.

 

[drusba]

Based on current reservation patterns:

If you want to go anytime between the Monday after marathon weekend in Jan and the last week of Sep, DVC's low to moderate demand season, you will find BLT lake view, all room sizes, open at 7 months out. During that same time, you will usually find Theme Park view 2BRs also open except some risk otherwise during holiday times and special weekends like Princess half marathom weekend in late Feb and Star wars weekends. Standard view will usualy npot be open.

If your plan is to go to BLT or any near park resort between late Sep and marathon weekend in Jan, DVC's high to extremely high demand season, you should buy at the resort you want to stay or instead be prepared for disappointment often at 7 months out.

 

[Mrs.Milo]

I also vote buy where you want to stay. We originally purchased OKW in 1993, but later decided BW was where we wanted to stay. Sometimes we would get in at 7 months, but more and more often it became iffy getting in. Too nerve-wracking for us.....so we sold OKW and bought BW. Now we know we will get a standard room when we want it.

 

[bookem]

The # 1 rule is NOT buy where you want to stay! The #1 rule IS do whats best for your situation! We knew we wanted to visit WDW yearly or every other year, We knew we wanted to stay at better than moderate resorts and would often times need a 2 bedroom villa. So DVC made sense to us financially. I would love to stay at BLT, but I don't need to. We bought at SSR because it was less $$ up front and less $$ for MFs. I will probably always try to book elsewhere at 7 mths. If I end up at SSR, no one is going to cry! I still think a 2 bed rm at SSR is better than 2 hotel rms at a moderate resort, and it most likely cost me less too. So my thought is if you HAVE to stay at BLT, then buy there. But if you wouldn't mind staying at any of the DVC properties and you are thrifty, then buy SSR.

 

[Dean]

Obviously there are a lot of nuances to such an issue. For someone just trying to get into the system and use the points here and there, it makes no sense to spend any more than what you have to to get what you what. SSR will be the cheapest going in and long term. AKV will be bout 25% more. BLT will be more as well due to the higher buy in and while it won't likely save on MF, they should remain some of the lower ones. Buy for a cheaper options such as AKV value only makes sense if one will use that option a lot, well over 50% of the time for AKV value vs SSR. If ones need a given high demand resort AND DVC makes sense to buy for that, I'd buy at the high end option but that's about the only time one can justify it on factual info. For many it's an emotional issue that drives them to buy the new or high end options.

 

[CMOORE185]

The # 1 rule is NOT buy where you want to stay! The #1 rule IS do whats best for your situation!

You are right. People like to say the #1 rule is to buy where you want to stay, but that is just a personal opinion not a rule. As you say the #1 rule is to do what is best for you.