To buy at OKW or AKL before staying?

[SecondEventuality]

I would love to go more than once per year. So if we bought more points later on direct we could do that. So getting into some of the DVC exclusive events lounges, and discounts; especially on annual passes is why I would want to be an “official” member. But since we only currently go once per year now going with a small point resale contract seems like the way to start out before really putting a lot of money into it.

We only go once per year right now, we just stack our DVC annual passes, so go every 51 weeks, then rebuy annual passes when we need to go again the next time, maybe stretch it to 16 months and then do the cycle again with another trip ~51 weeks after that.

 

[CraigInPA]

Let me be the voice of dissent... DVC is a commitment. The initial purchase price is small in comparison to the amount you'd pay if you keep the contract until the end (22-50 years). You're pre-paying for the hotel portion of your stay at Disney. If you are fine with staying in a value or moderate resort, then DVC will not save you money. If you don't want to vacation at a Disney resort every year, DVC doesn't make much sense.

It's getting harder and harder to book at 7 months, especially if you want studios and are travelling from September to January. To me, the advice of buying where you like to stay, or at least where you don't mind staying, is still paramount. Not having stayed at any DVC resort, the OP is going in blind as to whether the resort is right for them. This is why I normally suggest renting points and staying a couple of nights at the most likely resorts where you may purchase.

OKW and AKV are nice resorts, but they aren't for everyone. If you can stretch your budget, consider looking at BLT. The walkway to MK, especially for those with young children, is priceless. Amenities are plentiful, and transportation to 3 other resorts and Epcot is convenient. Plus, great views from most rooms. The downside is the studios are a bit small. I'd also recommend considering BWV and BRV, even though they end 22 years from now in 2042.

 

[Best Aunt]

Let me be the voice of dissent... DVC is a commitment. The initial purchase price is small in comparison to the amount you'd pay if you keep the contract until the end (22-50 years). You're pre-paying for the hotel portion of your stay at Disney. If you are fine with staying in a value or moderate resort, then DVC will not save you money. If you don't want to vacation at a Disney resort every year, DVC doesn't make much sense.

Listen to @CraigInPA. It's one thing to "always know I have a Disney vacation just around the corner." But that also means that every January (when that dues bill arrives) you are paying even if you don't have a vacation booked yet.

 

[Penulma]

Let me be the voice of dissent... DVC is a commitment. The initial purchase price is small in comparison to the amount you'd pay if you keep the contract until the end (22-50 years). You're pre-paying for the hotel portion of your stay at Disney. If you are fine with staying in a value or moderate resort, then DVC will not save you money. If you don't want to vacation at a Disney resort every year, DVC doesn't make much sense.

It's getting harder and harder to book at 7 months, especially if you want studios and are travelling from September to January. To me, the advice of buying where you like to stay, or at least where you don't mind staying, is still paramount. Not having stayed at any DVC resort, the OP is going in blind as to whether the resort is right for them. This is why I normally suggest renting points and staying a couple of nights at the most likely resorts where you may purchase.

OKW and AKV are nice resorts, but they aren't for everyone. If you can stretch your budget, consider looking at BLT. The walkway to MK, especially for those with young children, is priceless. Amenities are plentiful, and transportation to 3 other resorts and Epcot is convenient. Plus, great views from most rooms. The downside is the studios are a bit small. I'd also recommend considering BWV and BRV, even though they end 22 years from now in 2042.

I love Disney so I can always see us going. As our daughter grows up more space in 1 bedrooms would be great. And I am ready to stay up from value and moderate was just thinking maybe I should put the next trip money to a contract. And wanted to see if it’s be totally crazy to buy blind. BLT would be amazing. But the price per point is more. So I thought a smaller contact at the lower cost resort would be good. And if I love it enough buy more points there or buy another contract at another resort for variety. DVC is very overwhelming and so much to consider. Everyone has given me even more to think about.

 

[cmarsh31]

We rented at BCV first. It was ok... but we were just as happy at POR later that year. So we bought our ~100pts at AKV sight unseen! Figured the premium wasn't worth it for BCV if we weren't wowed. Stayed at GCV, BWV, and Poly before our first AKV stay last year - and we're thrilled with our purchase. We can trade in, if we're willing to waitlist & chance it - but we're completely happy to stay at AKV and didn't even try to switch for our July 2020 stay.

But, we knew buses and location weren't a dealbreaker - balconies are actually the reason I 100% prefer deluxe resorts, so a balcony with giraffes is perfect!

 

[Frederic Civish]

Studios near Hospitality House...the place where checkin, restaurants, etc. are...go faster than the others, but OKW has a lot of rooms, so getting one there shouldn’t be a problem, as long as you are booking far enough out.

DVC will prove less frustrating if you book 7 to 11 months ahead of time. Planning less than that can be difficult, especially if visiting in the fall through early January.

OKW and SSR usually have moderately good availability for some types of units, and, except for the most popular times and units you can usually find something in the 5 to 7 month period. Poly usually has standard units and lake view units available at 7 months, except for the Fall Food and Wine Festival, which all book out more that 7 months in advance. You can't expect most of the other resorts to have much available in the 7 month window, but sometimes you can get surprised.

Even when you are an owner, there is no guarantee you will get what you want at a particular resort, depending on the resort. For instance, I know that BLT Standard View rooms in the Food and Wine festival tend to disappear right at the 11 month window, and the same goes for Lakeview on some days. Jambo and Kidani have no Standard Studios available for 10 to 11 months down the road, in the middle of the Food and Wine and then Holiday Season. Many other resorts are even harder.

So, choose a resort you like, that you would never regret staying in, and reserve as early as possible.

On the other hand, if you can never plan 7 months or more in advance, you might as well get whichever resort has the cheapest points, because you will almost always be using them to stay at SSR and OKW.

 

[Frederic Civish]

Listen to @CraigInPA. It's one thing to "always know I have a Disney vacation just around the corner." But that also means that every January (when that dues bill arrives) you are paying even if you don't have a vacation booked yet.

I have my dues set up for monthly payments, deducted directly by Disney. In order to do that, you will need a U.S. bank account or credit union account. I believe even people from England and other companies can do that if they have a bank account in the United States.

Having the bills for membership fees spread through the year makes it easy for me. I would absolutely hate to see a bill for thousands of dollars, when I won't even be taking my vacation until next fall.

 

[rg35]

We own at AKV. It's a nice resort. I do feel like the animals are overblown and don't really understand why people make such a huge deal of them. The animals on the Savannah view rooms are not particularly exotic. We stayed in Savannah room views a couple of times and now just stay standard and use the points for longer trips.

OKW is a favorite resort of ours. I've been going there since the 90's when my grandparents bought DVC. As owners, we've pretty much split our stays between OKW and AKV.

Dining options at AKV are very good. There's only one sit down dining restaurant at Old Key West, but Olivia's is very good.

We always have a car but have used bus from AKV on occasion and the boat to Disney Springs from OKW. It's nice to have the option.

The old key west rooms are very big, which we like since there are five of us, but AKV one bedrooms have a second bathroom which is also nice when five people are trying to get ready in the morning.

We enjoy both resorts for different reasons. I would suggest trying to visit each before committing to purchase just to get a feel for things.

 

[Henwen88]

We bought in a with a small(ish) 150 pointer for SSR. Sight unseen. We were waffling between SSR and AKV, and the difference came down to the dues. I know how expensive regular livestock can get, and I have zero desire to support exotic hoofstock (even my very small percentage, haha).

However, our very first DVC points stay was at AKV Jambo, where we experienced the looooong hallways and magicband failure to open room doors after check-in. Welcome Home, lol. Beautiful hotel, grounds, lobby, savannahs, and the restaurants are fantastic (I like the little bar in the lobby too - fun wine selections).

Our subsequent stays at AKV have been the Kidani side though - for the extra bathroom, and underground parking. We like that pool better, too. I didn't find the buses bad, at all. We did have to drive to the water park (they've since added a bus) and to the GF for spa day, or other resorts for dining options.

If you can find a small (enough for you) contract for a WDW location, and are comfortable with the price and annual dues, just pull the trigger. They are somewhat tough to find, but I have seen more contracts sitting 'available' recently. You may be like us, and decide you like a variety of specific resorts for specific vacations - we now have a very 'diverse DVC portfolio'

 

[striker1064]

BLT would be amazing. But the price per point is more. So I thought a smaller contact at the lower cost resort would be good.

I've seen you mention this a couple times, and I think it's very important to note that while yes, AKV and OKW have a lower buy-in than BLT, the buy-in is a one time cost. Make sure you focus on dues, because that is what you're going to be paying for the next 40-50 years - not the buy-in. While OKW and AKV are cheaper per point, the dues are a good bit higher than both at BLT. BLT is somewhat of a bargain dues-wise (but it has been increasing at a high rate).

https://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-p...020-disney-vacation-club-annual-dues-revealed
I think you should always buy where you want to stay, or at least don't mind staying. But make sure you're taking into account the real cost of DVC - the annual dues that you'll be paying for a long time.

 

[WhenIsOurNextTrip]

I would love to go more than once per year. So if we bought more points later on direct we could do that. So getting into some of the DVC exclusive events lounges, and discounts; especially on annual passes is why I would want to be and “official” member. But since we only currently go once per year now going with a small point resale contract seems like the way to start out before really putting a lot of money into it.

I’m a newbie, but just some feedback from somebody that went through a similar process as you.
We are Florida residents and have a 3 yr old and another due in April, so we are committing for life to Disney . But our family loves it. The experiences you will get at AKL is unmatched by Old Key West. For a once a year vacation AkL will create memories that you might not even get at the parks.
For our daughter, AkL is the lion king hotel, poly is the Moana hotel, etc.
If you don’t mind the slightly higher annual dues at AKL, it is totally worth it.

From a long term prospective. We chose Grand Floridian as our home resort for our first resale because Magic Kingdom is basically a 2 or 3 day park for a toddler who naps. Since we will go to magic kingdom the most for the foreseeable future the convenience of never having to fold up a stroller to get to the park is a big benefit.
So you might consider a monorail or walking to MK for your next contract. The lower annual dues at poly, grand Floridian and BLT in the long run make up for spending more on the initial contract.

The addonitis you read about is completely true, we have yet to stay on our first DVC vacation, and I’m already in the process of adding on 4 more home resorts. Poly, BLT, Copper Creek and AKL.

 

[Penulma]

Here’s another question. So what other DVC resale companies has everyone gone with? I am assuming this isnt like listing a house. Like each company is only showing the sellers listed with them. I am following the timeshare store which sounds like a great agency to work with. It would be nice to see other companies and keep on eye on more listings.

 

[Frederic Civish]

Yes. Each company only lists the properties that their sellers have placed with them.

I have bought contracts from 3 different companies and made attempts with several other companies (which I lost to ROFR). I did have one contract, that I ended losing to ROFR where the Title company was just somebody (one person?) operating out of a phone number and email box and I could never track them down to talk to them because they didnt answer the phone, and had no physical address that I could find. But the broker assured me they used that Title Company all the time with no problems at all. And I did believe them.

I think almost all the companies you see that put out listings for DVC are pretty reputable. I personally would look around and go with the best price/best deal/best listing I could find and not worry about it.

On the other hand, I will also say that the companies that support this board are EXCELLENT. I have used them, and found them to be quick, knowledgeable and to pay good attention to me and my purchase.

 

[Chuck S]

Remember, that even though your child is small now, at some point in the future, assuming you are still going to WDW and even if she turns out to be an only child, you'll probably want a one bedroom as she grows up.

 

[Disneypapa]

I own a 200 point contract at OKW. I purchased about 15+ years ago when there were only 4-5 choices in resorts. I did a lot of research. I bought resale and without having ever visited OKW. I was confident that Disney would do timeshare right and liked their system of points. We used a 2 BR and go every other year. Now that I am retired, we tend to travel a lot, mostly international and do not go back to WDW very often. However; my son and his family continues to go at least every other year. They prefer trying to visit different resorts and seldom book OKW (their preference, not mine). OKW continues to be my favorite with AKL a close second. I rent points out that are not used.

I think you could be happy with either resort. I agree you should create a pro/con list and compare the resorts at a minimum.

 

[hamilkm]

I've seen you mention this a couple times, and I think it's very important to note that while yes, AKV and OKW have a lower buy-in than BLT, the buy-in is a one time cost. Make sure you focus on dues, because that is what you're going to be paying for the next 40-50 years - not the buy-in. While OKW and AKV are cheaper per point, the dues are a good bit higher than both at BLT. BLT is somewhat of a bargain dues-wise (but it has been increasing at a high rate).

https://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-p...020-disney-vacation-club-annual-dues-revealed
I think you should always buy where you want to stay, or at least don't mind staying. But make sure you're taking into account the real cost of DVC - the annual dues that you'll be paying for a long time.

This is true to a point. I just added on a 100 point resale contract at AKL. I wanted to use these points for a one bedroom villa every other year. BLT was a contender because the one bedrooms sleep 5 and have a second bath. This is what we want. I would have had to buy more points to get at 1 bed room at BLT every other year so while the dues may be less, I would have to pay them on more points.

 

[Penulma]

Remember, that even though your child is small now, at some point in the future, assuming you are still going to WDW and even if she turns out to be an only child, you'll probably want a one bedroom as she grows up.

There are so many factors to think about. Like if we have more kids. Then picking a use year that best for traveling when she starts school. Or if we want to eventually invite friends or family. But I guess it’s easy to start small now and work out way up to more points or more resorts.

 

[mamaofsix]

I've seen you mention this a couple times, and I think it's very important to note that while yes, AKV and OKW have a lower buy-in than BLT, the buy-in is a one time cost. Make sure you focus on dues, because that is what you're going to be paying for the next 40-50 years - not the buy-in. While OKW and AKV are cheaper per point, the dues are a good bit higher than both at BLT. BLT is somewhat of a bargain dues-wise (but it has been increasing at a high rate).

https://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-p...020-disney-vacation-club-annual-dues-revealed
I think you should always buy where you want to stay, or at least don't mind staying. But make sure you're taking into account the real cost of DVC - the annual dues that you'll be paying for a long time.

Just wanted to echo this! It really does seem as though you are not considering maintenance fees at all in your decision, when those dues should be your FIRST consideration. AKV and OKW are not at all the best value because they have higher maintenance fees each year. Go back to the drawing board and calculate out your actual cost per year for all of the resorts. Currently, Saratoga Springs is the best value based on cost per point and annual fees.

Only buy in at AKV or OKW if you absolutely love the resort and must stay there. Otherwise, choose a resort with lower maintenance fees.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Buy where you want to stay....but buy enough to stay in one bedrooms. Places like CC, VWL, BWV, VGF, have studio walkers!