VWL Pro's - Need Help

[jcf]

I am waiting to close on 175 pt DEC use year and after reading these forums need some help.

1. I want to stay during Christmas or Easter (have a 6 year old and must deal with school schedule) - for 6 days or maybe a week, so how many more points do I need.

2. Need 1 bedroom - are there different 1 bedrooms? Concierge available? Can I get a room with lagoon view? Whats the best room to see electrical parade?

3. Should I break the points down into smaller contracts? Any negatives with this idea?

4. Are any of you buying into AKV or is the theming too close? Never been there.

Please volunteer any suggestions - I am getting info overload

 

[Disney Doll]

1. There is a point calculator that will be able to tell you the # of points required. It is here on the DIS, under the DVC section.

2. I do not know if there are different 1 BRs. My understanding is that they are all essentially the same. I guess it's possible that one may be configured a bit differently based on where it is located in the building (maybe a corner room might have an extra window), but I think essentially they are the same. The location of the DVC building within the WL complex does not lend itself to a lagoon view...there is a wooded area between the building and the lake, so while some rooms may have somewhat of a water view, most of it seems like it would be at least partially blocked by trees. I do not believe there is any lagoon view such as you would get from the POLY or the CR. Thw VWL do not sit right on the beach like the Poly or CR do. DVCs do not have concierge service. They are "homes away from home". The best way to see the EWP will probably be to walk down to the beach, which isn't far from the DVC section of the complex.

3. The general school of thought is that it is better to have smaller contracts, because if you need to sell off some in the future, it's easier to sell smaller contracts and might allow you to still keep maybe a contract for yourself. For example, DH & I have 2 contracts...one is 200 points and one is 230 points. If our financial situation changed and we couldn't afford to keep both, we could maybe afford to keep one. But iof we had instead purchased one large 430 point contract, we'd have to sell the whole thing.

4. I do not intend to buy into AKV because I don't particularly like the theme of that resort. We stayed there once, it was neat to see the animals up so close, but that whole African thing isn't my kick.

 

[Granny]

I am waiting to close on 175 pt DEC use year and after reading these forums need some help.

1. I want to stay during Christmas or Easter (have a 6 year old and must deal with school schedule) - for 6 days or maybe a week, so how many more points do I need.

2. Need 1 bedroom - are there different 1 bedrooms? Concierge available? Can I get a room with lagoon view? Whats the best room to see electrical parade?

The point requirements for stays depends on when during the Christmas or Easter season you go. For instance, in 2007 there is the "Choice" season from December 15 - 23. If you spend a week during that time in a 1BR, it is 214 points. On the other hand, if you go between Dec 24 - January 31 that same room will cost 350 points for a week.

There is no room with a lagoon (or more properly, a lake) view per se. In some rooms you can catch a glimpse of the lake through the trees. None of the rooms has a good view to actually watch the electrical parade.

And there is no concierge available there as there is not at any DVC until they build AKV.

 

[bobbiwoz]

If you are buying resale, you cannot break the contract into smaller parts. If you are buying from Disney you can do so, but I don't know in what phase of buying you are in.

We are empty nesters who bring extended family. We love VWL, and we are buying AKV, but not as many points. I know the family loves VWL, we're having our second all-family trip there this October. I hope to bring them to AKV at least once in three years - with banking and borrowing the points.

Bobbi