What would you do?

What would you buy?

  • Direct PVB in April use year

    Votes: 13 36.1%
  • Resale PVB in April use year

    Votes: 7 19.4%
  • Resale PVB in March use year

    Votes: 3 8.3%
  • Resale BLT in April use year

    Votes: 6 16.7%
  • Resale BLT in March use year

    Votes: 7 19.4%

  • Total voters
    36
Re digging this back up as some situations have changed..

Always was planning to move back to CA but I think now we're leaning towards moving somewhere that's around 3.5 to 4 hours away instead of 15 to 20 mins from DL potentially in a couple years.

Some things haven't changed like me wanting a home resort near MK. I feel like I like the idea of Poly though more than the actual resort itself? I do want direct points though but I don't like how crowded the resort feels even though we love the theming and despite the sour taste my stay in the tower left me I'm willing to give it another chance. Home resort priority seems important for the tower but the charts are so steep, I don't think 150 to 200 will go that far?

On the other hand we really liked our mini stay at BLT and like the value it offers with it being one of the most economical resorts as a resale contract. Then again.. do we really even need home resort priority? I'm okay with using my AKV to book lake view 1BRs and same for my AUL points.. but should I be considering flipping my AKV and switching it to BLT for lower dues/fixing the UY and home resort priority even though I'll take a hit from the broker fees and etc?

Which brings me back to the first point.. unfortunately I don't have an unlimited amount of money but it would be nice to have a home resort in California just so I don't necessarily have to stay with family in CA. Disneyland I don't see as our vacation destination but if I'm going to stay somewhere in CA that's not my parents place in SoCal, it would be nice for it to be at Disneyland as we still of course enjoy it. We would be able to use it as our place to stay during the holidays and take the kids. Which then brings me to the next point VGC or VDH? I prefer VGC as a resort and the theming and location. Also if I sell it back later, I will get it the full value back. VDH on the other hand I could use as a direct SAP+.

I'm rambling here to type out all of my thoughts and if you actually read all of this I applaud you. Essentially I'm trying to figure out which combination of 2 resorts I should do with me wanting predominantly direct points.

PVB direct/BLT resale?
PVB direct/VDH direct?
PVB direct/VGC resale?
BLT resale/VGC resale?
BLT resale/VDH direct?
And to add on top of that, drop AKV or no and replace with more of the points above?

Would you be planning DL trips far enough in advance to utilize 7-11 month VGC booking?

If so I vote PVB direct/VGC resale (sorry, probably the most expensive option 🙈)

Poly direct has ok incentives and it could change for the better. You have an April UY so you are in no rush at all to buy unless you want a welcome home trip booked for you in your current UY. PVB direct will also let you book RIV which you like and VDH for last minute availability on a quick weekend or something since you won't be that far away.

If you're not booking value or club rooms IDK that home resort advantage at AKV is necessary if you truly want a MK resort and a DL resort. Would you feel ok with the loss based on trips taken and consolidating UYs? That's how I would make that decision.

If you do end up picking resale contracts I would wait to see some of the commercial renting dust settle. If people are offloading contracts that could help lower some prices. It could be a double-edged sword selling AKV though 🤔
 
Hmm, I am glad you stayed at PIT versus OG Poly. Looking at the resorts you chose to buy, all are relaxing and quieter resorts. BLT was totally not our style, but that refurbishment looks wonderful and is now on our radar to try out.

If you're looking at 2B, the PIT and BLT are both great, but are you going to be insane with the hubbub at Poly/PIT? Our son loves Poly, and we wanted a MK resort, but it's honestly a little (kids everywhere) crazy at the pools/hot tubs/GCH. I feel like we're holding our breath the whole time we're there and we exhale back at Riviera (and for me, at Animal Kingdom Jambo.)

I think I'd do resale BLT and maybe sell AK if you need the funds to get more points/straighten out the use years. Although, we have all one use year, but I kind of like the idea of multiple waitlists as an option. Being limited to the two waitlists is kind of a bummer, honestly. If you're organized and feel confident you won't forget to bank, I am coming around to multiple use years/waitlists and rotating resorts depending on seasonality.

Lastly, I don't think VDH as SAP+ is a bad idea, especially with DisneyLand Forward and the gate expansion going full steam ahead. Direct points that can be merged at Riviera/LSL/? future resorts at DL, not a bad option, especially if your folks are still in Southern CA but go into assisted living or eventually pass, but you still want a base of operations in the area that just so happens to be near an amazing attraction.

After a dozen DVC trips and now owning six years (which I know is a drop in the bucket compared to most on here,) we're all about the resorts themselves and the room utilization. Only you know how you like to travel and what the room configuration is likely to be, but like @BrianNoble said, things do change. Sounds like a wedding, move, and tons of WDW/travel have been happening to you. IDK if kids are multigenerational trips are in the future, but all these life events change things up.

We bought planning on studios (family of four with B/G kids,) got Pixie Dusted during Covid to a 1B and never looked back. Then did an extended family trip 2B in low points season August/September and LOVED having everyone together in one apartment, basically, but with privacy at night at the beautiful Riviera 2B.

Now we're condensing our trips into baller 2Bs during peak weeks (Thanksgiving/Spring Break) because my job isn't flexible, so I have to make my time count and not have the kids miss too much time from school. Our 400 points isn't going very far with 2Bs peak weeks!

You may want more BLT points if you want the bigger rooms. Also, the PIT cheaper room views overlooking the monorail are also all in the direct line of fire for the blazing sun. I don't mind crappier views, but I do like to use my balcony. I was blinded in February when my DH and I stayed at PIT. Now I want the expensive views -- not just for the views, but to be able to use the freaking balcony with my coffee/margarita/reading my iPad in peace.

I absolutely love the PIT rooms. I think they're really well thought out (although the building hallways are a bit narrow. DH uses a scooter on longer trips.) The PIT rooms are not an issue for the hubbub of Poly in general, but once you want to use the pool and GCH and bell services, it seems a bit chaotic. IDK if you want to tie up funds with overpriced (IMO) direct Poly points. I'd be leaning VDH/LSL for direct points in a couple years if Riviera and Poly are sold out.
 
More importantly, how was the wedding?

The wedding was amazing. Honestly I had my doubts about Disney, but it couldn't have gone any smoother. It rained the 2 days before so we were worried but the skies cleared up and we had an amazing day.

My wife woke up at 12:30 in the morning to do her hair and make up and I woke up at 1:30 or so. We did our first look on our own around 4AM just off the main lobby in Riviera where the giant castle picture was and when I saw her.. she was beautiful. The only small hiccup during the day was we had told our guests to all go to the main lobby and the limo was outside and my wife didn't want anyone to see her until she was walking down the aisle but luckily I remembered the side entrances of RIV so we walked out through that and snuck by like 60 of our friends and family.

Anyways the limo took us to the backstage area of Epcot and they had us enter through the American Pavilion as our wedding was in the Japan section of the park. We took photos with our wedding photographer around the Japanese courtyard before our guests showed up and before we knew it it was time to walk down the aisle. My wife and I both teared up a little bit during our vows but I don't regret it. I really do love her so much and she means everything to me.

After that, we went back to RIV to take photos with family and then went to the reception at California Grill. We had a private first dance on the outdoor patio area at California Grill overlooking Magic Kingdom and then when we got introduced we did the same dance again inside of California Grill. The food at our wedding was actually really good for the most part. It was brunch food but the sauce they had on the steak and eggs was 👌. Still upset they wouldn't let me have churro waffles at my wedding. Mother's Day was just a couple days earlier so we danced with our parents and then we had a very expensive "friend" come dance with us and take photos. Of course I'm talking about Mickey Mouse 😂.

Next we had all our guests go back and relax at their hotels until the nighttime, we had booked a bungalow to use as a hub to serve snacks and it actually worked really well. We put coolers with sodas and alcohol on the patio where the wading pool is and we had charcuterie, furikake Chex mix and mickey shaped strawberry rice crispies which were all made by our friends. Because I didn't want 60 people in the bungalow (hello fire hazard) I asked everyone to make their way to the beach and watch the fireworks and that was it :).

It was expensive but for a Disney wedding it really actually wasn't that bad. What was expensive is we also took photos in Magic Kingdom and Epcot at 5AM with nobody there and that added another 11k to the total. That also meant I got the joy of waking up at 2-3 AM an additional 2 times on top of my wedding day but it's finally all done.
 

You've probably seen some of my threads on here recently, and, like you, I always feel like I want to have some direct points at one of the MK/monorail resorts. But, I have increasingly come to the conclusion that, for my situation, I'm not sure I need them and I might be better off going with more direct RIV points (I already own 300). But, unlike you're situation, I'm not as concerned with 2 BR accommodations (at least not yet - thinking to some degree about future proofing things and for that, I'm ok if I need to do RIV for 2 BRs). And, I also don't already own the other resale points that you do.

I'll just say that, IMO, from an economic standpoint, I don't think resale Poly contracts make any sense right now. After factoring all incentives you can get, the spread between direct and resale is not big enough for me to even consider resale Poly right now. You're not looking at VGF, but similarly there, I just am not going for resale contracts where they're priced right now and the risk of ROFR. BLT resale OTOH, I think the math makes a lot more sense, especially combined with the easier points chart. Just depends on how much you think you need priority booking at BLT. I'm sure you're familiar with the availability charts at dvcfieldguide.com - I've found those helpful in thinking through that question.

You may also want to think about more direct RIV points, especially if a big incentive were to come along - I know a lot of people worry about resale value of those, but if you make sure you break them up into 50 point contracts, the spread on direct to resale is not as great as you might think. Of course, we shouldn't be buying any timeshare expecting to salvage anything out of it, but it does help me get more comfortable.

I'll let others who have more experience with multiple UYs speak to that. You already have multiple UYs, but I could see the appeal of trying to get them more lined up for the long run.

And congratulations! Sounds like a great wedding. Your post on the wedding came through as I was typing this out :-).
 
You've probably seen some of my threads on here recently, and, like you, I always feel like I want to have some direct points at one of the MK/monorail resorts. But, I have increasingly come to the conclusion that, for my situation, I'm not sure I need them and I might be better off going with more direct RIV points (I already own 300). But, unlike you're situation, I'm not as concerned with 2 BR accommodations (at least not yet - thinking to some degree about future proofing things and for that, I'm ok if I need to do RIV for 2 BRs). And, I also don't already own the other resale points that you do.

I'll just say that, IMO, from an economic standpoint, I don't think resale Poly contracts make any sense right now. After factoring all incentives you can get, the spread between direct and resale is not big enough for me to even consider resale Poly right now. You're not looking at VGF, but similarly there, I just am not going for resale contracts where they're priced right now and the risk of ROFR. BLT resale OTOH, I think the math makes a lot more sense, especially combined with the easier points chart. Just depends on how much you think you need priority booking at BLT. I'm sure you're familiar with the availability charts at dvcfieldguide.com - I've found those helpful in thinking through that question.

You may also want to think about more direct RIV points, especially if a big incentive were to come along - I know a lot of people worry about resale value of those, but if you make sure you break them up into 50 point contracts, the spread on direct to resale is not as great as you might think. Of course, we shouldn't be buying any timeshare expecting to salvage anything out of it, but it does help me get more comfortable.

I'll let others who have more experience with multiple UYs speak to that. You already have multiple UYs, but I could see the appeal of trying to get them more lined up for the long run.

And congratulations! Sounds like a great wedding. Your post on the wedding came through as I was typing this out :-).

It really does seem like BLT doesn't need home resort priority especially for preferred view. The only time it does is during early December basically which we likely won't be going during because kids will probably be in school until mid December at least until they're in college. I guess I'm just trying to figure out if it makes sense from a financial standpoint to switch from AKV to BLT because of the dues even with the loss of broker fees and also the benefit of being able to potentially book standard view. My wife on the other hand absolutely loves club level and does not want to give that up at all lol. We've only stayed club level twice and she can't get enough 😂 it's just so unreliable to get though. If we buy Poly it'll definitely be direct.
Hmm, I am glad you stayed at PIT versus OG Poly. Looking at the resorts you chose to buy, all are relaxing and quieter resorts. BLT was totally not our style, but that refurbishment looks wonderful and is now on our radar to try out.

If you're looking at 2B, the PIT and BLT are both great, but are you going to be insane with the hubbub at Poly/PIT? Our son loves Poly, and we wanted a MK resort, but it's honestly a little (kids everywhere) crazy at the pools/hot tubs/GCH. I feel like we're holding our breath the whole time we're there and we exhale back at Riviera (and for me, at Animal Kingdom Jambo.)

I think I'd do resale BLT and maybe sell AK if you need the funds to get more points/straighten out the use years. Although, we have all one use year, but I kind of like the idea of multiple waitlists as an option. Being limited to the two waitlists is kind of a bummer, honestly. If you're organized and feel confident you won't forget to bank, I am coming around to multiple use years/waitlists and rotating resorts depending on seasonality.

Lastly, I don't think VDH as SAP+ is a bad idea, especially with DisneyLand Forward and the gate expansion going full steam ahead. Direct points that can be merged at Riviera/LSL/? future resorts at DL, not a bad option, especially if your folks are still in Southern CA but go into assisted living or eventually pass, but you still want a base of operations in the area that just so happens to be near an amazing attraction.

After a dozen DVC trips and now owning six years (which I know is a drop in the bucket compared to most on here,) we're all about the resorts themselves and the room utilization. Only you know how you like to travel and what the room configuration is likely to be, but like @BrianNoble said, things do change. Sounds like a wedding, move, and tons of WDW/travel have been happening to you. IDK if kids are multigenerational trips are in the future, but all these life events change things up.

We bought planning on studios (family of four with B/G kids,) got Pixie Dusted during Covid to a 1B and never looked back. Then did an extended family trip 2B in low points season August/September and LOVED having everyone together in one apartment, basically, but with privacy at night at the beautiful Riviera 2B.

Now we're condensing our trips into baller 2Bs during peak weeks (Thanksgiving/Spring Break) because my job isn't flexible, so I have to make my time count and not have the kids miss too much time from school. Our 400 points isn't going very far with 2Bs peak weeks!

You may want more BLT points if you want the bigger rooms. Also, the PIT cheaper room views overlooking the monorail are also all in the direct line of fire for the blazing sun. I don't mind crappier views, but I do like to use my balcony. I was blinded in February when my DH and I stayed at PIT. Now I want the expensive views -- not just for the views, but to be able to use the freaking balcony with my coffee/margarita/reading my iPad in peace.

I absolutely love the PIT rooms. I think they're really well thought out (although the building hallways are a bit narrow. DH uses a scooter on longer trips.) The PIT rooms are not an issue for the hubbub of Poly in general, but once you want to use the pool and GCH and bell services, it seems a bit chaotic. IDK if you want to tie up funds with overpriced (IMO) direct Poly points. I'd be leaning VDH/LSL for direct points in a couple years if Riviera and Poly are sold out.

Yeahhh being in GCH is a little hectic but we're such big Epcot people, being able to walk to TTC to monorail over or have the option of MK I think is what's pulling me. Also the fact that this is what's actively in sales and is what will most likely sell out first between PVB and VDH makes it feel more pressing. A PVB/VDH combo would pretty much give me all the direct points I'd ever need though 🤔🤔.

Would you be planning DL trips far enough in advance to utilize 7-11 month VGC booking?

If so I vote PVB direct/VGC resale (sorry, probably the most expensive option 🙈)

Poly direct has ok incentives and it could change for the better. You have an April UY so you are in no rush at all to buy unless you want a welcome home trip booked for you in your current UY. PVB direct will also let you book RIV which you like and VDH for last minute availability on a quick weekend or something since you won't be that far away.

If you're not booking value or club rooms IDK that home resort advantage at AKV is necessary if you truly want a MK resort and a DL resort. Would you feel ok with the loss based on trips taken and consolidating UYs? That's how I would make that decision.

If you do end up picking resale contracts I would wait to see some of the commercial renting dust settle. If people are offloading contracts that could help lower some prices. It could be a double-edged sword selling AKV though 🤔

We would probably use the 11 months at VGC/VDH to stay in SoCal during the holidays.

Yeah my original plan was to snag last minute availability at VDH with my RIV points since we have no problem turning it into a quick weekend trip.

The problem is my wife has tasted the good life in the club level rooms and wants more 😂. I am actually yet to stay in a standard/savanna view room. All of our stays in Jambo have been in club/value studios. Once the refurb is done, I can see us booking value 1BRs frequently.

I think I'm attracted to the value of BLT even though I genuinely do like the resort a lot but in terms of owning maybe it doesn't provide much more diversity to my current portfolio since the preferred views are so easy to book.

I appreciate you guys helping me talk through this 😂
 
Beautiful pictures!
As far as the resorts go, in a lot of ways, you have the same thoughts as I do with the same resorts. My current thought (and these thoughts can change often, haha) is VDH direct for California. You can book VDH and wait-list VGC. You'll be able to use those points anywhere in the future.

The Poly/BLT can wait until you get more clear. BLT is the best on paper, but if your wife prefers a club level experience, you might end up getting less DVC so you can have more regular club stays. You are right that the point chart is horrible for the tower. I was looking at a one bedroom for 3 nights in the spring and the only room open is 195 points. That's just too much for me unless I have a reason where I need to burn my points. The economics of BLT sound good, but I actually can't tell that you would be happy with that as a permanent place. That's what I think you can wait to decide about those resorts. You don't seem ecstatic about either of them.
 
Beautiful pictures!
As far as the resorts go, in a lot of ways, you have the same thoughts as I do with the same resorts. My current thought (and these thoughts can change often, haha) is VDH direct for California. You can book VDH and wait-list VGC. You'll be able to use those points anywhere in the future.

The Poly/BLT can wait until you get more clear. BLT is the best on paper, but if your wife prefers a club level experience, you might end up getting less DVC so you can have more regular club stays. You are right that the point chart is horrible for the tower. I was looking at a one bedroom for 3 nights in the spring and the only room open is 195 points. That's just too much for me unless I have a reason where I need to burn my points. The economics of BLT sound good, but I actually can't tell that you would be happy with that as a permanent place. That's what I think you can wait to decide about those resorts. You don't seem ecstatic about either of them.

Hrmm the thing is I DO want a monorail resort it's just there's pros and cons to each. Love the theming at Poly, hate the crowds at GCH and the main pool, the tower definitely had a vibe I liked and I liked that it was separated from the rest of the hustle and bustle. BLT though was just so convenient.. as much as people hate on the aesthetic I actually kind of like it and like eating at SH71 and California Grill but I just don't feel like I absolutely need to own there because of how good the availability is. If I could redo though I probably would've purchased BLT over AKV.

It might be better for us to keep the AKV and just use those points at BLT even though the dues are higher just so I can preserve our low chance of getting club/value and if I can't I'll just book BLT at 7 months 🤷‍♂️
 















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