Which home resort did you choose & why??

[Anthony1971]

We really would like one of the "newer" resorts just for the added years. But I've read some not so welcoming reviews of SSR, amd it was nice to have people say some great things about it. I've never stayed at AK, and I think I'll wait until those reviews come out. I've seen pics of BCV, and if it wasn't so hard to buy, that would probaby be my 1st choice. Does nayone know why BCV is so expensive compared to other resorts???
I continue thanking everyone for their opinions, and trust me your opinions have helped!
Keep them coming!!

First there are a number of BCV resales available so you can buy it with the same ease as any other resale so long as you are willing to pay a higher price. It is the smallest DVC as in the number of rooms and that is where supply and demand come in, if the price is high enough you will have owners wanting to sell for various reasons wich keeps a chain of supply for those who want to buy. What reason you want to own at the resort is personal it does offer some unique options as do all DVC resorts but when you add the smaller number of contracts sold bingo people are willing to pay extra to use the pool as this is the only way you can (or pay cash) and the close proximity to EPCOT but you can buy BWV cheaper if that was important. The two important points to consider are 1 if you can make reservation 11 months in advance and 2 is there were you want to vaction most years. If you answer yes to both then it is worth the extra $ as being happy on vacation is the difference between a good and bad vacation and truthfully the few extra dollars it costs you in the end is irrelevant in the grand scheme of what we spend at Disney have one less TS meal every other trip and that will by a HUGE margin pay the difference.

 

[disneynutz]

We really would like one of the "newer" resorts just for the added years. But I've read some not so welcoming reviews of SSR, amd it was nice to have people say some great things about it. I've never stayed at AK, and I think I'll wait until those reviews come out. I've seen pics of BCV, and if it wasn't so hard to buy, that would probaby be my 1st choice. Does nayone know why BCV is so expensive compared to other resorts???
I continue thanking everyone for their opinions, and trust me your opinions have helped!
Keep them coming!!

BCV is expensive due to demand, either perceived or real.

Take the reviews with a grain of salt. The only thing that matters is how YOU like the resort. We are in the process of staying at each resort at least twice, deciding where to buy and where to sell. Our first stay at BWV was very positive. SSR was also nice with a completely different feel. Everyone has a different picture of their ideal resort. Take SSR for example. Some like the location, away from the main stream and close to DDT/PI. Others say it's too far away from the parks. Because of the location there seems to be less children and more adults. Some folks are in their family years and want to be around a lot of children. Others are empty nester's and are looking for a quieter time.

Peoples tastes vary. We learned the lesson with our first house. DW was in charge of the inside and I was in charge of the outside. During the years that we lived there we made changes to make it our own. DW decorated her part and I decorated mine. When we sold the house we did a walk through with the new owners. During the walk through they made several comments about changes that they were eager to make. First thing to go was my DWs favorite wall paper in the bedroom. DW was in tears. She spent weeks finding just the right look for her nest. I thought, how silly, it's only paper.
Outside I was asked if I had a written record of the sprinkler system for the brick flower beds that I spent years building. I had just spent several hundred dollars planting new shrubs and flowers for the new owners. When I asked why, I was told that the sprinkler pipes needed to be capped off and the plants and flowers removed because the guy grows worms. I started to tear up. DW gave me a hug and said, they're only flower beds.

 

[blueroses]

I bought at SSR because of the Grand Villa availability. I figured that even though BWV has GVs as well, there are still only 7 there, which makes getting one a bit of a crapshoot whether it's your home resort or not.

I bought AKV because Animal Kingdom is quickly becoming my favorite park and because I think the resort is going to be really nice when it's done.

I could see buying at the Contemporary if/when that comes to pass. For one, I already want more points. And secondly, I think that location could become the new BWV/BCV as far as desirability goes, which would mean having a home resort in a high-demand location, extra years on the points, and potentially lower demand for the Epcot area resorts.

 

[disneymomof2boyz]

Thanks for the explanation regarding BCV!!

 

[DTrippie]

I bought into SSR. The main reason is that I am only 30 and my wife is younger then me. The extra years until it expires is the main reason. I figure I can get any resort I want with some due dilligance. I was able to book Animal Kingdom this morning with some frequent dialing to get to member services.

 

[disneymomof2boyz]

Those extra years are a major decision breaker for us. Both my husband and I are currently under 30 yrs. old, and we just started a family, with that said, if we buy in the next year, we will have 50 yrs of DVC.
Maybe I'll wait until CRV comes out, if it comes out. Do DVC members always have first dibs on new resorts?

 

[Starr W.]

Those extra years are a major decision breaker for us. Both my husband and I are currently under 30 yrs. old, and we just started a family, with that said, if we buy in the next year, we will have 50 yrs of DVC.
Maybe I'll wait until CRV comes out, if it comes out. Do DVC members always have first dibs on new resorts?

We were with AKV, if you bought enough points(160 if I remember correctly) you were a "founding member" and got to have your name put on a tapestry that will be hung in the lobby of Kidani.

So my guess if CRV or any other resort is opened, the members will get a "jump" on sales before the general public.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Yes, existing members are always given a small priority buying window before a new DVC opens. I remember with some of the smaller resorts, there was a LOT of pre-sales making them sell out very fast. I think it is one of the reasons SSR ended up being so large. I think they wanted to have a guaranteed sales site for a longer time period like they had at first OKW and the BWV. In fact, they do still use the BWV sales center for open houses. The OKW sales center and dedicated building was torn down and replaced by new villas once that resort sold out. I suspect they might be keeping the SSR sample rooms and sales center available for a longer time, and just keep changing it to reflect new resorts. It does have a nice location near DTD.

 

[BlakeNJ]

We choose SSR because of the great deal offered at the time (Friends & Family $15 off per point and bonus points) plus I liked what I saw in pictures. I know they say, "Buy where you want to stay" but I have to admit, I have stayed at OKW & BCV--even before my first stay at SSR and loved them both. We travel mostly at Thanksgiving time so we will be locked into SSR for the most part, but there will also be trips where I will have the chance to try a different resort.

If your vacation time is somewhat flexible, I say go with the best deal out there and make it a little easier on the wallet.

Best of luck,
Blakely

 

[simzac]

Our favorite non DVC resort is CBR. OKW was the closest match DVC wise to CBR, thus the reason we bought there.

 

[solgent]

We bought SSR in 2005. We wanted the extra years, and we liked the arrangement of rooms opening to the outdoors (that is very Florida to me), the room decor, the pool, and the proximity to DTD.

We will be staying at BCV this August and I would like to stay at AKV next year. What I have seen of those rooms is absolutely gorgeous, but unfortunately there is nowhere to walk as there is at BCV and SSR.

 

[CindiR]

I bought Boardwalk because of the location, mainly. I absolutely love strolling along to Epcot and the boatride is also enjoyable both to Epcot and to MGM.

And it is so cool to sit on your balcony and see TOT.

Another perk is the ability to chose the point levels of the views. Using less points is a big plus in my opinion.

 

[njmeisje]

We are buying into DVC with BCV. We absolutely love Epcot, and the ability to walk into the park. We stay on property to be "IN Disney", so the outer resorts are not for us. Now a POLY DVC would be our heaven on earth.

Diane

 

[Mule2007]

We bought SSR - great deal on pricing due to Friends & Family promo. It's large so it should always have openings when we need them. Getting a foot in the door allows us to enjoy all the DVC sites, as long as we're flexible on travel. As a current member, I can add on in the future if I especially like another resort.

I'd say pick a home resort you like, from Dis or resale market - and explore your options at your leisure.

Mule

 

[loveswdw]

We bought into BCV in March 2003. At the time it was the only property they were selling. We had taken the DVC tour in 1999 on our honeymoon at the Boardwalk (what they were selling then). We absolutely LOVED the BWV and really wanted to buy there but just couldn't justify it at the time. Newly married, new homeowners, just felt like it would put too much on our plate. Jump ahead to 2003--we had discussed it was time to start a family. I told my DH that if we were going to buy DVC we needed to do it then because once we had kids we'd never buy. So I dug out our old DVC tour paperwork (yes, still had it) called our guide and said what's available?

We bought 150 points at BCV sight unseen. Our guide was convinced that we'd love it since we are Epcot lovers. And she was right! We took our first trip home in Oct 2003 (I was 7 months pregnant! How's that for timing?) and we absolutely loved it! It was definitely the perfect resort choice for us. We've stayed at BCV 3 times now and once at OKW (we're usually once a year travellers).

We'll be heading back to OKW in October because we love it there too. Its a whole different vacation experience for us. We are staying OKW this time because we won't be doing much in the way of parks this trip so no need to be in the middle of the action like you are at BCV. OKW is really laid back and its great to hang out in the villa and on the balcony watching the golfers (plus my DS3 is an avid golf fan!).

 

[DizneyNutz]

It was the DVC resort being offered at the time and we THOUGHT the extra years meant more at the time. We sold our SSR contract to buy a VWL contract because we found out that we most wanted to stay there at the holidays when we travel most. The extra time didn't matter as much to US as being able to stay where we wanted to be most.

 

[Fortywinks]

We bought SSR - great deal on pricing due to Friends & Family promo. It's large so it should always have openings when we need them. Getting a foot in the door allows us to enjoy all the DVC sites, as long as we're flexible on travel. As a current member, I can add on in the future if I especially like another resort.

I'd say pick a home resort you like, from Dis or resale market - and explore your options at your leisure.

Mule

Same here. With SSR the MF are less. If you can usually schedule at least 7-11 months out you can book at your home resort with no problem. At 7 months "maybe" depending on the demand but any DVR is a great place to stay!!!

 

[mello]

Both for their locations and other amenities.

We love the location of SSR - it's just removed enough from the parks to feel relaxed, yet close enough to DTD for a little action in the evening if you want it. It's the perfect spot for dh and I to get away from it all. We like the dining options, the boat rides, the walks, the spa and the pool there. Not to mention the longer contract.

And we love the location of BCV - right outside our favorite park, Epcot. It feels more in the middle of the action, so it's perfect for trips with the kids. Of course it has Stormalong Bay going for it, which is a big draw for our two boys!

But really, they're all nice, they each have their own pros and cons, their own feel, and it really just comes down to a matter of personal preference.

 

[mello]

Now a POLY DVC would be our heaven on earth.

Diane

Same here.

 

[wisbucky]

We orginally bought at OKW after staying there on rented points. Prior to that we had seen BWV. We really liked the peacefullness of OKW. Since then we have added on to three other resorts. DH likes the staying at different resorts throughout the year and I like the idea of having choices at the 11 month window.

The main thing I feel you need to consider it buy where you want to stay. If you really feel that your family would want to stay at CRV then maybe you should wait. But I do agree with others that you should first stay at a resort or two and see what you really like.