Which to choose?

[wildernessDad]

Well, if it were between BLT and SSR, I'd personally choose BLT.

But my question to you is, "Where do YOU want to stay?" Because you'll have those points for a very long time. Make sure you are happy with where you'll be staying or you'll be miserable in the long run. Or in the short run!

As you can see, I have chosen VWL and AKV as my home resorts. Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge were both designed by Peter Dominic, who in my opinion was one of the great American architects. He also designed Grand Californian Hotel.

Bottom line advice: Buy where you want to stay.

 

[Havana]

Three words for you. Location, Location, Location. Especially if you don't have a car.

That is kind of what I am leaning towards too, Location. We usually have a car, but I can stay at a Value and drive my car. Why not get the added benefit of being so close! OK I'm leaning towards BLT, just trying to justify the added upfront cost. Or should I say leaning towards BLT at the moment. Funny last night it was SSR for the value.

 

[wildernessDad]

That is kind of what I am leaning towards too, Location. We usually have a car, but I can stay at a Value and drive my car. Why not get the added benefit of being so close! OK I'm leaning towards BLT, just trying to justify the added upfront cost. Or should I say leaning towards BLT at the moment. Funny last night it was SSR for the value.

Over the long haul, maintenance fees (dues) will be the largest expenditure. Currently BLT is at $3.78 per point and SSR is at $4.40 per point.

 

[Havana]

Over the long haul, maintenance fees (dues) will be the largest expenditure. Currently BLT is at $3.78 per point and SSR is at $4.40 per point.

That is a large part of our thinking process as well. After 25 years BLT seems to become less expensive. Is it unreasonable to expect 3% increases at both blt and ssr?

 

[DizGirl20]

Is it this hard to choose for everyone?!

Not to totally confuse you, but I was beating myself up trying to choose b/w BLT and SSR... and then BLT and OKW.

BUT THEN.

We went and stayed at BCV. Now I can not imagine staying anywhere else but BCV! I am so glad we waited until we went down and did quick walking tours of all the properties or I would have made the wrong choice. I know it's hard to be patient, but if you have the time to explore all the properties, perhaps it may make your decision a bit easier? Good Luck - please let us know what you decide!

 

[Havana]

We choose...... BLT 100 points. I'm sure we will be adding on within the year.
What an intense week that was. Non stop deciding and going back and forth on where an how much. I'm glad that's over!

 

[Goofy DVC]

Congrats

 

[ToddyLu]

Welcome Home!! You bought where you wanted to stay!!!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Is it this hard to choose for everyone?!

It was a no brainer for us.. Our jaw hit the floor when we saw each of our home resorts- VWL, VB, AKV, and VGC.
I don't care about walking to a park, or a monorail, or a boat.
I bought those resorts for the intense theming, and transporting me to a different place.
While I like all the resorts, not all of them give me that extreme reaction.
Of course, everyone has different tastes and appreciate different resort styles.

Just one Member's opinion...
MG

PS- CONGRATS & WELCOME HOME!

 

[sadiespicks]

We choose...... BLT 100 points. I'm sure we will be adding on within the year.
What an intense week that was. Non stop deciding and going back and forth on where an how much. I'm glad that's over!

I'm late to the party but I like the choice. As for the adding on, we held out for about 14 months before we decided to add on. Original at BLT as that is where we want to stay for at least a few more years. We did buy that contract direct (primarily a comfort thing).

We then added on at SSR. So my answer was going to be both. We added on through TSS and saved a ton vs. direct, and they are even lower now.

I like the SSR resort. I'm not as keen on the location. We however travel at off peak times and think we will be able to get whatever resort we want at the 7 month window.

This year (a bit inside of 7 months, with a brief waitlist stint) we were able to get BCV in November still during the Food and Wine Fest.

So, congrats.

 

[Sandisw]

While BLT is more point expensive that SSR and OKW.

Something many people don't realize BLT standard view can be less point expensive than BWV Pool/Garden, BCV, VWL, and some of AKV rooms.

Some of these standard views have as good or better views of MK than some of the MK view rooms.

This is true for us. We travel in Magic Season and will be until I retire in about 9 years as I teach and all of my break times are Magic Season. The 1 bedrooms at BLT (SV) are actually 1 point less per weekday night than BCV, BWV, and VWL during summer, the only other resorts we are interested in. And if we were to stay at AKV, it would be in a SV view room and that is 2 points more.

So, I really think it depends on when you travel and how you feel about the other resorts. There is no question that I could spend less points at OKW or SSR, but since those resorts are not ones that interest me, the point difference is irrelevant.

I am still a believer in buy where you will be happy, especially if your resort is an important part of the trip. For my family, that is the #1 priority so we didn't compromise when we bought. We bought for BLT and price was not a consideration. Matter of fact, we started out with a VWL resale and I realized it was a mistake, sold two months later, and am much happier as a sole owner of BLT points.

 

[hoffmann2828]

I know it's too late, and you've already purchased

I just wanted to add my .02 - I prefer BLT and I haven't stayed there yet! I did stay at SSR a couple years ago, and I was just okay with it. Didn't hate it, but didn't fall in love with it either. It had a more "motel" feel to me (like OKW) and I guess I prefer more "hotel" feel like BLT and BWV.

We purchased at VWL in 02, but we didn't know any better at the time to buy where we loved. Not that I wouldn't have bought it, I just didn't think about it at the time.

If I wanted to add again, I would do so where I really had my heart set on staying. We added 100 pts at BLT last month because I don't want to get left out of ever staying there if I want to.

I kind of looked at it like --- if I went to make a ressie and I had been planning on BLT and it wasn't available, would I be really upset/disappointed/cry? If the answer is yes, then buy there. Some people would think it's no big deal, make lemonade, and move on. Those are the people that should by the cheapest resort for points and just stay wherever MS tells them they can.

Jenny