Which would you buy?

[savannahcat]

We have to decided to make a DVC purchase in the near future, but are still on the fence about where and what to buy.

The facts:
-We would like to own at least 200 points eventually.
-We are primarily interested in staying at BCV, BLT, and BWI. Split stays are a possibility.
-At least for the near-term, we are most likely to travel in the summer or around Thanksgiving with an occasional trip in October or January.
-We have two daughters who would inherit our contracts eventually and giving them something of equal value is a consideration. Expiration dates will play into this.
-We have cash in savings, but I only feel comfortable spending $10K of that on a purchase like this in the current economy. We are currently debt-free except for our mortgage.

Our choices:
1) Buy a resale contract of 100 points at BCV or BWI now and pay with cash. Add on 100 points at BLT when we feel comfortable paying cash for that also.
2) Buy two 100 point contracts at BLT now, putting a down payment of $5K on each and financing the remainder.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

ETA: I meant to post this under Mousecellanous - please move if necessary.

 

[chalee94]

tough call. if you start with BCV and then add-on a BLT, someone would wind up with a contract that expired in 2042 while the other daughter would get a contract through 2060.

it's better to pay cash, but the incentives are there for 200 pts at BLT and it'd be easier to divide later...

 

[Sandisw]

If you start with a resale contract of only 100 points, will that give you the stays you want until you are ready to add on?

If it were me, and this is JMHO, I would go with buying the 200 points at BLT and financing if I know that I would be adding on in a year or so anyway. While the cost of the financing needs to be taken into consideration in the overall cost, you will be getting contracts that expire 18 years later than either BCV, or BWV, the MF's are a cheaper (at least for the time being), and you will have the points you need from the get go to do the trips that it sounds like you are planning.

Good luck!

 

[savannahcat]

If you start with a resale contract of only 100 points, will that give you the stays you want until you are ready to add on?

If it were me, and this is JMHO, I would go with buying the 200 points at BLT and financing if I know that I would be adding on in a year or so anyway. While the cost of the financing needs to be taken into consideration in the overall cost, you will be getting contracts that expire 18 years later than either BCV, or BWV, the MF's are a cheaper (at least for the time being), and you will have the points you need from the get go to do the trips that it sounds like you are planning.

Good luck!

In the beginning, I'm not too concerned about having enough points for the entirety of the trips we'll be taking. For some time, we've been an offsite family, staying in the condos/houses at Windsor Hills. We still enjoy staying there, so we would likely do a long summer trip with a split stay between a condo and DVC. We will likely always do this to some degree since we can get a condo for only $400-500 dollars a week. The thing we love about DVC is the location of BCV, BWI, and BLT. (We've always wanted to stay in the Boardwalk area or on the monorail, but thought it was out of our reach financially until we got a discount rate for the Swan this July. Now we're hooked on that location!)

Can anyone tell me how much difficulty I will have getting a studio for 5 weeknights at BCV or BWV at the 7 month mark if I buy at BLT? Likely travel times would be summer, October, January, or Thanksgiving. I already know that October (F&W) and Thanksgiving will be difficult, but will it be impossible?

 

[chalee94]

Can anyone tell me how much difficulty I will have getting a studio for 5 weeknights at BCV or BWV at the 7 month mark if I buy at BLT?

if you think you'll want to stay at BCV/BWV on a regular basis, you should buy there. BCV especially is smaller and will generally be difficult to book at 7 months (especially like you've said for f&w and thanksgiving).

i would expect BLT-lake view rooms to have more availability at 7 months than BCV.

 

[DebbieB]

BWV and BCV probably will not be difficult for summer, especially if you take the pool/garden view at BWV. October, Thanksgiving might be a little harder but not necessarily impossible at 7 months. You can always waitlist. I think availability at BWV and BCV might get easier as more people try AKV and BLT.

I personally would go with BLT. You get 18 more years and the dues are much lower.

 

[bookwormde]

If you do not have to have SAB and you want to be sure to get a 5 day or longer reservation at BCV or BWV then I would go for BWV since you can get 10-15% more points at BWV for the same $s. As for the length of time of the contracts I would guess that at some point they will extend the 2042 DVC, the chances of them tearing them down or converting them to CRO seams remote.

bookwormde

 

[thelionqueen]

Tough call. If you really like the Epcot area, I would buy cash points at BCV then add on at BLT in the future.

Keep in mind that "addonitis" is real and spreads like a rampant disease once you buy DVC . Remember you staying at the Swan and now you're hooked? That feeling is nothing compared to the itch to add on once you're a member

I highly suggest you buy where you most likely will want to stay, even though you will get far less use years than buying BLT, just my .02

 

[disneynutz]

Buy where you love to stay.
If you haven't stayed there yet, rent first.
Don't expect your kids to love WDW they way you do.
Sell your membership in 10 to 15 years.

 

[savannahcat]

Buy where you love to stay.
If you haven't stayed there yet, rent first.
Don't expect your kids to love WDW they way you do.
Sell your membership in 10 to 15 years.

This is a great point. Although my kids love WDW now, when they are adults, it may be a different story. Thanks for pointing that out! I do see DH and I going to WDW for the long haul though - especially after the kids are grown.

My problem is that I think I will want to stay in both BLT and BCV or BWV. We are not pool people, so SAB is not a big draw for us. Renting first sounds like a good idea, but I hate to spend $$ renting when I know we are going to buy...

 

[toniosmom]

I believe you can buy two 100 point contracts at BLT. I thought I remember seeing a post from someone who did that and was able to get the 200 point incentive. This way you will have equal contracts for your kids. Lower point contracts are easier to sell too, in case you need/want to.

Since you are not pool people, SAB doesn't seem to be a priority. BLT and it's MK access and especially the MK view is going to be tough to get at the 7 month mark.

My vote is to buy 200 in BLT and finance. You can pay off early with no prepayment penalty and during that time you are able to enjoy trips home!

Good luck in your decision.

 

[savannahcat]

Tough call. If you really like the Epcot area, I would buy cash points at BCV then add on at BLT in the future.

Keep in mind that "addonitis" is real and spreads like a rampant disease once you buy DVC . Remember you staying at the Swan and now you're hooked? That feeling is nothing compared to the itch to add on once you're a member

I highly suggest you buy where you most likely will want to stay, even though you will get far less use years than buying BLT, just my .02

I can really believe that "addonitis" is real. I imagine it's just like ending up with four trips on our annual pass this year instead of the two we originally planned!

 

[disneynutz]

This is a great point. Although my kids love WDW now, when they are adults, it may be a different story. Thanks for pointing that out! I do see DH and I going to WDW for the long haul though - especially after the kids are grown.

My problem is that I think I will want to stay in both BLT and BCV or BWV. We are not pool people, so SAB is not a big draw for us. Renting first sounds like a good idea, but I hate to spend $$ renting when I know we are going to buy...

BLT is the current hyped resort. The reason that Disney is pushing it so hard is that they expect it's sales to slow a bit once it's open just like Kidani did.

It's a high rise with a very limited view of the MK.

The points required to stay there are high.

It doesn't have it's own Front Desk, Valet, Bell Desk, or restaurants.

The observation deck doesn't belong to the DVC and the rules for access can and will change at Disney's discretion.

You can walk to the Contemporary and use the monorail or bus, but if you are headed to the MK it's faster to walk.

For two adults, I vote for BWV. Close to DHS and Epcot with Epcot being a park favored by adults.

I know it's hard to justify renting before buying, but do you really want to take a chance buying a property that you really don't love. Rent a split stay and spend a couple of days each at the resorts that you are interested in. You will be much happier in the long run and it will be money well spent, plus it's another reason for a great Disney vacation.

 

[savannahcat]

As for the length of time of the contracts I would guess that at some point they will extend the 2042 DVC, the chances of them tearing them down or converting them to CRO seams remote.

bookwormde

When they offered the extension at OKW, what did you have to do to accept it? Was there an additional amount due? And if so, how much?

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

We love BWV because of the standard and boardwalk view points.

We love the flexibility of saving points, or having a spectacular view.

DO buy where you love to stay...but if I were only spending $10k, I'd go for BWV for the flexibility.

I should know...I spent less than $10k, and chose BWV. We love it!

 

[SamSam]

I believe you can buy two 100 point contracts at BLT. I thought I remember seeing a post from someone who did that and was able to get the 200 point incentive. This way you will have equal contracts for your kids. Lower point contracts are easier to sell too, in case you need/want to.

Since you are not pool people, SAB doesn't seem to be a priority. BLT and it's MK access and especially the MK view is going to be tough to get at the 7 month mark.

My vote is to buy 200 in BLT and finance. You can pay off early with no prepayment penalty and during that time you are able to enjoy trips home!

Good luck in your decision.

Yes, you can buy two 100 point contracts and still get whatever incentives are being offered. We did this for an add on at AKV, makes it easier to split between siblings...or, heaven forbid you find you need to sell a contract. Small contracts are much easier to sell than larger ones.

 

[5forDiz]

When they offered the extension at OKW, what did you have to do to accept it? Was there an additional amount due? And if so, how much?

If you accepted it was initially $15 per point to extend. That increased to $20 per point iirc in April 2008. As far as I know it is still at $20 per point although there was talk after it went up to $20 per point that it would soon be increased to $25 per point. If you wanted to decline the extension there was paperwork that needed to be signed & notarized & returned to DVC.

We're OKW owners & although we absolutely it we decided not to extend; we felt the $ would be better spent doing add-on for points we can make use of in the here & now instead of putting $ towards something that we don't get the benefit of until after 2042. There have been numerous threads here on the DIS both in favor of the extension and against, debates about the way DVC went about it, the cost to extend etc. On resale market extended OKW contracts are not selling for $15 - 20 more than non-extended so for DH & I this makes us think too that we made a good decision not to extend....although, at least for me, if I voted with my heart instead of my head I'd have extended.

btw if you buy OKW directly through Disney you will be sold an extended contract.

 

[CarolMN]

....(snip).....Can anyone tell me how much difficulty I will have getting a studio for 5 weeknights at BCV or BWV at the 7 month mark if I buy at BLT? Likely travel times would be summer, October, January, or Thanksgiving. I already know that October (F&W) and Thanksgiving will be difficult, but will it be impossible?

As you say October and Thanksgiving week will be difficult, but not totally impossible. (January and the summer months are relatively easy to book at 7 months).

That said, if you want a standard view studio or a Boardwalk view studio for those times, you need to own BWV. It is virtually impossible to get either of those at 7 months. Yes, there are exceptions, but they are very few and far between compared to the number of members who want them.

IMO, getting a pool/garden studio at BWV for Thanksgiving at 7 months is not a slam dunk either, but if you call as soon as the 7 month window opens you have a reasonable shot at it, especially if you are wiling to waitlist. You will be successful some of the time, but not all. BCV is also possible, but since the number of studios there is less than at BWV, it is more difficult.

Just keep in mind that there are many, many DVC members who will also be trying to reserve a room at the smaller resorts at 7 months. The number of members will continue to increase, but availability at the smaller resorts will not. Only YOU know how important the resort is to your vacation experience.

Bottom line: Don't buy a resort where you would not be happy to stay if you can't switch at 7 months.

 

[savannahcat]

Bottom line: Don't buy a resort where you would not be happy to stay if you can't switch at 7 months.

This might be the one statement that makes my decision easier. If I can't get BCV or BWV for a particular trip, I will be "stuck" staying within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom! I can't even imagine how that could be disappointing!