Will Resort Tastes Change Over the Next Few Decades?

[DrTomorrow]

Greetings!

I've been thinking about something for a while (yes, that's why you smelled something burning ) and I'd like the opinions of you fine folk.

I know we always say "Buy where you want to stay" - and I agree 100%. However, this is what I'm wondering about: will "where we want to stay" change at all over the years, and is there any way to take that into account when picking a resort?

As people go through life stages - single, married no kids, kids, teens, empty-nesters, grandkids, etc. - won't their needs and desires in DVC Resorts change, rendering somewhat moot the concern about who wants to stay where? Plus, isn't is possible (yes, this is Disney heresy, I know) that in 20 years, you'll get tired of what is now your 'favorite' park, and you'll want easier access to another?

Please note that I do not want this to become either a resort-bashing or -promoting thread; as Hoover said in "Animal House", "They're each outstanding in their own way." It's just with all the threads about "breakeven analysis" and "the time value of money", I got to wondering about how we'll feel in 20 years about the choices we made now.

So, your opinions, please - of particular interest to me are those of the first DVCers - you've owned for a decade or so; have your wants/needs/preferences changed in that time? And once again, please keep this civil; I started (and cancelled) this thread a couple of times, worried about a new flame topic. So any nasty-grams will be sent to the bit bucket - or worse, I'll tell Tinkerbell on you!

Thanks!

 

[Patty3]

DrTommorow, I know that my needs have changed, but so far, I would not do anything different in regards to my home resorts. We bought in 1998 at the BWV and then again in 2000 at the BCV. When we first bought in 1998, two sons were now adults and living on their own, but we still had a daughter at home who was in high school. All the children loved the BWV area because of the easy access to Epcot and MGM as well as the nightlife at the BW. We bought in 2000 at the BCV because of SAB and I have always loved the YC/BC. We now have two Grandchildren and they love SAB for the sandy bottom, but we do find that when we are with them we spend more time at the MK than we do if we are not with them. Now, if a DVC does open on the monorail line, we would definitely buy there as well. We have three children and we would will one to each of them or, if DH is retired by then, we would have to sell either the BWV or BCV and then buy the resort on the monorail line. You know, since we bought ours at different times, the cost was not a break the bank situation at that time in our lifes. But when you stop to realize that we have over $30,000 plus maintenance invested, that is not a small chunk of change to us! Just shows how much the members love their DVC!

 

[kweaver]

Nah...I don't think they will change much. Most people who loved the Poly (for example) 30 years ago still love the Poly.

Life situations...kids/no kids...grandkids/no grandkids...etc. change for everyone over the years. I think all of the DVC resorts have a little something for everyone and the large majority will still be happy with their "home resort" 30 years from now.

 

[CarolMN]

Not something I worry about - but thanks for the fresh thread. (Sometimes the same ol' same ol' gets a bit boring, LOL).

I don't worry about it because there isn't anything I can do about it right now (even if I thought I'd have the problem in the future).

If/When I have the "problem", I'll either use the 7 month window & waitlist process, trade reservations with someone, buy an add on or sell out - however the spirit moves me at the time.

Best wishes -

 

[Mike]

Although I have only been an official DVC member for a week now, I think you raise some very valid points. That is the problem that I have with the "buy where you want to stay" philosophy. This is a long-term commitment and where I want to stay now almost definitely will not be where I want to stay when my children are grown and off on their own. My philosophy was to buy in via the cheapest route thru an OKW resale. The attraction is the lower cost, lower points and lower MFs. I understand the whole 11/7 month booking issues, but in order to truly realize the flexibility of the DVC program one cannot dwell on this. My current strategy is to stay one week at OKW and the second week at BCV or BWV. I don't know what it will be in 5 or 10 years. So much can and will change over the course of the contract. WDW will change, my family vacation situation will change, and my likes/dislikes will change. It's a moving target to some degree so to utilize the steadfast rule of buying where you want to stay doesn't gell with me. I have access to 5 amazing resorts (6 once they hurry up and finish the DVC section of the CR ). Each has their pros and cons and those pros and cons will shift (in my eyes) as the years roll bye. I don't sweat it - I know I'll have the ability to tailor my vacation to my current situation.

 

[RobDoc]

We're in our 12th year of DVC ownership and have stayed at all 7 DVC resorts.

Since we are now able to travel to WDW multiple times each year, there is little on our "must do" list any more- so we concentrate on exploring and enjoying the amenities at the resort. Since the parks are not of significant importance on most trips any more (unless we have friends/family with us), our resort location is not important- but we often visit several resorts (mostly to explore the lobby/shops, but also for a dining experience). Sometimes, our only park adventures are to enjoy a meal and with AP's we have no concerns about getting our $$ worth.

We have found many positives about each DVC resort and, in the future, will likely continue to enjoy stays at every resort - made within 7 months. We will also reserve at our home resort at 11 months to be sure we have a reservation and will be quite content in the unlikely event that nothing becomes available at another resort within 7 months.

We've found that by using WDW transportation (with a little advance planning), we have great access to all venues regardless where we're staying, so resort location doesn't affect our enjoyment at all. We can get to DD just as easily from BWV, VWL and BCV as from OKW or SSR. We can enjoy the boardwalk shops and restaurants easily from VWL, OKW and SSR.

I think many members may reach a similar conclusion as time goes on.

Stay Tuned!!

 

[tjkraz]

I'm sure someone will take this comment the wrong way, but I have to admit I chuckle a bit everytime I read the words "we bought at XXX because we have small children...." Umm...exactly how long will your children be "small"??? We aren't talking about booking one trip six months from now--we're talking about 40 to 50 years worth of trips!

Hopefully that logic is just part of the overall decision-making process and not the entire justification for it.

I've said it before and I'll say it again--I think a Home resort decision is best made based upon the interests of the adults involved in the purchase. If you love BCV--great--but don't buy all of your points at BCV "because my kids love the pool" if you (as the adult) actually prefer VWL. It makes more sense to spend 10 years trying to get into BCV at 7 months than it does to spend 30 years trying to get into VWL at 7 months.

 

[StormalongKay]

Hey Dr. Tomorrow, I was just wondering the same thing! With the latest rumors about possible DVC at CR, I was considering if that would affect my choice of home resort. Right now I'm at BCV and I love it. But I always stayed at CR as a kid so if that becomes a reality, I will probably buy a second contract there.

Is it location, location, location (as they say in real estate)? I wonder if the question depends on the type of future choices vs. a shift in personal preferences?

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Sure I think that tastes will change but don't really care that much about it. Think about how cool the Contemporary Resort was back in the early 1970's. Now it is dated and one of the less expensive deluxe hotels.

But of course the BWV is the best and that will never change! I'm sorry I couldn't stop myself. Put me on your ignore list if you must!

Great quote Dr. T. Note the quote in my signature by Emil Faber.

HBC

 

[MrsM]

I don't have much to add other than what's already been said, just that I agree with the "buy where you want to stay" philosophy.

We bought our DVC membership kind of on the spur of the moment. We knew the basics of it before we took the tour, but instead of thinking about it for a while, we decided to buy when we took the tour. I wanted to to buy at VB or HH since the dues were lower, but DH felt that we should buy at VWL since we love the atmosphere and wanted to make sure we we could book there 11 months out.

What a smart guy! I'm glad I know that we can book there at 11 months and not have to worry about not getting what we want at 7 months. I would like to try the other resorts, but I wouldn't feel that I missed anything if we were "stuck" staying at VWL.

 

[bobbiwoz]

DH and I spent 12 hours driving from Cape May to Ohio yesterday, and we touched on this topic. I mentioned that our upcoming trip to OKW may open new possibilities for us. I know that people in the past have talked about the good point values at OKW and use them to stay there for weeks or months during the winter when they retire. DH wasn't willing to consider that, he thinks we'll always love VWL and the Epcot resorts and prefer to stay there. We'll see.

Bobbi

 

[colleen costello]

I think our views probably will change. We own at BCV and hubby and I talk a lot about how nice that will be SOMEDAY when strolling to the nations for a nice meal will become a possibility. Right now I am the proud owner of two of the above mentioned "small children" and the Magic Kingdom is all there is! I continue to hold out hope that there will always be at least some flexibility in where we all stay -- because the variety is one of the things that makes DVC so cool.

 

[erikthewise]

Blasphemy! Home resorts are like marriage. If your tastes or needs change, that's too bad -- you're stuck with it. You deserve to suffer for the remaining 38 years of your contract.


"months"?!?!?

 

[spiceycat]

oh I agree DVC is very flexibility and that makes it a great vacation home....

the majority of my ownership is at OKW - lovely resort - I also own small contracts at VWL and BWV - so it doesn't matter - no matter what DVC does in the future - I have my MK resort, my Epcot resort and my DD resort....

I use to own at VB too - but I visited the Panhandle beaches alot and VB beach did not live up to them - so I sold it and got a timeshare on the Panhandle. Okay I know some people here love the VB beach - but everyone has different taste.....

however the family favorite yes even the teenagers is OKW.

 

[manning]

will "where we want to stay" change at all over the years, and is there any way to take that into account when picking a resort?

That's where gray hairs come from!!

 

[CVW]

The thing we DVC'ers need to keep in mind is how little it really matters to any of us staying at WDW. (HHI and VB excepted.) Regardless of where you are, you're at WDW!

So a more germane question would be, "Is anyone getting tired of coming to Disney?"

And while you're at it, try starting threads entitled, "Church...why bother?" or "American citizenship...what a waste," or maybe, "Mother's Day...what gives HER the right to her own holiday?"

To any newbies lurking out there, consider this. My other timeshare is at Big Cedar near Branson. Branson is a great place to take young kids, and I'm sure I will get value out of it for quite a while. But I figure I may sell it in fifteen years for Hawaii or Caribbean. It's a quality resort that should keep its value.

Disney, on the other hand, I expect to use for the rest of my life. But even if I didn't, the great thing about DVC is that you CAN SELL it for a good return!

If you see yourself using a spot for ten years or so, don't sweat it. You'll get your money's worth even if your needs change down the road. And indeed, the lighthearted nature of this entire thread should underscore how relaxed all of us are with our investment.

 

[mikesmom]

Our tastes change over the course of the year! When we bought in we chose BWV for the location. Later we boought an add on at OKW so that we would have access to a GV when the extended family came along with us. We find that when DH and I want a stress relief trip for the 2 of us, our favorite becomes OKW. When we take our annual trip to the Food & Wine Fest our favorite has to be BWV. When we want to take extended family, the favored resort (because of space) becomes OKW again. I'm sure that if we could ever get free in December our favorite would be VWL.

Each has something to offer at different times. I also agree with Webmaster Doc. With repeated trips we have gotten more skilled at using Disney Transport and really are happy anywhere we can get our reservation.

 

[mom2alix]

We bought at VWL since we got married at WL and I think it will be agreat anniversary escape when the kids are grown. Right now it's also wonderful since we are so close to MK and that's where our small children want to spend the majority of time. Later on I can see where one of the Epcot area resorts might be nice when the kids are old enough to want to do more over there, but we've got lots of time before then and add-ons may be calling my name by then. I keep trying to convince DH that we need another 200 pt contract so we have one to leave to each of the kids. (Oh, and I guess I'D get to use it in the meantime! ) Overall, I don't think we'll ever regret our home resort, especially since as a smaller resort it is much more likely to be difficult to get at the 7 month window than some of the others.

 

[SoCalKDG]

I'm sure someone will take this comment the wrong way, but I have to admit I chuckle a bit everytime I read the words "we bought at XXX because we have small children...." Umm...exactly how long will your children be "small"??? We aren't talking about booking one trip six months from now--we're talking about 40 to 50 years worth of trips!

I have a small child, and hope for another, but the wife and I bought at BWV because thats what we liked.

Look for us to try booking BCV in the warmer months while the kids are young, and occasionally VWL if we go in December. I almost have my wife talked into moving between resorts during our vacation(she is the one that packs).

I chose BWV based on the getting stuck factor. If I couldn't get another resort at 7 months, where would I want to be stuck at , thus BWV for us.

Who knows, we may see a 5th resort in the future that may affect peoples choices(Disney Sea please).

 

[TwirlerGirl]

Yes, our taste has changed and so has our situation. We purchased in '97 at OKW. We loved the resort. Our sons, who were both in college at the time thought they would never vacation with us. Now they can't wait for the next invitation. They each have families with different needs so we have stayed at different resorts. Both families enjoy BCV as first choice, while one prefers VWL as a second choice and the other BWV. Hopefully we will continue to enjoy all the resorts as occupancy allows.


Sandy