Which Resort Should I buy

[ToddyLu]

OK, I will say it....look at pics of the Clown Pool at night Then stay somewhere else (OK I am kidding--but that pool creeps me out)

Everyone has a preference, that is what is so great about DVC. This is how DH and I decided on AKV. I was willing to buy less expensive points at SSR (we purhcased direct) just to be a member and have the benefit of staying in a villa during our trips. Yes, the koolaid is great....DH said ohhhh, noooo--I am not staying there.

So... we decided against SSR because it is huge and so very quiet, plus we do not like the condo vibe. No on BWV or BCV because we live within two hours of the best beaches on the Gulf Coast and I guess that is the same reason we did not choose OKW. We like Epcot but did not have to be near that park. VWL reminded DH of his days fighting forrest fires in national parks--yeah, I thought that was silly too. BLT does nothing for us and neither of us understood the parking lot view (I would love the lake however)--we also thought it was a negative to have to take an elevator to the sky bridge, then go across the bridge, up to the monorail on an escalator--you get the point. Plus we do not have children so we did not need the ease of getting children back and forth. Decor was also too modern.

We live in MS so VGC was out. VB and HH are on beaches and we have access to those and we wanted to only be on WDW property.

That leaves AKV. DH really only wanted to stay there. He is what I call a DVC purist and will probably never let me try points at a different DVC resort. We like the hotel inside hallway design. We like the dark decor, remoteness of the resort (one of its positives for us), and of course the animals. Now that we have several trips under our belt we made the best decision for us. We enjoy staying at the resort now days and appreciate the amenities there.

So I picked DVC and DH picked the resort because that really made a difference to him.

Sorry this was long but maybe some of our reasoning will help you.

I have to say, "Bravo for doing your homework first and trying to think this through!!" You are on your way to many happy vacations.

[DocDiDi]

We own at SSR and were able to book at BLT for next June at 7 months. We are a family of 4 and it was the separate bedroom for us that convinced my hubby to buy into the DVC. I love my girls, but everyone seems less crabby when we have our own space we can relax in. Of course, they loved the master bath at the treehouses.

[crisi]

I wouldn't split a lot of small points.

I would be aware that low point cost rooms are not often available at seven months, so if your plan hinges on BLT Standard, VAKL Value and BWV Standard, you'll need to own all three, but you'll end up short and/or wasting points in the juggle. Or you'll be moving a lot.

What I would do is make a list of everything that is important to you - everything from the financial items (purchase price, dues), length of contract, to the intangibles - theming, ability to park close to your room. Closeness to your favorite park. For some people, there are things that are really important that are completely unimportant to other people. Give each of these a value based on how important it is to you. Then score the resorts against your list. Multiply it out, add it up and you'll have an answer.

I think that a family of five that is comfortable in tight quarters does better in a Deluxe resort that will sleep five than a DVC one bedroom - unless you want the kitchen. It will be cheaper and a lot more flexible.

[mouseaider]

One thing that stands out to me that nobody has addressed is your preference to stay 7 to 10 nights in November or early December. You will need a minimum of 200 points to accomplish that..... 250 would be better.

[BillyBuckner]

Originally Posted by crisi

I wouldn't split a lot of small points.

I would be aware that low point cost rooms are not often available at seven months, so if your plan hinges on BLT Standard, VAKL Value and BWV Standard, you'll need to own all three, but you'll end up short and/or wasting points in the juggle. Or you'll be moving a lot.

What I would do is make a list of everything that is important to you - everything from the financial items (purchase price, dues), length of contract, to the intangibles - theming, ability to park close to your room. Closeness to your favorite park. For some people, there are things that are really important that are completely unimportant to other people. Give each of these a value based on how important it is to you. Then score the resorts against your list. Multiply it out, add it up and you'll have an answer.

I think that a family of five that is comfortable in tight quarters does better in a Deluxe resort that will sleep five than a DVC one bedroom - unless you want the kitchen. It will be cheaper and a lot more flexible.

Thanks for your comments.

I think the splitting up of points into small contracts confused people because I explained it poorly.

What I was trying to say is that if 50% of points were at BWV, 25% at BLT, 25% at AKV then in "odd years" I could stay 3/4 nights each at BWV and BLT (using 2 years of BLT points) and in "even years" I could stay 3/4 nights each at BWV and AKV. Don't get too picky on the math because I realize that in order to do this every year I might need 220 points, but what I am trying to illustrate is the concept.

Having said that, I'm having trouble finding any BW contract for June, Aug, Sept, Oct at less than 200 points, let alone 150, 100, or 75 points.

If I decide to buy any contract 160(or less) at BWV with Uy between June and Oct how long will it take to find one?

[crisi]

No, I get the concept, frankly anyone who has owned for a while gets what you are trying to do, I just think you'll be disappointed in the reality. It's going to be harder to manage than you believe it to be. If you have a lot of time to dink around and manage points, and are smarter than the average bear, it might be worthwhile...but for most people, you are on a path to disappointment.

People who own multiple resorts tend to own many more points than your plan and travel much more often. That helps even out the management issues.

[BillyBuckner]

Originally Posted by crisi

No, I get the concept, frankly anyone who has owned for a while gets what you are trying to do, I just think you'll be disappointed in the reality. It's going to be harder to manage than you believe it to be. If you have a lot of time to dink around and manage points, and are smarter than the average bear, it might be worthwhile...but for most people, you are on a path to disappointment.

People who own multiple resorts tend to own many more points than your plan and travel much more often. That helps even out the management issues.

Thanks for your comment. If I am good at only one thing, that thing is math; but I guess it really does me no to ponder how to USE "unobtanium" since there is no readily available source to PROCURE "unobtanium"

[BillyBuckner]

You guys (and gals) have convinced me that one contract (or maybe at most 2) is the way to go. My next question is how long will I need to wait to find the right BWV contract? I have been looking for two weeks so far and I have not seen any BWV contract with less than 170 points in a June, Aug, Sept, or Oct UY. (I did see one for April and one for Dec but those UY don't work well for me).

[bwvBound]

re: finding the perfect contract
Put in requests with the major resale groups.

FWIW, my initial purchase was in 2004. I was looking specifically for BWV, Dec UY, ~200 points. It took about 4 months to find and make offers on 3 contracts. All three eventually failed somewhere on the road to ROFR. (Two were accepted by the seller but they later changed their minds. One was never responded to -- likely outbid by other buyer.) Weary of the game, I went SSR/OCT direct. (At the time, SSR direct was only a few dollars more per point than BWV resale and offered the longer contract length.)

[crisi]

Originally Posted by BillyBuckner

You guys (and gals) have convinced me that one contract (or maybe at most 2) is the way to go. My next question is how long will I need to wait to find the right BWV contract? I have been looking for two weeks so far and I have not seen any BWV contract with less than 170 points in a June, Aug, Sept, or Oct UY. (I did see one for April and one for Dec but those UY don't work well for me).

The more flexible you can be the easier it will be. There are multiple resellers. It early shouldn't take very long, I'm surprised something isn't out there right now for you, but resales look tight all over right now, and the isnt much at bw at all. There are usually lots of 150 point contacts.

You might want to let the resellers know what you are looking for, sometimes they can alert you when something comes up so you don't miss it.

[DizBub]

There should be more available soon. New year, MFs coming due usually means more contracts go on the resale market.

[BillyBuckner]

Originally Posted by DizBub

There should be more available soon. New year, MFs coming due usually means more contracts go on the resale market.

Does this translate into more motivated sellers and a better opportunity to get a good deal?

[DizBub]

Originally Posted by BillyBuckner

Does this translate into more motivated sellers and a better opportunity to get a good deal?

I would think so. Some people tend to freak out a little when they get their dues bill. Especially when they have gone up.....after Christmas.

Last January there were tons. With the rumors of more resale restrictions coming they may go fast.

[dr&momto2boys]

If you would stay at BWV more than AKV then I would recommend buying at BWV. AKV is easier to get into at 7 months. It sounds like you're not generally traveling during high demand times though, so you'll likely be okay anyway. The resale prices for AKV have been amazing! Haven't checked them lately but we added on 160 points early this year at $55pp and there were even some banked points.
We own at BWV, BLT, and AKV. Good choices!

[TinkandGoofy'sMom]

Based on 2013 points charts you would need:
Nov1-Dec 15: AKV 181 points, BWV 166 points (1br)
Jan 1-31: AKV 162 points, BWV 154 points
Feb 1-15: AKV 200 points, BWV 206 points
All based on standard view, one week, 1 bedroom.

I would recommend getting 200 points. We own at AKV and absolutly love it. We stay in a one bedroom with our two kids and everyone has enough space. One child sleeps on the pull-out couch, the other on the pull-out chair, and hubby and I have the bedroom ALL TO OURSELVES. We love having the washer/dryer in the room, and the extra bathroom makes getting ready stress-free for everyone. We love the atmosphere of the resort, and the pool area is great. The splash area would be fun for your little one. access to Jambo House is very quick and easy (either walking or by shuttle) , and we like the underground parking. Bus service is usually great, and dedicated to AKV only (no multiple stops). We stayed this past summer for 5 nights in a studio at BWV and it was great too, but for us AKV is HOME SWEET HOME.