Boulder Ridge Resale Purchase Question

[DisneyDad77!]

Hi!
My wife and I have finally decided to purchase our first DVC Resale contract we had it narrowed down to Animal Kingdom and Boulder Ridge. We like both equally so it has come down to taking the most points for our dollar. We found what we think is a very good deal on Boulder Ridge Villas much better in fact than Animal Kingdom. I am not worried about the difference in contract end dates. We are a family of 7 and will almost exclusively travel for 1 week during Easter Break.
Can those of you familiar with Boulder Ridge and Animal give me your pros and cons for both? I just want to make sure I am not missing some glaring reason why I shouldn't buy Boulder.

 

[iheartglaciers]

End date may not matter for your family in terms of how many years of Disney vacations you want, but it does impact getting the most for your dollar. AKL has a longer contract by 15 years, which means if you keep the contract til the end, your cost per point is less. If you sell before the end, you'll likely get more money since there will be more years left on the contract.

I own at CCV, so obviously I love Wilderness Lodge But I do love both resorts and I think they're similar in that they feel a little quieter than some of the other resorts (makes you really feel like you're getting away from the parks!).

For a family of 7, AKL is nice because the 2BR at Kidani has an extra bathroom, so that could be a point in that direction. I also like the varied point chart (from value to savannah/club level rooms). Downsides to AKL are the super long hallways, especially at Kidani, but I think the animals make up for that

 

[DisneyDad77!]

End date may not matter for your family in terms of how many years of Disney vacations you want, but it does impact getting the most for your dollar. AKL has a longer contract by 15 years, which means if you keep the contract til the end, your cost per point is less. If you sell before the end, you'll likely get more money since there will be more years left on the contract.

I own at CCV, so obviously I love Wilderness Lodge But I do love both resorts and I think they're similar in that they feel a little quieter than some of the other resorts (makes you really feel like you're getting away from the parks!).

For a family of 7, AKL is nice because the 2BR at Kidani has an extra bathroom, so that could be a point in that direction. I also like the varied point chart (from value to savannah/club level rooms). Downsides to AKL are the super long hallways, especially at Kidani, but I think the animals make up for that

 

[DisneyDad77!]

End date may not matter for your family in terms of how many years of Disney vacations you want, but it does impact getting the most for your dollar. AKL has a longer contract by 15 years, which means if you keep the contract til the end, your cost per point is less. If you sell before the end, you'll likely get more money since there will be more years left on the contract.

I own at CCV, so obviously I love Wilderness Lodge But I do love both resorts and I think they're similar in that they feel a little quieter than some of the other resorts (makes you really feel like you're getting away from the parks!).

For a family of 7, AKL is nice because the 2BR at Kidani has an extra bathroom, so that could be a point in that direction. I also like the varied point chart (from value to savannah/club level rooms). Downsides to AKL are the super long hallways, especially at Kidani, but I think the animals make up for that

Hi! Thank you for the great information! I didn't think about the resale value on the longer contract. I guess not being happy and selling never entered my mind

 

[iheartglaciers]

Hi! Thank you for the great information! I didn't think about the resale value on the longer contract. I guess not being happy and selling never entered my mind

Even if you keep the contract til the end, your cost per point will be lower. I did quick calculation between BRV and AKL and it seems like it could be as much as $1 per point for your points each year. Basically I take the cost of the contract and divide it by the points and again by year to determine the base price of each point you spend. Then I add MF. That's how I roughly calculate how much a point is worth. Obviously there are many factors, but that just gives you a way to compare the two contracts.

 

[disneynutz]

Between the two we prefer BRV. We own both but find that AKV is remote while BRV is a boat ride away from the MK and other resorts. While the animals at AKV were a draw initially, for us the novelty has worn off. I should mention that BRV is an older building and some elements are showing their age. We will be selling our BRV contract and purchasing a CCV contract to guarantee a cabin reservation. We learned that booking your favorite resort at 11 months is the way to go. We love the feel of the WL and they did a good job on the new pool and landscaping.

Bill

 

[PatMcDuck]

We prefer BRV and recently purchased a resale contract there. (I also do like AKL, both Jambo and Kidani very much). All the recreation available, the restaurants, the boat ride to MK and Contemporary and FW. All these things are important to us. I would like to book in December in the future, too, in a few years after I retire and can travel at that time of year.

AKL does have the option to book Grand Villas. We think we want to book one in 2020, and we will have to try and grab one somewhere at 7 months.... because no GV at BR. (Our prior contract was at BCV, same problem!) But the GV thing for us will be a one shot deal, not something we would be able to do often. The longer contract at AKL is something to think about if you are in your 30s or 40s. But that may or may not be a factor, that is a personal choice.

We stayed at Copper Creek last year, and liked it. The living room area was smaller than at BR, at least it seemed so to us. I liked being in the main building, but we also like BR and the price was so much less. (we paid $95 for a loaded contract).

 

[Pigletpal40]

If you're MK fans, the WL boat ride is so convenient. As our children and their cousins got older (teens & 20's) they would stay until EMH closing
(as late as 2 am) and the older crew (late 40's-70's) would head back after fireworks and relax at the resort. Now, if we stay anywhere else, my children say, "it doesn't feel like home."
Every time we've stayed at AKL (5 times @ Jambo) it seems like we've had a long bus ride to everything. They're both beautiful. If you're like us, as soon as you walk into the lobby of the resort you pick, you know you're "home".

 

[kniquy]

If you really like both would you consider purchasing smaller contracts at each? This would allow an every other year with banking your points to stay. We own AKV and just recently had our first visit at kidani. It was 7 of us in a 2 BR -- having that 3rd full bathroom was a blessing when we were getting ready in the morning.

The restaurants are amazing -- we ate at Sanna for dinner and Boma for breakfast. The pool at kidani we liked better than poly (as that is where we stayed for this split stay). Great slide and it seems more tropical and secluded with all the greenery.

The only down side that we saw with staying at Kidani was that the bus to MK was about a 25 minute ride. Other than that it was ~15 minutes to HS/Epcot and of course a very short ride to AK park. This would only be a factor when planning your morning or park days.

I guess transportation could essentially be a wash because even if you are at WL and want to go to AK then you are looking at a longer bus ride from WL to AK park. And a similarity is WL is a short boat ride to MK and AK is a short bus ride to AK park.

You really need to write down a pro/con list for each resort and see which one has the most benefits for you and your family. If price and points charts are similar.

For us having that longer contract was a factor in our resale purchase decision. We figured if our vacationing habits change and we no longer want to keep our DVC then if we wanted to sell in 10-15 years -- a 2057 expiration would have a lot more life and value than a 2042 contract. In that case we would still make back a decent portion of our initial buy in. The 2042 contracts are still holding good value now but I think when we are reaching under the 10-15 years left it will affect the value of those contracts.

 

[ElizabethCB]

We bought a resale contract in January 2017 at BRV. We love Wilderness Lodge, the proximity to MK, and being able to take the boat instead of the bus.

We decided to buy at BRV during our stay at AKL. We really liked Animal Kingdom too, but the long bus rides were a total drag. Also, the lack of a quick service meal spot at Kidani is a negative. And the walk to the rooms can be endless.

For us, Wilderness Lodge just felt much more homey, and it was easier to get around and out to the parks. We ended up using our points in January 2018 at Copper Creek to stay at both a cabin and then the 3br villa because we had extended family with us. Totally confirmed for us how excited we are to own at BRV.

Good luck with your choice. Really, you can't go wrong!

 

[DisneyDad77!]

If you're MK fans, the WL boat ride is so convenient. As our children and their cousins got older (teens & 20's) they would stay until EMH closing
(as late as 2 am) and the older crew (late 40's-70's) would head back after fireworks and relax at the resort. Now, if we stay anywhere else, my children say, "it doesn't feel like home."
Every time we've stayed at AKL (5 times @ Jambo) it seems like we've had a long bus ride to everything. They're both beautiful. If you're like us, as soon as you walk into the lobby of the resort you pick, you know you're "home".

Great Information! Thank you so much for sharing!

 

[DisneyDad77!]

We bought a resale contract in January 2017 at BRV. We love Wilderness Lodge, the proximity to MK, and being able to take the boat instead of the bus.

We decided to buy at BRV during our stay at AKL. We really liked Animal Kingdom too, but the long bus rides were a total drag. Also, the lack of a quick service meal spot at Kidani is a negative. And the walk to the rooms can be endless.

For us, Wilderness Lodge just felt much more homey, and it was easier to get around and out to the parks. We ended up using our points in January 2018 at Copper Creek to stay at both a cabin and then the 3br villa because we had extended family with us. Totally confirmed for us how excited we are to own at BRV.

Good luck with your choice. Really, you can't go wrong!

Thank you for the help!

 

[DisneyDad77!]

Anyone know how much it would be per point for BRV if I got on the waitlist to purchase direct?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Anyone know how much it would be per point for BRV if I got on the waitlist to purchase direct?

$171

 

[DisneyDad77!]

$171

Yikes! Thanks for the info

 

[DisneyDad77!]

We have decided to put an offer in on our first DVC! I have one more question please, what do you do if you only have enough points to book at 11 months for 5 days but need 6 days? Can you pay cash for the extra day at the time of booking and would you then only have to pay a $200 deposit like non DVC guests until 30 days out? Or do you have to rent or buy additional points?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Can you pay cash for the extra day at the time of booking and would you then only have to pay a $200 deposit like non DVC guests until 30 days out?

Cash inventory is completely separate from points inventory. You could book a unit on cash if one were available for your dates, which is by no means guaranteed at most resorts. If you need a day and have to use points inventory, you need points to book with. You could rent a reservation, get a transfer, or wait until 7 months and buy 24 one-time-use points, IF the room you wanted was still available.

There is also borrowing from following year points as an option.

 

[Firepath]

We own at BRV so obviously we like it, although we, preferred it before the changes. We recently stayed at Kidani in a 1 BR savannah room and loved it! Taking a look at the 2018 points chart, a 2 BR. for Easter week at BRV was 457 pts. At AKV, it was 383 for standard, 485 for savannah, if point value is important to you. AKV also has value and concierge rooms, so although they are few and hard to get, you have more choices of room types, and of course Jambo or Kidani at 11 mos.

 

[pmaurer74]

I love both but WL is our favorite. If you ever plan to go at Christmas then BRV can be difficult to get. AKV is much easier to get but if you are going during spring break it might not matter as much but BRV is a smaller resort so the rooms might go faster.

 

[The Jackal]

If you decide that you continually need more points you can buy some from DVD directly. The minimum amount is 25. Usually the small contracts on the resale side get a premium price, so direct is not that much more. Buying 25 points up until recently got uyou direct member benefits. They bumped the number up to 75 now. Making it less cost effective for the limit benefits that they can stop at anytime.