Advice please! CC or AKL

[akirk18]

My wife and I have decided to and buy into DVC. We are looking to purchase a small (100 point) contract direct from Disney. We want the perks and if/when we add points later we will most likely go with resale. We are trying to decide between Copper Creek and Animal Kingdom.
Our guide already told us that he has the AKL points if we want them.
My struggle is I feel like the CC points have a better value due to the longer deed expiration and the resale seems to be stronger.
**Note** I realize not to buy based on resale price but I feel it that it has to hold some merit.
However, we are a young family and I feel like the AKL has a lot to offer for little kids. I guess my biggest concern is what the availability is for AKL at the 7 month window because I could see us going there quite often.

I know I am kind of just rambling my thoughts but maybe there is enough information there so that some more experienced DVC owners could lend some advice. Im just curious to see what y'all think is the "better" value.

 

[MB_01]

AKV has better availability at 7 months but not so much for studios. Ccv seems to have studio availability issues at 11 months sometimes. It’s been very rare to see all the studios at AKV sold out at 11 months (not counting value and concierge those are always sold out).

You do get more years at ccv though for not much more money direct. I’m really not sure how many people buy ccv resale. Those resale prices don’t seem to save you much vs direct.

 

[zavandor]

Why buy direct at AKV? Save a ton of money over CCV and AKV direct buying AKV resale.
If you look for studios, do not buy CCV in any case except for a fixed week, the risk of being shut out at peak time is very real, even at 11 months.

 

[Best Aunt]

I think you need to do more reasearch if you are considering CCV. There are issues with points and booking there due to the presence of the cabins and the small number of studios. I haven't paid attention because I had no intention of buying there.

Have you stayed at, or even visited, these resorts? I stayed at AKV twice and that was enough for me. I only stayed there the second time because I was taking a friend and that was her choice. One thing I realized was that I live near a rural area and we see cows and deer all the time. Many of the animals at AKV are cow or deer-like, so there was no wow factor for me unless I was seeing the giraffes or zebras.

I stayed at CCV and did not care for Wilderness Lodge. I know many people love it, but it was not for me. I do not rent a car and I prefer to stay at a resort where you can walk to a theme park.

When you talk to a Guide about purchasing direct, they always pull out the "it's a longer contract so there is more benefit" argument. But if your kids are young, how do you know that you will want to use the points that far in the future? Yes, you can sell if the contract no longer meets your traveling plans, but Disney can (and does) change the rules in such a way that it makes resale contracts less desirable to purchase, which could mean you make less money when you sell. Also, there are costs associated when you sell, which cuts into the amount that you net.

Not quite sure what you meant when you said about CCV "the resale seems to be stronger." Do you just feel that way because the contract is longer? Or are you saying that based on what you see in current resale listings? There probably aren't many CCV resale contracts on the market these days because they just became available a few years ago. People probably aren't selling yet because they just bought. If they are selling, they might be able to get a higher price if there are fewer contracts being sold. Again, I haven't been paying attention because I don't want to buy there.

 

[akirk18]

Why buy direct at AKV? Save a ton of money over CCV and AKV direct buying AKV resale.
If you look for studios, do not buy CCV in any case except for a fixed week, the risk of being shut out at peak time is very real, even at 11 months.

Is that kinda of a case for why buy at CCV? Because only with the 11 month window do you have a chance at booking a studio? Or I guess the alternative is not being able to book anything at CCV and then nothing being available anywhere else at 7 months? With my lack of actual experience with booking DVC, is that an actual possibility?

And we decided we are definitely going to buy direct. We would like to be able stay at any resort we want to current and future. If the day comes where Disney takes the ability to stay anywhere from direct buyers then ... I guess I will cross that bridge at that time.

Not quite sure what you meant when you said about CCV "the resale seems to be stronger." Do you just feel that way because the contract is longer? Or are you saying that based on what you see in current resale listings? There probably aren't many CCV resale contracts on the market these days because they just became available a few years ago. People probably aren't selling yet because they just bought. If they are selling, they might be able to get a higher price if there are fewer contracts being sold. Again, I haven't been paying attention because I don't want to buy there.

I was just thinking that with prices of CCV going up over $200 that the resale points would hold their value better. I know that predicting a resale market is not a science. I am also not buying with the purpose of selling. Maybe its a false feeling but it makes me feel a little better that if I were to buy CCV at $188/p from Disney the resale market is at $155-165/p. Compared to AKL is at $176/p from Disney and around $110-120/p resale. I know that can change the second I purchase but it doesn't really matter if I plan to hold the contract for its lifetime anyways.

And we love the Wilderness Lodge theming. In fact we love just about any of the resorts. The only ones we do not have any experience with is SS and OKW.

 

[Katie L]

And we decided we are definitely going to buy direct. We would like to be able stay at any resort we want to current and future. If the day comes where Disney takes the ability to stay anywhere from direct buyers then ... I guess I will cross that bridge at that time.

I'd encourage you to do a bit more research. The way you are speaking it seems like you're mixing things guides are telling you with some research. Remember - a guide's goal is to sell you DVC direct at CCV.

If anything, the new restriction on future resorts (not current) will devalue resales - so I would not be looking at reselling as a way to "recoup" funds. DVC is a way to pre-pay for nice lodging at WDW. The CCV resale numbers are such a small sample size that it's hard to know where they will settle. And for the next 2 years the only advantage to buying direct over resale is Epcot lounge access, discount on APs, and access to moonlight magic. In 1-2 years, there will be a new resort that you won't have access to, but there are still the original 14 available at the 7 month period.

Obviously, it's your money - but when we realized we had $x to spend and that we could get 40% more points on resale with that amount, that's what we went for.

 

[kniquy]

However, we are a young family and I feel like the AKL has a lot to offer for little kids. I guess my biggest concern is what the availability is for AKL at the 7 month window because I could see us going there quite often.

One major thing to consider is if your young family ever grows to a family of 5 then at CCV you would have to get a 2BR unit (the 1 BR only accommodate 4), which costs more points. At AK the 1BR do accommodate 5.

As for availability it really depends on what time of year you want to travel. Anytime between Mid September and Early January you should book at the 11 month mark because this is a very high demand DVC time and at the 7 month mark there will be very limited or no studios. 1BR units can sometimes be found at OKW or SSR.

As for length of contract. AKL does still have many years left so not a huge factor. Most people do not keep their contracts to the expiration and you still have 38 years left. Even if you are in your 20's now you will be in your 60s when it expires.

AK does have a lot to offer but for you to really make a decision you need to make a pro/con list for each of the resorts to really see on paper which one makes the most sense for your family. Watch some youtube videos of each resort, each room category, pools at each and even the restaurants at each resort.

 

[MurphyL]

I would not buy CCV without purchasing a guaranteed week. The availability of studios is nonexistent. You will have to work hard to get a vacation you want. I would personally buy resale at AKL over CCV if money is limited. You will be able to buy more points at AKL compared to CCV. I also think your points will purchase more nights.

 

[rg35]

AKV is the best resort for you out of these two because you can fit 5 people in a 1 BR there.

At CCV you would need a 2BR to sleep 5 people. Based on the 2019 points charts, during Magic season, you'd need 350 points for a weekly stay. Even going once every 3 years with banking and borrowing, you would not have enough points to even stay a week.

For that reason alone, a direct purchase at CCV seems to be a bad decision and a non-starter. Add to that CCV's major availability problems and it's not an attractive choice.

If your goal is to buy DVC for WDW vacations, than AKV resale is the way to go. A standard view 1 BR (sleeps 5) is only 228 points during magic season. Buying resale at AKV would get you at least 160 points, which seems like it would meet your needs more than 100 direct points would.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

CCV is the worst choice for a family of 5.

CCV is also a terrible choice for a small contract if you're hoping for studios.

 

[Bobb_o]

I just had my offer accepted for an AKV contract that's 120 points at $115/point. If I bought that direct I'd be paying over $7,000 more. To me, the incidental benefits and being able to book the new resorts is just not worth that much.

 

[ontheuptick]

I just had my offer accepted for an AKV contract that's 120 points at $115/point. If I bought that direct I'd be paying over $7,000 more. To me, the incidental benefits and being able to book the new resorts is just not worth that much.

Exactly right. Buying AKV direct is crazy, IYAM.

 

[Bobb_o]

Exactly right. Buying AKV direct is crazy, IYAM.

Plus, if I was going to do that I'd buy 100 points resale and 75 direct but even that would cost ~$141/point and it's just an extra $4600. I'd rather spend that money on APs to get the discounts.

 

[iheartglaciers]

You mentioned wanting to buy CCV since it has a longer contract, but didn't mention if your family likes CCV. It's difficult even for owners to book studios, particularly during popular times of year (Fall/December), so you have to really plan and put some work into getting the reservation you want. It's only worth it if your family really loves CCV/Wilderness Lodge.

I also love AKL, but chose to buy BWV and CCV since it's easier to get AKL at 7 months (obviously not guaranteed and the 7 month switching is getting harder every year).

I think the advice given on these boards is a good measure of whether your home resort is a good fit. Would you and your family be happy staying at your home resort if you couldn't switch?

 

[akirk18]

Plus, if I was going to do that I'd buy 100 points resale and 75 direct but even that would cost ~$141/point and it's just an extra $4600. I'd rather spend that money on APs to get the discounts.

I was thinking of doing something similar but more along the lines of 100 points direct from CCV then resale points at AKL.
I am going to purchase some points direct. I was just wondering whether those points are better bought at AKL or CCV.

 

[iheartglaciers]

I was thinking of doing something similar but more along the lines of 100 points direct from CCV then resale points at AKL.
I am going to purchase some points direct. I was just wondering whether those points are better bought at AKL or CCV.

The price difference between direct and resale is smaller for CCV, so I'd buy those points direct.

 

[ontheuptick]

I was thinking of doing something similar but more along the lines of 100 points direct from CCV then resale points at AKL.
I am going to purchase some points direct. I was just wondering whether those points are better bought at AKL or CCV.

Well, I think if you are just blanket saying "I'm going to purchase some points direct", then you aren't really taking the advice people are giving based on your criteria of those 2 resorts.
CCV doesn't sound like a great option for you because Studios are virtually impossible to grab.
AKV would be a good fit because there are plenty of studios and 1BR's, but buying AKV direct is just silly. There is no chance that the fringe benefits (a few bucks saved on an AP, a few parties that most people can't make it to anyway, etc) is worth $70pp difference, or $7000.

 

[akirk18]

I also love AKL, but chose to buy BWV and CCV since it's easier to get AKL at 7 months (obviously not guaranteed and the 7 month switching is getting harder every year).

This is the what I was looking for. I love the Wilderness Lodge. My wife and son have not spent any time there but I have when I was growing up. I think AKL is definitely more flexible with the occupancy rates, but we are only a family of 3 so that's not really an issue currently. It just seems from the reading I have been doing on here that the only way to to have a chance at CCV is to own there. AKL seems to have more availability at the 7 month window, outside the value accommodations that is.

If I am way off base here please correct me. I have researched enough to just be dangerous with my knowledge, but I have no real experience with DVC yet.

 

[akirk18]

Well, I think if you are just blanket saying "I'm going to purchase some points direct", then you aren't really taking the advice people are giving based on your criteria of those 2 resorts.

Too be totally honest the biggest reason I want to purchase direct is it just seems Disney keeps squeezing the resale market. Taking away perks, which aren't guaranteed to begin with, is not that big of a deal. But limiting where you can use your points at WDW starts to make me a little more nervous. The flexibility of DVC is what attracted me to it in the first place.

 

[Mumof4mice]

We recently bought 75 points direct at CCV for the AP discount.

CCV does have major availability issues. October to early January is completely booked out for all room types except cabins before 11 months (there is major walking happening). The availability during that period is lower than BLT standard view rooms and VGF studios, both notoriously difficult to secure (I've had no problem booking both at 11m exactly).

We'll be using our CCV points on 2BRs off peak; the bulk of our points were purchased resale in other resorts with better availability. So we don't have to deal with the intense competition for all CCV non-cabin rooms during fall frenzy.

If you are already considering buying 100 points, I'd go a little higher (120 ish) and purchase an early Dec guaranteed week in a studio. The GW doesn't lock you into that week, you always have the option of opting out and using your points normally. But it will prevent major frustration in the years you want to visit during the peak demand period.