SPEND MY MONEY.. If you were me, what would you buy right now?

[Unclelude]

Your follow up comment clarified if it was my first contract. That's fun. ( If I was just adding on it would almost certainly be resale somewhere)

I have a FOMO problem. I bought when min blue was 75 ( without talking to wife first ) ... Cancelled that. Then (after talking to wife first) we bought the last day it was 100 min.

At 150 min I'd be hard pressed to go direct... Maybe some incentive would sway me, but that's basically your whole 30k on 150 points somewhere. I'd go resale.

I think I would target two 100 point contracts at different resorts ... Probably AKL ( I'm enamored by the value rooms). The other CCV or BLT... For many of the reasons others have mentioned.

This should roughly get you every other year per contract in a 1BR for a week ( in cheaper seasons... )

So, you get to go every year alternating contracts.

I'd get them in the same UY (AUG or SEPT for us ) so it's easier to fiddle points around.

 

[M:SpilotISTC12]

Also, I'd take advantage of discount Disney Gift Cards to pay your annual dues. Without too much effort you can get 10% off gift cards and pay your dues that way. My wife and I recently got ~1000 dollars for only $900, plus credit card points.

I do this every year. Chase offers are great for this reason.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

Considering we bought into DVC in January 2020 and you want to know where WE would spend our money, the resale part of your question is simple. Beach Club is what I would do (and have done as recently as two years ago). However, a BIG part of our decision making was buying where we want to stay and for us Beach Club is the location we love the most. The vibe and theming of Beach Club, IMO, can't be beat. My kids swear there is a smell the hotel pumps into the main areas, and I am starting to believe them...it makes you want to just sit in the lobby, lol. SAB is an incredible place to spend a pool day. And if you like Epcot, the 100 yard walk from the WS entrance to Beach Club can't be beat...especially late at night when you are exhausted. You exit the park and are in your room in under 5 minutes. The maintenance fees aren't that high, with 2022 dues being the 6th lowest among the 15 resorts.

If I were buying direct right now, it would be a tough decision. For me personally, the choice would be narrowed down to a 7 Seas Lagoon resort since I already own at BCV. I am not a fan of BLT or VGF, so I would go Poly. The funny thing is that I wouldn't touch Poly with a 100 foot pole via resale until there is confirmation on question regarding which association Poly2 will be part of, but a direct purchase takes that out of play. I love the theming there. The dining options are great, too. And it is a short boat ride to MK...or a medium sized walk if you are feeling up to it. You can be at the TTC in 5 minutes to take the monorail to Epcot. And the MFs are low, with it being the 4th lowest among the 15 resorts. However, those MFs could go way up if Poly2 is rolled into the same association.

All that said, I would never buy direct. Well, at least not right now. I live in NY and go once a year, so the stuff like discounts on APs and Moonlight Magic don't apply to me. Without those, I would never break even on the difference in price between direct and resale. I saved $20K on my purchase by buying resale and get to stay at 14 of the 15 resorts, so I just don't see the value in a direct purchase in the current environment. Also, membership extras come and go so you can't buy under the assumption you will always have those.

 

[jessica9785]

What we did was buy where we wanted to stay, for the amount we could afford. It happened to be Boardwalk, resale, for 150 points. With the “savings” on resale vs direct, we bought nine platinum AP vouchers and just tucked them away for future trips.

Of course I’ve since decided I “need” a blue card so we have bought direct recently at VGF. But I am still extremely happy with my first purchase.

Once you’ve decided to buy DVC, you can’t really go wrong if you just follow your heart (or the wishes of your spouse) and buy where you want to stay!

If I was deciding today, I might buy Beach Club, another 150, resale.

What resort(s) do you like?

We love Poly and CCV, we also have a soft spot for SSR as it was the first deluxe we ever stayed.. sentimental I guess HOWEVER, we’ve never stayed in a few of the aforementioned resorts (vgf, blt, beach club). We love the idea of the MK resorts as we’ll have a stroller for at least 5 more years and prefer the ease of the monorail/ferry

 

[jessica9785]

Your follow up comment clarified if it was my first contract. That's fun. ( If I was just adding on it would almost certainly be resale somewhere)

I have a FOMO problem. I bought when min blue was 75 ( without talking to wife first ) ... Cancelled that. Then (after talking to wife first) we bought the last day it was 100 min.

At 150 min I'd be hard pressed to go direct... Maybe some incentive would sway me, but that's basically your whole 30k on 150 points somewhere. I'd go resale.

I think I would target two 100 point contracts at different resorts ... Probably AKL ( I'm enamored by the value rooms). The other CCV or BLT... For many of the reasons others have mentioned.

This should roughly get you every other year per contract in a 1BR for a week ( in cheaper seasons... )

So, you get to go every year alternating contracts.

I'd get them in the same UY (AUG or SEPT for us ) so it's easier to fiddle points around.

Thank you!! Ok so I have a 1 bedroom question as it’s come up quite a bit. Do they only sleep 4? How am I getting a family of 5 in a 1 bedroom? Or is an alternative two studios?

 

[jessica9785]

Its of little importance I would say to your actual decision.

I bought BWV resale for my first, second, third contract if thats what you are asking. I bought RIV direct for 300 points for $155/point as well if thats what you are asking. Thing is I bought RIV at a all time low during COVID direct.

Bigger thing with your family is you say you have a family of 5. Is that with or without a significant other in your bed? I would be looking at 1BR that could fit 5 right out of the gate.

This is the issue with just saying "hey you have 30k how would you spend it". Not to offend but I would never consider having more than 2 kids for a variety of reasons. Which is why it comes back to a variety of questions I would have.

I would plan on a resort that can get me a 1BR (at minimum) for the trip length I want in the time I want.

Husband and three kids. Do all 1 bedroom sleep 5?

 

[SleeplessInTO]

We love Poly and CCV, we also have a soft spot for SSR as it was the first deluxe we ever stayed.. sentimental I guess HOWEVER, we’ve never stayed in a few of the aforementioned resorts (vgf, blt, beach club). We love the idea of the MK resorts as we’ll have a stroller for at least 5 more years and prefer the ease of the monorail/ferry

We own at SSR in addition to Boardwalk and Grand Floridian but haven’t stayed there yet. (Prices for a resale contract there were too good to pass up a couple of years ago, so I’ve been using those points to grab Beach Club stays.)

Poly is fabulous. I love almost everything about that resort. Just wish the walk to the park was a little shorter. But the pool, the monorail access, the food, the smell, the theming… all wonderful. I would rather eat at Poly than the GF restaurants most days! Poly has been easy to get into at 7 months, so I didn’t consider owning there, but do love to stay there. That might change when the new addition is done, but I can’t see studios being too hard to get.

Haven’t tried Copper Creek yet but hope to do so in the next few years.

Bay Lake is great too - I also like their food, the walk to MK is incredibly easy and short, and the one bedrooms have two full bathrooms. My friends do MK with their young child exclusively and don’t stay anywhere else but a one bedroom at Bay Lake.

Personally we love being able to walk from a park or two back to our resort. Especially in our stroller days. Plus great fireworks viewing from the resort or close to it if you want to see them but the little ones have already passed out!

 

[Jimmy Geppetto]

Husband and three kids. Do all 1 bedroom sleep 5?

No some only sleep 4. For them to sleep 5 they have a pull down single bed under the TV, or a lounger chair that turns into a single bed. BCV only sleeps 4 in a one-bedroom. You can see the capacity by room type on the point charts for each resort.

 

[Unclelude]

I think most but AKV value 1BR will sleep 5, it's just you must supply your own bedding for 5th guest for the ones that state 4.

I've found actually contacting the front desk of the resort and asking questions is best.

For example, you will find people talking about getting kicked out, fire codes etc... If you exceed the number of guests - that may be true... However... We are also a family of 5, stayed in Vero inn room... I called the front desk and asked "I have 3 kids, are you going kick me out if we stay in an inn room" Cast member laughed "Of course not, please come to the front desk when you arrive and we will provide you with extra bedding!"

WDW resorts may have more of an issue cuz of park perks. Never hurts to ask!

 

[eticketplease]

No some only sleep 4. For them to sleep 5 they have a pull down single bed under the TV, or a lounger chair that turns into a single bed. BCV only sleeps 4 in a one-bedroom. You can see the capacity by room type on the point charts for each resort.

All Resorts at WDW and off will sleep 5 in the one bedrooms if booked with points with the exception of Value 1 bedrooms in Jambo and Copper Creek.

The thing to note is as Unclelude mentioned for some you must bring your own bedding to accommodate that 5th person.

BYOB locations are Boardwalk, Boulder Ridge, BeachClub.

Cash guests are limited to 4 for the BYOB but if renting points it is the same as if you had booked with your points.

 

[sethschroeder]

Thank you!! Ok so I have a 1 bedroom question as it’s come up quite a bit. Do they only sleep 4? How am I getting a family of 5 in a 1 bedroom? Or is an alternative two studios?

You would need to spend some time looking at room layouts and there are even matterport walk through of rooms or youtube videos as well.

A 1BR at RIV or OKW as an example are very large and spacious. You will really only get a max of 3 sleeping surfaces in any room unless its a 2BR/3BR.

Example if you go 1BR at Boardwalk you need to bring a 3rd sleeping surface for the person Disney does not supply anything and your couch is currently a pull out which is very uncomfortable. If you go to Riviera then you will have a 3 sleeping surfaces and the coach is a murphy bed pull down which is very nice.

A 1BR is big enough for us with 2 kids but personally like the 2BR. At this point though grandparents have come on every trip that the kids have went out. When its a couple stay then its Studio or 1BR just depending.

 

[RKS03]

I was just at a BW one bedroom with 5 people a couple weeks ago. I think it’s It’s listed as 4 because there’s the king size bed along with the queen pull out coach. There is definitely room for another person (ie mats). Maybe they say they won’t provide bedding but we requested and received more sheets and blankets at both BWV and HH (went right after BWV). Some resorts like I know the Floridian has additional formal sleeping areas (I forget the name but I saw they had a pullout for one person)). I will say the coach bed isn’t as comfortable as a real bed and if I had to rank them I’d say Hilton head’s was the worse of the two.

 

[RoseGold]

Studio at BLT will be too small. BLT 1BR, Poly studio, and VGF studio will all sleep 5. The BLT has an extra room and an extra bathroom, it's a completely different experience than five humans in a studio, aka hotel room. Plus in room laundry and kitchen.

You have to decide whether it's worth the point premium to get to 1BR. If you're going to do that, I'd much rather do it at BLT, because of the chart. If you want to stretch the points, Poly and VGF would let you cram 5 people in a room.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

BCV studio sleeps 5. It has a queen bed, a queen sofa bed, and the single bed that folds down under the TV. Housekeeping also will bring extra pillows and blankets if you call. We have called every time because my daughters get cold easily and need a mountain of blankets on them, lol.

 

[RichVIII]

If I had 30k now..how would I spend it?

I would buy the most points I could at the resort I would like most if I had no other choices at the 7mo mark.

Why?

We started out with, at the time, we thought were plenty of points. Two more resale and a direct purchase later, we are still in borrow mode. With the 50% borrowing restrictions in place, it has kept us in check but also made me realize that my small 50 point contract at one resort doesn't get me very far.

With the resort we have a lot more points out, we can be more flexible booking some spec reservations. Holding an extra night while we nail down plans, jump to a 1BR if that is all that is available at 7mo. It also gives us the option down the road to book bigger rooms at our home resort as our kid gets older (and brings friends). Trying to sweat that out using multiple resort contracts is stressful. Again, my 50point I already don't love and want to add more to have more flexiblity. I haven't had the contract a month and had to borrow from next year to pick up one of the days we are looking for.

While the premium is higher on smaller and smallish contracts, I wouldn't do a big contract. I love the fact that we can slowly sell of contracts as we get older/need the money/downsize or whatever.

More points and one resort is my vote.

 

[alohatok1986]

I would do AK. I have a family of 5 and like the variety of room sizes that would be available 11 months out. I also like the immersion of the actual resort. BLT has appeal because of the location, but staring at a parking lot & that mismatched decor all day has no appeal for me.

 

[jessica9785]

I would do AK. I have a family of 5 and like the variety of room sizes that would be available 11 months out. I also like the immersion of the actual resort. BLT has appeal because of the location, but staring at a parking lot & that mismatched decor all day has no appeal for me.

I just watched a tour of the rooms at BLT on YouTube and thought that’s a lot of money to spend on rooms that look like that in comparison to the other monorail resort rooms.

 

[scoobdoo]

I just watched a tour of the rooms at BLT on YouTube and thought that’s a lot of money to spend on rooms that look like that in comparison to the other monorail resort rooms.