April Incentives - What Are Your Predictions?

[SLACG]

Yes, location lol. Just because it is closer on a map doesn't mean it's a better location when you can't get anywhere as easily...

OKW is walkable to 0 parks, monorail to 0 parks, boat rides to 0 parks, skyliner to 0 parks, and busses to all parks, which is typically thought of as the worst transportation mode

I do want space and location, which is why I settled on Boardwalk for my home resort.

Our first two 'on property' stays were at OKW. First time we used bus transportation only and it wasn't great, so next time we rented a car and drove to all the parks. Well, we didn't love that either. For our latest visit we went to the Dolphin because we love the EPCOT area. Well, let me tell you, you cannot go back to staying at OKW after tasting the ease of transportation and amazing atmosphere around Crescent Lake. So we decided to bite the bullet and buy BWV!
I know we could've paid much less by buying OKW, but truth is, for us, all the other expenses of a Disney trip (tickets, meals, etc.) are far greater than the accommodation expense. So if we're going to dump thousands of $$ on a Disney trip, I'd rather invest a little more on a good location.

 

[Tatebeck]

Our first two 'on property' stays were at OKW. First time we used bus transportation only and it wasn't great, so next time we rented a car and drove to all the parks. Well, we didn't love that either. For our latest visit we went to the Dolphin because we love the EPCOT area. Well, let me tell you, you cannot go back to staying at OKW after tasting the ease of transportation and amazing atmosphere around Crescent Lake. So we decided to bite the bullet and buy BWV!
I know we could've paid much less by buying OKW, but truth is, for us, all the other expenses of a Disney trip (tickets, meals, etc.) are far greater than the accommodation expense. So if we're going to dump thousands of $$ on a Disney trip, I'd rather invest a little more on a good location.

Congrats fellow BWV owner!

 

[WinterSolider]

BLT (since you mentioned it) has the closest walk to the biggest park, monorail to 1 park with connections to a second park, no skyliner, and can bus to any others. That sounds a lot better to me!

This is a very popular opinion. It's also wrong. Like, factually incorrect.

Contemporary to Epcot is, on average, 81 minutes round-trip on the monorail. Transferring at the TTC is INSANELY inconvenient, no matter how cool you think the monorail is.

Meanwhile, Old Key West to Epcot is 20 minutes round-trip.

Nothing beats Yacht/Beach/Boardwalk for convenience (or Caribbean Beach if we throw in Moderates, though it takes a major hit in Summer when the Skyliner has reliability issues). But the Magic Kingdom resorts are actually the least convenient resorts in all of WDW unless you spend 50%+ of your time at Magic Kingdom itself.

(As a sidebar, Polynesian is one of the most convenient resorts if you're close enough to walk to the TTC and board the Epcot monorail directly from there, but it's one of the least convenient resorts if you're relying on taking the resort monorail all the way around the horn and transferring.)

I have no great love for Old Key West. I don't own there and I haven't stayed there since my honeymoon in 2011. But I also don't like myths being perpetuated.

 

[WinterSolider]

Our first two 'on property' stays were at OKW. First time we used bus transportation only and it wasn't great, so next time we rented a car and drove to all the parks. Well, we didn't love that either. For our latest visit we went to the Dolphin because we love the EPCOT area. Well, let me tell you, you cannot go back to staying at OKW after tasting the ease of transportation and amazing atmosphere around Crescent Lake. So we decided to bite the bullet and buy BWV!
I know we could've paid much less by buying OKW, but truth is, for us, all the other expenses of a Disney trip (tickets, meals, etc.) are far greater than the accommodation expense. So if we're going to dump thousands of $$ on a Disney trip, I'd rather invest a little more on a good location.

Wait until you realize you could have bought double the OKW or SSR points for the same price and had enough to still stay at Boardwalk every time, with the added convenience of larger units.

 

[WinterSolider]

So far we've learned from this poster that OKW is in a premium location and 7 month availability difficulties really aren't a thing.

None of these were booked with Home Resort points.

 

[Tatebeck]

This is a very popular opinion. It's also wrong. Like, factually incorrect.

Contemporary to Epcot is, on average, 81 minutes round-trip on the monorail. Transferring at the TTC is INSANELY inconvenient, no matter how cool you think the monorail is.

Meanwhile, Old Key West to Epcot is 20 minutes round-trip.

Nothing beats Yacht/Beach/Boardwalk for convenience (or Caribbean Beach if we throw in Moderates, though it takes a major hit in Summer when the Skyliner has reliability issues). But the Magic Kingdom resorts are actually the least convenient resorts in all of WDW unless you spend 50%+ of your time at Magic Kingdom itself.

(As a sidebar, Polynesian is one of the most convenient resorts if you're close enough to walk to the TTC and board the Epcot monorail directly from there, but it's one of the least convenient resorts if you're relying on taking the resort monorail all the way around the horn and transferring.)

I did mention that it required connections to the second park (Epcot), did I not? Nothing about what you quoted was factually incorrect. It may not always be the fastest way, but it is an additional option. How are OKW's additional options going? Oh wait... You can also ride a bus to Epcot, same as OKW

 

[Tatebeck]

View attachment 851291

None of these were booked with Home Resort points.

Oh great, BLT during a long needed refurb and heat stroke season, Poly during an expansion/construction with only the 1 room type so it is plentiful and also during heat stroke season, and Aulani during hurricane season.... Like I said you can stay other places at 7 months, but those resort owners determine when you will get to stay by saving their points or going somewhere else that year. If someone who liked the location enough to buy in there for it goes somewhere else, it's probably a less popular time or has a reason it is readily available

And why didn't you book at OKW since it's such a great location?

Now I am sure you are trolling us. Busy time is summer in Aulani and October through Dec at WDW. Wonder why you didn't book those. Were they unavailable perhaps?

 

[BamaGuy44]

View attachment 851291

None of these were booked with Home Resort points.

Congratulations? I've made 7 month bookings too. We all have. I've even gotten Value rooms at AKL. I guess that means it's easy? Nobody ever said it was impossible, just hard and not something you can count on most of the time.

 

[SLACG]

Wait until you realize you could have bought double the OKW or SSR points for the same price and had enough to still stay at Boardwalk every time, with the added convenience of larger units.

Bruh. We all value different things. It's not cool for you to try to make me feel stupid for buying where I want to stay.

 

[Tatebeck]

Wait until you realize you could have bought double the OKW or SSR points for the same price and had enough to still stay at Boardwalk every time, with the added convenience of larger units.

Having other points + not having the BWV availability = Not a good time at BWV

 

[SLACG]

Congratulations? I've made 7 month bookings too. We all have. I've even gotten Value rooms at AKL. I guess that means it's easy? Nobody ever said it was impossible, just hard and not something you can count on most of the time.

Exactly, we travel early December so home advantage is really important to us.

 

[BamaGuy44]

Having other points + not having the BWV availability = Not a good time at BWV

Good luck getting a standard view or boardwalk view at 7 months, pretty much ever. Source: I've tried MANY times because I love BWV. I'm always on the lookout for a small BWV contract in my use year

 

[Tatebeck]

"Yes, I'm literally saying it's easy and works every single time.



7 months from today you can get:"

Edit: math error due to booking too many 11 month vs 7 month windows

7 Months from today is just before Thanksgiving? I think I got that right this time lol. I don't think that is too crazy of a time for bookings as people try to go on or before Halloween or after Thanksgiving. Report back when Early December drops into the 7 month windows and see what is available! We'll see if all of those are still available for 7 month bookings or not

 

[Tatebeck]

Good luck getting a standard view or boardwalk view at 7 months, pretty much ever. Source: I've tried MANY times because I love BWV. I'm always on the lookout for a small BWV contract in my use year

I was lucky to book and then drop 1 day of BWV BW view studio in October to use my AKV points and save a nights worth of BWV points for the next stay. I can't imagine always having to try BWV or BCV at 7 months. I love the Crescent lake area too much

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

This is why I love reading through these threads! I am new to DVC and there's so many factors I don't even think about so it's nice to hear different opinions here.
We're buying enough points to get us a week in a preferred view 2BR at our home resort during our usual travel period every other year, which is how often we have been going so far. But of course, now we're thinking, how about we stay at a smaller accommodation and could stay longer, go more often, or get a second unit for the kids to bring friends, etc...We are a family of 5, but with (fairly) easy going 20, 18, 16yo kids that want to head to the parks as soon as they wake up and will park hop to whatever park is open the latest to get as much park time as possible, so for them, the resort is just a place to crash at night. For now, at least. I guess we will have to test different options, maybe with a split stay so we don't bind ourselves into a bad situation for a whole week.

Thanks everyone for the great points made in your comments. It is great for all of us new here!

A few other random tips (as a relatively new DVC owner but long time WDW visitor):

We travel from the west coast and to minimize missing school, often arrive in FL late in the evening, your kids are a bit older than mine, but one way we add convenience and stretch points is to crash at MCO the night we arrive (we pack one suitcase with day 2 clothes for everybody that’s a carry on), and then make our way to WDW the next day. It’s a good day for a resort day or stacking evening LLs or an after party. Another option (if you’re park warriors, like I was in my youth) is to look for better rates at a moderate or AKL on property or swan/dolphin, which currently have the same luggage service, and you can wake up ask your bellhop to take your bags and deliver it to your DVC hotel while you’re out at the parks. This also works with booking a studio in a low point chart.

We do just fine in studios at BCV and BWV, but if we are staying more than 3-4 nights (often we don’t), I recommend having at least a 1bed at the *middle* of your trip—we really don’t use the kitchens much, but it’s really nice to do a couple loads of laundry after grimy days at the parks. We also just generally don’t want a studio for more than 3-4 nights— though 2 studios would be fine for a week if we packed enough clothes that we didn’t need to do laundry.

 

[Tatebeck]

A few other random tips (as a relatively new DVC owner but long time WDW visitor):

We travel from the west coast and to minimize missing school, often arrive in FL late in the evening, your kids are a bit older than mine, but one way we add convenience and stretch points is to crash at MCO the night we arrive (we pack one suitcase with day 2 clothes for everybody that’s a carry on), and then make our way to WDW the next day. It’s a good day for a resort day or stacking evening LLs or an after party. Another option (if you’re park warriors, like I was in my youth) is to look for better rates at a moderate or AKL on property or swan/dolphin, which currently have the same luggage service, and you can wake up ask your bellhop to take your bags and deliver it to your DVC hotel while you’re out at the parks. This also works with booking a studio in a low point chart.

We do just fine in studios at BCV and BWV, but if we are staying more than 3-4 nights (often we don’t), I recommend having at least a 1bed at the *middle* of your trip—we really don’t use the kitchens much, but it’s really nice to do a couple loads of laundry after grimy days at the parks. We also just generally don’t want a studio for more than 3-4 nights— though 2 studios would be fine for a week if we packed enough clothes that we didn’t need to do laundry.

With the 2025 free arrival day water park pass, when you arrive early in the morning just drop your bags off and head to the water park. who needs a morning shower when you have a free waterpark

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

With the 2025 free arrival day water park pass, when you arrive early in the morning just drop your bags off and head to the water park. who needs a morning shower when you have a free waterpark

Haven’t even seen the promo, does it work for DVC? (NB: I love when I’m giving tips and getting great ones in return!)

My kids have probably spent over 100 days between Epcot and DHS but never been to any Disney water park and I bet they’d really love it (and Typhoon Lagoon is the only Disney Park in the world that I haven’t visited). Probably wouldn’t go until late morning though because I really want our room to be ready when I return from TL/BB and not hanging out wet in the lobby. I guess we could always just float around Stormalong Bay while we wait.

Seriously though, we’re going to visit in Aug before a cruise for a low key summer swamp trip and you have opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Though it sounds like free water park doesn’t work until next year…

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

The whole idea of SAP is a gamble. I think if anyone truly wants to spend most of their time at BWV or BCV or VGC, or any of the resorts really, for the majority of their time at Disney, then absolutely you should buy into those resorts, it’s worth it at most prices because it’s where you want to be.

But it’s clearly a gamble that many, many, many SSR buyers are willing to take and have generally been successful. And I don’t think anyone buying SSR or other resorts for SAP are expecting to get into BWV SV at 7mo or BCV…ever lol but I do think you’ll often have decent availability at other resorts at 7mo if your flexible and willing to use a few more points, hence the need for cheap points.

For most of us on this board who likely already have a home resort or two (or five), the OKW direct deal can be super appealing. And for me specifically, I would rather spend $115 for direct points than $85-90 for resale and that’s because of how I’d want to use them. It truly is a situation of YMMV.

Can you tell I’m still very much contemplating it? lol

 

[Tatebeck]

Haven’t even seen the promo, does it work for DVC? (NB: I love when I’m giving tips and getting great ones in return!)

My kids have probably spent over 100 days between Epcot and DHS but never been to any Disney water park and I bet they’d really love it (and Typhoon Lagoon is the only Disney Park in the world that I haven’t visited). Probably wouldn’t go until late morning though because I really want our room to be ready when I return from TL/BB and not hanging out wet in the lobby. I guess we could always just float around Stormalong Bay while we wait.

Seriously though, we’re going to visit in Aug before a cruise for a low key summer swamp trip and you have opened up a whole new world of possibilities. Though it sounds like free water park doesn’t work until next year…

Yeah they already announced it works with DVC stays in 2025. Split stays could be extra interesting!

 

[Sandisw]

Location?

OKW is closer than Bay Lake Tower to 3 of 4 theme parks, both water parks, and Disney Springs. And if you have a car you can park outside your front door.


I think that's probably true, but RIV also has to bear some burden for the Skyliner, and we don't really know how that's going to shake out yet.

I have to wonder if they didn’t project Skyliner costs higher to begin with and now we are over 4 years in, have a general sense of yearly costs to maintain.

Since they had nothing to base that on, I am sure it was easy to overestimate until they had real data.

It’s why I also think it’s going to follow the same line as the rest of resorts and have its dues rise within the typical ranges we see.