Buying resale dilemma

[kboo]

Thanks so much everyone for your advice. Now I’m more stuck - surely then buying direct from Disney for Riviera would work out cheaper than resale at Beach Club given the Beach Club contracts would expire in 2042. Getting the DVC discounts would be a big incentive but Beach Club is by far our favourite resort and we would really want to be able to get access to rooms there.

I think the question is - do you have to stay there on every trip? We also like Beach Club and it sounds like you have stayed there before so you know the cons (e.g. long walk from the DVC to SAB, no views, no balconies- which I guess doesn't matter if no views...)

Generally speaking, is availability quite good August/September time booking 7 months ahead? Is there still a chance of getting availability at many of the resorts? It’s very tempting to book one of the newer DVC resorts but I know my family will still want to stay at BCV most of the time.

We have had a lot of good luck booking in late August. I saw that you're from the UK and we usually go to WDW late August to first weekend in September for the low low crowds (and most of the fellow travelers are from the Northeast US and the UK). It helps to be right on at 8am Eastern time at 11 months, but we had no trouble booking a 2br in late Aug 2022 and saw availability around late Aug 2023 as well (but opted to go to BWV since we had just done BC the year before). We don't own points at either. For the August 2022 trip, my sister's family wanted to join us at the lat minute (4 months in advance!!!) and I had to stalk stalk stalk but managed to pick up 5 nights in a studio at BCV. It probably helped that all those resort studios opened up that year at VGF.

I think you'll find 7 month booking at BC for August & September would be very difficult if not impossible to get. All of the bookings during F&W time are normally snatched up by owners well before 7 months.

I think it's much harder in September because the point costs go down. I just looked now (at 7 months) and in the BW/BC area there is still 1BR availability at both resorts but spotty availability in other room categories. If you're willing to waitlist, I think chances are still pretty good, because people *do* move around at 7 mo, though of course you're not guaranteed. The last week of August is perfect for us - we celebrate 2 family birthdays but we also have the Halloween party and F&W.

As previous posters have commented, you are unlikely to get into BCV at 7 months and will need to own there. Personally, I don't see the value in a 2042 contract no matter where it is and would want longer for marginally more upfront cost. However, if your preference is that it's Beach Club or your vacation won't be as enjoyable then there's a subjective value you'd need to contend with. I am an advocate of "Buy where you want to stay" as availability is getting tighter and tighter at 7 months now. Disney are looking at introducing a trust-based product which could further upend 7 month availability: we don't yet know.

I'd recommend getting a pen and pad and making a list of all the DVC resorts that appeal to you if you had to exclusively stay there as a home resort. Then next to each list their contract expiry dates (easily googled), and next to that write down the annual dues for each property. This will give you an overview on how long you will hold each property for, the upfront cost, and ongoing cost. From there you can begin to make informed decisions.

^^ I agree with all of this! When we were first looking (2015-2016ish), I loved BWV and DH loved BCV. We also liked/loved BLT. We considered making resale offers on each of them and figured out a price point we were willing to pay for each, and BLT was the first one that "took" - at approx the same price per point as BWV and about $5 less per point that BCV. Kids were young, we valued walking to MK with a double stroller, and we've never looked back. From time to time we made some offers on BCV because DH loved the pool there, but again, what we subjectively felt we were willing to pay was just not what the sellers were accepting (and only by $2-$5 pp). Then we found the "perfect" resale VGF contract about $15 more than BCV resale, and it was a no brainer, because at that point my girls loved VGF more than anything. We often (3 out of the last 10 stays, approx) try to stay at BWV or BCV during summer and spring break (I also like F&G festival) and it has always worked out with the waitlist. The only time I ever had to stalk was for my sister's studio at 4 months (we had a room booked at the Dolphin as a backup plan since my family and dad were already in a 2br at BCV).

So another way to think about it is - are you willing to pay $X more (or less) for a different resort you like and use the waitlist occasionally? We will never stay at BCV and BWV during the holidays, for example, but that's what our VGF and RIV contracts are for.

We have stayed at BCV several times. Unlike most others, Stormalong Bay is one of our least favorite pools. It’s difficult to get chairs, the pool’s shape and numerous bridges make it a pain to get around, and the pool is far from BVC. (We dislike walking through the lobby in wet bathing suits.)

This, too. DH loved the pool the first time we stayed there, but my girls were too little to use the big slide, and my younger one couldn't even be in the sandy area by herself. And then lots of dripping and towels through the BC lobby ... So pool time ended up being DH and I splitting up with each kid. And the chair scramble is second only to Aulani... That said, now that my kids are older, they really like SAB but they also like the pools at all the other resorts.... each one is a little different and they each have pros and cons.

A big part of the appeal of BC for us is Stormalong Bay - we usually spend hours every day there in between park visits. I think the set up is perfect - we love getting ice cream from Beaches and Cream while at the pool and I’ve missed that at other resorts we’ve stayed at. It’s also just the atmosphere of the resort (we love YC too) and of course the location. It just feels special.

I know you don't love Riviera, but have you stayed there? We do this at the pool there, which is just off the bar and the quick serve. There is usually a gelato cart at the feature pool too. If we're spending a day or afternoon at the pool, we'll get a tuna nicoise at the QS, and ice cream later. It is SO much more relaxed than SAB. That's our "special" pool time. Everything is conveniently in the courtyard/backyard and it's not a trek to go anywhere.

When considering 11 or 7 also consider when you want to stay, I read posts who brag they had no problem getting rooms at 7, but is consecutive dates they like to stay or just picking up strays

We've been lucky enough to get consecutive days when we've looked - late August. Almost never in studios, though. The other thing is sometimes people walk at 7 months and so you can sometimes pick up the rooms at about 7 months minus a week, as they walk past and into september. Last summer we WL'd a BWV 2br* standard (I was being a cheapie and wanted to save points over BLT 2br standard) and it came through about 2 months in advance. But really I'd have been happy at either location. Our second half was at AKV Kidani, savanna view and it was a lovely change of pace!

A couple things to consider when looking at EP/HS resorts (we bought RIV direct in 2019), some of these may not matter to you:

BCV:
pros: shortest walk to EP
SAB

cons:
no views
no balconies
tiny kitchen/eating area

BWV:
pros: easyish walk to EP/HS
Boardwalk area
pretty easy to get 1BR
low point costs
tiny kitchen/eating area

cons: all 2BR are lockoffs, so when studios are gone, 2BR are gone.
Also connecting door is by the slider, which is less convenient
1BR probably continue to sleep 4 in beds?

RIV:
pros:
2070 end date
great layout and size of units
fireworks views from standard rooms
skyliner

cons:
resale restriction
skyliner

We regularly spend NYE at Riviera, sometimes we can see Epcot fireworks up close and MK fireworks behind. It also helps that Topolino's is possible our favorite restaurant on property not named Victoria and Albert's. We bought direct with very good incentives (comparable to the ones they just had), with fully loaded points, and after I don't even know how many stays, if we had to sell at the discounted resale price we still would do fine financially - the $30-50 pp hit + 3 years of dues is still far less than it would have cost for the stays. We did not think we would like the resort as much as we do - we bought sight unseen with a room mockup at SSR. It's possible that if we hadn't already owned 2 resorts at MK, we might have bought CCV because we like that resort as well.

 

[kboo]

Since there aren’t many BC sales you might find the links on the first page to previous quarters helpful, last quarter, for example, 3 disboarders bought BC paying $125, $133, & $140 https://www.disboards.com/threads/r...ctions-formatting-tool.3931332/#post-65077655.

Oof. I just took a look at the ROFR board and other resale contracts in the same price range per point:
BLT, POLY, CCV, and maybe lowballing VGF...
For the same cost, do the benefits of these other resorts make you consider them, the tradeoff being that you might need to waitlist and not have BCV EACH time?

@meggiebeth - You don't mention whether you've stayed at other resorts, or whether you like Disney Springs, or have a favorite park, etc., or your family and your preferences for size of unit - it looks like if you want a 1BR you may not need to own at BCV, especially if you're planning on late August visits. When I was looking at resale contracts, other DISboarders suggested that I at least visit or rent points to stay at the various resorts in my top choices. I recognize that's harder to do from the UK and infrequent trips, but if you're putting that much $ into vacations over the next 20 years at least, it might be worth a little initial spend to confirm your choice. You mention OKW because of its price - if you're considering OKW then you ought to consider SSR as well, because at the same price point you'll have a much longer contract - which at least will be worth something in 2042 even if you don't plan on going to disney after 2042.

 

[Bjaiken77]

BCV is certainly one of our favorite resorts, and we’ve booked there 3X despite no being owners. Some of our trips were shorter and in 1BR or 2BR, and I started with a core group of days and waited for cancellations from there. It’s definitely possible but can be a hassle if that’s where you know you want to stay.

Based on the age of my wife and I, it would bother me to buy a 2042 resort. We plan to do DVC much longer. However, we love staying at the different resorts and have yet to find one that we didn’t enjoy. That’s different than only really being happy at BCV. For us, we are happy if we get it, but perfectly happy if we don’t. I almost think you’d have to be able to say that if you bought elsewhere. Just my $0.02.