Does everyone really "love" their home resort?

[miTnosnhoJ]

We love VGF. I would advise not making any decisions about Riviera until you have stayed there. I would imagine that the convenience and the newness would make it a great place to stay, and that may not be evident when dining there.

 

[Jetku]

We just bought DVC last year at AKV but stayed at Poly for our first trip as we had a 9mo and wanted the monorail.

We are staying at Jambo for a weekend in February and full week in August but we absolutely love our home resort.
We’ve stayed there 3 or 4 times on cash, and once at Kidani renting points. We don’t like Kidani as much, so Jambo is definitely our “home away from home”

I think some of the best DVC advice is to buy where you wouldn’t mind “settling” to stay.

We only bought 80 points direct and are looking to add 120-180 via resale this year, and we’re excited to add on at AKV

 

[bwvBound]

Does anyone else feel that way- you like your home resort but it isn't like this feeling of "going home" just because you are there?

This would be us but we don't worry about it. FWIW, DVC isn't, and likely never will be, my favorite timeshare. No big deal. It is a tool. It worked well for the purpose for which we purchased (conference housing) and remains OK for select vacation purposes beyond that original need. It doesn't bother me that it doesn't feel like "home," that I am not emotionally attached.

I've had that attached, "this is HOME!" feeling. I know what it feels like ... DVC just doesn't do it for me.

 

[Geomom]

Both of our contracts are resales (grandfathered in with most of the benefits!) We have 250 pts at OKW and 100 pts at BWV (our add on contract.)

OKW is above SSR in WDW places we'd want to stay...and SSR is on the bottom of our list. We've had no issues using our OKW pts at other resorts right at 7 mths. I like the theming at OKW much better than SSR, but dislike how spread out both resorts are...any place that needs multiple bus stops is too big for us! (Lol, give me the long hallways at BWV and AKV anytime!)

BWV is our favorite resort--love the location, theming, and the opportunity to get 'cheap' standard rooms at 11 mths out.

 

[bwvBound]

I like the theming at OKW much better than SSR, but dislike how spread out both resorts are...any place that needs multiple bus stops is too big for us!

LOL. SSR is 65 acres; thanks for causing me to look up. My all-time favorite timeshare was just a smidge under 2500 acres ... loved that place.

We spent ~19 nights at SSR, our home resort, in 2019. Now that the landscaping is filling in ... the place is beginning to grow on me. We enjoyed our stays ...even if they never triggered that "HOME!" button in my heart.

 

[iheartglaciers]

My original home resort really is my favorite (BWV) and I do get warm and fuzzy thinking about it . I love many of the resorts for different reasons, and have stayed at most of the DVC resorts, but it’s hard to get me to go to WDW without at least spending part of the time at BWV!

When I first looked into buying in, I thought we wanted BCV, but as we stayed at the resorts (through relatives and renting), we realized we liked BWV better.

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

BWV. This one is a love hate relationship. Love the location. But the resort is old and worn. They have water pipe issues. The cast members are snooty most of the time. Go to the desk to check in early and get the very stern 'check in is AFTER 4pm'. Rarely get a room there before 3-4pm (though will say lately it's been improved). MBs always have issues, like opening door or charging...they never get it right. Rooms are dirty and AC is freezing cold (seems like it's 2 settings...off or arctic). But the location is THE best. And the point cost per night is fabulous....especially the standard view. And you do need to own there to get standard view or boardwalk view (def for studios and 2BR). The lobby is pretty. The boardwalk is neat. Lots of places to eat and drink around there.

Boy, you sure summed up BWV for us too! We purchased BWV in 2009. We have probably stayed there 8-9 times and I would say two trips were better than average as far as the accommodations and the rest have been rather like what you have described. It is not my favorite resort....although we keep going back due to the location.

We did add on "cheap points" in 2010-11 at SSR, and it turns out that it is probably our favorite resort. Like everyone has mentioned, the landscaping and peacefulness are a welcome respite after a long day at the parks. And, wow, we are totally looking forward to the refurb!! I'm hoping that it doesn't make SSR too difficult to book.

 

[lovin'fl]

Boy, you sure summed up BWV for us too! We purchased BWV in 2009. We have probably stayed there 8-9 times and I would say two trips were better than average as far as the accommodations and the rest have been rather like what you have described. It is not my favorite resort....although we keep going back due to the location.

We did add on "cheap points" in 2010-11 at SSR, and it turns out that it is probably our favorite resort. Like everyone has mentioned, the landscaping and peacefulness are a welcome respite after a long day at the parks. And, wow, we are totally looking forward to the refurb!! I'm hoping that it doesn't make SSR too difficult to book.

We don't own at SSR but can easily book there at 7 months and do so often because we also really like it. I wish we had just bought one giant contract at SSR.

 

[disneynutz]

We own several resorts and now have only 3 that we stay at, sold some, bought others. For us the resort is more important than the parks. We just ended a 10 night stay at WDW and we never entered a park.

Bill

 

[ABE4DISNEY]

We own several resorts and now have only 3 that we stay at, sold some, bought others. For us the resort is more important than the parks. We just ended a 10 night stay at WDW and we never entered a park.

Bill

So what are your favorite three? Just curious.

 

[quandrea]

We own at AK and SSR. Love both, although we end up at AK more often. BWV aren’t home, but the family loves it. I’m a bit less enamoured due to the snooty front desk as someone upthread mentioned. Great location though. We are booked at SSR for Feb. I’m hoping for a renovated room. I’m very excited about the reimagining of this resort. Just worried the coronavirus will alter our plans.

 

[rkstocke5609]

VWL (BRV...) is our home resort - I absolutely love it! I can spend days there and never go to a park. These types of discussions sometimes lead to Epcot resorts vs MK resorts type of discussions but I can say I have never regretted this one being our home. We have stayed at many resorts (see signature), but VGC is my hands down 2nd favorite. As they always say when purchasing, make your home resort the place you would never be upset staying at. I think this is especially true if you have school age kids and are frequently restricted to Christmas and Springbreak vacations.

 

[LittleFishy101]

Our home resort really is our favorite resort. It’s CCV and every time we go, we love it. It’s been about 6 months and 3 trips since we’ve stayed there and we’re all antsy to go back. Still have at least a few months before we go back and really miss it. Sometimes we just go to WL to sit in the lobby or eat at geyser point because we love the resort so much. So yes our home resort is our favorite

 

[Melissa55]

We love our home resort. The first time we went to WDW, we had lunch at the Kona Cafe. Afterwards we walked around the Polynesian a bit. We thought it was so magical!

More than a year later, when we were buying DVC, it just so happened that Polynesian was what they were selling and so it became our home resort.

 

[amuse-bouche]

Does everyone really "love" their home resort?

Well, for us the simple answer is yes, but the more complicated answer is no. We own at BWV and CCV, and while we absolutely love the locations, the accommodations leave us wanting something different. We'd much rather stay in club level rooms or suites at BWI and WL. We definitely picked the right locations, but DVC isn't a perfect fit for us. We're getting ready to sell our contracts and have booked a spring stay at BWI and a holiday stay at WL.

 

[jvalic33]

We love our home resorts for all different reasons and we love many of the others we have stayed at as well.

One thing which I think is interesting is that if you buy into certain resorts, the more expensive ones seem to be readily available at 7 months out. When I'm looking at my 7 month window, I can usually easily get a VGF or BLT Theme park view, and I have taken advantage of both.

However, back to your initial question.

We own at BCV, BWV and AKV and we have enough points to bank or use to alternate staying at each one every year. Somehow, even though I was a newbie when buying in. I did an awesome job splitting up our points. We got around 100-120 at each resort and that enables us to get a 2 bedroom Villa each year. When we stay at BCV or BWV we always book these during F&W and just adore the convenience.

When at BCV we have a bit more downtime and really enjoy the pool and the resort. At BWV what I find to be the most amazing thing is when you return to your resort after the parks and come home to the Boardwalk. It's so festive it makes it feel like the night is not yet over. Just as you think your exhausted and need to get to your room you find yourself watching a juggler or some sort of act with lots of smiling children all around enthralled by the spectacle. The colors and the lights are just amazing and I never get tired of ut.

At AKV, well that is an experience in and of itself. The kids and grownups had so much fun exploring the resort and just soaking in the savannah from our balcony.

Each resort makes our return to Disney some sort of brand new experience and as the kids get older they enjoy and appreciate different aspects of the trip. What was once the characters and buffets, became the pool table and crafts in the community hall. Or the pick a pearl right outside the pool. The sand for the little ones and the giraffes. It really never gets old, you appreciate something at each resort and we look forward to trying others all the time!

 

[rg35]

We bought AKV and do love it. The 1 bedrooms sleep 5 which was important; there are very good restaurants at the resort; underground parking at Kidani keeps the car cool; community center at Kidani for the kids; a very relaxing pool; decent sized fitness center; ability to walk between Kidani and Jambo; the animals add interest and they have interesting cultural demonstrations.

We do also love Old Key West, since my grandparents owned there and I had a lot of nice family trips. Thus far we have split our stays 50/50 between AKV and OKW. I probably would have bought OKW, but we purchased resale and the extended contracts are hard to come by, so we preferred the longer expiration of AKV. No regrets about buying AKV at all.

 

[disneynutz]

So what are your favorite three? Just curious.

BWV, VGF, and CCV Cabins. We also own AKV, BCV, and BLT.

Bill

 

[lovin'fl]

BWV, VGF, and CCV Cabins. We also own AKV, BCV, and BLT.

Bill

You like BWV over BCV???

 

[lovin'fl]

We own at AK and SSR. Love both, although we end up at AK more often. BWV aren’t home, but the family loves it. I’m a bit less enamoured due to the snooty front desk as someone upthread mentioned. Great location though. We are booked at SSR for Feb. I’m hoping for a renovated room. I’m very excited about the reimagining of this resort. Just worried the coronavirus will alter our plans.

Those are our top 3...SSR, BWV and AKV. Love BCV (a tad more than BWV) and CCV/BRV as well. But we own BWV and not BCV and also own CCV instead of BRV. So we mostly look to do BWV, CCV, SSR and AKV. Happy with those 4.