Direct add on purchase: AKL versus Boardwalk

Greg36

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 30, 2017
We are in the process of closing on a 160 point contract from AKL and have been considering a direct add on of 25 points partly for the extra benefits. We were thinking just getting these points at AKL; however, we have been contemplating adding them at another resort. We thought it would be nice to have some at a resort close to Epcot or MK. We like to go during a busy DVC time (late Nov/early Dec). We feel like BLT would not be great as we would not even be able to get two nights a year from 25 points. Boardwalk would let us get two nights. We go once a year and our thinking was we could do a split stay with two nights at Boardwalk either for the first or last two days of our trip (or four nights every other year). One big downside to this that I see is the contract length but I am curious if others see other downsides or positives. Of course all this depends on what Disney has available for our use year. Thanks, Greg
 
I personally don't feel that it is enough for a different resort. I think that the min. I would like would be 50. I am not personally worried about contract length. A lot can happen in 25 years.
 
We do a split stay for the NYE, and 4th of July time period. We always do MK fireworks on the 30th and 3rd. So, what you are thinking to do with BWV and AKV, in December makes sense to us. Now, you may not like the years that you can't do both, because it BWV is so convenient to EPCOT, so I would consider a bit larger BWV.

We do own at both BLT and BWV, so I do book at 11 months.
 
25 points will only get you 2 nights at the BWV in Oct/Nov if you get 2 weeknights in a standard view studio. You might also consider staying at the BWV every other year so that you have 50 points to spend on the every other year trip. That would give you 3 to 5 nights in a studio (depending on view) and more flexibility to schedule your stay (weekends vs weeknight or combination). 50 points could also get you a 1 bedroom standard view for 2 nights - there is a lot less competition for those at 11 months. :)

Know that getting standard view studios in October & early November can be especially challenging. Many BWV owners will be competing with you for those rooms and quite a few of those folks want that time enough to walk their reservations. The walkers could "shut you out" before your window even opens. You will need to be prepared to book as soon as the window opens and if you are unable to get your nights, you will need to waitlist and check availability several times a day during the first week after the window opens. (It will be worth it! BWV is a great place to stay, esp during F&W, F&G & early December. We love it there and consider the standard view villas to be a fantastic value).

BWV 2018 Point Chart
 


You mention late/Nov, early Dec, the highest DVC demand time of the year. Don't buy BWV for that time to get two nights in a standard studio because the odds are against your succeeding in doing so. The standard studios tend to disappear that time of year either before 11 months out or within nano-seconds after 8 a.m. at exactly 11 months out, i.e., the winners are only those whose computers communicate fastest with Disney's at exactly 8 a.m., when online reserving opens at 11 months out.
 
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We bought resale for AKV also with 160 points, and looked at adding BWV direct for 25 pts . But we realized some years we would want to go twice using points from both contracts, and some years we would only use one contract to go once for longer or in a bigger room.
So we bought 50 points at BWV direct, which will get us 5 days in a studio Sunday through Friday every year in the fall, OR a full week in a studio every other year, or a Sunday through Friday in a one bedroom standard, also in the fall.
It seemed far more flexible to choose if we wanted to go every other year.
We have a Sunday through Friday in a studio coming up in October, and I had to work really hard to get those dates (and they were not the dates I had set out looking for, just all I could get).
We will alternate staying once per year at our two home resorts with staying only once a year on one of our contracts. It is complicated, and fried my brain more than once trying to plan it out, but we are hoping it will work out for us.
 


We are in the process of closing on a 160 point contract from AKL and have been considering a direct add on of 25 points partly for the extra benefits. We were thinking just getting these points at AKL; however, we have been contemplating adding them at another resort. We thought it would be nice to have some at a resort close to Epcot or MK. We like to go during a busy DVC time (late Nov/early Dec). We feel like BLT would not be great as we would not even be able to get two nights a year from 25 points. Boardwalk would let us get two nights. We go once a year and our thinking was we could do a split stay with two nights at Boardwalk either for the first or last two days of our trip (or four nights every other year). One big downside to this that I see is the contract length but I am curious if others see other downsides or positives. Of course all this depends on what Disney has available for our use year. Thanks, Greg
Realize the chances of standard view being open 11 months out for 2 nights is less than it is for 7 night stays so you'd need to assume preferred view in your assumptions IMO then take standard view when you could get it or matched the wait list. You'd likely be better off banking/borrowing for EOY trips for any different resort for a studio.
 

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