Ready to buy, push me over the edge

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Original Poster
After going back and forth for years and with a stimulus check likely on the way, I think we're finally going to jump into DVC if we can get a good price.

What we know:
  • 160 to 200 points
  • Resale
  • Not picky about use year
Resorts we're not considering and why:
  • Too expensive upfront: Bay Lake Tower, Beach Club, Boardwalk, Copper Creek, Grand Californian, Grand Floridian, Polynesian
  • Decent price per point but contract ends too soon: Boulder Ridge, Old Key West 2042
  • High and unpredictable fees: Hilton Head, Vero Beach
  • I hate it with a passion: Riviera
That leaves:
  • Animal Kingdom
  • Aulani
  • Saratoga Springs
  • Old Key West 2057
Since Old Key West 2057 is just about impossible to find, we're focusing on the other three. Our most common travel pattern will be to bank-and-borrow to do 8 nights in a two bedroom villa every three years in the summer or late April (i.e. not Christmas, Easter, peak Spring Break, Presidents' Week, Thanksgiving, or Food and Wine). Our choice will come down to relative resort availability at the 7 month window. The math makes the most sense at Saratoga, so the crux of my question is what type of availability can I expect to see at Animal Kingdom and Aulani at 7 months? I don't mind being "stuck" at Saratoga once in awhile, but I'd rather not stay there every time, especially since both the Studios and 1BRs only have a capacity of 4.
 

Jdn0018

Member
As everyone says... buy where you would not be disappointed to stay every time. Historically, SSR will always have availability at 7-months. That is not always the case with AKL. I know nothing about Aulani availability... but from the info you have listed, I think AKL is the choice.
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Original Poster
As everyone says... buy where you would not be disappointed to stay every time. Historically, SSR will always have availability at 7-months. That is not always the case with AKL. I know nothing about Aulani availability... but from the info you have listed, I think AKL is the choice.
The caveat is that I wouldn't be disappointed if Animal Kingdom is booked at 7 months. I would only be disappointed if *everything except for Saratoga* is booked at 7 months *every* time.

Even if we bought at AKL, we'll still have a strong preference for variety from time to time.
 

Jdn0018

Member
The caveat is that I wouldn't be disappointed if Animal Kingdom is booked at 7 months. I would only be disappointed if *everything except for Saratoga* is booked at 7 months *every* time.

Even if we bought at AKL, we'll still have a strong preference for variety from time to time.

Buying at AKL would "guarantee" (no such thing as a guarantee in DVC booking) you the option to book AKL at 11 months and change to SSR at 7 months for any trip--*some* variety "guaranteed." The opposite wouldn't necessarily be true if purchasing at SSR. With this being said, I suspect you will have choices at 7 months, typically. However, things are a mess for DVC booking later this year, I think, due to extra points from the 2020 closure and people pushing vacations as far back as possible.
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Original Poster
However, things are a mess for DVC booking later this year, I think, due to extra points from the 2020 closure and people pushing vacations as far back as possible.
That's part of my strategy too... I'm hoping to buy a contract with all of the 2020 and 2021 points used up anyways. That should keep the price-per-point down and hopefully avoid the worst of the post-pandemic cluster. We're going to Caribbean Beach in April and Aulani in November paying cash, so we wouldn't be looking to actually use points until 2022 at the earliest.
 

CastAStone

5th gate? Just build a new resort Bob.
Premium Member
I wouldn’t buy Aulani unless you want to stay there at least every other year. The dues have been skyrocketing. There’s still 4 million points to sell so resale will continue to see downward pressure. And there’s no guarantee of access to WDW.

AKL has very strong availability most of the year, especially in 1 bedrooms.

The caveats to that are:
  • Value is impossible at 7 months
  • Club is impossible at 7 months
  • Jambo is often full at 7 months, so you’ll usually be at Kidani if you want a Studio and you’re trading in.
  • Fall is the hardest time to trade and the first 2 weeks of December forget it.
If you’re not familiar with the availability charts at DVCHelp I’d certainly recommend them:

Aulani: https://www.dvchelp.com/page/aulani-resort-spa-availability-charts

AKL Jambo: https://www.dvchelp.com/page/animal-kingdom-villas-jambo-house-availability-charts

AKL Kidani: https://www.dvchelp.com/page/animal-kingdom-villas-kidani-village-availability-charts
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Original Poster
I wouldn’t buy Aulani unless you want to stay there at least every other year. The dues have been skyrocketing. There’s still 4 million points to sell so resale will continue to see downward pressure. And there’s no guarantee of access to WDW.

AKL has very strong availability most of the year, especially in 1 bedrooms.

The caveats to that are:
  • Value is impossible at 7 months
  • Club is impossible at 7 months
  • Jambo is often full at 7 months, so you’ll usually be at Kidani if you want a Studio and you’re trading in.
  • Fall is the hardest time to trade and the first 2 weeks of December forget it.
If you’re not familiar with the availability charts at DVCHelp I’d certainly recommend them:

Aulani: https://www.dvchelp.com/page/aulani-resort-spa-availability-charts

AKL Jambo: https://www.dvchelp.com/page/animal-kingdom-villas-jambo-house-availability-charts

AKL Kidani: https://www.dvchelp.com/page/animal-kingdom-villas-kidani-village-availability-charts
I'll never be interested in Value, Club, Studios (at least at AKV), or Fall, so all of that is good news.

However, I strongly prefer Jambo over Kidani so that's something for me to chew on.

EDIT: Am I reading this correctly that there are no 2BR in Jambo?
 

nickys

Premium Member
I'll never be interested in Value, Club, Studios (at least at AKV), or Fall, so all of that is good news.

However, I strongly prefer Jambo over Kidani so that's something for me to chew on.

EDIT: Am I reading this correctly that there are no 2BR in Jambo?
There are 2-beds at Jambo but they are all lock-offs. So once the studios are gone so are the 2-beds. Same with the 1-beds, but studios go faster. So the 2-bed availability will be the same as the studio availability in the same category, be it value, standard or Savannah.
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Original Poster
There are 2-beds at Jambo but they are all lock-offs. So once the studios are gone so are the 2-beds. Same with the 1-beds, but studios go faster. So the 2-bed availability will be the same as the studio availability in the same category, be it value, standard or Savannah.
Got it.

Said another way, the higher demand for Studios means de facto higher demand for 2BRs because each Studio booked takes a 2BR lock-off out of service.

Aside from Jambo, which you said is 100% lock-off, do you know at the time of booking which you're getting?
 

nickys

Premium Member
Got it.

Said another way, the higher demand for Studios means de facto higher demand for 2BRs because each Studio booked takes a 2BR lock-off out of service.

Aside from Jambo, which you said is 100% lock-off, do you know at the time of booking which you're getting?
Lock-offs and dedicated 2-beds are bookable categories. You either choose a lock-off 2-bed or a 2-bed (ie: dedicated). At Jambo and BWV all the 2-beds are lock-offs. Not sure if there are other resorts like that too, but I think they’re the only two.
 

DisDadWoz

Well-Known Member
I will throw this out there to you as we own at AKL since 2008 and in the 20+ times staying at WDW we stayed there once. It's not because we don't like it but rather we have been able to get in everywhere else when we wanted to. That includes EPCOT resorts during festivals and Christmas. It hasn't always been getting our first choice sometimes but being ready to go with where you want to stay right on the 7 month mark helps alot. We love AKL and will stay there again in the future but we have had plenty of luck getting our room at other places. Not everyone has the same results as we have.
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Original Poster
I will throw this out there to you as we own at AKL since 2008 and in the 20+ times staying at WDW we stayed there once. It's not because we don't like it but rather we have been able to get in everywhere else when we wanted to. That includes EPCOT resorts during festivals and Christmas. It hasn't always been getting our first choice sometimes but being ready to go with where you want to stay right on the 7 month mark helps alot. We love AKL and will stay there again in the future but we have had plenty of luck getting our room at other places. Not everyone has the same results as we have.
What type of unit are you usually booking?
 

correcaminos

Well-Known Member
My mantra is to always buy where you'd be happiest staying most if needed. Also keep in mind the borrowing restrictions are still going on. We book 1 and 2 bedrooms almost exclusively. Outside of fall and December, 2 bedrooms are not that hard to get at 7 months. Though lately, it's been harder due to people using up points more. I expect that to change.
 

striker1064

Active Member
Given your preference for Jambo, AKV makes the most sense. It's worth noting that AKV dues are a little higher than others because there's a line item for animal care, but they're not as high as HHI/VB. Also, I know this sounds ridiculous but I always point it out - AKV contracts do not guarantee the continued existence of animals. It seems pretty unlikely animals would ever go away, but it's worth keeping in the back of your mind.

We bought AKV last year because we really enjoy both Jambo and Kidani, and you need to own to get Jambo certain times of the year. We don't travel in summer so I rarely follow those booking patterns, but as mentioned Jambo 2BR are all lock-offs, so when the studios are booked, so are the 2BR. And Jambo is both smaller and more popular than Kidani, so there will almost certainly be times you do not get a 2BR at 7 months.

I know you like variety and would be disappointed if you had to return to the same place every year. With that in mind, which resort would you be more disappointed to see year after year - Jambo or SSR? If you'd be most disappointed to be stuck with an SSR 2BR because nothing else is available, buy AKV.

Others have also already mentioned why buying Aulani is a poor choice.
 

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Original Poster
It really is fascinating to me how the lowest points-cost rooms are the first to go at pretty much every resort. I understand the urge to get the most nights for your points, but I think I'll be much more inclined to hunt for value by seeking out the best points-per-dollar-of-rack-rate.

If I'm going to drop $20,000+ on a vacation club, I'm absolutely not going to be staying in a standard view studio at Aulani.
 

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