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Congrats! Very exciting. The issue with purchasing a different resort is they will each have separate 11-month booking w…

Congrats! Very exciting. The issue with purchasing a different resort is they will each have separate 11-month booking windows. And 160 points will not get you a 2BR at BLT. So you would either have to bank and/or borrow to do that every other year (or so) to lock in your desired reservation at 11-monhts. If you're less concerned about where you stay, you could get any resale with the same UY and use the points from both contracts at the 7-month window. Studios can be tough at the 7-month window, so I would stalk availability before committing to a resale contract that isn't at BLT. You can easily explore the other DVC resorts, but I will caution you that a walk through the lobby doesn't always tell the whole story. We took the skyliner to "check out" Riviera in 2021 and were underwhelmed. But we stayed there in 2024 (figuring it was a one-and-done) and now it's tied for our favorite resort. Trying all the resorts is part of the fun, but you never know what you're going to like. Unless you know you want an 11-month booking privilege at another resort, BLT is a very solid choice for resale. It will cost more in the short run, but the dues are much lower than "cheaper" resale like SSR, AKL, and Aulani. I'm assuming if your SIL purchased her contract direct, then you will get direct member privileges, which allow you to purchase the Sorceror's AP.

They do have the same value to a certain extent. The only issue is you cannot use them to stay at the resorts from Rivie…

They do have the same value to a certain extent. The only issue is you cannot use them to stay at the resorts from Riviera and newer (Cabins @ Fort Wilderness, Villas at Disneyland Hotel and Lakeshore Lodge when it opens). If you bought BLT resale, look for the same UY. Then they will be under the same membership. It's still separate contracts (it would be even if you bought more direct points), but if they're under the same UY, you can move them interchangably. You would have the total amount with 11-month booking at BLT, and you could use them at the 7-month window at any of the original 14 resorts.

Would 35-50 points at 11-month window to secure the entire stay? If so...AND if you didn't have two stays that fell in t…

Would 35-50 points at 11-month window to secure the entire stay? If so...AND if you didn't have two stays that fell in the same 7-11 month window, you could probably do it. We have two UYs in our contract, but I realized I sometimes want to book a home resort whose points are in the latter 1/3 of my UY. So I book it at 11-months and then switch to use points from the other contract (which is in the "safe" zone for UY). So it can work. The other think (to make it easier on yourself) is to make sure your RR points have the same UY as SSR so you can easily swap them at the 7-month window. Because mine are in different UYs, I have to call Member Services and transfer points between the memberships. And I can only do it once a year.

Most of the higher floors are Ocean View. This site has a really specific breakdown with images. It helped me craft my r…

Most of the higher floors are Ocean View. This site has a really specific breakdown with images. It helped me craft my room request when we went in May 2025. https://mydvcpoints.com/085-aulani-tips-on-booking-a-room-flights-and-car-rentals-a-multiple-dvc-member-review-part-2-of-4-in-our-aulani-review-series/

I can't speak to ABD, but I lived in northern Bavaria for 6 1/2 years. Generally, Germany is not "mobility friendly" but…

I can't speak to ABD, but I lived in northern Bavaria for 6 1/2 years. Generally, Germany is not "mobility friendly" but I would bet that ABD takes it at a pace that will be easy for you (if you don't need a scooter, etc.). Also German cuisine doesn't rely heavily on shellfish. So I think you could fairly easily avoid those meals.

I don't know about booking. Generally the first year of a ship creates so much buzz, the prices are high. But you're rig…

I don't know about booking. Generally the first year of a ship creates so much buzz, the prices are high. But you're right about general disappointment in this ship. If you haven't been on a DCL, maybe consider the Wish? It can be had for relatively low prices now (we went in 2023 and I'm ashamed of what I paid). We definitely want to go again.

Resort hop? We stayed at OKW this past May, but we took an afternoon/evening and had dinner at Boma. It was nice to imme…

Resort hop? We stayed at OKW this past May, but we took an afternoon/evening and had dinner at Boma. It was nice to immerse ourselves in an entirely different part of the World for a few hours.

We have a countdown calendar. That helps. Of course it helps that we now go several times a year, so the countdown is a …

We have a countdown calendar. That helps. Of course it helps that we now go several times a year, so the countdown is a happy thing vs. depressingly long 😂 My other way is to stick my nose in all the DVC Fan content, watch the episodes with my husband, strategize future trips, etc. Not the most healthy way of coping, but it works 😬

We have two kids. When both of us pass away, the kids will each receive 50%. They can split the points, sell their half …

We have two kids. When both of us pass away, the kids will each receive 50%. They can split the points, sell their half to the other, or sell it jointly on the resale market. I won't be here to care. 🙂

It depends on the nature of the service dog. For example, seizure dogs will be a little friendlier than hearing dogs. Th…

It depends on the nature of the service dog. For example, seizure dogs will be a little friendlier than hearing dogs. That said, states need to crack down on the service dog industry and create a common licensing system to prevent that. I know the ADA restricts that, but it is definitely being abused. Disney at least limits it to dogs and miniature horses.

I wish I had a strategy. We started our DVC journey with no kids (but hoped to have them). We bought 300 points in a sin…

I wish I had a strategy. We started our DVC journey with no kids (but hoped to have them). We bought 300 points in a single contract. We learned afterward that was not a best-practice (from DVC veterans) 😂 Then we added on 15 1/2 years later (after having two kids) and added another 300 points. So, at least they each have 300. But it wasn't really intentional. We've since bought more, and it'll be fairly easy to split between the two kids (4 total contracts).

I had the same thought. My thinking is somebody is claiming it is a service dog when it really isn't. How strictly does …

I had the same thought. My thinking is somebody is claiming it is a service dog when it really isn't. How strictly does Disney handle these issues? If you are bringing a service dog are you required to provide some sort of verifiable proof that it is an actual (as in well trained) dog for a documented need or do they just trust people to be honest? Part of the reason I am curious, on our most recent cruise on the Dream somebody had their "service dog" with them and based on the dog's behavior (it was very friendly and it wanted to interact with people) my commented that despite the harness designating it as a service dog it sure wasn't acting like on since most service dogs tend to behave in public like Secret Service agents.

My unpopular opinion is that you shouldn't bring a Service Dog to Disney (especially the Island Tower in the room opposi…

My unpopular opinion is that you shouldn't bring a Service Dog to Disney (especially the Island Tower in the room opposite mine) if it cannot stay quiet. If a dog is barking all the time then it totally negates the benefits it may bring, like alerting people of a seizure etc. Also, if you need the dog, why have you left it in the room while you go to the park? Isn't it essential? On our latest trip to the Poly Tower in the summer we called the desk twice on two separate days because we were concerned the owner needed help and, quite honestly, it's not really a Deluxe experience to listen to a barking dog and worrying that someone had collapsed while trying to enjoy the room. Well behaved Service Dogs - no issue at all.

Yes, just ask a cast member on how to get to the location within the DVC building. Even if you don’t get a cabana (its $…

Yes, just ask a cast member on how to get to the location within the DVC building. Even if you don’t get a cabana (its $$$$), when we are there in the summer, there are servers who walk through the pool areas to take and deliver orders from the bar and restaurant. THe chaise lounges are the most comfortable of any Disney resort I have been to (havent stayed at GF) just try to find a spot to enjoy.

Disney (and other) gift cards are 10% off on Google Play, October 13-19: https://play.google.com/store/giftcards?hl=en-U…

Disney (and other) gift cards are 10% off on Google Play, October 13-19: https://play.google.com/store/giftcards?hl=en-US $100 gift cards for $90. That seems to be the only one discounted. Limit unknown; I am getting an error after trying to buy a second one, but that could be unrelated. I also don't see any way to buy several at once, as opposed to one at a time.

Disney's desire for buyers to finance through them is an interesting point. On a recent cruise we talked to one of the s…

Disney's desire for buyers to finance through them is an interesting point. On a recent cruise we talked to one of the sales reps because we wanted the free gift. It's probably the closest thing I have ever experienced to a DVC sales rep taking a hard sell approach. He made a big deal about the incentives we could only get while onboard the ship and all of the incentives that were going to disappear on 1 October (we talked to him on 28 September) and he dangled the extra incentive that since we are already members, if we bought direct and financed through Disney, the approval process for the loan was automatic.

We drove over from Riviera since we had a car, so it was really easy. The food and service was really good. It's funny. …

We drove over from Riviera since we had a car, so it was really easy. The food and service was really good. It's funny. Online people call it "adventurous" dining. We would not call it that. It was just really good. The lamb was perfectly cooked and flavorful. My wife had lots of GF options to pick from and they took very good care of her. The restaurant is a bit on the loud side because of the feature ceiling, but it was fun. It was 1A-1B for us with Topolinos. It was less expensive then Topolinos, but that's probably due to its location, and we think that it is just a gem. The floor-to-ceiling windows in the restrooms were a bit disconcerting until you remember that you are on the 16th floor :).

Has anyone ever encountered a very musty odor when entering the cabin for the first time? This odor was so bad we called…

Has anyone ever encountered a very musty odor when entering the cabin for the first time? This odor was so bad we called maintenance/housekeeping. They sent a dehumidifier/purifer but the stench persisted. The smell was in our clothes in our luggage when we came home. Really questioning our DVC purchase as a home resort. We really enjoyed everything else about the resort.

I think you made a fantastic choice. We own BLT and our first add-on (in 2024) after 15 1/2 years of ownership was RIV. …

I think you made a fantastic choice. We own BLT and our first add-on (in 2024) after 15 1/2 years of ownership was RIV. We fell in love with it. Also, you're not going to be able to buy direct for less than now. I'm sure LL will initially price out higher. And who knows about dues... I'm intrigued by LL, but we love the flexibility of walking out the resort and being able to go-see-do. BLT is great for that (Poly and VGF and BWV and BC are too), but WL already feels a bit isolated (even though we love the vibe). I do think LL will improve that whole corner of Bay Lake (hopefully allowing guests to walk between LL, FW and WL) but you already own at CCV! FWIW, Riviera is the resort that stole the heart of my practical husband. He loves how easy it is to walk down and get coffee in the morning, how easy the skyliner is to use, etc. He also loves BLT and VGF too. He loves the ambience at WL, but never wants to stay there because he isn't a fan of the boats 😂

I'd be interested to see what percentage of owners are direct compared to resale-only. Maybe Disney sees that there is a…

I'd be interested to see what percentage of owners are direct compared to resale-only. Maybe Disney sees that there is a large enough resale contingent that restricting keeps some of the Magical Extras demand lower. For instance, if the lounge can only hold so many people and half of all DVC owners are resale-only, they can cut lounge demand by 50% simply by limiting it to direct purchasers.

The animals are what draws most people to the resort. Without them, you might as well stay/own at Copper Creek or Boulde…

The animals are what draws most people to the resort. Without them, you might as well stay/own at Copper Creek or Boulder Ridge and have cheaper dues and have close proximity to Magic Kingdom.

I recommend asking if there is anyway they can overnight the cards because of a trip coming up. Some CC will do that bec…

I recommend asking if there is anyway they can overnight the cards because of a trip coming up. Some CC will do that because they want you to use them. Not sure if this one will or not.

If you haven't bought already I'm pretty sure the minimum number of points in your first contract if buying direct is 10…

If you haven't bought already I'm pretty sure the minimum number of points in your first contract if buying direct is 100. If you're trying to do at least 150 direct, personally I would just keep them all at the same resort for simplicity sake. Poly is too point heavy of a resort to have just a 75 pointer IMO. We bought 200 direct at Poly and the only reason it feels like it's enough is because we own over 600 points at other resorts and I don't need to rely on the Poly points to cover the entirety of our trips. I realistically only need it cover 4 nights or so but I couldn't imagine trying to make a 75 pointer work at Poly. Sure you can bank to get 150 every other year which I guess is enough for a studio but I would actually take my chances at 7 months and keep the 150 at VDH so you can potentially book the 1BRs at VDH which are difficult to get.

For us, we own resale at AUL and AKV. We own direct at RIV and Poly. I typically will try and burn the resale points fir…

For us, we own resale at AUL and AKV. We own direct at RIV and Poly. I typically will try and burn the resale points first, especially the AKV points. I find myself using the home resort priority at AKV the least currently. AUL we actually do use the home resort priority somewhat regularly so we if we have a AUL trip coming up, if resale AKV cannot be used either due to resale restrictions or simply because we don't have any more AKV points, I will use the RIV points next. If there is no upcoming AUL trip then AUL will be used after resale AKV. The sole reason why RIV is used before Poly is simply that we have 335 RIV points and 200 Poly points. Both are point heavy resorts but RIV points will go further at RIV than Poly points will at Poly. Our direct Poly points really are a last resort. I also do take into account the use year of the points and try to avoid dipping into future use years to retain maximum flexibility.

For what it's worth, I think you made the right choice. Personally I don't like how with Lakeshore Lodge you aren't buyi…

For what it's worth, I think you made the right choice. Personally I don't like how with Lakeshore Lodge you aren't buying deeded real estate and Disney can raise the number of points in a unit over time. I also do think in the long term Riviera will be more difficult to book than LSL simply because of how large of a resort LSL is so home resort priority is more valuable if planning to stay at Riviera.

Ok the wildlife was nuts at Beach Club. Over 1 day, I saw a bunnies by the 'other' pool, a turtle in the water by the pa…

Ok the wildlife was nuts at Beach Club. Over 1 day, I saw a bunnies by the 'other' pool, a turtle in the water by the parking lot, a squirrel landed on my head - maybe fell out of a tree or launched off my green hat thinking it was a plant, and ducks landed in the swimming pool. There was a storm so maybe that was the issue. Now to hear there are raccoons?! Whoa! Guess we won't be stopping by Animal Kingdom Lodge anymore.

We'll be there next December for our 20th (anniversary is in July, but December means we can go alone). We are splurging…

We'll be there next December for our 20th (anniversary is in July, but December means we can go alone). We are splurging a little on the land/sea by getting a concierge room. Now I just need to figure out where to eat at the parks.

We were there in June for our 25th as well and did a bit of a restaurant tour (thought it was a better use of money than…

We were there in June for our 25th as well and did a bit of a restaurant tour (thought it was a better use of money than park tickets since we were sans kids). Came in from VB on Saturday and hit Raglan Road (W is GF and they are just excellent for that). Sunday night was Citricos and then to BLT for the fireworks. Monday was Flying Fish and Geo-82 for the EPCOT fireworks (it was the last day of Flower and Garden, so this was our only park day). Tuesday was Topolino's. Wednesday was Toledo over at Coronado Springs, and Thursday was lunch at the Boathouse and then off to the airport. Honestly, Citrico's was a bit of a disappointment (not trying to draw the hate, but it was just underwhelming IMO especially compared with the others). Will probably do it again in a few years since the resorts have a dense collection of great restaurants that is kind of like the Las Vegas Strip used to be a few years ago.

Thanks, everyone. I can't remember the last time we stayed off-property; maybe over 20 years ago! We are curious whether…

Thanks, everyone. I can't remember the last time we stayed off-property; maybe over 20 years ago! We are curious whether that will kill some of the magic for us. We just love staying in the Disney Bubble.

Happy Anniversary. I ditto all the above. I ahve never eaten breakfast at Topolinos but dinner was not a favorite of our…

Happy Anniversary. I ditto all the above. I ahve never eaten breakfast at Topolinos but dinner was not a favorite of ours and I do not see us going back. However, we love Wine Bar George (loved sitting at windows and once we had the little private room area that seats 6 or 8) Boathouse, Steakhouse 71, LeCellier.

I was hoping someone would answer as a friend group and I are thinking about doing one next summer. We are all teachers …

I was hoping someone would answer as a friend group and I are thinking about doing one next summer. We are all teachers (i am the only one retired now) so summer it will be. I would love some strategies etc,

It was a close 1 and 2 with Haunted taking it over Pirates. Jungle is definitely 3rd for me. I finally rode it after man…

It was a close 1 and 2 with Haunted taking it over Pirates. Jungle is definitely 3rd for me. I finally rode it after many trips this past September. We walked right on Jungle Cruise and then Pirates in Septemebr. Really any ride with hardly any wait time!!

You want to see what time the park that you are parking at closes. If you are parking at one that cloases early like Ani…

You want to see what time the park that you are parking at closes. If you are parking at one that cloases early like Animal Kingdom, you may not be able to get transportation back if you stay for the fireworks at Epcot. I believe most buses run about an hour after the parks close so not sure any buses are headed to AK after 7 if the park closes at 6.

Yes, if you are parked at a designated lot (including the TTC) for a park, you can use the bus, monorail, or boat to go …

Yes, if you are parked at a designated lot (including the TTC) for a park, you can use the bus, monorail, or boat to go to the different resorts. The current only exception is going from Disney Springs to a resort without a valid dining reservation or stay. Of course, this id always subject to change and as always, YMMV

Okay, thanks for the clarification. I imagine DVC can justify the change in policy because they changed the Top of the W…

Okay, thanks for the clarification. I imagine DVC can justify the change in policy because they changed the Top of the World Lounge to the Villain's Lair and the changes they made to it essentially make a new facility (just my speculation). For what it's worth, you are not missing much IMWO. My wife and I went there last January for Wicked Wind Down and we thought it was grossly overpriced for what we got and the new theming is pretty lame. The basically just glued some Villains theming over the old lounge. Again, just my opinion.

Resale members were able to use the Bay Lake Tower lounge prior to the pandemic. This is probably because the lounge ope…

Resale members were able to use the Bay Lake Tower lounge prior to the pandemic. This is probably because the lounge opened before resale restrictions existed. When the Top of the World lounge reopened after Covid, they changed the rules to no longer allow resale memebers. The EPCOT, Disneyland, and Magic Kingdom lounges all opened after resale restrictions were introduced, and have never been available to resale members. This is appropriate and does not upset me. I have no problems with Disney restricing access to new lounges going forward. What I take issue with is removing perks that resale members already had - in this case BLT lounge access.

I am going to Epic universe nights net weekend not sure what to expect for this. For context I have not been to universa…

I am going to Epic universe nights net weekend not sure what to expect for this. For context I have not been to universal since they opened harry potter land in the early 2000s. I did go to universal city walk a few years ago but just to the city walk.

I am interested in a potential situation regarding the lodge. If I may pose the question to the group, and if it has pre…

I am interested in a potential situation regarding the lodge. If I may pose the question to the group, and if it has previously been discussed, I apologize. My family agreed to purchase a resale Animal Kingdom contract yesterday. Although we are excited, I have previously thought and now I am slightly more interested in this topic. Has there ever been discussion amongst owner's of DVC Animal Kingdom Lodge, about Disney someday wanting to cut expenses or giving in to organizations to free the animals and remove the live animal aspect to the lodge's savannah? What would the lodge be like if there was no live animals? How would it impact the value of the DVC contracts? Jeff, any thoughts?

Did you get a discounted rate? For me, the WDW site is showing this room as $568/night before tax on 7/8 and 7/9! EDIT: …

Did you get a discounted rate? For me, the WDW site is showing this room as $568/night before tax on 7/8 and 7/9! EDIT: I forgot about the DVC cash booking discount! Does this only work for dates up to 11 months out, or could I call today and get a discounted rate for December 2027?

I was hoping this would be the case as well, but If you look at the rack rates, Lakeshore Lodge sits right in the middle…

I was hoping this would be the case as well, but If you look at the rack rates, Lakeshore Lodge sits right in the middle of Bay Lake Tower and the Polynesian. This makes me think that Disney considers this a premium product., at the level of these two properties, even though it’s not on the monorail loop. I would love to see point charts closer to Boulder Ridge and Copper Creek, but I just don’t think we’ll see that on a property that opens in 2027. I’d be happy to be incorrect on this, though.

That's a pretty good job. I had the itch to do something similar, but you beat me to it. Honestly, I think the points wi…

That's a pretty good job. I had the itch to do something similar, but you beat me to it. Honestly, I think the points will be closer to the two DVC properties at Wilderness Lodge than to Polynesian. Polynesian gets the benefit of being a monorail resort, whereas LSL will be limited to bus and ferry. Given its proximity to Wilderness, I just feel the points will be on par.

So now that we have rack rates we can use that to help calculate possible point charts.. here's what I came up with.. I …

So now that we have rack rates we can use that to help calculate possible point charts.. here's what I came up with.. I (with the help of AI :)) compared rack rates with point charts on the similar properties, Bay Lake Tower, Copper Creek (Cabins), Poly were the closest in where I think Disney is positioning LSL. These are probably wrong, but I think they're closer to reality. I adujusted the totals because I think that LSL will be lower than Poly but higher than BLT which is where it sits in the Rack Rate rooms, so that's where most the calculation comes into play. I'll be interested to see how close this ends up being. Just so there is no confusion, THESE ARE NOT REAL AND ARE MADE UP BY ME!! :)

Just got back from a stay at Vero Beach. The 1BR there was terrific and I loved the sea turtle theming. IMWO they should…

Just got back from a stay at Vero Beach. The 1BR there was terrific and I loved the sea turtle theming. IMWO they should use what the did at Vero as a template for refurbishing the rooms at OKW.

This, we stayed in July hoping that it would have started by then, and here we are in October and nothing. I'm assuming …

This, we stayed in July hoping that it would have started by then, and here we are in October and nothing. I'm assuming it has to be because other resorts (AKL?) are taking longer to update. We'll be back next July and I hope it's started by then :D

Tonight a reservation came across my email for me. There has been a deposit made too. I did not do this. However, for an…

Tonight a reservation came across my email for me. There has been a deposit made too. I did not do this. However, for any who is interested in a 1 bedroom premium view the rate is $858.75 for July 2027. I guess I am on the phone tomorrow really hoping I won a prize of somesort but I know this is a huge mistake on their part.🙃

Question, when you say lounges, do you mean the member lounges in EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom (and at Disneyland) or do …

Question, when you say lounges, do you mean the member lounges in EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom (and at Disneyland) or do you mean the Bay Lake Towers lounge or do you mean all of them?

Actually Vero, it was very relaxing and we had a couple of great kayaking tours in the area and the food at Wind and Wav…

Actually Vero, it was very relaxing and we had a couple of great kayaking tours in the area and the food at Wind and Waves was really good (two dinners and one breakfast). The cruise was good but it was crowded and it felt crowded, particularly Deck 11 which was just a zoo most of the time. I realize two of my last three cruises were not booked to capacity (one due to COVID restrictions and one because it was a repositioning cruise) and the other one was Alaska and Deck 11 is not usually packed on that cruise because it's cold so my perspective is a little skewed. It was also the Dream's first cruise after pulling in that morning from the summer season in Europe and a few things felt off. For example, the beer selection on the ship was very limited because they were still trying to burn through existing inventory before adding new selections. That means a lot of the bars and lounges did not even have beer on tap and what they did have was mostly wimpy European lagers and pilsners which I am not a fan of. I realize if you are not a beer drinker you won't care about any of that but I'm a total beer snob and I'm also very picky. It was our first trip to Lighthouse Point and we liked that better than Castaway, more nature oriented which is what we like and we found a very underused portion of the beach that was not crowded at all and had a lot of fun swimming. I will say Fort Lauderdale is a very easy place to cruise from. The pier is near the airport and their are a lot of hotels near the pier as well. Lyft to the hotel was less than 10 bucks and cab ride to the ship the next morning was less than 10 bucks and the cab ride back to the airport at the end was also around 10 bucks. The night in the Poly Tower was great, first time we stayed there so I'm glad we got to do it. Those studios are really nice.

Sorry new to this, I think I posted this under the story, not the forum, so I will put it here if ok: Lakeshore Lodge De…

Sorry new to this, I think I posted this under the story, not the forum, so I will put it here if ok: Lakeshore Lodge December Pricing I booked Lakeshore Lodge this morning through the Annual Passholder early booking for Dec. 5–7, 2027 (2 nights). I was surprised by how much higher the rates were than the July 1 opening-night prices that have been reported. These were the Basic Package quotes I wrote down while on the phone: Resort Studio – Club Access: $3,043.50 Deluxe Studio – Preferred View: $2,313 Resort Studio – 2 Queens: $1,941 3-Bedroom Grand Villa: $9,746.50 I was writing quickly, so these numbers may be off slightly, but they should be very close. I booked the Club Access Resort Studio as a Basic Package with a $200 deposit, with the balance due 11/5/27. Has anyone else booking later 2027 dates, especially November/December, been quoted rates in this range? I'm curious whether this is seasonal/holiday pricing or if others are seeing similar numbers. Update: I compared the same dates at several other Disney resorts with Club Level, and Lakeshore is actually less expensive than some of them. So this appears to be largely seasonal December pricing rather than unusually high Lakeshore pricing.

Great information and analysis as always, Paul! Do you know if there are any updates planned for the Best Economical DVC…

Great information and analysis as always, Paul! Do you know if there are any updates planned for the Best Economical DVC Resorts to Purchase report? The last one I could find was December of last year.