Another CCV purchase question (vs BRV).

Sanwich

Mouseketeer
Joined
May 3, 2012
Hello there; normally I'm an extreme lurker on the boards, but I have a dilemma and would like some input.

We are current DVC members at a couple of resorts, looking to do a small add-on of 50 points at Wilderness Lodge (planning to use every other year in chunks of ~100). No matter what, we are probably going to buy direct from Disney for this one; our UY seems somewhat rare in WL resale contracts (we want to keep to one UY) and the price difference isn't that huge since it's a small amount of points.

Initially my thought was to go with CCV, since the contract life is much longer than BRV and I like the aesthetic of CCV slightly more (but really either would be fine with me). However, we are very much "studio people" and (based on various factors) we will likely stay that way into the future.

The problem is, it seems like CCV has a studio availability issue. For example, we like to go in the fall, and even 10 months out, I can see that CCV barely has any studios free, whereas BRV is wide open. I feel like this problem may be due to both the cabins at CCV, along with the two separate studio categories at CCV vs one big "pool" of rooms at BRV.

Do you think this issue with CCV might ease up as more rooms are declared, or do the other factors just sort of leave CCV in this bad studio situation forever?

Right now, unless I'm missing something, it looks like the main downside to BRV is its expiration date, which makes it a worse "deal." However we aren't THAT concerned with contract length... we probably won't need so many points anyway by 2042, and we aready own contracts that will last beyond that date. Just trying to figure out if my logic makes sense... I think we are leaning toward BRV.
 
Do you think this issue with CCV might ease up as more rooms are declared, or do the other factors just sort of leave CCV in this bad studio situation forever?

I am of the opinion this is a long term issue. The maximum number of studios is 78 and there are 26 cabins. That doesn't change.
 
I'm speculating here - but take a look at Poly. It's all studios and then the bungalows, and there's still issues booking because they've sold all those bungalow points, but almost all those people want to stay in the studios. I think any resort with big point sinks like that (like CCV's cabins) is going to have issues, especially in the busy fall/winter times.
 


Are you planning on going around the same time every other year, for about a week?

Can look into the fixed (guaranteed) week option at CCV, but you would have to buy slightly over 100 points for the entire week (the amount changes depending on what week number you would be interested in). On your 'skip' years, can opt out of guarantee and just rent out the points. Would cost more $$ upfront, but you would be guaranteed a studio in the fall/holiday seasons.
 
CCV studios are small too. Just FYI. I'd maybe go with BRV. Lower buy in and maybe easier to book. And can book 5 in a 1BR whereas at CCV you can only do 4.
 
I own at WL BR now. I noticed all the studios rooms that are booked up already for October 2019 at Copper Creek. It is out of whack with other locations, not just WL BR. CC Studios are also largely on the first floor, which is not ideal for me for a few reasons. Funny you mention the 2 types of studios at CC. I booked a trip in the spring a few weeks ago. I lucked into Copper Creek studios having some nights available. But right now I have nights 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in a shower studio. (split into 2 reservations of course). then I have a third one in a tub studio for nights 1, 2. I have night 2 waitlisted in the shower studio, if that comes thru I will release the 1,2 tub room booking. But this could happen often, people trying to get a trip lined up in the same type studio. (this happened to me because I do not own at CC and it was beyond the 7 month window, BR was booked by the time I decided on this trip, that is on me).

I have stayed at both BR and CC and enjoy both. For 1-2 Bedrooms I prefer BR. I want to book a GV in 2020, and for that I need to try at CC (BR has no GC).
 


There's a few factors with CCV that I agree will make booking studios more difficult and I don't expect it will improve much, if at all, when it's fully declared. And you're looking to book during the last quarter of the year - very popular with DVC owners.

  • Fixed weeks have been sold which remove some of the availability before those who don't own fixed weeks can book.
  • 2 studio booking categories - walk in shower and tub. This makes for even smaller categories than just 78 studios and smaller categories are always more difficult to book. You can end up with some availability in 1 category and the rest in the other and having to move
  • High price per point is leading to more buying to stay in studios IMO.
  • Cabins are point intensive and there are lots of them adding to the pool. I'm not certain I've seen a report of a single person who purchased CCV to only stay in the cabins but many report buying to stay in studios. That's a flood of points during the home priority period that are not going to be used during that time to book the cabins.
If you were planning on some other time in the year then it could probably work out fine but not for Oct-Dec IMO. If the end date really isn't too much of an issue I'd purchase BRV for regular studio stays during that time of the year or else purchase a studio fixed week at CCV.
 
Are you planning on going around the same time every other year, for about a week?

Can look into the fixed (guaranteed) week option at CCV, but you would have to buy slightly over 100 points for the entire week (the amount changes depending on what week number you would be interested in). On your 'skip' years, can opt out of guarantee and just rent out the points. Would cost more $$ upfront, but you would be guaranteed a studio in the fall/holiday seasons.

Thanks for the suggestion. I think fixed week is probably not in the cards for us, though.

I own at WL BR now. I noticed all the studios rooms that are booked up already for October 2019 at Copper Creek. It is out of whack with other locations, not just WL BR. CC Studios are also largely on the first floor, which is not ideal for me for a few reasons.

Oh wow, that didn't even occur to me, but you're right... large chunk of studios on the first floor, which we don't really care for.

There's a few factors with CCV that I agree will make booking studios more difficult and I don't expect it will improve much, if at all, when it's fully declared. And you're looking to book during the last quarter of the year - very popular with DVC owners.

  • Fixed weeks have been sold which remove some of the availability before those who don't own fixed weeks can book.
  • 2 studio booking categories - walk in shower and tub. This makes for even smaller categories than just 78 studios and smaller categories are always more difficult to book. You can end up with some availability in 1 category and the rest in the other and having to move
  • High price per point is leading to more buying to stay in studios IMO.
  • Cabins are point intensive and there are lots of them adding to the pool. I'm not certain I've seen a report of a single person who purchased CCV to only stay in the cabins but many report buying to stay in studios. That's a flood of points during the home priority period that are not going to be used during that time to book the cabins.
If you were planning on some other time in the year then it could probably work out fine but not for Oct-Dec IMO. If the end date really isn't too much of an issue I'd purchase BRV for regular studio stays during that time of the year or else purchase a studio fixed week at CCV.

We do visit other times of the year, but the fall is usually our "go-to." I agree with your points as well. It looks like BRV might be the best choice for us. :)

Thanks for the input, everyone.
 
Just booked a CCV studio (not walk in) today for Nov 1-8. No problem and we had Oct 31 and Nov 1 check in folks to compete with. I am not keeping this week though. May do Thanksgiving or Xmas...not sure yet but will just walk to Thanksgiving for now.
 
We have owned both and just sold BRV. BRV is wonderful but old and the rooms show wear even with rehabs. We have had electrical outlets and switches that don't work and other maintenance issues due to it's age. In the real estate business the new properties will always get all the attention while the older properties will be ignored. The older properties don't make the developer any money.

:earsboy: Bill

 
The rapidly diminishing number of years left on the 2042 resorts should be a red flag for new purchasers (unless the purchase price is under $100/pp). In 10 years, the resale value of a contract that has only 13 years of use left on it will no doubt be a very hard sell. I don't think of DVC contracts as investments, but many on these boards would argue that resale value is a prime consideration for "just in case" scenarios. If the resale contract length is 40% of a direct contract length, I'd expect a healthy discount on price. Just more things to factor into the equation when looking at the resale vs direct decisions.
 
Those cabins are a terrible idea, apart from for DVD who make masses of money from them. Relatively cheap to build and massive numbers of points loaded onto them. This puts pressure on the rest of the system to the detriment of all members. I bet the profit per square foot of them easily beats what a developer could get in a penthouse apartment in the most expensive buildings in NYC.
 
I'm speculating here - but take a look at Poly. It's all studios and then the bungalows, and there's still issues booking because they've sold all those bungalow points, but almost all those people want to stay in the studios. I think any resort with big point sinks like that (like CCV's cabins) is going to have issues, especially in the busy fall/winter times.

The Poly's problem is compounded in that DVC sold a large number of small contracts with less than 75 points. Way more than was sensible. So they have all these guests booking 3 or 4 night stays on weekends and guests wanting to stay a week can't find a full week open. Add in the fact that those small contracts cannot afford the more expensive bungalows and you really have problems. CCV is just now declaring a bunch of studios on the first floor, article coming out soon on the DVC News, but it might always be an issue that studios are hard at any DVC resort to get because so many members are joining with the intention of only staying in a studio. However at CCV the average contract is 145 points, so I expect there are a number of 75 point contracts but more members are buying more points to stay in a larger villa. wdrl, my DH, says that weekly there are always a half dozen contracts that are 500-600 points, so there are guests buying to stay in GVs or Cabins or a whole lot of nights at CCV.
 
We have owned both and just sold BRV. BRV is wonderful but old and the rooms show wear even with rehabs. We have had electrical outlets and switches that don't work and other maintenance issues due to it's age. In the real estate business the new properties will always get all the attention while the older properties will be ignored. The older properties don't make the developer any money.

:earsboy: Bill

It does seem like the BRV rooms are more worn than BWV rooms, even though they have the same expiration date.
 

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