My wife and I are thinking for our next anniversary, our present to ourselves will be buying into dvc. After running the numbers, I think if we can get the right contract, blt is where we are going to buy.
Are there any BLT owners here who can share experiences good/bad with that resort?
Any DVC owners who don’t own at YCV/BCV: have you had any luck getting rooms at the 7 month mark at either of those resorts during food and wine? (While those resorts aren’t good financially for buying points, that’s one situation that I could see where we wouldn’t stay at BLT)
Any feedback is welcome!
We bought an itty bitty add-on contract for BLT when it was first offered, and we’ve stayed there a couple times. I do enjoy the location, especially being able to walk into the MK (which we did on the 40th). I know lots of people like it. For whatever reason, I just haven’t been able to “get into” our stays there. To me, the room is like staying in an Ikea showroom. It doesn’t seem like there’s a lot to do at that resort, and the pool area was pretty meh for me. We’ve debated unloading our contract, but we do keep going back hoping that it will just “take” for us.
That being said, being a DVC owner has really been a huge blessing in our life. Even as locals, it is awesome for us. The only regret is that we didn’t buy in back in the 1990s. 
We own at BLT and love it. As everyone says, the location can’t be beat and it is amazing how quiet the rooms are when you are so close to MK. The lively atmosphere of the Contempory and all is restaurants and shops is right next door. We have not tried getting YC/BCV for F&W but we have booked stays at other resorts at busy times. Sometimes a bit of perseverance is needed by checking the website and using waitlists. But you can always book at BLT at 11 months then switch. Staying at BLT for F&W if you can’t switch is still going to be great.
We bought a resale contract at BLT this year. We have not stayed on our points yet but stayed there twice before. If you haven’t already stayed there, I recommend staying there before you buy into it to make sure you like it. While everyone agrees that the location is great, not everyone likes the decor. We are fine with it. We are a family of 5 and BLT 1 bedrooms serve us well with two bathrooms and the sleeper chair. I also really like the pool because it is really easy to watch all three of my kids. DH is not a pool person and takes a nap while we go to the pool. The compact pool area is nice and the kids love the slide. This is probably hard to believe as most people don’t have this opinion, but we didn’t like Storm-a-long Bay at BC. It was too spread out to watch 3 kids and I could never find a chair. So bottom line is that everyone is different. Make sure you try it before you buy it. Good luck. It took us 6 years to finally decide to buy into DVC and we went with a small contract but I’m so glad we did. It is nice to know you are always going back.
My family of 5 bought a 100 pt contract on the resale market after staying at BLT (cash res) 2 yrs ago. My husband and I will be making our first trip down as owners on Oct for F&W. We booked at BLT at 11 months, then wailtlisted Boardwalk at 7 months and got it a few weeks later. Can’t speak to BC availability, but similar location/time that you were interested in.
As for never having stayed there before buying…I would be wary of doing so. That’s a big chunk of change to lay down sight unseen, so to speak It’s not as themed as other properties, but the rooms are nice and for our family the location can’t be beat. It was also quiet. We like the 2 bathrooms, and the fact that the 1BR sleeps 5–perfect for us.
I would suggest comparing the room types you think you will be staying in across resorts–capacity, # of bathrooms, and room layout can differ. Also where do you spend most of your time when you visit? MK, Epcot & Studios, or at the resort? You don’t have to stay there every visit, but you should definitely like your home resort.
Just curious why you say BC club isn’t good financially, but BLT is.
I still need to get around to polishing a spread sheet I made, but there are cheaper options over the life of a contract than Beach Club. Even if the upfront price per point is cheaper, with annual dues factored in, other places have a better overall value.
Thanks for the insight. Magic kingdom is my favorite park, so I prefer to spend most of my time there, and as my family grows, I think the convenience will be key.