Copper Creek over Aulani? - West Coast based family

[that1jeff]

Hi All!

Prospective DVC purchaser here. Interested in Resale. Almost ready to pull the trigger, so very excited to join the club. Been doing tons of research, and here’s where my head is at. Wanted to some input from the experts.

My wife and I live 20 minutes from Disneyland. Last year our son turned 1, so we decided to purchase APs, so we could do regular half day trips with him to Disneyland. We have also been discussing a Disney World trip with the grandparents (my parents) before he starts Kindergarten. So within the next 3 years or so. And hopefully returning every 2 to 3 years as our son grows up. We also have an Aulani trip coming this December. (Booked with cash. The rack rate cost is what sparked my interest in in DVC). Also, the grandparents have been doing an annual golf trip to Oahu in recent years. All this to say, we’re planning on lots of future Disney trips as our son grows up.

So for all these reasons and being “close” to Aulani, we figured purchasing at Aulani would make the most sense. However…

With future WDW trips also in mind, I wanted to consider purchasing at a WDW DVC resort instead of Aulani. Based on the research I’ve done, it seems like the 7 month booking window at Aulani is a little more “forgiving.” Especially since we plan on only booking 1 bedrooms or larger. We also wouldn’t need to plan a Hawaii trip as far out as a WDW trip. For instance if we happen to come cross a good deal on a flights from Los Angeles to Oahu, we can book a long weekend with shorter notice. Where as with a WDW trip, we would want to plan that out as far out as possible.

So (sight unseen) we like the vibe at Wilderness Lodge. So we were thinking of purchasing at Copper Creek (over Aulani) to get the benefit of the 11 month booking window for the potential WDW trip every 2 to 3 years. Where planning far out in advance is more crucial to us. Also, Copper Creek has cheaper annual dues compared to Aulani. (Although it close to wash over the lifetime of ownership when you compare the price per point + dues). But I would say a majority of the time we would use our points at Aulani and just roll with the 7 month booking window there. And we just accept we get what we get at 7 months at Aulani.

Thoughts? Am I missing anything? Is there anything else I should consider?

Appreciate any feedback. Thank you all!

 

[TheLyinKing]

Aulani does tend to have decent availability at 7 months, especially if you're not picky about room type. Your strategy does make sense, and CCV does tend to be hard to book at 7 months. I say go for it. We live by Disneyland, and also take relatively frequent trips to Oahu, and decided going with a WDW resort was better for us since there really isn't much of an advantage at Aulani.

 

[intamin]

Hi All!

Prospective DVC purchaser here. Interested in Resale. Almost ready to pull the trigger, so very excited to join the club. Been doing tons of research, and here’s where my head is at. Wanted to some input from the experts.

My wife and I live 20 minutes from Disneyland. Last year our son turned 1, so we decided to purchase APs, so we could do regular half day trips with him to Disneyland. We have also been discussing a Disney World trip with the grandparents (my parents) before he starts Kindergarten. So within the next 3 years or so. And hopefully returning every 2 to 3 years as our son grows up. We also have an Aulani trip coming this December. (Booked with cash. The rack rate cost is what sparked my interest in in DVC). Also, the grandparents have been doing an annual golf trip to Oahu in recent years. All this to say, we’re planning on lots of future Disney trips as our son grows up.

So for all these reasons and being “close” to Aulani, we figured purchasing at Aulani would make the most sense. However…

With future WDW trips also in mind, I wanted to consider purchasing at a WDW DVC resort instead of Aulani. Based on the research I’ve done, it seems like the 7 month booking window at Aulani is a little more “forgiving.” Especially since we plan on only booking 1 bedrooms or larger. We also wouldn’t need to plan a Hawaii trip as far out as a WDW trip. For instance if we happen to come cross a good deal on a flights from Los Angeles to Oahu, we can book a long weekend with shorter notice. Where as with a WDW trip, we would want to plan that out as far out as possible.

So (sight unseen) we like the vibe at Wilderness Lodge. So we were thinking of purchasing at Copper Creek (over Aulani) to get the benefit of the 11 month booking window for the potential WDW trip every 2 to 3 years. Where planning far out in advance is more crucial to us. Also, Copper Creek has cheaper annual dues compared to Aulani. (Although it close to wash over the lifetime of ownership when you compare the price per point + dues). But I would say a majority of the time we would use our points at Aulani and just roll with the 7 month booking window there. And we just accept we get what we get at 7 months at Aulani.

Thoughts? Am I missing anything? Is there anything else I should consider?

Appreciate any feedback. Thank you all!

I think this is a solid plan. If you’re okay with paying a little more for ocean view rooms it should be fairly easy to get Aulani at 7 months aside from Christmas and June. Also don’t expect to be able to book the hotel rooms but otherwise seems like a good idea. The dues are also quite a bit lower at CCV than AUL with a slightly longer contract duration. Just be aware that AUL is a very points heavy resort.

If you don’t have a strong preference for one resort or another at WDW you could also do SSR which is beloved on these boards but personally I’d do CCV/Poly/BLT.

 

[AwfulWaffle]

If it were me and I wanted Wilderness Lodge 11 month booking window but plan on using my points most of the time at Aulani at the 7 month window then I would probably just go with BRV. they were recently refurbished and look beautiful. The rooms are larger and the studios have a 5th sleeper in the 1BR so you still get access to wilderness lodge at 11 months but not at the price premium of a copper creek contract.

 

[Disfamwa]

We are a West Coast family and had a similar thought process. We initially started making offers on Aulani contracts, but decided to switch gears and ended up buying 150 points direct at the Grand Floridian with the current promotion ( I have never been to Disneyworld). That’s enough points to get a 1 bedroom Island Garden view for a week every other year during the times we visit Aulani. I watched 7 month availability for the times we go and our desired room type is currently available well into 5 months at Aulani.

We also may use the points to sometimes take a trip to Disneyworld and VDH (depending on how the availability is). From extensive YouTube watching we thought we would like CCV or VGF the most, and would have gone with resale CCV if we hadn’t wanted the ability to book at VDH. It also seems like VGF is fairly easy to rent out, which gives a me little comfort if we ever needed to do that. We may add some more resale points at Aulani in the future because we have plenty of points for VDH and Disneyworld with our direct contact.

Edit: I guess I should add that my spouse used to work for Disney, and on a work trip to Disneyworld he got to stay at several resorts and thinks I would like Disneyworld and the Grand Floridian (he thinks it has Main Street Disneyland vibes)!

 

[lilsonicfan]

The only caution I would have re: CCV is that both studios and 1br's sleep a max of 4, so if you are considering becoming a family of 5 at any point, that could be an issue. But otherwise, the plan makes sense!

 

[AstroBlasters]

I think you are crazy to buy into a timeshare sight unseen.

I would just rent points when you go to WDW unless you are 100% certain that you will be happy visiting that property at least every 3 years for the next 15 years.

If you know you are going to primarily go to Aulani then just be aggressive with Aulani resale contracts.

 

[intamin]

I think you are crazy to buy into a timeshare sight unseen.

I would just rent points when you go to WDW unless you are 100% certain that you will be happy visiting that property at least every 3 years for the next 15 years.

If you know you are going to primarily go to Aulani then just be aggressive with Aulani resale contracts.

This isn't a bad idea either. You could even consider doing what @Chili327 did and purchase a small contract and strip it of points to try it out if you're really concerned about your money going into more reservations that aren't going into the purchase price of your contract. I suppose I'm kind of a hypocrite because we bought Riviera sight unseen (sort of) because we had only seen it from the skyliner and got lucky we love the resort but there's a lot more to it like how much do you like the resort's dining, pool, transportation options and rooms? Would you maybe like BLT and be within walking distance to MK? Do you like the Victorian style of VGF? Do you want to be on the monorail loop?

 

[Chili327]

If it were me and I wanted Wilderness Lodge 11 month booking window but plan on using my points most of the time at Aulani at the 7 month window then I would probably just go with BRV. they were recently refurbished and look beautiful. The rooms are larger and the studios have a 5th sleeper in the 1BR so you still get access to wilderness lodge at 11 months but not at the price premium of a copper creek contract.

If buying resale, then i agree, except the contract length is short.

We are a West Coast family and had a similar thought process. We initially started making offers on Aulani contracts, but decided to switch gears and ended up buying 150 points direct at the Grand Floridian with the current promotion (we have also never been to Disneyworld). That’s enough points to get a 1 bedroom Island Garden view for a week every other year during the times we visit Aulani. I watched 7 month availability for the times we go and our desired room type is currently available well into 5 months at Aulani.

We also may use the points to sometimes take a trip to Disneyworld and VDH (depending on how the availability is). From extensive YouTube watching we thought we would like CCV or VGF the most, and would have gone with resale CCV if we hadn’t wanted the ability to book at VDH. It also seems like VGF is fairly easy to rent out, which gives a me little comfort if we ever needed to do that. We may add some more resale points at Aulani in the future because we have plenty of points for VDH and Disneyworld with our direct contact.

If Buying direct, then id go with something like this (or CCV if you don't like VGF).
OR SSR if you just want the most bang for your buck.

This isn't a bad idea either. You could even consider doing what @Chili327 did and purchase a small contract and strip it of points to try it out if you're really concerned about your money going into more reservations that aren't going into the purchase price of your contract. I suppose I'm kind of a hypocrite because we bought Riviera sight unseen (sort of) because we had only seen it from the skyliner and got lucky we love the resort but there's a lot more to it like how much do you like the resort's dining, pool, transportation options and rooms? Would you maybe like BLT and be within walking distance? Do you like the Victorian style of VGF? Do you want to be on the monorail loop?

Glad I'm not the only one that thinks it was a good idea. lol
Technically i was talking with a travel agent and the hotel was going to be $4k, so I thought why not just spend $5k on DVC resale & try it, if I like it great, & if not i can sell it & get most of my money back (or at least a good chunk).

BTW, my waitlist just came thru so i have 2 nights at AKV, then 2/3 nights at boardwalk, & then 5/6 nights at BRV... couldnt be happier how its working out so far, but i've yet to visit WDW, so we'll see.

 

[intamin]

Glad I'm not the only one that thinks it was a good idea. lol
Technically i was talking with a travel agent and the hotel was going to be $4k, so I thought why not just spend $5k on DVC resale & try it, if I like it great, & if not i can sell it & get most of my money back (or at least a good chunk).

I think it's a good halfway option. You still get to join the club but also you're not overcommitted to something you may not necessarily like and since it's a small contract you know you'll be able to sell it for nearly the full value you paid for it because small contracts are such a hot commodity.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I think it's a good halfway option. You still get to join the club but also you're not overcommitted to something you may not necessarily like and since it's a small contract you know you'll be able to sell it for nearly the full value you paid for it because small contracts are such a hot commodity.

Less closing costs, dues, and an 8% commission if you resale. Those do add up if you want a short term flip.

 

[Chili327]

Less closing costs, dues, and an 8% commission if you resale. Those do add up if you want a short term flip.

True, but i wasn’t going into it to flip it, plus i paid $99, so if i time it right i may cover a lot of those costs. Also compared to paying the $4k for the hotel, it seemed like money much better spent.

 

[NVDISFamily]

Sorry if you posted it already but did you say what months you plan on going to Aulani and WDW most of the time? I ask as if you plan on traveling in the summer that seems to be the only time that Aulani can get a bit more hard to get into (I think June is the worst time to try and get a room) and most WDW resorts (especially if you aren't trying to save points and book a studio) are very open at 7 months. If summer travel to a mixture of Aulani and WDW are in the future for you, then going aggressive on trying to get Aulani subsidized dues contract would be a good way to go.

We are also more of a "west coast" family and we do want to make it to Aulani every now and then but it's not our top priority and as such we'll have to just be flexible and go when we can or take what room(s) we can get.

The other wildcard here is rooms at Disneyland. If you do own DVC for 15 to 20 years would having a magical staycation or getting that 2 or 3BR room to bring the family together for a b-day party be something that would interest you? If so, the big issue is VDH (Disneyland Tower) is restricted so only VDH or direct points will qualify at that resort and VGC (Grand Cal) is somewhat tricky to book into. Having direct points will greatly increase your odds of getting a DVC room at Disneyland if that is in your future.

As for CCV/Wilderness Lodge.... It's magical.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Yorba Linda here, and own at both Aulani and Boulder Ridge (and Saratoga Springs). All of our SSR points are direct, and we have a combination of direct and resale at both AUL and BRV. Happy to answer any questions.

I will say though, I'd think long and hard before buying sight-unseen, particularly in light of WDW and Oahu being so different than DLR (so you really have no reference point, even if you've stayed at any of the Anaheim resort hotels). Renting points for a trip to WDW first would be my suggestion. If you've been to Hawaii before, and particularly Oahu, then you MIGHT be ok buying Aulani before you visit (as it's the DVC resort that most closely resembles a "normal" hotel), but only after you've had your foot in the door with a WDW resort and at least have a feeling for DVC membership. I would absolutely NOT buy at Disneyland Hotel, under any circumstances.

 

[AstroBlasters]

The cost pp for BRV averages out to $14.5pp, vs AUL at $11.5pp. That means that BRV cost 26% more. BRV will also depreciate much faster because it’s a 2042 vs AUL at 2062. That’s an additional 20 years where you have something of value for family vacations or to resell.

Why wouldn’t you just buy AUL if “a majority of the time we would use our points at Aulani”?

 

[Chili327]

I would absolutely NOT buy at Disneyland Hotel, under any circumstances.

Personally no or as a suggestion to them?
And why?

The cost pp for BRV averages out to $14.5pp, vs AUL at $11.5pp. That means that BRV cost 26% more. BRV will also depreciate much faster because it’s a 2042 vs AUL at 2062.

Thats the kind of math i like to see!!

 

[that1jeff]

Wow! Appreciate everyone’s input! Lots of good points here for my wife and I to chew on.

To respond to a few comments/points/questions…

-CCV vs. BRV:
I went back and forth between CCV and BRV. Especially since BRV was recently refurbished and is a cheaper per point cost compared to CCV. But ultimately I decided (if we do indeed decide to go the route of buying a WDW DVC resort over Aulani) it would be CCV. CCV has a longer contract length, cheaper dues, and I like the slightly more modern take on the wilderness theming in the rooms. (And don’t get me wrong, BRV rooms are right up my alley as well. Just like how they did the CCV rooms better). And at some point in the future would love to splurge on a CCV cabin one trip. They look amazing! (From the photos and videos I’ve seen online).

-Buying sight unseen:
Point well taken and words of caution well taken. And I agree it does sound kinda crazy. But I guess I’m not uncomfortable with the situation since the wife and I are pretty strong Disney fans. I can’t imagine we’re going to be disappointed whichever route we choose. (We’ll be on vacation at Walt Disney World for Christ’s sake! Lol.) And from the research I’ve done, it seems like there’s no “bad” DVC resorts. Seems like everyone just has their preferences for different reasons. What’s to fear?

-Renting Points for our first WDW trip (before buying DVC):
I thought about this as well. But my mind just kept going back to “Man! The money I’m spending on this reservation could be used towards a DVC contract.” And I know renting is way cheaper than rack rate, but it’s still going to be a good chunk of money either way and that could’ve been used towards at contract. (Trying to break even as early as possible! Lol.)

-Buy Aulani if that’s where you will be staying the majority of the time:
If availability for the rooms we want is “favorable” at 7 months at Aulani, I just don’t see the advantage of having Aulani being my home resort. Seems like having the 11 month booking window there would be a “waste.” (Or have yet to hear a compelling argument yet). And obviously Aulani dues are on the higher end.

-What months do you plan on travelling?:
Slow time for my line of work is December. So most of our vacations are usually in that month. But never during Christmas. ALL my family either lives locally or the small percentage that doesn’t always travels to us for the holidays. So we never go away for Christmas. (But obviously this might all get flipped on it’s head when my son starts going to school. Unless we decide to home school, which is also on the table. We’ll see).

-Staycations/VDH an option for you?:
Although the thought of a small staycation here and there does sounds nice, at least in my DVC infancy, I can’t imagine using points there when we live so close. Rather utilize the points for Oahu trips and WDW trips. I’ll leave the door open as a possibility in the future, but at this point, it’s a No Go.

 

[intamin]

Wow! Appreciate everyone’s input! Lots of good points here for my wife and I to chew on.

To respond to a few comments/points/questions…

-CCV vs. BRV:
I went back and forth between CCV and BRV. Especially since BRV was recently refurbished and is a cheaper per point cost compared to CCV. But ultimately I decided (if we do indeed decide to go the route of buying a WDW DVC resort over Aulani) it would be CCV. CCV has a longer contract length, cheaper dues, and I like the slightly more modern take on the wilderness theming in the rooms. (And don’t get me wrong, BRV rooms are right up my alley as well. Just like how they did the CCV rooms better). And at some point in the future would love to splurge on a CCV cabin one trip. They look amazing! (From the photos and videos I’ve seen online).

-Buying sight unseen:
Point well taken and words of caution well taken. And I agree it does sound kinda crazy. But I guess I’m not uncomfortable with the situation since the wife and I are pretty strong Disney fans. I can’t imagine we’re going to be disappointed whichever route we choose. (We’ll be on vacation at Walt Disney World for Christ’s sake! Lol.) And from the research I’ve done, it seems like there’s no “bad” DVC resorts. Seems like everyone just has their preferences for different reasons. What’s to fear?

-Renting Points for our first WDW trip (before buying DVC):
I thought about this as well. But my mind just kept going back to “Man! The money I’m spending on this reservation could be used towards a DVC contract.” And I know renting is way cheaper than rack rate, but it’s still going to be a good chunk of money either way and that could’ve been used towards at contract. (Trying to break even as early as possible! Lol.)

-Buy Aulani if that’s where you will be staying the majority of the time:
If availability for the rooms we want is “favorable” at 7 months at Aulani, I just don’t see the advantage of having Aulani being my home resort. Seems like having the 11 month booking window there would be a “waste.” (Or have yet to hear a compelling argument yet). And obviously Aulani dues are on the higher end.

-What months do you plan on travelling?:
Slow time for my line of work is December. So most of our vacations are usually in that month. But never during Christmas. ALL my family either lives locally or the small percentage that doesn’t always travels to us for the holidays. So we never go away for Christmas. (But obviously this might all get flipped on it’s head when my son starts going to school. Unless we decide to home school, which is also on the table. We’ll see).

-Staycations/VDH an option for you?:
Although the thought of a small staycation here and there does sounds nice, at least in my DVC infancy, I can’t imagine using points there when we live so close. Rather utilize the points for Oahu trips and WDW trips. I’ll leave the door open as a possibility in the future, but at this point, it’s a No Go.

I personally agree with your thinking regarding home resort value. If you didn’t care about booking priority at WDW then I’d probably be telling you to buy AUL but clearly it seems like you do. Something to keep in mind, CCV and BRV are both extremely popular resorts during the month of December (especially the first 2 weeks) because the general consensus is it’s the most holiday themed of all the resorts. It may be difficult to book studios there during the first couple weeks as those rooms are often walked.

Again I know I’m a hypocrite but this is a 45 year commitment you’re looking at. In all honestly you likely will like CCV just fine, its a great resort. The question is is there another DVC resort that fits your vacation preferences better than CCV? Given how old your kids are you may be thinking man I wish I could just walk back to my resort after MK fireworks (BLT/VGF) and etcetc.

 

[Sandisw]

Wow! Appreciate everyone’s input! Lots of good points here for my wife and I to chew on.

To respond to a few comments/points/questions…

-CCV vs. BRV:
I went back and forth between CCV and BRV. Especially since BRV was recently refurbished and is a cheaper per point cost compared to CCV. But ultimately I decided (if we do indeed decide to go the route of buying a WDW DVC resort over Aulani) it would be CCV. CCV has a longer contract length, cheaper dues, and I like the slightly more modern take on the wilderness theming in the rooms. (And don’t get me wrong, BRV rooms are right up my alley as well. Just like how they did the CCV rooms better). And at some point in the future would love to splurge on a CCV cabin one trip. They look amazing! (From the photos and videos I’ve seen online).

-Buying sight unseen:
Point well taken and words of caution well taken. And I agree it does sound kinda crazy. But I guess I’m not uncomfortable with the situation since the wife and I are pretty strong Disney fans. I can’t imagine we’re going to be disappointed whichever route we choose. (We’ll be on vacation at Walt Disney World for Christ’s sake! Lol.) And from the research I’ve done, it seems like there’s no “bad” DVC resorts. Seems like everyone just has their preferences for different reasons. What’s to fear?

-Renting Points for our first WDW trip (before buying DVC):
I thought about this as well. But my mind just kept going back to “Man! The money I’m spending on this reservation could be used towards a DVC contract.” And I know renting is way cheaper than rack rate, but it’s still going to be a good chunk of money either way and that could’ve been used towards at contract. (Trying to break even as early as possible! Lol.)

-Buy Aulani if that’s where you will be staying the majority of the time:
If availability for the rooms we want is “favorable” at 7 months at Aulani, I just don’t see the advantage of having Aulani being my home resort. Seems like having the 11 month booking window there would be a “waste.” (Or have yet to hear a compelling argument yet). And obviously Aulani dues are on the higher end.

-What months do you plan on travelling?:
Slow time for my line of work is December. So most of our vacations are usually in that month. But never during Christmas. ALL my family either lives locally or the small percentage that doesn’t always travels to us for the holidays. So we never go away for Christmas. (But obviously this might all get flipped on it’s head when my son starts going to school. Unless we decide to home school, which is also on the table. We’ll see).

-Staycations/VDH an option for you?:
Although the thought of a small staycation here and there does sounds nice, at least in my DVC infancy, I can’t imagine using points there when we live so close. Rather utilize the points for Oahu trips and WDW trips. I’ll leave the door open as a possibility in the future, but at this point, it’s a No Go.

For DVC, the beginning of December is probably the busiest time and getting rooms at 7 months may end up being difficult, even SSR.

If your trips to WDW will revolve around that timeframe, I am inclined to say to buy a WDW resort so you can book 11 months out for those trips. But, I am also not one who thinks people should buy AUL for use at WDW on a regular basis because as things change, it may prove harder over time.

We have not gone to AUL so I can't speak to the 7 month window for getting rooms, but this site gives some idea of probabilities of how rooms book. https://www.dvcfieldguide.com/availability-tables

 

[jimmymc]

I own at Copper Creek for several different reasons:

1. I was 28 when I bought in, so I wanted the longer expiration date
2. Wilderness Lodge is an amazing resort
3. CCV is one of the toughest resorts to book at 7 months
4. I found a really good resale price

If you're looking to stay at Disney World, Copper Creek is one of the best choices you can get resale. Aulani is generally easy to get at 7 months except for standard views and hotel rooms. And with how cheap CCV dues are, I think you're better off buying there than Aulani.

I had been to WDW plenty of times before buying in, however I had never stayed at CCV specifically. I was confident enough through video tours, 3D tours, and reviews to have it as my home resort. Early December is an amazing time to visit, between the Wilderness Lodge decorations and Christmas parties at WDW. I think it's a good choice for your situation.