Has anyone had to 'settle' when they became DVC members?

[DLBDS]

I know everyone says to buy were you want to stay. Has anyone 'settled' for a resort that they didn't particularly like. I didn't really like SSR because of the lack of Disney theming and don't really like AKL either. I'm holding out for CRV and hoping the minimum points increase (if there is one) won't be out of my range. Curious to know how many settled for a resort they weren't all that impressed with.

[TisBit]

We own at SSR, I never even thought of it as settling....

I don't think that there is any resort with a "Disney" theming, most are themed off of other areas....so never really thought of it that way. I can understand why some people would enjoy/want BCV/BWV/VWL and the potential CRV since they feel "close" to the resorts that way. I think the animals at AKV will be a definite attraction, I love the thought of sitting out on my patio watching the giraffes and zebras wander by, but I also know that I will only last about 30 minutes before I would be chomping at the bit to go "do something".

For me, I :love: DTD and even though people like to complain about the different resorts, I realized that my home resort will be where I most like to be. I would hate to stay at BCV's if I didn't have an AP and could just pop into Epcot whenever I felt like it....but DTD I can people watch, shop and eat without paying admission, which to me is great. But I will admit, this is after these boards made me feel like I had bought at the wrong place, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it is where I would like to be on a consistent basis. :upsidedow

I will try to stay at all the resorts over time, but I think many people tend to "follow the crowd" and if everyone wants BCV, well than WE must want to stay there too.

[bobbiwoz]

We bought into DVC in '03 when they were selling the model area of BWV and BCV. We really wanted VWL, but the standard view point structure and the Magical Beginnings sales deal caused us to buy the larger, 200 point contract at BWV, and add on 50 points immediately at VWL.

We have since added 3 other home resorts because we want to be able to book our different family vacations in particular resorts, and we book 11 months out for the primary family members. We're the DGP of the family, and often have 3-4 villas, with one being a 2 bedroom (or this summer we have a Beach Cottage) to serve as the base, booked for vacations.

So, it wasn't that I wasn't impressed with BWV, it wasn't DH's and my first choice. It was however my DMom's choice and the initial reason we bought into DVC was to have an 85th birthday party for her, it worked out splendidly. DMom had come to love VWL as well, I'm happy to say!

Bobbi:goodvibes

[mickeymorse]

I guess I would have to say we settled.... for only 34 more years!:lmao: :cool1:

[tomandrobin]

We bought SSR and absolutely love the resort. We think the room decor has a real nice elegant look and feel. Just like Tisbit, we really enjoy going to DTD.

We also own AKV and can see how people can either love it or hate it. The theming is more to an extreme and can easily put some off. That said, we love that resort too.

CRV may or may not happen. If and when it does go on sale, you will be looking at two or three price increases, minimum. The last couple of price increases have been $3 each time.

[tomandrobin]

Also, you know you can still buy at any of the other resorts.

[DLBDS]

I would have loved to by in at VWL! It's our favorite resort and it'll be hard for us to stay anywhere else. However, I think I would like being at a monorail resort too. I stayed at the CR (and Poly) when I was a kid and really liked it. So, the CR has sentimental value for me. The MK is my favorite park too...that sentimental thing again. The CRV is our only current option (hopefully anyway). I just don't feel like I should buy in anywhere just so I can be a DVC member. I want DVC in a REALLY bad way but I'm gonna hold out for what I (think) I want. I would probably settle for anything at the MK but don't feel this way about the other parks/resorts.I was thinking that after my initial purchase, I could add on at the VWL. Is that a sound plan?

[DLBDS]

Also wanted to add that I want the full contract so buying thru Disney is a must.

[tomandrobin]

I would have loved to by in at VWL! It's our favorite resort and it'll be hard for us to stay anywhere else. However, I think I would like being at a monorail resort too. I stayed at the CR (and Poly) when I was a kid and really liked it. So, the CR has sentimental value for me. The MK is my favorite park too...that sentimental thing again. The CRV is our only current option (hopefully anyway). I just don't feel like I should buy in anywhere just so I can be a DVC member. I want DVC in a REALLY bad way but I'm gonna hold out for what I (think) I want. I would probably settle for anything at the MK but don't feel this way about the other parks/resorts.I was thinking that after my initial purchase, I could add on at the VWL. Is that a sound plan?

I think you have things figured out. I noticed your trips and you seem to lean towards Wilderness Lodge and/or club level stays. I didn't see Contemporary, but I do understand your passion towards being near Magic Kingdom.

[PamOKW]

Also wanted to add that I want the full contract so buying thru Disney is a must.


I'm not sure I understand this. If you buy resale you get the same length of contract as you do when you buy from Disney. The main difference is you have to get your own financing -- can't finance through Disney. I guess you also wouldn't get whatever incentive Disney is offering -- such as developer points, but you also usually get a reduced price with a resale.

[RLRDA]

We own at SSR, I never even thought of it as settling....

For me, I :love: DTD and even though people like to complain about the different resorts, I realized that my home resort will be where I most like to be. I would hate to stay at BCV's if I didn't have an AP and could just pop into Epcot whenever I felt like it....but DTD I can people watch, shop and eat without paying admission, which to me is great. But I will admit, this is after these boards made me feel like I had bought at the wrong place, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it is where I would like to be on a consistent basis. :upsidedow

I will try to stay at all the resorts over time, but I think many people tend to "follow the crowd" and if everyone wants BCV, well than WE must want to stay there too.

We didn't do much hard research before buying other than 'running the numbers' type research. These boards are a wealth of knowledge that we didn't tap into until after we were owners and we've learned a lot from everyone! We bought into SSR because that's what was being marketed at the time and we didn't know about resales (although we wouldn't have gone that route anyway) or buying "sold out" resorts through Disney. That being said we're happy that SSR is our home resort and can't wait for many more trips back. We love the proximity to DTD as well. It's such a great destination and it's right in SSR's 'backyard'. Plus the contract runs longer and while I might not use it as much when I'm in my early 80's, my children and (hopefully) grandchildren will! No 'settling' here!

[DLBDS]

I'm not sure I understand this. If you buy resale you get the same length of contract as you do when you buy from Disney. The main difference is you have to get your own financing -- can't finance through Disney. I guess you also wouldn't get whatever incentive Disney is offering -- such as developer points, but you also usually get a reduced price with a resale.


I want the full 50 year contract. If I buy resale at an older resort, I won't get that. That's my understanding anyway. If I'm wrong about this then PLEASE set me straight.

[mjy]

Also, you know you can still buy at any of the other resorts.

Ahhhh . . . but that I didn't know earlier.

I had purchased at the Boardwalk when it was selling. After I decided that the points I had would not be enough, I wanted more. However, the Boardwalk was no longer up for sale and I had to "settle" for the Beach Club. This was before I realized that there were places to purchase resale and not go through Disney.

Actually, I found out about it on my first Disney Cruise. I met some other DVC people who told me about their purchase at The Timeshare Store. Well, that did it! I sold my Beach Club and bought more Boardwalk so that I could have all my ownership at one place, since I really enjoy staying there.

[disneynutz]

I want the full 50 year contract. If I buy resale at an older resort, I won't get that. That's my understanding anyway. If I'm wrong about this then PLEASE set me straight.

You need to be set straight. The only full contract is AKV. The other resorts have their original expiration date no matter who you buy from.

[tomandrobin]

I want the full 50 year contract. If I buy resale at an older resort, I won't get that. That's my understanding anyway. If I'm wrong about this then PLEASE set me straight.

Well, yes and no. Recently, Disney has started offerring extensions for the OKW resort. I am guessing, but I think is only matter of time before they make the same offer for the other resorts.

[BroganMc]

We "settled" for 200 points to start. It was enough for a few days (5 max) in a 1bedroom as an add-on to our Marriott 2bedroom 1 week stays.

But 6 months later, we upgraded to another 120 points and started doing Disney 7-9 days.

Now we're debating adding another 110 points and bumping up either our time or our accommodation size.

Marriott is quickly becoming our "settling" choice. Funny how that works.

As for resort choice, I can see folks hesitating because they really want to invest most of their points in one of the future DVCs (CRV, GCV, Hawaii). But existing ones can always be had on resale (either 3rd party or thru Disney). Some argued here that a lot of SSR owners settled because they didn't know they could buy older resorts. In our case, if not for SSR we wouldn't have purchased. It is the only DVC (aside from OKW) that feels like what we're used to in timeshares. Initially, we thought we'd be opting to move around a lot in the system, but we quickly fell in love with our home resort. Now it's become an issue of "settling" to stay elsewhere. All nice, but with some extra strings.

[CarrianneB]

I would have loved to by in at VWL! It's our favorite resort and it'll be hard for us to stay anywhere else. However, I think I would like being at a monorail resort too. I stayed at the CR (and Poly) when I was a kid and really liked it. So, the CR has sentimental value for me. The MK is my favorite park too...that sentimental thing again. The CRV is our only current option (hopefully anyway). I just don't feel like I should buy in anywhere just so I can be a DVC member. I want DVC in a REALLY bad way but I'm gonna hold out for what I (think) I want. I would probably settle for anything at the MK but don't feel this way about the other parks/resorts.I was thinking that after my initial purchase, I could add on at the VWL. Is that a sound plan?

I think buying where you want to stay is always a good option. That's why we paid the extra $2/point to buy into AKV. It just made more sense to us.

[LisaS]

I want the full 50 year contract. If I buy resale at an older resort, I won't get that. That's my understanding anyway. If I'm wrong about this then PLEASE set me straight.The end date for each resort is fixed, it is not set at 50 years from when you purchase. If you purchased SSR today, your contract would end on Jan 31, 2054, the same day as every other SSR contract regardless of when it was purchased. If you purchased AKV directly from Disney today, your contract would end on Jan 31, 2057, exactly the same date as my contract that I purchased one year ago.

There is only one case where purchasing from Disney gets you a longer contract and that is OKW. That is because at this point in time Disney is selling OKW with the extended end date (Jan 31, 2057) but there are no extended contracts available on the resale market yet so those contracts expire on the original date of Jan 31, 2042.

[TiggerMan2007]

I would have loved to by in at VWL! It's our favorite resort and it'll be hard for us to stay anywhere else. However, I think I would like being at a monorail resort too. I stayed at the CR (and Poly) when I was a kid and really liked it. So, the CR has sentimental value for me. The MK is my favorite park too...that sentimental thing again. The CRV is our only current option (hopefully anyway). I just don't feel like I should buy in anywhere just so I can be a DVC member. I want DVC in a REALLY bad way but I'm gonna hold out for what I (think) I want. I would probably settle for anything at the MK but don't feel this way about the other parks/resorts.I was thinking that after my initial purchase, I could add on at the VWL. Is that a sound plan?

I would say if you love VWL, then you should BUY THERE!! ask yourself a question.....how old will you be in 2042??? You will still be able to enjoy your fav resort for the next 34 YEARS!!!......then you could always buy at CRV when they decide to start selling that.......worse case, you may sell your VWL in 5 years or so if you decide you love CRV the best....to me it sounds not too risky and you get the resort you love.

You can get great deals on VWL for about $77 - $82 per point thru resale........seems to me that the savings there would be great and you would get your 11 month out booking window. Beside Diseny will probably offer to extend another 15 yrs like they are with OKW right now, probably next year or the year after.

CRV will sell for at least $104 per point!

[buzz5985]

There is only one case where purchasing from Disney gets you a longer contract and that is OKW. That is because at this point in time Disney is selling OKW with the extended end date (Jan 31, 2057) but there are no extended contracts available on the resale market yet so those contracts expire on the original date of Jan 31, 2042.

I'd be curious to see if anyone buying an OKW resale is offered the extended contract once the resale is complete.

The only reason why I think they will be is when you buy a resale, example - I bought HH, my membership card says member since 1999 - when in reality I bought in 2002.

I don't want anyone to think that if you buy resale you are considered in a class below those that buy direct.

It is my personal opinion that DVC will go resort by resort offering the extension.

[Goofy's apprentice]

Regarding 'settling'.....we bought SSR because we really didn't know about buying the older resorts and reasoned we wanted the longer time frame. Then I found the dis boards and we were effectively scared off staying at SSR because everyone was complaining about it. We changed every trip at the 7 month window. Then....one trip....we decided to 'risk it' and 'settle for SSR'....surprise, surprise, We loved it !!! So I really don't feel we have needed to settle, if we want to try something else we try to switch out at 7 months. Sometimes we need to waitlist but always have got what we wanted eventually. Otherwise, we enjoy SSR.

[Mississippian]

I would have loved to by in at VWL! It's our favorite resort and it'll be hard for us to stay anywhere else. However, I think I would like being at a monorail resort too. I stayed at the CR (and Poly) when I was a kid and really liked it. So, the CR has sentimental value for me. The MK is my favorite park too...that sentimental thing again. The CRV is our only current option (hopefully anyway). I just don't feel like I should buy in anywhere just so I can be a DVC member. I want DVC in a REALLY bad way but I'm gonna hold out for what I (think) I want. I would probably settle for anything at the MK but don't feel this way about the other parks/resorts.I was thinking that after my initial purchase, I could add on at the VWL. Is that a sound plan?

Why don't you just buy at VWL now. Call and get on the waiting list. Since you don't have a set use year you shouldn't have to wait too long. With the way the economy is and the number of people selling some of their points, Disney has more and more points in the older resorts.

[boettj]

We bought our base points at SSR and are happy with te decission. I would not change that. However, as we add on, we are going to purchase based on the 11 month reservation window. BCV, CVR and VWL are all targeted. If it were not for the 11 month reservation restriction, we would purchase all of our points at SSR.

[alldiz]

I bought at WLV.....cause I didn't want to "settle".....
but I haven't stayed there yet:lmao:

My 1st 2 trips to WDW was at WL.....loved it so much bought DVC there.
But I still want to try all the resorts.....I finally have a WLV trip planned
in Oct.....but so far I have stayed at SSR, BCV and soon BWV and OKW.

My 1st trip I thought I was settling to go to SSR.....NOT.....I loved the place.
Kerri

[WolfpackFan]

Regarding the contract length - sorry, but you're all wrong here. The expiration date for the contract is the same for resales as it is for direct purchases. The only change has been the OKW extension, which is open to anyone who owns an OKW contract. If they do the same for VWL, it will apply to everyone including contracts bought thru resales.

If you don't like SSR or AKV, that is fine; but I sure wouldn't wait around until CRV is opened (if it is opened). Prices are going up all the time plus think of all the time you've missed using your points now. My only regret with my DVC purchase(s) is that we didn't do it earlier.

[nunzia]

I'm not sure I understand this. If you buy resale you get the same length of contract as you do when you buy from Disney. The main difference is you have to get your own financing -- can't finance through Disney. I guess you also wouldn't get whatever incentive Disney is offering -- such as developer points, but you also usually get a reduced price with a resale.


Can't you call Disney and get on a list for VWL when they come available through ROFR?

[nunzia]

I'd be curious to see if anyone buying an OKW resale is offered the extended contract once the resale is complete.

The only reason why I think they will be is when you buy a resale, example - I bought HH, my membership card says member since 1999 - when in reality I bought in 2002.

I don't want anyone to think that if you buy resale you are considered in a class below those that buy direct.

It is my personal opinion that DVC will go resort by resort offering the extension.

We were not offered an extension. (we're pretty old already, so I had no intention of getting it anyway). I don't know if the original owners had already turned the extension down.
And, Wow, you are right. Our membership cards say member since 7/97 and we just bought last year.

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

I settled once on a car that I paid thousands for when I was younger. For a few bucks more a month it would have had everything I wanted. Literally a few bucks more a month. Every time I got into that car I was slightly annoyed.

I don't want to be annoyed when I'm on vacation. No, I didn't settle. I purchased all of my resorts when they were first offered anyway, but even if they weren't, if I ever added on, I wouldn't let a current deal from Disney force me to lose the home resort booking at somewhere I want to stay at. Now the 50 year window could prevent me from adding on as the date gets closer and closer for some of the resorts. But if they keep building places I'm interested in (like AKV) that won't be an issue either.

[boettj]

If you were to buy a large sum of points at once, I could see how the car analogy works. If I had to bet, I would guess that most people buy smaller amounts of points. Then add-on over the years.

What makes DVC unique is that you are not hamstrung to one resort. Just because you buy at one, does not mean you cannot stay at another. The main limitation is the 7 month versus the 11 month reservation window. To get around that limitation, you can add-on small amounts of points at a particular resort to open the reservation window.

My DW and I are doing just that. We are going to purchase 50 points from BCV to open the 11 month reservation window to us. Other than that, I do not know of any other significant differences other than length of time for the points.

[chalee94]

My DW and I are doing just that. We are going to purchase 50 points from BCV to open the 11 month reservation window to us. Other than that, I do not know of any other significant differences other than length of time for the points.

so long as you understand that adding-on 50 pts at BCV ONLY opens the 11 month window at BCV FOR THOSE 50 PTS.

the real estate interest you purchased in SSR (i.e. equivalent to purchasing a specific unit at SSR for a given length of time) will not magically turn into a real estate interest over at BCV.

for some reason, people are always confused on this issue...

[LSchrow]

20/20 hindsight:
we bought 230 BWV :love:, added 60 BCV, then 100 SSR, all sight unseen.

we knew we loved the BW area (stayed at BWI, BC & YC), & were/are thrilled with our BWV purchase. we assumed our favorites things about the BWV would apply to BCV, but alas, they didn't (the quiet elegance, consistantly great views, a reasonable distance from the parking lot (aka, the "real world";) ) . we do spend quite a bit of time enjoying our resort, so these attributes greatly matter to us). btw, we do feel BCV is a beautiful resort, just not for us for the reasons mentioned.
SSR has those same attributes we appreciate at BWV, so that contract is a keeper :thumbsup2

we wish we had added at BWV (after 2 seperate BCV stays, we find ourselves consistantly using those points elsewhere at the 7 month mark). btw, we're still uncertain about CRV: while we love the proximity to a park, we would like be assured it has worthwhile views at the very least ~ guess we'll just have to wait :)

[LisaS]

Can't you call Disney and get on a list for VWL when they come available through ROFR?Yes you can purchase VWL directly from Disney. There may be a wait list but it's often the case that they have points available immediately. The expiration date will be Jan 31, 2042. There are no incentives. I believe the price is $98/pt plus closing costs for new members, no closing costs for existing members adding on more points.

[RLRDA]

so long as you understand that adding-on 50 pts at BCV ONLY opens the 11 month window at BCV FOR THOSE 50 PTS.

the real estate interest you purchased in SSR (i.e. equivalent to purchasing a specific unit at SSR for a given length of time) will not magically turn into a real estate interest over at BCV.

for some reason, people are always confused on this issue...

You could potentially have access to 150 BCV pts. (in this case) if you take into account banking and borrowing but yes the 11 month window only applies to the points you have for that specific resort. We did a small add-on at AKV (75pts) and plan on using them every other (or every 3rd) year to maximize the point allotment.

[boettj]

so long as you understand that adding-on 50 pts at BCV ONLY opens the 11 month window at BCV FOR THOSE 50 PTS.

the real estate interest you purchased in SSR (i.e. equivalent to purchasing a specific unit at SSR for a given length of time) will not magically turn into a real estate interest over at BCV.

for some reason, people are always confused on this issue...

I'm the guy that just bought your car without frills from the local used car dealership. Well almost. Here I am thinking that I could apply all of my points towards BCV at the 11 month window. Well don't that get all.

I thank you for preventing me from going down a rat's hole.

Good think I like SSR. Other wise you are right, we would be looking at the car with no frills everytime we go down there.


Thanks for setting me straight.

[DLBDS]

so long as you understand that adding-on 50 pts at BCV ONLY opens the 11 month window at BCV FOR THOSE 50 PTS.

the real estate interest you purchased in SSR (i.e. equivalent to purchasing a specific unit at SSR for a given length of time) will not magically turn into a real estate interest over at BCV.

for some reason, people are always confused on this issue...

Ahhh. I didn't realize this either. Just when you think you have it all figured out. I think we're all confused on this issue because it's never really pointed out. THANK YOU for taking the time to do it. So, now that I know this, WHY do people make small (25-50 pts.) purchases to resorts that aren't their original home resort. For example, your home resort is VWL. You have 200 pts. You purchase 50 pts. at AKV. What good are those 50 pts. at AKL doing you? Why not just add-on at VWL? Sorry, if this is a dumb question. I'm a bit distracted right now an not totally focused on this.....

[chalee94]

So, now that I know this, WHY do people make small (25-50 pts.) purchases to resorts that aren't their original home resort. For example, your home resort is VWL. You have 200 pts. You purchase 50 pts. at AKV. What good are those 50 pts. at AKL doing you?

because it does get you the 11 month window for THOSE pts. as RLRDA said, you can bank and borrow to turn that 50 pts into 150 pts every third year which you can book with the 11 month window. (and there are reservations...concierge or value rooms at AKV and standard view at BW and BCV during F&W...that would be extremely difficult/nearly impossible to book without the 11 month advantage.)

but it is common for the discussion of "multiple home resorts" and "adding-on another home resort" to confuse other posters into thinking that the 11 month window is available for all their pts...

[Kathi OD]

DH and I definitely settled when we bought (if you call owning at BWV settling). We wanted OKW, but it was sold out and Disney didn't have anything available resale (or so they said) and buying a non-Disney resale was not as easy as it is today, so we "settled."

Am I sorry I settled? NO WAY! Fortunately, we've always been able to stay at OKW, although we've had to waitlist a few times. I'm sure that at some point we won't be able to get our first choice of resort. Well, if that happens, I don't consider any of the other DVC resorts "settling," as they are all beautiful in their own way.

Only on the DISboards could staying at a DVC resort be considered as settling.:sad2:

[DLBDS]

because it does get you the 11 month window for THOSE pts. as RLRDA said, you can bank and borrow to turn that 50 pts into 150 pts every third year which you can book with the 11 month window. (and there are reservations...concierge or value rooms at AKV and standard view at BW and BCV during F&W...that would be extremely difficult/nearly impossible to book without the 11 month advantage.)

but it is common for the discussion of "multiple home resorts" and "adding-on another home resort" to confuse other posters into thinking that the 11 month window is available for all their pts...

Thanks for clarifying this for me, chalee94! So, this is the ONLY benefit of owning points at multiple resorts? I wonder how many folks are purchasing small add-ons, thinking they can book a week at the 11 month window (without banking/borrowing). Alrighty then. Need to make a note of this one.

[ead79]

We did not settle. I knew that in the long run DVC would be the better choice for us than paying cash for rooms every year. But before I bought DVC I really wanted to get a chance to try all of Disney's deluxe resorts--I'm not sure why, but I really wanted to, LOL! Once I completed my "tour" of the deluxe resorts, some clear favorites for us rose to the top of the list. My top two favorite WDW resorts are AKL and the GF. So once Disney announced AKV, I started to seriously consider buying DVC. So I'm glad I waited until there was a DVC resort that really interested me. :)

[sajetto]

We were not offered an extension. (we're pretty old already, so I had no intention of getting it anyway). I don't know if the original owners had already turned the extension down.
And, Wow, you are right. Our membership cards say member since 7/97 and we just bought last year.

I'm glad you posted this. I was also curious to see if resale OKW purchases were offered the extension. My husband and I are in our 20s and would really want those extra years so we bought a 2057 contract direct through Disney. However, we were considering adding on more through resale. I'm starting to think that if the previous owner declined the extension, that its pretty much a done deal for that contract.

[nunzia]

I'm glad you posted this. I was also curious to see if resale OKW purchases were offered the extension. My husband and I are in our 20s and would really want those extra years so we bought a 2057 contract direct through Disney. However, we were considering adding on more through resale. I'm starting to think that if the previous owner declined the extension, that its pretty much a done deal for that contract.

another wrinkle..we just today got a single piece of paper that expalined DVc rules etc in a nutshell. The top of this paper said "Sample" so I'm confused to start, it does list our yearly fees, but it then lists our expiration date as 2057??? Very confused. We never did get a planner or a paper version of all the rules and regulations seen on the websire. On the address label it did have OKWresale...:confused3

[AKV707]

We did not settle. When we finally admitted that DVC was the right move, SSR and AKV were the new resorts being sold. I knew from the Dis, that we could buy at the other resorts, but the length of contract was a concern at the 2042 resorts. (Not so much for me, but for the kids)

SSR is beautiful, but really not us. If that was all that was available, we would have settled. But AKV is exactly what we wanted. And we have already added on!