2009 trips on DVC points

[Iggipolka]

Anyone know when DVC will release point charts for 2009 ABD trips? We really want to go on the Alaska trip using our points. We have to book by the end of October to be within our use year.

Thanks!

[Dizma]

MS has the numbers-just give em a call. I believe early booking for Alaska is 446 points.
Good Luck!
Dizma

[bonnielynn]

If you get them, can you post them?

[Iggipolka]

If you get them, can you post them?

Sure will! I'll call them tomorrow.
Thanks!

[eva]

Sometimes they drive me crazy. You would think that DVC would get these posted on their website if they already know them. It's a bit difficult to plan anything if you have absolutely no idea what the points are till you call. We had to really plan how to use points from 4 resorts for our trip next month.

[kidcoos3]

I called MS on Saturday just to get general information about the South Africa trip and I was surprised that they already had the point information. It is 628 points for adults. Sorry, but I didn't ask about any of the other trips.

[Iggipolka]

I'm on the phone with MS right now. The Alaska trip is at 446 per person. I'm not clear if that's the early booking price or not.

What's a little intimidating is the cancellation policy when booking only with points.
If you cancel between the day you booked and 89 days prior to the trip, you loose 54 pts per person.
60-89 days prior to the trip, you loose 25% of the points used
30-59 days prior to the trip, you loose 50% of the points used

All other unused points are only available to be used as reservation pts (non-Disney property) and have to be used within your use year.

Also, the only time you can buy trip insurance, is the day that you make the reservation.

So..hopefully we won't have to cancel.
Otherwise, we'll be going to Alaska in September!

[bonnielynn]

Sometimes they drive me crazy. You would think that DVC would get these posted on their website if they already know them. It's a bit difficult to plan anything if you have absolutely no idea what the points are till you call. We had to really plan how to use points from 4 resorts for our trip next month.

Now I called today and was told that they dont have the points chart yet.. and I said why not.. and she basically said it was a chain of command... Makes no sense to me either.. how are you suppose to book a trip if they wont list the points chart?

[Iggipolka]

Now I called today and was told that they dont have the points chart yet.. and I said why not.. and she basically said it was a chain of command... Makes no sense to me either.. how are you suppose to book a trip if they wont list the points chart?\

That's very strange because I called today as well and not only did they have the point charts, but I was able to book my trip!

I'd call back and get a different CM.

[bonnielynn]

\

That's very strange because I called today as well and not only did they have the point charts, but I was able to book my trip!

I'd call back and get a different CM.


Did you get the point chart or did you ask for a specific trip?
I haven't made my mind up on which I want to do...so I wanted to look at the point chart.

[Iggipolka]

Did you get the point chart or did you ask for a specific trip?
I haven't made my mind up on which I want to do...so I wanted to look at the point chart.

That may be the difference. I asked about a specific trip. However, if they can pull up the information for a specific trip, if you ask them for the points of multiple trips, they should be able to pull that up for you!

[bonnielynn]

I wish they would just post the points chart..

I called today for the Viva Italia

Early booking pts - 486 (a), 433 (c)
cash- $3399 (a), 3029 (c)

Regular pts - 528 (a), 476 (c)
cash- $3699 (a), $3329 (c)

Ireland

Regular points - 471 (a), 424 (c)
cash -$3299 (a), 2969 (c)

EB - pts -428 (a), 381 (c)
cash - $2999, 2669

I think if you call and have a specific trip that you are interested in then they will look it up... its a $95 exchange fee (or so she said) and if you cancel something about the points not going back to be used by Disney, but trips like ABD, Concierge, etc...

[Poppins2000]

Wow! Ireland points REALLY went up - we did early booking and the points were only 333 a person for the trip we took in May. Now early booking is 428 points per person???? That's a 78% increase!!!

[sayhello]

Wow! Ireland points REALLY went up - we did early booking and the points were only 333 a person for the trip we took in May. Now early booking is 428 points per person???? That's a 78% increase!!!Actually, that's a 29% increase. Still significant...

Sayhello

[bonnielynn]

I thought it went up alot... I was shocked a bit.

[Toby]

Wow, I had hoped to use all points to go on the Ireland. With our allotment, I'll be lucky to have 20 points left. When I figured the trip out with last year's points, I had enough for a week left in Disney World. That's not going to happen now....What an increase

[OSUChad]

I wish they would just post the points chart..

I called today for the Viva Italia

Early booking pts - 486 (a), 433 (c)
cash- $3399 (a), 3029 (c)

Regular pts - 528 (a), 476 (c)
cash- $3699 (a), $3329 (c)

Ireland

Regular points - 471 (a), 424 (c)
cash -$3299 (a), 2969 (c)

EB - pts -428 (a), 381 (c)
cash - $2999, 2669

I think if you call and have a specific trip that you are interested in then they will look it up... its a $95 exchange fee (or so she said) and if you cancel something about the points not going back to be used by Disney, but trips like ABD, Concierge, etc...


This calculates to $7 per point.

[ex. $3399 cash or 486 points. $3399/486=$6.99/point]

I really don't understand how DVC works. If you buy a timeshare that gives you 100 points a year, it appears to me you are only getting $700 worth of trip value on ABD. Your annual dues eat into this plus the initial investment. Can somebody explain how DVC makes sense? This sounds like a huge ripoff. I know it has to have merit though. What am I missing? That is probably too big of question to be answered on this forum. I probably need to just set through the presentation. But I have always been very skeptical of timeshares, but I know many of you are in this. Please give me a brief explanation please.

UPDATE: Okay I've been reading several sites trying to understand this. I think I understand that if you buy a 100 point plan at say $100/point, you get 100 points a year each year until 2052 or whatever the expiration year is. This makes much more financial sense if that is the way it works. I'm still clueless though. One of our best friends is in WDW right now and they are going to the big sales pitch breakfast in the morning. I'm anxious to hear how it works.

Chad

[eva]

This calculates to $7 per point.

[ex. $3399 cash or 486 points. $3399/486=$6.99/point]

I really don't understand how DVC works. If you buy a timeshare that gives you 100 points a year, it appears to me you are only getting $700 worth of trip value on ABD. Your annual dues eat into this plus the initial investment. Can somebody explain how DVC makes sense? This sounds like a huge ripoff. I know it has to have merit though. What am I missing? That is probably too big of question to be answered on this forum. I probably need to just set through the presentation. But I have always been very skeptical of timeshares, but I know many of you are in this. Please give me a brief explanation please.

UPDATE: Okay I've been reading several sites trying to understand this. I think I understand that if you buy a 100 point plan at say $100/point, you get 100 points a year each year until 2052 or whatever the expiration year is. This makes much more financial sense if that is the way it works. I'm still clueless though. One of our best friends is in WDW right now and they are going to the big sales pitch breakfast in the morning. I'm anxious to hear how it works.

Chad


100 points buys you very little, especially if you plan to ever trade. To trade out for a 2-bedroom through II you need 270 points. So that is probably more the average ownership amount. DH and I own 650 points and it is just the two of us. It would be tough to go over the entire program on this one thread. To get a better understanding you probably should monitor the DVC board here on the DIS. It takes some time to learn all the nuances.

[OSUChad]

Thanks for the comments Eva. Our friends at WDW right now went through the presentation Friday morning. They were blown away. I think they are going to try to convince us to buy in as well as them.

In a nutshell, if you are going to go to WDW once a year for the next several years and try to sprinkle in a few ABD trips, is DVC worth it? If so, my two main questions would be the follwoing:

1. Based on your experience, what point level would a family of four need for the conditions of at least one trip a year to WDW and an occasional ABD trip?

2. Would you buy from one of the resellers to get a cheaper rate?

Thanks for your time.

Chad

[abdmom]

There are many many ins and outs of DVC ownership. There are entire very popular websites devoted to the subject. Here's the cheap Cliffs notes version: For a family of 4, count on 300+ points for a visit to WDW during spring break in a 2 bedroom DVC unit. 600-700 in a 3 bedroom. Points are allotted yearly. You can bank from the previous year and borrow from the following year so that you can use a maximum of 3 years worth of points for one vacation. In addition to the $70-$100 purchase price of points, it will cost roughly $5- $7 per point in maintenance fees each year. These are due whether or not you use your points.

So, that 300 point package will cost you: $21000 - $30,000 in upfront costs and $1500 -$2100 PER YEAR in maintenance fees.

To use on an ABD trip, those 300 points will get you, again roughly, 2/3 of a one person's trip to Ireland (airfare not included ;) ). That is equivalent to $2000 worth of trip. About what your maintenance fees cost.

In contrast, using those same points for a stay in a DVC resort will get you the equivalent of a one week stay that is worth between $3000 (if you rent points from someone at $10/point) to $6000 (if you rent directly thru Disney).

So, while it is worthwhile to use DVC points for their original intention - to stay at DVC resorts, it is not worthwhile to use them for ABD trips, unless you have DVC points that would otherwise go unused.

[pillow]

Thanks for the comments Eva. Our friends at WDW right now went through the presentation Friday morning. They were blown away. I think they are going to try to convince us to buy in as well as them.

In a nutshell, if you are going to go to WDW once a year for the next several years and try to sprinkle in a few ABD trips, is DVC worth it? If so, my two main questions would be the follwoing:

1. Based on your experience, what point level would a family of four need for the conditions of at least one trip a year to WDW and an occasional ABD trip?

2. Would you buy from one of the resellers to get a cheaper rate?

Thanks for your time.

Chad


Hi Chad. When we bought DVC, I did a breakeven analysis and really looked at the numbers to see if it was worth the cost. I found that if you stay at the DVC resorts, the value is good. If you are happy staying at a value resort or offsite, DVC is definitely a splurge and probably not worth it to you. If you stay at the DVC resorts, I found that you would break even (including dues) in 5 - 7 years. HOWEVER, if you use your points for the cruise or other Disney hotels, it can take 15 - 20 years to recoup your money.

What a lot of people do if they want to go on ABD or the cruise is to rent their points to a non DVC member. You basically sell your points for roughly about $10-$11 per point, and then use the cash to book your trip. This ends up being more cost effective than paying points for the trip in most cases.

My conclusion was that if you like going to WDW once a year and staying at the DVC resorts, you can really get your money's worth. If you want to do other stuff, maybe not.

Oh, and we vacation over Spring Break every year, but we only stay Sunday - Thursday nights since the points are lower. Sometimes we'll pay cash for one of the weekend nights or spend that night off site since the points are so high for Fri and Sat night. For Sun-Fri (5 nights) in a 1 bedroom, it costs approx 200 points in peak season. Plan on 250 points if you want a 2 bedroom.

If you don't buy DVC, you can always "rent" someone's points and that 5 nights over Spring Break would cost you about $2,000-$2,200 - about half the price of booking through Disney.

Hope this helps. Sorry for being long winded.

Jodie

[pillow]

Bonnielynn,

So I guess you're still thinking about a trip? I looked at the Alaska itinerary, but I like my own itinerary better.;) I think I've pretty much ruled ABD out, mostly based on cost. I enjoy trip planning, so I think we'll just travel independently for a while - at least until we win the lottery anyway!!

Which trip are you thinking about? Italy?

Jodie

[bonnielynn]

Bonnielynn,

So I guess you're still thinking about a trip? I looked at the Alaska itinerary, but I like my own itinerary better.;) I think I've pretty much ruled ABD out, mostly based on cost. I enjoy trip planning, so I think we'll just travel independently for a while - at least until we win the lottery anyway!!

Which trip are you thinking about? Italy?

Jodie

Jodie,

I am really not interested in an ABD trip until 2010 or so..
I was amazed at how much the prices went up (although with the us dollar v. euro, I get it)... I can say I was just really curious on how much it was going to cost to go.

With that said, Yes I am interested in 2010 trying a trip to Italy.

Good for you planning a trip to Alaska.. when you going?
I like the trip planning myself and have to say that I am reading books on Italy now.. :laughing: Never to early to learn...:rolleyes:

I hope you have as much fun in Alaska as you will have researching it.. can't wait to hear all the details!!

[pillow]

Jodie,

I am really not interested in an ABD trip until 2010 or so..
I was amazed at how much the prices went up (although with the us dollar v. euro, I get it)... I can say I was just really curious on how much it was going to cost to go.

With that said, Yes I am interested in 2010 trying a trip to Italy.

Good for you planning a trip to Alaska.. when you going?
I like the trip planning myself and have to say that I am reading books on Italy now.. :laughing: Never to early to learn...:rolleyes:

I hope you have as much fun in Alaska as you will have researching it.. can't wait to hear all the details!!

I'm not sure when this Alaska trip will happen. I would love to go in 2010, but it depends on how much I can save between now and then. Plus, my dh is changing jobs; we'll need to see how everything shakes out.

We LOVED Italy!!! In addition to the obvious places, take a look at Portofino, the Cinque Terre, and the Amalfi coast . . . beautiful!! I could easily spend a month there - or two - or three . . .

I thought the prices on ABD went up a ton as well. The Costa Rica trip was appealing to us, but that price went up WAY too much (and that has nothing to do with the Euro - am guessing a supply and demand thing) for us. I've found another tour company that gets good reivews - www.adventurelife.com. They do trips in Central and South America. We may try them at some point. Its fun to look.

Jodie

[bonnielynn]

I'm not sure when this Alaska trip will happen. I would love to go in 2010, but it depends on how much I can save between now and then. Plus, my dh is changing jobs; we'll need to see how everything shakes out.

We LOVED Italy!!! In addition to the obvious places, take a look at Portofino, the Cinque Terre, and the Amalfi coast . . . beautiful!! I could easily spend a month there - or two - or three . . .

I thought the prices on ABD went up a ton as well. The Costa Rica trip was appealing to us, but that price went up WAY too much (and that has nothing to do with the Euro - am guessing a supply and demand thing) for us. I've found another tour company that gets good reivews - www.adventurelife.com. They do trips in Central and South America. We may try them at some point. Its fun to look.

Jodie

I will have to take a look at them.. We have next year's trips all planned out.. (Disney in May, Beach in August) dh wont allow me to schedule another.. although I really wanna... :dance3:

I am figuring for 2010 though... hopefully the economy will pick up and things we look up a bit..

Hope your dh's job works out fine and the planning will commence sooner than later..

[eva]

Thanks for the comments Eva. Our friends at WDW right now went through the presentation Friday morning. They were blown away. I think they are going to try to convince us to buy in as well as them.

In a nutshell, if you are going to go to WDW once a year for the next several years and try to sprinkle in a few ABD trips, is DVC worth it? If so, my two main questions would be the follwoing:

1. Based on your experience, what point level would a family of four need for the conditions of at least one trip a year to WDW and an occasional ABD trip?

2. Would you buy from one of the resellers to get a cheaper rate?

Thanks for your time.

Chad


In general, I would answer your question with a yes. It is worth buying DVC under those conditions. But as said before, if a person stays in the value resorts and enjoys them, it may not be such a great deal to that person.

I agree with other posts that about 250-350 points would be needed. A lot will depend on what accommodations you require and what time of year you want to go. If you go to WDW in low season you may not need as many points. Remember that you can pay an ABD vacation with points and cash. You might want to go here: http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/DVCpoints.shtml to browse the point charts. This could give you a better idea of the number you might need.

I would look at both avenues for purchasing. Off and on DVC will give you a better value if you buy direct. It just depends if extra points (developer points) and such make a difference to you.