150 point buyers

[Richyams]

In response to the rumor about raising the minimum, I don't buy it. I think that such a large perscentage of 150 point owners add on, making it a really bad move.

[roelongo]

We bought 150pts in Nov. ,closed in Dec. Decided it wasn't enough so we added another 100 pts in Jan , closed in Feb. We go home for the first time for Thanksgiving. We should have just bought more from the beginning but we were wary of the unknown I guess

[Eeyore2U]

We added on 150 at VWL after our original 150 at BWV.

[I <3 Eeyore]

We're at 500 between OKW and VWL at this point. But we share between 3 sisters so we need the extra to make sure we have enough...

[Hilary]

Buying in at the minimum of 150 was the only way I could get DH to agree to DVC, and it seemed a sensible way to start off as we knew add-ons were a possibility.

We've just added on another 25 points (still going for the minimum 'allowed'!), but only to make things easier for arranging a trip which will include DH's family! ;)

[westjones]

I think a lot has to do with one's financial situation. We bought in at 150 points, and this is a BIG step for us. We always traveled the cheapest way possible (me writing down everything we spent); but now I am at a point in life where I want a more relaxing environment than standard hotel rooms.

The banking/borrowing system was a big sell for us. If we bank our points we will have 300 every other year, and that will give is a very nice vacation. If we bank and borrow every three years we will have 450 points and that will give us a REALLY nice vacation.

The whole 'break even' thing doesn't apply to us because we didn't stay at places like this in the past. But it sure is fun dreaming of our first trip (we are banking this year's points and applying them to a cruise next year and spending a few days at WDW).

So, as to the question whether 150 points is enough? I think it is important to keep your finances in mind and not to over extend yourself. If you can handle it, I am sure more points would be wonderful!

But 150 points is better than no points at all!

;)

DJ

[Granny]

Richyams....

I hadn't heard that rumor but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. My first test for any rumor is "What's in it for Disney?". With VWL selling out so quickly and by all accounts BCV setting new sales records, why would Disney want to mess with a good formula. My guess is that they are doing better than most time share places.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[doubletrouble_vb]

Looking at that 60% figure I can see why Disney might raise the minimum. If Disney examines initial 150 point purchasers & sees they are adding on 25 or 50 points within a year or two why not grab that money sooner? The minimum should be somewhat less than the neighborhood of what other new Orlando timeshares are selling for. I could see them going for a $14,000 or $16,000 buy-in without a problem. That would be a 175 or 200 point minimum.

I think fewer owners means fewer problems for Disney. Look at it this way...increasing the minimum to 175 is an automatic reduction by 17% in future owners.

[Crissup]

I had planned on adding on at BWV and got busy and put it off. Ended up missing out by a month. Then, they kept suggesting that God awful VWL, and I told them I had no interest in that resort at all. So now, I can't decide whether I should simply do a BWV resale, or a BCV add-on.

[Doctor P]

We bought 150 at OKW in August 2000 and just added 32 more at BCV (look at the point structures for the various DVC resorts and you will see why I decided to add this odd number of points--lots of different combinations of room nights can be divided evenly into 32, 64, or 96 points).

[crisi]

I may end up with DVCitis and want more, but for us 150 works well. We can vacation in the off season. We only WANT to go (at least right now) every other year. We aren't sharing points with family and we don't tend to vacation with friends. This gives us 300 points every other year to work with for our family of four.

I want my kids to see other parts of the world than just Disney World. And we will only take one big vacation a year for the foreseeable future, since that's about all the time either hubby or I can take off work without the world ending.

For us, it isn't a money thing as much as a time thing. I love WDW, but there are other things I want to do with the limited vacation time available.

[RweTHEREyet]

We probably would not have purchased if we had not gotten in at the 150 point level. I say get someone hooked and then let them add more. I would think the Sales Guides would have to work a little harder to sell more points to a 1st time purchaser.

[JR]

We bought in at 150 points several years ago and now have 610 including the recent purchase of 150 at the BCV.

[wdwnut]

hi: we passed on OKW in 93 when the minimum buy in was 230 points because we weren't able to do this financially. the guide we had wasn't very informative, and i'm still a little miffed that i didn't do more research before turning it down. when we finally bought at bwv, sight unseen, it was for 210 points initially with another 150 point add-on before it sold out.

[westjones]

So they didn't use to offer the 150 points to start out? Boy, am I glad they did this year or we wouldn't have been able to do it.

I can understand how it would be more simplier for Disney to have fewer owners with more points. We can't afford more right now (but who knows in the future we might add on :p). To be honest, we need to 'go through' the process of using the DVC a few years to see how we feel about it. But with the 150 points I don't feel 'trapped'. Also, we want to do other things and go other places sometimes.

So I am happy with our 150 points for now. We won't be going 'Home' until September 2003, so we have a long wait (we had already planned our vacation for this year when we bought into BCV last month).

Funny, when we bought BCV last month I didn't think much about whether I would like them or not, but the more I have learned about them the more I think we are really going to enjoy our home resort. I love the idea of being able to walk to Epcot.

Does anyone know if you can walk to MGM too? Or do you have take the bus there?
Thanks!
DJ

[genealle]

We almost bought-in at 150, but after running a few "mock" trips through the point charts, we "splurged" on 175 pts. Those 25 extra pts. seemed right since we LOVE the CBR and AKL. We usually arrive on a Thursday and stay at one of the hotels, then move HOME on Sunday, saving the weekend points.

Going home for Halloween. CBR/BWV

Gene, Donna and CJ

http://www.silvertropic.com/

[caverill]

We purchased 150 points and that works for us. Since we don't have kids and usually only stay in a studio, 150 is fine with us.

I don't believe we would have purchased if we needed to buy 210 or 230 at the cost per point that we purchased at.

I wish we would have purchased prior to the cost per point increase.

I think that if Disney raises the minimum number of points at the current cost, they will slow down sales (maybe thats the idea :)).

It seems like they lowered the minimum points to make sure that the buying cost was about the same, which I think was a good idea.

[tc]

We bought BCV at 150 points, but will probably add on in later years. Right now 150 is all we need. Girls are both in college, and a studio a couple times a years suits us. We may not have bought had we had to buy more. However, when the girls marry and have kids, we'll probably add on so we can take them and their families once in a while.

[MinnieMe2]

they kept suggesting that God awful VWL,


Hmm. VWL is our home resort, and we like it enough to have added another 50 pts. to our initial purchase. Guess we have no taste, huh?

[Granny]

MinnieMe2

...and I was so proud of myself for ignoring that inflammatory remark!

And I refuse to turn this into a DVC-home bashing thread since RichYams just wanted a simple answer to a simple question.

[Lesley]

I responded to the poll even though we did buy in with slightly more than 150 points. We started with 162.....the absolute most we could afford without a loan. We then added on at VWL...both because we love it there and we wanted more points.

I think we will add on again eventually. Not sure if it will be another small one through Disney or a resale. Another 150 at VWL would be nice...

As for the thought that they won't raise the minimum # of points I have to agree with Rich...unless they really need to slow down sales a lot. I would guess that those who initially purchased 220 points didn't feel such an itch to add on right away...particularly at OKW where the points go further.

[SEC]

We bought the minimum 150 points at WLV in March 2001 and figured we would see if we liked DVC and how it worked. We love the flexibility and the tax benefit, so we ended up adding 100 points this March.

[WDWfantasy]

I'm curious as to what the per point cost was back in the beginning at OKW when 230 points was the minimum??

[Richyams]

We paid $51 for our first 230(min) points in '92 and there was a big increase before we added 200 more during our first trip in '93. I think it was near $55. I believe there were pre-construction prices of $48.

I see that about 75% of minimum purchase people are adding on. I think that supports leaving it at is. Along with the goal of keeping the minimum buy in in the $10,000 range. I just don't think the rumor is true.

I also see the argument for fewer owners of more points.....but I think that the 75% of those that add on are pushing toward that goal anyway.

[goofyfamily41]

I'm as excited as anyone about my DVC membership but like others are limited for time at this period in my life. 150 plus a banked 150 plus a borrowed 150 gives me wonderful options to enjoy WDW with my family. We also have so many other places we would like to experience that might be closer by or just different from DVC. I'm sure when DD and DS have families of their own we will have great trips to WDW but for awhile I'm happy with what I have!:)

[pharmlivin]

It's the dues that scare me. I wonder if Disney would ever consider giving an option of having a higher one time buy in per point (say $110.00/point...I haven't really figured out what a fair deal would be based on current point price) without any further dues collected on these points. Kinda pay up front. Sort of like when you win the lottery do you take the annuity or the whole lump sum. Just a thought, maybe dumb but I might be more prone to buy more points if the threat of ever increasing dues is removed.