Grand Floridian

[merina888]

My husband and I are considering buying into DVC. We sat through a DVC presentation at WDW on our most recent trip. Several blogs have mentioned that Disney is building a DVC resort at the Grand Floridian (you can see the construction when you are nearby), although Disney hasn't made any announcement yet. Our Guide focused on selling us on AKV and Aulani. I noticed that the cost per point is the same at both resorts. I'm wondering if that's the norm when they are selling available DVC points. So does that mean when Grand Floridian DVC finally goes up for sale, the prices per point will be the same as the other points for sale through Disney? I'm aware that the dues will probably be higher since it is a higher-end resort. Thanks!

 

[Deb & Bill]

My husband and I are considering buying into DVC. We sat through a DVC presentation at WDW on our most recent trip. Several blogs have mentioned that Disney is building a DVC resort at the Grand Floridian (you can see the construction when you are nearby), although Disney hasn't made any announcement yet. Our Guide focused on selling us on AKV and Aulani. I noticed that the cost per point is the same at both resorts. I'm wondering if that's the norm when they are selling available DVC points. So does that mean when Grand Floridian DVC finally goes up for sale, the prices per point will be the same as the other points for sale through Disney? I'm aware that the dues will probably be higher since it is a higher-end resort. Thanks!

The points are expected to be a lot higher for the Villas at GF than they are currently.

Make sure whatever resort you buy at, that's the one you don't mind staying at if you can't get another resort at seven months out. If you don't plan on regular trips to Hawaii, you probably don't want to buy Aulani. If you don't like the looks or feel of AKV, you don't want to buy there.

Besides, you can pay a lot less if you buy a resale. You can buy any resort you want, even AKV and Aulani for less than Disney is selling it direct.

 

[merina888]

I get that it will cost more points to stay at the Grand Floridian. What I meant was that right now if you buy from Disney the cost per point is $135 whether you buy at AKV or Aulani. Is the cost of a point the same no matter what resort it is even if the number of points needed to reserve accommodations is more?

Yes, we are aware that a resale is the better way to go from the cost perspective. I'm just fact finding right now and reading various posts to get a sense of what we might be getting ourselves into and if we buy DVC, which resort would be best for us. The though about GF occurred to me today and I thought I'd ask.

Thanks!

 

[Dean]

My husband and I are considering buying into DVC. We sat through a DVC presentation at WDW on our most recent trip. Several blogs have mentioned that Disney is building a DVC resort at the Grand Floridian (you can see the construction when you are nearby), although Disney hasn't made any announcement yet. Our Guide focused on selling us on AKV and Aulani. I noticed that the cost per point is the same at both resorts. I'm wondering if that's the norm when they are selling available DVC points. So does that mean when Grand Floridian DVC finally goes up for sale, the prices per point will be the same as the other points for sale through Disney? I'm aware that the dues will probably be higher since it is a higher-end resort. Thanks!

I think it's safe to assume that the points will be similar to BLT and the purchase price will be the same per point though there might be a price increase between now and when sales start for both.

 

[Msmithmd]

Based on DVC history, your financial guesses are the opposite of correct- but it ends up near the same place.

The annual maintenance fees per point will actually likely be lower than most other resorts because the maintenance won't be as high when brand new- room remodels, roof repairs and the like are more than a decade away.

The price per point will be higher (almost certainly). When DVC was still marketing BLT at the Contemporary the cost per point was much higher. Incidentally you can still buy that from DVC direct, they just aren't pushing it because they have relatively more points sold there than at the two places they're pushing currently.

What'll likely be higher are the points required per room size per night. Check out the DVC point charts for a week over Fourth of July at OKW versus at VGC.

Bottom line, when Grand Floridian DVC is announced and marketed, those who buy or stay there will pay dearly. Just likely not in the annual maintenance fee part of the equation. As to the current direct from DVC resort point costs, DVC will actually sell you any resort in existence right now- they have points for all of them, just market whatever they are chiefly trying to sell. Right now it happens to be two resorts with same direct PP costs. But google "DVC direct sale point costs by resort" and you will readily see there is a big spread in price depending on which resort. You can count on Grand Floridian being at the top of that spread.

And please do yourself a favor and then look at price per point resale through the major brokers before you even think about buying direct. Unless you like throwing money away.

 

[merina888]

Thanks for the info and for the suggestion. I have looked at the costs for resale versus buying direct. I know it's much cheaper.

 

[erionm]

... although Disney hasn't made any announcement yet.

DVC officially announced the project during the Annual Condo meeting back in December 2011.

 

[chalee94]

I get that it will cost more points to stay at the Grand Floridian. What I meant was that right now if you buy from Disney the cost per point is $135 whether you buy at AKV or Aulani. Is the cost of a point the same no matter what resort it is even if the number of points needed to reserve accommodations is more?

The cost actually varies by resort:

http://www.dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/financial/pricing-a-promotions

Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Villas****
$165 base price less $10 promotional discount; 100+


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Beach Club Villas*
$115 base price; 160-point minimum purchase


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BoardWalk Villas*
$115 base price; 160-point minimum purchase


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Hilton Head Island*
$80 base price; 160-point minimum purchase


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Old Key West***
$100 base price; 160-point minimum purchase


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Saratoga Springs**
$110 base price; 100+ points


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Vero Beach*
$75 base price; 160-point minimum purchase


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Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel****
$130 base price; 160-point minimum purchase


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Villas at Wilderness Lodge*
$102 base price; 160-point minimum purchase


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[Tinkerdreams]

In regards to the new GFV. My guide indicated that the beginning price would probably be offered (for a very brief time) at what BLT is currently selling at and from there would probably be raised to between $180 and $200 a point. The guide also said that there was only going to be approximately 150 total units.

They indicated that BLT is selling well at $165. If that's the case, I don't expect any radically cheap offerings for GFV and since there are so few units, and the popularity of the resort, these will go quickly and Disney will not need to give anyone any incentive to buy.

I would love to own there and am definitely going to be adding on, but not at GFV. I personnally want the biggest bang for my buck and want to get a contract with a completion date beyond 2050. With that criteria, it's limited to SSR, OKW (2057) AKV or BLT.

I will just book GFV at 7 months.

 

[Dean]

In regards to the new GFV. My guide indicated that the beginning price would probably be offered (for a very brief time) at what BLT is currently selling at and from there would probably be raised to between $180 and $200 a point. The guide also said that there was only going to be approximately 150 total units.

They indicated that BLT is selling well at $165. If that's the case, I don't expect any radically cheap offerings for GFV and since there are so few units, and the popularity of the resort, these will go quickly and Disney will not need to give anyone any incentive to buy.

I would love to own there and am definitely going to be adding on, but not at GFV. I personnally want the biggest bang for my buck and want to get a contract with a completion date beyond 2050. With that criteria, it's limited to SSR, OKW (2057) AKV or BLT.

I will just book GFV at 7 months.

this is C/W my thinking with the caveat that BLT will likely be increased at the same time as well.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Additional response to a specific portion of the OP's original question:

No. Not all resorts for sale at any given time are priced the same. Quite the contrary. It is very common to see a seemingly large spread between resort prices depending on incentives and so forth. For example, I think there was always a 10-15% spread between AKV and BLT while BLT was for sale. SSR's spread to BLT was even greater than that.

I don't think you can put much credence in what GFV pricing will be based on today's prices. YMMV.