Why I just went on the waiting list to buy direct

[nd43]

Hello,

This board has been a great resource and it has really helped educate us on the value of DVC and the value of buying resale.

However, for the people that voyage onto this board, I thought I would offer another perspective on buying direct as a newbie.

First off, the first thing we decided was to buy resale. We had an accepted offer on a 300 pt BLT contact at $90 per point. Everything went very smoothly until Disney took the contract in ROFR after waiting 29 days. We were just very unlucky as many contracts at and below our price for BLT were passed during this time.

So, after considering everything again, we called our guide and decided to try direct for 220 pts at BWV. We love BWV and just returned from a trip there. We are a big Epcot family. However, during our DVC review, I convinced myself BLT was a better choice (strangely, having never stayed there).

The one thing BLT did was circle the money for the 300 pts. If you notice, 220 pts at BWV is about the same total price direct as 300 at BLT resale. I guess we talked ourselves into that level of investment.

So, in the end, buying vacation futures for us is about getting away from stress. Buying direct, frankly, was just less stressful. So, we are going to buy fewer points, at a resort we love, direct.

There is no financial justification for our choice. We certainly could jump right into a BWV resale contract search. However, I just wanted to let others know that end up buying direct, you are not alone. We just found a way to spend the same money upfront in a less stressful way. We get fewer points, but it is easier for us to do. All the savings buying resale are real and this is not an attempt to deny or mask that. However, sometimes savings are just not everything.

In the end, we get a few more benefits as well. I am not sure they make financial sense, but they still do exist. We also get insulated from any future changes to resale contracts in the highly unlikely scenario Disney would make such changes retroactive. Again, highly unlikely this would happen, but a small comfort none the less.

Thank you to everyone for all the valuable info.

BTW, why did we pick BWV vs. BCV? Strangely, for a reason I have not seen mentioned! BWVs have grand villa options and BCVs do not. We want to be able to "splurge" on our grand kids one day and bank and barrow ourselves into a grand villa vacation. Having the 11 month window to do that was a difference maker for us. We actually really enjoy both resorts.

I guess I am now ready to join the lonely and poorer direct club.

 

[DougEMG]

I guess I am now ready to join the lonely and poorer direct club.

I think the direct club is much bigger than the resale club, so you shouldn't be lonely.

Hope you don't have long to wait for your points; I'm assuming you are on a waiting list.

On the bright side your points will go further at BWV than at BLT because the point costs for a room are less at BWV than at BLT.

 

[nd43]

I think the direct club is much bigger than the resale club, so you shouldn't be lonely.

Hope you don't have long to wait for your points; I'm assuming you are on a waiting list.

On the bright side your points will go further at BWV than at BLT because the point costs for a room are less at BWV than at BLT.

Yes, we are now on the waiting list for BWV. I appreciate the bright side! It was a factor in our decision as well.

I guess it can feel a little lonely on this board talking about a direct purchase! Honestly, you feel like the financial dunce in the room. That is why I posted, I just did not want others to think they were alone after researching resale to still buy direct. I guess we can celebrate are non-financial decision together. I think resale still makes a lot of sense for many reasons and fault no one for pursuing those savings as well.

 

[adminjedi]

Comfort level / peace of mind is an issue for some and has a value. No one thought the rules would change. They have once with warning, they may again without warning. Some may call those buying direct "foolish", but down the road if the resale rules change dramatically, they may well look like "geniuses".

 

[z28wiz]

The biggest difference between the two is the almost 20 extra years you get with BLT and lower dues. Regardless good luck and hope your points come through soon.

 

[myxdvz]

Yes, we are now on the waiting list for BWV. I appreciate the bright side! It was a factor in our decision as well.

I guess it can feel a little lonely on this board talking about a direct purchase! Honestly, you feel like the financial dunce in the room. That is why I posted, I just did not want others to think they were alone after researching resale to still buy direct. I guess we can celebrate are non-financial decision together. I think resale still makes a lot of sense for many reasons and fault no one for pursuing those savings as well.

For me, as long as people are making informed decisions -- to each his own. Everyone's financial situations are different. And everyone values different things. To some, its the savings, to others its the immediacy of purchase availability, and to others - it's the stress free purchase. As long as people are comfortable in their decisions and people are buying what they need at what they can afford, I don't see any issues in that.

 

[sleepydog25]

Yes, we are now on the waiting list for BWV. I appreciate the bright side! It was a factor in our decision as well.

I guess it can feel a little lonely on this board talking about a direct purchase! Honestly, you feel like the financial dunce in the room. That is why I posted, I just did not want others to think they were alone after researching resale to still buy direct. I guess we can celebrate are non-financial decision together. I think resale still makes a lot of sense for many reasons and fault no one for pursuing those savings as well.

You are not alone, and your reason for wanting to go direct absolutely is legitimate. You wrote a well-reasoned, well-spoken piece about why direct was right for you and yours. I've actually done both. My first purchase was direct, my second resale (before the current restrictions were put in place), and my next one will be direct--a small contract at VWL. One poster wrote on another thread that there wasn't "ANY" justification for buying direct with which I gently disagreed. Certainly, it can be argued that the best financial move is to buy resale and to pay cash, but that reasoning doesn't allow for other very human (and worthwhile) justifications. Some buy a BMW or Mercedes when a Honda or Ford would work just as well; yet, the reason someone buys an upscale vehicle goes beyond mere transportation. We justify such a purchase in a variety of ways, and who is to say that's wrong? Same goes for direct vs. resale. As long as one makes a decision aware of the various options, justification for going one direction or the other is moot.

Thanks for your post.

 

[robinb]

HOME!

I bought resale (OKW), resale (BWV) & direct (AKV).
​

 

[babesboo99]

Our first purchase was direct at BCV and we will add on direct ( we will probably wait till our next vacation and do it right at Disney)as well so you are not alone. It does save time and the hassle of waiting. For us is was right and we were able to do it so we took the plunge and did it.

 

[nd43]

The biggest difference between the two is the almost 20 extra years you get with BLT and lower dues. Regardless good luck and hope your points come through soon.

This was an important point and something we certainly discussed and thought about. It was one of the original drivers for me to really consider BLT in resale (contract life - newer - better resale down the road). Two things "tempered" this clear advantage for us:

- We are older. BWV will already out live our active vacations. We decided to focus on enjoying the resort we like now vs. planning too far down the road. In 30 years, so much can change it was not worth trying to optimize the decision around this issue (for us) if we kept DVC.

- More importantly, we saw what they did with OKW. I think Disney, at the right time, will most likely do this again. They will most likely offer contract extensions to resorts getting close to contract end of life. If our kids have really enjoyed DVC, we will probably invest in such an extension at that time. Again, this might not happen, but looking at the big picture, we thought it was more likely that it will happen (i.e. Disney offers contract extensions) then for it not to happen. This is clearly just a hedge on our part.

The reality is, however, the lower contract life will probably really affect resale as time goes by. So, without contract extensions, the resale market for BWV in 10-20 years will be very low most likely. That is a risk we are clearly taking. This was not a good move to optimize future resale. That is clear.

 

[disneynutz]

Hello,

This board has been a great resource and it has really helped educate us on the value of DVC and the value of buying resale.

However, for the people that voyage onto this board, I thought I would offer another perspective on buying direct as a newbie.

First off, the first thing we decided was to buy resale. We had an accepted offer on a 300 pt BLT contact at $90 per point. Everything went very smoothly until Disney took the contract in ROFR after waiting 29 days. We were just very unlucky as many contracts at and below our price for BLT were passed during this time.

So, after considering everything again, we called our guide and decided to try direct for 220 pts at BWV. We love BWV and just returned from a trip there. We are a big Epcot family. However, during our DVC review, I convinced myself BLT was a better choice (strangely, having never stayed there).

The one thing BLT did was circle the money for the 300 pts. If you notice, 220 pts at BWV is about the same total price direct as 300 at BLT resale. I guess we talked ourselves into that level of investment.

So, in the end, buying vacation futures for us is about getting away from stress. Buying direct, frankly, was just less stressful. So, we are going to buy fewer points, at a resort we love, direct.

There is no financial justification for our choice. We certainly could jump right into a BWV resale contract search. However, I just wanted to let others know that end up buying direct, you are not alone. We just found a way to spend the same money upfront in a less stressful way. We get fewer points, but it is easier for us to do. All the savings buying resale are real and this is not an attempt to deny or mask that. However, sometimes savings are just not everything.

In the end, we get a few more benefits as well. I am not sure they make financial sense, but they still do exist. We also get insulated from any future changes to resale contracts in the highly unlikely scenario Disney would make such changes retroactive. Again, highly unlikely this would happen, but a small comfort none the less.

Thank you to everyone for all the valuable info.

BTW, why did we pick BWV vs. BCV? Strangely, for a reason I have not seen mentioned! BWVs have grand villa options and BCVs do not. We want to be able to "splurge" on our grand kids one day and bank and barrow ourselves into a grand villa vacation. Having the 11 month window to do that was a difference maker for us. We actually really enjoy both resorts.

I guess I am now ready to join the lonely and poorer direct club.

We have purchased direct and via resale. I know that buying resale can be stressful but what's interesting is that Disney causes most of the stress with ROFR and various delays that they deliberately build into the resale process. They also placed the restrictions on resales so between the stress and restrictions they are driving people to buy direct at a higher price.

Bill

 

[DougEMG]

Yes, we are now on the waiting list for BWV. I appreciate the bright side! It was a factor in our decision as well.

I guess it can feel a little lonely on this board talking about a direct purchase! Honestly, you feel like the financial dunce in the room. That is why I posted, I just did not want others to think they were alone after researching resale to still buy direct. I guess we can celebrate are non-financial decision together. I think resale still makes a lot of sense for many reasons and fault no one for pursuing those savings as well.

Here's how I look at it

direct + extra money = resale + extra stress

You end up with pretty much the same product (minor differences), but you are trading money against stress. Everyone needs to decide what is more important to them.

No different then some people pay others to cut their grass or clean their house while others do it themselves, just the amount of money involved.

 

[ELMC]

Yes, we are now on the waiting list for BWV. I appreciate the bright side! It was a factor in our decision as well.

I guess it can feel a little lonely on this board talking about a direct purchase! Honestly, you feel like the financial dunce in the room. That is why I posted, I just did not want others to think they were alone after researching resale to still buy direct. I guess we can celebrate are non-financial decision together. I think resale still makes a lot of sense for many reasons and fault no one for pursuing those savings as well.

Nice OP. I've been saying all along that I have complete respect for someone who says that they know they are paying more for direct but they don't care because it's easier/more convenient/less stressful. Unfortunately, we don't see too many of those posts. But it sure is refreshing when we do! I don't have a problem with anyone who buys direct. What I find frustrating are the financial gymnastics or hollow justifications (like "my direct BLT purchase at $160pp will break even in two years" or "I bought 75 points direct because I want to use my points on cruises").

I have had six contracts taken by ROFR and yet I still go back for more. So you tell me who the dunce is.

 

[NoleFan]

Everything for a reason. Perhaps, it turns out better that you ended up buying at BWV. Resale is definitely the chase to find the right contract then the waiting game for up to 60 days (ROFR, closing, member id, points, etc.)! Tough on the nerves & can make us all a bit anxious! I guess that is the natural consequence of the cost savings. Personal preference for sure- certainly appreciate your honestly & wish you luck with however it ends up. For us, we did resale as that is what our budget permits based on our wants.

Totally agree with DougEMG
direct + extra money = resale + extra stress

& share the opinion of ELMC
What I find frustrating are the financial gymnastics or hollow justifications (like "my direct BLT purchase at $160pp will break even in two years" or "I bought 75 points direct because I want to use my points on cruises").

 

[Deb & Bill]

You know that none of the two bedroom villas at BWV are dedicated, right? Only lockoffs. And neither BCV nor BWV have the sleeper chair in the living room of the one or two bedroom villa.

Just wanting to make sure you know all the facts.

 

[Ptwolfman]

Glad to see your post. We are brand new to DVC & plan to buy direct just because I can't handle the stress and possible disappointment of buying resale. Thanks for posting

 

[nd43]

You know that none of the two bedroom villas at BWV are dedicated, right? Only lockoffs. And neither BCV nor BWV have the sleeper chair in the living room of the one or two bedroom villa.

Just wanting to make sure you know all the facts.

All good points. But yes, we have stayed at both BWV and BCV. They are the resorts we have used the most. BLT was the one we had never visited. I feel the second bathroom in BLT in the one bedroom was also a really nice feature. For us, once we settled on staying with one of the Epcot resorts it came down to BCV vs. BWV. We liked the feel of boardwalk and access to a grand villa at 11 months, but once again, we think highly of both BCV and BWV and it was a close call.

 

[Deb & Bill]

All good points. But yes, we have stayed at both BWV and BCV. They are the resorts we have used the most. BLT was the one we had never visited. I feel the second bathroom in BLT in the one bedroom was also a really nice feature. For us, once we settled on staying with one of the Epcot resorts it came down to BCV vs. BWV. We liked the feel of boardwalk and access to a grand villa at 11 months, but once again, we think highly of both BCV and BWV and it was a close call.

Just wanted you to have the facts in case you didn't know. Your decision is your decision and you can make any decision you want to make. Enjoy your DVC trips.

 

[Countryrunner262]

We thought about direct, but for the same points it was$9500.00 more. We are still waiting on rofr. Yes, stressful, but for us spending more money for the same thing may be stressful too. To each is own, and I congratulate you on your future purchase. Hopefully you will not be on the wait list too long. Good luck!

 

[ToddyLu]

DH and I purchased direct and financed... Lightning didn't strike us and we have used and enjoyed our purchase. Good decision? Not for some. It has worked fine for us. Good luck with your purchase and enjoy.