just bought into the DVC and a few questions

I have a few questions about using our points

were very new members to this --a week to be exact!!!

but we are planning our first stay on points in Feb of2017

our home resort is the Poly which I knew we can book 11 months our which we are planning to do

but were also thinking about trying a different resort which I know can only be done 7 months so

could we do this---book Poly and when the 7 months window comes up see what else we could get

is it hard to change resorts--or do they usually have rooms

off subject question but we just back from our end of JAn /beginning of Feb and the parks seemed pretty busy--how are they a little later--we got back on the 2ndso maybe leave around the week later but yet be back before Presidents day

thanks any other tips would be greatly appreciated

also just for fun --does anyone remember what the membership was back when they opened--also didnt that include tickets

Dznypal said:

I have a few questions about using our points

were very new members to this --a week to be exact!!!

but we are planning our first stay on points in Feb of2017

our home resort is the Poly which I knew we can book 11 months our which we are planning to do

but were also thinking about trying a different resort which I know can only be done 7 months so

could we do this---book Poly and when the 7 months window comes up see what else we could get

is it hard to change resorts--or do they usually have rooms

off subject question but we just back from our end of JAn /beginning of Feb and the parks seemed pretty busy--how are they a little later--we got back on the 2ndso maybe leave around the week later but yet be back before Presidents day

thanks any other tips would be greatly appreciated

also just for fun --does anyone remember what the membership was back when they opened--also didnt that include tickets

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We bought in right after they stopped giving Length of Stay tickets with the reservation. But we paid about $50 a point for our 175 OKW points. We were staying at the Polynesian and the deal at the time was to allow purchasers to apply the cost of their resort stay to their down payment. We also sold back our first year's points and went about 13 months after our first trip. So we didn't use them anyway. We also bought at VWL and BCV just before they opened those two resorts and points were about $62 and $70 a point. Nowhere near what they are selling points for now.

You will want to book the Polynesian when you can book it. Then at seven months out you can check the member website to see what is available. Just to be aware, you won't find every resort available and you might have to book it exactly at seven months out to get what you want. The two Epcot resort are hard to book at seven months or less. In early December, owners there need to book at 11 months out to get what they want. GFV will be hard to book, especially the studios at seven months out. BLT-TPV and standard view will be hard to book at seven months out.

There is a thread somewhere that one of the DIS members posted giving you hints about when various resorts are available or not at seven months and less. Mid-February can be harder to book with Mardi Gras. Lots of New Orleans owners or other Southern states owners head there since they have school holidays for Mardi Gras. There is Presidents Day which also makes it a bit harder than later in January. Disney has gotten really good in filling in all the less busy times with marathons, half marathons, 10K races, etc, as well as various events like Food & Wine and Flower & Garden.

Deb & Bill said:

Disney has gotten really good in filling in all the less busy times with marathons, half marathons, 10K races, etc, as well as various events like Food & Wine and Flower & Garden.

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Nothing is as quiet as the slow times used to be.

This thread will likely be helpful for you in giving you an idea of which resorts might be available around your preferred travel dates at different times of the year if you decide to stay elsewhere than PVB.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/pr...-some-1-bedrooms-vgc-update-10-21-15.3419112/

Yes you can book at 11 months at your home resort and then change it (if there is availability) to another DVC resort at the 7 month mark. I recently did this - booked a week at my home resort (BLT which I purchased resale) then switched it to Beach Club Villas just last week.

That said, some resorts are very busy and your ability to change your reservation will depend on when you are going and what kind of room you have. We usually book 2 bedrooms because we bring grandparents on our trips. I have tried to switch to BCV before - this was the first time a room was available at the 7 month mark. My understanding is that studios go faster, as do club level rooms, value rooms (AKL) and standard view rooms. If you do find availability at a resort it ,any be in a higher point value room (think lake view at BLT).

We typically go either for Flower and Garden in May (we'll probably not be doing that anymore now that DS is school aged) or the week before Labor Day. I will tell you that the absolute slowest I have ever experienced all of the parks is that week before Labor Day and I believe it is because most US schools now start during that week and pretty much no one pulls kiddos out of school that first week. Having recently moved to Canada where school goes until the end of June and never starts until the day after Labor Day, that week is our new sweet spot. And it also takes a lot less points! January before the marathons is also pretty quiet, in my limited experience going at that time.

I bought my 160 point BLT contract in the summer of 2013 and have stayed at AKL, OKW, BLT, WLV, and Vero Beach using my points. So clearly you can stay anywhere there is room! But as others will certainly mention, the best advice you can take away is to buy where you are happy/willing to stay. We wanted to be on the monorail and have that sweet short walk to MK as our DS is still young and we assume that will be our go to park for some time yet. And when I bought, BLT points were about $90 on the resale market.

I have a second BLT contract (also resale) in right of first refusal at this moment, so you can see I've been very happy with my experience and the flexibility I have enjoyed thus far. As well, as DS gets older and because we tend to bring grandparents I wanted enough points to get a one bedroom for a week every year during the more expensive seasons, or borrow/bank and get a two bedroom for a week.

Hope this helps. Welcome home!

As the others have stated, the times when WDW is slow are mostly a thing of the past. Disney has filled the calendar with very profitable races, festivals, and the like. Moreover, DVC owners have a tendency to flock to the resorts during low point seasons as they get a bigger bang for the buck, so to speak. Always book your home resort at 11 months, if possible, then you can attempt to switch at 7 months. If what you wish to switch to at 7 months isn't available, you can go on a wait list. In fact, you can have two wait lists running concurrently. And, welcome home!

You will love your membership. WE were ones who got in on some of the first purchases. We bought in 1993 and had free tickets until 12/31 1999. We went usually 3 times a year from upstate NY. Our kids are grown and married now but they still love using mom and dad's points to go to Disney. Enjoy your membership and the secret is to be able to plan well in advance.

If you're not excited to stay at your home resort for your first DVC trip, maybe you should rescind and look seriously at resale. Why pay $168 pp when you could buy resale for $100 pp to stay somewhere other than Poly? We like to stay at other resorts too, but we love our home!

CarolynFH said:

If you're not excited to stay at your home resort for your first DVC trip, maybe you should rescind and look seriously at resale. Why pay $168 pp when you could buy resale for $100 pp to stay somewhere other than Poly? We like to stay at other resorts too, but we love our home!

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Although I cannot and do not regret our purchase or the way we went into it, what Carolyn says has lots of merit.

We paid top dollar (at the time) for our Bay Lake purchase in 2009. And I am finally now going to step foot in the door at Bay Lake next week. We've had great times at much cheaper-to-buy resorts since '09, and sometimes I wish there had been a way for us to see that we could have waited and bought resale, so we would have paid a lot less for those cheaper-to-buy resorts.

It's worth a thought.

CarolynFH said:

If you're not excited to stay at your home resort for your first DVC trip, maybe you should rescind and look seriously at resale. Why pay $168 pp when you could buy resale for $100 pp to stay somewhere other than Poly? We like to stay at other resorts too, but we love our home!

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I recommended this six days ago. Hopefully they're still in the rescission period.

CarolynFH said:

If you're not excited to stay at your home resort for your first DVC trip, maybe you should rescind and look seriously at resale. Why pay $168 pp when you could buy resale for $100 pp to stay somewhere other than Poly? We like to stay at other resorts too, but we love our home!

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Where does he say he's not excited?

I give up, some of you just will not see someone else's point of view. I hope the OP is not run off again but would not be surprised.

Do the OP, I will answer the questions that you actually asked and will not share any unsolicited advice.

Yes, I would book the Polynesian now and if you want to see what is available at 7 months do that. We love all the DVC resorts and they are all very different and I can understand wanting to experience them all. Some will be doing renovations so you might want to avoid that.

As to is it hard to change resorts. Some room categories in some resorts will probably not be available at 7 months for Feb. but many will be.

As to how busy the parks have been, yes it does seem there is no off season anymore. Just weeks of less busy but still busy.

I hope you have a fabulous trip and welcome to DVC.

Sammie said:

Geez give the guy a break, where did you see him ask any of this. If he wants advice on purchasing, I am sure he is very capable of asking. I am sure he read the thread he posted on the DVC Resorts forum. If he wanted to follow up those questions, don't you think he would have.

I am so embarrassed for this guy. I know all of you and I know in your hearts you think you are helping, but what happened to someone asking for help instead of following them from board to boards, pushing your opinion on them.

I can tell you it looks like bullying to me.

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Not trying to embarrass or bully anyone, just trying to help the poster not make the same mistakes that we made. If the info doesn't help please ignore it but maybe someone else will get something from my post.

We assume that readers scan the other posts or use the search function to get answers but in my experience that isn't what usually happen since there are so many "just bought" posts with requests for information on how to use their membership and with many not knowing about resale.

Bill

disneynutz said:

Not trying to embarrass or bully anyone, just trying to help the poster not make the same mistakes that we made. If the info doesn't help please ignore it but maybe someone else will get something from my post.

We assume that readers scan the other posts or use the search function to get answers but in my experience that isn't what usually happen since there are so many "just bought" posts with requests for information on how to use their membership and with many not knowing about resale.

Bill

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I understand Bill, and I know you mean well. but the key word in all of this is assume. I deleted my previous posting though and will just let it go. I just am shocked that some felt the need to come over here and start this again.

Sammie said:

I understand Bill, and I know you mean well. but the key word in all of this is assume. I deleted my previous posting though and will just let it go. I just am shocked that some felt the need to come over here and start this again.

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To be honest, I don't pay attention on who posts what and if I already shared my insight with the OP, I apologize. At my age I'm lucky if I remember where my mickey ears are.

Bill

disneynutz said:

To be honest, I don't pay attention on who posts what and if I already shared my insight with the OP, I apologize. At my age I'm lucky if I remember where my mickey ears are.

Bill

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If you didn't then I apologize too. It was just that after the OP posted on DVC Resorts and never came back, he came here and posted. Then this link was shared to the original posting on DVC Resorts and suddenly the same thing happens here. I just feel if he wanted advice on purchasing he would have come back to that thread where the discussion was already in full force rather than start over here.

That was all, all is good with you Bill, I know your heart is the right place. and your ears are on your head if you are looking for them.