11 month home resort booking advantage, how important is it?

_auroraborealis_ · Feb 13, 2016

I don't feel like Bill and Dean are really in conflict. Bill says it's hard to pick a home until you've experienced multiple resorts. Dean says underbuy and add on when you fall in love. Kind of the same message.

Dean · Feb 13, 2016

_auroraborealis_ said:
I don't feel like Bill and Dean are really in conflict. Bill says it's hard to pick a home until you've experienced multiple resorts. Dean says underbuy and add on when you fall in love. Kind of the same message.

The actual principle involved is similar, we're just taking the opposite direction to get there. The problem is if you go to the top and work your way down the likely cost in doing so could easily be tens of thousands of dollars wasted. An alternative is to spend years with rentals but that doesn't give you the actual system and reservation experience.

icc2515 · Feb 13, 2016

Hi,

I think it depends on when you are going. I bought a loaded 200 point SSR contract. I was amazed at the availability at 6 months for July sans around the 4th, of course. We booked a 2BR at BWV for 6 nights garden view. I don't think that there are any dedicated 2br's at BWV, which meant that a 1BR and a studio were both avail. I could have booked a lake view studio at BLT or just about anyplace else at 6 months. We also booked 7 nights in 2 standard studios at the Poly. Now if you want to go OCT-DEC, you will probably have more of a challenge getting in at your non home resort. Be flexible. Don't go in thinking that I want to stay Sun-Thurs because those are the least expensive days. You might have to stay Mon-Fri or Fri-Tues.

The best advice I can give you is do not buy just enough points expecting to stay in a standard or value studio at any resort you want to stay at. Buy enough points.

LoveBWVVBR · Mar 4, 2016

It's really important, and this is coming from someone who didn't think it was important at all when she bought in. The problem really is, how do you know that were you want to stay NOW is where you'll always want to stay? For us that changed over time, and in Dec. we sold our DVC. We couldn't ever book what we wanted during the high-demand times when we travel (school schedule).

Dean · Mar 4, 2016

LoveBWVVBR said:
It's really important, and this is coming from someone who didn't think it was important at all when she bought in. The problem really is, how do you know that were you want to stay NOW is where you'll always want to stay? For us that changed over time, and in Dec. we sold our DVC. We couldn't ever book what we wanted during the high-demand times when we travel (school schedule).

IMO that's the very reason one should buy the minimum that'll get them started. Better to buy say SSR and it not work that the Poly and be in the same boat. And likely better to buy SSR and learn the system than spend 5-7 years of renting different resorts. Basically no new members are truly going to know what they want 5 yrs from now. And for those who might need a significant number of points I also like underbuying in terms of contract size then they can add a different resort once they know enough to make better decisions.

a742246 · Mar 4, 2016

To the OP just keep in mind that BC, BWV, VWL, OKW, VB, HH all have expiration dates of 2042. If you are 26 now you may want to seek resorts with longer expiration dates SSR, AKL, BLT, GF, POLY.

jerseyduke · Mar 4, 2016

a742246 said:
To the OP just keep in mind that BC, BWV, VWL, OKW, VB, HH all have expiration dates of 2042. If you are 26 now you may want to seek resorts with longer expiration dates SSR, AKL, BLT, GF, POLY.

Good point.
Also, there are extended OKW contracts out there.

_auroraborealis_ · Mar 4, 2016

I'm sure someone else will swoop in on this, but I'd avoid the extended OKW contracts. That's a can o' worms.

ziravan · Mar 4, 2016

Unless you're looking at owning SSR as a learning curve and selling "up" in 3-5 years, I wouldn't buy at SSR to trade out if you don't like SSR.

Buy where you want to stay - and book in the 11 month window.

DVC booking patterns have changed quite a bit during its first 25 years. As it grows, it'll change even more. The same prime spots at 7 months that you want will be even more in demand as time goes on and more owners pursue them at 7 months. That has been the case (booking at 7 months has become more difficult over time) and that will continue to be the case.

We originally bought at BCV because it's where we want to stay. We added a fixed week Poly because it's where we want to stay. Our other favorite resort, AKV, doesn't currently require a contract to book at 7 months, but if it did, we'd add on there.

The issue isn't how booking patterns are now, but how they'll change over the contract. I just don't think you can predict 7 month booking patterns 10 years from now, let alone 25. Those patterns are certainly different than 10 and 25 yrs ago.

Buy where you want to stay.

We want to stay at BCV and Poly. It doesn't matter much to me how their booking patterns will change at 7 months over time.

DVC is a big investment. We're happy with it because we will get what we want out of it. If I spent this much money and found out the 7 month window wasn't working for me, I'd be more than disappointed. In fact, this is why timeshares in general get a bad rap, they're too expensive not to get what you want.

Get what you want. Buy where you want to stay.

JWigs · Mar 4, 2016

Agree with most posters on here. We bought into 2 properties this past Fall. We were going to buy just 1 property and enough points for what we think we'll need but since we are W Coasters; it made more sense for us to split our points in half and buy at GVC in CA and BLT in FL.

We chose these two since we've A) stayed at both before and B) we like their locations. Blt we rented points last year and pretty much decided it was where we would stay for future visits due to the walking distance to MK.

I get people saying that you should choose where you think you'll still be staying for many years. For us, it's a no brainer because even if our kid(s) get older and maybe we stay at other dvc resorts; I know BLT will likely hold or grow in value since most people go to WDW to go to MK. So worst case if we had to sell or rent our points, I don't see it being am issue to find a buyer.

We are interested in possibly adding on at Poly but we're waiting until it hits resale and see what the market bears before buying. Disney is selling for way too much $$ direct.

Meandnevaeh · Mar 4, 2016

Minniesgal said:
I think this is a very personal decision.

We like to be booked at 11 months so we can book flights knowing where we will stay and not have to deal with the rush at 7 months.

The holidays tends to be a stay at home resort time. Oct-Dec switching out at 7 months is hard. Feb-August it is much easier but can still be an issue. Studios are harder than 1 bedrooms.

So u mention most months here, but what about Sept and Jan? Are those relatively easier to book almost anything you might want at 7 months out?

rlovew · Mar 4, 2016

Meandnevaeh said:
So u mention most months here, but what about Sept and Jan? Are those relatively easier to book almost anything you might want at 7 months out?

September until the food and wine festival starts tends to be easier to book at other resorts. January after the marathon and with the exception of MLK weekend also tends to be easier.

Meandnevaeh · Mar 4, 2016

Dean said:
IMO that's the very reason one should buy the minimum that'll get them started. Better to buy say SSR and it not work that the Poly and be in the same boat. And likely better to buy SSR and learn the system than spend 5-7 years of renting different resorts. Basically no new members are truly going to know what they want 5 yrs from now. And for those who might need a significant number of points I also like underbuying in terms of contract size then they can add a different resort once they know enough to make better decisions.

That's pretty much what I'm doing, buying 100 puts at SSR, hoping to try out some other resorts over the first 5-10 years, usually traveling in late Jan, possibly some other times. And will add on at that point if that's what I want. After my research I decided that as long as I'm at Disney, I'll be happy at SSR, but if I get lucky even with say a split stay with one or two nights at one of the other resorts I'll be happy too

ColinBlair · Mar 4, 2016

I listened to Dean's advice last year and bought SSR to start with. I had previously had a generally poor impression of SSR from previous forum reading but I am extremely flexible on when I can go to Disney so I decided to listen to Dean. If I had been buying just off my personal tastes, I probably would have gone with VWL instead.

Since buying in I have stayed at OKW, AKV (Kidani savanna view), and SSR. I am trying the Poly in April and in October I am planning a Universal trip and will have enough banked points left over for one studio night wherever I can find one. Hopefully BCV or BWI will have one night available in the 7 month window so I can see if that is really worth it. So far, SSR is actually my favorite resort (including the various cash resorts I have stayed at in the past), OKW was the meh that I was afraid SSR was going to be, and I doubt I will repeat my stay at Kidani.

Dean · Mar 4, 2016

_auroraborealis_ said:
I'm sure someone else will swoop in on this, but I'd avoid the extended OKW contracts. That's a can o' worms.

I have posted a number of times that OKW 2057 scares me but it doesn't enough to avoid it if the other parameters are favorable.

ziravan said:
Unless you're looking at owning SSR as a learning curve and selling "up" in 3-5 years, I wouldn't buy at SSR to trade out if you don't like SSR.

IF one has enough knowledge and experience to know they truly don't like SSR I'd agree, the problem is that almost all new buyers don't have this level of knowledge or experience. For those who are concerned though, BLT is likely the next best option for many.

jerseyduke · Mar 4, 2016

Dean said:
I have posted a number of times that OKW 2057 scares me but it doesn't enough to avoid it if the other parameters are favorable..

Scare you how? (Not arguing, just asking, since you are very knowledgeable)

I was just throwing it out there since it is another longer term option. IF you see an extended one.

I mean, I know the whole thing is sort of a mess, but if you have, or buy a 2057 OKW contract, are you at risk? Whatever happens in 2042, I would think that people with 2057 contracts would go on for another 15 years as if nothing has happened, or am I missing something?

_auroraborealis_ · Mar 4, 2016

jerseyduke said:
I mean, I know the whole thing is sort of a mess, but if you have, or buy a 2057 OKW contract, are you at risk? Whatever happens in 2042, I would think that people with 2057 contracts would go on for another 15 years as if nothing has happened, or am I missing something?

A fairly low percentage of the resort did the 2057 extension. The rest of the resort either gets resold somehow, or returns back to Disney. No one knows what happens with the return to Disney, if they start redevelopment or just CRO it for 15 years, and also what happens to amenities when that resort splits down. OKW wasn't developed with the split in place, so this would be the first reverse where DVC returns to the Mousership, versus Mousership real estate/rooms moves to DVC.

jerseyduke · Mar 4, 2016

So, the risk is a potential change to the amenities? I am not saying that that is not noteworthy. I am just getting at Disney does have to honor the agreement, correct?
The resort could decline, etc, but you can't get shafted out of what you bought, correct?

Also, I was under the impression that they can not redevelop. If a mere 1 contract was extended in a residential unit, I would think they can not touch that residential unit. But I am sure not a lawyer. (And if that is true, even with a small number of extensions, they probably can not touch any residential unit), which seems to mean there are only 2 options, resell, or CRO.

It will be interesting....but I am in no hurry to find out

_auroraborealis_ · Mar 4, 2016

jerseyduke said:
The resort could decline, etc, but you can't get shafted out of what you bought, correct?

Shafted, no. But the quality of the surroundings, dues for the remaining buildings in the association, etc. might decline (in the case of dues, quality decline = OW WENT UP). Hard to say how they deal with returning some of the property but not all, because the contractual ownership interests likely span many buildings.

I think you buy OKW right now because you love OKW and are okay if the contract becomes essentially worthless in 2042, regardless of end date. Right now, 2057 contracts don't seem to be commanding premium pricing in resale. I'm seeing $75-95/point, and while the 2057 contracts are sitting on the high end of that, there are 2042 contracts asking more. Not sure any of them are getting it, particularly as at least one of the higher price contracts is stripped into 2017.

CarolMN · Mar 4, 2016

Seems to me that the dues would be a big question mark for OKW as 2042 approaches. How will Disney choose to deal with those? It doesn't seem right that 2042 owners should contribute equally to capital reserves and the like if their participation will end while others continue on for an additional 15 years.

Do DVC resort owners have an obligation to turn over like new" resorts when time runs out?

11 month home resort booking advantage, how important is it?

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