Buying DVC. HOw hard is it to book other resorts during slowest season?

[crisi]

Buy enough for now (say for the next two or three years worth of trips) - there is a belief (which certainly has a large number of data points to support it) on this board that you'll get addonitis and have to add on later, but a few smaller contracts can be sold off individually - if you buy one large contract you'll be in an all or nothing situation if you have too many points. You can always buy more points later (though they probably will be more expensive) at VWL or at a different resort.

 

[starbox]

Buy enough for now (say for the next two or three years worth of trips) - there is a belief (which certainly has a large number of data points to support it) on this board that you'll get addonitis and have to add on later, but a few smaller contracts can be sold off individually - if you buy one large contract you'll be in an all or nothing situation if you have too many points. You can always buy more points later (though they probably will be more expensive) at VWL or at a different resort.

ITA with Crisi's advice!! We bought the minimum points we'd use and were able to add-on a contract after staying at all the resorts and really knowing what our ideal usage would be.

 

[dheinle]

Thanks for the great input on buying 2 resorts. I think this will great for us. We really want to buy AKL but do not want 160 points. We can buy a small resale now and then add on 50 or so AKL points next year.

Going back to Inkmahm post about banking / borrowing. How does this work with 2 resorts? Say I have 50 points at OKW and 50 at AKV and I want to make a ressie 11 months out that needs 100 points. Can I do this? I can book half points / half cash and then at 7 months, change the cash to points?

Or would it make more sense to bank the 50 from OKW and borrow 50 from AKV and use the 100 AKV points for AKV this year and the 100 okw next year?

As you can tell I think we'll use about 100 points a year.

Thanks
Dennis

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thanks for the great input on buying 2 resorts. I think this will great for us. We really want to buy AKL but do not want 160 points. We can buy a small resale now and then add on 50 or so AKL points next year.

Going back to Inkmahm post about banking / borrowing. How does this work with 2 resorts? Say I have 50 points at OKW and 50 at AKV and I want to make a ressie 11 months out that needs 100 points. Can I do this? I can book half points / half cash and then at 7 months, change the cash to points?

Or would it make more sense to bank the 50 from OKW and borrow 50 from AKV and use the 100 AKV points for AKV this year and the 100 okw next year?

As you can tell I think we'll use about 100 points a year.

Thanks
Dennis

If you have a small contract of 50 points and need 100 points to make a reservation at 11 months out, you use the current year's 50 points, plus borrow the next year's points to get 100. You can't combine points from two different resorts to use at one resort at 11 months out. And cash reservation are not the same inventory as points inventory.

If you only use your points every three years, you could bank one year, use the current year and borrow the next year to get 150 with a 50 point contract.

 

[dheinle]

Ok, great. Thanks for the info. I figure we will only be going every 2 to 3 years right now so 100 points total should work out great.

When buying an add-on from Disney can you specify what UY you want?

Dennis

 

[AKV707]

Ok, great. Thanks for the info. I figure we will only be going every 2 to 3 years right now so 100 points total should work out great.

When buying an add-on from Disney can you specify what UY you want?

Dennis

Yes. As a matter of fact, it needs to be the same use year as the master contract. The add on contract will be a sub contract of the master.

 

[crisi]

Since there is a lot of "buy both" advice in this thread....

I wouldn't own two resorts myself unless I really wanted something popular and specific (standard views at BWV during F&W AND early December at VWL). I wouldn't recommend doing it straight out of the gate as a new owner - I've seen a lot of confused new owners with banking and borrowing, seven and eleven month windows, which points can I use where, when can I make my reservations with my use year, etc. - who only own one resort....and I don't think the home resort advantage is worth the added complexity - UNTIL you understand what the added complexity is going to be of being a multi resort owner.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Since there is a lot of "buy both" advice in this thread....

I wouldn't own two resorts myself unless I really wanted something popular and specific (standard views at BWV during F&W AND early December at VWL). I wouldn't recommend doing it straight out of the gate as a new owner - I've seen a lot of confused new owners with banking and borrowing, seven and eleven month windows, which points can I use where, when can I make my reservations with my use year, etc. - who only own one resort....and I don't think the home resort advantage is worth the added complexity - UNTIL you understand what the added complexity is going to be of being a multi resort owner.

Totally agree with Crisi. However, I do own two, but they are totally different resorts. I know I will most of the time vacation in the summer at Vero Beach, so getting something at 11 mos. was the driving factor. If your talking multiple WDW resorts, go with Crisi's advice here.

 

[Calgary DISHeads]

We are in the final days of deciding (have put down our deposit) and bought AKV - our thought was the week before Christmas at BCV while we did the parks then AKV during Christmas as our down time. It looks like from the comments here that we won't get into BCV 7 months out? We just spent 9 days at the resort and really loved it, but AKV looks pretty special too.

 

[crisi]

We are in the final days of deciding (have put down our deposit) and bought AKV - our thought was the week before Christmas at BCV while we did the parks then AKV during Christmas as our down time. It looks like from the comments here that we won't get into BCV 7 months out? We just spent 9 days at the resort and really loved it, but AKV looks pretty special too.

You will occasionally get BCV, but probably not every year and it will be hard to get from October 1 - early January - not impossible, but don't set your heart on it.

BCV is a very small resort. Its been selling resale at a premium for several years to people who tend to be very loyal to the resort. Plus its a very popular resort for other DVC owners to try and use. There are LOTS of non-BCV owners, some of whom want to stay at BCV - and far fewer rooms than people who'd like to stay there. Add in the popularity of DVC from October - Marathon (Food and Wine, Thanksgiving, Christmas decorations, the holidays themselves, Mousefest, DVC annual meeting, the Marathon) and the resort fill fairly early.

 

[Slakk]

I am not I guess in the majority because I will pretty much stay everywhere and have never had an issue getting in to any resort at the 7 month mark. I really don't believe in the whole buy where you want to stay because unless you have stayed everywhere you really do not know.

I thought I would love BWV - in real life did not. Thought I would hate VWL - loved it. Ambivalent about BCV...actually enjoyed it. Like SSR although have to admit having BCV access to Epcot is hard to beat. I do believe that the AKV 1BR will be hard to beat with 2 bathrooms.

I also love HHI. Had I done the buy where you want to stay I would be at SSR all the time and never experienced all of the others. Honestly they all have their pluses (even BWV) so I feel bad when people walk in already sure that they only love ONE resort and not the others.

Between AKV and VWL - I own at both and like them both. But the point of DVC is really flexibility so my only advice is to try and explore them all and have fun - I mean they ALL are Disney - they cannot be that bad.

 

[dvcnut39]

In 2005, we tried to book at the 7 month mark for VWL for early December, but had no luck. I'd say buy where you want to stay.

 

[CarrianneB]

I am not I guess in the majority because I will pretty much stay everywhere and have never had an issue getting in to any resort at the 7 month mark. I really don't believe in the whole buy where you want to stay because unless you have stayed everywhere you really do not know.

I thought I would love BWV - in real life did not. Thought I would hate VWL - loved it. Ambivalent about BCV...actually enjoyed it. Like SSR although have to admit having BCV access to Epcot is hard to beat. I do believe that the AKV 1BR will be hard to beat with 2 bathrooms.

I also love HHI. Had I done the buy where you want to stay I would be at SSR all the time and never experienced all of the others. Honestly they all have their pluses (even BWV) so I feel bad when people walk in already sure that they only love ONE resort and not the others.

Between AKV and VWL - I own at both and like them both. But the point of DVC is really flexibility so my only advice is to try and explore them all and have fun - I mean they ALL are Disney - they cannot be that bad.

I would still say buy where you want to stay. Yes - they are all disney so they can't be that bad, but if you can only get into one, make it the one you want. If you love SSR the best, that actually might be the best resort for you - even over VWL - lower cost, longer term etc. But I'll bet you wouldn't trade your VWL points for SSR.

 

[mickeymorse]

We just went through this dilemma. I originally wanted the extra years, but my DW wanted VWL. I love the theming so it wasn't that much of a sell to realize that VWL has to be our home resort. Plus, 35 yrs is still a long time. We can always add on at another resort down the road to extend if we need to. Can't wait for the contract to close so we can book our first DVC trip home as new owners. We are purchasing resale for over $10 less than what is being offered by Disney. I just hope it passes ROFR.

Fortunately we have friends who own at BCV and they indicated we could do a switcheroo for F&W/Christmas.

Rob

 

[llmurphy17]

Well we have AKV and so far were able to book BWV and BCV at the 7 month window. We did try for WLV but they were full for Dec. 07. If you have two resorts that you like than you probably won't be disappointed.

We loved AKV and now after our BWV stay we love BWV. I think all the resorts have something special to offer.