Buying DVC

[MAJ RN]

I have a trip planned for May and wanted to know, can you only buy DVC while at a Disney resort? I would like to look into purchasing before we went and maybe using points for the trip. I would rather put the money going into the resort onto DVC. Thanks in advance for any information you can give me.


Melissa

 

[ToddyLu]

I think if you live in Canada or UK, then you have to purchase on site. There may be other states that have laws stating that you have to purchase this way also. Illinois won't have a problem since there is a Doorway to Dreams in Chicago.

Have you looked at the resale market? You could save a ton of money there. Get your contract broken up into smaller contrats. Pick a UY at the beginning of your travel time. IF you purchase direct from Disney have the guide secure you a room for your reservation to seal the deal. DVC is great if you plan on going to Disney every or every other year, like Deluxe accomadations, don't mind less Mousekeeping, etc. Yes, using your travel money this year towards DVC is a good idea.

 

[vicki_c]

Unless you buy direct from Disney AND your guide is able to work some magic, you may not be able to get a May reservation, since that is only 2 months away. You might, since some parts of May are not super demand times, but I wouldn't count on it. DVC is best used to book 11-7 months out from your trip. Availability gets very limited as you get closer, as the intent of the DVC resorts is to run close to 100% occupancy at all times if possible.

If you buy a resale, I would think you would have no chance of finding a May reservation - at least not all at one resort for more than 3-4 days.

Also it might be best to plan a trip where you rent points and stay in DVC accommodations before committing to purchase. You may find that you don't even like staying DVC - it's not the same as staying on cash.

 

[Sandisw]

If you really think that DVC is right for you, I would give them a call and talk to a guide.

While getting a DVC reservation only two months out could prove tough, you can ask them to find out prior to deciding.

We did that when we bought. At the time, the incentive was developer points for SSR and we had an August trip booked. This was March and I said that I wanted to be sure that I could get my reservation switched. My guide called MS, called me back, and said there was no problem getting the reservation. I bought and was able to make the reservation that same day.

It was nice to know that the $2000 I would have spent for the CR went toward DVC!

 

[Donald_Quackers]

I bought at the doorway to dreams in Schaumburg, and my guide helped me immensely. Purchased 160 points and was happy to see models of BLT.

 

[ToddyLu]

Also if you got a great deal, like a room discount or free dining it may be worth it just to keep things as is and look around at the different resorts when you go for your visit. I wouldn't necessarily do a tour, but taking time to see your Home resort of choice is a good idea before you purchase, especailly if you have never set foot on that property.

DH and I purchased AKV sight unseen. We had been to Disney each year several times and never set foot on that property. It was my fav and DH's fav, but we didn't know that about each other until I started talking about purchasing. I was going to go with SSR since the cost was less--but DH stuck to his guns and really wanted AKV--it was very important to him. When I first went to AKV and pulled up to it for the first time--I knew it was perfect. But we really lucked out there....I always would say that you would need to spend a little time looking around before you purchase.

 

[NHDisneyMom]

We bought last year before our vacation. We had been down in 2008 and did a tour but were not ready to take the plunge at that point. We planned another trip for Aug. of 2010 and couldn't see spending all that money on a room with no return. With two young children, we really wanted the option of a 1 bedroom too. We called the person that gave us a tour in 2008 and booked it through her. We have a UY of April and we were able to get a 1 bedroom at BCV for the end of August. It was a GREAT trip! We own at BLT.

If you call, make sure you ask for special offers. We ended up watching a webinar and saved on the cost of point. Just something to consider. We love DVC and just got back from a week at BLT. I already can't wait to go back!

Good luck and I hope whatever is best for you works out!