So ideally I think we could go for 300ish points worth. What size do the contracts tend to come in? Do/can people split them up? There doesn't seem any rhyme or reason to the sizing of them. Are there particular use months which cost more/less? Really looking at The Grand Californian for home.
For VGC you get what you get because it is so small, not many contracts available. A couple of smaller contracts are better than one large one IMO. Should you decide that you have too many points, you don't have to sell the large contract and buy a smaller one. You might want to decrease your VGC points and buy some at a WDW resort. Bill
I prefer the smaller contracts since I have more flexibility in selling some if I wish to downsize our points. I have added on directly from Disney, but always purchase the same use year if I buy resale. Out of 11 contracts, the largest single one is 150, followed by 86, 75, 65, 55, 55, 50, 50, 50, 50 and 25. These are among 5 resorts with all same use year. I can combine at 7 months if needed or have a sufficient number at each where I can reserve at 11 months out for my needs.
If you need to sell, it will be easier to sell smaller contracts. We have one larger one that we intially purchased and then when we added on, we broke it up into two smaller contracts, figuring that if we had to sell some of the points, we would sell one or both of the smaller contracts.
I agree with this. We bought 300 points in one contract when my kids were small . Now that they are grown and it's harder ( impossible) for us to find a time to vacation together and it would be nice to downsize our contract. The bright side is we will have quite a few years for some really elaborate vacations for the two of us before grand kids come . We are going to Aulani for our 25th anniversary next year. I know, it's hard to feel sorry for us
My only DVC regret is buying 250 BWV points in one contract. I wish I would have done 150/100. I would have then sold my 100 when VGC came onboard and bought 100 there.
I have a different perspective. We bought 300 points at one resort (SSR) and think that is the perfect number. We are a family of 5 with children who are 19, 4, & 1. So, for us, 300 points allows us to take vacations in 2 bedroom or larger villas without much hassle or resort hopping. We take an average of one trip per year. We have many years left with the little ones on vacation and, who knows, we could already have grandbabies even before they are grown (fingers crossed). It also allows us to host friends an family on vacation very comfortably and to allow us to bring the kids' friends along. This isn't for everyone but it is what we like to do to get the chance to see people who live far from us. We were also looking toward the future and, as our family gets bigger, hope to have a annual family reunion trip to Disney. We could do all this on smaller contracts to be sure but this way we find that there is an ease to booking our reservations.
As a general rule, the main difference between larger contracts and smaller ones is the amount of brain work you might have to use. With just one larger contract, you have one UY, one set of points to bank or borrow, and one amount of points you get each year. Fairly simple. With two or more smaller contracts, you have to deal with extra points from different UYs (or even if they're the same UY, there is still the issue of keeping the contracts straight as I am wont to do), separate maintenance fees, et. al. Is it hard to keep them straight? No, but it does require a bit more diligence. On the other hand, as others have mentioned, by having smaller contracts you possess more flexibility should the time come when you want or need to sell. For example, I noticed a VWL contract on the Timeshare Store website that has 850 points, and for what the person is asking in terms of dollars per point, the contract lists at nearly $70K. Although this is an extreme case, the point is the same: unloading large contracts is tougher since a buyer must come up with more money. Further, many who buy resale aren't looking for huge contracts but for smaller ones which often gives them a foot in the door at a particular resort. In the end, obviously the decision is yours if you even opt to buy, but smaller contracts, as a general rule, have more flexibility. However, as MSMagical's experience shows, larger contracts do work as well. Good luck!
booking with different contracts that have the same use year is actually pretty easy. if they are at the same resort, it's like having a single contract. you can combine same UY/resort points from different contracts at 11 months on, with same UY different resort contracts, one can combine the points at 7 months on to book nights. managing different use years is more complex (different member numbers, points cannot be combined without transferring between your contracts, and may be limited to the 1 transfer per use year rule). different UYs also means keeping track of different banking/booking dates. 50-100 points contracts are easier to sell (if needed), tend to go for more per point (buying resale, you most likely will pay a bit more but can sell for a bit more), & are easier to divide amongst your heirs.
I have 4 between 48 and 61 pts at 3 different resorts that I may dump all at once and I'm glad I bought them small now that I may want to sell. It was easy to build them up over the years and when I want back in, I will likely do the same process again. On the other hand, buying one larger cheaper contract is also attractive as well for the possible cost savings but that is quickly forgotten after I spend the savings on a couple of poolside drinks.
What Bill Said. It is easier to "downsize" should you ever want to. When buying direct, there is no reason not to break them up. The cost difference due to closing costs is small. The resale value would be higher. If buying resale, you will pay more for 6 50pointers than 1 300, so resale profits are negated, but it is still easier to downsize.
