DVC world passport collection

[maggieofar]

Hi everyone!
I've been a lurker for some time and have learned alot by doing so!! Y'all are full of great ideas and advice-thanks!
Got back from our 1st trip to WDW on the 29th of Jan and all I can say is..... I want to move into Epcot!!
DH and I went to a DVC presentation and I'm sold!! However, DH is a little harder to convince. We would love to go back to the World (I'm trying desperately to figure out a way to return in early Dec-gotta see those decorations!!) but would also like to vacation elsewhere in the future too. This is a murky area for DH so I was wondering-
what sort of experiences have y'all had in regards to staying at some of the World Passport Collection resorts?? Are they easy to get into and is it worth the points?? We(I) would like to buy 150 @ SSR- the current points for high season at the world pass coll is 160 a week so we could bank for two years and borrow 20 from the third-or am I confused?
We tend to travel in Dec or preferably Jan and always go somewhere warm-any advice?? the good, the bad and I guess the ugly!!
Thanks
:happy1:


CBR: Jan 21-28 2004
determined to add more to this list!!

 

[niks81]

Ok, here we go

I love DVC...I think it is a great setup and since I love to travel it works out well for me

I do think that the way that they sell DVC is a bit...uninformative?? I don't mean that to sound negative, but when I bought in I was told that if I didn't want to go to Disney World every year that there was the Concierge Collection (luxury resorts, nightly stays) and the World Passport which you traded into also that were week long stays. When I asked about availability for those they said that it was no big deal and most members do not have a problem. Not exactly true. I had never used World Passport before, so when I called in August of 2003 to get my parents a stay at the Marriott Aruba Ocean Club I was informed there was no availability for two years and there probably wouldn't be as it is a very popular resort... I nearly fell off my chair

What I learned on the phone is that it is wise to plan way ahead and book more than a year in advance but they suggest two--for world passport. Especially if you have specific dates, and even then that's not promising anything. They said the planning ahead is not to say that when you call 2 years ahead, that the week you want will be available, because it probably won't be. It is to give DVC the dates and then when something comes available they can snag it for you. I read many posts on here about members waiting for world passport caribbean resorts to open up...they'd been on the waitlist for quite some time. Fortunately for me, my parents did not have any specific dates and to ensure they go to go I told DVC anytime between April and October 2004. About two weeks later I got a call that they had a week for me.

So I guess what I'm saying is that it can work out great if you are very flexible with your dates and you plan well in advance. For me, I was just frustrated because I didn't feel well informed about how that whole thing worked and if my parents would have had specific dates, I would have been in trouble! With good planning and flexibility, it can work pretty well.

Done rambling now

 

[rocketriter]

niks81 is absolutely right.

You can book Concierge collection almost as easily as booking any other hotel room, but it costs a lot of points per night.

To book the World Passport Collection, however, requires advance planning and flexibility—it's not at all like booking a hotel room. Instead you call MS months or years in advance and either give them a choice of several resorts or several dates (or both), then they spend weeks or months trolling for someone at that resort who wants to match your trade out with a trade into DVC. For some destinations (notably Hawaii) it's not a bad deal. We're using 144 of our 2005 points for a week on the Big Island. But you need to pay attention to cost and quality.

The other side of the coin is that while only a few thousand DVCers trade out each year, something like 40,000 outsiders from other timeshares try to trade in. The desirability of your DVC points does give you some leverage, and can move you in front of people from other timeshares who are trying to get into a particular resort.

BTW, some people take a more circuitous route to trade out. They rent their own points to outsiders for $8-10 per point (which is well more than the yearly dues per point), then use that income to pay for a condo or timeshare trade outside of the DVC system.

For my family's purposes, we'll continue to trade out every few years—particularly to international destinations. Since we love to plan ahead and like the simplicity of working through DVC MS, we'll continue to use that route. But we won't trade DVC points just to spend a week in West Overshoe.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Wow, nice smilies Niks81

I had thought of the World Passport collection as a place to lump your points if you couldn't go to WDW for a couple of years, or had missed you banking deadline. They are a better deal than the really elegant Concierge collection or even the non-DVC Disney hotels, but from what folks are describing, not at all easy to use (but still possible). I know that some of the ones around here (Boston area) are very nice, esp the Marriott Custom House right in the middle of Boston.

BTW, where is Canada's True North, Maggie? Are we talking Labrador? Yellowknife NWT perhaps? Is it anywhere near "West Overshoe"? or or we talking the "southern North" like most of Canada's population, within 100 miles of the US border?

 

[dianeschlicht]

The key to World passport collection is flexibility. Don't plan specific dates or even resorts, but an area etc and a time window. For example, when we exchanged to Hawaii, we asked for ANY island ANY resort ANY time between January and June two years out. We got OUR match in just 5 days! Then, we had the ability to search for another exchange a week either side of the week we got from Disney. That one was through RCI and didn't happen until about 6 months before the trip! It was scary waiting, but we had decided that if it didn't come through, we would do a cash ressie for a week somewhere, or even Concierge, although I think the points for that are WAY too high.

 

[northerngirl]

Northern Girl here.....

In response to Pumpkin Boy's question to 'True North', I have to say my two cents worth here.....

I am truly living in the "Great White North". No, not Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, but close. Yellowknife is our capital, but I live in the second largest community in the Northwest Territories called Hay River. We are currently very cold with the wind chill added into the temps. But, I grew up in Toronto and moved up North twenty years ago, so there must be some redeeming qualities to living up here.

I would like my permanent adress to read "Lake Buena Vista, FL"
Alas, I can only dream of the day...back to work I go!!

 

[niks81]

Diane is right...the key to using it is flexibility (and her suggestion is really good). I think World Passport caught me offguard because I didn't know how it worked. I had used Concierge and it was really quick and easy...so my expectations for WP were the same.

 

[maggieofar]

Hi Northern Girl and everyone-I'm next door in the Yukon and our tourism logo of the day is Canada's True North...I understand NWT had one similar for a few years.How's your weather today?? We're sitting at +1 C (around 33 F)-When we left CBR at the end of Jan...it was 32F frost on the windshields!!!! Anyhoo...
Still trying convince Dh about DVC-he's too preoccupied with snowmachining to care right now....My motto is "Ski-Doo/ Sea-Doo Tomato/tomahto"
Thanks everyone for the great info-flexible we are especially when it comes to "hmmmm where shall we go this time? Somewhere warm OR somewhere warm???" Has anyone tried a shorter window for the passport collection? For example- next winter-say sometime in January or December we would like to go anywhere in Hawaii or the Caribbean or Mexico??
Success, failure??
I'm a new recruit to WDW fanclub and I really do want to move into Epcot-although I may gain 856 pounds with all that good food!!!!

 

[niks81]

Originally posted by pumpkinboy
Wow, nice smilies Niks81

thank you

I love smilies, but on the DIS I have to keep them rated G

 

[niks81]

Originally posted by maggieofar
Has anyone tried a shorter window for the passport collection? For example- next winter-say sometime in January or December we would like to go anywhere in Hawaii or the Caribbean or Mexico??
Success, failure??

My advice is, the more dates, resorts, etc you give DVC, the better luck you will get. Flexibility is the key!

 

[northerngirl]

Hi Maggieofar,

Good to know there are some other Canucks out there......I know there is a fellow in Cambridge, ON that posts on the Board fairly regularly. He calls himself Royal Canadian. My DH and I bought into DVC in January. We will probably go in November to SSR. We were just at WDW over the Xmas holidays, great boss - I work for an MLA, nice holiday plan. My hubby is going to Whitehorse tomorrow to curl in the NWT/Yukon Men's curling playdowns. Whitehorse is absolutely gorgeous. I was there for the Arctic Winter Games in 2000 and I've been there for curling also.

Take care and feel free to email me @ pdelorey@ssimicro.com
See ya!

 

[Dean]

Actually, you have a unique opportunity. If you are anticapating much trading, I wouldn't buy or would buy less points. DVC only makes sense to buy for DVC stays.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

Originally posted by northerngirl
Hi Maggieofar,

Good to know there are some other Canucks out there......I know there is a fellow in Cambridge, ON that posts on the Board fairly regularly. He calls himself Royal Canadian.

Present and accounted for!!!

 

[northerngirl]

Hello Royal Canadian,

I see your dates for visit to UK and then to SSR. Ours are reversed. We are going to SSR in November and then to UK (Margate, Kent) to visit beloved Dad & Nan in Sept. 2005. I was born in Margate but raised in Toronto. Dad moved back to the UK 13 years ago, missed it too much. DH and I got married in August 2003 in Margate.

I do go on & now everyone knows my life history...however, just had to share that.......

Good day to you & yours!!

Northern Girl

 

[maggieofar]

Good morning!
Good luck to your DH northerngirl!! We have a Bonspiel the first full weekend in March (this year's a biggie-the 50th annual) so I may end up curling in that...not much of a curler really though. I fling rocks and hope for the best - DH is alot better than me. I was raised in Vancouver and not much curling there but DH was born and raised here in the Yukon so he's been into it for years. I was imported to the Yukon in 1989(came to work for the summer-fell in love with the place and stayed.One of the many!!)

I'm lucky in the fact that I'm off work from Oct to end of April-I work for the dept of Tourism so not much going on for me then-so we are very flexible in regards to time frame for travel-Personally I would love to go back to the WDW every year but there's also so many other places I would like to go too. Checked out the concierge collection and it is kind of pricey point wise, although some of them would make a lovely short getaway.Not to anywhere that's got snow though!!!!!
I'm leaning towards holding off on DVC for now I've gotten to the point where i feel as if I'm trying to talk myself into it-the passport collection doesn't really sound that easy to do and that was one big selling feature for me. Although I would LOVE to go to WDW all the time. Was reading another discussion about this Comcast thing......some people sound nervous.
My mom always said...if in doubt,don't. But then I rationalise and say to myself..if we didn't go one year we could rent out the points to someone, Or if someone in the family wants to go we could let them use them. ACK! If I had the $ just laying around there would be no decision-I'd just do it!!
Better get another cup o coffee before my head explodes.

 

[northerngirl]

Hi Maggieofar,

I am like you on the curling....when I throw a rock it's kind of like I'm playing pool and say 'just a shot' and hope for the best!!

Whitehorse is absolutely gorgeous!! Is vancouver the closest maiin airport for you guys? Ours is Edmonton of course...that does mean an 11 hour drive though...you do get used to it!! I know a guy in Whitehorse who moved there from Yellowknife,. He manages/owns(?) the Microage store there? Last name is Hinchey. I know, proverbial need le in the haystack right? Sounds like you have the perfect job...off work all winter. DH works for GNWT RWED (Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development) here. They are responsible for tourism also. DH flew to Whitehorse a few years ago for work and a tourism lady there drove he and his co-worker over the Dempster to Inuvik I believe. He loved that!!

DVC works for us (I think) we just bought. I am with you on the World Passport. It sounds like you have to book two yrs in advance!