just bought into the DVC lots of questions

[Sammie]

The OP has not done their due diligence on this purchase. The only good advice is to cancel and take the time to learn about it. No one is saying they should never buy into DVC. I have no problem with them buying direct if that is what they want. But what if it turns out the VGF is their favorite and they can rarely get in there owning at PVB?

As the OP had not come back, we don't know yet if they were frightened off. I know all of you mean well but to someone new it can be somewhat intimating. And yet again just the like the Using DVC Points Outside of DVC thread, we are never going to agree what is a good financial choice. To me even discussing DVC and good financial choices in the same sentence is an oxymoron.

 

[DisDadDVC]

As the OP had not come back, we don't know yet if they were frightened off. I know all of you mean well but to someone new it can be somewhat intimating. And yet again just the like the Using DVC Points Outside of DVC thread, we are never going to agree what is a good financial choice. To me even discussing DVC and good financial choices in the same sentence is an oxymoron.

Good, it should be intimidating. Spending $10-20k on something you don't understand should not be an easy thing. Again, no one is debating the financial sense of this. To buy into DVC, you must understand how the system works. Home resort advantage, banking and borrowing, etc. The op clearly does not have a strong enough understanding yet. All we are saying is that they should take their time and educate themselves on their potential purpose. Then once they how some more knowledge, they can make an educated purchase. Be it resale at BCV or direct at PVB.

And yes, I do think DVC can make good financial sense for some...

 

[hayesdvc]

To OP. Once I found this site which has not only an endless knowledge of static information posted, but all the various opinions. I read and read, I have posted and posted, found "my perfect" contract, made my initial resale offer (taken by Disney the first time in the ROFR), to my surprise found another perfect contract (lol) and hopefully will have points in my DVC account by month's end. I hope none of the seasoned veterans have gotten tired of my post because I simply want to be a sponge to learn as much as possible from those that have first hand experience. You do not have to know everything about something to know some things about something. It does take time to learn and that is what I tried to do prior to making my initial offer. Like many people, my family are Disney nuts. If I have learn nothing else, I have learned this is not enough to buy DVC. Being in WDW is great and wonderful, but the MF comes every month (if you pay them that way) whether you are at WDW or not and when your not there do you think what else could the money been applied in your life that was spent for DVC. I bought at SSR. The way I am looking at the purchase is I am making a commitment to 2054. Good Luck to however you decide to go.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

As the OP had not come back, we don't know yet if they were frightened off. I know all of you mean well but to someone new it can be somewhat intimating. And yet again just the like the Using DVC Points Outside of DVC thread, we are never going to agree what is a good financial choice. To me even discussing DVC and good financial choices in the same sentence is an oxymoron.

Thank you Sammie. That's what I was saying, and yes I stick to my original choice of words to some of you - DOWNERS.

As Sammie said, coming in as a new DVC member and reading your posts, I would be scared off. I would be upset and doubting and thinking I did the wrong thing. In fact, I am glad I didn't log into these boards until I had been a member for many years. Because you see - you would have told me I did a bad thing. BUT I DIDN'T. I maintain that purchasing DVC was one of my best choices I ever made. I am not sure my accountant always agrees with that assertion (lol), BUT he always supports me in that I made it whether or not he thinks it was the best financial move I ever did. And he has never told me that I should go back and bail out - even right after I did it. Or after I expanded that purchase later on.

Chances are the OP is never coming back to these boards again. That's a shame. And I still think you all should reconsider how you greet people. These people love Disney. They are excited about their purchase, and for most, I think the purchase is exciting. I know I was excited. When I come to a Disney place to talk about how I just joined the club, what I want to hear is pats on the back, welcome into the crowd and to get all excited about the NEW possibilities that are now open to me! I want people to tell me WELCOME HOME! Because hopefully they are Disney fans too!

What I don't want to hear is a room full of people saying "WOW did you screw up buddy! Turn around and try to get your money back!".

So yes - I stick to my original post. Your downers, and frankly you should be ashamed.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Thank you Sammie. That's what I was saying, and yes I stick to my original choice of words to some of you - DOWNERS.

As Sammie said, coming in as a new DVC member and reading your posts, I would be scared off. I would be upset and doubting and thinking I did the wrong thing. In fact, I am glad I didn't log into these boards until I had been a member for many years. Because you see - you would have told me I did a bad thing. BUT I DIDN'T. I maintain that purchasing DVC was one of my best choices I ever made. I am not sure my accountant always agrees with that assertion (lol), BUT he always supports me in that I made it whether or not he thinks it was the best financial move I ever did. And he has never told me that I should go back and bail out - even right after I did it. Or after I expanded that purchase later on.

Chances are the OP is never coming back to these boards again. That's a shame. And I still think you all should reconsider how you greet people. These people love Disney. They are excited about their purchase, and for most, I think the purchase is exciting. I know I was excited. When I come to a Disney place to talk about how I just joined the club, what I want to hear is pats on the back, welcome into the crowd and to get all excited about the NEW possibilities that are now open to me! I want people to tell me WELCOME HOME! Because hopefully they are Disney fans too!

What I don't want to hear is a room full of people saying "WOW did you screw up buddy! Turn around and try to get your money back!".

So yes - I stick to my original post. Your downers, and frankly you should be ashamed.

And yet you seem to forget that we all are DVC owners too. If we thought what you are reading into the responses then we'd have sold and not be here.

When someone comes here with "Hi, we bought" and nothing else I will sometimes do just what you state - welcome and congrats. Sometimes I just skip the post because there will be other welcomes and congrats.

But if there is a post from someone asking really basic questions - and has obviously been told some incorrect information from a guide one it's hardly terrible to assume they may have been told other incorrect things or been sold on the emotion of the moment.

 

[Sammie]

I just think there needs to be some balance in the presentation. You can give advice and there is a wealth of good advice on this forum without intimidation.

Regardless of whether the OP made a good choice or not, again it's his or her decision. If they ask for purchasing advise then by all means then share it.

If they ask how to plan a trip as the OP did, I am not sure telling them to get out of it as fast as possible is what they wanted to know.

And honestly it is up to them, to decide what they need or want to know. I think we all need to respect other's differences.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

And yet you seem to forget that we all are DVC owners too. If we thought what you are reading into the responses then we'd have sold and not be here.

When someone comes here with "Hi, we bought" and nothing else I will sometimes do just what you state - welcome and congrats. Sometimes I just skip the post because there will be other welcomes and congrats.

But if there is a post from someone asking really basic questions - and has obviously been told some incorrect information from a guide one it's hardly terrible to assume they may have been told other incorrect things or been sold on the emotion of the moment.

And that's what I am saying. You are DVC owners. I KNOW you love Disney. You are here - you are talking about it and you bought into DVC.

Show a little excitement!

When I first bought into DVC, I had basic questions to. That doesn't mean I was stupid and didn't understand what I bought into. But it does mean that the person I spoke with at DVC didn't answer all of my questions, and when I got home I was still left with questions and "how do I do this? I didn't think to ask that". In fact, I asked very few of the HOW questions when I purchased DVC. For the most part, I had been interested in it for years. i had heard several presentations. I knew I wanted it. The sales guy had an easy job - it wasn't a question to me of IF, but HOW MUCH. That didn't mean I went home knowing everything there was to know about how best to use my points or how to get on the website and see my options.

Heck, even that simple task can be hard now. It's changed quite a bit over the years as the website has improved over time.

So just because someone has a few basic questions, don't assume they didn't do their homework, shouldn't own DVC and isn't excited about their purchase.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

,,,,,,,

our guide told us for example if we want a 7 nite stay does it have to be sun through sat to get the weekly rate--..........

I just think there needs to be some balance in the presentation. You can give advice and there is a wealth of good advice on this forum without intimidation.

Regardless of whether the OP made a good choice or not, again it's his or her decision. If they ask for purchasing advise then by all means then share it.

If they ask how to plan a trip as the OP did, I am not sure telling them to get out of it as fast as possible is what they wanted to know.

And honestly it is up to them, to decide what they need or want to know. I think we all need to respect other's differences.

There's a bit more to it than that - they were given incorrect info. And who knows how much else of it was when it's something as simple as that.

 

[bumbershoot]

our guide told us for example if we want a 7 nite stay does it have to be sun through sat to get the weekly rate

I'm really disturbed by this. There is absolutely no need to book from Sunday through Saturday. You get the "weekly" rate booking one week. But there is no discounted weekly rate. Points are higher and points are lower through the week. Your week costs what the nights add up to.

You do not mention any real reason for delaying beyond March to make the reservation. That you are waiting for exact cruise dates is not a reason to delay. Take the best guess and reserve Poly becuase you can change or modify the reservation later without incurring any penalty.

YES.

please do not listen to some of the downers here.

We all bought DVC. We have info. We want to help.

How many of us knew much more than the OP when we bought.

I knew a ton more. I was on the Dis for 2 years before I bought in. I took a tour 1.5 years before we bought in. I read and read and read.

There was ONE misunderstanding I had, it was solely because of the funkiness with the first use of Bay Lake points, and DH had heard it correctly and I never even had to ask my guide or here.

I would be scared off.

That's you.

I would be upset and doubting and thinking I did the wrong thing.

But, um, I think that some here are hoping that the OP will feel that maybe they went about this the wrong way.

We don't KNOW if the OP really really wants to have Poly. We know that for at least one vacation they do. Is that all? Do they really love OKW? We don't know. If they really love OKW, how would they feel 3 years into this to find out that we could have said "hey, rescind Poly now, buy OKW resale and you'll have a gabillion MORE points to vacation with for the SAME money"? That would make me feel far worse than what's being said here.

I think it's weird to continually be told that they are their points. Yes, we know that. Why would you think we don't?

Here's my situation.

We bought in '09.*
We bought direct.
We financed.
We haven't yet paid it off, though I had every intention to do it FAST, because life getting in the way.
Do you want me to sit and add it all up, all that interest that we've paid? I could do that. Think THAT would scare the OP, assuming he financed? (and let's face it, he probably did) And rightfully so.
Oh and we bought Bay Lake. I'm finally staying there in 8 days. Turns out that we *love* OKW. We really like SSR. We have literally never walked in the door of Bay Lake; I have NO idea if I'll like it or not. Think it's a little painful to think about the premium we've paid by buying Bay Lake (and financing!) when we truly adore much much MUCH cheaper places?

Would I make the same choice if I had it to do over? HECK YES! It was the ONLY way we would have ever purchased DVC. We have had some good times, we have been able to treat our relatives to some nice stays.

Is it good that I went into this with wide open eyes? YES. We KNEW it was a stupid financial decision from the start. We made it anyway. We don't regret it. People here have said the same thing this whole time. Doesn't bother me. Shouldn't bother the OP. REALLY shouldn't bother you since you're not the OP. If you're making a ridiculous financial decision, at least do it KNOWING that you're doing that. Or maybe it isn't ridiculous. Maybe Poly truly is the only DVC they'll ever want to stay at. If so, this might be the best! But we don't know what the OP's situation and feelings are.

Someday I will add up all the interest. That way I will have a true number to give people. THIS was our true cost vs this other amount that it could have been.

But if there is a post from someone asking really basic questions - and has obviously been told some incorrect information from a guide one it's hardly terrible to assume they may have been told other incorrect things or been sold on the emotion of the moment.

YES. They are starting from a painful place of understanding. That guide is no guide. I wonder what other fluff they were told.



*a couple days post-rescission period, DH got notice of an impending layoff. THAT was a joy. DVC was a trial by fire, it showed us the razor wire we were walking in, financially. Our DVC purchase pulled our heads out from where they had been, and we are better off for it. That is worth the interest (though it's getting old LOL) we've paid (she says lightly, never having added it all up). But the likelihood of that perfect storm happening for another person is unlikely.

 

[Lorilais_mommie]

To OP I would do some more research here on the boards..
Especially if you are within that 10 window.
Since your trip is far enough out.. I would spend the next month getting to know the ins and outs of DVC.

A LOT of the information disney guides hit you with that can be highly misinterpreted..
There are many posts of people who bought while on vacation and have been VERY VERY displeased to find it is not what they thought they were buying.

I also bought our 1st contract straight from disney ( most people her recommand resale)
I don't regret buying our GF concract, if fact would do it again in a heart beat.
However we had been looking at DVC for 3 years, focusing our research over 6 months before we bought in.
Knowing EXACTLY what you have bought, will keep you happy with you choice for years to come.

>>>>>> Common things people misinterpreted about DVC:

-There are many DVC properties to choose from.. And ALL are avavblie!
Just because a DVC property says sold out, doesn't mean disney doesnt have points to sell.
I know for us poly would never fit our needs.. But that is personal choice.

-Disney is better than resale or visa versa.. This is the most debated thing here on these boards..
I find It depends on who is buying, what resort, and how they wish to use those points.
we did not want to do resale our GF contract, but we bought AKL resale a few months later! The variables to buy on the resale or not could go on forever..

-Discounts on tickets, food, or other items..
While DVC has offered small discounts in the past.. They are not guaranteed and can be taken away at anytime.


Hope some of this helps.

 

[supersnoop]

And that's what I am saying. You are DVC owners. I KNOW you love Disney. You are here - you are talking about it and you bought into DVC.

Show a little excitement!

When I first bought into DVC, I had basic questions to. That doesn't mean I was stupid and didn't understand what I bought into. But it does mean that the person I spoke with at DVC didn't answer all of my questions, and when I got home I was still left with questions and "how do I do this? I didn't think to ask that". In fact, I asked very few of the HOW questions when I purchased DVC. For the most part, I had been interested in it for years. i had heard several presentations. I knew I wanted it. The sales guy had an easy job - it wasn't a question to me of IF, but HOW MUCH. That didn't mean I went home knowing everything there was to know about how best to use my points or how to get on the website and see my options.

Heck, even that simple task can be hard now. It's changed quite a bit over the years as the website has improved over time.

So just because someone has a few basic questions, don't assume they didn't do their homework, shouldn't own DVC and isn't excited about their purchase.

If someone posted "I just threw $10,000 into a wood chipper," I'd tell them to turn off the wood chipper. Even though I love my wood chipper.

 

[Lynne M]

Show a little excitement!

If I think someone missed out on saving a whole lot of money on their purchase, or bought something that might be a poor fit for them, potentially costing them a lot of money if they wait too long to get out of the deal, I wouldn't be excited for them. And if I knew of a way to save them money, I'd feel honor-bound to speak up and let them know. We've had so many people come here over the years and express unhappiness because they didn't have important information when they bought, or thought DVC worked differently than it does.

Look at it this way. If this were a message board about, say, mortgages, and had a lot of members that knew a lot about mortgages, and knew there there were pitfalls that could cost you a boatload of money, and tips that could save you a lot of money, would it be a 'downer' to tell new visitors to the board that they might want to hold off on signing the mortgage papers until they learned those pitfalls and tips?

DVC is just a different way of paying for resort stays. It's not a good deal for everyone, and there are mistakes you can make in the purchase process that can be expensive. Very. No one is saying the OP is stupid. They themselves say they're in need of more information. It's not unreasonable to advise that they hold off on the purchase until they know more.

 

[Sammie]

our guide told us for example if we want a 7 nite stay does it have to be sun through sat to get the weekly rate

Without the OP coming back I think it is a stretch to assume the guide gave them misinformation on this as it does not make complete sense to me as written. I think we would need further clarification to know for sure.

Does the fixed week option at the Polynesian have to be Sun through Sat?

I just think it would be nice especially for new people to the forum to answer their actual questions, offer to help if they need more and let it go at that and not hit them over the head with unasked for advice. I am sorry but it comes off as very in your face pushy to me. If I was new I wouldn't have returned either.

 

[Sammie]

If I think someone missed out on saving a whole lot of money on their purchase, or bought something that might be a poor fit for them, potentially costing them a lot of money if they wait too long to get out of the deal, I wouldn't be excited for them. And if I knew of a way to save them money, I'd feel honor-bound to speak up and let them know. We've had so many people come here over the years and express unhappiness because they didn't have important information when they bought, or thought DVC worked differently than it does.

Look at it this way. If this were a message board about, say, mortgages, and had a lot of members that knew a lot about mortgages, and knew there there were pitfalls that could cost you a boatload of money, and tips that could save you a lot of money, would it be a 'downer' to tell new visitors to the board that they might want to hold off on signing the mortgage papers until they learned those pitfalls and tips?

DVC is just a different way of paying for resort stays. It's not a good deal for everyone, and there are mistakes you can make in the purchase process that can be expensive. Very. No one is saying the OP is stupid. They themselves say they're in need of more information. It's not unreasonable to advise that they hold off on the purchase until they know more.

If the OP had posted to the board Purchasing DVC, I would agree. However they came to the resorts forums asking questions about planning a trip to the Polynesian.

I just think it is nice to try and answer actual questions instead of assuming they need help in other areas. We are all adults or should be and I am sure the OP is capable of asking the question he or she needed help with. Sadly I don't think they will be back.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

If I think someone missed out on saving a whole lot of money on their purchase, or bought something that might be a poor fit for them, potentially costing them a lot of money if they wait too long to get out of the deal, I wouldn't be excited for them. And if I knew of a way to save them money, I'd feel honor-bound to speak up and let them know. We've had so many people come here over the years and express unhappiness because they didn't have important information when they bought, or thought DVC worked differently than it does.

Look at it this way. If this were a message board about, say, mortgages, and had a lot of members that knew a lot about mortgages, and knew there there were pitfalls that could cost you a boatload of money, and tips that could save you a lot of money, would it be a 'downer' to tell new visitors to the board that they might want to hold off on signing the mortgage papers until they learned those pitfalls and tips?

DVC is just a different way of paying for resort stays. It's not a good deal for everyone, and there are mistakes you can make in the purchase process that can be expensive. Very. No one is saying the OP is stupid. They themselves say they're in need of more information. It's not unreasonable to advise that they hold off on the purchase until they know more.

Thats not a fair comparison. The OP did not post to the purchase DVC boards. Nor did they come here and ask if DVC was right for them. It's not like a mortgage board where they came on and said "should I get a 15 or 30 year?". If they were asking which resort to purchase or if they should finance on the purchasing board, I would agree 100% with you that maybe they need more research.

In this case, an example is like the OP came to a car board to talk about their new car they are excited about and were asking some questions like how often to change the oil or how to use the radio, and immediately people on here responded with "You don't know enough about owning cars! Return your car for a refund immediately and wipe that silly smile off your face".

Personally, I happen to love DVC. If someone comes to me excited about being a part of the Disney world, I get excited telling them all about it and I am happy to share my knowledge of how to effectively use it - tips and tricks I have learned over the years - what the OP was actually asking for. I don't tell them to stop smiling because they made a stupid decision and make them feel alone, dejected and hurt. Now if they came to me and said they just purchased DVC but they are not sure if it was the right move for them and can I tell them more about how it works.... WELL, That's a horse of a different color, isn;t it?

So i say again - as a DVC owner, stock owner, Castaway Club member, and overall Disney fan - I am ashamed of the ambassadorship that we demonstrated in this thread.

 

[beer dave]

Technically, if you are booking 6 nights, sunday through saturday is cheaper than any other booking. you save points by not booking 2 weekend nights....I think the confusion stems from mixing a 7 night stay with a 7 day stay......because sunday through saturday implies a 6 night stay.

 

[pangyal]

http://www.disboards.com/threads/just-bought-into-the-dvc-and-a-few-questions.3482682/

I think people read too much into message board movement sometimes. Looks like OP simply found a more appropriate area to post questions (mousellaneous forum instead of resorts).

 

[Sammie]

http://www.disboards.com/threads/just-bought-into-the-dvc-and-a-few-questions.3482682/

I think people read too much into message board movement sometimes. Looks like OP simply found a more appropriate area to post questions (mousellaneous forum instead of resorts).

I think the OP came and read and regrouped. which I don't blame them.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I would have too. It's a shame - there are smart experienced people here with a lot of good useful information to share. But I think they have become jaded. I wish those people would regroup and take a break from responding to posts as they are causing more harm than help. Come back after a break with more willingness to be helpful.

 

[bumbershoot]

I think the OP came and read and regrouped. which I don't blame them.

Alternatively he forgot that this was posted.