A couple of questions before we buy...

[Mickey6]

I have been looking into buying a resale contract for about a year now, maybe you can help me decide. Our family of 4 are all Disney nuts, we have stayed at POR almost every year for the past 10 years, and have no intention of slowing down, in fact my husband and I intend to travel without the kids if they ever do outgrow it. I book and plan all of my trips a year in advance. We can afford to pay cash for a small resale 125-150 points. So if we want to travel in late August or mid December, what use year would be good for us? We love POR, are there any DVC resorts with that type of theming or close to it, and how would a DVC studio compare with a moderate (we have never stayed deluxe)? Finally, since we normally stay at less busy times, will it be worth it to purchase? For some reason, I sort of feel that if we do buy it will be like owning a little bit of Disney, is that just weird? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Deb & Bill]

I have been looking into buying a resale contract for about a year now, maybe you can help me decide. Our family of 4 are all Disney nuts, we have stayed at POR almost every year for the past 10 years, and have no intention of slowing down, in fact my husband and I intend to travel without the kids if they ever do outgrow it. I book and plan all of my trips a year in advance. We can afford to pay cash for a small resale 125-150 points. So if we want to travel in late August or mid December, what use year would be good for us? We love POR, are there any DVC resorts with that type of theming or close to it, and how would a DVC studio compare with a moderate (we have never stayed deluxe)? Finally, since we normally stay at less busy times, will it be worth it to purchase? For some reason, I sort of feel that if we do buy it will be like owning a little bit of Disney, is that just weird? Thanks in advance for your help!

I like POR, too, and we just stayed there for the first time last January. My guess is that OKW or SSR might be somewhat close to POR with the multiple building and centrally located themed pool and dining.

You want to pick a UY that is either right before you usually book (Like June for August trips) or even the month you like to travel. That would allow you to cancel and rebook if you needed to and still be able to use the points. You just wouldn't want a UY that starts right after you normally go.

We have a Sept and Dec UY, and we used to go mainly in May/June and have never had a problem with needing to cancel and rebook. Now we love October (with F&W).

Just for information, DVC busy times don't always align with WDW busy times. For example, the first week of December is the most requested week for DVC members, followed by Christmas, Thanksgiving and the second week of December. And from late-September through mid-January is the busiest quarter for members.

OKW studios are larger than moderate hotel rooms and they also have two queen sized beds. The bathrooms are very large with everything, including the sink all in one room. No sink outside the tub/toilet room.

SSR studios have one queen bed and one double sleeper sofa (similar to most of the other studios, except for GFV). They do have the sink outside the tub/toilet room with a small kitchenette opposite (microwave, toaster, coffee pot-basket filter not pods, undercounter refrigerator).

 

[chalee94]

So if we want to travel in late August or mid December, what use year would be good for us?

ideally, you want a UY right before you travel. you never want to travel in the last 3 months of your UY. so for aug and dec trips, a jun or aug UY work fine. some of it depends on when you would absolutely never travel (i hate summer in orlando so an oct UY works great for me - i'll never want to go in july/aug/sept.)

remember that UY has nothing at all to do with booking a reservation. it's when you "use" the pts for a stay.

We love POR, are there any DVC resorts with that type of theming or close to it, and how would a DVC studio compare with a moderate (we have never stayed deluxe)? Finally, since we normally stay at less busy times, will it be worth it to purchase?

not sure. OKW and SSR are pretty spread out resorts and similar in some senses. OKW would be my first recommendation (partly due to 2 queen beds in the studios) but take some time and look at all the DVC resorts (go to allears for more details or look at the pictures on the DIS resorts forum...or visit in person if you get a chance). they all have different annual dues rates and many of them expire at different points (which may matter depending on your age). don't rush in - take your time and DVC contracts will still be available when you are ready.

if you go every year or so anyway, it's probably worth buying in. if you were happy staying at value resorts or offsite, i'd tell you not to bother with DVC. if you prefer moderates/deluxes, it's worth taking the time to investigate.

For some reason, I sort of feel that if we do buy it will be like owning a little bit of Disney, is that just weird?

disney has been sending me a monthly bill for my piece of the magic for years... but yeah, i have to admit there is a nice feeling associated with it. it's nice to know i'll be going back soon...

 

[drusba]

Favored use year is one that starts shortly before you usually go. Worst use year is one that ends within three to four months of when you usually go. What use year you have is irrelevant to when you can go (any time of year) or when you can call to reserve (always 11 months out at home resort, 7 at others). Its importance has to do with what happens if you have to cancel a reservation and its impact on banking points. Since points must be banked before end of eighth month of use year to be usable in the next use year, that is why having a use year that ends shortly after your usual travel time is not a good use year and one that begins shortly before your usual travel time is when considering the issue of possibly having to cancel and then being able to bank points that were in the reservation.

Thus, your ideal use year would be August if intent is to go in August or Dec. June would be second choice and even April would be OK (there are no July or May use years).

There is no DVC resort that looks like Port Orleans and I cannot think of what would even be similar.

The typical Port Orleans room is 315 sq ft. Most DVC studios are in the 360 range. OKW and VGF are larger than that, BLT is about 340, and the value class studios (only a small number of rooms) at AKV are in that 315 range. The biggest differences you will find, other than size are: (a) studios have a queen bed and a pull out couch (double in most, queen in VGF) rather than two beds, except for OKW which has two queens; (b) you get a mini kitchen with a microwave, coffee maker, and small refrig, and (c) you don't get daily housekeeping service (fourth day they empty trash, change towels, and replenish toiletries).

You mention going August and Dec as off-seasons. Be aware off-season for DVC demand and Disney demand are very different things. Aug is a low to mederate DVC demand time but the time from end of Sep through marathon weekend in Jan is by far DVC's highest demand quarter of the year and Dec is the highest demand month with first week of Dec being the highest demand week and second week of Dec being the third highest.


As to whether DVC is something to choose, the answer is probably yes if you have the ability to pay cash for a resale, go every year, and want to move up to more deluxe resorts. Nevertheless, from a financial aspect, the answer may be closer to no or 50/50 if you are perfectly happy with a moderate resort and don't want to move up. With DVC you have the initial price that gets the room every year. You also have annual dues that can and usually do rise a little every year, Dues cover the costs of the operations and repairs of the resort, property taxes, insurance, etc and are generally set at a rate equalling costs but costs increase annually (labor is the highest cost factor overall covered by dues and people do get raises now and then). In the long run the combination of the price of points and dues paid over the years is likely going to be comparable to or even somewhat more than what you would pay every year for Port Orleans. Where the finances favor DVC is usually if your intent is to otherwise stay at deluxe resorts every year.

 

[disneynutz]

I have been looking into buying a resale contract for about a year now, maybe you can help me decide. Our family of 4 are all Disney nuts, we have stayed at POR almost every year for the past 10 years, and have no intention of slowing down, in fact my husband and I intend to travel without the kids if they ever do outgrow it. I book and plan all of my trips a year in advance. We can afford to pay cash for a small resale 125-150 points. So if we want to travel in late August or mid December, what use year would be good for us? We love POR, are there any DVC resorts with that type of theming or close to it, and how would a DVC studio compare with a moderate (we have never stayed deluxe)? Finally, since we normally stay at less busy times, will it be worth it to purchase? For some reason, I sort of feel that if we do buy it will be like owning a little bit of Disney, is that just weird? Thanks in advance for your help!

Before you spend your hard earned money, you need to check out and stay in the resorts yourself. Maybe on your next vacation you could do a split stay by renting points from a DVC owner.

Bill

 

[crisi]

If you've been getting deals like "free dining" you need to know that those deals are not available on points reservations - so if your POR trips (it really is a nice place, isn't it) are partially cost justified by discounts, that will impact all the break even information you see and hear (which generally assumes no discounts).