A few DVC questions

[21hearts]

Hello.

DH and I have briefly looked into DVC but it was a bit too high. Well DH is about to be promoted and get a hefty pay increase that would allow us to buy into DVC. I've been looking online & I'm trying to figure out if its the right fit for our family.

We want to do at least one 7/8 night vacations a year with maybe one or two weekend get always.

I know that the DVC runs off of points and you pay for each point but how many points would we have to buy & how much would it cost? I know it tends on what resorts but can someone give us some examples?

I called Disney and got in touch with someone who was suppose to be a DVC expert (his words not mine) but he just confused me even more. He kept saying he couldn't give me any numbers into I went in and signed papers and stuff.. Well why would I want to buy into it not knowing much I'd be spending each year????

Can anyone help? I hope this made sense.

 

[Presley]

The value of the points change quite a bit at different times of the year. So, you would need to know what weeks you are more likely to use it. Also, Friday and Saturday night stays require more points than Sunday -Thursday.

For example, a one week stay at Disney's Beach Club Villas in the month of January for a one bedroom will use 197 points. That same room in the last week of December would use 362 points.

If you do go in and sit down with one of their salespeople, they can show you point charts and you can estimate how many points you will need.

If you are seriously only going to use your points for DVC resorts, you can save thousands of dollar buying resale. The sponsor if this forum, The Timeshare Store will educate you as well or better than the Disney salespeople about what you are buying and how to use it.

 

[CruznLexi]

Almost 3 years ago hubby and I bought DVC into KV for a small contract during our Aniv month which is Oct we can stay for more than week in a studio. Plus we have family in VA so this summer will go to HH on cash. We just added 35 points at HH.

 

[hbg4]

I believe your requirements are very vague, so it would be difficult to calculate the number of DVC points you will need.

I suggest that you find the DVC points chart at the link on top of the page. Choose the most common week and the two weekends in the year that you are most likely to travel. Choose the size accommodation you would prefer to stay in. Select the resort that uses the least amount of points for that time such as the Animal Kingdom Lodge value accommodation and the one that will use the most points such as Bay Lake Towers Magic Kingdom view. Use the points chart to calculate the minimum and maximum number of points you will need for each resort.
Or just pick the resort that you are able to purchase and calcualte the number of points needed for that particular resort.

 

[Kidanifan08]

If you go to the Timeshare Store website, they have the points charts for the various resorts. You can get a sense of how many points you need by looking at those charts and figuring out when you would usually travel. You also need to decide what size room you would like. The lowest point cost rooms at any of the resorts are studios. You can get a sense of what it would cost by looking at the resales. DVCnews.com has information about the current offers if buying direct from DVC.

It is a little hard to chose a home resort sight unseen, but is seems that there are people who do that. Whatever you choose as your home resort becomes your home court advantage for booking ahead of all the other DVC members. You can book 11 months in advanced at your home resort, but only 7 months in advance at the other resorts. This advantage is important during the busier times of the year. It is helpful if you can book vacations that far in advance in order to increase your chances of getting the resort and room type that you want.

There is alot to learn. Read these boards and check out other "unofficial" Disney and DVC websites. Good luck and take your time! DVC membership is a long and expensive thing to get into, and you don't want to have buyers remorse about something like this.

 

[Dean]

We want to do at least one 7/8 night vacations a year with maybe one or two weekend get always.

Are you only looking to go to DVC resorts? DVC would be a poor choice for non Disney options.

 

[Sandisw]

I think the first place to start is to learn about the DVC resorts and which one you might like to buy so it can become your home resort.

As you mentioned, this can play a role in price. Once you have an idea, then certainly check in to the resale market as you can get a lot more points for the same amount as Disney.

For example, SSR is selling via Disney for $99/pt and you can probably get it resale in the $50's. Now, you can't use resale points for the Disney collection (cruise, non-Disney DVC resorts, Adventures by Disney) but not sure those options would be worth paying a premium to buy via Disney.

Without knowing your family size, it is hard to tell how many points you will need. But there is a link to the points chart above to get an idea.

Good luck!

 

[21hearts]

Thank you for the information. I was able to find the point chart to get an idea of how many points a week would be. We usually go in February and I looked and it the point value didn't seem to bad. The hotels are all so beautiful that its going to be hard to pick just one. DH really likes Old Key West & Bay Lake Towers.

We're going on a December trip this year to celebrate our sons birthday & DH's promotion so when we go I think we may ask my parents to watch the kids for us so we can get some information. Thank you for all of the replies.

 

[crisi]

If you are going to be using DVC to stay in DVC resorts, buy resale. There are a LOT of great deals out there resale right now. The reasons not to buy resale is if you are time constrained (you need to make a reservation quickly) or if you want to use your points to stay at non-DVC Disney hotels and Disney Cruise Line and ABD (I think). Most of us here don't think those are good use of points anyway.

Start smallish and put off the need to add more points immediately. If you say "this is great, lets get enough points to go twice a year" or "lets add on so we can take grandma" you'll end up over the long haul with probably more points than you really want when your kids are teenagers and want to spend their vacation in Mexico and not go to Disney. You can always supplement with cash stays or a few nights at Universal.

 

[Crystal_27]

You'll want to really study the point charts for each resort and get a feel for how many points a "typical" vacation would cost you. A standard studio from resort to resort can vary hundreds of points based on when you stay, where you stay, and even what view you opt for and, of course, if you need larger accommodations you'll have to factor that in as well. I would also recommend buying about 10% more points than you think you'll need to account for point shifts. And, of course, you'll have to decide whether you want to buy resale (and save money but have limits to your points usage) or buy through Disney (and spend more). It sounds like a lot of research, but you'll be really glad that you undertook the effort. Good luck!

 

[chalee94]

We're going on a December trip this year...we may ask my parents to watch the kids for us so we can get some information.

remember that a "DVC guide" is disney-speak for a salesperson, they will put a positive spin on things and usually leave out the negative.

definitely stick around the DIS and read through some current and older threads that look interesting to see what gripes or compliments from current members about the DVC might apply to your situation. and keep asking questions.

be aware that if you want to stay primarily at BLT, you would probably be better off buying at BLT and booking 10-11 months out. OKW is a larger resort and can often be booked at 7 months out (not counting the grand villas which are a great value for the size). depending on your ages, you should know that BLT contracts expire in 2060 while many OKW contracts expire in 2042 (some OKW contracts have been extended until 2057 including all OKW contracts purchased directly).

you may also want to check out the DVC Resource Center for more information...