About to purchase... have a few questions

[eleven24]

Hello All... just returned from WDW with the family and we took the DVC tour. Even prior to going on the tour we were already planning on purchasing since we have family who are already members - we just wanted the instant fast passes & a chance to get out of the COLD Florida air.

So we put the $500 deposit down on 160 points at SSR only so I could come home and do a little research - which is how I found this site. I do have a few questions which I'm hoping some of the more experienced DVC members can help me with.

Vacation wise we (family of 3, hoping for more) would like to go somewhere every 18-24 months, which will usually be during the higher volume seasons since my wife is a teacher. We would also like to take grandparents along every other year or so.

I'm now trying to figure out how many points. I don't think 160 would be enough considering we would like to take grandparents along. 200 is where I'm at now, but am considering 225 simply because we are being offered an additional 160 bonus points since a family member is already a DVC member. Our guide also gave us the usual Disney $10 per point credit toward a D/P with a dues charge of $4.12 per point - although I've seen that is a bit higher. We'd also be getting 2007's points along with 2008's points, so the 200 point purchase would leave us with 400 points in the bank whereas the 225 point purchase would leave us with 610 points in the bank (with the referral bonus).

So the question, or advice I need from some of you folks...

Is the 160 point bonus on the purchase of a 225point membership worth it? My cynical, Philadelphia born nature tells me there's a catch somewhere, but after doing the math I can't find it. All I find is that they're giving us a $2k or so free vacation. But I'll leave that to some more experienced DVC members. Is 225 points for a family of 3 wishing to travel every 18-24 months during the summer, spring-break, or christmas seasons overkill?

I can't help but think that I'm paying for tomorrow's vacation with today's dollars - so financially it isn't a bad move. I just don't want to be staring at expiring points.

Also, is there any other advice you may have in regards to the paperwork process? Such as things to look for... ask for... etc.

THANK YOU so much in advance for your help!

 

[TisBit]

I am not sure on the point values during these peak times, but remember with banking and borrowing you can make 160 points go further. It might be worth it to wait and see if you need to add on later. I am fine with 160, just started booking some vacations.

I would go on some of the point calculators and really see how many points you need for a sample vacation and see how it works out. Remember, by avoiding weekends, you can definitely make your points go further. Fly in Sunday and check out Friday or Saturday will save a lot of points compared to doing Sunday to Sunday!

If you are only taking parents every other trip (2-3 years) then you I would think you could get a week every year in a one bedroom for 160 pts. But someone who has been around longer might have better ideas.

 

[CarolAnnC]

Honestly, I do not think 225 points for a family of 3 is overkill. You might want to review the current point costs for the weeks you anticipate traveling and for the unit type you are considering.

One can never be too thin, nor have enough DVC points, lol.

I started with 270 points for a family of 4. I now have 1020 points. So you will develop add-on-itis soon enough!

I think you would find eventually that a vacation every 18-24 months is not enough. Remember, you can use your DVC points for vacations other than WDW. This past summer we took our family on the Disney Mediterranean Cruise. Ten days in ports such as Barcelona, Monte Carlo and Rome. It was a trip we never could have afforded had we been paying cash.

Anyway, I am sure some others will chime in here soon enough! Good luck!

 

[SSRFred]

The developer points have some restrictions (7 month, can't bank) so the market 'value' puts them somewhere between you MF cost and the rental cost for point. This is just my opinion, so I'd put the value somewhere between $700 and $1500.
As for how many points, you should look at the points charts and plan out the next few vacations. Remember you will have 2007 banked which must be used in the 2008-2009 year. Factor in new points every use year (probably October).
Since you say you want to go every 18-24 months, I would initially suggest to take the minimum contract (160).

 

[DougandBeth]

Eleven let me give you my story and this may help

We bought 200 points in November of 2006 at SSR and here is what we have been able to do with it do far and if you play your cards right you can make 200 points a very long time:

We stayed at SSR in February of 2007 for 5 nights.

We then stayed at OKW in July of 2007 for 5 nights and brought another couple and their kids so we got two rooms.

We then stayed at BCV for 4 nights in November of 2007.

We are going to AKV in April for 5 nights

We are going to BCV again and taking the grandparents so we will have two rooms.

We have done all of this on only our 07 and borrowed 145 points from 2008.

I know how to work this system

 

[JimMIA]

Eleven let me give you my story and this may help

We bought 200 points in November of 2006 at SSR and here is what we have been able to do with it do far and if you play your cards right you can make 200 points a very long time:

We stayed at SSR in February of 2007 for 5 nights.

We then stayed at OKW in July of 2007 for 5 nights and brought another couple and their kids so we got two rooms.

We then stayed at BCV for 4 nights in November of 2007.

We are going to AKV in April for 5 nights

We are going to BCV again and taking the grandparents so we will have two rooms.

We have done all of this on only our 07 and borrowed 145 points from 2008.

I know how to work this system

I was hoping someone would make this point! Carol is right; you can't really have too many points. But you can also really stretch your points, depending on what kind of accommodations you choose and how long you stay each time. It's not just how often you visit, but also how long you stay.

The reason for that is -- if you click on the DVC Point Charts at the top of the page -- weekend (Friday and Saturday) points costs are roughly double the costs for Sunday-Thursday. DougandBeth are probably doing what we do -- staying Sun-Thurs (5 nights) for most trips. To the degree you can avoid Fri/Sat stays, you can really make your points go a LONG way.

Another thing not to miss. If you buy 200 points and get both '07 and '08 points, you can bank the 2007 points into '08. You didn't tell us what Use Year you're getting, but let's assume you get an October UY (because that's mine and I'm familiar with it). Your banked 2007 points would have to be used by 9/30/2009, so they could easily cover a trip 18 months from now...if you wait that long.

Often, when we consider banking, we think of it as a one-time event and don't think beyond that next UY. But that's not reality. The reality is those points continue to roll over into subsequent years with additional banking. In the example above, at any time between 10/1/2008 and 5/30/2009, you could bank up to all 200 of your 2008 points into 2009.

Just to give you a real-world example, when we bought (resale), we got 149 banked points. That was four UY's ago, and we still have not used up all those points. We obviously used the banked points, but that use allowed us to bank current year points each year and we just roll from one to the other.

I'd offer several suggestions:

1. Go to the point charts above and compute the points costs for several vacations you think you might take. Calculate the points both for studio and one-bedroom units.
2. Then, plug in the 160-200 banked points, and see how those point levels would work for the next 3-4 years...going once a year (because you will).
3. Then buy the minimum amount you can get by with. You can always stretch your points more than you think, and you can always add on later in increments as small as 25 points (50 if you finance).

 

[OlderMan]

Speaking personally, when we bought in (no kids) we bought 220 points. Less than a year later, we added 50 points (before a price increase).

Now, our two DD's--who are now 9 and (almost) 11--don't like sharing the pull-out couch so we're getting 2 BR's. In (almost) peak season, a 2 BR costs almost 300 Points at OKW. So we're thinking about adding on again.

FWIW....

 

[JimMIA]

In (almost) peak season, a 2 BR costs almost 300 Points at OKW.

FWIW....

True, and if OP were going to be staying for 7 consecutive days in a two bedroom, those points costs would be accurate.

However, using summer dates (still Magic Season, the second highest) and either a studio or one bedroom, the numbers look very different:

7 nights, including a Friday and Saturday night:
Studio = 109 to 134 points, depending on resort
1 BR = 218 to 270 points, depending on resort

5 nights, Sunday through Thursday
Studio = 55 -70 points, depending on resort
1 BR = 110-150 points, depending on resort

Throw a little banking and borrowing into the mix, and OP might be able to do just fine with 160-200...at least for a while. They really just need to look closely at all of the angles.

I'd much rather see them do what you and I both did -- start smaller and add on -- than to have them obligate themselves for more than they really need. They can always add on.

 

[White_Sox_Fan]

I would suggest that if you do decide to get the 225 points you break it up into two contracts. 160/65, 175/50 something like that. That way if you find you have too many points (not something too many people seem to have a problem with) you can sell off the smaller contract.

The only "catch" with the developer points is that they are subject to a 7mo booking window, must be used in a year and they cannot be banked.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[FARBRI]

I Am Going To Have To Agree With Doughandbeth, If You Know How To Work The Sytem You Can Make Your Points Go A Long Way. We Purchased 200 Points In Feb. 0f 2006 And It Has Worked Out Great For My Family Of 4

 

[JimMIA]

I would suggest that if you do decide to get the 225 points you break it up into two contracts. 160/65, 175/50 something like that. That way if you find you have too many points (not something too many people seem to have a problem with) you can sell off the smaller contract.

The only "catch" with the developer points is that they are subject to a 7mo booking window, must be used in a year and they cannot be banked.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Well...the other "catch" is that they're almost certainly going to take a loss selling the smaller contract.

Keep in mind that they're buying direct, so they're paying top dollar to start with. They're not going to be able to get $100+/point for a resale any year soon. They'll also have to pay a 10-12% resale commission, and possibly some other charges.

This is not the best exit strategy I've ever read...

 

[mikesmom]

We were a family of three and 225 points is not overkill.
- as the third person becomes a teenager, you will want the 1 bedroom instead of a Studio for the extra room, privacy and the fact that (even if you don't cook) that full refrigerator with snacks, ice cream, fruit, sodas, etc will save you a bundle on buying food for the teen eating machine. If you throw cooking breakfast and the occasional pizza into the mix, the savings are even greater
- as you take trips to WDW, you will find that your teen wants to bring along a buddy. Suddenly the 1 bedroom is a necessity and the 2 bedroom becomes very, very nice - that 2nd bathroom is a life saver
- you will find new Disney events you want to visit: maybe a quick trip down to the Flower fest if you are gardeners, a week at the Food & Wine Fest just for the grownups
- even as the third person leaves the nest, you may find just the 2 of you really enjoy DVC getaways (see note above on Food & Wine Fest)
- AND, you say you would like to have more children: those larger accomodations will be great.

As I said, we were three and we started with 200 points at BWV, we added 100 points because we were offered a good deal just before it sold out (and just after 9/11, which probably had something to do with it). We then added 150 points at resale at OKW in order to access the GVs for extended family gatherings.

 

[Anal Annie]

OP - IMO if your wife is a teacher and you're going to be primarily traveling at peak times then I really don't think 225 points is too many at all. We are also a family of 3 and we purchased 250 points in Dec. '06. I can tell you that we're out of points already and are back to booking cash ressies 'cuz I don't want to start borrowing already (I have other plans for '09 points!) Banking is one thing - I'm good with that one, but borrowing is another for me! But then again, that's why I'm Anal Annie! I just don't want to be in a constant state of borrowing!

A couple things to think about - yes, you can work the system - some people are very stingy with their points and won't use them for weekends - but when we take our summer vacation which we've waited all year for we like to go for a minimum of 7 n. - actually, we prefer 10 n. And I hate the thought of paying for airfare and not getting a full week out of it!! Although, we're doing it in January for 4 n...figured we'd have to try it once to see if we'd decide it was worth it to ever do it again!

Also, remember that some of these posters live within driving distance so a 4 or 5 n trip is quite feasible. But like for us, we won't waste a days vacation on travel time on either end to do the drive. So you also have to consider that too. Will you drive or fly and will you be happy with a 5 n trip VS a full week in order to save using weekend points? We will probably never go to WDW during Christmas week or Spring break for two reasons. One - the crowds and two, the points are out the roof! We WILL however almost always go during the summer months which are a peak time.

Have you studied the point charts much? According to your plan to take the Grandparents (I'm assuming 1 set at a time) every other yr, over a peak time such as spring break, a week at AKV in a "standard" view two bedroom unit would use 375 points and a "savanna" view would use 473 points... The same units in July would use 283 and 360 points respectively. (SSR would use 415 points for spring break and 316 for July for a 2 bedroom.)

DougandBeth did not specify the exact "seasons" they went only the months (Feb. could be "Dream" or it could be "Magic"), nor did they say what kind of units they rented - but studios will defintely spread your points further...At AKV you could rent (2) "std" studios over spring break for a mere 286 points which is a savings of 89 points over the 2 bedroom unit. But it would not be as easy to use for real meals etc. as it doesn't have a full kitchen - so again, think about how you plan to use the unit - if you want to eat in, then you'll want the full kitchen. Two "std" studios in the summer would use only 220 points - much more feasible if you only have 200 points! There are so-o many combinations. You really have to sort of plan out diff. scenarios to see what would work best for you.

It's a hard decision. Give the diff. scenarios some more thought, work out your own math and good luck!

 

[luvindisneyworld]

We are a single couple and we had 350 points we had 210 BCV and 140 VWL.
We used our points every year and if we were able to take other members of our family and friends that otherwise wold not be fortunate enough to go.
We rented out before and you will not have a problem with the 225.
We just sold our BCV contract because we are building a house and we made enough on the sale to pay off our VWL.I can tell you I am already itching to addon again,I need more points .

But if you can afford the 225 and get the referral from a DVC member and get the extra 160 I say go for it you will always find a way to use them believe me.I have always thought that it is always good to have a few to many as to not have enough.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

If you need a referral let me know.

 

[rsinj]

.

 

[erin.w]

Just so you know, the 160 developer points has dropped to 100 points as of yesterday, but you might be fine since you put down a $500 deposit.

 

[Jeremy&Susan]

I'll second or thrid what many have suggested already.

1. Figure out what resort you will most likely want to stay at. OKW least points, BW, BC, WL the most.

2. See when you will want to go. Sounds like you already have, and those times seem to be the most costly for points.

3. What size room will you need?

4. What is your normal length of trip and / or are you willing to do the Sunday through Saturday stay (save you many points)?

5. Calulate the points you will need and you will have your own answer.

Good Luck and feel free to add some specifics to the board if you are having a hard time figuring out the number of points needed or where to purchase those points from.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[eleven24]

Thanks to all for your great input!

One of the lessons learned from this past trip (just last week) is that the Disney Magical Express = captive consumer. This trip to WDW was our first time staying at a Disney resort, and while it was great we learned a very valuable lesson in food costs. While I expect it in the park, I did not expect it in the hotel, so we ended up paying a minimum of $30 for items such as 3 hot chocolates and 3 muffins, and then, well... you all know the dining costs.

Normally, when staying outside the Disney loop, we stock up on bottled water and grab a meal or two outside of the parks. We also have a rental car - which we didn't have this time with DME. Additionally, we always had an eat-in kitchen wherever we stayed, but this time we were in a studio.

Point being, we now know that when we go back it will be in, at the least, a 1BR with kitchen. Although we don't spend much time there, just having the option to get some groceries in will drastically cut down our food bill in the parks/resort. So... considering that our travel times are (unfortunately) higher volume times of year AND that we're minimally looking for a 1BR, I think 200 points is my minimum... although I'm still considering the 225 only because of the 160 bonus.

We also have to consider that we want to have another child, which hopefully happens soon... if not, there will be additional costs... no make that OUTRAGEOUS costs of IVF. (For those that don't know, let's just say that it could cost us at least $20k to just have the baby). So needless to say, I can't go too far out - and if we do have another child I may not be able to take advantage of the additional points anyway.

Which brings me to my next question.

Since we're getting 2007's points (dating to June 1st), does that mean that I would have to use them by June 2008? If I understand it correctly, I can only bank 1 year's worth of points. If we do not go on vacation in the next 6 months, or up until June of 2008, do I lose the 2007 points because I'd have to bank the 2008 points? (Hopefully I'm explaining myself here)

Lastly, we REALLY love AKL but the drawback is that it's out there. At least with SSR you can walk (or boat) over to Downtown Disney. At AKL you're just out there. Still, that being said I absolutely want to stay there quite a bit as it just looks amazing, and I'm considering buying into AKL over SSR... but I'm assuming that one little variable changes everything.

What I found confusing in our tour is that our guide showed us the demo rooms for AKL, but gave us all the pricing figures for SSR.

Anyway... thanks for the tremendous advice. You guys are awesome!

Now back to unpacking & cleaning up the Christmas mess we left prior to our trip.

 

[JimMIA]

One of the lessons learned from this past trip (just last week) is that the Disney Magical Express = captive consumer.

Right. That's the whole objective of DME and DDP...captive customer.

With the changes in DDP, I suspect many former onsite guests will move back offsite, and many of us who own DVC will either drive (as we do anyway) or rent a car. I haven't done the math, but I suspect you can rent a car and eat pretty well offsite for the same or less than DDP now. It's really not a big deal to drive 10 minutes to an offsite restaurant -- much easier than bussing to a meal onsite.

 

[eleven24]

Right. That's the whole objective of DME and DDP...captive customer.

With the changes in DDP, I suspect many former onsite guests will move back offsite, and many of us who own DVC will either drive (as we do anyway) or rent a car. I haven't done the math, but I suspect you can rent a car and eat pretty well offsite for the same or less than DDP now. It's really not a big deal to drive 10 minutes to an offsite restaurant -- much easier than bussing to a meal onsite.

Is it possible to use DME just to get your luggage to/from the hotel and airport, and then rent a car? The biggest benefit to me was not having to wait at the luggage carousel and then lug everything to a rental car. If I could use DME to get my luggage to the room I could then just go from the plane to the rental car.

Considering that we spent nearly $700 on food/drink items during our 5-night stay, I'd say renting a car would be worth it. Especially since it's not easy to find healthy eating options from Disney.