All About Fixed Weeks (RIV/CCV/AUL/VGF/POLY/TOWER/VHD/FWC Charts)

[Tatebeck]

But isn’t one of the benefits of a FW that it might sell better?

Wouldn’t smaller contracts sell better as well? Let’s go back to my example…if I buy 150 points as a 100 and 50, it’s costing me $250 extra

If I buy a FW contract for 150, I can only sell it as a FW contract?

Again, if one is never going to use it, then it makes no logical sense IMO to buy one. So, that is why no everyone gets them.

It doesn’t make sense for all situations.

Yeah, one of the benefits is that it might sell better in the future depending on the week or what Disney does in the future. But of course we don't know what will happen so it's just another option.

But if there is a fixed week available for around 150 points that either the member likes or it's during a notoriously difficult booking time, they can add that on for essentially free. And if you never end up using it, that's fine because it didn't cost anything up front, only if you end up using the FW.

Splitting that contract up into 2 or 3 smaller contracts does cost something up front, and that is lost if it didn't increase the value by at least as much as it cost by the time the contract is resold (plus inflation), or if it is never resold at all.

The only time it 100% makes sense NOT to buy a FW is if you want a very specific amount or a very small amount of points. The other times a FW vs splitting contracts is just an analysis between if you think you may sell the contract, if you may use the FW available, if booking that FW in the future may become a problem, if Disney will change the point seasons, etc. And that comparison will be different for everyone. Again, it's just another option. I personally just really like options so I did a bit of both.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

But isn’t one of the benefits of a FW that it might sell better?

Wouldn’t smaller contracts sell better as well? Let’s go back to my example…if I buy 150 points as a 100 and 50, it’s costing me $250 extra

If I buy a FW contract for 150, I can only sell it as a FW contract?

Again, if one is never going to use it, then it makes no logical sense IMO to buy one. So, that is why no everyone gets them.

It doesn’t make sense for all situations.

I feel like a FW could be a hedge in the resale market the same way a smaller contract would. In either scenario, there are no guarantees. Case in point - I bought my FW52 CCV last year and it had been sitting for several weeks. My best guess as to why is that many buyers were confused by FW and didn’t realize that the 161 contract is 20 pts less than that same week without. So from a sellers perspective, he didn’t realize the upside of the hedge as I purchased the contract at an average price per point comparable to non-FW.

Similarly that same month, I successfully bid on a 50-pt VGF contract fully loaded at a price significantly below the average price per point for a small contract. Again, the seller didn’t realize the upside of the hedge.

I guess I don’t see the difference - the same way we hear people advise buyers to break up their contract with the potential for easier resale - the same could be said for FW.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

Yeah, one of the benefits is that it might sell better in the future depending on the week or what Disney does in the future. But of course we don't know what will happen so it's just another option.

But if there is a fixed week available for around 150 points that either the member likes or it's during a notoriously difficult booking time, they can add that on for essentially free. And if you never end up using it, that's fine because it didn't cost anything up front, only if you end up using the FW.

Splitting that contract up into 2 or 3 smaller contracts does cost something up front, and that is lost if it didn't increase the value by at least as much as it cost by the time the contract is resold or if it is never resold at all.

The only time it 100% makes sense NOT to buy a FW is if you want a very specific amount or a very small amount of points. The other times a FW vs splitting contracts is just an analysis between if you think you may sell the contract, if you may use the FW available, if booking that FW in the future may become a problem, if Disney will change the point seasons, etc. And that comparison will be different for everyone. Again, it's just another option. I personally just really like options so I did a bit of both.

Always one step ahead of me! I was responding the same time - agree with all of this

 

[atthebeachclub]

But isn’t one of the benefits of a FW that it might sell better?

Wouldn’t smaller contracts sell better as well? Let’s go back to my example…if I buy 150 points as a 100 and 50, it’s costing me $250 extra

If I buy a FW contract for 150, I can only sell it as a FW contract?

Again, if one is never going to use it, then it makes no logical sense IMO to buy one. So, that is why no everyone gets them.

It doesn’t make sense for all situations.

I don’t think a fixed week would necessarily sell better at resale. More that it can guarantee harder to book rooms. Somewhere that is restricted, where over time more resale owners will have to compete at 11 months since they have no 7 month window, this could help you ensure you get a reasonably low point option every year in your time of choice. The benefit is primarily for the original user though it could have benefit down the road potentially.

 

[Tatebeck]

In my example, I bought 300 points total split into 3 contracts, 2 of them FWs.

I paid the same as someone who bought without FWs and split the contracts into say 150, 100, and 50 point contracts.

But with my purchase

• 1 of my FW (39) is actually ALREADY cheaper to use than it would be book normally with points
• 1 of my FW (50) is notoriously hard to book in early Dec, and may get worse in the future once more people buy resale RIV and are locked into that resort. I could also see Disney increasing the point charts for the first couple weeks of December since it is so popular. My cost would not increase in that scenario.
  • I can even use it as a placeholder, knowing I will have a room if I want, try to book a day with my smaller contract to start a walk and then not let it book the week or cancel the week to save the 10% extra points and still get that date, guaranteed!
• And yes, it may increase the resale value in the future, but who knows?

And it didn't cost me a single dollar extra to do this vs the 150+100+50 buyer. I'm just glad I don't have OCD because it made the contracts have odd numbers of points lol

 

[Brian Noble]

I think it is fair to say that the "small contract" bump is probably better than the "fixed week" bump.

 

[Tatebeck]

Something else to think about is that the original buyer (me) get's zero benefit out of splitting into small contracts (and technically loses money) if I never sell the contract in the future.

I do get some guaranteed benefits and options from the FWs though, whether I ever sell it or not. And we do not plan on selling, and would sell off some resale points first if we wanted to downsize. At the end of the day I'm not buying these for someone else, I'm buying them for myself and I want the most guaranteed options, value etc. that I can possibly get for myself. I'll worry about reselling later in a worst case scenario.

 

[VGCgroupie]

As long as Disney doesn't have the right to take away not being able to exchange FW into points I don't really see it as much of a big deal unless you are getting high value FW (300 points for the week etc) and I feel like if you are buying a high value FW then you are probably going to be using it as a FW. The only negative I can find with a FW is the need to notify Disney that you don't want to use it.

I would never leave discounts on the table so I would not buy just the 138 FW I bought. I made sure I bought a week that I could round up to 200. So I came out with 138 point FW and a 62 point small contract. I did choose a week that meant something to our family in the event we ever had the need/want to use it. (my granddaughters birthday week)

If Im missing any pitfalls of a FW let me know.

 

[Tatebeck]

As long as Disney doesn't have the right to take away not being able to exchange FW into points I don't really see it as much of a big deal unless you are getting high value FW (300 points for the week etc) and I feel like if you are buying a high value FW then you are probably going to be using it as a FW. The only negative I can find with a FW is the need to notify Disney that you don't want to use it.

I would never leave discounts on the table so I would not buy just the 138 FW I bought. I made sure I bought a week that I could round up to 200. So I came out with 138 point FW and a 62 point small contract. I did choose a week that meant something to our family in the event we ever had the need/want to use it. (my granddaughters birthday week)

If Im missing any pitfalls of a FW let me know.

Yes, it is guaranteed as an option to opt out of the fixed week in the contracts. I just double checked my FW contracts. Guarantees you the option to opt out or cancel up to 30 days before check in, then normal holding rules apply.

And FYI there are ways to make it so you actually don't have to notify Disney ahead of time if you don't want to use it. If you know ahead of time that you won't use it, if you have borrowed even a single point, or if you have made a reservation using at least a single point of the contract's points that will be used for the reservation that year, then member services will not be able to book the favorite week and you can use the points like normal without contacting them.

 

[Sandisw]

I don’t think a fixed week would necessarily sell better at resale. More that it can guarantee harder to book rooms. Somewhere that is restricted, where over time more resale owners will have to compete at 11 months since they have no 7 month window, this could help you ensure you get a reasonably low point option every year in your time of choice. The benefit is primarily for the original user though it could have benefit down the road potentially.

And again, it is only a benefit if you will use it at sometime in the future.

With us, we don’t do 7 night trips and would never do 7 nights at one resort, let alone just a Sunday to Sunday.

So, being a hard to get room isn’t really relevant is it if it’s canceled every year before booked?

I still think that a FW works for someone who might use or sees a use for it down the line…and in those cases, makes sense.

It just doesn’t for everyone and why so many don’t buy them.

 

[JackosinDIS]

I would think it could also be a benefit if you want to rent it out, and the number of points required for that week in the relevant year is significantly higher than the original cost of the FW.

 

[Brian Noble]

I think it is unlikely that a seasonal rebalance is going to change the value of a FW in a material way.

 

[Tatebeck]

I think it is unlikely that a seasonal rebalance is going to change the value of a FW in a material way.

I assume you mean resale value of the contract wont significantly change? I could mostly agree with that. A small change won't make a contract insanely more valuable.

But it would obviously change each year's FW value by the number of points the normal reservation increased. If a reservation costs 10 points less using the FW than a normal booking, then that year's FW value just increased by 10 points vs a normal booking.

 

[supercarrie]

Just received this email from my guide (also posted in the Poly thread):

The following units will be available for Favorite Weeks purchase beginning Tuesday, October 8, at 9 am EST for Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows:

• One (1) Duo Studio Standard View Room (released on October 1)
• Three (3) Deluxe Studio Standard View Rooms (released on October 1)
• Three (3) Deluxe Studio Theme Park View Rooms
• One (1) One Bedroom Standard View Room
• Two (2) One Bedroom Theme Park View Rooms

 

[Mikey15]

Just received this email from my guide (also posted in the Poly thread):

The following units will be available for Favorite Weeks purchase beginning Tuesday, October 8, at 9 am EST for Disney's Polynesian Villas & Bungalows:

• One (1) Duo Studio Standard View Room (released on October 1)
• Three (3) Deluxe Studio Standard View Rooms (released on October 1)
• Three (3) Deluxe Studio Theme Park View Rooms
• One (1) One Bedroom Standard View Room
• Two (2) One Bedroom Theme Park View Rooms

So if the limiting factor for FWs is 35% of declared units, can we deduce what’s been declared includes:
3-5 Duo SV
9-11 Studio SV
9-11 Studio TPV
3-5 1B SV
And
6-8 1B TPV
?

Actually maybe people do know what’s been declared so me backwards matching it wouldn’t be news.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

And again, it is only a benefit if you will use it at sometime in the future.

With us, we don’t do 7 night trips and would never do 7 nights at one resort, let alone just a Sunday to Sunday.

So, being a hard to get room isn’t really relevant is it if it’s canceled every year before booked?

I still think that a FW works for someone who might use or sees a use for it down the line…and in those cases, makes sense.

It just doesn’t for everyone and why so many don’t buy them.

When we purchased our week 49 at CCV, we didn’t think we would use it much, but wanted that hard to book week as a safe guard in case we wanted to travel then.

Well turns out we have used that FW every year ( or rented it) since we bought it. So for us, it has been an incredible purchase.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

So if the limiting factor for FWs is 35% of declared units, can we deduce what’s been declared includes:
3-5 Duo SV
9-11 Studio SV
9-11 Studio TPV
3-5 1B SV
And
6-8 1B TPV
?

Actually maybe people do know what’s been declared so me backwards matching it wouldn’t be news.

I would seriously consider the Duo if it was a tad bigger. Not having an actual mini kitchen and table is the drawback for us.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

So far the market has not shown any sort of material adjustment for fixed weeks nor speed of sale. From general observation small contracts have the edge. If you're going to use the week sometimes then it can make sense to buy one but then only if it's a very hard to book category and week otherwise you're simply paying a premium in points, barring an impactful adjustment to season point requirements. The argument could be that has happened to the benefit of some early Dec fixed week purchasers but it was 30 years or so of DVC's existence before that particular adjustment to seasons happened. Chalk it up to a rare happening. And if one owned a May fixed week for example they would now have a higher premium than when they purchased since point requirements decreased for that time. Of course they can cancel and book with the points normally but they won't have any benefit selling a fixed week that takes a 15-20% premium if using the fixed week.

 

[Tatebeck]

Do any of the resale aggregate websites have a filter for favorite/fixed weeks? I know the board sponsor has one, but I'd like to be able to see everything available instead of manually checking every contract that comes up that has a weird number of points lol

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

Do any of the resale aggregate websites have a filter for favorite/fixed weeks? I know the board sponsor has one, but I'd like to be able to see everything available instead of manually checking every contract that comes up that has a weird number of points lol

Dvcforless does but if I recall it is basing it only on the Board Sponsor’s ‘Guaranteed Week’ tag - not a universal one that applies across all sites.