Anybody else start with just

[PinkTink63]

I have taken your advice and been in contact with the TTS. Do not want to name names, but R_bert M. was extremely helpful !! My wife is going to be frusterated that I have now identified a strategy to overcome her objections,lol. Thanks again for the advice.
Jim

She'll get over it when you guys are sitting by the pool at YOUR DVC!

 

[Anal Annie]

Hey Annie!

If you don't care where you stay - where you buy is no big deal. But from reading the boards here you may have trouble booking certain resorts at certain times- VWL at Xmas, BW or BVC during Oct (food and wine fest at Epcot) Hilton Head July and Aug - all seem to have very low if any availability at the 7 month mark for non home people.

If you have your heart staying at VWL every Christmas, buying SSR is not a great choice. If you're just happy to be at Disney and who cares where you're at- then your doing just fine

Thanks Flechette - good to know - we're not likely to try one of the other WDW resorts over the holidays or in Oct. 'cuz of school - MIGHT want to try HHI some summer tho 'cuz it's just a days drive for us...so hope that's not true! Will definitely check our options at exactly 7 mo. if we decide to try a diff. DVC resort. We're starting out this summer by trying to scrimp every point we can to bank into next yrs. pts. so we can do another cruise in '08. Hate to start out not staying at SSR but OKW saves some pts.! Will definitely plan to use SSR in '08 for pre-cruise nights tho! Beyond that, I think we'd enjoy the variety of alternating between going to other destinations every other yr. & using the DVC resorts or the cruiseline every other yr.

 

[Caitsmama]

Didn't see this answered...

You do have yearly maintenance fees, but other than that, you are set. The points you have today (e.g. enough for 5 nights in a studio, value season) will get you the same thing in 35 years (5 nights in a studio, vaule season). To me, that was one of the major selling points of DVC.

Thanks.. that was going to be another question of mine..

So......... If it costs you say 10points to stay over Sun-Thurs in a studio value season NOW -- in say 15 years it will still cost the same number of pt.s for you to stay per night there???
Is that b/c you have already bought in ?

-- what i am trying to say is -- like next year or the year after, WDW could decide to charge you 15 pts per night to stay there, IF YOU ARE A NEW OWNER, but if you get in on the current points per night - it stays that way forever for you??
Geez, did that even make any sense?

 

[chalee94]

Thanks.. that was going to be another question of mine..

So......... If it costs you say 10points to stay over Sun-Thurs in a studio value season NOW -- in say 15 years it will still cost the same number of pt.s for you to stay per night there???
Is that b/c you have already bought in ?

-- what i am trying to say is -- like next year or the year after, WDW could decide to charge you 15 pts per night to stay there, IF YOU ARE A NEW OWNER, but if you get in on the current points per night - it stays that way forever for you??
Geez, did that even make any sense?

no.

each resort has a fixed number of points...which can be re-allocated if necessary to equalize demand. if too many people want the 10pt nights, disney could raise them to 12pts per night by taking 2pts per night from high season (dropping from 16pts to 14 or whatever.) this has only been done once IIRC...so it's not a major concern IMO.

doesn't matter when you buy though, if they were to change the point charts...

 

[Anal Annie]

We're new members, but it was our understanding that the point requirements at the DVC resorts would never change, unlike with using the cruiseline or the other Disney collections - which ARE subject to change..... That was the beauty of it for us - that we could essentially have a Disney vacation for the same # of pts. in 2030 that we can do it for now....and knowing that it will be available for our son and his kids as an affordable vacation when HE'S 50! I guess you're saying they could change the "seasons" around a bit?!

 

[chalee94]

We're new members, but it was our understanding that the point requirements at the DVC resorts would never change, unlike with using the cruiseline or the other Disney collections - which ARE subject to change..... That was the beauty of it for us - that we could essentially have a Disney vacation for the same # of pts. in 2030 that we can do it for now....and knowing that it will be available for our son and his kids as an affordable vacation when HE'S 50! I guess you're saying they could change the "seasons" around a bit?!

it's possible but it's only happened once in the history of DVC from what i understand. here's one link discussing the previous change:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=420226

(per webmasterdoc in 2003): In 1996, the OKW point chart was changed so that weekends were lowered and weekdays were raised for a couple of "seasons". This did affect our needs, so we added on to meet our needs.

Since that time, no changes have been made to any point charts, but DVC can do so without any comment/agreement from the members.

DVC actually has an obligation to the membership to encourage optimal utilization of the facilities and point reallocation is a prime means to accomplish that goal.

Could it happen again?? Yes. Is it likely to change anytime soon?? IMO, no. (If it were a real concern, the points could have been modified as each subsequent resort was added. The apparent changes in this regard for SSR are an example of such change, but even there, the change was cosmetic, IMO.)

 

[Spacedude]

I said we were done with our original purchase of 250 points at OKW back in 1995. 700 points later...just got back from two weeks in a 2 BR at Saratoga Springs, rang in the New Year and had the time of our life...good luck...

 

[newcomer52]

I am trying like heck to convince my wife this is a good idea. She throws up the hurdles of $$ and not wanting to go to Disney every year. I read above about putting in a request for a smaller point purchase, smaller than the 150 min currently required.
1. Does the Timeshare Store take or entertain such requests for serious buyers?
2. If after that I wish to add on, do I need to wait for another small contract on the resale or can I add anywhere? ex . SSR for the extra use years and lower fees. I assume there are no small contracts available for SSR otherwise.
Thanks,
Jim

Jim

I did this exact thing, and today I got a 50 point contract at VWL from TTS. I'm thrilled. Last week I decided that I would put my name in with them. Since I eventually want to own 3 small contact (one for each of my kids), I emailed TTS with my interest in contracts between 50-80 points at BCV, BWV, and VWL. I started getting emails from TSS with the latest listing and today I got a call that they had 50 point contracts at BWV and VWL. The BWV was gone by the time I got the message, but I grabbed the VWL. I think this is a perfect way for me to get started, even if it may not be the most efficient way. Now just to wait for ROFR and hope for the best.

Good luck.

Jerry

 

[3DisneyKids]

While we bought in at the 150 point minimum through Disney, I think it is a great idea to start with a smaller contract and pay cash (we were able to pay cash for the 150 points, but that is why that is all we bought...I would like about 350 eventually, so we will work our way up to that).

Good luck.