Anyone have a list of points required...

[mrudman]

to stay per night a a world passport villa/hotel?

We're not DVC members (yet), but have started a savings acct, and planning on purchasing a re-sale toward the end of the year.

Probably going to do a 80-100 point one at SSR, since that falls into our budget best, and has low MF's... thinking we'd bank one year, take a nice trip the next. Or possibly take 2 smaller trips every year, but that all depends...

I'd like to be able to take a trip every 3-4 yrs down to WDW, and possible going other places on the "off" years, which is why the "lower" points, and I figure for approx. $6500-8000 for a 80-100pt resale, we could take a week-long vacation every other year, and we'd be breaking even in just 3 trips (9-12 yrs)... figuring that to stay at SSR according to WDW site is approx. $2500/week for a studio.

My dh (and I) keep wondering though about the world passport hotels though, since he (and I) would really like to see some of the areas they have those hotels by.

I just can't find a point chart anywhere though that gives an approximate point count on what those hotels cost per night (or week). I have the 2008 dreams books, but all it says in there is 160 pts/week for a 1-BR in High season, and I can't imagine every single place requires the same # of points. I know they just changed to RCI also so I'm sure things have changed.

I had posted previously about this too, and got great responses, and know some of you had said that its not a great use of points. But I'm thinking for us, it might work out, cause we could drive to a lot of these places and save majorly on airfare.


Was just trying to think of an example, and bear with me if I'm wrong here, but this is my thinking, lol:

Let's say we wanted to stay at Gatlinburg, TN for 7 nights. I randomly picked one of the resorts that was listed in the dream book, googled it, picked a week in summer, and to stay there it would cost $1094. So with it costing 160 pts for a week (still going by 2008 dream book), even with the $95 fee, we'd be breaking even on these type of trips in just 7-8 trips.

Am I looking at this right, or am I totally confused by this whole thing? LOL!

Thanks for any help,
Michelle

 

[Metsoskil]

I think you may be forgetting to figure in Maintenence Fees.

As for the point values, you can call up DVC and tell them that you are interested in a purchase, and request a Dream Book. It will list all that you wish to know in there, and you can still turn around and buy resale if you wish.

Also, if you are thinking that you are going to trade out of DVC into RCI frequently, you may be better off buying a different timeshare resale for much less, and switching into DVC every once in a while. I'd check the TUG bulletin boards for more info. DVC is VERY expensive as far as timeshares go, and unless you are using it for Disney trips you could probably travel to all the same places for much, much less upfront money, and possibly lower maintenence fees.

 

[mrudman]

Yea, I hadn't forgotten about the MF's, but wasn't really including them, just to make it more simple. For an 80-pt contract at SSR, they'd only be about $350/year anyway, so wouldn't change the timeframes too much.

Guess I'm just leary about buying into other timeshares, because for one, I've come across a couple people who were really pushy, which turned me off.. plus I don't see Disney going anywhere for a long time, where you never know with these other "no-name" companies. The timeshares I've looked at, you can only vacation during certain weeks of the year, and at this time we're pretty strapped to when we can travel with me being required to work every other holiday (nurse), dh being a teacher, and not being able to take time off, and both dd's being in school.

Also, I do have a dream book, but it doesn't go into detail at all about anything other than the DVC resorts.... was hoping somebody would have actual point listings on the non-dvc resorts/hotels.

Thanks for the info though!
Michelle

 

[RobDoc]

Here is the World Passport Collection point chart:

Studio. 106 Low/123 Mid/134 High
1 BR.... 124 Low/144 Mid/160 High
2 BR.....207 Low/252 Mid/270 High
3 BR.....276 Low/317 Mid/349 High

In most cases, I'd assume that the resort will be High season for planning purposes. If they end up being less you can always be pleasantly surprised! The seasons are decided by the individual resorts.

 

[Metsoskil]

Our Dream book has the info you are looking for in the back after the DVC resorts.

I'm not knocking your interest in DVC, as we are in the midst of buying a small contract (DW and I are both teachers as well). Some of the other TS companies are just as stable as Disney, and offer accomodations that are just as nice (Marriott comes to mind). And there's no pushy salespeople if you buy resale.

There is an emotional reason for buying DVC which I totally understand. I'm just saying that the economic reasoning that you used has flaws. If DVC is what you want, and you can afford it, then go for it! Just don't be under the delusion that it's the best economic deal for you if it isn't.

 

[mrudman]

Thanks for the info both of you!

Yea, now that you mentioned it, it really is an emotional reason that I'm looking so hard at DVC... In my mind, I just see them as being "higher standard", and don't see anything major happening to them (economic-wise). Also, I understand it much more than any other TS... was browsing through a couple TS sites, and they REALLY lost me.

From what I understand from those, you buy at a specific hotel (or even specific room sometimes?), and can either buy for a certain week (which would not work out for us), or buy points, but even that seems much more confusing.

Plus, I wouldn't like having to stay at the same place over and over each year. Even if I never did use the world passport hotels, at least with DVC, you have the option of staying at HHI, VB, or any of the other WDW resorts (not even counting the new or futures ones).

We definitely will not be ready to even think about buying into anything till the end of this year though, so I'm planning on doing a lot of reading/researching, so hopefully I'll have a better understanding of it all at that time.

Thanks again for the info!
Michelle

 

[Metsoskil]

It is all very confusing. Last year DW and I were in the midst of buying a 40 pt contract at OKW when our roof started leaking. We were set on not financing, so we had to back out to pay for the roof (it was within the 10 day window). We were so disappointed because we are Disnaholics, and we go every year.

This year, we had saved up some money (about 1/2 as much as we had saved last year). We figured we'd have to wait a year or 2 to buy a contract. Then we stumbled upon a 3 bedroom lock-off at Star Island, which is a pretty nice resort 4 miles from WDW. My father owns a TS there, so we knew that the place was decent. The price for the Star Island week in a 3 BR was $0.99. It was week 33, which is the week in August we go to Disney every year anyway. We then took the money we had saved and are purchasing a 25 pt contract at VWL. We figure we will use our TS at Star Island for a week this year, then tack on a few days. Next year, we'll go in early August by excanging our TS week for $140, and tack on a few days. With the DVC discount, we'll get APs, so we only have to pay for tickets this year. Next year our lodging for 9-10 nights, and our tix will be paid for.

Last year we rented a DVC studio at the BW for 5 nights for about $850 and stayed at the POP for 5 nights for about $350. This year I'll stay in a 3 BR w/ a kitchen for a week and a studio (hopefully at AKL) for 2-3 nights, and the cost will be less than $1000 in Maintenence Fees. I love staying DVC, but give me a 3 BR at a nice place off-site over the POP any time.

Our 40 point contract that we didn't buy wouldn't have gotten us anywhere near that, and would have cost almost double upfront. We never would have considered a different TS last year, though, for the reasons you mentioned. Granted, we're not staying on-site for our whole trip this year, but Star Island is nice, close, and we've got 3 BR if we want to take friends/family w/ us. Since it's a lock-off, if nobody else comes down we can use our TS as a 1 BR, and for $140 take a vacation in another place in a 1 BR for a different week.

 

[logan115]

It is all very confusing. Last year DW and I were in the midst of buying a 40 pt contract at OKW when our roof started leaking. We were set on not financing, so we had to back out to pay for the roof (it was within the 10 day window). We were so disappointed because we are Disnaholics, and we go every year.

knew that the place was decent. The price for the Star Island week in a 3 BR was $0.99.

Afraid to ask - but where/how did you buy a TS for 99 cents ?????? At that rate, I'd buy 52 of them, sell my house, and only pay $51.48 in annual total housing payments for LIFE !!!!!!

Yes, I'm aware that it was probably a one-off thing and congrats on finding it - but get's me thinking...................


Chris

 

[mrudman]

I've seen many TS's for 99 cents (or thereabouts), but then remember, you're paying approx. $800-900 in MF's for each of those... so $800 x 52wks = $41,600/year.... not too good of deal for house, lmao.

 

[Metsoskil]

Afraid to ask - but where/how did you buy a TS for 99 cents ?????? At that rate, I'd buy 52 of them, sell my house, and only pay $51.48 in annual total housing payments for LIFE !!!!!!

Yes, I'm aware that it was probably a one-off thing and congrats on finding it - but get's me thinking...................


Chris

I got mine on ebay, but there are plenty of places to find good deals, especially in today's economy (Redweek, TUG, Ebay). Some of the TS being given away are not good deals, even for free, though. There are still the MF, as Michelle mentioned. And there are some resorts that would have to pay me to stay there.

Mine happened to be a good deal, since I know the resort, like it, know that it trades reasonably well for an Orlando TS, go during that week most years anyway, and got a 3 BR lock-off. I'm not sure how my purchase didn't go for higher, as I haven't seen that resort sell for so cheap for a summer week before. I'm not complaining, though. I'm sure it helped that I bought in December as many owners who are having money trouble try to sell at that time for really cheap (or nothing) to get out from the MF before they are due in January.