Anyone own at a resort they never stay at?

[tgarre06]

Every few years we are tempted by DVC. I am being lured in by the price per point of SSR. Anyone buy at a DVC resort they do not stay at?

 

[bobbiwoz]

We have never booked SSR at 11 months, but we have stayed there with SSR points, and other ones.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Tons of people do. It works for some and not for others. It depends strongly on what time of year you want to travel and how flexible you are if you plan to always book at 7 months. We do it and it works for us, but our main travel month is September. Which is one of the easiest, if not the easiest, months to book at 7 months. Also will you be staying in a studio or a 1-bedroom? Studios sell out much more rapidly. 1 bedrooms are much easier to find at the 7 month mark. At least at SSR(as opposed to HHI or VB) you can book a room there at 11 months and see whats available at 7 and switch if possible.

 

[MrsBooch]

People do it all the time - especially owners at OKW or Saratoga.

If you don't care where you stay - or if you're flexible on when you go - you shouldnt have any issues.
You might end up doing a split stay (or a few split stays) depending on time of year.

For us - it was more important to be certain we were able to stay exactly where we wanted in the exact room size we want. We go at Thanksgiving week and stay in a 1 bedroom at CCV - even the 1 bedrooms are gone at 7 Months, forget the studios.
This past year isn't a good indicator of availability but there are some good availability charts out there.

 

[Sandisw]

I bought 500 SSR points as part of a plan to stay during the winter months in retirement.

So, most of the time since buying, they have been used to stay elsewhere...but, I am flexible with dates and can book split stays, or 1 bedrooms at 7 months for my resorts of choice. Most of these trips are 3 to 4 nights max,

I also own BLT and RIV for the trips when I want to stay there for certain trips. It can work but you have to be okay staying there if you can’t get someplace else you prefer.

I would not buy if there is a certain place you want to try to get all the time but if you are okay with getting those other places when you can, but if not, be fine at SSR than it can be a good move.

 

[Les Poissons]

We have a SSR contract and have yet to stay there. We're not opposed to it, but we have been able to book the rooms we want at other resorts. We typically travel in February and the summer months and stay in 1BR and 2BR, so availability has been pretty open when we book.

 

[RoseGold]

I own a lot of SSR, and I've never even been there. Most traded timeshare in the world.

 

[tgarre06]

Thanks for everyone’s feedback. I’m trying to decide between that and Polynesian. It seems Polynesian might be better for resale if we decide in 10 or 15 years to sell...

 

[CSLucas]

Thanks for everyone’s feedback. I’m trying to decide between that and Polynesian. It seems Polynesian might be better for resale if we decide in 10 or 15 years to sell...

We just went through this discussion at our house- we knew we wanted to stay primarily at VGF or BLT and ended up putting offers for two VGF contracts (in ROFR for both right now). It was definitely tempting to buy SSR or another lower-priced resort, but I got good feedback on another thread about factoring in whether that potential for frustration would make it worth saving the difference in price (which over the lifetime of the contract ends up not being as extreme as it seems upfront, especially when you consider the annual fees). With that said, the friends who put the DVC bug in our ear have about half their points at SSR and told us they have never had a problem using them elsewhere.
My other thought process was this (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong): when contracts on other resorts start expiring in 20 years or so, I think it might get a lot harder to book non-home resorts at the 7 month mark. Although the people whose contracts have expired will no longer be in the system, there will also be fewer options for the folks who might have used their Polynesian or VGF points to book some of the expired resorts. Might not be a problem, but I think the truth is nobody knows what the system will look like in the 2040s and I didn't want to chance it.

 

[Jmazzuca243]

It was a tough decision but I ultimately decided to get a contract at my favorite location. SSR was tempting for the price, but I decided against it since I want to get VGF studios in December. The stress of trying to get a studio from Oct-Dec (which is extremely hard) was not worth the savings for SSR. I do plan on staying at other resorts, so if I end up getting another contract, I will get SSR. But if its your first contract, I would get your preferred choice.

 

[gisele2]

I bought BLT, never stayed there.

 

[RoseGold]

someone please correct me if I'm wrong): when contracts on other resorts start expiring in 20 years or so, I think it might get a lot harder to book non-home resorts at the 7 month mark. Although the people whose contracts have expired will no longer be in the system, there will also be fewer options for the folks who might have used their Polynesian or VGF points to book some of the expired resorts. Might not be a problem, but I think the truth is nobody knows what the system will look like in the 2040s and I didn't want to chance it.

Depends on what you are booking. VGF is the smallest at WDW, but also has some rooms that are eye-poppingly expensive in points, like 1BRs. So, while VGF studios are tough at 7 months, 1BRs not so much.

Pre-Covid, the points were being diluted, with charts costing more and more. If that trend continues, the VGF chart will be more and more valuable, and bookings will be harder and harder, like the 2042 resorts right now. Depends on whether you want to hold that long. If you plan to hold until your kid is 10, maybe you don't care so much about that.

 

[tgarre06]

Depends on what you are booking. VGF is the smallest at WDW, but also has some rooms that are eye-poppingly expensive in points, like 1BRs. So, while VGF studios are tough at 7 months, 1BRs not so much.

Pre-Covid, the points were being diluted, with charts costing more and more. If that trend continues, the VGF chart will be more and more valuable, and bookings will be harder and harder, like the 2042 resorts right now. Depends on whether you want to hold that long. If you plan to hold until your kid is 10, maybe you don't care so much about that.

I thought Charts couldn’t cost more? I thought DVC could only move around the points, but they could not increase the overall points on the chart

 

[RoseGold]

I thought Charts couldn’t cost more? I thought DVC could only move around the points, but they could not increase the overall points on the chart

Right, but I mean a 1BR at VGF is going to cost A LOT more than a 1BR at BLT. Excluding RIV vs 2042 charts, I'd argue it's the starkest difference in charts for similar resorts at WDW.

It's the flagship and newer and should cost more and so on, but it will be cheaper to do the same booking at BLT, just because it will cost so many less points.

Over time, the chart has inflated to where the RIV chart is uncomfortably close to VGF. I'd guess the next WDW property will be more point heavy than VGF.

 

[tgarre06]

Right, but I mean a 1BR at VGF is going to cost A LOT more than a 1BR at BLT. Excluding RIV vs 2042 charts, I'd argue it's the starkest difference in charts for similar resorts at WDW.

It's the flagship and newer and should cost more and so on, but it will be cheaper to do the same booking at BLT, just because it will cost so many less points.

Over time, the chart has inflated to where the RIV chart is uncomfortably close to VGF. I'd guess the next WDW property will be more point heavy than VGF.

Okay, I understand now. Thanks for explaining!
I put BLT in the running now too. It’s my husband’s favorite resort, we have stayed in the studios a few different times by renting points. We both love the location. With COVID and the lack of flexibility when renting points, I really want to just own ourselves and have control. I can see us going every year still for the next 10 years, and then at that point, we’d have to re-evaluate. I love Disney forever, my husband not so much. lol He always takes one for the team, so I know he’d be a little happier with BLT. He is getting a corvette, so I told him I’m getting DVC.

 

[lisa3635]

I've owned SSR since 2009 and have never stayed there. I know the motto is "buy where you want to stay" but I get so much more value out of SSR points and have never regretted buying there.

 

[macman123]

I have 2000 points. Never once stayed on property.

Covid got in the way

 

[jillt2ph]

I have owned VGC since 2010, but have only been to Disneyland 3 times since then. That is what was being sold direct when i joined and then I got a resale contract at a great price. I have added some smaller contracts at WDW resorts to give me some 11 month options. Honestly, the one I use most often to book in the 7-11 month window for a room I actually keep is BLT.

 

[GrtDisGuy]

I bought 500 SSR points as part of a plan to stay during the winter months in retirement.

So, most of the time since buying, they have been used to stay elsewhere...but, I am flexible with dates and can book split stays, or 1 bedrooms at 7 months for my resorts of choice. Most of these trips are 3 to 4 nights max,

I also own BLT and RIV for the trips when I want to stay there for certain trips. It can work but you have to be okay staying there if you can’t get someplace else you prefer.

I would not buy if there is a certain place you want to try to get all the time but if you are okay with getting those other places when you can, but if not, be fine at SSR than it can be a good move.

I love your retirement plan!!

 

[Evita_W]

We own at VGC and rarely stay there, but we have done trades at 11 months out with others so they can book here at 11 months and we could book at theirs at 11 months.