BLT small contract - Purchase Now or Never?

[Golden Rose]

We've been waffling about purchasing a small BLT contract since it was announced. We're pretty happy with our number of DVC points... we originally thought we'd want more; we love to vacation at WDW, but we also just plain love to travel. We'd thought we would use our points in other ways, but it has become pretty clear to us that it makes the best sense to use DVC points at WDW and pay cash (or buy a different timeshare) for other types of vacations. (We are likely to buy a fair number of points at DVC Hawaii or another Hawaii timeshare at some point, once our DS is a little older and easier to travel with.)

We bought both AKV and BWV this year. We got developers points with AKV and a fully loaded (with banked points) BWV contract... so we already have a lot of points to spend in 2009. We've already got two trips planned - one in January and one in November, and we've barely touching our actual 2008 points. We don't just love the BLT decor (ok, to be fair, DH likes the pictures, I don't.) We would buy DVC at the Poly or the GF in a heartbeat... but BLT? We'd be buying for the location, not for the resort itself, if that makes sense.

We had thought we would probably go ahead and buy a few (about 35) BLT points sometime late next year. We would love to have the option of staying on the monorail with a MK view for a few nights every two or three years, particularly while our son (and any other children we have) is young. We've got two trips planned for next year already, so we wouldn't use BLT points until sometime in 2010 at the soonest.

But now they've announced that the minimum number of BLT points will increase in January. I don't want or need the points yet. I'm not 100% convinced that I need any points at BLT, but I'm really afraid it will be hard to book at 7 months out, (certainly MK views, possibly at all,) for the next few years... and the next few years are when I want it most.

I keep going back and forth about it. I am frustrated that I feel pressured to buy sooner rather than when we'd planned. On the one hand, I don't want to be forced into a purchase I'm not ready for, but on the other hand, I don't want to not buy something we'd really enjoy just because I'm annoyed at being pressured.

Help?

 

[Buckeye Fan]

To buy...
Down the road, I think small point contracts for BLT will go for a premium on the resale market. There just won't be that many of them. So, if you do decide to buy, I think it will be easy to sell them. I would never bank on this, but the odds are in your favor.

To wait...
I would never buy unless I loved the resort, AND needed the 8 - 11 month booking window. At the end of the day, do you want to stay there regularly or during peak DVC times (Christmas, Spring Break, Food & Wine)? Honestly, there's no DVC resort that has that kind of pull for me. If I call to book and my first choice isn't available, I'll be perfectly fine ticking down resorts 2 - 6. And, resorts 2 - 6 change each visit depending on what kind of trip we're planning and length of stay.

Lastly, if you decide not to buy, tell your guide to notify you when points for your UY are close to selling out. By then, you will know more about Hawaii, you'll start to see some points in the resale market, and maybe DVC will have announced a new DVC even more exciting to you (GF, Poly, Cancun, etc.)!

Best of luck. I hate feeling pressured, too.

 

[spiceycat]

decided to go ahead now and buy it.

wanted 2 smaller contracts - and that is what I am buying.

so if you can afford it - 35 points - you need 87 points to do MK view in the off season. so every 3 years is about right with 35 points.

60 points for the standard view.

that say since dvc has mentioned it so often - betting for at least a year maybe two years - they will have that lounge and observation deck for guests staying at BLT.

now it won't be the same as viewing them in your room - but hey it is still the same fireworks.

 

[Deb & Bill]

From the mailer I received, it looks like 100 points will be the minimum purchase at BLT beginning Jan 15, 2009. So if you only want to buy 35 points, you'll need to purchase them before that date.

 

[Anal Annie]

We've been waffling about purchasing a small BLT contract since it was announced. We're pretty happy with our number of DVC points... we originally thought we'd want more; we love to vacation at WDW, but we also just plain love to travel. We'd thought we would use our points in other ways, but it has become pretty clear to us that it makes the best sense to use DVC points at WDW and pay cash (or buy a different timeshare) for other types of vacations. (We are likely to buy a fair number of points at DVC Hawaii or another Hawaii timeshare at some point, once our DS is a little older and easier to travel with.)

We bought both AKV and BWV this year. We got developers points with AKV and a fully loaded (with banked points) BWV contract... so we already have a lot of points to spend in 2009. We've already got two trips planned - one in January and one in November, and we've barely touching our actual 2008 points. We don't just love the BLT decor (ok, to be fair, DH likes the pictures, I don't.) We would buy DVC at the Poly or the GF in a heartbeat... but BLT? We'd be buying for the location, not for the resort itself, if that makes sense.

We had thought we would probably go ahead and buy a few (about 35) BLT points sometime late next year. We would love to have the option of staying on the monorail with a MK view for a few nights every two or three years, particularly while our son (and any other children we have) is young. We've got two trips planned for next year already, so we wouldn't use BLT points until sometime in 2010 at the soonest.

But now they've announced that the minimum number of BLT points will increase in January. I don't want or need the points yet. I'm not 100% convinced that I need any points at BLT, but I'm really afraid it will be hard to book at 7 months out, (certainly MK views, possibly at all,) for the next few years... and the next few years are when I want it most.

I keep going back and forth about it. I am frustrated that I feel pressured to buy sooner rather than when we'd planned. On the one hand, I don't want to be forced into a purchase I'm not ready for, but on the other hand, I don't want to not buy something we'd really enjoy just because I'm annoyed at being pressured.

Help?

I feel for you and understand 'cuz I feel the same way. You can't use the points yet, don't need the points yet but...but then there's that threat from DVC . You are exactly the type of potential owner they are targeting and hoping to push into a sale right now. They do not care what we can or cannot do by January 15 but they're hoping you want it bad enough to ignore the little voice in your head and just go ahead and do it.

 

[Golden Rose]

From the mailer I received, it looks like 100 points will be the minimum purchase at BLT beginning Jan 15, 2009. So if you only want to buy 35 points, you'll need to purchase them before that date.

Yes, I know that. I got the mailer, too. That is the reason for my post and the reason I titled it Now or Never. I'm trying to decide if it is worth letting them pressure me into making the purchase almost a year before I planned to/wanted to because I don't want or need the points in the next year.

 

[spiceycat]

well look at this way - 35 points for 2009 + 35 points for 2010 - that is 70 points you will need at least 87 points to go in 2010 for the mK view.