Blue Card decision for Poly, Copper Creek, or VDH?

[Makai]

Ohhh, do the video of the CC Grand Villa! It's AMAAZING. I haven't seen it since the refurbishment, but if you think you'll want a GV at some point, it's sooooo nice. We toured it back in maybe 2021, I think it was, and our jaws were on the floor. The cabins are cool, but the GV was sooo cozy, and the decor was chef's kiss.

We toured the cabin and it’s a bummer they didn’t make the layout better for larger families. It’s gorgeous! I will look up the CCV Grand Villa now!

 

[Makai]

We own and both VDH and Poly. Between the two, I think Poly direct would be the way to go.

+ Incentives aside Poly direct is slight less expensive than VDH
+ I suspect Poly will be more difficult to book versus the heavy loaded studios at VDH
+ At the 7 month mark we've used Poly, BLT, and OKW points at VGC and VDH
+ Poly maintenance fees are some of the best.
+ With the addition of Poly Tower to the existing Poly, lots of room variety
+ I believe you're correct Poly resale will have slightly higher value compared to other WDW resorts
- Poly points chart per night is on the higher side but you can use those points anywhere even upcoming Lake Shore

This right here is why it’s really hard for me choose between Poly or CCV! I finally feel better about not going with VDH.

 

[airjay75]

Yes, we will likely need them, or I guess we could book two of the 2 bedroom villas, which for us at Hilton Head Island is almost the same amount of points as the GV, with more beds.

So, 2 non-penthouse resort view 2-BR villas at PIT will range from 652 points/week to 1,340 points/week, while a CCV GV will range from 669 points/week to 1,292 points/week. Two 2-BR villas at CC would range from 510 points/week to 929 points/week. CCV just gives you a lot more flexibility once you're talking about accommodations for that many people. It's really unfortunate that they don't have any GVs at Poly.

 

[airjay75]

We toured the cabin and it’s a bummer they didn’t make the layout better for larger families. It’s gorgeous! I will look up the CCV Grand Villa now!

I agree. I think the CCV cabins are better viewed as sort of a luxury/premium 2 BR villa. They really are not designed to fit the same amount of people as a GV (but they basically cost as much as a GV).

 

[Makai]

So, 2 non-penthouse resort view 2-BR villas at PIT will range from 652 points/week to 1,340 points/week, while a CCV GV will range from 669 points/week to 1,292 points/week. Two 2-BR villas at CC would range from 510 points/week to 929 points/week. CCV just gives you a lot more flexibility once you're talking about accommodations for that many people. It's really unfortunate that they don't have any GVs at Poly.

This is really helpful to see the per week comparison like this. Thank you!

 

[Makai]

So, 2 non-penthouse resort view 2-BR villas at PIT will range from 652 points/week to 1,340 points/week, while a CCV GV will range from 669 points/week to 1,292 points/week. Two 2-BR villas at CC would range from 510 points/week to 929 points/week. CCV just gives you a lot more flexibility once you're talking about accommodations for that many people. It's really unfortunate that they don't have any GVs at Poly.

Two positive features for the Poly is that I can fit 18 people between two of the 2 bedroom villas, vs 12 at the CCV Grand Villa. I love that PIT has 3 bathrooms in those 2 bedroom villas as well, so each family can have their own. Can 2 bedroom villas be connected into one big villa with the lock-offs? At some point even the Grand Villa wouldn’t fit us all once my kids are all married with babies.

I checked the point chart for Poly vs CCV and BRV at Christmas time for a week we might go in 2027:

• 669 for a 3 bedroom Grand Villa at CCV that sleeps 12 with only 3 bathrooms.
• 598 at Boulder Ridge/Copper Creek for two 2 bedroom Villas & sleeps 16 with 4 bathrooms
• 788 at PIT 2 bedroom same week for resort view that sleeps 18 with 6 bathrooms
• Theme-park view is 1,120 for two 2 bedroom villas at PIT

It’s 119 more points for the week to do Poly Island Tower than the Grand Villa at CCV, but I get 3 extra bathrooms and 6 extra people by doing two 2 bedroom villas instead. If I compare the 2 bedrooms at both resorts it’s 190 more points for PIT (but we’d get 2 extra bathrooms, and 2 more people). Much bigger point gap in that scenario to go with Poly, but might be worth it for the location every few years.

Watched the room tours again, along with the CCV GV, and unfortunately still not excited over the CCV interior theming of those villas. The Wilderness Lodge itself and grounds are jaw dropping beautiful, but the detail & theming of BRV is more our style, and feels very similar to the Hilton Head villas we love so much. The CCV decor in those villas doesn’t feel Disney to me, so I think I’m back to leaning more for Poly again with maybe BRV resale. I would probably alternate between the two resorts, and do split stays the years we do Poly with a lower point resort. Ultimately we love all the different DVC resorts, so if we can’t get my favorite ones at the 7 month mark, we will still be very happy.

 

[airjay75]

Two positive features for the Poly is that I can fit 18 people between two of the 2 bedroom villas, vs 12 at the CCV Grand Villa. I love that PIT has 3 bathrooms in those 2 bedroom villas as well, so each family can have their own. Can 2 bedroom villas be connected into one big villa with the lock-offs? At some point even the Grand Villa wouldn’t fit us all once my kids are all married with babies.

I checked the point chart for Poly vs CCV and BRV at Christmas time for a week we might go in 2027:

• 669 for a 3 bedroom Grand Villa at CCV that sleeps 12 with only 3 bathrooms.
• 598 at Boulder Ridge/Copper Creek for two 2 bedroom Villas & sleeps 16 with 4 bathrooms
• 788 at PIT 2 bedroom same week for resort view that sleeps 18 with 6 bathrooms
• Theme-park view is 1,120 for two 2 bedroom villas at PIT

It’s 119 more points for the week to do Poly Island Tower than the Grand Villa at CCV, but I get 3 extra bathrooms and 6 extra people by doing two 2 bedroom villas instead. If I compare the 2 bedrooms at both resorts it’s 190 more points for PIT (but we’d get 2 extra bathrooms, and 2 more people). Much bigger point gap in that scenario to go with Poly, but might be worth it for the location every few years.

Watched the room tours again, along with the CCV GV, and unfortunately still not excited over the CCV interior theming of those villas. The Wilderness Lodge itself and grounds are jaw dropping beautiful, but the detail & theming of BRV is more our style, and feels very similar to the Hilton Head villas we love so much. The CCV decor in those villas doesn’t feel Disney to me, so I think I’m back to leaning more for Poly again with maybe BRV resale. I would probably alternate between the two resorts, and do split stays the years we do Poly with a lower point resort. Ultimately we love all the different DVC resorts, so if we can’t get my favorite ones at the 7 month mark, we will still be very happy.

Sounds like your heart is with Poly! And that matters a lot.

On your question about connecting 2 2 BR villas, I don't think that is possible. Best you can probably do is request them being near each other.

Only other thing I would note is the point that TwinsMom made earlier - all of those resort view 2 BRs at PIT are lock-offs. Those are going to be very difficult to get, especially in December. I imagine they will require walking the reservation well before December for a December stay - if you go Poly and want to secure those rooms, I would definitely avoid a December UY.

 

[RoseGold]

If you plan to stay 2BR, direct Poly seems like the worst pick possible to me, except maybe the trailers. It has so little 2BR inventory and you don't need home points, expires soon and is very expensive. It doesn't sound like any of these direct contracts are a fit for you right now. Maybe it would be worth revisiting that for a future resort many years from now.

Off the most peak possible, Poly 2BR is generally bookable with any points because it's so point heavy. This is bookable with my SSR. A direct 150 point contract won't go far in a room that usually pushes 100 points a night.

If you want other 2BR, none are impossible and most are generally wide open. Exceptions will be obvious: club level, beach club (size of resort), and lock offs. I booked Christmas CCV 2BR myself a few years ago with SSR points.

I don't see why you would need to buy direct to do any of this for now, heck even AKL goes long past 2042.

I might consider a resale AKL to try to get the 2BR club level, which sounds like it might meet your theming needs, timing (2057 expiration), and really have strong value with a lot of adults in one room. This might be possible if you are traveling off-schedule from school breaks. This would be much, much cheaper than any of the direct options, and you can always use AKL as SAP to stay at Poly, or sell and buy direct if the right resort gets built.

I would never buy direct expecting to pass on whatever current direct benefits are. There has been too much change at Disney and at DVC for me to rely on that. My SSR can be sold in a month and everyone can move on.

Edit to add: Because you already own Aulani points, I might consider adding more Aulani as SAP. Since your estate is already going to be dealing with how complicated Hawaii timeshares are, this would not be adding another state. Aulani does pop up with good resale deals. This would obviously be usable as SAP for a 2BR in Florida. Home resort booking is very valuable if you actually go to Aulani.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

OP, I know you cannot predict the future but consider that your favorite preferred resorts may change over time and so might your use case. Preserving the most options considering the unknowns is the strategy that worked best for me when I was on the fence about direct vs resale.

So, my view is that if you think Direct means enough to you because you want the blue card then you should buy as many direct points as you can afford and not focus on the short term factors around where you want to stay today - the additional direct points will help you everywhere now and in the future.

If blue card is really not the highest priority, then I would shift into the buy where you want to stay mode and hunt the bargains in the resale market, knowing that you can sell those contracts as time goes on and then buy others that suit your future preferences.

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

I would never buy direct expecting to pass on whatever current direct benefits are. There has been too much change at Disney and at DVC for me to rely on that. My SSR can be sold in a month and everyone can move on.

My $0.02 on this - there is more risk/ambiguity on what resale benefits look like in the future than what direct benefits look like in the future. I doubt DVC will choose to alienate future Direct buyers by taking away direct benefits from previous direct buyers.

 

[RoseGold]

My $0.02 on this - there is more risk/ambiguity on what resale benefits look like in the future than what direct benefits look like in the future. I doubt DVC will choose to alienate future Direct buyers by taking away direct benefits from previous direct buyers.

DVC has a long history of change, all the way back to the OKW "extension."

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

DVC has a long history of change, all the way back to the OKW "extension."

Change is one thing, but putting future sales at risk?

Even when the changes came to resale owners, there were provisions to protect previous/existing resale owners and their benefits (e.g. keeping new resort booking available for resale owners that bought by a certain date, etc) and the changes were generally prospective. I cannot recall changes to the Direct program that reduced benefits (other than increasing prices!) to existing Direct owners, but I have only been in this game a little while.

 

[RoseGold]

My $0.02 on this - there is more risk/ambiguity on what resale benefits look like in the future than what direct benefits look like in the future. I doubt DVC will choose to alienate future Direct buyers by taking away direct benefits from previous direct buyers.

When I bought, these boards were full of Blue Card justifications for the TOTW lounge and the annual pass discount, both of which have been gone for a long time. Even the annual pass itself was gone for a while. People here mapped out the discount for decades with serious spreadsheets. Direct benefits can and do change.

Holding direct points in a family trust is even more confusing, because Disney gets to decide who (if anyone? everyone? one person?) gets the Blue Card from the trust or some other form of ownership that uses intermediary structure (like an LLC).

 

[DonkeyHoTay]

When I bought, these boards were full of Blue Card justifications for the TOTW lounge and the annual pass discount, both of which have been gone for a long time.

Are those gone or evolved? I think there are still restrictions on the BLT lounge and preferential options for Direct owners? Also, I thought the Sorcerer pass can now be bought with points if you own Direct? All I'm saying is change is inevitable but the risks are bigger for resale owners than it is for direct when the target audience for DVC is a future direct owner.

 

[RoseGold]

Are those gone or evolved? I think there are still restrictions on the BLT lounge and preferential options for Direct owners? Also, I thought the Sorcerer pass can now be bought with points if you own Direct? All I'm saying is change is inevitable but the risks are bigger for resale owners than it is for direct when the target audience for DVC is a future direct owner.

The BLT lounge was shut down for years, and could be shut down tomorrow. Blue Card benefits aren't in the deeds, which is why they have already taken them from White Card.

To me, resale is much less risk. I paid much less, and I own SSR points that are worth roughly what I paid for them years ago. A direct contract is historically is underwater for years, maybe always underwater at current pricing. Direct Poly in particular, is so expensive and has fewer years left. This is a tough mathematical lift for a booking that can be done with any points.

 

[Makai]

Are those gone or evolved? I think there are still restrictions on the BLT lounge and preferential options for Direct owners? Also, I thought the Sorcerer pass can now be bought with points if you own Direct? All I'm saying is change is inevitable but the risks are bigger for resale owners than it is for direct when the target audience for DVC is a future direct owner.

Yes, this is my concern as a current resale owner with no direct points. Many of the current perks are not going to benefit me much right now (except the Sorcerer pass for just myself since DH isn’t into Disney parks like me), but those unrestricted points will once the 2042 resorts expire. I don’t want to be stuck down the road without the Blue Card and a much higher eligibility point requirement if I end up wanting it. Some of it is FOMO on the future perks, but mainly the unrestricted points. I had also assumed my Disney Visa gave me the same discounts as DVC, but on my last trip we had many restaurants exclude my Disney VISA and only DVC owners & AP were given the discount. This raised my eyebrows a bit for the future.

 

[Add-On-Itis]

Yes, this is my concern as a current resale owner with no direct points. Many of the current perks are not going to benefit me much right now (except the Sorcerer pass for just myself), but those unrestricted points will once the 2042 resorts expire. I don’t want to be stuck down the road without the Blue Card and a much higher eligibility point requirement if I end up wanting it. Some of it is FOMO on the future perks, but mainly the unrestricted points. I had also assumed my Disney Visa gave me the same discounts as DVC, but on my last trip we had many restaurants exclude my Disney VISA and only DVC owners or AP were given the discount. This raised my eyebrows a bit for the future.

OP. Buying just one Sorcerer pass per year will take many years to regain the differences. Discounts from restaurants (over your VISA) will be hard to justify.

I am also currently looking to buy direct points for the perks. But we are looking to buy 4 annual passes per year.

From reading your background, seems like it will make more sense in buying more resale points to accomadate your family. I didn't see when you normally go, but take a look at what's available during that time. Perhaps SAP points is all you need.

 

[RoseGold]

If you are looking for a 2050+ timeframe with unrestricted points, I would buy direct at a future resort that meets your needs and has the full contract term. I would not be rushed into Poly or CCV with so little time left and bad room fit.

 

[Makai]

I would never buy direct expecting to pass on whatever current direct benefits are. There has been too much change at Disney and at DVC for me to rely on that. My SSR can be sold in a month and everyone can move on.

Edit to add: Because you already own Aulani points, I might consider adding more Aulani as SAP. Since your estate is already going to be dealing with how complicated Hawaii timeshares are, this would not be adding another state. Aulani does pop up with good resale deals. This would obviously be usable as SAP for a 2BR in Florida. Home resort booking is very valuable if you actually go to Aulani.

I do plan to add on more Aulani subsidized for SAP, especially since we usually go to Hawaii once a year. But those trips to Aulani won’t be until those future grandkids are with us because my DH prefers using the $300 Interval certificate offers that give us a full week in Hawaii instead.

I will not put our kids on any of the direct contracts in case of divorce, so just taking the risk on what will happen to those Blue Card perks if they choose to keep them. I care more about the resale value if they choose to sell the contracts in the inheritance, and it seems that Poly is the better choice for my direct purchase when I look at the point difference between resale and direct right now. I would buy Aulani direct if Disney offered bigger incentives just for the unrestricted points, but the “drive off the lot” loss in value on the resale market removed that option.

 

[airjay75]

I think, by far, the biggest benefit of direct points is the ability to use them at RIV/VDH/CFW/LSL and beyond. The other benefits are all nice, and I think one can reasonably predict that the trend line of making direct more attractive compared to resale will continue, but those are probably not reasons in and of itself to buy direct points. Well, other than PVB - 150 points there to get direct benefits if you need/want Poly points given the spread between direct and resale makes total sense to me. If I were in the market for PVB points and did not already have blue card benefits, I'd say run, don't walk, to buy those points - well, maybe wait until right before your UY starts and take maximum advantage of magical beginnings.