Brand New to DVC

[keaster]

Hello everyone! We just bought into DVC on our July 5th Disney Dream cruise. We are a family of three and enjoy our vacation time, so we thought this would be a good fit for us. We bought 480 points (split into two 240 point contracts), both at Animal Kingdom Lodge (there was no choice in home resort, that's what they were offering.) For booking on the cruise we got the following incentives:

1. Purchase price of $102/point (for booking over 320 points)
2. Our use year actually begins in February 2011...so in 6 months we will have 960 points.)
3. Dues pro-rated to June
4. 18 VIP fast passes
5. A $500 dollar shipboard credit (which we gladly accepted!)

So experts, let me have it...how did we do? Are those good incentives to cash in on? We are planning on at least one vacation a year at Disney, plus possibly some smaller getaways at the other non-Disney offerings. We'd also like to give family members a chance to use our points as well from time to time. Any advice, or a hint that we got ripped off will be helpful (since we do have another 8 days to pull the plug completely!!!)

Thanks!!!

 

[taaren]

Not an expert, but ...
It sounds like you will be members that will be able to enjoy owning DVC without regrets since you obviously love Disney and go to the parks annually ... a few questions though. Was AKV what you wanted as your home resort? If not, that might worry me since I subscribe to "Own where you want to stay" (or are okay with as a back up at the very least). If you think there's a possibility you might want less points later its easier to add than sell contracts, but ... my original contract was 200 and I wish I'd split it into 2 100-pt contracts so it would be easy to sell. If I was buying 480 I'd probably want them to split it into 4 100-pt contracts + 1 80 point contract personally. In fact, they may or may not be able to still do that for you if you ask them.
480 is a lot of points! I'm jealous of your annual vacation! Sounds like they were lovely incentives. Re-sale AKV usually goes in the $80 price range I believe, but loaded contracts are harder to find, which is essentially what you got direct. Congratulations and welcome home!

 

[disneypoor]

Welcome! We're also brand new to DVC. We bought on our Disney Alaskan cruise in June. Our offers were a little bit different than yours, but you got a better price than we did because the only thing that was offered to us was BLT. Our UY was December, and we received points for last December as well, so we started off immediately with points. We didn't get the VIP fastpasses, but we did get the $500 OBC. You have a much bigger contract than what we bought. We started with a 220 point contract. I search every day for resales though and watch dvcnews to see if the incentives change because I am already addicted to DVC without even having a real reservation using it yet. As others have told me, welcome home!

Susan

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

, i think if you are disney fan, then it's an outstanding

choice!

a great big " " to the club!

there are many that like the resales route for the savings. but
if you're happy, & that was a "great deal"....for direct, than i
think you can't go wrong!

many are very passionate & are expressive toward the dvc
operations. however, i think there is no better site for learning
the dvc "instructional manual" than here.

my best advice..is have fun in every thing you do,& share it with
the family as much as you can!

 

[Lynne M]

I would say if you plan to use your points primarily at DVC resorts, with only occasional exchanges (to cruise, RCI, etc), then you're OK.

If you intend to regularly use points for non-DVC resorts, then I'd recommend reducing the number of points you bought to only cover your DVC stays, and pay cash for your other vacations.

In the next 8 days, you might also want to take a look at the resale market. You'll find AKV, and other DVC resorts, at a very substantial savings over what you paid. You wouldn't be able to use your points for DCL and other exchange options (except RCI, that's still available to resale purchasers), but really, that's no loss.

 

[mdsd8700]

Also no expert here.

It sounds like you are quite pleased with your purchase and enjoy your Disney vacations so with keeping that in mind I think you got a good deal. You may have paid a bit more than you would have resale, but didn't have to worry about finding the right contract, one that was loaded or go through the waiting process. We too purchased direct (BLT) and paid a bit more at the time but were fine doing so. However there are great deals to be found re-sale and the restrictions in place do not hinder your options too much.

I would just chime in as a few others did about a couple of things. Make sure that you are comfortable with your home resort and it is the place you wouldn't mind being "stuck" at. As it is your home resort and where you will have booking priority. AKV does have some pretty hard to get rooms like concierge and value, so you should be able to take full advantage of those if you plan ahead. So that is a great plus for your family. Also be sure you want to use your points primarily for DVC resorts in order to get the most value and pay cash for your other trips.

We have only been members a year. Have only two DVC stays under our belt and another coming November. We just love it and are very pleased with our decision!

Welcome and enjoy your many years of Magical Vacations to come!!

 

[DisDad07]

Welcome Home. Get use to hearing that, because they love to say it at WDW. We own at AK and love it there. We are a family of 5 and there is no better Themed Resort. IMHO We go about 2 times a year, and never seem to get every thing done we wanted to. But you have lots of time to just slow down and enjoy the view. It will get done sooner or later.

 

[csharpwv]

I would DEFINITELY have the contracts split into smaller 'pieces'
Small contracts sell very well if you would ever decide to sell off part of your ownership (heaven forbid! HAHA)

We paid $75 per point for an 85 point contract at Saratoga Springs. (Resale/Secondary Market)
We paid $41.78 per point for a 250+ point contract at Hilton Head Island (Resale/Secondary Market)

While yes, Hilton Head usually sells at a much lower price to start with - $41.78 is an incredible price! The contract was on the market for $60.00 per point, my wife wanted to offer $50.00, but I wanted to offer $40. So we did that, and the seller counter offered asking for $41.78 (off figure, I know HAHA) We also beat the deadline and our points are full value, just like the ones we bought direct at AKV and BLT.

But anyway - my point being that smaller contract are more valuable on the resale market.

I think your purchase price and incentives made for a great purchase. All in all, it was equal to the incentives that we received when we purchased at BLT. We received a 7 night cruise, and a discount on our points. So between your gift card, your discounted points, the pro-rated dues, the point for this year, and next in just a few months - you got a better than average deal in my opinion!

I still wish Disney would ROFR more points, and make THOSE points available as incentive points for new members, or current members who are adding on.
I think that would be a great incentive when they sell out at BLT!

 

[keaster]

Thanks for the replies so far, we are definetely learning as we go! As far as some of the comments:

- yes, we are happy for AKL for our home resort...even though we haven't actually been there, the ambiance/theming of it sounds like it suits us and other friends/family who may want to go there.

- I'm reading a lot about how DVC is not really worth it beyond the DVC resorts, and that does concern me. While we would likely go to a DVC resort once a year (or a family member would) we would also like to do a DCL cruise every other year (we are Gold Castaway Club members now), maybe an Adventures by Disney, and also some locations through the World Passport/Concierge collection. DVC does use flexibility of locations as a major selling point, and that was part of our reasoning for diving in with so many points, because we would like to travel abroad.

- let's say we did cancel this agreement and bought resale for a lower price, is it true that you can't use resale point for DCL, Adventures by Disney or World Passport collection, Concierge or Signature resorts?

Thanks again!!!

 

[Homemom]

- let's say we did cancel this agreement and bought resale for a lower price, is it true that you can't use resale point for DCL, Adventures by Disney or World Passport collection, Concierge or Signature resorts?

Correct. We are in the process of buying a resale, but this didn't stop us. We only want to use our points for DVC and don't think it's a good use of points for a cruise, but others do.

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks for the replies so far, we are definetely learning as we go! As far as some of the comments:

- yes, we are happy for AKL for our home resort...even though we haven't actually been there, the ambiance/theming of it sounds like it suits us and other friends/family who may want to go there.

- I'm reading a lot about how DVC is not really worth it beyond the DVC resorts, and that does concern me. While we would likely go to a DVC resort once a year (or a family member would) we would also like to do a DCL cruise every other year (we are Gold Castaway Club members now), maybe an Adventures by Disney, and also some locations through the World Passport/Concierge collection. DVC does use flexibility of locations as a major selling point, and that was part of our reasoning for diving in with so many points, because we would like to travel abroad.

- let's say we did cancel this agreement and bought resale for a lower price, is it true that you can't use resale point for DCL, Adventures by Disney or World Passport collection, Concierge or Signature resorts?

Thanks again!!!

The other thing that I think is very important to understand is that there is no guarantee, per the terms of your contract, that Disney will keep those as options, even for direct buyers.

They can remove the ability to trade out at any time from all of us. As already mentioned, I would really re-consider buying what you need for the DVC stays.

While I think you got a good deal for a direct purchase, you may be able to save about $25 - $30 per point going resale. Yes, those other options would be limited, but given that you are talking over 300 points, that is a lot of money.

At the end of the day, you are really buying the right to stay at your home resort for the length of your contract.

 

[mkoerner]

Welcome home! I'd say you got a very good deal when buying direct. I wish we could have afforded that many points to start We bought BLT last summer and we are loving it. When we bought last August, the points incentive was $100 per point, plus an entire extra year of points, for 400 points, plus a $100 gift card for taking the tour. We have 3 adult sons and 1 grandson, so we felt this was an excellent way for our family to vacation at different times. In the first 16 months of owning, we have taken or will take 2 week long trips, 1 ten day trip, and 1 long weekend. One of the week long trips will be over New Years in a MK view studio at BLT. All these trips just in the first year alone made this venture almost pay for itself!

 

[gatorskin76]

Something else to consider. Maybe you could reduce your points from 480 to 320 and retain the amount of points necessary to get the promotional deal that you were offered (320+). Break that into two 160 point contracts. Then if you really think you will need 480 you could find a 160 point contract through resale. If you get the same UY you would still have 320 points direct from Disney that you could use to trade out (for as long as that is offered, which could be the life of the contract), and then you would have the resale points for a much cheaper price that you could use solely for Disney stays (there are some other options currently available for resale purchasers).

 

[csharpwv]

While there are a lot of people out there who 'just don't see buying direct' when there are lower cost options - there are so many more reason to buy direct from Disney.

While yes, there are no guarantees with the ability to trade out of DVC - DVC's new advertising campaign focuses on that ability, and it is highly unlikely that they will limit, or remove that option any time in the future.

It is true that they removed that ability from resale points purchased after March - they did that to make a different between direct and resale, not to simply remove the ability to exercise their power.

Others also say that using points to trade out or to book a cruise isn't a good use of points - HOWEVER, that don't feel that it's a good use of THEIR point - and you should ignore them when they are talking about a good use of YOUR points. Only YOU can determine what is a good use of YOUR points.

We have cruised with pointed, and will be staying at Disneyland with 3 nights at the Disneyland Hotel, 3 nights at the Grand Californian, and 2 nights at Paradise Pier in the next month or so.

We also would have done an Adventures By Disney trip this year except the one we wanted to do conflicted with a wedding date of a friend, so that's something we'll do in the future.

If you are planning to visit WDW every year - DVC is a wise use of your money. The cost savings is incredible when you look at the price of WDW accommodations, and the fact that they go up every year - DVC is a great thing for people who love visiting WDW and don't consider a vacation a luxury, but something that's necessary to unwind, relax, and spend time with your family.

You know if its a wise use of your money - and you know if you got a good deal on your purchase.

If you plan to visit WDW AND trade out for cruises and other vacations, you made the right decision.

We went to WDW 4 times last year we would have never been able to do that without DVC!

There are a lot of factors to consider, but the top one is this - is DVC right for your family and the way you like to vacation?

Having purchased that many point, I'm willing to guess that you've made a good decision!

 

[Lynne M]

- I'm reading a lot about how DVC is not really worth it beyond the DVC resorts, and that does concern me. While we would likely go to a DVC resort once a year (or a family member would) we would also like to do a DCL cruise every other year (we are Gold Castaway Club members now), maybe an Adventures by Disney, and also some locations through the World Passport/Concierge collection. DVC does use flexibility of locations as a major selling point, and that was part of our reasoning for diving in with so many points, because we would like to travel abroad.

Very important things to understand about using points outside of the DVC resorts:

Any and all of the exchange options like DCL, ABD and the Concierge Collection are not guaranteed in any way in your DVC contract, and use of these options can be significantly altered or taken away altogether at any time.

Availability is not completely under DVC's control. Using DCL as an example, in recent years we've seen DCL suddenly decide to stop accepting points bookings for months at a time.

Point costs are renegotiated annually with DCL and the other external options, and the points required to cruise, do ABD, etc, will likely continue to increase significantly. I don't look at the point charts for cruising because I won't use points for these options, but I've seen recent posts by a new member who's very disappointed because the 2012 DCL point costs went up dramatically enough that they may no longer have enough points to cruise. If you want to use points for these exchange options, be prepared to be adding more points as the years go by.

There's no guarantee that using points for cruises, ABD, Concierge Collection, etc. is going to be a better value than simply making a cash reservation. DVC is often the more expensive way to pay for these vacations, and cancellation policies can sometimes be more restrictive through DVC.

IMO, I'd figure out what points you need for your DVC resort stays, and just buy those points. You'll be much happier paying cash for ABD, DCL, and other hotels/resorts. If you want to exchange through RCI, buy some other timeshare to use for the exchanges. You'll save thousands on the initial cost, and have access to a much bigger selection of resorts. DVC only allows members access to a limited selection of RCI resorts for exchange.

 

[Deb & Bill]

The only thing you are guaranteed with your DVC purchase is the right to book a stay at your home resort. Nothing else. So if you don't think you would use all your home resort points, reduce that number to what you think you might actually use. Or cancel the whole thing and buy a resale where you think you actually want to stay 100% of the time.

 

[CMOORE185]

Thanks for the replies so far, we are definetely learning as we go! As far as some of the comments:

- yes, we are happy for AKL for our home resort...even though we haven't actually been there, the ambiance/theming of it sounds like it suits us and other friends/family who may want to go there.

- I'm reading a lot about how DVC is not really worth it beyond the DVC resorts, and that does concern me. While we would likely go to a DVC resort once a year (or a family member would) we would also like to do a DCL cruise every other year (we are Gold Castaway Club members now), maybe an Adventures by Disney, and also some locations through the World Passport/Concierge collection. DVC does use flexibility of locations as a major selling point, and that was part of our reasoning for diving in with so many points, because we would like to travel abroad.

- let's say we did cancel this agreement and bought resale for a lower price, is it true that you can't use resale point for DCL, Adventures by Disney or World Passport collection, Concierge or Signature resorts?

Thanks again!!!

There are times when using your points outside of DVC resorts can be a decent deal, but not most of the time. I have used my points twice for DCL and twice for concierge collection. What disappoints me is they have taken the hotels we like out of the concierge collection. I would say DVC works best if you are going to use DVC hotels a majority of the time, so I would not buy points expecting to use them outside of DVC alot. Don't forget you have great options in HHI, Vero Beach, and Hawaii with DVC, and they may build more offsite in the future.

 

[sweetdana]

Agree with poster about splitting the contract.

Also have you considered buying 1/2 resale and 1/2 direct. It sounds like you like the idea of the cruising and possible collections use. This gives you options of cruise with some of your points, and saving $$ on some of your points. Also unless you have stayed at AK, I would consider buying 2 diff resorts. Maybe buy SSR to save a few $$ (about 50 - 60$ resale) or BWV (about 70$ resale) to get boating dist to Epcot/HS and have 2 diff home resorts. You can book every other yr, using current and either borrowed, or banked points. Allowing use of Tree house villias, or home resort for food and wine ect.

Though over all I think this is a good incentive too! WELCOME HOME!!!!!

 

[jstarcze]

Welcome Home and Congratulations from Mickey, Goofy, , and Me!
I'm a subscriber to the if you think you got a good deal, then you got a good deal.

 

[wehavesix]

I don't look at the point charts for cruising because I won't use points for these options, but I've seen recent posts by a new member who's very disappointed because the 2012 DCL point costs went up dramatically enough that they may no longer have enough points to cruise. If you want to use points for these exchange options, be prepared to be adding more points as the years go by.

I wouldn't rely on that poster's statements about points for cruises. I looked at the 2011 & 2012 points charts for DCL. The points on those charts show points as being actually lower for comparable 2012 cruises vs. 2011 cruises.

I think it would be smart to have your contract broken down into smaller amounts just in case you decided to part with some of them later on. We have 3 175 point contracts. We wanted enough points to book a 2 bedroom and sometimes a GV every year for a couple of weeks each year. We have a large family and that's what we need to comfortably accommodate our children, grandchildren, extended family and occasionally friends. Only you know what your needs are so base your decisions on your own travel wishes.

Welcome Home!!