Buy Low points at cheapest DVC and add on?

[Stevegriswold]

Hi,

Is there not a reason to buy 200 Hilton Head or Vero resale points at around $70 a point, and then buy 25 add on points at the DVC property you really want as a main property?

Can you get 25 add on points to any DVC property from Disney directly?
(Animal Kingdom, Wilderness Lodge, Etc.) Or is the min. 160 points to add on?

Say I wanted to have Animal Kingdom Villas as my home resort, I could join Vero for $70 a point (200 Points $14,000), then join AKV for $104 or around there (25 Points $2,600) plus some closing costs.

Total cost $16,200
vs
AKV 225 points@ $104
$23,400

Correct?

Thanks,
Steve
Atlanta GA

 

[tink_about_it]

Don't forget about your maintenance fees every month! You can only book 11 months out with the points you own at that resort. You would have to wait until 7 months out to book anything else.
http://www.tagrel.com/wiki/index.ph...C)_FAQ#What_are_the_.27hidden.27_DVC_costs.3F

 

[jekjones1558]

Remember that you would only be able to use the 25 points at AKV at 11 months, not the other points. With banking and borrowing you could have a maximum of 75 points available every 3 years to book at 11 months at AKV. If the 11 month window is not important to you, then points are points. Buy the cheapest you can find but take maintenance fees into consideration because over the long haul, if you remain a member, they will be more costly than the initial price per point. Good luck!

 

[Stevegriswold]

Thanks.

I thought I read in a post in here that with an add on contract all the points you have could be combined and used at any DVC resort. So it would be treated as one contract and you could have the 11 month booking window at both resorts. Is that correct?

Looks like OKW has $4.40 vs AKV at $4.62 maintenance fee per point. So in the example you would buy 200 OKW points at $77 each and then add on 25 AKV at $104.

correct?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[rigsby25]

We started with buying a 210 resale contract at OKW. You can use your points at any resort 7 mos out. We just added on 100 points at AKV. So now we get 310 points a year to use at any DVC resort 7 months out, subject to availability. We can use the 210 points at 11 months out at OKW, and the 100 points 11 months our at AKV. If you really love a certain resort, you should purchase there to be able to book at 11 months out. It seems to me that at 7 months out or less, the only resorts left are SSR and OKW. We toured SSR, but bought OKW sight unseen, and we love OKW. The reason we purchased there is that the rooms seemed bigger, and the stays were less points. The MF's weren't as high when we bought in. I have the monthly MF's deducted from my checking account every month so I don't notice them. I understand there is some discount if you paid them all up front at once.

 

[Pennyguy23]

No, If you bought 200 OKW points and added on 25 AKV points then you have a 11 month booking window for OKW for 200 points. You would then have an 11 month booking window for AKV with the 25 points.

They are still different contracts. They never really can be combined so to speak. At the 7 month window you can use both home resorts for any DVC resort but they still really aren't combined.

 

[FamilyGuy]

Thanks.

I thought I read in a post in here that with an add on contract all the points you have could be combined and used at any DVC resort. So it would be treated as one contract and you could have the 11 month booking window at both resorts. Is that correct?

Looks like OKW has $4.40 vs AKV at $4.62 maintenance fee per point. So in the example you would buy 200 OKW points at $77 each and then add on 25 AKV at $104.

correct?

Thanks,
Steve

Actually that is not correct information...

Pennyguy23's info above is correct.

 

[RobDoc]

...

I thought I read in a post in here that with an add on contract all the points you have could be combined and used at any DVC resort. So it would be treated as one contract and you could have the 11 month booking window at both resorts. Is that correct?

...

No- the points could only be combined for a reservation within 7 months. At 11 months, only the points from OKW could be used there and the same for AKV. The Home Resort Reservation Priority is resort specific. Many accommodations are available at 7 months, so that plan might still work - but the risk is that you might not be able to find a reservation available.

Add-ons are all within the same contract as the original contract, but they still retain their home resort status.

 

[Stevegriswold]

No- the points could only be combined for a reservation within 7 months. At 11 months, only the points from OKW could be used there and the same for AKV. The Home Resort Reservation Priority is resort specific. Many accommodations are available at 7 months, so that plan might still work - but the risk is that you might not be able to find a reservation available.

Add-ons are all within the same contract as the original contract, but they still retain their home resort status.

Thanks

So you can combine the points from all DVC properties which is awesome but you can only book 7 months out instead of 11 months out with your combined points. So the risk is you can't get AKV at 7 months out.

Steve

 

[LisaS]

I thought I read in a post in here that with an add on contract all the points you have could be combined and used at any DVC resort. So it would be treated as one contract and you could have the 11 month booking window at both resorts. Is that correct?

If your master and add-on are at the same resort, you can use points from either/both contracts at 11 months to book at that resort. If the contracts are for different resorts, say a master at HHI and an add-on at AKV, you could book AKV at 11 months using your AKV points and then try to extend the reservation 7 months out using your HHI points, subject to availability. In other words, owning some points at AKV does not turn your HHI points into AKV points. They remain HHI points and cannot be used to book at AKV until 7 months from your check-out date.

 

[DVCLiz]

Thanks

So you can combine the points from all DVC properties which is awesome but you can only book 7 months out instead of 11 months out with your combined points. So the risk is you can't get AKV at 7 months out.

Steve

Yes, you can only book at 7 months out if you are combining points with different home resorts. Otherwise, we would all be doing what you suggested in your first post!!!

Another factor to consider, Steve, if you buy at one of the "beach" resorts as your home resort, is that you could rent those points to someone who wants a summer beach vacation but owns at WDW. For example, I might want to go to HH in July, but I own at the Beach Club (well, I own at HH, too, but this is just an example!) So, at 11 months, I could make a Beach Club reservation for you and you could make a HH reservation for me. That would be a private transaction between the two of us, not done through Disney. But that's an example of the way you might use those other resorts if you want the cheaper cost but really would prefer to stay at WDW most of the time.

 

[mikesmom]

Except in that scenario you have to count on members being easily available who want that beach vacation. As much as I LOVE Vero and HHI I did not buy into DVC to get to those resorts. There are other ways to get a beach vacation. The majority of members who bought into DVC bought there because they want to go to WDW. There will be far more members trying to get into AKL at 7 months, than are trying to go to Vero.

If you want to use cheaper points to go to AKL, the better strategy would be to buy in to OKW. You still won't always get AKL at 7 months, but if you don't you still have your WDW vacation and better luck next time with AKL. If you are booked at HHI or Vero and can't get into a WDW resort at 7 months, it's a loooong drive to the parks.