Buy Points for Cheaper Home Resort and Stay at Any?

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Over the life of the contract OKW and SSR assuming dues remain relatively the same are not cheaper options than BLT or VGC. They are more expensive.

If you are only concerned about the upfront costs they are cheaper.

Well....

You can get OKW and SSR for about $50 a point right now based on some ROFR info I have seen.

Since that's close to $50 cheaper the BLT's asking price from Disney it's going to take a while to spend that extra cash. You saved $50. Dues are $1.09 higher per year at OKW then BLT. Based on my math if the variance doesnt' change I have about 45 years before the "extra" dues exceeded the purchase cost

 

[ssawka]

The problem with this argument is that it turns an intentional blind eye to history. It reminds me of something a DVC timeshare salesman might say.

In the entire 18 year history of DVC, every single hotel-connected resort's MF's have risen above OKW within the first 5 years or so.

New resorts always start with lower dues, but every hotel-connected resort that has been open for a few years (BWV, BCV, VWL) has considerably higher MF's.

Don't be misled by BLT's dues today vs. the oldest resort in the system; compare ANY of the sold-out hotel-resorts to OKW and you'll get an accurate look into the future of BLT.

Yes, you may be right, however the other hotel connected resorts have a larger overall footprint (grounds, # of elevators, etc.) than BLT. Whether or not that will play into the MFs, time will tell.

 

[McCrae]

This seems to get so complicated quickly. I am almost 40 and really to have a contract for almost 50 years is probably irrelevant as I would be 90 years old at the end of it! The initial cost of BLT is simply more than I want to spend. I am looking at purchasing around 270 points and OKW is just more affordable to me right now without breaking it down for years to come. I just want to have fun at WDW with my family for years to come and am trying to figure out the best way to do it.

Just to add to the mix and make things a little bit more complicated have you thought about potential resale value? If you are thinking you may give up DVC a few years down the road it is worth thinking about.

IMO resorts such as BLT and VGC will command a higher price than other resorts. The longer length of contract as well as the prime location for these resorts make them more attractive for many to buy. I would argue contracts for these resorts will always trade at a premium to OKW and SS.
Yes the initial purchase price will be higher, but the selling price will almost certainly be higher....and of course annual dues will be much lower atleast for the forseable future. Limits in the amounts dues can go up each year will make sure this is the case for a while, if not the period of the whole contract.

 

[a742246]

I have been tossing around the idea in my head of purchasing DVC resale. My question is this.... If I buy points for one of the cheaper home resorts such as OKW or SSR, I can still use the points to book any other resort, right? The only difference is that I can only book my non-home resort 7 months out as opposed to 11 month? Is making sure you can book at 11 months out really that important? Any thoughts on this theory?
Thanks!

That's the way I thought when I got my DVC!
I am more then happy with this purchase. I am willing to stay at any resort that is available and I always have a great time.

 

[Candy Orlando]

Buy what you can afford. OKW and SSR are fantastic!!! Have fun and enjoy!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Just to add to the mix and make things a little bit more complicated have you thought about potential resale value? If you are thinking you may give up DVC a few years down the road it is worth thinking about.

IMO resorts such as BLT and VGC will command a higher price than other resorts. The longer length of contract as well as the prime location for these resorts make them more attractive for many to buy. I would argue contracts for these resorts will always trade at a premium to OKW and SS.
Yes the initial purchase price will be higher, but the selling price will almost certainly be higher....and of course annual dues will be much lower atleast for the forseable future. Limits in the amounts dues can go up each year will make sure this is the case for a while, if not the period of the whole contract.

Resale... See OKW... that's the FUTURE for all of them.

1. We are buying a timeshare.. TIMESHARES are not investments

2. We are not even buying a deeded timeshare. At some point you won't be able to PAY someone to take this thing off your hands. Do you really think that with 5 years left someone is going to want to PAY for that resort?

Do NOT buy assuming "I can sell it for a profit"

 

[cseca]

I don't know if anybody mentioned this, make sure you like your home resort.
Based on your situation if I were you I would ask this question:

If DVC ended up taking away the perk of booking outside your home resort will you still be happy with it? If you are then that's the right choice for you.

Not saying that they will, but all perks are just that... perks. They can go at any time.

 

[Sandisw]

This seems to get so complicated quickly. I am almost 40 and really to have a contract for almost 50 years is probably irrelevant as I would be 90 years old at the end of it! The initial cost of BLT is simply more than I want to spend. I am looking at purchasing around 270 points and OKW is just more affordable to me right now without breaking it down for years to come. I just want to have fun at WDW with my family for years to come and am trying to figure out the best way to do it.

That sounds great! Just one more piece to consider. While it may mean an extra set of closing costs, you may want to consider buying two smaller contracts vs. one big one, even going resale.

If you decide down the road that DVC is not for you, or want points at a different resort, you could sell one contract and still be a member. Instead of buying a large 270 point contract, you could look for two smaller ones.

If you buy all the points in one large contract and somewhere down the line you want to sell, it will be all or nothing.

Congratulations on your decision!

 

[Goofy DVC]

Here's something else to think about. You could use your $50 OKW points to stay at BLT every single year instead of paying $100 for BLT. The only thing you MIGHT not get is SV room or MK view.If you book right at 7 months you'll have a great shot at other DVC resorts. We have gotten into BCV, SSR, and BLT the last three years at 7 months.

 

[BillPA]

Here's something else to think about. You could use your $50 OKW points to stay at BLT every single year instead of paying $100 for BLT. The only thing you MIGHT not get is SV room or MK view.If you book right at 7 months you'll have a great shot at other DVC resorts. We have gotten into BCV, SSR, and BLT the last three years at 7 months.

But you will need about 30% more points for the same unit at BLT vs. OKW.
Oh, if Richymes were still with us you would get all the details.

Rest in peace Richymes.

 

[Anal Annie]

We own at SSR but we also like it just fine if that's where we end up. WE like to stay at a different resort on each trip tho so that each trip is different from the last. We bought in 2006 and have not had a problem (yet) if booking right at 7 months. We got in at BCV & VB last summer and we even got in at HHI this summer which is a really hard one to get. I wouldn't want to stay at SSR on EACH trip but I wouldn't want to stay at ANY of the resorts over & over & over. We really enjoy the resort hopping. We always call with a Plan A and a Plan B so we won't feel shut out if we can't get our first choice. I also try to always call first thing on our 7 month window. If I call much after our 7 month window I just give the CM the dates & ask what is open & we pick from what's left.

 

[McCrae]

Resale... See OKW... that's the FUTURE for all of them.

2. We are not even buying a deeded timeshare. At some point you won't be able to PAY someone to take this thing off your hands. Do you really think that with 5 years left someone is going to want to PAY for that resort?

"

Their will always be value in your DVC purchase unless you think that Disney will go out of business and the parks dont exist anymore.

For the last year of the contract it should equal the price it would cost you to stay at a Disney resort equivalent to the number of days you can buy with your points. It would probably trade at some form of discount otherwise no incentive for someone to buy.

So yes I do believe people would buy a DVC property with only 5 years left to run. I also believe that in 50 years the cost of staying at Disney for cash buyers will be more than what i paid for my DVC membership.

Whilst I am not looking to make any money from DVC I would not be surprised if we would see the price go up across all resorts, just as has been seen with the older resorts.

 

[nolanboys]

We bought resale into SSR this past spring because of the lower cost and dues compared to many other resorts. We love OKW too, but could not find an extended contract that fit our needs. Although we have never stayed at SSR, we are excited to try the THV this March. I am calling tomorrow, at our 7 mo mark, to try and switch a couple of days to another resort. We love the idea of a split stay and like to change things up. DH and I are going for our first DVC trip this October and our splitting our time between AKV and BWV. We were lucky to be able to plan these trips far into the future, but with our kids busy schedules that may become harder to do. We will be more than happy is only SSR or OKW are available for a spur of the moment trip and I was able to get more points for my money.

 

[Dean]

I have been tossing around the idea in my head of purchasing DVC resale. My question is this.... If I buy points for one of the cheaper home resorts such as OKW or SSR, I can still use the points to book any other resort, right? The only difference is that I can only book my non-home resort 7 months out as opposed to 11 month? Is making sure you can book at 11 months out really that important? Any thoughts on this theory?
Thanks!

I used to be a "buy where you want to stay" believer. At that time the cost difference and expiration date differences were relatively small. At this time I think that SSR or OKW extended are the best value for most situations. But as noted by others, you have to be willing to stay there if you can't get anything else. Someone who must have a given resort or difficult to get room type most trips should consider a different approach. I do not believe the same thinking extends well to VB or HH due to the fact you would not have an 11 month window at WDW, higher dues and lower resale value. However, for one who wants to travel to those resort for higher demand times, they are still work considering. For many, owning more than 1 resort can be the best of both worlds. IF one could find subsidized VB contract for the otherwise going price, that might alter those dynamics as well.

 

[Disneyaunt4]

So from what I am hearing, buying resale at OKW is a good choice if buying into DVC. It's nice, it's cheap, and a point is a point is a point, so I can pretty much go to other resorts when I feel like it booking 7 months out unless I go during the busiest times. Also, I haven't ever been to OKW. Does this really matter? No matter what, it's a Disney vacation. Hmmm............... Now, if I can just get my hubby on board!

We bought a resale at OKW sight unseen, may not be for everyone but it has worked well for us. We have stayed at BCV- 2 bedroom in May, Animal Kingdom-studio in Jan., BLT-studio in Sept, BWV-studio in Sept. VWL-1 bedroom in Sept. So it can be done and if not OKW is wonderful, staying in a 2 bedroom in 6 days
Any questions feel free to send me a pm.

 

[JWG]

We bought at BLT and paid the obvious premium to get an 11-month booking window there. We have a 4 year old who starts school in a year so are close to having to travel during more popular times. We wanted to 1) know we could get into BLT during those times 2) have a high percentage chance of getting a SV room versus having to use many more points for LV or MK.

I'm not a SSR fan, so having to stay there is not my thing. I'm fine with OKW, but have had a few times when SSR was all that was available.

Of course, I did pay $35-$40 more per point for my buy-in. Some of that will be saved in dues though.