Buying at vero beach - if you never stay there...

[2Princesses1Pirate]

Hello,

I've been on the boards for a while but don't usually post and have never really read this thread, so forgive me if this has come up...

My sister-in-law just bought into DVC, she bought her points at Vero Beach but does not intend to stay there. She was told she'll have no difficulty getting 2 rooms at AKL this September.

I'm also looking into purchasing points, I'm wondering if I should do the same thing - the caveat being that my family has to travel during busy times and we're a family of 5 so we would require 2 rooms.

Is it very difficult to get 2 rooms 7 months out??

 

[Minniesgal]

My first question would be by two rooms do you mean a 2 bedroom end villa?


I wouldn't recommend buying Vero beach unless you intend to stay there, if you want to go to WDW buy a resort there. If you want a cheap resort buy SSR at least then you have accommodation where you want to be. Booking at 7 months is probably not too bad in September but later in the year, in summer of late February can be very difficult and patchy at other times of the year.

There is no real reason to buy Vero unless it is to stay there.

 

[2Princesses1Pirate]

No, by 2 rooms I mean 2 studios - but there is the option of 1 studio at VGF (which is highly unlikely to be available) or a 1 BR villa at AKL.

 

[brertoad]

It's tempting to buy Vero Beach on the resale market if you are only looking at the buying price, they tend to be in the $39-49 range, but the problem with that is the really high maint. fees. You will pay higher per point per year. Eventually that will all add up.

Vero is now at $7.41/pt. per year, which is the highest right now.
We own at SSR and our maint. fee is currently $4.81/pt. per year, one of the lowest right now.

That's $2.60 less per point. If that difference stays the same over the years (even though MF will go up, as long as there is a gap in price), over the duration of 30 years that's $78 per point more to maintain a Vero contract than SSR. Those fees will add up.

And SSR expires in 2054, and VB expires in 2042, so you get 12 more years worth of points when you buy SSR.

Regarding your other question, it should not be hard to find accommodations at 7 months, there should at least be some availabilities at OKW, SSR, and AKL. It's a little tricky to get rooms at BLT, BCV, BWI, etc. sometimes, especially during busy times, or food and wine fest. The best advice that you hear over and over is buy where you want to stay. That will give you the home resort advantage. If you have a very flexible schedule and can go anytime, then you don't need that, you can just pick from what is available and build your vacation on that.

 

[chalee94]

...the caveat being that my family has to travel during busy times and we're a family of 5 so we would require 2 rooms.

if you are assuming "busy times" = summer, then that is not really the case with DVC bookings. DVC is super busy from food and wine festival in the fall to early january. 7 months booking is not as bad during the summer.

but for VB:

1) high annual dues
2) no 11 month window onsite at wdw (might be an issue if you ever want to see the christmas lights in december)
3) risk of coastal storm damage (a bad storm means higher dues)
4) a small risk of DVC spinning off the resort out of the DVC system.

i wouldn't buy there personally. IMO the cheaper upfront cost is cheaper for a reason. (but if the price is low "enough" - maybe it works out well enough to make you happy...it's not impossible - i'm just saying i wouldn't do it.)

 

[rlovew]

Hello,

I've been on the boards for a while but don't usually post and have never really read this thread, so forgive me if this has come up...

My sister-in-law just bought into DVC, she bought her points at Vero Beach but does not intend to stay there. She was told she'll have no difficulty getting 2 rooms at AKL this September.

I'm also looking into purchasing points, I'm wondering if I should do the same thing - the caveat being that my family has to travel during busy times and we're a family of 5 so we would require 2 rooms.

Is it very difficult to get 2 rooms 7 months out??

You do realize with 2 studios you are not guarenteed to be at all together and you will never have a connecting room so you and another adult will each be in the opposite rooms. I don't think I would plan on buying in if I was going to be splitting my family by staying in 2 studios all the time. I would at least plan to be in a 1 bedroom(which sleeps 5 with bedding at AKL, BLT, and OKW). I also would not recommend purchasing points somewhere you don't plan on staying at all or at least aren't willing to stay at the resort your are buying in at. If you travel in the fall it is highly likely you will have trouble finding the rooms you want if you don't buy where you want to stay.

 

[zavandor]

The cost in point of 2 studios is almost the same for one bedroom, so in your case I would buy points at a resort that sleeps 5 in a 1 bedroom. This way you won't have to split in two rooms, will have a full kitchen, washer and dryer and amazing master bathroom. Same cost in points, more benefits.

 

[Dean]

Hello,

I've been on the boards for a while but don't usually post and have never really read this thread, so forgive me if this has come up...

My sister-in-law just bought into DVC, she bought her points at Vero Beach but does not intend to stay there. She was told she'll have no difficulty getting 2 rooms at AKL this September.

I'm also looking into purchasing points, I'm wondering if I should do the same thing - the caveat being that my family has to travel during busy times and we're a family of 5 so we would require 2 rooms.

Is it very difficult to get 2 rooms 7 months out??

VB will be more expensive very quickly than buying at say SSR. Basically it will cost you more than SSR in less than a 10 year period, possibly as little as 5 years. It's a poor choice as a points cow but for one wanting to stay there routinely, it's a reasonable choice. Getting AKV Sept shouldn't be a big deal as long as concierge and value rooms aren't part of the mix. I agree the 2 bath 1 BR might be a good choice for you.

 

[BestDadEver]

No cause you may get stuck there with no other options . And add in the highest MF in the DVC system it's not the cheapest .

IMO the cheapest is SSR so long as you wouldn't mind staying the IMO it's the safest of the cheaper resorts even if the MF were higher , cause at least it's at wdw .

 

[2Princesses1Pirate]

Thanks everyone - I think we're going to buy our points at the Grand Floridian. It's the place where we can use the least points since we can sleep 5 in a studio and it will be nice to be on the monorail. The 1 bedroom would be nice and I imagine that we could add points later if we find the studio too crowded, but I'm not too worried about that. Thank you all for taking the time to respond, I do appreciate your input.

 

[disneynutz]

My first question would be by two rooms do you mean a 2 bedroom end villa?


I wouldn't recommend buying Vero beach unless you intend to stay there, if you want to go to WDW buy a resort there. If you want a cheap resort buy SSR at least then you have accommodation where you want to be. Booking at 7 months is probably not too bad in September but later in the year, in summer of late February can be very difficult and patchy at other times of the year.

There is no real reason to buy Vero unless it is to stay there.

If it was a great idea everyone would do it, VB would be sold out with a waiting list.

Bill

 

[got4boys]

Also take a look at Animal Kingdom Villas for Home Resort priority for the Value Rooms. Depending on the season, you can get two studios for almost the same points for one studio at Villas at Grand Floridian.

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks everyone - I think we're going to buy our points at the Grand Floridian. It's the place where we can use the least points since we can sleep 5 in a studio and it will be nice to be on the monorail. The 1 bedroom would be nice and I imagine that we could add points later if we find the studio too crowded, but I'm not too worried about that. Thank you all for taking the time to respond, I do appreciate your input.

One thing I have read about the studios at VGF is that there is very little space for storage so keep that in mind...some people don't mind living out of suitcases and others do...with 5 in the room, it may be something that will need to be done in part.

Good luck!

 

[Minniesgal]

Thanks everyone - I think we're going to buy our points at the Grand Floridian. It's the place where we can use the least points since we can sleep 5 in a studio and it will be nice to be on the monorail. The 1 bedroom would be nice and I imagine that we could add points later if we find the studio too crowded, but I'm not too worried about that. Thank you all for taking the time to respond, I do appreciate your input.

If it were me I Would make sure I had at least seen the studios at VGF before committing to a purchase putting a family of 5 in a studio. The floor space in a studio is very limited and you will all be living on top of each other. Might be doable for a short stay but longer stays would be a nightmare. We personally use 2 bedrooms for our family of 5.

 

[crisi]

If it were me. Would make sure I had at least seen the studios at VGF before committing to a purchase putting a family of 5 in a studio. The floor space in a studio is very limited and you will all be living on top of each other. Might be doable for a short stay but longer stays would be a nightmare. We personally use 2 bedrooms for our family of 5.

And with teens - oh my!

I'd look at somewhere where one bedrooms are a value - you can put five in a one bedroom anywhere - but sleeper chairs aren't available everywhere, at a place like BWV you'd need to bring an air mattress. A cheaper point one bedroom will be a lot more comfortable - and give you a kitchen and washer and dryer. And if you think "kitchen and washer and dryer - I'm on vacation are you nuts!" you may not be the first DVC member to admit that you never thought you'd use them and now can't imagine not having them.

 

[lovin'fl]

Also take a look at Animal Kingdom Villas for Home Resort priority for the Value Rooms. Depending on the season, you can get two studios for almost the same points for one studio at Villas at Grand Floridian.

Value studios are limited and tough to get even at 11 months out sometimes (especially if they want 2).

 

[SFlaDisneyfans]

I would add three things.

1. Consider the point increase for the ability to put five in the VGF studio over the other resorts that put 4 in a studio. Buying at VGF just for the 5 in a studio means you are paying a premium for the points (150$ per point) and then paying a premium in points for each stay (based on the increased cost in points for rooms at VGF.

2. Have you actually seen the models for VGF at the sales office? We were going to purchase a small VGF contract until we walked through the models. We did not like them that much.

3. Have you visited the different DVC resorts. We visited all of them and chose our contract based on the look and feel of the resort we liked the best. Well to be exact, the look and feel combined with factors such as cost and maint fee.

 

[2Princesses1Pirate]

I'm a little confused - how do you put 5 people in a studio for 4?

We have to stay during magic season, so the points for a 1 bedroom anywhere else are considerably higher than the points for the studio at VGF.

We did not tour the VGF rooms, only the rooms at AKL. I like the look of the VGF rooms, but no, I haven't been in them.

My favourite resort is the Poly, I am not willing to wait for that. I'd say the closest in "feel" to the Poly is AKL - because I find them both dark and subdued, but AKL is too far out for us. I like the atmoshpere of the monorail resorts - and we'll be within walking distance to the Poly - bonus.

We've stayed in a suite at AoA and in a cabin at FW. Loved the space, liked the kitchen at FW but I could easily cook bacon and eggs in a microwave (that's all I cooked). We've also stayed in one cruise ship cabin and were fine. I'd prefer a 1 bedroom, sure, but we usually stay at Riverside, so I'm thinking we'll be fine in the studio.

As far as laundry, again, having a washer and dryer in the room would be fantastic, but since I usually do laundry and pay for it, I'm looking at the opprtunity to do free laundry in the laundromat as another bonus.

I'm not eliminating the idea of a 1 bedroom, but it will be much, much more expensive.

 

[nalajms]

I'm a little confused - how do you put 5 people in a studio for 4?

Studios at VGF have a small Murphy bed built into the TV bureau. I don't believe an older child would fit in it.

Also be aware that the studios fill up very quickly. I would say it will be more difficult going forward compared to other resorts, likely because people wanting to stay at VGF don't want to spend more points for bigger rooms.

 

[lovin'fl]

I'm a little confused - how do you put 5 people in a studio for 4?

The only studio that you can put 5 people in is VGF as it has the TV flip down bed. You can put 5 in any 1BR but only some have beds/linens for 5. When we, a family of 5, 1st bought DVC, we always got 1BRs and brought an air mattress for DS to sleep on and we'd have to bring him a blanket and bath towels. BLT, AKV and OKW have a sleeper chair as well as a sleeper sofa to actually sleep 5. But you can book 5 people in any of the 1BRs (just have to provide bed/linens for the 5th person in the resorts w/out the sleeper chair). I think getting enough points at OKW (via resale) to do a 1BR would be the best bet. Resale OKW points are pretty cheap...about $60-70pp (especially compared to buying VGF from Disney at $150pp). MF aren't bad there either ($5.34 this year)...not sure what the comparison is to VGF (I think VGF is a bit higher this year and will probably increase even more next year).