Buying DVC while @ DL question!

[Iggipolka]

Just back from DL! We went to the DVC open house and here's what we were offered:

$50 Disney gift card just for attending an open house.

How long is the open house? Do you get the gift card immediatly, or do they mail it to you?

Thanks!

 

[Zoemakes5]

Not to hijack, but was wondering if anyone got "credit" for referring someone to take the tour?? I know both my parent's Marriott timeshare and the Fairfield one we almost bought in to in March both offer points or perks for referring someone for a tour. If that is the case, I'm interested in the tour in March of next year and I'd be happy for one of my Dis friends to get credit for it.

 

[stampinshauna]

Sometimes they offer referral incentives. Currently (through Oct 20), members get a $50 gift card for referring someone who takes the tour. I know that last winter during the Friends & Family promotion, if you referred people who actually bought, the member got $200 towards their annual dues (only in certain states). Maybe there will be some new incentive when you go in March, just ask on these boards.

 

[mom2dzb]

Soooooo.....did you buy!?!?!?!?!? Enquiring minds, you know...

We took the plunge! 200 SSR pts @ $86/point. I was gonna go with 160 but my husband actually talked me into more! Can't wait for my membership package!

 

[PattiPB]

Congrats on the purchase!!!!

My butt is killing me from sitting on this fence...

 

[mom2dzb]

My butt is killing me from sitting on this fence...

Looks like you'll be at DL week after next . . . I'm sure you'll have decided by then. If you do decide to buy, you'll have to make another difficult decision . . . AP at DL or WDW?

 

[samkj]

Congrats on the purchase!!!!

My butt is killing me from sitting on this fence...

You're not on a fence, you're just waiting for the new Animal Kingdom Villas to open up!

 

[dbanzai]

I bought into the DVC this weekend while at DL. I'm getting two vouchers for PAPs, good at either WDW or DL. They also gave me a choice of either an extra set of points for joining or a $10 per point rebate on the cost (I took the latter). I got a few smaller incentives, such as pins and fastpasses, and because of a hitch in my booking, a gift card.

I was told the AP deal was supposed to have ended with the end of the 50th celebrations, but Disney hasn't actually cancelled it yet, so hush about that.

The big announcement apparently happened last week, and it wasn't about a DVC at DL, but a new resort in FL, which will open in a few years. Right now Saratoga Springs is the only place you can buy into. Animal Kingdom Villas will be next, as mentioned above. Sounds like it will be amazing, with the AK animals right there!

It was something I had been going back and forth on for a while myself. This however was the first time I felt I could afford it and the people I spoke to (Sarah in the park, Heidi in the office) answered every question I had... I originally had a tape from years ago which didn't explain things well. When I spoke to both of them, I felt very conficent this was right for me.

Good luck!

 

[mom2dzb]

Right now Saratoga Springs is the only place you can buy into. Animal Kingdom Villas will be next, as mentioned above.

Not quite true. You can buy into other resorts, some right on the spot, others you have to waitlist for. Prices vary, with no incentives. AKV, as stated above, is not available yet.

 

[dbanzai]

Not quite true. You can buy into other resorts, some right on the spot, others you have to waitlist for. Prices vary, with no incentives. AKV, as stated above, is not available yet.

That's not the way it was described to me or how any of the books/papers they gave me describes it. Prices do not vary per se. You are buying shares, not even really a week or two at a certain resort. Each share is worth a certain amount when purchasing. Prices do not vary, rather the point values at resorts are different. Key West for instance is and always will be 8 points in the value season. The point structure never changes, and that's why Key West is the cheapest; it was the first DVC resort and that's what it was valued at when it opened. Each resort is locked into its point value for the duration.

Price vary only as share prices go up (or possibly down).

As for availabilty, that I'm not so sure of, although they were only working towards selling SS. Most of the pictures, the unit model outside and the small-scale model are all based on Saratoga. SS is more bang for your buck though because its contract is 48 years. The other recent resorts run out sooner as the contracts already exist. I get my points for 48 years, while someone at Key West how buys now would get points for 35 years if it was offered for 50 years then. It sounds like contracts are done for the same duration from the start of the issuing.

 

[PattiPB]

Looks like you'll be at DL week after next . . . I'm sure you'll have decided by then. If you do decide to buy, you'll have to make another difficult decision . . . AP at DL or WDW?

Welllll....since we are already AP holders at DL, and we have Dec and Aug trips planned for WDW...

I know we are going to take the tour. I'm just not sure I can justify the cost. We have stayed at every level of accommodations at WDW (and DL!), and aren't "resort snobs". I've read everything I can find on the DIS DVC boards, and I just can't jump off this darned fence in either direction!

I should have bought in the early '90s! Why oh why did I save all that money for a house and kids!!!

 

[PattiPB]

You're not on a fence, you're just waiting for the new Animal Kingdom Villas to open up!

You said a mouthful there, my friend!!

Honestly, I'd happily take SSR and hope to work some 7-month window magic down the road!!!

 

[dbanzai]

Well if you have a house already, you do get to write the timeshare off as a second home...

 

[dbanzai]

Double post.

 

[mom2dzb]

Welllll....since we are already AP holders at DL, and we have Dec and Aug trips planned for WDW...

See, buying into DVC is an easy choice. Looks like you've already got the tough decision made.

I should have bought in the early '90s! Why oh why did I save all that money for a house and kids!!!

When you do go on the tour, I'd suggest you ask for Nelida as your guide. Not that I know any poor choices there, I just know that she's easy to work with.

 

[mom2dzb]

That's not the way it was described to me or how any of the books/papers they gave me describes it.

Right. They don't advertise that they've got other resorts for sale.

Prices do not vary per se. You are buying shares, not even really a week or two at a certain resort. Each share is worth a certain amount when purchasing.

The prices for the other resorts are different . . . $95/point at some and cheaper at others. (From what I remember at my tour a couple of weeks ago.) I remember they weren't lower than the price I got with the incentive.

 

[acpalmer]

I would second the recommendation to go with Nelida, she is our guide and was wonderful. I was unable to go to the presentation with DH and she was great about it--it was no problem at all that I wasn't there. She said she never wants anyone to buy right at the presentation, anyway, she wants them to go home and think about it and be sure so it wasn't a big deal that I wasn't there to sign papers because she wouldn't have wanted us signing any papers that day anyway. She gave DH the $50 gift card right as he finished and was leaving.

Just one of the many reasons that we loved her!

 

[allison k]

I believe you can waitlist for the other resorts once you're a member, but not prior. You can also buy smaller add-on contracts after becoming a member as well. I would double check me on that. The people over on the DVC boards know WAY more about that.

PattiPB - I'm wondering, why are you on the fence? Is it the cost? I'm just curious. As I'm sure you know, everyone who's bought said they wished they did it sooner. And it's the same for me.

Here's just a little something to think about. I live in South Orange County, only about 20 miles away from DL and I go all the time. We bought our DVC last year - after wanting it badly after our tour in 2002. We took advantage on our last trip and stayed at BWV during Spring Break (booked in late October - less than 7 months out). We're expecting our 2nd child in April, so no WDW trip for the next year for us. SOOOOO, we're using our points to spend 3 nights at the GC in December. Plus, we'll still have half our points to bank for the next year on top of it all. SO, if you can't make it to WDW one year, you can splurge to spend some of your points at GC. And if they open a DVC in DL, that's even better! What's even more exciting is that it looks like the opening of some of the DVC rooms at AKL will coincide with our next trip in 2008.

One more thing, when we decided we were going to buy, I went to the DVC offices on my own without the DH. Our guide was happy to help me and go over everything. There was never a requirement that both of us go. It was when we decided to buy that my DH happily went along!

 

[mom2dzb]

I believe you can waitlist for the other resorts once you're a member, but not prior.

Glad to see you're enjoying your membership, Allison! I can't wait to start enjoying mine . . . (Feb 9-15th 2007, OKW 1BR. Booked it less than 4 months out. I was worried about that booking window!)

At my presentation I asked about the other resorts. I was given the price/point at the various resorts and told that some were available and some required being put on a waitlist. She said nothing about any of the other resorts being unavailable for me to purchase. I assumed that my guide was offering to put me, not a member of DVC, on the waitlist if I wanted to buy into a sold-out DVC. When I saw that the prices were not any lower than the current incentive price I lost interest.

 

[PattiPB]

PattiPB - I'm wondering, why are you on the fence? Is it the cost? I'm just curious. As I'm sure you know, everyone who's bought said they wished they did it sooner. And it's the same for me.

As you can tell from my siggie, it's not that we wouldn't use it!

We've stayed virtually everywhere in Fla and DL. We've stayed offsite hotel, offsite condo, offsite house, value, mod, deluxe, DVC. While we greatly prefer DVC, we can be relatively happy anywhere.

We are a fam of 5, and although they are "letting" 5 in a 1BR right now, it is in the bylaws that 4 is the max occ, and if they start to enforce that, I'm forced into 2BR, which would deplete my points way too quickly.

We have also traded in II for DVC, and that is an incredibly cheap option. I know it's not guaranteed, but it's not as difficult as you might think.