Buying into DVC resale....a few questions

[sabina720]

We are looking into buying a resale, but I want to make sure I know all the details. We love to stay at BCV or BWV, but we are thinking we should buy at OKW or SS, we are pretty flexible with our travel dates, so why wouldn't we buy at the home resort where the points are cheaper? I just want to make sure I am understanding things fully. Also, when the DVC resort opens in Hawaii, will we be able to use our points at that resort?

 

[personable_pixie]

The major difference is your booking window...
If you have very flexible schedules, I would just get the cheapest points you can get, since it makes a difference financially. (Or as a pride thing - some people really LOOOOVE their home resorts!) You CAN book at all resorts 8 months out from your vacation - that's when the other resorts open up for you. Besides, if your faves are BWV and BCV, they aren't being actively sold anymore, anyway. There may be a block that opens up for them, but the timespan will be shorter, since they started selling sooner than AKL, SS and BLT. (That also would make them cheaper...)

Any way you go, you will LOVE being an owner!! Been a Disney nut all my life, and finally took the DVC plunge in 2002, with VWL (a block had opened up). Never regretted it!
Carpe Disney!
Smiles,
Wendy

 

[personable_pixie]

Yes, as far as everything we've heard, the points will transfer to be used in Hawaii as well, just like the do at DL. Sorry! Didn't mean to omit that!

 

[wdwnut]

You should buy where you love to stay or at least where you wouldn't mind staying. It isn't always possible to switch resorts at the 7 month mark. Certain times of the year (Food & Wine Festival for example) would make it harder to book the Epcot resorts at the 7 month mark. When Hawaii becomes available, the point charts will come out for that resort.

 

[sabina720]

So if we buy 100 points at Hilton Head or Vero Beach....we can book at BCV or BWV and Hawaii at 7 or 8 months out?? Is there any info out there yet about the point charts for Hawaii?

 

[auralia]

you can book at 7 months out but make certain you calcuate dues when you look at your best option the dues at BLT are under 4 per point but almost 7 i believe at HHI and will only go up (at both places... so the 100 points will cost you aobut 400 a year at BLT but 700 per year mantinace at HHI so long will it take before this adds up to enough to make up the differance in these 2 contracts?)

 

[ToddyLu]

The general consensus from what I understand is that VB and HH could be damaged in a hurricane and the owners would split any insurance money, in a nut shell. VB and HH would not necessarily have to be built back. Now that is not likely to happen but when you own for 40 years anything I guess is possible. With a WDW DVC resort that is very unlikely. I mean sure soemthing could happen to a building but chances are Disney would want to build back becasue it is on property. If you want to stay at WDW then purchase a home resort at WDW. Can you buy points at one resort and hopefully use them at another at the 7 month mark? Sure if the availability is there....but if it isn't you are stuck with HH points and can only vacation there. You need to realy like you Home Resort.

If you can only make your reservations at 7 months or less then Home resort doesn't matter and you should buy SSR resale ( or OKW). Home resort matters for the 11 month booking...you make a reservation then and then at 7 months waitlist somewhere else. If you do not get your waitlist at 7 months...will you be happy at HH....when you want to be at WDW?

Good luck with your decision

 

[Sandisw]

If it is really important to stay at BCV or BWV, then I would buy there. If you are okay staying at SSR or OKW, and will not be disappointed if you can't trade out at the 7 months mark, then buy one of those.

IMO, I would not buy HH or VB to stay at WDW. It prevents you from booking anything until that 7 months mark and you may or may not find what you want, where you want, for all the dates you want. And, while you save upfront, the MF"s will make it more expensive in the long run. Since those are the bulk of the DVC cost, it needs to be weighed carefully.

I know it seems like 7 months out is a long time, but for DVC, some reservations go right at the 11 month window for owners. For example, early Dec is really popular and most book at their home resorts exactly 11 months out.

As others have said, Oct is busy at both BWV and BCV due to Food & Wine. We bought BLT because we want to stay there, unless it is our own choice to try someplace else. We travel in August, and from everything we read, a lower demand time for DVC. However, we did not want to risk something happening down the line and finding that we can't get what we want.

Saving a few thousand dollars upfront, IF where you stay is important, was not worth it. However, there are plenty of members who own resorts that are not their favorite but are okay staying anywhere. If this is you, buy for the price.

I just read a thread yesterday from a new buyer who can't get in to BWV or BCV around early November and is upset because he was lead to believe that booking during "Choice" season (lower points) meant that getting reservations at the 7 month mark would be easy.

It never is so good luck!

 

[crisi]

BCV is a small and popular resort. BWV is larger, but particularly the "view" rooms - standard view and Boardwalk view - go fast. Its possible that you will always be able to stay where you want when you want if you don't buy where you want to stay, but its pretty likely you will get shut out at least once in a while. If you are content anywhere at WDW, an SSR or OKW purchase makes a lot of sense, you'll stay in the Epcot area often enough to be content. If you'll be disappointed when you are shut out, buy where you want to stay.

As DVC gets bigger, BCV stays the same size - and retains a pool with a lot of appeal. BWV stays the same size, and offers two room categories with higher demand than availability.

 

[DebbieB]

Check out this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2437398

 

[sabina720]

Thank you all for the insight, we do love to stay at those two resorts and probably wouldn't be happy staying at SS or OKW. I would like to try AKL or VWL or BLT!! Decisions, decisions. Thanks for pointing out the maintenance fee issue, I didn't even think of that! I will have to talk to my hubby and see what the best decision is. We have rented DVC 3x already and spent 1200-1600 each time, and plan on going again in May 2011, so we really think we should buy!