Considering buying DVC but royally confused.

[prune1977]

Please help. Ok looking at buying DVC through resale. Looking at SS, WL and AKL. My ?'s are can and how do we stay at other DVC resorts if we buy SS and purchase say 300 pts there. DO those pts equate the same if we want to stay at say WL one trip? Also how do the pts systems work other places besides Disney? I'm so confused.

 

[chalee94]

Please help. Ok looking at buying DVC through resale. Looking at SS, WL and AKL. My ?'s are can and how do we stay at other DVC resorts if we buy SS and purchase say 300 pts there. DO those pts equate the same if we want to stay at say WL one trip?

at 7 months, a point is a point. the issue is availability. some resorts do book up by owners before the 7 month window opens. VWL can be tough to get in december. if you're the type to complain if you get "stuck" at SSR, i'd recommend buying at VWL. if you are happy just to be onsite, buy at SSR and take your chances at the 7 month window.

edited to add: you cannot stay at the actual WL on DVC pts, only in the villas section (away from the nifty lobby). also, VWL during non-holiday times seems to generally be available if you book at 7 months (that is always subject to change.)

Also how do the pts systems work other places besides Disney? I'm so confused.

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/points-charts/non-dvc-destinations

here are some point charts for non-DVC options. they tend to be kinda high and also require a $95 fee when you trade out of the system (and more $95 fees if you make changes later). and to have access to these trades, you need to buy direct at higher prices.

DVC pts are best used for DVC resorts (including HHI, HI, and VB) - point costs are more reasonable and no fee is required.

to trade out through RCI (which is possible for resales as well as direct purchases), it costs 160 pts for a 1BR trade and 230 pts for a 2BR...but you need to plan well in advance and some of the top trades are never really an option (as the owners of those resorts during peak periods use or rent their weeks for cash...they don't trade out.)

 

[Nabas]

Please help. Ok looking at buying DVC through resale. Looking at SS, WL and AKL. My ?'s are can and how do we stay at other DVC resorts if we buy SS and purchase say 300 pts there. DO those pts equate the same if we want to stay at say WL one trip? Also how do the pts systems work other places besides Disney? I'm so confused.

Welcome! Yes, it's very confusing buy, after a while, you get the hang of it.

When you purchase a DVC membership, you buy a certain number of points at a specific resort. That's called your "Home Resort". You can buy points at more than one resort but each point you buy only has one Home Resort; the resort that that point was purchased for.

Home Resort is important for one primary reason. You can book at your Home Resort up to 11 months in advance. You can book at other DVC resorts up to 7 months in advance.

For DVC, the longer booking window is important because a lot of the popular rooms at the popular resorts are booked before 7 months. Some extremely popular rooms are booked right at 11 months.

The important difference between DVC rooms and regular "cash only" (CO) rooms is that DVC rooms are nearly 100% occupied. So, unlike a CO room that you usually can book on short notice, it's much more difficult to book a DVC room on short notice.

The two exceptions tend to be Saratoga Springs Resort (SSR) and Old Key West (OKW). Both of these DVC resorts are very large (SSR is by far the largest) and are not physically connected to a Deluxe Resort. Not sure if you've been to either but they have layouts that remind me more of Moderate Resort; multiple physically separate buildings. The other DVC resorts tend to feel more like hotels and are all connected to Deluxe Resorts.

DVC memberships purchased through resale have some limitations. For example, they cannot be used to book Disney Cruise Line (DCL) cruises. However, most DVC members will advise that the most cost-efficient use of your points is to either use them for DVC stays or to rent them to someone else and then use the cash gain to purchase whatever other vacation you want. So, in general, don't plan to use your DVC points for non-DVC vacations.

For more background, DVC is run on a point system. A single hotel room (called a "Studio") during the slow season might cost 10 points/night. A 3-bedroom Grand Villa can be over 200 points/night for Christmas or Easter.

After you purchase your points, you have to pay an annual Maintenance Fee (MF). This runs from about $4 to $6 per point, depending on which DVC you purchase.

Hope this helps!

 

[prune1977]

Thanks for the replies so far, what if you buy at hilton head or vero beach? Can you use those PTs at the villas at Disney world?

 

[chalee94]

Thanks for the replies so far, what if you buy at hilton head or vero beach? Can you use those PTs at the villas at Disney world?

"subject to availability," sure.

keep in mind you will be paying higher annual dues, and there are higher risks as coastal storms are more likely to damage those properties.

but don't think that low upfront prices mean value...they mean you want to roll the dice. prices are low for a reason.

i would not own those resorts unless i really wanted to stay at those resorts. SSR is a better value if you are looking at wdw stays and are just happy to be onsite. (note that SSR expires in 2054 compared to 2042 for HHI/VB.)

 

[prune1977]

Ok thanks, I just wasn't sure if you could or not. This is all new to me. I'm mainly looking at SS due to lower cost but would love to own WL but the dues I feel are high there

 

[prune1977]

"subject to availability," sure. keep in mind you will be paying higher annual dues, and there are higher risks as coastal storms are more likely to damage those properties. but don't think that low upfront prices mean value...they mean you want to roll the dice. prices are low for a reason. i would not own those resorts unless i really wanted to stay at those resorts. SSR is a better value if you are looking at wdw stays and are just happy to be onsite. (note that SSR expires in 2054 compared to 2042 for HHI/VB.)

Is the risk of owning those low if I want them only to stay onsite at WD & go in jan, feb & sept?

 

[prune1977]

I see the fees to those now are very high

 

[chalee94]

Is the risk of owning those low if I want them only to stay onsite at WD & go in jan, feb & sept?

if you are going in jan (avoiding marathon/holiday periods), feb and sept, i think you've got a great shot at getting VWL if you book exactly when the 7 month window opens. (that can change, but right now, those are lower demand periods for DVC and VWL seems to be less in demand since BLT opened.)

that is true whether you own SSR or HHI or VB. but VB especially has been hammered by coastal storms in the past (major damage would mean even higher annual dues) and is too risky for me to recommend (i am pretty risk averse.) if you are just happy to be onsite, SSR is a great option due to upfront cost, annual dues rate and length of contract.

 

[prune1977]

if you are going in jan (avoiding marathon/holiday periods), feb and sept, i think you've got a great shot at getting VWL if you book exactly when the 7 month window opens. (that can change, but right now, those are lower demand periods for DVC and VWL seems to be less in demand since BLT opened.) that is true whether you own SSR or HHI or VB. but VB especially has been hammered by coastal storms in the past (major damage would mean even higher annual dues) and is too risky for me to recommend (i am pretty risk averse.) if you are just happy to be onsite, SSR is a great option due to upfront cost, annual dues rate and length of contract.

Ok thanks, I had one other ?. My family is myself, dw, ds8, dd6 & ds3. I notice some villas day they only sleep 4 at WL. Can I still book that one anyhow if we don't mind bringing along our little cot for the little guy?

 

[prune1977]

Actually I guess I had 2 other ?'s. What is a good price per pt to pay for SS, okw, BC & WL? I'm looking at a few options. One is 350 PTs at Vwl, one is 350 at SS & another is 550 at SS.

 

[Missyrose]

Ok thanks, I had one other ?. My family is myself, dw, ds8, dd6 & ds3. I notice some villas day they only sleep 4 at WL. Can I still book that one anyhow if we don't mind bringing along our little cot for the little guy?

The only studio that will allow five is VGF. The one bedrooms at OKW, AKV, VGF and BLT have a sleeper chair in the living room, so there are beds for five in those villas. The other resorts only have beds for four in their one bedrooms, but DVC will allow you to have five in them but you have to provide the bed/bedding/towels for the extra person.

 

[BrerNashville]

Actually I guess I had 2 other ?'s. What is a good price per pt to pay for SS, okw, BC & WL? I'm looking at a few options. One is 350 PTs at Vwl, one is 350 at SS & another is 550 at SS.

Look at the points charts for the resorts, and the time periods you would likely be going. Will you go for one week per year? every other year? two weeks per year? Then look at the 1BR points requirement for your length of stay and buy accordingly.

I am also a family of 5 (10,8,6). When I bought into BLT, I bought enough points for a two bedroom every other year, plus some extra to allow me and the missus to go on a kidless trip to Food & Wine every year. I figured if we went more often, we could stay in 1BRs rather than the 2BR. After 18 months, I bought more points, so that now I can do a week in a 2BR each year. I am now borrowed (pointswise, not $$) to the hilt, and contemplating another add on.

So, whatever you decide, just know you will probably change your mind.

 

[prune1977]

Look at the points charts for the resorts, and the time periods you would likely be going. Will you go for one week per year? every other year? two weeks per year? Then look at the 1BR points requirement for your length of stay and buy accordingly. I am also a family of 5 (10,8,6). When I bought into BLT, I bought enough points for a two bedroom every other year, plus some extra to allow me and the missus to go on a kidless trip to Food & Wine every year. I figured if we went more often, we could stay in 1BRs rather than the 2BR. After 18 months, I bought more points, so that now I can do a week in a 2BR each year. I am now borrowed (pointswise, not $$) to the hilt, and contemplating another add on. So, whatever you decide, just know you will probably change your mind.

We've actually been going for 7 nights every year & in 2013 went twice.

 

[prune1977]

Look at the points charts for the resorts, and the time periods you would likely be going. Will you go for one week per year? every other year? two weeks per year? Then look at the 1BR points requirement for your length of stay and buy accordingly. I am also a family of 5 (10,8,6). When I bought into BLT, I bought enough points for a two bedroom every other year, plus some extra to allow me and the missus to go on a kidless trip to Food & Wine every year. I figured if we went more often, we could stay in 1BRs rather than the 2BR. After 18 months, I bought more points, so that now I can do a week in a 2BR each year. I am now borrowed (pointswise, not $$) to the hilt, and contemplating another add on. So, whatever you decide, just know you will probably change your mind.

May I ask how many you bought initially?

 

[prune1977]

I will say also probably will be more of a one week trip most years & would it be wiser to rent PTs first as we've never done a villa stay. Always done deluxe resort though.

 

[Dean]

I'd suggest you spend time and understand all of this before buying. It usually takes around 6 months of active investigation to understand enough about the system to justify buying.

 

[crisi]

I'd suggest you spend time and understand all of this before buying. It usually takes around 6 months of active investigation to understand enough about the system to justify buying.

Make sure to read about other people's concerns, their experiences, and their trips - just hang here for a few months. You really need to understand what you are buying, its a lot of money to sink into something when you "think" it works this way - right now, the questions you are asking are good, but they are so basic that there is a ton of stuff you aren't even THINKING about asking yet.

 

[Morganpics]

We stayed at several different properties before we purchased. We bought at Old Key West mainly for the fact that the rooms are larger than most all the other DVC properties. We have now stayed at all but Boardwalk. We learned the hard way - make your reservation at your home resort at 11 months, then if you want to stay somewhere else, try at 7 months. If successful, you can then cancel the reservation at your home resort. We purchased OKW without staying on the property, but we had read a lot about it through here, and had stayed at Caribbean Beach, which is similar, and we loved it. We have never been sorry. We nearly purchased at SSR, which I am glad we did not. I do not care for the rooms there - I really don't feel that I am on vacation. Other folks here have given you good advice - read as much as you can before you make your decision. We truly love all the resorts, for different reasons - style, proximity to a park, fun things to do. It's all great!

 

[bakerworld]

conversely, while we love the OKW venue, we'd never buy there. There is no need for the 11-month owner window plus we'd only stay there if we drove or where in a ticket-less state.