Considering purchasing, a couple questions.

[chrisaman]

My wife and I are considering purchasing into the Vacation Club. We really want to get in at The Grand Californian Villas but obviously they are sold out. Being from California, we spend 90 percent of our trips to Disneyland so really it makes sense to join there. Since they are not selling any more, do I have the ability to get on a wait list? If so, how long do you think it would take before I could get in there?

When we did our tour, they really only told us about Alani which is great, we love Hawaii, but we don't like going to the same island over and over again. We do the Disneyland Half Marathon each year so having the 11 month booking at the Californian I think would be what we need. Any tips.

I have looked at resale but I am a little nervous going that route due to tons of horror stories of people buying timeshares resale. Also, we would like to get the Disney Perks that I don't think you get if you resale. For example, annual pass discounts.

Thank You,

 

[chrisaman]

I also notice a lot of Florida users and not a lot of others on this site. I wonder why that is.

 

[dmunsil]

I just bought at the Grand Californian via resale. I don't know where you've heard horror stories, but other than it taking longer than people wanted, it seems like most resales go just fine. Use one of the top resale brokers, and everything should be fine. It's a property purchase and you are using an escrow service with title search, title insurance, etc. so you're pretty well protected from being scammed.

You can get on a waiting list, but it's supposedly very long for the Grand Californian, and of course you'd be paying direct prices. Given that, there's not much downside to exploring resale. Prices are up over the last few months, but they're still well below Disney's direct prices. Read as much as you can about the following topics:

Use Year
Banking & borrowing policies
Home resort priority
Waitlists

Especially you should take some time to figure out if there are use years that aren't optimal for you because of the time of year you tend to travel. And you should figure out roughly the size of contract you're looking for. My advice is to buy a little more than you think you need, because it's relatively easy to rent out points you can't use or don't want to use.

Good luck! Ask questions! Don't rush into anything!

 

[chrisaman]

Thank you,

I will probably end up going resale, is it true that you don't get the perks like the annual pass renewal perk that is going on now or the breakfast for DVC members that they are having on MOndays now?

 

[DizBub]

I also notice a lot of Florida users and not a lot of others on this site. I wonder why that is.

All but 3 of the 12 (including the new Villas at Grand Floridian) DVC resorts are in Florida.

I've never been to Disneyland and don't know much of anything about the DVC at Grand Californian but understand this it is the smallest DVC resort. 48 units (I think) is really small in relation to the amount they have in Florida.

Don't be afraid of resale. Just like DVC isn't like a typical timeshare, DVC resale is also not typical. In fact it's probably the only resale out there that you CAN sell if you need to. It may be the only way you can get what you want. I'm sure you can get on a wait list to buy direct but hear it's long and quite expensive.

Good luck!

 

[dmunsil]

So far the only perks they have taken away from resale buyers are exchanges through the Disney Collection (which is cruises, Adventures By Disney, and non-DVC Disney hotels) and the Concierge Collection (which is some very expensive high-end resorts), and the ability to go on the member cruise. The exchange options are not a real discount over just paying cash for them. And the member cruise, while supposedly kinda fun, is not any cheaper than taking a regular cruise; it's actually a little more expensive.

All members get the annual pass discounts, the dining discounts, etc. All members can go to the member get-togethers at WDW or Disneyland. All members can exchange through RCI or the World Passport Selection.

So financially speaking, the direct purchase incentives are not really worth anything. They're convenience options at best. As with all other timeshare systems, the best financial value is to use the points to stay within that system. So DVC points are best used to stay at DVC resorts. You actually are saving significant money by doing that, whereas all the other uses of points are at best breaking even once you account for your buy-in cost.

As to what they might do in the future, no one knows. There are very few legal limits on what they can do as far as removing or changing ancillary perks. Most people think that they would not remove or change significant perks for resale buyers without grandfathering in all the existing members. That's what they did when they changed the perks for resale buyers in 2011. Before that there were no differences at all for resale and direct members.

But only Disney knows. They could, if they chose, say that members who purchased via resale don't get any discounts of any kind, and can't go to the member meetings, and have to wear a dunce cap while they tour the parks. Well, maybe not that last one. I don't think they would do that, because it isn't in Disney's interest to do so. They need the membership to be happy with the product. It's not conducive to good customer satisfaction for them to be too punitive with resale buyers. Even the direct buyers shouldn't be happy about it, because every resale restriction makes it harder for folks to sell their membership if they ever get tired of it or have a financial setback.

 

[ptlohmysoul]

Thank you,

I will probably end up going resale, is it true that you don't get the perks like the annual pass renewal perk that is going on now or the breakfast for DVC members that they are having on MOndays now?

Not true. But there are some exchanges you can't do if you buy resale. You can do RCI, but nothing else.

 

[chrisaman]

Thank you so much. These pretty well answer my questions.

 

[DebbieB]

My wife and I are considering purchasing into the Vacation Club. We really want to get in at The Grand Californian Villas but obviously they are sold out. Being from California, we spend 90 percent of our trips to Disneyland so really it makes sense to join there. Since they are not selling any more, do I have the ability to get on a wait list? If so, how long do you think it would take before I could get in there?

When we did our tour, they really only told us about Alani which is great, we love Hawaii, but we don't like going to the same island over and over again. We do the Disneyland Half Marathon each year so having the 11 month booking at the Californian I think would be what we need. Any tips.

I have looked at resale but I am a little nervous going that route due to tons of horror stories of people buying timeshares resale. Also, we would like to get the Disney Perks that I don't think you get if you resale. For example, annual pass discounts.

Thank You,

If you mainly want to stay at VGC, I would buy there. With the small number of rooms, it's difficult to get at 7 months especially around the time of an event.

The AP discount for Disneyland is only $20. All members are eligible.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Not true. But there are some exchanges you can't do if you buy resale. You can do RCI, but nothing else.

But the true value of DVC is staying at DVC and not trading out to something outside of DVC.

chrisaman, I think you should still look at buying GCV. Contact DVC and ask to be put on the waiting list to buy there if you can't find anything resale. You really want the 11 month head start to book there if you plan for special events there.

 

[chrisaman]

But the true value of DVC is staying at DVC and not trading out to something outside of DVC.

chrisaman, I think you should still look at buying GCV. Contact DVC and ask to be put on the waiting list to buy there if you can't find anything resale. You really want the 11 month head start to book there if you plan for special events there.

Nothing is open for resale right now but I am in contact with the resale companies. I also called my DVC Guide about getting in on GCV, still waiting on a call back from her. Hopefully the waitlist is only a few months but I have a feeling it is far longer than that.

 

[AnnaS]

Nothing is open for resale right now but I am in contact with the resale companies. I also called my DVC Guide about getting in on GCV, still waiting on a call back from her. Hopefully the waitlist is only a few months but I have a feeling it is far longer than that.

Hang in there - your contract will come along or your waitlist. I know once we make the decision to purchase - the waiting is a killer.

Good luck and definitely buy where you want to stay!!

 

[disneynutz]

You need to understand that just because you own a home resort interest, that doesn't guarantee availability, especially for a small resort during a popular time.

Bill

 

[mpusateri]

Not true. But there are some exchanges you can't do if you buy resale. You can do RCI, but nothing else.

I purchased resale a number of years ago and I saved a lot going that way and thought it was great. But I have never heard that I can not use the other exchanges and I have tried over the years and did not have a problem getting on the wait list but I never used it because the exchange programs suck if you want to plan in advance because of kids school schedules and airfare reasons. These only work if you are willing to go last minute.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I purchased resale a number of years ago and I saved a lot going that way and thought it was great. But I have never heard that I can not use the other exchanges and I have tried over the years and did not have a problem getting on the wait list but I never used it because the exchange programs suck if you want to plan in advance because of kids school schedules and airfare reasons. These only work if you are willing to go last minute.

In March of 2011 they began placing restrictions on any resale purchases. Resales bought before then were grandfathered in so it sounds like you are in that category.

But even now resale purchasers can trade thru RCI, Club Cordial and Club Intrawest. The Disney Collection and the Concierge Collection were removed from new resale trade options.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I also notice a lot of Florida users and not a lot of others on this site. I wonder why that is.

I meant to comment on this. With no DVC existing in the west until VGC open it's member base is strong on the east coast and less here on the west. There are a few of us around though!

If you are open to any UY you may be able to buy VGC direct more quickly than if you are set on one particular but I think there still are waitlists for every UY. And the price is $165/pt.

If you can find resale that may possibly be a faster option however one thing buying direct is that you can still use the points for the DL hotels if you run into a pinch and you can't with resale points. However if you will book in the home resort priority period that should not be an issue. We really do need another DVC at DL!

We've bought both direct and resale and I have no problem recommending resale or buying that way again myself.

 

[chrisaman]

You need to understand that just because you own a home resort interest, that doesn't guarantee availability, especially for a small resort during a popular time.

Bill

But if I don't own that resort for a home resort, then I would have no chance for availability. Why get it for somewhere I won't be visiting.

 

[disneynutz]

But if I don't own that resort for a home resort, then I would have no chance for availability. Why get it for somewhere I won't be visiting.

If you want to stay at VGC then you need to buy there for the best chance of getting a reservation. My point is there could be a time where at 11 months, what you want, when you want it, may not be available.

Many bought SSR or even VB with the hopes of saving money and getting a reservation at another resort at 7 months. Yes they may have saved some money but again, they won't always get the reservation they want.

Another thought, DL is close and it's a great place to visit but IMO WDW is worth the plane ride. More parks, more restaurants, more resorts, more to do, a better value for your dollar. If you take longer vacations and not just weekend stays, you might want to consider a WDW purchase.

Bill