Decisions Decisions

[jccarney]

I am planning on making my first DVC purchase in the next few weeks, prior to the next minimum point increase for blue card member benefits. I have a FOMO. We have had Platinium AP and TIW when the parks were open, as we love to eat at the restaurants.

For background, I am a widow with 3 kids, 12-14-20 years old. Since 2016 we traveled to Disney yearly for approximately one week stays. In 2019, I purchased annual passes for myself and the 12 and 14 year old. We took 5 trips 2019/20 4 trips were about a week and one was a short 3-4 days. For a total of about 30 park days. We stayed at Sports, ASM, BCV (which got us hooked on DVC) AKL, CBR, and WL. We are out of state and fly each time. I am usually able to get good flight prices, under $200 per person round trip. The kids are good travelers.

I am more of a last minute traveler rather than a planner but could be a planner since my work and the kids school is very calendar oriented. Our favorite parks are MK and Epcot. I’m thinking of starting with 100 Pts of OKW to get the blue card benefits and then add on with resale at AKL, POLY OR CCV. Do you think this is the most cost effective option or due to the current situation shoul I buy where I want to stay probably AKL or RIV.

Sorry for the novel I feel like I have researched this forever and would appreciate others thoughts.

 

[davidl81]

If you like both RIV or AKL I would speak to a Disney guide and see what the prices would be for OKW, AKL, and RIV on 100 point contracts. I don't think total direct cost will be that big of a difference on the three. If that is the case I would take OKW off of the list and either get RIV or AKL since that is where you like. I think getting the 100 points direct makes a lot of sense for you since the discount on the AP (assuming it comes back which will not guaranteed is very likely) will cover your direct cost difference pretty quickly. After that just buy resale (either at where you bought direct from, or whatever resort you want).
Many here will tell you the lack of planning is not ideal for DVC, and to an extent that is correct. Trying to get rooms say two months out can be really hard, but seven months usually works pretty well.

 

[chicagoshannon]

I wouldn't buy RIV direct because of the resale restriction. If you like AKL I'd go with that one. I would also think about putting your 20 year old on the contract so they will be able to get the discounts etc. also. They'd be included in any discount as long as living in your house but as soon as they move out they wouldn't be.

 

[Sandisw]

If RIV is a place you want to stay, only the points bought direct will be eligible. Any points added on resale will not.

I think people should buy where they don’t mind staying. CCV will be hard to get at 7 months, The others may or may not be depending on when you want what to go.

If AKL is one of the places, I’d consider that over OKW for the direct as it’s not that much more.

 

[jccarney]

I wouldn't buy RIV direct because of the resale restriction. If you like AKL I'd go with that one. I would also think about putting your 20 year old on the contract so they will be able to get the discounts etc. also. They'd be included in any discount as long as living in your house but as soon as they move out they wouldn't be.

that’s a great idea putting him on the contract as he lives with me now but that won’t always be the case and his long term girlfriend loves Disney. She even got him to dress in character for a few days our last trip with both of them.

OKW would be $16,500 for 100 Pts and AKL would be $18,600 so about 2K more and right now the MF are about the same.

 

[jccarney]

Yes my kids enjoy all the extra experiences at AKL. And since we are foodies we love the dining there.

The kids are pushing for BLT but without any discounts I don’t feel that it is a good value.

I would really like to stay at every resort on and off property over the life of the contract.

 

[chicagoshannon]

I've never been to OKW but seems like it would be nice. AKL has the bonus bathrooms at Kidani (2 bath in a 1 bed, 3 in a 2 bed) which is nice with multiple kids. That's why we bought there last year over SSR (of course now we've added SSR anyway lol)

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Yes my kids enjoy all the extra experiences at AKL. And since we are foodies we love the dining there.

The kids are pushing for BLT but without any discounts I don’t feel that it is a good value.

I would really like to stay at every resort on and off property over the life of the contract.

Maybe get BLT as your resale contract.

One other thing to consider is the sleep surfaces in the studios, if that's what you're planning on staying in most often. Some sleep 4 and some sleep 5, and it sounds like sometimes you travel with 5 when DS20's girlfriend comes along. 100 points will not go far, even in studios, at some resorts.

Edit: almost all (all?) the resorts you listed in your OP are compact, either in a single building or on a small footprint. OKW is pretty large, so consider if you'd be happy with a resort where the bus makes several internal stops. Also, if you get blue card benefits at a resort that expires before your resale points, you'll lose the benefits the last years of your resale contract.

 

[jccarney]

Thanks. I hadn’t thought of losing blue card perks once those direct points expire.

my son only comes about 2 visits a year so we can do studios most trips. When his gf comes we have typically done a family suite because I’m old fashioned and they sleep separately.

I am also planning on doing cash visits but then I wonder if I would be better off financing a larger resale contract. More research to do. I need to see what my hotels cost last year for comparison.

 

[Ruttangel]

More research to do.

That is the best advice, get yourself a clear plan before you go ahead.
I think you sound spontaneous and might not like being restricted if rooms are not available at short notice.
Maybe you just need enough points to plan a main holiday and keep using moderates/values for last minute trips?

 

[sethschroeder]

So the 100 points might make sense but I would run the numbers on the rest of it. You seem to be staying at value and moderate as well which likely is going to work out better unless you start needing 2 rooms.

Are you finding you want to stay only at Deluxe (and paying more because of it) or are you good sticking to those value/moderate rooms? Also are you traveling based on room discounts or just when you have time (make sure to account for that in the math).

 

[Deb & Bill]

Seven months out doesn't always happen. Make sure you purchase a resort you don't mind staying at if you can't change your reservation at seven months out. There are times of the year when you will need to book at 11 months out, especially for studios. One bedrooms can be a bit easier to book since they are similar in the number of sleeping spaces as a studio, but twice the point cost. Holiday weekends can be hard to book at seven months out. With school age kids, summer might not be to difficult. You'll really need to change your way of booking a vacation if you buy DVC. Spontaneous and DVC just don't fit.

As for putting your 20 yr old on the deed, that means he is part owner. So if he finds himself in legal or financial trouble, his portion of the contract will need to be sold. And, since you can't split up a contract, that means you sell. If you only put him on one contract, you resale would need to be titled differently, thus, a different membership. You can't just join the points for a single night with two different memberships. You'd need to transfer from one to the other.

 

[macman123]

The only thing that put me off with RVA were the resale restrictions.

Only time will tell on that...... The market will dictate,

 

[Dean]

I am planning on making my first DVC purchase in the next few weeks, prior to the next minimum point increase for blue card member benefits. I have a FOMO. We have had Platinium AP and TIW when the parks were open, as we love to eat at the restaurants.

For background, I am a widow with 3 kids, 12-14-20 years old. Since 2016 we traveled to Disney yearly for approximately one week stays. In 2019, I purchased annual passes for myself and the 12 and 14 year old. We took 5 trips 2019/20 4 trips were about a week and one was a short 3-4 days. For a total of about 30 park days. We stayed at Sports, ASM, BCV (which got us hooked on DVC) AKL, CBR, and WL. We are out of state and fly each time. I am usually able to get good flight prices, under $200 per person round trip. The kids are good travelers.

I am more of a last minute traveler rather than a planner but could be a planner since my work and the kids school is very calendar oriented. Our favorite parks are MK and Epcot. I’m thinking of starting with 100 Pts of OKW to get the blue card benefits and then add on with resale at AKL, POLY OR CCV. Do you think this is the most cost effective option or due to the current situation shoul I buy where I want to stay probably AKL or RIV.

Sorry for the novel I feel like I have researched this forever and would appreciate others thoughts.

Obviously lots of personal choices. It seems you're set on buying so I'll skip that part. In your situation I'd buy at a resort you're truly happy to stay at for your first purchase. If you buy retail first, finding a resale contract might be challenging that's a specific size, UY and home resort. For that reason it's almost always best to buy resale first then do the add on. I do realize that there is a window of opportunity here with the 100 pt minimum and the incentives. If you just want a stash of points to use at 7 months out SSR is a better choice both retail and resale IMO because of the dues difference and risk of OKW as it transitions to over half of it owned by DVD, I don't think the RTU of 2054 vs 2057 makes any reasonable difference at all. Given the specifics of your post I would be inclined to buy Riviera, I don't put nearly as much stock in the reduced value if one needs to sell laster as some and I wouldn't buy planning to sell later anyway. I do think it's good to consider how an unexpected exit later might look but I do not believe it should drive the wagon.

I'd still be inclined to by resale first and add on later retail if you think the pass benefits will save sufficient $$$ later on to justify it, basically save enough in 5-6 years from now realizing it likely won't even be an option for a year or 2 if it ever comes back. Assuming you buy the same number of total points either way (say 200 resale vs 100 retail now to 175/125 later) it's not a huge difference in the long term cost, maybe $2-2.5K total if you assuming retail on an extra 25 pts and a higher price for the retail portion of $10 per point. Either way, buying one then giving the system a try would be best over buying both now. If you're certain what you want that savings may be worth the aggravation of matching up a retail portion later but it may not be, esp for some home resorts.

Just some food for thought, I think the purchase vs not is the biggest decision overall. Good luck.

 

[jccarney]

Thanks all for your input. It gives me more to consider.

My kids are happy staying at AOA or CBR but love BCV. I prefer a mod/ deluxe just for the proximity to the parks and the niceties. We had often stayed at value resorts until we stayed at BCV then I started booking Deluxe such as WL and AKL. I also prefer not having to contend with groups of teens at the value resorts.

 

[Dean]

Thanks all for your input. It gives me more to consider.

My kids are happy staying at AOA or CBR but love BCV. I prefer a mod/ deluxe just for the proximity to the parks and the niceties. We had often stayed at value resorts until we stayed at BCV then I started booking Deluxe such as WL and AKL. I also prefer not having to contend with groups of teens at the value resorts.

Given their ages they are likely to be happier for the next number of years closer to parks other than MK and with more direct access to EPCOT/DHS.

 

[MICKIMINI]

I can't think of a better way to spend time with your family than at WDW! Our son was 3 1/2 when we brought him to WDW for the first time. Five years later (1996) we bought at OKW. Our son and DIL meet us there for a week at Halloween (we do two weeks). We gift them a spring trip as well. Our DIL hugged me last trip and said "I want to live here"! I find kids that love Disney become adults who love Disney. It is a wonderful family connection!

That said, OKW is the cheapest to purchase direct and is a fabulous family resort. We've either stayed at or toured every DVC at WDW and HHI and VBR except RIV which we would never buy (our choice). Personally, I would consider adding on resale at OKW (2057 expiration) and giving yourself plenty of points at the same resort, same UY. The point chart offers reasonable stays. It sounds like you are going to try to change reservations at 7 months anyway, so why pay more? My DIL and I "stalk" the DVC website for their spring trips. Last year we originally got SSR but she was able to snag Poly. People do cancel but you have to be flexible. Actually, they love OKW anyway so are happy with that stay!

We just bought two BRV resales to give us another option. Split stays are lots of fun and there is no saying you can't stay at a Mod for a couple nights and then spring for a 3BR GV at OKW. The 2K you save on OKW direct let you buy a larger resale and the price goes down with more points , so it is a win win.

If you can get a loaded contract, you can get away with less points initially and add on another resort resale later. It sounds like finances are sound and I think it is wonderful that you spend so much time vacationing with your family - that is priceless. As OP's suggest, buy where you want to stay. Think about your UY and lay out your potential stays for the next two years or so ensuring you buy enough points. Addonitis is a continual issue, so just accept that at some point - you will buy more! Planning will be fun for the kids and they know their way around so how exciting to know they have a "home" at WDW! Best of luck!
Edit: I meant to support your idea to buy direct and add on - I'm suggesting both at OKW (to start)

 

[RoseGold]

30 park days is A LOT. I would not be buying expecting to keep that up. It's much easier to add on points later than to have overbought.

I rarely say this, but you do sound like a good candidate for a direct 100 point purchase. If I were in your shoes, I would go 100 points direct SSR (or AKL or OKW), because of the long contract length and relatively low surcharge to buy direct. This is a really flexible purchase that can be used for any size room, sold, or rented. If you get a late UY, you'll get your 2019 points too. If I were buying direct, I would do it through an LLC in my state. This allows any officer or director to be blue card, and your corporation might have a deep board of directors... This is a question for your estate attorney, I already have a few corporations my estate is messing with and wouldn't be much extra work for me.

Of course, I am assuming APs and the DVC Gold AP will come back. If that is wrong, then buying direct was an expensive mistake.

Resale, I would be watching for a large contract bargain, which could be at several resorts. I would take your time with resale, I think prices are too high right now, and will come down in the spring. I would WATCH prices carefully. Bargains will come back if you are patient. Just not right now, too much demand, too many people in their basements wanting to go to Disney.

 

[TTA Rider Matt]

With the amount of SSR resale contracts being bought back at this point, it stands to reason that they are stocking the shelves for direct points there. Given the price per point and the cheap dues, I would seriously consider buying there direct. You do lose 3 years of blue card benefits with the 2054 expiration compared to the OKW 2057 expiration. Then I would add on at one of your preferred resorts. Given your family's park preferences, one of the monorail resorts makes sense. I am a Poly owner, but keep in mind that if you're traveling with 3 boys/men, even though the Poly studios are big, your stays are either studio or bungalow there. BLT might be a good option for you as they have a lot more flexibility and the point chart is also more manageable. Also, no matter how long ago it might have been, I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[kboo]

I rarely say this, but you do sound like a good candidate for a direct 100 point purchase. If I were in your shoes, I would go 100 points direct SSR (or AKL or OKW), because of the long contract length and relatively low surcharge to buy direct. This is a really flexible purchase that can be used for any size room, sold, or rented. If you get a late UY, you'll get your 2019 points too. If I were buying direct, I would do it through an LLC in my state. This allows any officer or director to be blue card, and your corporation might have a deep board of directors... This is a question for your estate attorney, I already have a few corporations my estate is messing with and wouldn't be much extra work for me.

Agree with this completely. The space and price point for direct points makes sense, together with AP discounts for up to 5 Disney adults - that's a savings of about $1500 per group of APs.

Another thought - and also a plug for buying resale later (and taking your time doing it) - for the next couple of years, you will probably be able to find some decent dedicated reservations for rent, or rent points in advance, and you will be able to try out the other DVC resorts without being totally wedded to them. Your kids may love BLT, or they may decide that they like the space of OKW. Or they may decide that the murphy beds at SSR are so much better that they prefer to stay there rather than walk to a park. Or they may prefer to be closer to Disney Springs than any particular park.