DH agreed to buy- what should we ask when we call our 'guide'

[exwdwcm]

So I NEVER in a million years considered DVC because DH just isn't a disney fan like I am. And he works for a REIT and is all about making money on your investment, which isn't what DVC is. But after our most recent trip in December, he is on board, in fact, he said he was going to surprise me with it for our 10th anniv next year.

But we decided to go ahead and buy now. We did the tour when we were there in December and feel comfortable with our decision to move forward now. We'd like to go at least every other year (I am hoping every year!) and DH really loves the deluxes. We feel it will be a good buy for us. We plan to put half down, so it won't be a huge payment each month either.

We have decided on BLT (200pts) for a variety of reasons, even though it isn't our 'style' in terms of decor (we have a 2yo, close proximity to MK and monorail are big!). So we are ready to get a contract going at this point.

What are good questions to have prepped for when we call our guide? I know I want to discuss what is the best use year for us. What else?

what offers should we expect or ask for? I know sometimes if you 'ask' for something special, you get it, but you have to ask the right questions sometimes. i think right now all i know of is the point discount (is it $8 off?)

Our dues will be due at time of purchase too- right? and i assume we will get the 2009 use year points as well as the 2010?

any tips for a newbie are appreciated. I think we understand most of the ins and outs, but it is definitely confusing!

I am thrilled beyond words to make that call though!

thanks!!!

 

[Sandisw]

First of all, congratulations!

You have got a great list going. Yes, you should get 2009 UY points, unless you don't buy until after February 1st. If that is the case, you won't get them if you choose a Feb UY.

If you choose something different, then you should. Sometimes, DVC will tell you that they are selling a certain UY. But, you can ask for anyone you want.

The ideal UY is one that falls right before your typical travel as it gives you a lot of flexiblity. We have a June UY since we take our trips in August. It allows us a lot of time to reuse borrowed points, reschedule a trip, or bank points if we had to cancel at least 31 days ahead.


You will pay dues from the date you agree to purchase (or sign the contracts). You will be allowed to set up monthly payments if you want or pay the 2010 dues in one lump sum.

I am not sure about the discounts right now. If you are interested in 200 points, you might ask the guide to give them to you in 2 100 point contracts. This way, if you ever had to sell down the road, you could sell off some but not all of your points (and smaller contracts tend to be easier to sell).

Good luck!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I thought the only discount was $5 off/pt at BLT but maybe that changed. There may be something additional with a referral from a current member but someone else might know that.

Do you know about UY and have you given any thought to what one would work best for you? If you know you will travel at a certain time of the year it would be best to get a UY that will work well. Otherwise Disney will just assign you one - and that seems to be Feb.

And yes, you should get 2009 points as well as 2010. If they won't give it for Feb then they should for all the other UY's. Make certain to ask about banking them before you sign the papers if you do get an early UY where the banking deadline is already past (unless you're going to make a trip down there soon of course and could use them before they expire).

 

[exwdwcm]

First of all, congratulations!

You have got a great list going. Yes, you should get 2009 UY points, unless you don't buy until after February 1st. If that is the case, you won't get them if you choose a Feb UY.

If you choose something different, then you should. Sometimes, DVC will tell you that they are selling a certain UY. But, you can ask for anyone you want.

The ideal UY is one that falls right before your typical travel as it gives you a lot of flexiblity. We have a June UY since we take our trips in August. It allows us a lot of time to reuse borrowed points, reschedule a trip, or bank points if we had to cancel at least 31 days ahead.


You will pay dues from the date you agree to purchase (or sign the contracts). You will be allowed to set up monthly payments if you want or pay the 2010 dues in one lump sum.

I am not sure about the discounts right now. If you are interested in 200 points, you might ask the guide to give them to you in 2 100 point contracts. This way, if you ever had to sell down the road, you could sell off some but not all of your points (and smaller contracts tend to be easier to sell).

Good luck!

Thank you so much!!! great tips about splitting up the contract and i forgot about doing the dues in lump sum or payments. i need to ask DH his preference, but probably lump sum.

I thought the only discount was $5 off/pt at BLT but maybe that changed. There may be something additional with a referral from a current member but someone else might know that.

Do you know about UY and have you given any thought to what one would work best for you? If you know you will travel at a certain time of the year it would be best to get a UY that will work well. Otherwise Disney will just assign you one - and that seems to be Feb.

And yes, you should get 2009 points as well as 2010. If they won't give it for Feb then they should for all the other UY's. Make certain to ask about banking them before you sign the papers if you do get an early UY where the banking deadline is already past (unless you're going to make a trip down there soon of course and could use them before they expire).

more great tips- thanks! yes, i had read they don't enforce the 'banking deadline' for those initial points they give you (like our 2009 ones we will get hopefully), but i will make sure, since not sure if we will use them or bank them yet. Need to chat with DH on when we will plan to go again.

so picking a use year that is like 2 months before when you would typically travel is pretty ideal? We will probably travel at all different times of the year to be honest, but starting out, we will probably stick to the fall months since my son is 2 and we don't ahve to contend with getting out of school. We prefer the lower crowds and cooler temps, but once he is school age, that won't be an option as much and we will be stuck with the summer crowds probably and more peak season times (boo!). our last few trips we did in early December and love that time. We might want to try food and wine/MNSSHP next though. so thinking october/nov/dec is our ideal time to travel. So would an August use year be good for that? How would an august use year affect is negatively in the future when we are forced to go in summers (would probably try and go in june though, not july/aug).

 

[Sandisw]

Thank you so much!!! great tips about splitting up the contract and i forgot about doing the dues in lump sum or payments. i need to ask DH his preference, but probably lump sum.

more great tips- thanks! yes, i had read they don't enforce the 'banking deadline' for those initial points they give you (like our 2009 ones we will get hopefully), but i will make sure, since not sure if we will use them or bank them yet. Need to chat with DH on when we will plan to go again.

so picking a use year that is like 2 months before when you would typically travel is pretty ideal? We will probably travel at all different times of the year to be honest, but starting out, we will probably stick to the fall months since my son is 2 and we don't ahve to contend with getting out of school. We prefer the lower crowds and cooler temps, but once he is school age, that won't be an option as much and we will be stuck with the summer crowds probably and more peak season times (boo!). our last few trips we did in early December and love that time. We might want to try food and wine/MNSSHP next though. so thinking october/nov/dec is our ideal time to travel. So would an August use year be good for that? How would an august use year affect is negatively in the future when we are forced to go in summers (would probably try and go in june though, not july/aug).

If you see yourself going in the fall and possible summer in the foreseeable future, then I think the June UY works out well. It would cover the summer, the fall, and winter.

Any trips you made through February, could be cancelled (at least 31 days in advance--if you cancel less than that, the points go into holding and there are different rules), and the points banked into the next year since you would have until January 31st to do this.

Good luck!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Since you will most likely be switching to June stays then August would become a not so great UY. October might be a decent one. If your fall travel would be no earlier then Oct then you'd be very well set for a few years. Oct banking deadline is May 31st so it's not bad for June travel. The main reason to consider UY is in case you ever have to cancel. If you were to cancel a June trip and not have the points go into holding then you'd be doing it in May and still have time to bank the points. In the odd chance you cancelled less than 31 days out then the points would be in holding anyway. But you'd have all summer to try and reschedule.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Good points Sandi - yes - June would be a good UY.

 

[exwdwcm]

Thank you ladies- i'll keep June and October in mind then when i talk to him.

i appreciate the help!!!

 

[disneynutz]

Remember buying is, for most people a final transaction. The only way to change your UY or home resort is to sell your contract at a loss.

BLT is a nice resort, it's close to the MK and as the OP stated, it's on the monorail loop. We own there, but it's not our favorite. The bus system can get you where you want to go in about the same time as the monorail.

I would recommend that you spend some time visiting all of the DVC resorts on property before you sign a 50 year contract.

Bill

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Did you consider resale? You say that BLT is not your favorite in style - but you like the location. Will you always be able to book 11 months out or 11-7 months? If you would be booking less than that you might look at a different resort that better fits your style and then trying to book at BLT at 7 months or less. Just another thought b/c resale will save you quite a few dollars on a 200 pt contract.

 

[CPTJAK]

The best deal is through resale. Resale prices (see the sponsor of this forum) are asking prices..you can get them for less than asking. If you want 100 points you could split it among 2 resorts..say Beach Club near epcot/MGM and Wildnerness lodge near magic kingdom or...Beach club and add on through disney 50 points or so for BLT...

You could get SSR 100 points for $6400 and add on through disney 50 points at a time for example and forget financing..

 

[robertdangelo]

I agree... having the Home Resort 11 month booking advantage at two resorts is nice. We added BLT on mainly because of proximity and the Monorail. My 21 month year old daughter loves it! We were lucky enough to get in the front at DL twice last June.
Through banking/borrowing, you could have two 100 point contracts and alternate which resort you stay at. Good luck!

 

[Jason@dvcstore]

So I NEVER
We have decided on BLT (200pts) for a variety of reasons

In my opinion if you are buying from Disney you should take the opportunity to break down the contracts as much as possible. If they let you buy a 100 point deed and four 25 point deeds then I think you should.

Best of luck with your decision.

Jason

 

[SamSam]

First, let me say Congratulations, I think it's a wise decision from what you've said of your vacationing practises.
Next, I would second another opinion to check out the different resorts. Although right now you feel the BLT location is perfect for you, the decor is really not your taste. In a few years you may find your little one would love AKV or BCV, the years go by very quickly....so look ahead.
IMHO, buy where you feel comfortable, it's very easy to go to any of the parks from wherever you are staying.

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

.."congrats" ...on discovering the best kept secret,
leading to the the promise land! by

...your experience, reminded me of "ours". [ we went this past july &
dvc...was not a passing thought. we were not aware of blt or
the animal kingdom. totally unexpected to say the least. ]

i would suggest "whatever" you decide...you do it jointly & make
the final choice/s..based on what feels right for you & your family.

here's some of the factors...that we made our final choice on.

we are blt owners. like you, we do not have a set pattern when
we did our vacations, rather preferences. based on our "favorite"
wdw vacations...we picked an oct. uy. [ though we just there
during the last 2 weeks of july, & had a wonderful time....the
melting pot....did us in. ]

oh, we are brand new....so maybe "the ways" we decided were not
the best. awhile back, there was a topic...on why chose blt dvc over
the other options. [ due to expense ]. most talk about location, monorail,
and other alternatives. none listed, were on our top 5 list.

one thing we did debated..was getting 2 contacts...blt/akv. in the end,
we opted for blt & are very, very happy we did. [ we have not been
yet. & our first time @ booking was a total nightmare even though
we called @ 9am, 11 mos.. in a unexpected way, this experience
made us feel "better" that we went with blt all the way instead of
splitting ] why?..because we don't think getting the popular times...
are going to get any easier.

originally, what it came down to us.., "blt versus akv.'s points,
we decided on getting the 1~bedroom + the mk views +3 kids.
...therefore we went with 3 , 107 points contacts.

one of our family traditions dating back to the 1980's...is the monorails.
[ we were shocked...when we visited the dvc office, and they told
us...about blt! and it took us a little while to realized..they torn down the
old wing..that we used to stay in. ]

i also think ...there's something more then blt being the "new kid on the
block" insight. to me, it's like buying a sedan versus the caddy....no matter,
how taken care of the sedan, it's value is limited, in comparison. & i think
that can be used to produce benefits in other areas.


it also apply to the "sterile~looks" description. to us, that is desired
so we can bring...our "home furnishings"...with us. { another one
of our family traditions..to bring the disney memorabilia for room
decorations- eg., old -movie posters...we were given. + they don't
weigh nothing.]

one of my favorite disney memory..came @ the wildness lodge, 2002.
the girls made a "towel alligator". that day had been spent @ epcot,
where our 2 boys just had to have those morocco's fuz hats.
[ inspirational]...next thing..we knew , they were enacting out the
croc's man adventures. [ even after all these years, when
i watch..the video...with the gator knocking @ our door....has me
].



the reason for presenting our preference.......is to "encourage" this as an
important family-decision & the final choice/s should be based on your
family best interests. good luck~

 

[exwdwcm]

Thank you all for the great feedback and tips.

I am a former CM, so I am pretty familiar with all of the properties. We did the tour, so we saw the BLT, Saratoga and AKV demo rooms. I have also toured the Boardwalk one you can walk up to.

I haven't seen OKW, BC or WLV yet, other than photos. I've explored all the resorts grounds and amenities (shops, dining) over the years, except OKW. We usually spend a whole day just spending it at the different resorts- eating, shopping and exploring. We've stayed at WL and AKL previously, so very familiar with those.

I do like the WL and AKV feel, it suits us a bit better. We like more traditional furniture etc., not modern. But once seeing the 2 bedroom photos for WLV, I decided I didn't like as much as I thought and our room there in Dec was pretty old and drab (I was disappointed). We did like AKV a lot. DH is concerned about the high maintenance at AKV, but of course the higher point cost at BLT might even that out.

In the end, we are pretty familiar with all the resorts, and have seen the sample rooms for close to half of them. It was really a toss up for us between AKV and BLT, in the end, the resale ones/older ones just didn't interest us as much. We've been going back and forth between BLT and AKV ever since we got back Dec 20th, but in the end, after a lot of thinking, we decided BLT was for us. To be honest, i was surprised i liked the rooms as much as I did- while modern and contemporary, they were bright and clean and fun. Our son is very excited about an MK view room and watching fireworks. We love WISHES. another big benefit. I like the dining options at the Contemporary as well. Not a big fan of the options at AKV (other than JIKO, which isn't somewhere we would eat often). We like eating at Ohana, Kona and Chef Mickey's almost every trip, so antoher reason- nice proximity to some of our favorite dining.

but splitting the contract is a good idea and something i will mention to DH and our guide. does that make booking more difficult (even if you have two 100 contracts at one resort?)

thank you all again for the GREAT advice!! we feel pretty comfortable with our decision of BLT and cannot wait to try it out!

My parents might be buying much later on this year and they might end up at another resort (they love WL), so we would have the option of going with them to switch it up sometimes too.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

I would definitely consider the 2 100 point contracts, if possible. That was a deciding factor for DH and I. We bought 100 to start, and figure we'll add on 100 later. That way, if something happens and we need to sell, or when we're too old for Disney, if we have another child, they can each have their own contract instead of having to share.

Congrats!!!!!!

Jen

 

[mom2cobysyd]

We just bought into DVC in October (BLT) and split the contract due to the advice of others here on the boards. We eventually want to add on so that each of our children will inherit the same number of points. Our guide didn't question it at all and just said we would have to sign more papers as there would be 2 contracts. The 2 contracts pretty much work as 1 when booking. We are so glad we knew to do this as we know we would be able to sell the smaller one easily if need be. When you call member services all they want is your member ID and they know you have xxx number of points available regardless of how many contracts.

 

[exwdwcm]

Thanks again all!

I talked to Tony today and he is getting our paperwork ready. We selected a June use year, but he had to get 'special permission' to get us the 2009 points banked since it is past the deadline. we won't be going until december. He managed to get approval for that and we should be good to go.

just waiting on DH to decide on 5 or 10 year and annual or monthly dues. probably 5year and annual. We are putting half down.

i am so excited! i just have to call back tomorrow with a few more things and go ahead and provide our payment and we are ready to move down the road! Probably go ahead and book our december trip too for our first DVC stay!! hopefully we can still get a MK view room- how quickly do those book up at 10 months out?

 

[Lil' Grumpy]

good for you!

oh, i failed to mentioned "why & what" made me share our
recent experiences.


we were there in july. what i noticed was the fella in
the trash can.....from your signature pictures. he was
over @ tot when we came out, & made my daughter a
honorary security officer,


http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i75/mrmerlin56/dsiney089025.jpg?t=1265576149

also there were others cm's milling around. they would "hide" in the
walls & "jump" out when the next group came through.

...of "curses" ...i had our camera running,

( don't know about others, but there are certain rides....where
things just seem to happen out of the ordinary. & those rides
become our favorites/must dos)