Did I Make A Mistake?

[aleh021]

Or am I overthinking things?

We purchased points at Poly back in 2016.

A little bit about us...it's just my partner and I. And its really only us 2 who are taking these trips down to WDW or DL.

When we made our initial purchase we were both on the fence about how to buy (direct or resale). We thought about it hard and its not something we jumped on or our sales guide convinced us to do because we were in "vacation fantasy mode". It's a large financial purchase and we take these sort of things seriously and make sure we get the best value we can. We requested information before and did our thorough research, but we never followed through.

Our options came down to Poly Direct or AKV Resale. (there was no way I would buy a 100 point contract directly from Disney for AKV, made no sense for the cost).

Ultimately we chose Poly due to the fact the contract was 9 years longer then AKV. And our contract length was really important to us as I found more value in that long term.

Dont get me wrong, we absolutely love Poly and we love AKV. I guess it comes down to the fact that I see a lot of posts (everywhere) about buying direct and how it's not the smartest way to go due to pricing/options. And it makes me think about the choice that was made.

Maybe I am just overthinking it...?

 

[DisneyRegulars]

If you want to primarily stay at the Poly then you made a great choice, especially if you like to travel during busier DVC times of year.

Could you have gotten more points for the same amount of money going with AKV resale, yes. But you would be giving up Poly 11 month advantage to do so. I’m sure you thought about this at the time of your purchase. Don’t waste time second guesssing your purchase now. Just enjoy your DVC. What’s done is done.

 

[iheartglaciers]

Poly and AKL are two way different resorts. It’s generally easier to have a home resort resort advantage at Poly and switch to AKL than the other way around. Direct isn’t always bad. I was considering CCV and would’ve added on direct.

If it makes you feel any better, compare the price you paid direct in 2016 to the current direct pricing

 

[CarolMN]

IMO, you are overthinking this. You are happy with your purchase. You bought before the prices went up to the ridiculous levels they are now.
You deserve to just be happy about buying what was right for you. Enjoy your membership!

P.S. Who cares what some raggedly old anonymous internet posters think, anyway?

 

[0sw@ld]

We did the same thing and bought PVB in 2016. It was just my DGF (now DW) and I on the contract. We looked at it in 2013 back when VGF was for sale but we decided against it as we were newly dating. We wished we bought then but the cards wasn't right for such a long-term investment. We haven't looked back since becoming members and are planning our third DVC trip for September. We've already gone to Aulani and VGC last year.

 

[disneynutz]

What's done is done. Look at your numbers and see if you might have made a bad choice. IMO a longer contract termination date doesn't really matter because you will probably sell prior to 20 years. The biggest thing is picking the resort that you love more than others and picking the best UY.

Bill

 

[Tenacious K]

Ok, bear with me here. Although there are certain instances when buying resale is a better decision, I think that a lot of people downplay the financial benefits of buying direct. There are A LOT of variables, but let's say that you plan on keeping the DVC contract for the entire span (41 years AKL or 50 years Poly from 2016). Right now AKL is a tad more expensive in dues than Poly (50 cents). This is subject to change, but let's assume that AKL will remain just slightly higher than Poly throughout the life of the contract (even though dues at both resorts will rise)

If you bought 100 AKL points in 2016 for $100 (I'm just guessing), that would equal $10,000. 100 points over 41 years divided by $10,000 is $2.44 per point. $2.44 per point plus $6.75 dues equal $9.19 per point. So if you used 100 points for a hotel stay every year, that would be equivalent to $919.

If you bought 100 Poly points in 2016 for $176, that would equal $17,600. 100 points over 50 years dividied by $17,600 is $3.52 per point. $3.52 per point plus $6.2 in dues equal $9.72 per point. So if you used 100 points for a hotel stay every year, that would be equivalent to $972.

That brings us to a $53 per year difference in Poly instead of AKL. Ok, so Poly is a little bit more expensive, but $53 a year (in my opinion) is NOTHING. Not to mention that you get 9 more years worth of points, PLUS DVC member benefits, PLUS an easier and cheaper buy-in process, PLUS if you do decide to resale later on, theres a more likely chance that Poly will be worth more than AKL down the line.

Feel free to correct my math anyone.

 

[BillPA]

you are not adding in the cost of money, nor the difference in the number of points required for the same length of stay.
1 week at AK std view in summer =116. 1 week at Poly std view in the summer =169 that's 45% more for Poly. You would need more points for the same trip and your dues would be 45% more also. Location DOES matter.

 

[Tenacious K]

you are not adding in the cost of money, nor the difference in the number of points required for the same length of stay.
1 week at AK std view in summer =116. 1 week at Poly std view in the summer =169 that's 45% more for Poly. You would need more points for the same trip and your dues would be 45% more also. Location DOES matter.

That's true.. if OP has no intention of staying anywhere outside of AKL most of the time, then it would make sense for them to make it easier for themselves and save a bit too to buy where they plan on staying. I plan on resort hopping every year and not sticking to one location, so sometimes I forget to think outside of that bubble.

 

[aleh021]

Poly and AKL are two way different resorts. It’s generally easier to have a home resort resort advantage at Poly and switch to AKL than the other way around. Direct isn’t always bad. I was considering CCV and would’ve added on direct.

If it makes you feel any better, compare the price you paid direct in 2016 to the current direct pricing

I'd drop dead paying $220/per point. Haha so yes good point

 

[iheartglaciers]

I'd drop dead paying $220/per point. Haha so yes good point

I'm in the process of buying a Poly resale, but want to add 25pts direct for the perks. I tried to do it pre-price increase but couldn't (I needed to wait for my membership number on my first resale). So I'm going to have to pay the $220/pt which hurts... it's over $1,000 more just for the 25 pts!

 

[ziravan]

I bought Poly direct in 2015. I’m comfortable with that decision.

I also own resale BCV (first contract) and AKV. I was comfortable with those purchases, too.

 

[pineapplepalms]

If you're happy with your Poly purchase just enjoy it! Don't worry about whether others think it was a sound decision as long as you think it made sense for your situation. We bought CCV direct with our eyes wide open and after having done months of research. Our BWV resale purchase actually cost more per point all things considered than our CCV contract, but we are still happy with it even though some wouldn't even consider it in today's market (it still offers significant savings over staying on cash... and is a total passion purchase). No one understand your likes and dislikes, vacation patterns, financial situation, etc. more than you do so if you did your research and decided that it made sense, that's all you really need to know.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

The main use cases for buying direct being the best financial option:

1. You are buying the "live" resort. You were at that time. Generally, lift via resale takes a while for live resorts. (Aulani is an edge case, as it will take approximately until the Earth falls into the sun and a couple of supernovas to sell out AUL, apparently, and there are the subsidized dues contracts that pop up in resale.)
2. You are buying a smaller contract (25-75 points), because it is hell to get those via resale and you won't save much.

There is another use case for "best option," although not generally "best financial option:"

• You have spare money and want to buy fast/not fiddle with ROFR and the process of resale.

At the point in time you bought Poly, buying direct was generally what most would have recommended so long as you want o make most of your stays at Poly. AKV is generally easier to book at 7, with the modern warning that fall is a problem even at AKV, so you'd best like Poly from October-marathon and save your experimenting for non-peak trips.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Or am I overthinking things?

We purchased points at Poly back in 2016.

A little bit about us...it's just my partner and I. And its really only us 2 who are taking these trips down to WDW or DL.

When we made our initial purchase we were both on the fence about how to buy (direct or resale). We thought about it hard and its not something we jumped on or our sales guide convinced us to do because we were in "vacation fantasy mode". It's a large financial purchase and we take these sort of things seriously and make sure we get the best value we can. We requested information before and did our thorough research, but we never followed through.

Our options came down to Poly Direct or AKV Resale. (there was no way I would buy a 100 point contract directly from Disney for AKV, made no sense for the cost).

Ultimately we chose Poly due to the fact the contract was 9 years longer then AKV. And our contract length was really important to us as I found more value in that long term.

Dont get me wrong, we absolutely love Poly and we love AKV. I guess it comes down to the fact that I see a lot of posts (everywhere) about buying direct and how it's not the smartest way to go due to pricing/options. And it makes me think about the choice that was made.

Maybe I am just overthinking it...?

There are ways to buy DVC that are larger savings than others - that is a fact. And that way is resale. But it doesn't mean that buying direct is necessarily a mistake. If you visit regularly then even direct purchases offers an ability to save on hotel room costs. Resale at another resort might have offered even more of a saving but much of that depends on your vacation habits - when you visit, where you like to stay etc. But if PVB is where you are happiest and want to stay every time then direct was the way to purchase. If you would be just as happy staying anywhere and enjoy changing if there were availability at 7 months then SSR resale is still the "cheapest" way to own a WDW resort. BLT resale is likely the second.

I will also point out that DVC has been an outlier in the timeshare world and most contacts have increased in value - most especially in the past year or two. If you ever did feel like you wanted to reduce your cash commitment in DVC the resale prices of PVB are probably similar to what you purchased for so you could consider a sale and buying at another location that would have a lower purchase price thus decrease your cash commitment to DVC. That would take some analysis on your part and some honest answers about where you want to stay. If you like and want to continue to stay at PVB then I suggest just put the other possibilities aside and enjoy your DVC purchase!

 

[gharter]

Sounds like buyers remorse. You were looking at 2 totally different resorts with different purchasing options. If you really like the Poly, then you made the correct choice. If you liked AKL better than you made the wrong choice. It really comes down to that.
At this point you are an owner and unless you are thinking of selling, I would forget what others are saying (who may have some other agenda anyway, maybe) and enjoy your home resort.

 

[LAX]

Or am I overthinking things?

We purchased points at Poly back in 2016.

A little bit about us...it's just my partner and I. And its really only us 2 who are taking these trips down to WDW or DL.

When we made our initial purchase we were both on the fence about how to buy (direct or resale). We thought about it hard and its not something we jumped on or our sales guide convinced us to do because we were in "vacation fantasy mode". It's a large financial purchase and we take these sort of things seriously and make sure we get the best value we can. We requested information before and did our thorough research, but we never followed through.

Our options came down to Poly Direct or AKV Resale. (there was no way I would buy a 100 point contract directly from Disney for AKV, made no sense for the cost).

Ultimately we chose Poly due to the fact the contract was 9 years longer then AKV. And our contract length was really important to us as I found more value in that long term.

Dont get me wrong, we absolutely love Poly and we love AKV. I guess it comes down to the fact that I see a lot of posts (everywhere) about buying direct and how it's not the smartest way to go due to pricing/options. And it makes me think about the choice that was made.

Maybe I am just overthinking it...?

Buying DVC doesn't have to be strictly about numbers/dollars unless you want it to be. If you enjoy PVB and are willing to pay the premium, it's good that you have home resort booking there. It sounds likely PVB may become difficult to book at 7-month. However, if you prefer AKV and plan to use a good chunk of your PVB points to stay there, then you have reasons to second-guess yourself. Finally, if your ultimate goal was to get the best DVC deal out there from a financial standpoint, then you should have bought SSR or BLT resale.

LAX

 

[aleh021]

The main use cases for buying direct being the best financial option:

1. You are buying the "live" resort. You were at that time. Generally, lift via resale takes a while for live resorts. (Aulani is an edge case, as it will take approximately until the Earth falls into the sun and a couple of supernovas to sell out AUL, apparently, and there are the subsidized dues contracts that pop up in resale.)
2. You are buying a smaller contract (25-75 points), because it is hell to get those via resale and you won't save much.

There is another use case for "best option," although not generally "best financial option:"

• You have spare money and want to buy fast/not fiddle with ROFR and the process of resale.

At the point in time you bought Poly, buying direct was generally what most would have recommended so long as you want o make most of your stays at Poly. AKV is generally easier to book at 7, with the modern warning that fall is a problem even at AKV, so you'd best like Poly from October-marathon and save your experimenting for non-peak trips.

I truly love Poly, it is my personal favorite and want to make the most of my points and usage here and having the 11 month window is something I wanted. I recently booked and had a little trouble booking at 11 months. But I can see how this resort will get harder as time goes on.

Now, that's not to say I won't ever use them for AKV, but I didn't buy Poly to only stay at AKV. That'd make no sense for me, but I do understand some people might do this.

Reading the internet puts things in mind though.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Buying direct was not wrong in this case, even from the financial perspective. As a live resort, the lift from resale was minimal.

I truly love Poly, it is my personal favorite and want to make the most of my points and usage here and having the 11 month window is something I wanted. I recently booked and had a little trouble booking at 11 months. But I can see how this resort will get harder as time goes on.

Now, that's not to say I won't ever use them for AKV, but I didn't buy Poly to only stay at AKV. That'd make no sense for me, but I do understand some people might do this.

Reading the internet puts things in mind though.

 

[ELMC]

Ok, bear with me here. Although there are certain instances when buying resale is a better decision, I think that a lot of people downplay the financial benefits of buying direct. There are A LOT of variables, but let's say that you plan on keeping the DVC contract for the entire span (41 years AKL or 50 years Poly from 2016). Right now AKL is a tad more expensive in dues than Poly (50 cents). This is subject to change, but let's assume that AKL will remain just slightly higher than Poly throughout the life of the contract (even though dues at both resorts will rise)

If you bought 100 AKL points in 2016 for $100 (I'm just guessing), that would equal $10,000. 100 points over 41 years divided by $10,000 is $2.44 per point. $2.44 per point plus $6.75 dues equal $9.19 per point. So if you used 100 points for a hotel stay every year, that would be equivalent to $919.

If you bought 100 Poly points in 2016 for $176, that would equal $17,600. 100 points over 50 years dividied by $17,600 is $3.52 per point. $3.52 per point plus $6.2 in dues equal $9.72 per point. So if you used 100 points for a hotel stay every year, that would be equivalent to $972.

That brings us to a $53 per year difference in Poly instead of AKL. Ok, so Poly is a little bit more expensive, but $53 a year (in my opinion) is NOTHING. Not to mention that you get 9 more years worth of points, PLUS DVC member benefits, PLUS an easier and cheaper buy-in process, PLUS if you do decide to resale later on, theres a more likely chance that Poly will be worth more than AKL down the line.

Feel free to correct my math anyone.

Bold emphasis above is mine. I've seen this argument made before and I believe it to be misguided. If you had the option of paying the $53 difference per year over the course of the next 41 years, then your logic would apply. The problem is, the difference is $7,600 today. That has significant implications for cash flow, opportunity cost, and future value of money. There are plenty of ways to justify one purchase over another, but IMO this is a poor justification. I would much rather someone said "owning Poly makes me happier than owning AKV". That's logic I can get behind.

Or am I overthinking things?

We purchased points at Poly back in 2016.

A little bit about us...it's just my partner and I. And its really only us 2 who are taking these trips down to WDW or DL.

When we made our initial purchase we were both on the fence about how to buy (direct or resale). We thought about it hard and its not something we jumped on or our sales guide convinced us to do because we were in "vacation fantasy mode". It's a large financial purchase and we take these sort of things seriously and make sure we get the best value we can. We requested information before and did our thorough research, but we never followed through.

Our options came down to Poly Direct or AKV Resale. (there was no way I would buy a 100 point contract directly from Disney for AKV, made no sense for the cost).

Ultimately we chose Poly due to the fact the contract was 9 years longer then AKV. And our contract length was really important to us as I found more value in that long term.

Dont get me wrong, we absolutely love Poly and we love AKV. I guess it comes down to the fact that I see a lot of posts (everywhere) about buying direct and how it's not the smartest way to go due to pricing/options. And it makes me think about the choice that was made.

Maybe I am just overthinking it...?

Again, bold emphasis is my own to highlight the points I'll be addressing.

So, to your first point about value, I do not think you achieved your objective. The value purchase would be to purchase AKV and save close to 40% up front. I understand your perspective on placing value on the longer contract length, but quite frankly the difference between 41 years and 50 years is negligible. It's like the difference between owing a car that can go 0-60 in 2.9 seconds vs. 3.4 seconds. It's still a really fast car. These contracts are still really long contracts.

That being said...you are overthinking it and you are not overthinking it. How's that for taking both sides of an issue? You are wise to be reflecting on your experience and thinking about what you could have done differently. But you need to do your analysis and reach the point where you let it go. You didn't do anything wrong by purchasing Poly direct and you definitely shouldn't feel badly about it. However, you should incorporate your thoughts along with feedback from this thread to inform your next buying decision. Because if you ignore your feelings and the advice you're being given and you choose to purchase direct again, when your stated primary objective is obtaining the best value, then perhaps that would be a mistake.