dilemma of resale or direct buy

[csimonri]

Does it matter what resort you buy into? Do most people jump from resort to resort? And if that is the case...... Would buying the cheapest resale be the way to go?

 

[jmail048]

Does it matter what resort you buy into? Do most people jump from resort to resort? And if that is the case...... Would buying the cheapest resale be the way to go?

It does matter what resort you buy because that's your home resort and can book at 11 months out and you get 1st preference at your home resort. All the other resorts you can book at 7 months based on availability. Also check the yearly fees at the resort. Vero beach is much more expensive in yearly dues but cheaper per point resale. Any saving you would have got would be eaten up within a few years. IMO buy where you want to stay and read a bit more about how the program works. SSR may be one to look into for cost per point and yearly fees. Are you able to rent or use family's points to stay at a few resorts before you buy?

 

[Countryrunner262]

Does it matter what resort you buy into? Do most people jump from resort to resort? And if that is the case...... Would buying the cheapest resale be the way to go?

Our last trip we toured all DVC resorts instead of doing the parks and stayed at VGF. It was actually a lot of fun! We learned we really like the grounds at SSR the best. That is were we bought our resale contract at. Personally, AKV was our least favorite resort we toured.

 

[disneynutz]

Does it matter what resort you buy into? Do most people jump from resort to resort? And if that is the case...... Would buying the cheapest resale be the way to go?

Many newbies feel like they would be happy just staying at any DVC resort, but after a couple of years and a couple of stays, you will develop favorites. If you didn't buy at your favorite, you might have to settle for what's available when you try to book at 7 months.

Some owners will call daily hoping for availability, pay cash for missing days, and pray that their waitlist will come through.

We find it much easier to just buy where we love to stay.

Bill

 

[csimonri]

We own at Grand Floridian . Or my parents do haha. But the most bang for your buck seems to be staying at Old key west. This resort probably has the last amenities though. Personal the pool at Beach Club looks like it more male that resort my favorite

 

[csimonri]

By bang for your buck I mean let's you stay the longest with points so multiple trips can be made.

 

[lovin'fl]

By bang for your buck I mean let's you stay the longest with points so multiple trips can be made.

I own OKW, AKV and BWV for booking the cheaper rooms (OKW-all rooms, AKV- value and standard view and BWV-standard view...and you need to own at AKV to get those cheaper, value, rooms and same with BWV...OKW is easier to book at 7 months except for the 3BR GV as they are the cheapest GVs). We do like to also switch around sometimes and try other resorts and have used our OKW to stay at ALL the east coast DVC resorts except VGF (booking at 7 months out or less...just have to be willing to take what's available and it has not been a problem unless it's a holiday/school break or F&W). But, I can do OKW to conserve points and make them stretch so we can go more (can also do AKV- value or standard and BWV- standard to save points too).

 

[supersnoop]

Take that with a grain of salt. When the economy was at a low point and the timeshare market dropped, AKV was selling in the $50s. That was about 2 years ago. You may still lose, but not as much as someone who buys in at today's prices.

I call shenanigans. There may have been some contracts in the $50s, but $55+. And the average, even during the deepest part of the recent recession, seems to be closer to $65. At least, based on the past ROFR threads.

 

[Countryrunner262]

We just went ahead and got on the direct wait list for 30 SSR points. We needed a June UY, so felt with that few points and a specific UY needed, direct was the way to go. Plus we will get a contract that will not be stripped. However, our original 150 point contract at SSR (which was fully loaded), we did get through resale for 68pp.

 

[Best Aunt]

I am not even sure what concierge level is.

Edited to say: I explained "concierge level," but after re-reading the thread, I think you meant "Concierge Collection."

From the member website:

Members who purchase directly from Disney can enjoy exquisite accommodations when you stay in a prestigious resort or hotel from the Concierge Collection. Handpicked by Disney Vacation Club, you can expect a first-class experience at some of the most popular vacation destinations—here and abroad.
Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa – Maui, HI
Hotel del Coronado – Coronado, CA
The Manhattan Club – New York, NY
The Fairmont San Francisco – San Francisco, CA
Mandarin Oriental, Washington D.C. – Washington, D.C.
Royal Garden Hotel – London, England
The Whitehall Hotel – Chicago, IL
The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa – Asheville, NC
Keystone Resort ® – Keystone, CO
Resort at Squaw Creek – Lake Tahoe, CA
The Sagamore – Lake George, NY
Topnotch Resort and Spa – Stowe, VT

What I originally wrote is:

The only DVC resort with concierge (club) level is AKV. There are 5 studios and 5 one-bedroom villas, which can be combined into 2-bedroom villas.

There is a tour called Sunrise Safari which used to be available only to people staying club level. Now it is available to any DVC member staying at AKV so you don't need to book club level for that purpose.

The other benefits of staying club level are daily mousekeeping and free food in the club level lounge. You can book club level at AKV whether your points were purchased through resale or direct from Disney. The views from the windows aren't great, and the rooms require more points per night, so a lot of people choose not to spend their points this way (assuming they could get the rooms, which are tough to book unless you can do it at 11 months).

The Disney deluxe hotels all have club level regular (non-DVC) rooms.