Direct through Disney vs Resale - Questions.

[fearthisinc]

Hi.. I have done a lot of research and found that going resale, for the most part, usually makes the most sense as you get a little more bang for you buck.. However there are a few "kinks" I am trying to sort out..

So our dilemma is this.. Right now Disney is offering the Polynesian and Wilderness Lodge for DVC membership.. Our top two favorite resorts are Beach Club and Polynesian. Our current vacation cycle is as follows:
- 1 week (6 nights, 7 days) Disney trip at Beach Club in late May or early June
- 4 nights Disney trip to Polynesian in early to mid October
- 4 nights Disney trip to Polynesian in early December

We have looked at resales and currently there are barely any Beach Club resales that are in our price range and that are actually listed as "available". We have also looked at the Boardwalk (wouldn't mind staying across the lake) but we are findings that those resales are also becoming more rare as well.. With that in mind we started to look elsewhere and came across the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We have stayed there in the past and it was very nice, although a little out of the way. We could obtain the point package we are looking at (250 points minimum) for around $20k by going with Animal Kingdom. But our main concern is if we would ever get to stay at our two favorite resorts if they are not a home resort.. We wouldn't mind staying at the Animal Kingdom and do like the idea of getting 40 years over the 25 left on Beach Club resales.. However, we would like to also stay at our favorite resorts as well.. I have talked with some members and they said that if you book right at the 7 month window for a non home resort then you will normally get it.. But others have said that the Beach Club and all resorts on the monorail are almost never available.. Especially since we go during those resorts respective "peak" times.. Our Beach Club trip normally falls during early summer "nice weather" where they have the best pool, and our Polynesian trips coincide with the Christmas Party and Halloween Party seasons..

So I wanted to put the question out on the forum and see what the majority is regarding getting choice resorts that are not home resorts. Especially for those members who book at similar resorts during the times frames mentioned.

 

[aoconnor]

What kind of room do you want to stay in? Generally speaking studios sell out first followed by two bedrooms then one bedrooms. If you can swing a one bedroom, your chances at any resort at 7 months will be a lot higher.

For late May I think you should have a pretty good shot at getting Beach Club (pre-Memorial Day). I have used my Animal Kingdom points to stay there in a studio in March twice with no availability issues. It is a small and popular resort though, so you may not always get what you want.

October and December are the two busiest months for DVC and Beach Club is especially popular in October due to F&W. I would say slim to no chance of getting Beach Club in October and probably not in December either unless in a one bedroom. Thankfully, your preferred resort those months seems to be Poly. So far, booking a studio at Poly at 7 months has been easy any time of the year since the resort only has studios and bungalows. It's not quite sold out though, so hard to say what availability will be like down the road.

If you think you'd be happy getting what you want most of the time but occasionally "having" to stay at Animal Kingdom or elsewhere when it doesn't work out, then I would go that route. The only truly valuable perk of buying direct is the AP discount, which may not even apply to your travel habits. (And it'll take years and years of AP discounts to make up the difference in cost from resale)

 

[pdude81]

So for someone who goes to Disney 3 times a year and seemingly not during blackout time, you are likely a prime candidate for the discounted gold annual pass. That surely factors into your purchase decision, as having the membership benefits would be worth it to you. I agree with the above that some of this depends on what room types. However, IIRC the polynesian is almost all studios whether DVC or cash, so I assume that studios are fine.

Nobody can be really sure what will happen when PVB sells out, although many have speculated it will get pretty difficulat at the 7 month mark. If you love it there and stay there twice a year you may want to buy there and take your chances on the beach club trip since the times you like to go to Poly are more popular with DVC. You can look for a resale Polynesian contract and then add on 25 more points in the same use year, which could save you a little bit of money. However, you'd have to calculate available points and how soon you are looking to plan your next vacation into what it's worth to you.

Many will say that you want to save the money regardless, but I would consider buying 220 direct PVB points if you can afford it since that is the sweet spot on the current promotion. Essentially they are giving you 20 of the 200 points for "free". You would get 2016 UY points if you choose a later use year and still only have to pay half of the 2017 dues. So for that you'd end up paying an effective rate of $160pp with all of 2016 points forward. You could pick up a 200 point contract at 140pp and another 25 point contract at $176pp and save up to 3k from a direct contract, but isn't much of a savings if the resale contract is stripped at all.

Then you could start using this contract right away and see what the BCV availability looks like at the 7 month mark. If it's easy enough to get what you want, you could go add on a medium AKV or SSR resale contract for use on those trips, or add on at BCV via resale if it looks to be necessary for your travel dates.

This is all assuming you want to stay at these resorts each year for the most part. If you bounce around from year to year and aren't looking to stay at one of these resorts during a very popular week, then one of the cheaper resale contracts becomes a more interesting proposition.

-----------------------

Additional note: If you buy any big contracts direct from Disney, have them split up. You will not lose any of your incentives, but should you need to sell down the road it will give you flexibility. Later if you want to sell only one or give to children, you can do that. Smaller contracts also tend to sell for more money, so the small additional amount it would cost to close two 110 point contracts is well worth it IMO over having one 220 point contract.

 

[TLinden16]

I have always agreed with those who say buy where you want to stay. If you really want to stay at the Polynesian in early December, I think you absolutely need to have Polynesian points for that.

I have had good luck getting studios at Monorail or Epcot resorts at the seven-month window in January, March, May, and September. Not sure about the other months because I've never tried.

And I agree with the above poster regarding splitting a large amount of points into two or more contracts. Few of us know what our financial situation will be like in 10 or 20 years, and you have a lot more flexibility if you have two or three hundred point contract versus one 200 or 300 point contract.

 

[Dean]

Hi.. I have done a lot of research and found that going resale, for the most part, usually makes the most sense as you get a little more bang for you buck.. However there are a few "kinks" I am trying to sort out..

So our dilemma is this.. Right now Disney is offering the Polynesian and Wilderness Lodge for DVC membership.. Our top two favorite resorts are Beach Club and Polynesian. Our current vacation cycle is as follows:
- 1 week (6 nights, 7 days) Disney trip at Beach Club in late May or early June
- 4 nights Disney trip to Polynesian in early to mid October
- 4 nights Disney trip to Polynesian in early December

We have looked at resales and currently there are barely any Beach Club resales that are in our price range and that are actually listed as "available". We have also looked at the Boardwalk (wouldn't mind staying across the lake) but we are findings that those resales are also becoming more rare as well.. With that in mind we started to look elsewhere and came across the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We have stayed there in the past and it was very nice, although a little out of the way. We could obtain the point package we are looking at (250 points minimum) for around $20k by going with Animal Kingdom. But our main concern is if we would ever get to stay at our two favorite resorts if they are not a home resort.. We wouldn't mind staying at the Animal Kingdom and do like the idea of getting 40 years over the 25 left on Beach Club resales.. However, we would like to also stay at our favorite resorts as well.. I have talked with some members and they said that if you book right at the 7 month window for a non home resort then you will normally get it.. But others have said that the Beach Club and all resorts on the monorail are almost never available.. Especially since we go during those resorts respective "peak" times.. Our Beach Club trip normally falls during early summer "nice weather" where they have the best pool, and our Polynesian trips coincide with the Christmas Party and Halloween Party seasons..

So I wanted to put the question out on the forum and see what the majority is regarding getting choice resorts that are not home resorts. Especially for those members who book at similar resorts during the times frames mentioned.

Assuming your set on those choices and can pay cash, you are likely better off just buying there. Just run the numbers and make sure it makes sense to buy at all but I suspect it will. For BCV & BWV things will loosen up at some point but it might be a few months before you find anything. For Poly you may not save enough to justify resale, just compare and see. Just realize you're paying a boatload of money for 2 weeks at WDW yearly, esp at at those 2 resorts. If you haven't stayed at AKV or SSR, I'd at least visit those before you decide to stay with your original plan.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

So far, booking a studio at Poly at 7 months has been easy any time of the year since the resort only has studios and bungalows.

I would not say this to be true for Fall Frenzy or early December. At all. At 7 months, there were holes in the first two weeks of December this year, and the 8AM feeding frenzy for October is all about luck.

You really have to buy where you will be willing to stay, and book at 11 months, for October and December, particularly if studios are the goal, which I can only assume must be if Poly is considered desirable.

 

[fearthisinc]

Many will say that you want to save the money regardless, but I would consider buying 220 direct PVB points if you can afford it since that is the sweet spot on the current promotion. Essentially they are giving you 20 of the 200 points for "free". You would get 2016 UY points if you choose a later use year and still only have to pay half of the 2017 dues. So for that you'd end up paying an effective rate of $160pp with all of 2016 points forward. You could pick up a 200 point contract at 140pp and another 25 point contract at $176pp and save up to 3k from a direct contract, but isn't much of a savings if the resale contract is stripped at all.

I am a little confused on what you are referring to in regards to getting 2016 use year points.. When I sat down with the DVC Rep the current offer was 220 points for the $35,200.. Essentially you were paying for 200 vacation points at $176 and they are throwing in the 20 extra points to make the total 220 point package.. However the rep mentioned that the points were being "backdated" to February.. I actually just emailed him for clarification on this as I was hoping that as part of the deal they would throw in 2016 points.. Effectively having me start with 440 points in the account.. But the way he made it sound was that they are backdating it so I would get a February use year and be able to get the full 2017 years points..

 

[Dean]

I am a little confused on what you are referring to in regards to getting 2016 use year points.. When I sat down with the DVC Rep the current offer was 220 points for the $35,200.. Essentially you were paying for 200 vacation points at $176 and they are throwing in the 20 extra points to make the total 220 point package.. However the rep mentioned that the points were being "backdated" to February.. I actually just emailed him for clarification on this as I was hoping that as part of the deal they would throw in 2016 points.. Effectively having me start with 440 points in the account.. But the way he made it sound was that they are backdating it so I would get a February use year and be able to get the full 2017 years points..

They will give you the "current" UY points even if it's the last day but they won't give you extra once the UY has started. If you got say an August UY, you could get the 2016 points but not for a Feb UY. The difference in value is only roughly 1/2 years worth of points, having a good UY is far more important than that for most IMO.

 

[pdude81]

Yes if you were to get an oct uy and make your purchase contingent on the 2016 points being banked to 2017, you'd start with 440 points in 2017 and have a good uy for those 3 periods. Was the guide pushing feb? When I bought I wanted June but was told they were done with June and I could get aug or later. Since others can add to their existing uy I would now stick to my guns and tell them for 176 a point I will choose the uy I want.

 

[pdude81]

And if you can't use all the banked points you can rent them out for extra cash

 

[fearthisinc]

Thanks for the input.. I'm going to have to clarify with the rep what he meant.. He made it sound like a "perk" that they would "backdate" the points to February.. I'm thinking he was trying to make it seem like it was a favor to get me all of 2017 points or something.. But i don't think they prorate the points based on when you purchase.. So not sure what the "perk" or benefit is.. The only reference i found online to "back dating" points was from a new member to DVC who had their points backdated to the previous April so they got the previous years points and basically started with double points in their account... I don't see how this would carry over in my case as the rep was saying he was backdating the points to February of this year (unless i misheard him).. The only thing I could guess is that perhaps they only have February use year contracts remaining?

 

[D-Trick]

I'm thinking he was trying to make it seem like it was a favor to get me all of 2017 points or something..

You are correct. He's trying to make it sound like it's a "bonus" that you're getting 2017 points. The truth is that you're going to get them no matter what. Let's take your Feb UY scenario:

Misconception: Most people will think that because they're buying a February UY, they won't start getting points until the next CALENDAR February. (In this case 2/2018)
Truth: You will always get the points for your UY that the purchase date is in. If you purchase a Feb UY contract in June 17, you're currently in the Feb 17 UY, and therefore will get those points and pay prorated fees.

It is based on the misconception that the guide will sell you and tell you that he is "backdating" to Feb 2017.

If you bought that same February UY contract in January 2018, you would still get the same Feb 2017 points (since the next UY doesn't kick in until Feb 1 2018). However with this scenario an added bonus is that you would not have to pay any maintenance fees for the 2017 points because you're already in the 2018 calendar year. Points are given based on UY, whereas all dues are based on the calendar year.

 

[Dean]

Thanks for the input.. I'm going to have to clarify with the rep what he meant.. He made it sound like a "perk" that they would "backdate" the points to February.. I'm thinking he was trying to make it seem like it was a favor to get me all of 2017 points or something.. But i don't think they prorate the points based on when you purchase.. So not sure what the "perk" or benefit is.. The only reference i found online to "back dating" points was from a new member to DVC who had their points backdated to the previous April so they got the previous years points and basically started with double points in their account... I don't see how this would carry over in my case as the rep was saying he was backdating the points to February of this year (unless i misheard him).. The only thing I could guess is that perhaps they only have February use year contracts remaining?

Ignoring other factors, the best UY for direct is the one that's coming up the quickest but you're still in the last UY. But there are other factors. First decide if DVC in general is a good choice for you personally (pay cash, etc), it would sound like it is as posted. Then decide on home resort (this thread) and UY. Decide the BEST UY for you, for most there is a good one or at least some bad ones. Do the best UY if there is one irregardless of this issue. For BCV you likely need to own there though I prefer BWV because it's cheaper per point AND can be less points due to the standard view options. In this situation I'd likely look for a contract at BCV (or BWV) that was at least 150 points resale but that will cover most or barely all of your TOTAL needs. Then see how that works out for you. You might get BCV at the 7 month window but it's likely to be a struggle and stress. Poly should be easier. Your easiest option would be BCV and Poly points but it will be more expensive and you'll have to decide on ease vs cost. That assumes you have sufficient info to know you won't end up preferring somewhere else. I'd buy resale first then likely 25 retail and no more.

 

[supersnoop]

He made it sound like a "perk" that they would "backdate" the points to February.. I'm thinking he was trying to make it seem like it was a favor to get me all of 2017 points or something.. But i don't think they prorate the points based on when you purchase.. So not sure what the "perk" or benefit is..

He's a salesman. When you call him on it, he'll tell you that "most resales contracts are stripped of points for the next two years." The truth is, resale contracts could include more Points from even farther back in time. Or they may be missing some points that he can get for you. It just depends.

 

[pdude81]

He's a salesman. When you call him on it, he'll tell you that "most resales contracts are stripped of points for the next two years." The truth is, resale contracts could include more Points from even farther back in time. Or they may be missing some points that he can get for you. It just depends.

I agree with this and was given the same line, telling me if I acted before a certain date I'd get "prior year points". Having 2 years worth of points up front is great, but not any special value. As I said above, if you plan on traveling these same exact times and not really in September, than Oct looks like the best UY for you since you get until 5/31 to bank points and could still have open wait lists for that trip if using some of your PVB points to try to book BCV during that time. Either way you'd still have a couple months in the event of cancellation to rent points out if something happened.

I am not sure why they would try to sell you Feb unless nobody wants that, since the last UY getting points would be Jan in 2057. February UY gets you the same points from 2017 forward as any other, but if you got an Aug UY or later you'd get the 2016 points also.

As Dean said, if you can determine a specific UY that's best for you it might not be worth it to snag the 2016 points, but sounds like Oct would do well for you if you always want to take trips in Oct and Dec. As a reminder, if you buy an Oct contract just make sure to tell him those points need to be banked for you into 2017 so they don't expire before you can use them.

 

[disneynutz]

I am a little confused on what you are referring to in regards to getting 2016 use year points.. When I sat down with the DVC Rep the current offer was 220 points for the $35,200.. Essentially you were paying for 200 vacation points at $176 and they are throwing in the 20 extra points to make the total 220 point package.. However the rep mentioned that the points were being "backdated" to February.. I actually just emailed him for clarification on this as I was hoping that as part of the deal they would throw in 2016 points.. Effectively having me start with 440 points in the account.. But the way he made it sound was that they are backdating it so I would get a February use year and be able to get the full 2017 years points..

As posted you are getting what you paid for no matter what your guide says. Also they aren't throwing in extra points really. They raised the point cost to cover the extra points.

Bill

 

[fearthisinc]

As Dean said, if you can determine a specific UY that's best for you it might not be worth it to snag the 2016 points, but sounds like Oct would do well for you if you always want to take trips in Oct and Dec. As a reminder, if you buy an Oct contract just make sure to tell him those points need to be banked for you into 2017 so they don't expire before you can use them.

I am actually waiting on the rep to call me back.. Im first going to ask what he was referring to in regards to the backdating of points so he can elaborate on why it is a benefit.. I am then going to ask if I can choose my use year.. I do know that when we had sat down (and I am sure it is a sales pitch) he mentioned that the Polynesian was running low on inventory.. He was saying that they had a large amount of Copper Creek, but he was figuring that the Polynesian would be sold out within the next few weeks.. This makes me think that perhaps they only have February Use Year contracts remaining and are trying to push them. However, with that said, we do two of the three trips in October and December and having a February Use Year would be rough as once October 1 hits you can not make any changes.. This normally wouldn't be a problem as with my job our fall vacations get locked in and cannot be altered (unless change of division) by the beginning of September. And all my coworkers discuss vacations long in advance of the deadlines so we know what each is planning. But still it would be cutting it close as we could risk losing points if any last minute changes come up.. I will have to ask the Rep what Use Years are left or if it is something I can pick..

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I do know that when we had sat down (and I am sure it is a sales pitch) he mentioned that the Polynesian was running low on inventory

It's a very stretchy definition of "running low." As of the last declaration in March, 3,460,724 points at the Poly have been declared for sale, of the resort's total 4,032,720 points. So, it's safe to guess that there are a million points outstanding yet for sale.

And Copper Creek hasn't even opened yet (first people stay in July), so, sure, they have oodles of inventory. Only 20% of that property has been declared yet, and not all of that is sold (or they'd declare more).

Retail Poly and Copper Creek points do not have a "native" UY. They can be any UY they want. Points are assigned UY at initial sale, after which UY cannot be changed on those points.

 

[fearthisinc]

Ok.. Just got off the phone with the DVC Rep.. So..... They are "back dating" the points to February and the benefit is I get all of 2017 points.. I suspect they use this as a selling tool with the expectation that when you visit their tour you are on your "annual" Disney trip and won't be returning till the same time next year.. As his explanation was that I could immediately bank the 2017 points and use them for my 2018 vacation.. So that is what he was referring to for back dating the points.. He also mentioned that they are backdating the points but not charging for the annual dues on those months.. so while I get the 2017 points I only pay from the day I sign contract till end of year for dues vs having to pay the full year of dues.. I then inquired about the use year and explained how we vacation each year.. I told him that the Polynesian is our preferred resort in October and December and that with a February Use Year we would lose our points should we have to cancel last minute. I inquired if there was a way to change the use year, however he stated that all they have left in their inventory is a February Use Year. I then asked what happens if I come down there in August or later, will they still offer a February Use Year or will other Use Years be offered.. He got a little stumbled and just reverted back to saying that the Polynesian is the last resort on the monorail and will probably be sold out by then.. Actually, he "guaranteed" that it would be sold out as it is moving fast.. He then noted that they already have it scheduled that if they obtain any inventory at Bay Lake Towers or the Grand Floridian the point rate they will be sold at is $185 per point... Not sure how they would sell for more then the current point rate.. And apparently the Polynesian is selling 3x faster then the other DVC resorts..

 

[pdude81]

Yeah, they may prefer to shift you into a UY that has more points left, but since you are the one with the 35 thousand dollars you don't have to give in. The guide I had was very good and I don't doubt that they had moved on from June at the time, but I know know they keep back points in all use years in case someone with existing points wants to add on. Had I said no, I will buy June or I will buy resale I think that I would have gotten the points in June. For you though Feb is one of the crappier use years you could have. You might be able to make it work with February, but if you value points the way disney does at $15, those 220 points you'd get are worth $3300.

I would tell him I want October with 2016 points banked or you can go buy a resale contract cheaper with a better use year for your family and then they'd magically have the points available to magically add on to that use year. So if they want your money, call the supervisor. You would be paying more per point than people who bought this and got both 2015 and 2016 points, so this February UY costs you money.