Disney Direct Tricks?

[Msmithmd]

We just bought direct last week, and our guide did not say anything about Disney buying back 'all' the ROFR contracts. He said this was an option for the lower-priced contracts, but never said they would all be bought. His selling point on not buying off the resale market was those contracts do not come with all the 'perks' that buying from Disney does. Basically said you cannot access Aluani (which is one of our targets in a few years), and those other resorts that are offered. In essence, you would be tied to the Disney World Resort with those points, and couldn't even access Disneyland. My research showed this to be possibly true---but even if it wasn't, we wanted in at the VGF, so we almost had to buy right now--rather than wait a year or so on the resale market.

Bad news dude. Your $150 pp direct points and my $55 pp resale points have the exact same opportunity to book VGC and Aulani. As well as all other dvc resorts beyond our respective homes.

My first VGF stay is in a month and a half. Then, my second VGF stay follows that a couple months later. Both using my $55 resale points.

For $95 more per point (or a little less in today's market) than I paid upfront, you will receive a four month head start on me for booking future VGF rooms since I am a VWL resale member. In turn, I get a four month head start on you for VWL rooms.

And also, you get the convenient option to use your points to pay for a couple things that you could buy cheaper with cash (i.e. cruises).

If it was worth the $95 PER POINT differential to you to have that extra four month booking advantage for VGF, then more power to you. Direct purchase makes sense if you are totally dedicated to staying every time at the latest brand new resort that's not available resale.

If it wasn't truly worth that huge extra upfront money to you, then you got "sold the story," as is said when referring to timeshare sales tactics.

Understand that I don't say this to try to make you personally feel bad at all. I just believe that a core function of this board is to allow prospective owners reading here to grasp the depth of the misleading information that a "guide" (timeshare salesperson) may tell you.

It shocks my conscience that these "guides" try to get away with telling their customers this stuff. Of course, they would get away with it so much easier if it wasn't for this pesky thing known as Internet discussion boards.

Then again, what percent of dvc new buyers have heard of Disboards before their purchase? Such is the business of direct sale timeshares.

Disney is no worse than any other timeshare corporation. And reportedly uses lower pressure sales tactics than most. They're simply not necessarily fully honest during their presentation.

Caveat emptor.

 

[boxer]

Bad news dude. Your $150 pp direct points and my $55 pp resale points have the exact same opportunity to book VGC and Aulani. As well as all other dvc resorts beyond our respective homes.

My first VGF stay is in a month and a half. Then, my second VGF stay follows that a couple months later. Both using my $55 resale points.

For $95 more per point (or a little less in today's market) than I paid upfront, you will receive a four month head start on me for booking future VGF rooms since I am a VWL resale member. In turn, I get a four month head start on you for VWL rooms.

And also, you get the convenient option to use your points to pay for a couple things that you could buy cheaper with cash (i.e. cruises).

If it was worth the $95 PER POINT differential to you to have that extra four month booking advantage for VGF, then more power to you. Direct purchase makes sense if you are totally dedicated to staying every time at the latest brand new resort that's not available resale.

If it wasn't truly worth that huge extra upfront money to you, then you got "sold the story," as is said when referring to timeshare sales tactics.

Understand that I don't say this to try to make you personally feel bad at all. I just believe that a core function of this board is to allow prospective owners reading here to grasp the depth of the misleading information that a "guide" (timeshare salesperson) may tell you.

It shocks my conscience that these "guides" try to get away with telling their customers this stuff. Of course, they would get away with it so much easier if it wasn't for this pesky thing known as Internet discussion boards.

Then again, what percent of dvc new buyers have heard of Disboards before their purchase? Such is the business of direct sale timeshares.

Disney is no worse than any other timeshare corporation. And reportedly uses lower pressure sales tactics than most. They're simply not necessarily fully honest during their presentation.

Caveat emptor.

As I said, our first priority was to have the VGF as our home resort, and have that 4mos booking window ahead of everyone else. While you may have gotten the VGF right now, I don't think the resort will be that easy to book in the upcoming year--especially with only a 7mos window.

We were never GF people in the past, but when we walked the resort (DVC), we fell in love with it. Did we probably overpay a little--yes. Were we able to have the home resort we loved--MOST certainly yes.

We made the decision based from not being able to get our favorite resorts this past trip, and kind of being disappointed with the WL room this time. We didn't want that to happen again, so we booked at a resort that we fell in love with, and would be happy with the rooms.

If that is getting ripped off, then so be it. I looked into resale, and it has its own problems/issues, so either way there is something not to like. We may choose to buy more points on resale, but I do not regret my VGF purchase whatsoever.

AND, if finances get tight in the future---I would think the VGF has a nice resale value that we can get back out from under it.

 

[Msmithmd]

Boxer- well said. And you're definitely correct on the resale value of VGF versus other dvc resorts.

Of course the crazy high point cost of staying there will exert downward pressure on resale value versus other local resorts, once it is sold out. But I agree that it will have a premium price versus other Florida properties for years to come.

I think a direct purchase can be rational with your mindset that this resort (which is brand new) is definitely where you want to stay consistently. My issue is more the guides trying to seal the deal by misleading statements, as mentioned in your initial post.

As to difficulty in booking VGF in the future- only time will tell. Certainly as more of it sells there will be a higher fraction of the rooms that could book before seven months. But clearly it will be possible to book most room categories, most of the time, right at seven months.

Why can I say that confidently? VGC. The case has already been proven. It is the ONLY dvc option in Anaheim, beyond being at the flagship resort there. And yet while a challenging reservation to snag, thousands have done so successfully using their non-home points...

 

[BenDiscipio]

Boxer- well said. And you're definitely correct on the resale value of VGF versus other dvc resorts.

Of course the crazy high point cost of staying there will exert downward pressure on resale value versus other local resorts, once it is sold out. But I agree that it will have a premium price versus other Florida properties for years to come.

I think a direct purchase can be rational with your mindset that this resort (which is brand new) is definitely where you want to stay consistently. My issue is more the guides trying to seal the deal by misleading statements, as mentioned in your initial post.

As to difficulty in booking VGF in the future- only time will tell. Certainly as more of it sells there will be a higher fraction of the rooms that could book before seven months. But clearly it will be possible to book most room categories, most of the time, right at seven months.

Why can I say that confidently? VGC. The case has already been proven. It is the ONLY dvc option in Anaheim, beyond being at the flagship resort there. And yet while a challenging reservation to snag, thousands have done so successfully using their non-home points...

Clearly? The resort isn't even half sold yet...and you're saying CLEARLY, most rooms will be available at 7 months? This is the smallest DVC property and the flagship of Disney. I would say that most logic goes against that statement....

 

[Msmithmd]

Clearly? The resort isn't even half sold yet...and you're saying CLEARLY, most rooms will be available at 7 months? This is the smallest DVC property and the flagship of Disney. I would say that most logic goes against that statement....

I stand by the final paragraph of my prior post. It isn't something we need to debate.

Now, booking a standard view VGF studio for the first two weeks of December with non-home resort points? Fugheddaboutit.

But most rooms will be available precisely at seven months, most of the time. For your opinion to be correct, you would have to conclude that the vast majority of VGF owners won't use their points to stay anywhere else. And the objective history of new dvc releases proves that assumption simply isn't true.

It of course is a tactic that dvc salespersons use, to tell new buyers that the latest place will be impossible to book as a non-home resort. And yet it proves untrue. Every time.

 

[rkold]

I stand by the final paragraph of my prior post. It isn't something we need to debate.

Now, booking a standard view VGF studio for the first two weeks of December with non-home resort points? Fugheddaboutit.

But most rooms will be available precisely at seven months, most of the time. For your opinion to be correct, you would have to conclude that the vast majority of VGF owners won't use their points to stay anywhere else. And the objective history of new dvc releases proves that assumption simply isn't true.

It of course is a tactic that dvc salespersons use, to tell new buyers that the latest place will be impossible to book as a non-home resort. And yet it proves untrue. Every time.

To be fair, VWL are not currently reselling as low as $55 a point. Are any of the DVCs currently reselling that low?

This is one of the reasons we bought VGF. We want to stay at the VGF 4-5 nights during the first two weeks of December nearly every year. That is one of the times we like to travel.

If we need more points, we will probably do a resale, but we bought where we want to stay. And if we buy a resale, we'll probably also buy where we want to stay.

I don't know what our guide said, but she did as a sweetner book us 2/21-2/27 in a Studio at Bay Lake Tower. We specifically wanted those nights and specifically in either BLT or VGF, because I'm doing the Princess 1/2 and I want my family to be able to just go outside our hotel to the road to watch me run past and to be able to easily get to the finish line.

 

[lodge]

It of course is a tactic that dvc salespersons use, to tell new buyers that the latest place will be impossible to book as a non-home resort. And yet it proves untrue. Every time.

with such a long contract and with more owners always being added, we don't want to struggle later when we're too old to handle hassles without getting cranky! We're cranky enough already.

 

[yitbos96bb]

All t/s salespeople lie. Disney is no exception.

All Internet forum users post incorrect information. Or maybe it's better to say some or many rather than lumping all in the same bucket

 

[yitbos96bb]

At this point, there is a difference in how one is able to use resale vs direct points. Not that it heavily affects most people.

 

[Sammie]

At this point, there is a difference in how one is able to use resale vs direct points. Not that it heavily affects most people.

Good point.

And as we know all subject to change, as to those restrictions.

As to whether it heavily affects most people, I think we can only base that on what we see reported here, which is very small percentage of the total DVC membership.

There are pros and cons to buying resale and direct and some seem to forget that.

 

[Nabas]

This is one of the reasons we bought VGF. We want to stay at the VGF 4-5 nights during the first two weeks of December nearly every year. That is one of the times we like to travel.

With only 47 Studios and a high per-night point requirement, IMHO, any Studio at VGF will be difficult to book for more than 2-3 nights once VGF sells out.

Standard View one-bedroom villa for the summer is 340 points per week. I just can't imagine a lot of VGF owners buying that number of points. In the end, I suspect many VGF owners will battle with each other for the Studios, pretty much assuring that anyone who doesn't own there will find it extremely difficult to book a Studio there once it sells out.

Regardless of price, if VGF is where you want to stay, I believe you were wise to buy there. It probably will be many years before VGF resales even begin to approach $100/point.

 

[rkold]

With only 47 Studios and a high per-night point requirement, IMHO, any Studio at VGF will be difficult to book for more than 2-3 nights once VGF sells out.

Standard View one-bedroom villa for the summer is 340 points per week. I just can't imagine a lot of VGF owners buying that number of points. In the end, I suspect many VGF owners will battle with each other for the Studios, pretty much assuring that anyone who doesn't own there will find it extremely difficult to book a Studio there once it sells out.

Regardless of price, if VGF is where you want to stay, I believe you were wise to buy there. It probably will be many years before VGF resales even begin to approach $100/point.

Well, hopefully we either always just get lucky or by the time we can't get 4-5 nights we go less often and do 1 brs for 4-5 nights instead. At least for now, I'd rather take my little one out of nursery. I've done a move between resorts once and I'd really prefer not to do it again while DD is still napping.

 

[luckyman_apd]

I find it interesting what salesman will say....in any line of sales. Timeshare or not. I like to stop and talk to one every trip...just to hear what they'll say. I haven't heard any "blatant lies" like this one, but they do twist and bend things here and there. Like a previous poster, it may not have been a lie, as people hear what they want sometimes to justify things to themselves, rather than what was actually said. I'm glad I found the Disboards before we purchased. I am far more knowledgeable about DVC than most owners I come across. Friends of ours who owned for years before us, ask me questions now. Found out my neighbor owns at SSR and I've enlightened him on a few things he didn't know over the last 6 months.

I don't judge anyone for buying resale or direct. I just hope those who buy either way are informed.

 

[DebbieB]

I have also heard this rumor. It makes sense though, if Disney buys all the resale contracts via ROFR, and then sells them higher....they make a nice profit. People will always want DVC.

There are some resorts I don't think they would want back, they had a hard time selling them in the first place. Would you buy Vero or HH for over $100?

 

[DVC Sue]

I don't think this is true. I guess some salesman will stop at nothing to make a sell.

 

[disneynutz]

Disney's job is to sell, room packages or DVC contracts, it all about the same.

If your job was only selling DVC contracts, your boss is on your butt to sell more, you are looking for a raise or bonus based on sales, you have to do the same spiel every day, several times per day for weeks, months, years, trying to convince people that you are their friend and that they need to buy a timeshare, getting emails from your boss because you let one get away, you might bend the truth to make a sale.

Bill

 

[dianeschlicht]

We just bought direct last week, and our guide did not say anything about Disney buying back 'all' the ROFR contracts. He said this was an option for the lower-priced contracts, but never said they would all be bought.

His selling point on not buying off the resale market was those contracts do not come with all the 'perks' that buying from Disney does. Basically said you cannot access Aluani (which is one of our targets in a few years), and those other resorts that are offered. In essence, you would be tied to the Disney World Resort with those points, and couldn't even access Disneyland. My research showed this to be possibly true---but even if it wasn't, we wanted in at the VGF, so we almost had to buy right now--rather than wait a year or so on the resale market.

The only "perk" you miss out on is exchanging your points for the "Disney Collection" like cruises or staying at non-DVC Disney hotels. Since Aulani is part of the regular DVC system, you ARE allowed to book there at the 7 month mark just like any of the other DVC resorts. That access won't and can't change unless they re-write the offering statements. You even get to use your points for RCI exchanges if you buy resale. The ONLY thing you can't do is book Disney hotels and cruises with points.

 

[dianeschlicht]

As I said, our first priority was to have the VGF as our home resort, and have that 4mos booking window ahead of everyone else. While you may have gotten the VGF right now, I don't think the resort will be that easy to book in the upcoming year--especially with only a 7mos window.

We were never GF people in the past, but when we walked the resort (DVC), we fell in love with it. Did we probably overpay a little--yes. Were we able to have the home resort we loved--MOST certainly yes.

We made the decision based from not being able to get our favorite resorts this past trip, and kind of being disappointed with the WL room this time. We didn't want that to happen again, so we booked at a resort that we fell in love with, and would be happy with the rooms.

If that is getting ripped off, then so be it. I looked into resale, and it has its own problems/issues, so either way there is something not to like. We may choose to buy more points on resale, but I do not regret my VGF purchase whatsoever.

AND, if finances get tight in the future---I would think the VGF has a nice resale value that we can get back out from under it.

I think all of us make choices like that for our own reasons. I added on when AKV first added DVC units because I KNEW I wanted to have points at AKV, and I didn't want to wait for resale to come on line. As it turned out, the first AKV resale was on the lists before the resort even opened! Who knew?

I'm not sure long time DVC members are necessarily going to be so eager to use VGF though. It's way more points than we would use for the same length of time and a larger unit at our two home resorts, and that just wouldn't be worth it to me. That's especially true since MK is our least favorite park, and the TIME we can book is more important to us than extra luxurious furniture. Besides, I think the REAL thing many current owners are going to want to get into is the new Polynesian villas when they are available.

 

[tanjiers]

I got the same quote it was kind of funny. It's not worth much unless it's in writing.

 

[fuernj]

Just this past weekend, our DVC sales person told us that in addition to losing RCI, Disney Cruise, etc., people purchasing resale would not be able to use their points at any DVC resort that opens after the resale takes place. For example, that would mean someone buying resale today would not be able to purchase DVC at the Polly when that opens. I asked the sales ugh several times in several different ways if I was understanding him correctly and he insisted this was a recent change. Anyone else hear this tidbit?