DL DVCer going to WDW

[Lauren in NC]

How's that for an alphabet soup title ?

We currently own at VGC and vacation there a few times a year. In a few years, when the kids are older, we'd like to start switching it up a bit and head out to WDW every 2-3 years. We've been to WDW ages ago, and have never stayed DVC there. What would you do in our situation?

a) Book at 7 months using our VGC points. Pro: Simple. Con: We'd be using our $$$ points to stay at AKL or SSR, most likely.

b) Rent out some of the VGC points and use that cash to book a DVC rental. Pro: Better bang for our buck, and hopefully the ability to use someone else's home resort priority to stay at a monorail resort (our kids will still be pretty young). Con: All the headaches of rental reservations, times two.

c) Buy a cheap contract at SSR and bank/borrow for our WDW vacations. Play the waitlist/7-month game to try out various resorts and, if we find a resort we'd prefer over SSR, sell it and buy at that resort. Pro: 11-month priority for at least one resort, without rental headaches. Con: It'd be the most expensive option, obviously. We'd have to start saving up money now for it. If we only end up going every 3 years, it'd take a long time to break even on the contract, as well as increasing the possibility that we'd have extra points we couldn't use and would either have to rent out or forfeit.

Other suggestions welcome

 

[_auroraborealis_]

a) really depends on time of year. If you're going in fall, this is true. January-August, there may be more options out for you.

b) You would probably be coming out net-0 on the intake/outflow for this if you rented them yourself, and come out behind using a broker. You might have to pay tax on the income from the rental, as well, which would make this not revenue neutral at all.

c) it's rare that buying a contract for every-three-years is going to be a good option, and is likely to lead to orphaned points along the way.

So I think the question is around a): when would you likely be traveling?

 

[Geomom]

a) Unless you're traveling during Food and Wine Festival or Christmas season, you should be able to get resorts other than AKL and SSR. We own at OKW and have now stayed at all the Disney World DVC resorts by booking right at 7 months--trips during our February or April vacation. We also did an August one that was a split stay--2 resorts, 3 nights each. We have had good luck with waitlists--we got Boardwalk for Columbus Day weekend one year. The only thing you will NOT get at 7 months are things like Standard or Boardwalk View at Boardwalk, or Standard view at Bay Lake Tower--anything with cheaper points or better views.

If you're only talking about visiting WDW every 2-3 years, I'd just use your VGC points. And if your only choices are AKL or SSR--I'd pick AKL for the animals and all the extra cultural activities at the resort.

 

[illinidp]

The size you are looking for is a big factor as well. Usually 2BR that aren't lock-offs or 2BR at the BC with two beds and 2 pull-outs are a little easier to book at 7 months than the others.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Using your $$$ points? As in VGC are that much more valuable? If that's the thought they match up in the rental market with several others and unless you were finding more distressed points the difference will be $1-2 if that and more likely to be breaking even. If I have extra points my VGC are what I might "save" to rent but otherwise I use them just as I would any other points and so that's exactly what I'd suggest. Only buy a WDW resort if you either need more points or slightly dependent on the time you intend to travel there otherwise you already own DVC and no need to save the VGC points just for VGC stays.