Downsides to Hilton Head or Vero Beach?

[jacquek95]

OK, 1st I want to THANK YOU everybody for all the information from this forum! We just happened to stumble on it this afternoon and after some research and number crunching, we're thinking about buying into the DVC. Just need a little more help. We've noticed from some resale pages that Vero Beach and Hilton Head tend to resale a little cheaper. Since you can actually use your points at any of the resorts, is there any negative to buying at these "home" resorts and just using the points elsewhere? Thanks bunches!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

The DVC resorts at Vero Beach and Hilton Head are great resorts if you're planning to stay in Vero Beach and Hilton Head, respectively. You can book your stays 11 months prior to your check-out date. So you can get the hard-to-get holiday and spring reservations at Vero Beach or the hard-to-get summer reservations at Hilton Head.

And 7 months prior to your check-out date, you can book at any other DVC resort -- if there's still availability.

As always, the best advice is to buy where you want to stay most often.

 

[jacquek95]

Thanks for the info. Do the other resorts really tend to "sell out" quickly? My husband and I don't like to go during the busy seasons -- we usually go either in October, Early Feb (before Presidents Day), or maybe the very 1st or 2nd week in December? Does anyone know if you usually have to book places way in advance during the down seasons? Thanks again!

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by jacquek95
My husband and I don't like to go during the busy seasons -- we usually go either in October, Early Feb (before Presidents Day), or maybe the very 1st or 2nd week in December?

I assume you're asking about WDW.

The DVC point charts are broken down into five seasons. The purpose was to "flatten" demand through the year. So DVC members' points go much further during the traditionally slow seasons at WDW. This, in turn, has changed DVC members' booking patterns to be different than those of typical WDW guests.

October is a particularly popular time at BWV and BCV because of the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, which will begin on October 1 in 2004, and will run for 45 days. The first two weeks of December have become very popular at all on-site DVC resorts because the holiday decorations are wonderful, the crowds are small, and DVC points go very far.

Actually, I think it's fine to buy at any WDW DVC resort if you're primariliy planning to visit WDW. You can book at your home resort at 11 months. If you want to try a different resort, you can change your reservation at 7 months if there's availability -- and, if, there isn't, you can stay at your home resort. But that plan doesn't work if your home resort is not at WDW.

 

[vgaskin]

Also, I think you need to look at dues too because although you can buy Vero Beach pretty cheap, I think their dues are the highest, I could be wrong, just going off of memory. Plus, at Saratoga Springs, you get longer on your membership than all the others, just some other things to take into consideration. We bought into BCV because that is where we want to stay when at WDW.

 

[Dean]

While it's possible to buy VB or HH just to stay at WDW, I think it's a mistake. If you want to use HH in the summer or VB part of the time, owning points at the desired resort would be fine. You will be shut out of certain times and certain unit types/sizes for WDW though. If you owned at WDW, you could always book your home resort at 11 months out and then try to switch over to another resort at the 7 month window, guaranteeing yourself a WDW room. VB dues are roughly $1 pp higher than OKW, that will add up over just a few years.

The reason I'd limit HH to summer is that anyone can get into HH the rest of the year. Summer is very difficult though and the 11 month window is important for mid June to late August. Some have reported getting rooms for summer at 7 months out but I wouldn't hold my breath and as DVC grows, that feat will become even more difficult.

 

[Richyams]

we usually go either in October, Early Feb (before Presidents Day), or maybe the very 1st or 2nd week in December?

Early Feb may not be impossible, but the other two periods are the absolute busiest times of the year for DVC. If those times are important to you, buying VB or HH would be silly.

 

[sparkysfriends]

I would have to agree with everything all the others have posted. We bought a resale at OKW when we bought, because truthfully we didn't care which resort we stayed at when at WDW (so far, we like them all) and OKW had the best resale prices at the time. So far we have stayed at OKW, BWV, and VWL and have enjoyed them all. I always book OKW at 11 months out and if I want to try another resort I check availability at 7 months. If its not available we stick with OKW, which is great! Some folks say that they are not happy with Disney's transportation, and take their own cars when staying at OKW, but I have always been happy with Disney's transportation and look at it as part of the Disney experience. The only time I've ever taken my own car is when having dinner at another resort.
Unless you absolutely need to be at HH during the summer, I wouldn't buy there if you plan on using DVC primarily for visiting WDW. We have gone to HH every Feb. for 3 years, this will be our 4th, and have never had trouble getting a reservation. This year we even managed to get a Grand Villa and we're taking my sisters and their families as a family vacation! You will never be able to get a Grand Villa at one of the WDW resorts unless you own at one of the resorts that have them, and book at the 11 month window.
I figure we have the best of both worlds this way. I love HH, but would rather die than be there in the summer! It is hot as h-ll and extremely crowded in the summer months. Traffic is unbearable. Going anytime other than the summer is extremely relaxing and just the type of vacation we need once in a while. We go to WDW almost every year (we had to skip this year) and HH too if we want and still have time for one or two non Disney vacations each year as well as long weekends. Yes, we are travel fiends!
Good luck in your purchase!