Andrew015
WL Guru
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2000
- Messages
- 1,421
We were on the Disney Fantasy and decided to buy in DVC and bought points at VGF... The ink on our contracts is still wet... however I was already disappointed not to be able to get a room for next March Spring break week... I realize it's a bit quick. Instead we will be staying at AKV in a 2bedroom lockoff..(we are a family of 6)
We haven't been to WDW in 5 years.. I don't remember anything about it
But I am sure we will stop in at OUR property at VGF to get a tour when we're visiting in March.
So is it advisable to book the VGF at 11 months out? We are doing a cruise December 2014. and thought maybe stay at VGF the night before. (or after).
I'm just overwhelmed learning all the abbreviations
Webberpl Please dont take this the wrong way (this is only meant to help you), but if the ink is still wet and you are still within your 30 day cancellation period, perhaps you should reconsider your recent DVC purchase. Theres a few things in your post that were alarming to me, and make me wonder if DVC is really right for you and your family. First off, you mention that you havent been to WDW in roughly 5 years. So my first question to you is this: Is this your normal frequency for visiting Disney? If so, then I can tell you that DVC is really not a good fit for your vacation habits. You would be much better off paying for a normal room at any Disney resort every fifth year as opposed to buying into DVC. DVC only makes good financial sense to folks who travel to Disney at least once every two years. If this doesnt describe you and your vacation habits, then you may want to rescind your offer. Also of note, your new purchase into VGF will last you until 2064. You really need to understand this as a long-term financial commitment annual (rising) maintenance fees, annual (rising) airfare to and from Disney, annual (rising) park tickets, food, etc. all of which you are locked into for the next 50 years! If youre not comfortable with this notion, then I suggest backing out NOW.
Secondly, you purchased your DVC interest aboard a Disney cruise ship. While theres nothing wrong with this, a few things need to be said about it. Were you planning on making a DVC purchase aboard the cruise ship, or were you convinced by the sales staff while on board your magical cruise? DVC Sales aboard the cruise ships tend to be a little high pressured, and unless they were offering some incentive to purchase on board like free park admission (I dont believe they are at the moment), then theres no advantage to purchasing on-board the ship. If you were caught up in the moment and all of the "pixie dust", it wouldnt be the end of the world to call your guide and cancel the purchase while you research DVC further and consider other options.
You might ask, What are my other options? If you werent already aware, there is a second-hand market for DVC purchases known as resale. Many folks on these boards myself included have purchased DVC through a resale broker rather than directly through Disney. There are pros and cons to purchasing through resale (and MANY, MANY threads on the purchasing DVC forum dedicated to the topic), but in my opinion, the pros far outweigh the cons. The main advantages to purchasing through resale are the price difference and the ability to choose any DVC home resort you want. My contract @ Villas Wilderness Lodge was purchased two years ago @ $50/point. Since then, prices have crept up a bit, but I would say the average DVC selling price via resale is probably around $80/point (this largely depends on the Home Resort). This is a huge savings vs buying direct @ $150/point, and you are not locked in to only two home resort options. If you "have to have" VGF, then there's not much available yet in the way of re-sale, and buying direct is probably going to be the only option until more re-sale contracts become available.
Lastly, if you bought while on a Disney Cruise, this tells me that you might plan on using your DVC points for cruises. Your guide probably didnt tell you this, but the use of DVC points towards a Disney Cruise is NOT a good use of your points (financially speaking). If you convert DVC Points to cash, you will quickly find out that you would be FAR better off to pay cash for your Disney cruises than to use DVC Points. By and large, your best bang for your buck with DVC is to use your points at the various DVC resorts. If part of the reason for your purchase was because of the ability to use your points towards cruises and/or other non-Disney destinations (i.e. trading into RSI, Disney Collection destinations, etc.), then this should be a warning to reconsider your options.
Sorry to be a downer - once again that is not my intent. I see that you only have 4 posts thus far on DISBoards, and am really just trying to help you understand DVC a little better. Perhaps you already know these things, and perhaps DVC is a good fit for you and your family. But from what I read in your previous post, Im not convinced of that, and I'm hoping that I can help you to avoid a case of buyer's remorse.
Bill
