Duh! Questions - So Confused!

[TrojanJulez]

OK, I know that this is quite possibly the dumbest question ever, but I haven't found the DVC website to be especially helpful, and I'm sure that I can get the answer here...

So, I know that the mimimum DVC purchase is 160 points. Does that mean that you get 160 points every year until 2045 (or whatever it is)? I am assuming so, because a one-time deal is definitely not a good value for the money! So that means that when they say you can upgrade, it is buying more yearly points because your family has grown? (Or something similar?)

Also, if you can use your points at any resort, should you just make your "home resort" the one with the lowest maintence fees?

Any other basic facst that I should know? DH and I are going on a DCL cruise next week, and we are planning to go to the DVC info session onboard, but I'd like to have at least a tiny bit of knowledge before then.

Thanks a bunch! You can tell that I am basically clueless about this! Sorry for the "duh"!

 

[Hunclemarco]

Hello

Yes, you will recieve 160 points per use year. You can book points from a current year or borrow points from the next year if you wish for longer stays or larger rooms.

I'm a new owner myself, but from what i've read, your home resort should be one that you may want to stay in the most....only because of the 11 month booking window you're allowed. Booking in at 7 months for a resort other than your home resort is more difficult, and you may not get your booking. I'm sure another person will comment on this with more clarity.

Right now i think they have incentives for AKV. If you want another resort, you may have to go resale, or insist to Disney that you want to buy into another park...but then you don't get incentives.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

There has been a 100 pt. minimum buy in going on. I'm not certain it's still available but believe that it is. This would be for AKV. The 160 point buy in was providing more incentives though.

You receive your points every year thru the end of the contract. What you will have to pay on a yearly basis is the maintenance fees on your points.

If you don't care where you stay then you could buy based on the lowest buy in/maintenance fees. If you care then you should buy where you would most like to stay. That can be done thru resale or Disney - though you may have to be insistent with Disney. From what I have heard some guides do not let you know that points at any resort can be bought directly.

 

[Dean]

Fees are important but home resort is more important for most people IMO. As a minimum I'd buy on property (WDW, DL). I'd only buy off property (HI, HH, VB) if I planned to stay there at least every 3-4 years AND I didn't care where I stayed at WDW. IMO, the fees are not different enough to affect the decision other than VB being high. If a resort is important even part of the time for the home resort priority, I'd consider buying there. For those that can't plan at least 7 months out, I would not consider buying at all.

 

[TrojanJulez]

Thanks so much for all of the info - this makes a lot more sense now!

Just to double-check, the dues are about $4 a point, so that makes it at least $600 per year?

 

[CarolMN]

Thanks so much for all of the info - this makes a lot more sense now!

Just to double-check, the dues are about $4 a point, so that makes it at least $600 per year?

Fees depend on the resort and the number of points. Here's a link to a thread with the current fees and also their historical levels:

Annual Fees

 

[Davidjill]

Most DVC'ers do monthly dues payments.

 

[PamOKW]

....along those lines......

DVC allows you to have your dues automatically taken from a bank account each month without charging any interest. I don't think this option is available to foreign owners but they can correct me if I'm wrong on that point.

Also, if you have Visa Disney Rewards card, you can use points towards your dues payments.

I'd use $5 per point for the rough planning of dues. A portion of this is also real estate property tax and that portion may be deductible on your taxes.

 

[TrojanJulez]

This has been really helpful! Thanks a bunch!!!