dvc buying questions

[eyotig25]

Hello fellow Disney lovers!

We r a family of 6 who love to stay at the WL. My husband and I fell in love with it years ago and when we started having children and the prices started to change we stayed at the value resort. Although we enjoyed the Disney experience we did NOT enjoy the hotel. We had a different problem everyday.
I was wondering how the points and time of year work exactly.
Q#1: If we bought a resale from VB would we be able to use those points at the onsite Disney resorts?
Q#2: I know for about a week at the WL at top points, which is the dream season, we would need about least 350 for any givin resort. We plan on going every 2 or 3 years, how would the banking and borrowing work?
Q#3: What month during the year would be best to buy if we don't have a set time every year to go?
Q#4 Even though we love the WL we know the kids, ages right now 7, 4, 3, 18 months, might enjoy something else. What are your recommendations for them?
Q#5 What would happen if we had an extra adult or two tag along? I think I read somewhere that the one bedroom villas sleep 8. so if we had enough points for that we would not be charged for another adult, right?

I probably have more questions but i think these will require enough info for right now.

Thanks For Your Help!

 

[DVCconvert]

Q1
yes but subject to availability - you'd only be able to book at 7months ...depending when you wished to visit WDW, and the room type you may not be able to stay where your want or when you want or possibly at all. Also, to buy VB points to stay at disney, you really need to "do the math" as unless you can buy the VB reeeeally cheap...they'll cost you more in the long run as VB's dues costs are dramatically higher than any other resort

Q2
Banking and borrowing allows you to use up to 3 years worth of points allocations. You can only bank points for 1 year. So say your trip was in 2012...you could use banked points from 2011, your 2012 points, and borrow all of your 2012 points.

Q3
There really isn't any answer to this. All points contracts enter a restricted period within the last 4 months of their use year...so you'd want to be able to cancel a point stay (if you had too) outside this period otherwise you lose the ability to bank those points

Q4
Personal taste. AKV offers views of animals, BLT offers views of the MK

Q5
Absolutely not! 1 bedrooms at most would take 5 adults and a child in a pack n play. For 8 you're looking at multiple rooms or a 2 bedroom.

Meaning no disrespect, but by the nature of some of your questions I think you'd benefit from doing alot more reading on these boards and other sites to learn how DVC works - read, then ask questions - everyone here wants prospective new members to be well informed.

HTH

 

[chalee94]

Q#1: If we bought a resale from VB would we be able to use those points at the onsite Disney resorts?

maybe. most of the time, you would find availability at 7 months...but if not, your savings on the price upfront might not be enough to prevent frustration.

better to buy onsite at a resort you know you will be satisfied with and book at 10-11 months out. then try to change at 7 months but no big disappointment if it doesn't work out.

Q#2: I know for about a week at the WL at top points, which is the dream season, we would need about least 350 for any givin resort. We plan on going every 2 or 3 years, how would the banking and borrowing work?

i wouldn't buy to go every third year. too much risk of losing pts.

when you bank or borrow, you can move pts over by one "use year." but they cannot be moved again. so if you bank and borrow pts into your 2012 UY but then need to change plans, those pts have to be used by the end of your 2012 UY or they will expire and be worthless.

Q#3: What month during the year would be best to buy if we don't have a set time every year to go?

you want a UY that begins at the time you travel most often (i have an oct UY and mostly travel in nov/dec.) you never want to travel in the last 3 months of your UY (too much risk of losing pts if you have to cancel.)

but no UY works for all 12 months. and if you never have to cancel, UY will never be an issue.

Q#4 Even though we love the WL we know the kids, ages right now 7, 4, 3, 18 months, might enjoy something else. What are your recommendations for them?

AKV is fun with the animals and the african theming. it is a long way from the magic kingdom, though.

boardwalk resorts like BCV and BWV might be more fun when they are older.

VWL is a great resort, though. great location near the magic kingdom for youngsters.

Q#5 What would happen if we had an extra adult or two tag along? I think I read somewhere that the one bedroom villas sleep 8. so if we had enough points for that we would not be charged for another adult, right?

right - you are limited by occupancy rules. no "extra adult" charges.

 

[chalee94]

also keep in mind that different resorts expire at different times.

most expire in 2042. SSR in 2054. AKV in 2057 (along with a few OKW contracts). BLT in 2060.

 

[rpk1951]

I agree with the first response. Please do a lot of research before you buy. Additionally, I think you may want rent points and try it once to see if you enjoy the DVC rooms.

 

[Lynne M]

Hello fellow Disney lovers!

We r a family of 6 who love to stay at the WL. My husband and I fell in love with it years ago and when we started having children and the prices started to change we stayed at the value resort. Although we enjoyed the Disney experience we did NOT enjoy the hotel. We had a different problem everyday.
I was wondering how the points and time of year work exactly.
Q#1: If we bought a resale from VB would we be able to use those points at the onsite Disney resorts?

I don't think anyone's mentioned maintenance fees yet....VB's fees are the highest of the DVC resorts. You may save some money on the up-front purchase cost with VB, but you'll pay more - much more - over the life of the contract than you would for a WDW DVC resort.

If you're hoping that you'd be able to stay at VWL often, I would recommend looking for a VWL contract. It's one of the smallest DVC resorts, so your odds of being able to get a reservation at VWL at 7 months can be kind of iffy. Forget getting anything from Thanksgiving through the end of the year. You'll need the 11 month window for that.

 

[DVCconvert]

I don't think anyone's mentioned maintenance fees yet....VB's fees are the highest of the DVC resorts. You may save some money on the up-front purchase cost with VB, but you'll pay more - much more - over the life of the contract than you would for a WDW DVC resort.
.....

Yes, they have...

DVCconvert wrote:

Also, to buy VB points to stay at disney, you really need to "do the math" as unless you can buy the VB reeeeally cheap...they'll cost you more in the long run as VB's dues costs are dramatically higher than any other resort

Being a VB owner...I'm quite "in tune" with this!
.....

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Some of the most-often given advice on this board is probably "Buy where you want to stay." Yes, DVC gives you the ability to book at any resort, but the home booking advantage really does make a difference. If there's a resort you know you want to stay at often, you should buy there. This is especially true with small resorts like VWL, and if you plan to travel at popular times.

One of the other things I'd recommend for you to do is a cost-per-point analysis of the various options you're considering.

For example, using several resale contracts that are currently listed...

VWL 200 points @ $75 for August use year.
- No points available until 2012 use year.
- VWL end date is January 2042 (29 years of points available to you)
- $75 / 29 years = $2.59 per point per year
- VWL maintenance fees are currently $5.34
= Actual cost per point for vacations this year is $2.59 + $5.34 = $7.93

SSR 200 points @ $65 for September use year.
- All 2011 use year points available.
- SSR end date is January 2054 (43 years of points available to you)
- $65 / 43 years = $1.51 per point per year
- SSR maintenance fees are currently $4.51
= Actual cost per point for vacations this year is $1.51 + $4.51 = $6.02

BLT 200 points @ $98 for February use year.
- All 2011 use year points available.
- BLT end date is January 2060 (49 years of points available to you)
- $98 / 49 years = $2.00 per point per year
- BLT maintenance fees are currently $3.89
= Actual cost per point for vacations this year is $2.00 + $3.89 = $5.89

VB 200 points @ $45 for June use year.
- All 2011 use year points available.
- VB end date is January 2042 (30 years of points available to you)
- $45 / 30 years = $1.50 per point per year
- VB maintenance fees are currently $6.78
= Actual cost per point for vacations this year is $1.50 + $6.78 = $8.28


So, while Vero Beach may be the cheapest to purchase up front, it turns out to be the worst value to purchase right now. Each point you use will cost you $8.28. Bay Lake Tower is the most expensive resort from the up-front cost, but actually turns out to be the best value at only $5.89 per point. Maintenance fees and resort end dates really play a big role in the total cost of what you're buying. Now, I don't know your age, but if you're thinking something like "I'll be 90 when VWL closes and don't care about the extra years at the other resorts," just re-run the numbers using the last year you think you'll still be using your contract.

Closing costs were all within $50 of one-another, so I didn't factor those in. It adds an extra $0.05 to $0.08 per point.

Considering the two resorts you were looking at (VWL and VB) both end in 2042, the maintenance fees are what make all the difference. The check to cut to DVC next year for the VB contract's MF would be $1,355. For VWL, it would be $1,068. You'd pay for the extra $6,000 purchase price after 21 years.

Only you can decide what the most important factor is to your family: ability to book where you want to stay, ability to afford a contract today, or best value over time.

 

[eyotig25]

Thank you to everyone for all the helpful information! I have been looking at this for a long time and those questions were important for me to understand fully! Am i correct in the idea that these forums are for information? If i am wrong I won't ask anymore questions, i just thought that this is where i could get the right, honest answers to my questions.
So again, thanks to all who have commented so nicely to my inquires.

 

[pyrxtc]

Thank you to everyone for all the helpful information! I have been looking at this for a long time and those questions were important for me to understand fully! Am i correct in the idea that these forums are for information? If i am wrong I won't ask anymore questions, i just thought that this is where i could get the right, honest answers to my questions.
So again, thanks to all who have commented so nicely to my inquires.

They are for information. They only suggested that you read more because many other people have asked these same question and they have been answered each and every time. If you want to ask them again, they will be answered again.

Try not to take any of the answers as anything against you. Sometimes answers come off differently than they were written depending on how you read them. As a member of this board for some time, I didn't see anything in what was written but I am used to the tone of his board. They are trying to help you and will help you as fully as anyone can.


To answer your basic question --- I believe in the "buy where you want to stay" mentality as well. Unless you plan to stay at Vero Beach for most of your visits, I would buy one of the on-site properties if you buy in. I own at Animal Kingdom Lodge and really enjoy it. I have been staying there since my youngest was 3 and have yet to be disappointed with the hotel. It is a little farther away but absolutely gorgeous and very relaxing. The kids have always loved it.

I love my June use year, I have stayed at all different times, from September through June and the only problem I have ever had booking at 11 months was I couldn't get concierge. I have been able to book where I want at other resorts also without much issue either.

 

[chalee94]

Q#5 What would happen if we had an extra adult or two tag along? I think I read somewhere that the one bedroom villas sleep 8.

just to clarify - the prior poster was correct that 1BR villas accommodate only 4 or 5 depending on the resort.