DVC curiosity for family of 6

[PMGuernsey]

Just wanted to throw out some thoughts to get some advice..... I'm curious about DVC more than anything.

My wife and I have regularly visited Disneyland for the past 10 years and been annual pass holders for the past 3 years (going 3-4 times a year). We live in the state of Washington. We have an 8 year old 5 year old and 3 year old. My wife is also pregnant with our 4th child now..... DVC has never really been of that much interest to us, because when at Disneyland we stay at the hotels across the street for much cheaper than Grand Californian and are rarely in the room.... Because of COVID we went to DisnyWorld for the first time in 3 years and stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort. We had a great time (Could have been because their were no crowds in early August). We are now planning a trip to Aulani the end of this month.... I am surprised at the cost. 7 days for a 1 bedroom villa is about 5,000 dollars. My concern is that we will end up loving it and want to go back, or want to go back to WDW..... We would likely use DVC for stays at WDW or Aulani, and continue to stay across the street hotels at DL.

With that background here is my question....

1) If we buy into DVC I would likely buy resale and pay cash (although I don't think I would be able to afford the estimated 350 pts we would need upfront, I would probably look for 150-200 pts to start) Any thoughts on this, or on resale vs direct?

2)Where would the most value be to purchase a contract for staying at either Aulani, or WDW (If we buy we would likely alternate between these locations)?

3)With annual dues and my families needs, would you think DVC makes financial sense for us?

Thanks for your time and thoughts.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

If you will be going to aulani regularly, I would purchase there. It is a great deal. We are even tempted by aulani contracts and we will go there maybe once ever. If you decide to purchase at wdw, there are a lot of good places to buy, but Saratoga is generally the least inexpensive option. Animal Kingdom is also reasonable. The only ones with inflated prices are Beach Club and Boardwalk (in my opinion). But if there is one resort where you absolutely want to stay regularly, you should purchase at that resort, especially if you book early (at least 7 months out). I would buy at Aulani or Saratoga in your situation. DVC is easy to sell if you decide it isn’t for your family, but I suspect you will love it.

 

[princesscinderella]

I would say since you live so far from WDW and even Aulani is a plane ride away, first decide how often you would go to these locations. Is it every year, every other year or even every three years. Once you know that answer then decide what time of year and size room you want to get. Look at the point chart for Aulani and see how many points you will need. Once you have that number and if you decide you want to go every year you need to buy that number of points, if you want to go every other year to then you need 1/2 the number and if you plan to go every 3rd year you need a third because you can bank and borrow to have 3 years worth of points available to use on one trip.

I’d say unless you find an incredible deal on a large point contract because they are harder to sell, I’d buy smaller 160 points or less. Since you are on the west coast maybe buying Aulani would be a better choice if that where you would want to go regularly vs buying a WDW resort where there are more options at the 7mos window.

 

[RoseGold]

There are no DVC 1BRs that sleep 6. Many only sleep 4, some are configured like your CB 5th sleeper with a Murphy/chair (AKL/BLT) and sleep 5. The Aulani 1BR also does not sleep 6.

You would have to get a 2BR or two studios/normal hotel rooms.

Whether this makes sense financially depends on what you are comparing this too. The math will be very different against two Little Mermaid rooms at AoA, which are perfectly nice and right on the skyliner, or whatever a regular room at Aulani would cost. In late January 2021, Little mermaid rooms are less than $150. DVC math will not work against that. But, DVC math might work for two Poly studios, excellent value against the eyepopping cash rates (411 Jan 2021, cheapest I have ever seen), assuming you were going to pay $700 * 2 cash at Poly.

If I were going to Hawaii, I wouldn't stay at Aulani, and if I were going to DL, I wouldn't stay DVC, so I'm no help there. I can tell you that I did look into buying Aulani mathematically and decided against it based on Hawaii's changes to timeshare laws and the logistics of owning property in Hawaii. I view Florida's law as more stable. Maybe your crystal ball is different than mine.

For your trip this month, just rent points!

 

[vacay77]

Once DL opens back up again, do you think that you will be traveling to WDW and the Aulani as frequently? I think that's a question/answer you'll want to consider. My family and I own at the Grand Californian, but we also travel to WDW and the Aulani every so often, so for us, it made sense. Although some people will argue that if they owned at the Grand Californian, they wouldn't use their points for other resorts. It's a personal decision, but I would definitely look at your long term plans. My biggest regret is that I didn't buy sooner.

 

[GinnyBear's_mom]

Until your youngest is 3 you can sleep 6 in most 1 bedrooms (5 plus an infant). I would suggest a smaller contract to use for a few years, the earlier suggestion of 160 pts is a good one and that size contract would allow you about 5 nights every year in a 1 bedroom if you don't travel at peak times. If after 3 years you don't think DVC is a good fit for your family you can sell that size contract fairly easily or you can add-on with another small contract to allow you to vacation every year in a 2 bedroom. We did this when we went from 2 to 3 kids, bought enough points for us to stay in a studio and tried it out for 3 years. We decided we loved DVC and we added on so we could have the option of 1 or 2 bedrooms when we travel.

Saratoga and Animal Kingdom are a good value compared to other DVC properties. Since you are on the west coast know that booking The Grand Californian if you don't own there is next to impossible. Booking Aulani at the 7 month mark is doable.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[CraigInPA]

Aulani's dues are some of the highest, so unless you're going there every year or nearly every year, I'd consider a WDW resort. And therein lies the problem... You stayed at CBR, which is not a DVC resort. Each resort has its own theme. Some resorts are more highly themed than others. Some have more convenient transportation options (or walk to a park or two). Some have better restaurants. Some are convenient to Disney Springs, some are not. Some expire in 2042, some expire after that. Some are very difficult to get into at 7 months booking during certain times of year, and some are easier. Some have specific booking categories that are highly competitive ("value" and "concierge" for example). Some have dedicated 2br's (which means two queen sized beds in the second bedroom) whereas others have only 2 bedroom lock offs (which means 1 queen bed and a sleeper sofa or Murphy bed). You should take a look at the options to get a better idea of which resort works for you, and how many points you'll need to book the appropriate sized accommodation during the period when you expect to travel.

Disney is actively selling non-sold-out Riviera and Aulani, but will sell you any resort you want if you ask for it. You can also buy sold out resorts in the resale market for a significant discount. For example, BLT is $235 per point direct, but $150 per point resale. Direct pricing would give you annual pass discounts, which could be advantageous for your family of 6, but Disney could also discontinue the annual pass discount or restrict sales of annual passes (as they're doing now), since it is not a guaranteed perk of a direct buyer.

 

[Mkaiser1]

...The only ones with inflated prices are Beach Club and Boardwalk (in my opinion)...

What makes you say Boardwalk is inflated? Genuine question. Been looking at Riviera direct/mixture of direct & resale and a few different resale options including Boardwalk and becoming increasingly of the opinion that we should be buying Boardwalk resale, so I'm genuinely intrigued to see if I'm missing something!

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

What makes you say Boardwalk is inflated? Genuine question. Been looking at Riviera direct/mixture of direct & resale and a few different resale options including Boardwalk and becoming increasingly of the opinion that we should be buying Boardwalk resale, so I'm genuinely intrigued to see if I'm missing something!

In terms of cost per point (multiply cost per point—include purchase cost +member fees- and total points on contract — total as in # of points on contract times years left, so actual total points), it is not a “deal.” BuT, that being said, I don’t think it is a bad deal. If BWV is what you love I think it is worth it. They are all relatively close. We are looking at buying at Hilton head and it is not a great deal at all.
Here is another analysis:
https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/blog/best-economical-dvc-resort-to-purchase-spring-2020/

 

[RoseGold]

Been looking at Riviera direct/mixture of direct & resale and a few different resale options including Boardwalk and becoming increasingly of the opinion that we should be buying Boardwalk resale, so I'm genuinely intrigued to see if I'm missing something!

BW is not great value as SAP. But where Boardwalk shines is its chart. Some of the rooms are excellent value with that legacy chart, but they require 11 month priority. If you don't plan to use that, then not so helpful.

 

[Wedgeout]

I would wait until after your Aulani trip and then decide what works best for your family. (Don’t let them swoon you into direct while there haha). Our DL will again reopen (I’m southern CA, within 60 miles and it’s been rough. Walked by the DVC stand for years with no interest in it. But COVID got me researching and purchased a resale contract). Made my first return reservation to WDW as a DVC owner for this May). Don’t let the yearly dues guide your decision, (I budget those yearly at $10 a point feeling great when the bill is less!), but rather how much you will save on the buy in to be a member. Aulani is a resort that has a great price difference resale vs direct. (I chose Beach Club, saving $92 a point overall). Some great Aulani resale is on the market for a west coaster. All your WDW reservations would be 7 months out with multiple resorts to choose from with also the fun split stay option! You will have the 11 month perk to get any of the view categories you want at Aulani, when you want it. They say have to buy into the Grand Californian to stay there. It’s more that if you want to stay there for a larger block of days, then yes. However there is quickie trips availability. Then jump on a plane and fly down. (There are many great value hotel options basically attached to DL that I too use for my stays). Once you become a member, you will have so much fun having access to the website and looking at all the resort availability options. It will sure make you want to fly to Florida a lot!! Best of luck and fun as you explore DVC.

 

[bookwormde]

If you have some time I would look for a subsidized dues Aulani resale contract.
The point cost of upgrading from a 1br to a 2br is actually a bargain.
If it were me I would not get locked into a specific size contract, as this may allow you to get a better price.
You can always adjust point needs later by renting, transferring in or adding on or if you are just a few points short from DVC (7 month)

 

[limace]

And if you won’t routinely be buying a WDW annual pass, I’d ignore direct contracts. We are in a similar boat as you-West Coasters, DL is our favorite (and we can get to Aulani in less time than it takes us to get to Orlando). I bought a 25 point AKV contract when that was the minimum for direct, but wouldn’t buy direct at all at current levels as I just wouldn’t get the use of the perks. A 20 minute hang out in the EPCOT lounge on a visit every few years isn’t worth 10K . And it’ll be easy to rent riviera points if you ever want to stay there.

 

[PMGuernsey]

If you have some time I would look for a subsidized dues Aulani resale contract.
The point cost of upgrading from a 1br to a 2br is actually a bargain.
If it were me I would not get locked into a specific size contract, as this may allow you to get a better price.
You can always adjust point needs later by renting, transferring in or adding on or if you are just a few points short from DVC (7 month)

I have lots of time and patience to learn what I need to and to get what would fit us best.... Forgive me, but what is a subsidized contract?

 

[PMGuernsey]

There are no DVC 1BRs that sleep 6. Many only sleep 4, some are configured like your CB 5th sleeper with a Murphy/chair (AKL/BLT) and sleep 5. The Aulani 1BR also does not sleep 6.

You would have to get a 2BR or two studios/normal hotel rooms.

Whether this makes sense financially depends on what you are comparing this too. The math will be very different against two Little Mermaid rooms at AoA, which are perfectly nice and right on the skyliner, or whatever a regular room at Aulani would cost. In late January 2021, Little mermaid rooms are less than $150. DVC math will not work against that. But, DVC math might work for two Poly studios, excellent value against the eyepopping cash rates (411 Jan 2021, cheapest I have ever seen), assuming you were going to pay $700 * 2 cash at Poly.

If I were going to Hawaii, I wouldn't stay at Aulani, and if I were going to DL, I wouldn't stay DVC, so I'm no help there. I can tell you that I did look into buying Aulani mathematically and decided against it based on Hawaii's changes to timeshare laws and the logistics of owning property in Hawaii. I view Florida's law as more stable. Maybe your crystal ball is different than mine.

For your trip this month, just rent points!

Thanks for your perspective!!! I was considering renting for our trip this month, but Aulani has 30 percent off and the cost for 1 week in a 1 bedroom villa is not that different.... The cancellation is much more forgiving with booking direct than renting, and if one of us becomes Covid positive we would have to cancel... Therefore I was thinking of just booking direct with Disney... Any thoughts?

 

[RoseGold]

Aulani has 30 percent off and the cost for 1 week in a 1 bedroom villa is not that different.... The cancellation is much more forgiving with booking direct than renting, and if one of us becomes Covid positive we would have to cancel... Therefore I was thinking of just booking direct with Disney... Any thoughts?

I'd def book direct in times like this, with that kind of discount. I don't follow Aulani, so didn't even know that.

You might be a good candidate for a subsidized Aulani contract. They can be hard to get, I considered one, just because of its math at WDW. I'd take your time and watch the market. The sponsor of this board has a drop down to only show subsidized contracts in the results.

 

[bookwormde]

I have lots of time and patience to learn what I need to and to get what would fit us best.... Forgive me, but what is a subsidized contract?

When Aulani opened and first was being sold DVC miss-calculated the dues and had to adjust then up significantly. The contracts that were sold before this retain the original calculation which is significantly lower

Here is what I have for 2020 and 2019

Aulani Hawaii (Pre July 27, 2011)	$6.2628	+6.0%	$5.9088
Aulani Hawaii (Post July 27, 2011)	$8.3312	+6.0%	$7.8603

As you can see it does not take long to make up the $15 to $25/pt premium that the subsidized go for on resale market

Vero Beach resort has the same situation

 

[bookwormde]

Thanks for your perspective!!! I was considering renting for our trip this month, but Aulani has 30 percent off and the cost for 1 week in a 1 bedroom villa is not that different.... The cancellation is much more forgiving with booking direct than renting, and if one of us becomes Covid positive we would have to cancel... Therefore I was thinking of just booking direct with Disney... Any thoughts?

yes right now Disney cash reservations have DVC 1brs for just a little (50 to 80) dollars more than a studio I have never seen this before

 

[Mkaiser1]

In terms of cost per point (multiply cost per point—include purchase cost +member fees- and total points on contract — total as in # of points on contract times years left, so actual total points), it is not a “deal.” BuT, that being said, I don’t think it is a bad deal. If BWV is what you love I think it is worth it. They are all relatively close. We are looking at buying at Hilton head and it is not a great deal at all.
Here is another analysis:
https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/blog/best-economical-dvc-resort-to-purchase-spring-2020/

Thanks for clarifying
Thanks for the link too! Very useful!

BW is not great value as SAP. But where Boardwalk shines is its chart. Some of the rooms are excellent value with that legacy chart, but they require 11 month priority. If you don't plan to use that, then not so helpful.

Thanks RoseGold

 

[PMGuernsey]

yes right now Disney cash reservations have DVC 1brs for just a little (50 to 80) dollars more than a studio I have never seen this before

If you will be going to aulani regularly, I would purchase there. It is a great deal. We are even tempted by aulani contracts and we will go there maybe once ever. If you decide to purchase at wdw, there are a lot of good places to buy, but Saratoga is generally the least inexpensive option. Animal Kingdom is also reasonable. The only ones with inflated prices are Beach Club and Boardwalk (in my opinion). But if there is one resort where you absolutely want to stay regularly, you should purchase at that resort, especially if you book early (at least 7 months out). I would buy at Aulani or Saratoga in your situation. DVC is easy to sell if you decide it isn’t for your family, but I suspect you will love it.

Thanks so much for sharing!! We are going to see how this trip goes and if we love Aulani and plant to go back I think we will look into buying a resale contract... We would likely alternate every other year between Aulani and WDW between our regular trips to DL.