DVC HELP!! Incentives & other ?'s

[aljer]

Hello,
My family and I just got back from Disney on 4/23 and toured Kadani Village and met with a DVC Representative. I have been reading here and on other boards about DVC and about incentives. Our rep told us about the $8per point discount going on and priced us at BLT for $104 a point after discount. We are also interested in AKV and assume the points are the same. We still have not made a decision and are past the 72 hour mark and our rep is on a Disney cruise now. We think that 200 points would be what we would buy in at.

My questions are:

How do i know if i am getting the best incentives that are our there? It sounds from these boards I should be able to get BLT or AKV for less then $100 a point?

We are leaning more towards BLT because the maintence fees are a lot less then AKV but probably would try and stay at AKV more. Our rep was also saying that BLT might be the better choice due to the lesser maintence fees.

HELP!! So much information and such a large amount of money to spend i just want to make the right choice.

Thank you in advance

 

[erionm]

DVCNews.com maintains a page with current prices and incentives. Check it out here: http://dvcnews.com/content/view/227/173/

 

[Crystal_27]

Simple answer to your question: you need a current DVC member to act as a referral in order to receive the additional discounted price point. If you use an existing member referral, you will receive BLT at $98/point for up to 199 points, and BLT at $96/point for 200+ points. You also have the option of a cruise instead of the additional discounted price point but if you have children, you will have to pull them out of school for the cruise so that might not be good for you.

I'm sure that anyone here would be more than happy to act as your referral, including myself. Best of luck to you!

Also, don't discount BLT's location, which is on the monorail and within walking distance to MK. That's what finally settled us on BLT - - location, location, location.

 

[ILuvMulan]

Also just FYI, there are several good reasons on here about the advantages of dividing your purchase into smaller contracts (such as 2 -100 point contracts). I am new and have not used our points yet, but I wish I had known to divide up our points so that they could be divided easier among our three kids later. Maybe someone more knowledgeable then I can give you more details. Having said that, we have been thrilled with our purchase and are taking our first trip on points in June... can't wait.

 

[Crystal_27]

Also just FYI, there are several good reasons on here about the advantages of dividing your purchase into smaller contracts (such as 2 -100 point contracts). I am new and have not used our points yet, but I wish I had known to divide up our points so that they could be divided easier among our three kids later. Maybe someone more knowledgeable then I can give you more details. Having said that, we have been thrilled with our purchase and are taking our first trip on points in June... can't wait.

You can divide your contracts up, yes, but my understanding is that the first contract has to be at least the minimum (currently, 160 points at BLT) in order to get the incentives. And, since there is another incentive threshold at 200 points (additional $2.00/point discount), you may not be able to divide up a 200 point contract into a smaller contract at all. That is certainly a question for a Guide just to confirm what exactly the requirements are. Also, if you do split up a contract, you will be charged double closing costs (although since closing costs are approximately $300, that is a fairly negligible amount).

 

[aljer]

Thank you for the information. It seems like there is so much information out there that i do not know where to start.
Our guide asked twice if we knew any current DVC members and we said no and also asked if we would get a better rate if we did and she said no.
I am planning on speaking with her when she is back from her cruise and figuring out what we will do.
I also like BLT because i think it would be great for short trips being that it is so close to MK. I have 3 boys under 8 and they really love the animals and the feeling like you are really in Africa when you are at AKL. It is hard to get a feel for BLT since all i have seen is artist renderings of the outside area.
Thanks for the offer crystal_27. You do get a significant savings if a current member refers you.
Thanks
Alison

 

[Crystal_27]

Thank you for the information. It seems like there is so much information out there that i do not know where to start.
Our guide asked twice if we knew any current DVC members and we said no and also asked if we would get a better rate if we did and she said no.
I am planning on speaking with her when she is back from her cruise and figuring out what we will do.
I also like BLT because i think it would be great for short trips being that it is so close to MK. I have 3 boys under 8 and they really love the animals and the feeling like you are really in Africa when you are at AKL. It is hard to get a feel for BLT since all i have seen is artist renderings of the outside area.
Thanks for the offer crystal_27. You do get a significant savings if a current member refers you.
Thanks
Alison

Alison, I'm absolutely floored that your Guide would tell you that you didn't get a savings if you had a referral - - that's certainly not at all the case. Either way, best of luck to you as you go through your DVC buying journey!! It's soooo much fun!! (And, don't worry - - you'll be a DVC expert in no time at all - LOL).

Also, please feel free to PM me if you want my information if you would like to use me as a referral. I will get a $200 gift card as a referral "bonus," which I will be more than happy to split with you. And, these boards as a wealth of information, so please feel free to post *any* questions you may have.

 

[aljer]

Thank you to everyone who has answered my questions. I have been trying to find the answers and I knew the dis was the place to find them.
I will keep you updated on our journey. We are a disney loving family. We have been going 2-3 times a year over the last 3 or 4 yrs and feel that DVC is the next step for us.
cyrstal_27 when will your first stay at BLT be?
Thanks again

 

[Crystal_27]

Thank you to everyone who has answered my questions. I have been trying to find the answers and I knew the dis was the place to find them.
I will keep you updated on our journey. We are a disney loving family. We have been going 2-3 times a year over the last 3 or 4 yrs and feel that DVC is the next step for us.
cyrstal_27 when will your first stay at BLT be?
Thanks again

We, too, love Disney and I *know* that DVC was the right decision for us (but I'm soooo glad we waited for BLT because we love the monorail). We are going to stay at BLT for one night (September 25th) before our September 26th cruise. We are cruising with our dear friends (who have never been to Disney World) so we booked a 2 bedroom at BLT for all of us so our friends could attend MNSSHP on the 25th with us. Our friends have never been to Disney World, and I can't wait to experience it with them (and their children) for the first time. For us, Disney really is magical, and I hope that our friends see it that way too (drink the Kool-Aid as DH says - LOL).

 

[aljer]

I just read your trip report. I love your experience with DD and Expedition Everest. My middle son was hesitant to go on tower of terror and his dad asked what would it take for you to go on the ride, he said $5, dad said done deal, they went on it and he had a great time and was $5 richer. my husband joked that he would be willing to go to $10 if he had to.

 

[Crystal_27]

I just read your trip report. I love your experience with DD and Expedition Everest. My middle son was hesitant to go on tower of terror and his dad asked what would it take for you to go on the ride, he said $5, dad said done deal, they went on it and he had a great time and was $5 richer. my husband joked that he would be willing to go to $10 if he had to.

Ah, yes, bribery is a parenting wonderful tool! And, thank you for reading. I always try and do some sort of trip report (food or otherwise) to try and "live the magic" for a bit longer after we come back.

 

[christa112]

New Incentive effective 4/1......

New contracts:
$8. discount off $112. for GC & BLT
$10. discount off $112. for AKV
$13. discount off $112. for SSR/THV

These "new owner" incentives are good only with an "existing member referral"..

Existing/New members: (same as the previous incentive)
existing members Add on 100 pts: a 3 night cruise for 4 (160 for newbies)
existing members Add on 125 pts: a 4 night cruise for 4 (200 for newbies)
existinf members Add on 200 pts: a 7 night cruise for 4 (270 for newbies)

OR

These "new owner" incentives are good only with an "existing member referral"..

Newbie..
Take an additional $$ off the already discounted price....
160 pts take $6.
200 pts take $8. etc...


Existing member...
Buy 100 pts take an additional $6. off the discounted price.
Buy 125 pts take an additional $8. off the discounted price.

So...buying into BLT as a newbie...there can be a $14. discount off the original $112. price.

As always call your guide for more "official" answers.

 

[christa112]

We just purchased 240 points at AKV earlier this month. We opted for the extra $ off the price vs the cruise.

 

[aljer]

What made you pick AKV? I am leaning towards AKV but the cheaper maintance fees and the monorail are a hard thing to pass up on BLT.
We have stayed at AKL 3 times with our boys and it always makes me feel like we have been whisked away to Africa on a safari. There always seems to be tons of childrens activities and the new children's area at kadani is great!
Anybody know if BLT will also have a children's area?

 

[christa112]

We just love the look of AKV. Honestly, BLT does nothing for me and neither does the monorail. Our 1st choice was AKV, if we were going to buy resale, we would have done Wilderness. I guess we like the rustic look.

What made you pick AKV? I am leaning towards AKV but the cheaper maintance fees and the monorail are a hard thing to pass up on BLT.
We have stayed at AKL 3 times with our boys and it always makes me feel like we have been whisked away to Africa on a safari. There always seems to be tons of childrens activities and the new children's area at kadani is great!
Anybody know if BLT will also have a children's area?

 

[ILuvMulan]

.
Our guide asked twice if we knew any current DVC members and we said no and also asked if we would get a better rate if we did and she said no.
I am planning on speaking with her when she is back from her cruise and figuring out what we will do.

Thanks for the offer crystal_27. You do get a significant savings if a current member refers you.
Thanks
Alison

Alison, when we first started our purchase we did not know any current DVC members either, but after joining this board received an offer for a referral which helped us out a lot. I was very honest with our guide and told him that we had "met" a DVC member on-line who had been answering questions for us and had offered to be our referral. We gave him the info and received our discount, no problems. Hopefully, your guide will do the same.

 

[christa112]

We had a tour in Sept and never mentioned knowing a DVC member either, but nor did our guide ask. When we joined earlier this month I did tell our Guide we do have a referral and she never asked any questions at all. I just gave her their name and that was it.

Alison, when we first started our purchase we did not know any current DVC members either, but after joining this board received an offer for a referral which helped us out a lot. I was very honest with our guide and told him that we had "met" a DVC member on-line who had been answering questions for us and had offered to be our referral. We gave him the info and received our discount, no problems. Hopefully, your guide will do the same.

 

[carden]

Hi Crystal 27
I am interested in using you as a referral. Please post an email address if possible. I am not sure how to send a PM.

Thanks!

 

[erionm]

Hi Crystal 27
I am interested in using you as a referral. Please post an email address if possible. I am not sure how to send a PM.

Thanks!

Just click on the user name and a menu will open up. Select send a private message.

 

[carden]

Sorry-won't let me send a PM. It says I'm too new! Please post info on the boards if possible.

Thanks!