DVC Members -- If you had to do it all over again ...

[DVCconvert]

1. Would you join DVC?
2. Would you buy more points upfront? less?
3. Would you buy from Disney or via resale?

1-Yes
2-More, much more
3-Resale

 

[donald...really]

1. Would you join DVC?
YES!!! As others have said, I consider it THE BEST decision I ever made.

2. Would you buy more points upfront? less?
We started with 210 and now have 1000. I guess we should have started with 250, as we added the extra 40 points a few months after our initial purchase, but I am glad I have many smaller contracts in case I ever want to sell any of them.

3. Would you buy from Disney or via resale?
We tried a resale, but Disney bought it through ROFR. It has always been easier for us to go through Disney.

4. Would you have done it sooner?
No, we joined as soon as we learned the details about DVC, back in 96. For us it was a no brainer.

 

[DonnaL]

I pretty much agree with what lllovell had to say about initial purchase.....go with Disney first and then if you want to add on later you can always go resale. Also, if you stay at WDW then by all means buy there not Vero (do the addon at Vero later) We bought VWL (150) almost 4 years ago and then added on this spring (120) at SS when they offered the incentive promotion
of the extra 100 points. Also, someone else said something about having several smaller contracts rather than one larger one in the event you wish/need to sell in the future.....no need to sell ALL the points!!! I do agree, however, unless you travel at peak times you shouldn't have a problem getting accomodations at other than your home resort at 7 month window.
We only had a slight problem one time and that WAS at our home resort, but,
during Xmas week and had to book day by day.......I believe we needed to be
waitlisted for one of the days, which did come through. Other than that, I've booked two months out and not had a problem.

 

[DebbieB]

The only thing I would change is I would split my 250 points into 2 contracts - 150 and 100. That way if I did need to sell, I could sell part and keep part.

 

[AFMom]

We purchased a small 100 point resale at OKW. We're VERY happy with what we have, and I would like to add on more later when we can afford it. But even at 100 points we are able to vacation quite a bit, and DH is happy with the 100. Look at what time you'll be going, how often, and what accomodations - you should be able to tell how many points you'll want to buy.
We would still have gone resale, the 12 extra years aren't as important to us right now. However - we do like SSR!!!! We just wanted to save the $$ on the points. The resale process was painless for us, however - some don't like it!
We bought DVC within 45 days of finding out it existed. I really wish we had known about it sooner!
We have NO regrets. The customer service is wonderful. Resorts are well maintained, beautiful, on property!

 

[jimmytammy]

1. Yes
2. Knowing what I know now, and with 3 contracts in tow, yes I would have bought more pts. upfront. But you have to go with what you feel comfortable with. We purchased 170 on original contract at VWL. Purchased another 50 before VWL sold out. Then another 130 that became available through DVC at VWL.
3. We bought through DVC all 3 times. We werent aware of the re-sales agents at the time. But the DVC sales have been smooth every time.

Our biggest regret is not buying when we first considered it. We waited a year and the points price climbed.

 

[OneMoreTry]

I would buy again. 300 pts at OKW. I have no regrets except not knowing about DVC and buying in earlier.

 

[Gregg]

Thanks everyone -- this has been great. I think I may start small (150) through Disney at SSR. We don't have a huge preference in resorts although I've always been a WL fan.

A couple of follow up questions:

1. If I start with 150 at SSR and then add say 100 at VWL, how does that work? Can I combine my points for a big trip?

2. Do I get 11 month windows at both resorts and if so, is it just for the amount of points I have at each? In other words, could I make a resv. 11 months in advance at VWL that uses 200 points when my contract there is only 100 (and use 100 from SSR)???

Thanks again
Gregg

 

[donald...really]

You only have the 11 month window at the resort where the points are based. So, if you have 150 at SSR and 100 at VWL you can make a reservation at VWL at 11 months with 100 points and then add to it at the 7 months with SSR points.

You can get around this with banking and borrowing. Bank the SSR points to the following year and borrow your VWL points to this year and make a reservation using the 200 VWL. The next year you would use the SSR points. Etc. I think this is doable. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

[robinb]

1. Would you join DVC?

You bet!

2. Would you buy more points upfront? less?

I would but the same number of points. We bought 230 at OKW at first and 200 at BWV later.

3. Would you buy from Disney or via resale?

We bought both our contracts on the resale market.

4. Would have bought sooner.

We bought after our first trip to WDW, so no .

 

[lllovell]

You only have the 11 month window at the resort where the points are based. So, if you have 150 at SSR and 100 at VWL you can make a reservation at VWL at 11 months with 100 points and then add to it at the 7 months with SSR points.

You can get around this with banking and borrowing. Bank the SSR points to the following year and borrow your VWL points to this year and make a reservation using the 200 VWL. The next year you would use the SSR points. Etc. I think this is doable. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

This is exactly how you can do it. You can also use the points from one year together at any resort, but the 11 month window only applies to the resort where you have points to being with. So if you wanted to, you can make the reservation at one resort at the 11 month window, then call back at 7 months, combine your pounts and make the ressie for a bigger room or a longer stay, etc. Or simply borrow your next years points at one and then bank your this years points for the other, and you would have twice the number of points as the quoted posted said.

 

[Cruelladeville]

My only regret is not buying in 91 when I took the tour, I waited until 97 to join. I thought I HAD to have maid service every day. I bought thru Disney for my first two contracts and 3 add-ons. Then I got brave, and went resale, and now I have nearly 1000 pts, which seems like enough for 4 trips a year, and a few points to rent out to help pay dues.

 

[deerh]

I would not have done anything any different, but I WOULD have bought more points at HHI. At the then price of $65/pt, I was stupid in not buying more points.

Oh well, at least I have some there..... (for summers).

DeerH

 

[Donna]

My "do different" would be:

1) buy sooner (just missed the free passes by a few months)
2) we have 452 pts. instead of 300 at OKW and 152 at HH, i would switch it to 300 at HH and 152 at OKW.
3) Definitely buy more during my CM years when i got my points for $48 a point!

 

[disneyokw]

We would have loved to bought earlier (mother is still talking about just missing getting those free passes) and wish we bought more.

 

[Kadorto]

You might want to take a look at this thread...the overwhelming sentiment was everyone wished they had bought earlier...Now I feel the same way...Considering a add on at BCV now if you were to do it again

 

[pbharris4]

1. Would you join DVC?
2. Would you buy more points upfront? less?
3. Would you buy from Disney or via resale?
4. Would you have done it sooner?



1. Absolutely!!!!!

2. Would buy more points. We WERE going to buy more pts but didn't think we'd need them. I got pregnant w/ second DD 2 weeks after we closed. Plus we didn't think about the future and grandkids etc. We just added on 50 pts and will probably do 1 more add on of something between 25-100.

3. We bought from DIsney both times. 1st time..didn't know about resales or enough about them. 2nd time...we wanted pts now and didn't want to wait. To us it wasn't much cheaper when you factor in closing costs.

4. Yes! If we had the money then and knew about it we would have done it sooner. We met a 82 yo woman who drove down from Ohio by herself to stay at OKW (her son is a DVC member) she said he paid something like $62-69 a pt and got free tickets for like 5 yrs. Wish we would have known, but we were probably around 25 and had been married for 2 years with a 1 yr old baby and a new house..and DH already was traveling a lot w/ his job.

 

[AFMom]

We purchased a small 100 point resale at OKW. We're VERY happy with what we have, and I would like to add on more later when we can afford it. But even at 100 points we are able to vacation quite a bit, and DH is happy with the 100. Look at what time you'll be going, how often, and what accomodations - you should be able to tell how many points you'll want to buy.
We would still have gone resale, the 12 extra years aren't as important to us right now. However - we do like SSR!!!! We just wanted to save the $$ on the points. The resale process was painless for us, however - some don't like it!
We bought DVC within 45 days of finding out it existed. I really wish we had known about it sooner!
We have NO regrets. The customer service is wonderful. Resorts are well maintained, beautiful, on property!

So I wrote this a few days ago,,,, right??? DH came to me this afternoon and lo and behold - he said... " I think we need to buy more points." I about dropped dead right there. I never thought I'd hear those words come out of his mouth. He's the poor spouse who puts up with a Disney nut. Anyway - we're buying a house, adding an addition and putting in a pool - so the add-on thing will have to wait a bit..... but there's hope!

 

[jomik1]

1. Would you join DVC?
2. Would you buy more points upfront? less?
3. Would you buy from Disney or via resale?

1. I would definately do it all over again
2. I would buy more points. Originally purchased 230 March 04 then added 130 in October 04
3. I would go the Disney route again in a heart beat. It was fast and easy. No hassels at all.
4. I would love to go back in time to buy sooner. Should have bought in 2000 when we first looked at it but I keep telling myself it just wasn't my time yet

 

[Greg K.]

In Nov 02, we bought a 150 pt starter kit through Disney at BCV (at the time, that was the only resort available.) BUT: because it was late in the year, we got ALL the 02 pts banked! So in 03, we were able to take a longer vacation -- two whole weeks in a studio! -- with all the pts we'd accumulated. Sweet!

Then in Mar 05, we bought another 160, this time through the Timeshare Store (which, if you're going to go the resale route, is the place to go!)

We now have enough to go every year for a couple weeks in a studio, if we want. That's more than enough!

Two things I'd recommend:
1) Pay cash, if you can swing it. That's what we did and it made life much simpler.
2) Start small -- 150 pts is good, I think -- and see how it feels. You can always add on later.
3) TRY to avoid what will be almost inevitable ... the regret that you didn't do this sooner!

Good luck!