DVC Newb...thinking of buying into VGC

[cpster]

Hi everyone,

I want to start off by saying how helpful and friendly everyone is on these boards! Thank you for sharing so much information.

Lately we have been thinking about trying to buy a VGC resale of around 160-175 points. Figured this location makes most sense as I've read how it's difficult to get reservations starting at the 7 month time frame. We live in northern California and it's hubby, daughter not quite 2, and myself right now although we hope to add one more in the future.

A few questions for the experts here:

-- I've read about how if you buy a resale you can only used points at Disney properties now. If we add on additional points later on direct from Disney would that change the status of our resale points? Is it even possible to get additional VGC points direct from Disney now?

-- Is it very difficult to get a reservation at the deluxe WDW resorts at the 7 month window (assuming non-peak holiday times)?

-- How often does the company refurbish units? I am wondering if they will get run down over time.

-- What kind of dining plan add ons are there for the California and Florida locations?

Thanks in advance for your kind help!

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you buy a resale now, you won't be able to use it for anything but DVC and RCI trades (as long as DVC trades with RCI - unless that changes, too). You can't use those points for non-DVC Disney hotels.

Depending when you go, you probably can get one of the other DVC resorts at WDW at 7 months, but it might not be the exact type villa or location you want.

Members pay for any and all refurbishments. It comes out of the annual fees we pay DVC. So you will never see any grand refurbishments. Even OKW, which was recently done, wasn't a 100% redo. They painted over much of the furniture. Replaced the soft goods, some of the appliances and flooring. Nothing was done in the bathrooms.

A redo at a DVC resort will not resemble a redo at the Contemporary resort when they completed redid it all, down to gutting the hallways, rooms, etc. and pretty much starting over from scratch.

 

[disneynutz]

The only thing guaranteed is your ability to book at the resort that you purchase, that's why it's very important to buy where you love to stay. Disney can and has changed the rules and policies and the perks and you can bet that they will continue to do so. If you love DL and plan on going there every year for the next several years then owning a DVC interest can save you money on your room.

Don't forget to figure in your additional costs for you Disney vacations. In addition to the purchase price and yearly dues, you have admission costs, transportation, food, and general expenses. For us, 2 adults, it's about $1500 per trip.

Bill

 

[drusba]

If you buy resale now, you cannot use the Disney Coollections meaning you cannot trade to any non-DVC Disney hotel, cruise, or adventure collection. You still get any trade outs though RCI or Intrawest. Points you would buy later from Disney would be able to be used for the Disney Collections but never the resale points.

If you buy through Disney and have Disney Collection, it is fairly easy to trade out to any Disney hotel. The real issue is whether you should -- the point cost is very high, it goes up annually, and it is just not a good use of points and frankly being able to get a 1BR in a DVC resort is much better than just a hotel room. It may be soimething to do once on a rare occassion but don't become a DVC member to do that always because you would be wasting your money. If you are referring to booking DVC resorts, if you book your home 11 months out you will never have an issue. Many things can be available at 7 months at other resorts but many things may not be and for dome times, like Christmas, there may nohing available at 7 months out almost anywhere.

You can add a Disney dining plan in WDW (don't know about Cal) and it is the same dining plans that non-DVC guests can purchase (for the same price).

Substantial refurbs of DVC resorts happen about every 7 years but that is not set in stone and it can be shorter or longer; in the interim they repair and refurb as needed. You do get people complaining about units appearing run down particularly in last couple years before a refurb.

VGC points are available. Sold out resorts are also usually available through Disney because it gets points back through foreclosures and exercising right of first refusal for resales.

 

[disneydenisel]

Hello from another Northern Californian ,

Owning DVC has been the best thing for our family. We travel to WDW every other year usually, and the resorts are in nice condition. If refurbishments are needed, the funds come out of our dues, as far as I know.

Some folks have recently inquired about buying points at VGC directly from Disney. When last I asked my guide (she is a guide at VGC in Anaheim), there was a waitlist of about 24 people with various needs...some needing certain UYs, some wanting a small number of points, etc. I know of at least two disboarders who recently got on the waitlist at VGC with their guides, and I don't think they have cleared the list yet. There is no obligation if you get on the list, but they do take a credit card number so that when the points do come in, they can charge a deposit of $500 to your card. You can always change your mind at that time, and get a refund, if somehow you found something in the meantime or decided not to buy.

What time of year would you want to travel to WDW if you did own VGC points? What resorts would you want to stay at, any in particular? Usually there is something at 7 months out, but if you wanted a certain resort at a busy time of year, then you might not get all the nights you wanted. Some people do split stays and waitlist one resort, etc. I would say that definitely there should be somewhere to stay at WDW .

We love our home resorts, but the desire to add-on is strong .

Good luck with your search, I think you will love DVC for your family!

 

[Presley]

You can get on the wait list to purchase VCG, but DVC is charging $120per point. You can find the same thing on resale for $87.- $99. per point. While it is true that you can only use those points for DVC villas and RCI trades, what else would you want to use them for?

The exchange rate for using points for Disney Cruise and for Adventures by Disney are really high. Those are better paid for in cash.

Make sure you do your homework. I have contracts from Disney and from resale. If I add on in the future (and I think I will), I will only purchase resale.

 

[ACDSNY]

You can get on the wait list to purchase VCG, but DVC is charging $120per point. You can find the same thing on resale for $87.- $99. per point. While it is true that you can only use those points for DVC villas and RCI trades, what else would you want to use them for?

VGC is the one resort I'd would want to purchase through Disney instead of resale. Being from Nor Cal we tend to use our points at DL more than WDW and I'd hate to not have the option of reserving the Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier if the VGC are not available for my dates of travel.

Our WDW trip are planned way in advance, but our DL trip can be a little more spur of the moment since we are closer and SWA offer such great Ding fares. There's more availability of DVC resorts in WDW so the resale issue isn't as great there as it is at DL.

Just my two cents.

 

[roypup]

I think general availability of VGC contracts is going to be rare. My guide says the wait list is lengthy. VGC contracts on resale are pretty rare as well. After a quick search, I've only found one at $98 a point, which isn't much of a discount off the disney price.

 

[cpster]

If you buy resale now, you cannot use the Disney Coollections meaning you cannot trade to any non-DVC Disney hotel, cruise, or adventure collection. You still get any trade outs though RCI or Intrawest. Points you would buy later from Disney would be able to be used for the Disney Collections but never the resale points.

If you buy through Disney and have Disney Collection, it is fairly easy to trade out to any Disney hotel. The real issue is whether you should -- the point cost is very high, it goes up annually, and it is just not a good use of points and frankly being able to get a 1BR in a DVC resort is much better than just a hotel room. It may be soimething to do once on a rare occassion but don't become a DVC member to do that always because you would be wasting your money. If you are referring to booking DVC resorts, if you book your home 11 months out you will never have an issue. Many things can be available at 7 months at other resorts but many things may not be and for dome times, like Christmas, there may nohing available at 7 months out almost anywhere.

You can add a Disney dining plan in WDW (don't know about Cal) and it is the same dining plans that non-DVC guests can purchase (for the same price).

Substantial refurbs of DVC resorts happen about every 7 years but that is not set in stone and it can be shorter or longer; in the interim they repair and refurb as needed. You do get people complaining about units appearing run down particularly in last couple years before a refurb.

VGC points are available. Sold out resorts are also usually available through Disney because it gets points back through foreclosures and exercising right of first refusal for resales.

Thanks for this information. I was wondering how the trade out for Disney hotels worked. Is there by chance a point chart for this year I can reference to get an idea of what the cost is like? I am wondering about the point cost for Disneyland California hotels since I figure if we go to WDW we will be planning out way in advance. Thanks!

 

[cpster]

Hello from another Northern Californian ,

Owning DVC has been the best thing for our family. We travel to WDW every other year usually, and the resorts are in nice condition. If refurbishments are needed, the funds come out of our dues, as far as I know.

Some folks have recently inquired about buying points at VGC directly from Disney. When last I asked my guide (she is a guide at VGC in Anaheim), there was a waitlist of about 24 people with various needs...some needing certain UYs, some wanting a small number of points, etc. I know of at least two disboarders who recently got on the waitlist at VGC with their guides, and I don't think they have cleared the list yet. There is no obligation if you get on the list, but they do take a credit card number so that when the points do come in, they can charge a deposit of $500 to your card. You can always change your mind at that time, and get a refund, if somehow you found something in the meantime or decided not to buy.

What time of year would you want to travel to WDW if you did own VGC points? What resorts would you want to stay at, any in particular? Usually there is something at 7 months out, but if you wanted a certain resort at a busy time of year, then you might not get all the nights you wanted. Some people do split stays and waitlist one resort, etc. I would say that definitely there should be somewhere to stay at WDW .

We love our home resorts, but the desire to add-on is strong .

Good luck with your search, I think you will love DVC for your family!

Hi Denise!

Thank you for the warm welcome. I suppose that most of our vacations will likely be during the summertime once our daughter is school aged, but until she is we'll probably try to travel off peak as much as possible as long as the chances for nice weather are good. Is picking a UY during the summer months a good/bad idea?

We haven't been to WDW for years now, but would love to check out BLT first since it's on the monorail. Is BLT really hard to get into during the summer at 7 months out?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[cpster]

You can get on the wait list to purchase VCG, but DVC is charging $120per point. You can find the same thing on resale for $87.- $99. per point. While it is true that you can only use those points for DVC villas and RCI trades, what else would you want to use them for?

The exchange rate for using points for Disney Cruise and for Adventures by Disney are really high. Those are better paid for in cash.

Make sure you do your homework. I have contracts from Disney and from resale. If I add on in the future (and I think I will), I will only purchase resale.

Thanks for the tip on the Disney Cruise and Adventures by Disney. Was wondering about those and it sounds like it's better to pay cash. We are definately leaning towards resale right now.

 

[cpster]

Just wanted to thank everyone who took the time to reply to my post. You guys are the best and I'm learning a ton!

 

[papamouse1]

PP's have done a great job explaining the bulk of your question so I won't rehash a lot of it.
I will just add that concerning the 7 month window... we have now owned DVC for 5 years, and spent a total of 1 night in our home resort. We have now booked stays in all of the DVC resorts except BLT, VWL, and of course Aulani. Until this coming trip in November, we have never had a problem with the 7 month window... including a spring break trip last year when we stayed at BCV. We did however, get hammered on our upcoming trip. We thought that going the week AFTER Thanksgiving would be a slow time, but guess we thought wrong. There were no 1BR or 2BR's left at BLT, BCV, VWL. We ended up getting a 1BR at BWV.
So, if you go non-peak times, you will be able to get what you want more readily, but anything close to peak and you will struggle. Also, it seems the places that are tougher to get at all times in the 7 month window are BLT, BCV, and AKV concierge

Secondly, you asked about dining plans. DL has a "plan" but it's worthless... Really just buying vouchers that are more like getting a prepaid credit card to use. WDW has multiple plans and I recommend you go to the WDW site and read up on them. We have had great luck with the plans saving us money, but you have to plan it, work it, and eat lots!
Also the Disney Food Blog is a great place to go read up on the DDP and people's opinions about them.

 

[nunzia]

Hi there fellow New Mexican! (there aren't many of us)
Concerning the cost of points at the DLR hotelsP goes from 25 to 54 points per night depending on view, time of year and day of week, while DLH goes from 27 to 61 points per night.pretty ridiculous. VGC points go from 17-30 per night for a studio. So, although I agree that using points outside of the DVC properties isn't a good use of points, I also can understand wanting all the options available. If I was coming in now, I'd look hard at what I wanted to use the points for..I don't know what I'd do, to be honest. I have all of my points from Disney, but did buy a resale to get into the system (I wanted several small contracts, not Disney's required initial buy in, so after I was in the system bought 4 smaller chunks direct, then sold my resale so only own direct from Disney points. This way I can sell off part of my points if needed.) I would think that Disney would be ROFRing VGC points since they have a waiting list, but I haven't seen anyone reporting on this. I do think buying at VGC is crucial if you really want to stay there. There are rumors of a DLH DVC at some point, but who knows.
Good luck with your decision.

 

[disneydenisel]

Hi Denise!

Thank you for the warm welcome. I suppose that most of our vacations will likely be during the summertime once our daughter is school aged, but until she is we'll probably try to travel off peak as much as possible as long as the chances for nice weather are good. Is picking a UY during the summer months a good/bad idea?

We haven't been to WDW for years now, but would love to check out BLT first since it's on the monorail. Is BLT really hard to get into during the summer at 7 months out?

Thanks for your advice!

We have two UYs (February and June) and prefer the summer one since we travel in the Summer or Fall, and not usually the Spring. So really any UY will work if you find a contract that you like. We haven't had any trouble with any of our reservations and have never had to cancel. If you think you will travel in the summer, Feb-June would be fine UYs for you IF you could pick and choose, which may not be the case with resale or even buying direct since places like VGC are sold out. We use our Feb UY to travel in November...not the greatest since our banking deadline is October and we will still have not taken our trip by then, but we have made it work out just fine. We use our June UY to travel in June and December, just perfect so far.

BLT is new, so I don't know much about how it books up in the summer. From previous posts, it seems that you could get other resorts at 7 months out for summer because even though it is summer vacation, it is hot and humid (for me), and some folks just travel at other times. If you have your heart set on BLT, you could always rent your points out and rent a summer week at BLT. That would be my strategy, anyhow .

 

[papamouse1]

Denise gave you some great advice there!

As afar as BLT availability, here is a forum that can give at least an idea on how resorts tend to book out and when, but just know it isn't meant to be a day by day guarantee of anything available.

DVC Resort Availability Charts
I looked online for 1st week in Dec. and there was no problem with any 1BR or 2BR views on my dates. When I called on the morning of my "7-month window", there wasn't a single room with any view available (1BR or 2BR) for a couple of my days. That said 1st week in December is not supposed to be quite crazy yet for holidays, but maybe this year, it is... who knows. BLT does seem to be a tough one to get at 7 months unless you go off peak.

 

[chalee94]

I looked online for 1st week in Dec. and there was no problem with any 1BR or 2BR views on my dates.

i think you are confused. there is no way to look online to check availability.

there are cash rooms available online through disney and expedia, but those tell you nothing about availability of DVC rooms available in the points inventory.

there is a forum here on the DIS that tells you when posters find dates that are NOT available, but that is not a good resource for finding out what IS available.

BTW, peak season for DVC booking is not the same as peak park season. ALL of thanksgiving through new year's is typically very busy for DVC and it is recommended to book your home resort at 10-11 months out...even during periods where park crowds might be a little less, such as early december.

 

[papamouse1]

i think you are confused. there is no way to look online to check availability.

there are cash rooms available online through disney and expedia, but those tell you nothing about availability of DVC rooms available in the points inventory.

there is a forum here on the DIS that tells you when posters find dates that are NOT available, but that is not a good resource for finding out what IS available.

BTW, peak season for DVC booking is not the same as peak park season. ALL of thanksgiving through new year's is typically very busy for DVC and it is recommended to book your home resort at 10-11 months out...even during periods where park crowds might be a little less, such as early december.

Well I am actually not confused... maybe the way I wrote (or you read) my post came across confused. My first comment was about the very forum you mentioned, and you are right, as I mentioned in my post, it is not a completely accurate way to gauge room availability... I think I said it was in no way a "guarantee" that roomswere available when reading the forum, but it does give some sense of trends, etc. So when I mentioned going online, that is what I meant. I have found the forum definitely helpful in knowing what IS available at times, but clearly it is isn't something we can trust at the start of a 7-month window... my experience just proved that out

I have to admit, much of my understanding of Late Nov/early Dec being a slower time was based not on my experience but just input from other's experience... Your statement "peak season for DVC booking is not the same as peak park season" definitely seems to make sense since Crowd Calendar shows low numbers, but multiple resorts were booked out...

 

[pthuhges2]

VGC is difficult to get into at less than the Priority window, since we don't own there, we often are at DLH. This will not be an option for a resale purchase anymore.. This is something you may want to consider...