DVC Question

[Dean]

There is only one reason to break the buy where you want to stay rule and that is if you are retired . With a flexible schedule, I have been able to get into every DVC at 7 months but you have to book when its open rather than a set time to go. If you like a certain time of year than buying at a cheaper resort and longing for your favorite is going to leave you heartbroken more than not. Exceptions to that rule are AKV,SSR,OKW as those are larger resorts and have more availability.

I hold a different view. My opinion is that one needs to have a specific reason to buy a high cost resort that includes either a specific need or one wants to stay there all the time. IMO, everyone else should be looking low and trying to trade up when they can. New buyers don't know what they want/need, they just think they do. To me it's better to make a $10K mistake than a $20K one.

 

[crisi]

Thanks for the info. My dream resort is Beach Club Villas, but if there is a cheaper alternative, I can chance it. It's practically half the price?? My cousin is a DVC member and her home is Animal Kingdom and she gave me 2 nights of points to stay at Beach Club and we were able to reserve. There was availability. So it's possible.

Thanks for the info and listening to my rant.

When you say BCV is your dream resort, ask yourself "how disappointed will I be not to get BCV every trip" - maybe not much. How about if its only available one out of every three times? One out of ever five? You never again during your membership find BCV available?

My take on it is that if you can't afford what you want, you shouldn't be buying. DVC is expensive - and the purchase price is only the start, its a minor cost in the scheme of dues over the life of the contract, park tickets and their ever escalating costs, travel, food.

Rent for a few years. Rent BCV if you love it, rent SSR if you want to see if you could be happy there.

The deal with BCV is that its both small and popular. At seven months there are hundreds of thousands of members suddenly able to reserve any leftover rooms. And because the purchase price is so much higher, people who bought there tend to have bought it because they love it - they don't tend to be the ones resort hopping every trip - its the loyalists. When Disney adds a new resort, they add new members that you'll compete with for those rooms at seven months. You'll get in sometimes, you'll get in more often for partial stays. But you won't get in always. Will that be ok with you for the next decade? two?

 

[chainkid]

I can only speak for myself but I bought where I want stay all the time . I would not consider buying at a cheaper resort to trade up as I do not want to have to go thru agony every time I make vacation plans. I would not be happy staying in a lot of the other resorts or pay the high airfare to come to Florida to stay in a resort that is not my first choice. I am very picky about what I like. I love the VGF DVC but not enough to buy there as its too expensive. I would pay the price though if I didn't love the BWV as my home resort . The two are my favorites and I will trade up once in awhile. Conversely though I would not be happy with any of the other DVC resorts as my home resort due to lower point costs. I agree that if you buy sight unseen your choice could be a poor one for you. It happened with me for Hilton head and AKV and I sold them. I do not foresee that I will ever not like BWV . I fell in love the first time I stayed there when I had no idea about DVC and nothing has changed. I stayed at Grand Floridian DVC and felt the same way but that will have to be a treat I can indulge on the rare occasion.