DVC Questions....

[Sy-]

Am looking at picking up around 250 points at GCV when it becomes available. Will they be available to people not currently in DVC? I''m going to DL in mid Oct. Does anyone know if they will be selling GCV by then? I like to do Disney parks durring the cheap seasons (Adventure, Choice) How hard will it be to use GCV points in Florida? Thanks for any help!

Edit... Ooohhhh Another question. When does the deed contracts expire for AKV & GCV?

 

[drusba]

AKV's expiration is 2057. Not known yet if GCV will be the same but it will be that or 50 years from time when they start to sell, e.g., possibly 2059. No announcemnt yet as to when sales will start so don't assume anything, like October, until it is announced and many are guessing it may not be until 2009 but don't rely on any guessing. The assumption is that when sales begin it will be to everyone and not jsut DVC members first. As to being able to get WDW resorts at 7 months out during adventure or choice, it really depends on what specific time you are considering. High demand DVC times differ from high demand Disney World in general times. For any time in the first three weeks of December, possibly THE most popular DVC time of the year, reservations at 7 months can be quite difficult. Likewise, first few days in Jan and time around MLK day. Also, October and first week or so of November can be difficult (but often possible) because of Food and Wine festival which seems very popular for DVC members. September is usually an easy time to get at 7 months except right around Labor Day.

 

[DebbieB]

I've heard GCV points will first go on sale to current members who bought DVC while at DL. Then probably current DVC members who bought elsewhere. After that, they will probably sell to new members. I kind of doubt it will be before the end of the year, there's a long way to go on construction.

 

[Disney_Villain]

I''m going to DL in mid Oct. Does anyone know if they will be selling GCV by then? (Adventure, Choice) How hard will it be to use GCV points in Florida?

We are planning our October Disneyland trip around the same time you are, in hopes of buying in. Hints have been dropped to us by DVC staff (to be unnamed) that "October will see the announcement of sales of another DVC resort".

Yes, nothing has been officially announced for GCV sales - but for you and I (Hawaii and Manitoba, Canada) we can't purchase GCV from home as easily as most other members can. We have to take a stab at this following the rumours!

There will be an initial 2-week period for sales of GCV to be limited to those who bought SSR while they were in Disneyland. I wouldn't plan on going to Disneyland until October 15th at the earliest, if you want to try to time this.

Using GCV points in WDW would be pretty easy to do, as they will have 7 resorts there by 2009. 3 of the 7 are huge (SSR, AKV, OKW) and will be easier to book than the other 4. Overall, it won't be a problem if you're willing to book the larger resorts during the high-demand seasons.

 

[joech]

There will be an initial 2-week period for sales of GCV to be limited to those who bought SSR while they were in Disneyland.

I believe the initial sales of GVC also apply to us that bought AKV in DL and we have a 30 days windows to decide. i will check my paper work and report back.

 

[z28wiz]

I just closed on AKL, we bought from Disneyland and in the package it offered us the opportunity to buy GCV and we would get developer points. Any question please feel free to PM me or email me or if you need a refferal to get the promotions at that time. I had a great guide

 

[Sy-]

OK a couple more questions....
- Which is more difficult booking 7 months out at a non-home resort: durring Adventure/Choice or durring Dream/Magic season?
- Can you (realistically) walk anywhere? In other words could I walk from AKV to Disneys Animal Kingdom? If I buy in SSR or OKW could I walk to Downtown Disney/Paradise Pier?
- On OKW resales how can you tell if it is a deed ending in 2042 vs 2057?
- Is there any place that has good "honest" reviews of the villas? It's easy to find reviews of the hotels not so easy to find reviews of the villas.
- If I'm planning on travelling every other year in early December what "use year" should I look for?

I'm trying to figure out which resort I want to buy into. I do know that I don't want anything that is going to expire before I'm 65 so that leaves me with SSR, OKW or AKV right now. I'm going to have to buy blind as I will only be in Disneyland for 6 days and won't have much more than a few hours to spend with the guide so I want to go in with as much information in my head as possible. Thanks for any help!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

OK a couple more questions....
- Which is more difficult booking 7 months out at a non-home resort: durring Adventure/Choice or durring Dream/Magic season? It isn't so much the season name as it is the dates themselves. For example: the first two weeks of December are Adventure season, but they are THE most difficult to get at 7 months. It also has some bearing on what size unit and which resort you are trying for. Trying to get concierge AKV if it isn't your home is going to be next to impossible once it's sold out. By the same token, any holiday time period is going to be difficult as well.
- Can you (realistically) walk anywhere? In other words could I walk from AKV to Disneys Animal Kingdom? If I buy in SSR or OKW could I walk to Downtown Disney/Paradise Pier?Well, yes and no. You can NOT walk to AK from anywhere. If you want to walk to DTD from SSR or OKW, that is certainly possible and many of us do it all the time. When you stay at BWV and BCV, you can always walk to both the Studios and Epcot, but you need the bus system for the other parks. Just to let you know, the Disney bus system is fantastic! We usually stay at OKW, and we LOVE the buses there. Our last stay was at AKV, and we had the best bus service ever there.
- On OKW resales how can you tell if it is a deed ending in 2042 vs 2057? It will have to say what the ending date is in the listing.
- Is there any place that has good "honest" reviews of the villas? It's easy to find reviews of the hotels not so easy to find reviews of the villas. Well, what one person thinks is a great place another might think is the worst. For example: I LOVE OKW but I'm not too keen on BWV. Others find BWV to be the best of the best. I like the extra space at OKW and the quiet embiance there. BWV is more of a city atmosphere with lots of activity.
- If I'm planning on travelling every other year in early December what "use year" should I look for? I'm not one of those who thinks use year is all THAT important. It really only comes into play if you are in the habit of canceling reservations. IN 11 years of DVC membership, we have never had to worry about that. The plan says that you want to be able to bank any points from ressies that you might have to cancel, so a use year shortly before your expected travel dates is best. That way you have plenty of time to bank any points returned to your contract. That being said, you are likely to change your preferred travel times over the next 35-50 years, so that's why I say don't worry about it.

I'm trying to figure out which resort I want to buy into. I do know that I don't want anything that is going to expire before I'm 65 so that leaves me with SSR, OKW or AKV right now. I'm going to have to buy blind as I will only be in Disneyland for 6 days and won't have much more than a few hours to spend with the guide so I want to go in with as much information in my head as possible. Thanks for any help!!! Well, DL has the model rooms for AKV, so you will see those. I don't know if they also have SSR models or not. For OKW, go check out some photos of rooms there. Oh, and you CAN buy OKW direct from Disney and it will then be guaranteed to be a 2057 contract.

I'm going to answer directly in your quoted post.
OKW photos:

 

[Sy-]

Wow thanks for the information. Trufully I am very interested in OKW. One, because the landscaping has time to mature. Second is that after 15 years I'm sure they have worked out all/any kinks. Third, I like that they have 2 queen beds in all the rooms rather than a queen/king and a pull out sofa. This should make it easier to sleep 4. And finally I like quiet atmospheres. A couple more questions on OKW:
- I know that they stopped selling OKW many years ago because they were "sold out"... Now they are selling it again with 2057 deeds. What are they selling? Did they build more units or did they ROFR a bunch of resales and tack on 15 years to those deeds? I don't want to buy in to OKW if is being oversold making reservations impossible at even 11 months impossible.
- How far is the walk from OKW to Downtown Disney/Paradise Pier?
Thabks again!

 

[Deb & Bill]

...
- How far is the walk from OKW to Downtown Disney/Paradise Pier?
Thabks again!

It's about 2000 miles. Paradise Pier is the hotel at DLR or an area at California Adventure at DLR. I think you mean Pleasure Island at DTD. You can walk it, about 0.8 miles. Or you can take the boat between the hours of may 10A and 11PM or you can take the bus until 3AM or so. You can't walk at night because the path isn't lit.

By the way, the photo of the kitchen is old. There is now a ceramic cooktop instead of the old coil-type burners.

 

[Sy-]

It's about 2000 miles. Paradise Pier is the hotel at DLR or an area at California Adventure at DLR.

OMG.... I can't believe I did that... twice no less...

 

[chalee94]

A couple more questions on OKW:
- I know that they stopped selling OKW many years ago because they were "sold out"... Now they are selling it again with 2057 deeds. What are they selling? Did they build more units or did they ROFR a bunch of resales and tack on 15 years to those deeds? I don't want to buy in to OKW if is being oversold making reservations impossible at even 11 months impossible.
- How far is the walk from OKW to Downtown Disney/Paradise Pier?
Thabks again!

"sold out" is only true for a few seconds...

DVC is constantly ROFRing and foreclosing on contracts. while some owners may have to waitlist for add-ons at certain resorts for certain UY months, none of the resorts are really completely "sold out." (OTOH, i get the impression guides may be compensated more for the newer resorts that they are currently actively selling, so you may have to work a little harder to convince them that you are only interested in OKW.)

i wouldn't worry about a resort being oversold, but in high demand periods, you still may need to act pretty quickly. in my limited experience, i have had no trouble booking OKW by email 11 months from my final checkout day...(i.e. no day-by-day booking) but for christmas week/easter/new year's type holidays, you should definitely call as soon as possible.

 

[Sy-]

Thanks all... OK last questions (probably not):
- Does people staung in a DVC resort have the same privledges as those staying in a reular resort? Last time I was there they have this bracelet that you could buy for like $15 that would allow you access to the park for 3 hours after it closed for everyone else. It was the best 3 hours of your trip as there were no lines for anything! We kept looping on splash mountain... can't do that when there are lines I tell ya!
- Can you buy meal plans? I know those are included with package deals when you book the regular resorts. Does OKW have a cafeteria like the All Star resorts?
- Is the bus for the villas and the regular hotel the same? For example say I'm staying at AKLV will I be on the same bus as the people staying at AKL? Are there different stops? If so, who gets dropped off/picked up first?
- The busses that stop at OKW; does the bus go to every park or is there 1 bus that goes to MK and 1 bus that goes to epcot...etc..etc..
- Are there any busses that go to Universal Studios? Kennedy? Sea World?
- Are there any special incentives on 2057 deeds at OKW or do I go resale?

 

[chalee94]

- Does people staung in a DVC resort have the same privledges as those staying in a reular resort? Last time I was there they have this bracelet that you could buy for like $15 that would allow you access to the park for 3 hours after it closed for everyone else. It was the best 3 hours of your trip as there were no lines for anything! We kept looping on splash mountain... can't do that when there are lines I tell ya!

DVC stays have all the perks of staying onsite, including magical express buses, DDP and extra magic hours (bracelets should be free, however.)

- Can you buy meal plans? I know those are included with package deals when you book the regular resorts. Does OKW have a cafeteria like the All Star resorts?

no cafeteria at OKW, but you can buy the meal plans at regular prices without having to buy a ticket. (never "free dining" on points stays, though. never ever.)

- Is the bus for the villas and the regular hotel the same? For example say I'm staying at AKLV will I be on the same bus as the people staying at AKL?

yes, the same buses.

- The busses that stop at OKW; does the bus go to every park or is there 1 bus that goes to MK and 1 bus that goes to epcot...etc..etc..

different buses for different parks. one bus may go to both AK and a water park, but never 1 bus going to 2 major parks.

- Are there any special incentives on 2057 deeds at OKW or do I go resale?

no special incentives for direct purchases OKW and resales for extended OKW contracts are probably comparably expensive right now...

 

[culli]

SY-

I don't think anyone gave you a site for reviews. allears.net has reviews by users - I found these useful but take them with a grain of salt. You have to navigate through the site but I think if you follow the links of accomidations then find the resort (to include DVC villas) then user reviews. They also have some good pics of the resorts along with general specs.

I think the current OKW contracts through Disney is $101 per pt.

 

[Sy-]

Thanks.... OK I know I said that I wasn't going to have any more questions... but... I have a couple more. OK So I'm looking at a resale of SSR that has a Sept use year. Now I was planning on banking the 08 points and using them in Sept of 09. But If I buy the deed now will I be able to bank the 08 points since we are so close to Sept? Do you really have to be 4 months out to bank points? No exceptions? Not even for new owners?

 

[culli]

Thanks.... OK I know I said that I wasn't going to have any more questions... but... I have a couple more. OK So I'm looking at a resale of SSR that has a Sept use year. Now I was planning on banking the 08 points and using them in Sept of 09. But If I buy the deed now will I be able to bank the 08 points since we are so close to Sept? Do you really have to be 4 months out to bank points? No exceptions? Not even for new owners?

They should already be banked, the reseller should be able to answer that question for you. Your risk would be if there are 07 pts banked as they would have to be used by UY 08. If you are serious of buying......really really think hard about where you will want to stay for your 11 month booking window and times you go etc. I know price will play a part in any choice but we fell in love with BWV and being able to walk to EPCOT and MGM is huge for us. However we great incentives and would still do the same thing, we did add on to OKW due to room sizes and lower pt bookings - this I'm second guessing as I'm not sure that would out weigh the 11month booking at BWV. Just something not to under estimate when you read posts on these boards.

 

[Sy-]

They should already be banked, the reseller should be able to answer that question for you. Your risk would be if there are 07 pts banked as they would have to be used by UY 08. If you are serious of buying......really really think hard about where you will want to stay for your 11 month booking window and times you go etc. I know price will play a part in any choice but we fell in love with BWV and being able to walk to EPCOT and MGM is huge for us. However we great incentives and would still do the same thing, we did add on to OKW due to room sizes and lower pt bookings - this I'm second guessing as I'm not sure that would out weigh the 11month booking at BWV. Just something not to under estimate when you read posts on these boards.

I know the points are not banked... I know this because there are lots (100+) of '07 points that are banked. If we do buy and pass ROFR then Id have very little time to use the banked '07 points. I would have no problem eating the points. It would irritate me a little to have to also eat the '08 points if I was not able to bank them!

 

[culli]

I know the points are not banked... I know this because there are lots (100+) of '07 points that are banked. If we do buy and pass ROFR then Id have very little time to use the banked '07 points. I would have no problem eating the points. It would irritate me a little to have to also eat the '08 points if I was not able to bank them!

I can't help you much there as I have not bought DVC resale before but I would work with reseller. If it is the timeshare store I had to call them for questions on a contract they had for sale and they were very helpful. I'm not sure if this is possible with DVC but you might be able to have seller make reservations for you now if they accept your offer. If they have not banked any 08 pts then you might be stuck and you will also lose the 07 pts. MS is very flexible if you buy through them I doubt they would be for a resale.

I'm sure much more experienced people can give you better insight then I have on this particular topic. But there are many resale contracts out there especially for SSR so I wouldn't look at this as a once in a lifetime opportunity.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

You would not even get the 08 points till Sept 1st so you will be fine.

Thanks.... OK I know I said that I wasn't going to have any more questions... but... I have a couple more. OK So I'm looking at a resale of SSR that has a Sept use year. Now I was planning on banking the 08 points and using them in Sept of 09. But If I buy the deed now will I be able to bank the 08 points since we are so close to Sept? Do you really have to be 4 months out to bank points? No exceptions? Not even for new owners?