DVC wannabe has a couple questions!

[hunnypotmama]

Hi guys, I have been reading this board and was hoping you could answer a couple questions: I called DVC today and spoke with Lisa who is fed ex'ing the written info to me. She stated to me that since my family normally vacations on the spur of the moment, it would make no difference which resort we make our home resort, since the primary benefit of DVC is being able to book your home resort 11 months out. So given that logic, why don't I just buy a very reasonably priced Vero Beach resale? It won't matter that I never stay there, right? Also, what are membership dues and do they differ based on the property you buy? Also, do they vary based on how many points you purchase? I'm trying to make a very reasonable economic choice here, or hubby will never go for it.

Thanks!

hunnypotmama

 

[NCRedding]

The primary advice I received from this board has been "Buy where you want to stay" I would think hard about joining if you go spur of the moment, particularly if you are not joining at WDW. There have been numerous discussions on these boards about inability to get rooms at times, and on short notice. BTW, welcome to the board. I think you will find lots of knowledgeable people who are willing to help. As to the dues, they are based upon the number of points you own. The cost ranges. OKW is the least expensive, with Vero being the most. OKW is $3.22 per point for 2002, and I think Vero is $4.17, so you actually will spend more in dues that the cost to acquire the points. I based my point decision on my past usage, and expected usage.

 

[PamOKW]

It's true that if you will never make your plans less than 7 months in advance, it won't really matter which resort you own. Of course, you may find it difficult to book trips that you want to plan for very specific time periods if you don't use your Home Resort advantage. I don't think I would necessarily recommend buying where you absolutely never plan to stay. If your intention is to stay only at WDW, with so many DVC choices there, I think that's where I would get a home resort.

Dues are charged per point owned and vary by resort. Currently, Vero does have the most expensive dues. Here they are for 2002 by resort.

OKW - $3.22
BWV - $3.92
HHI - $3.49
Vero - $4.17
VWL - $3.80
BCV - $3.77

 

[ncligs]

hunnypotmama,

The dues vary from resort to resort. Dues are for upkeep, maintenence, member services salary,etc. They can go up or down each year. Here are the dues for the past 2 years, with the increase for this year.

2002 Dues vs. 2001 Dues
OKW = $3.22 vs. $3.13 = +3%
BWV = $3.92 vs. $3.83 = +2%
VWL = $3.80 vs. $3.63 = +5%
HH = $3.49 vs. $3.32 = +5%
Vero= $4.17 vs. $3.97 = +5%
BCV= $3.77

As you see Vero Beach is the highest , and OKW has the lowest.
I would definatley recommend buying where you plan on staying the most.You get the 11 month window there for reservations.

 

[hunnypotmama]

thank you for your helpful replies! I had read so many times, "buy where you want to be," that it just really threw me for a loop when the DVC person told me it would make NO difference to me where my home resort was. Ok, so let's think about buying where I really want to be, and that would be OKW, or BWV or possibly BCV...any thoughts on how buying resale compares to pre-buying BCV thru Disney? The incentive she offered me was $5/per point credit, or a 5 night stay at DW...then I know also with Disney, there are no closing costs.

hunnypotmama

 

[adamak]

Well, the buy-where-you-will-stay theory works best if you want very specific times and room requirement. I bought into BWV, not knowing there is a difference between dues cost. But I almost always wanted a studio, non-peak times. So I never really had problems booking less than 11 months out. But the time I wanted peak season in non-BWV, or when I want to book a 1-bedroom in HH (limited availability), I just don't get what I want.

I think it depends on your travel style, when and where you want to stay. If money is a big concern, then go with the cheapest, and plan your vacation during less busy seasons.

 

[Dean]

I'd concur to buy where you want to stay. Since you will likely find it difficult to book on the spur of the moment, you may be unhappy with DVC. I'd consider your options and likely not buy DVC for the plans you've stated. If you do buy, you'll end up planning farther ahead and/or being very dissatisfied with your purchase.

 

[mic_KY_mouses]

hunnypotmama, Our family always took spur of the moment vacations also and I was a little worried about joining DVC because of that reason.

Well, evidently you can teach an old dog new tricks.......because since we joined DVC we have found that we had previously been doing it all wrong!!!

Now we are planning our vacations with our DVC membership and having a blast! What was once a mere thought about what might be nice for a vacation for us.....is now a fun family project to plan ahead and get the most out of our DVC points. We wear out our member guidebook and drool over the pics. It really is more fun for us this way!! So, for some people change is good. Good luck in your decision.

 

[WDWguru]

I agree with mic_KY_mouses as we were in the exact same situation. This was our exact concern when we looked at purchasing. We tend to decide on and book trips somewhat last minute since both DH and I travel a lot for our jobs. However, we discovered this wasn't because we HAD to, we just tended to.

In fact, we still probably plan a little closer to our trips than most DVCers but so far we haven't had any problems getting what we want. We just two weeks ago booked a 2 bedroom and a studio for a big group we're taking to OKW this April!

It's also fun to plan and dream and we find we really enjoy figuring out how and where to use all our points. DH and I have a few "big" trips planned through 2004, and the rest are rough ideas of "we'll take a 3-4 day in April or May" etc.

Now it's easier for us than some folks as we don't have kids and don't go at peak times. If you're wanting to go the week after Christmas every year, or you want a Grand Villa when you go, you'll have a problem if you don't book at the 11 month mark. These are things you'll learn and can always work around. But with all the properties available, if you have the flexibility to work around peak times and enough points to be flexible on room size, you'll be fine.

 

[sgtpet]

You must buy at BCV. You cannot buy at VWL. In fact I don't see many resales for there. BCV is the way to go and do it now before the prices go up. You can always go to the other locations but BCV is selling so fast that you may want the 11 month window there since it will be difficult to get through.


If I haven't pushed it enough, let me say it again, Beach Club Villas. Hands down the greatest DVC of all.

 

[Jimbo]

Beach Club Villas. Hands down the greatest DVC of all.

Umm, I'm sure it will be great and all, but don't you think that you should stay there before you rank it?

<i>edited to fix typo</i>

 

[ncligs]

Just wondering if you were a DVC Guide in disguise on this board??
I would have to agree with Jimbo's comment of "stay there before you rank it".

 

[EROS]

You should be able to do MUCH better than $70/point via resale, even including the $400-500 in closing fees. However, I wouldn't recommend DVC for those who prefer always to make last minute reservations UNLESS you can be highly flexible AND have no interest in staying at WDW during peak demand.

Good Luck,