Fiance thinks we need to buy through Disney.. I say resale.. WDYT?

[Vernie822]

My fiance and I are considering a FUTURE DVC purchase.. We have a wedding coming up in September 2016 but are considering purchasing it either the year before, so we can use points for our honeymoon, or following the wedding (we just wouldn't honeymoon using DVC). Regardless, we know it's something we want to do.

I suggested first purchasing a resale contract. It will be cheaper, and since we aren't really interested in AKL or VGF, we can buy elsewhere.

He seems to think we need to do it through Disney. We went to the DVC presentation on our recent vacation and were sold, however we had just got engaged and knew it wasn't smart to spend that kind of money right now. He thinks it will be great to have the option of using DVC points at hotels all over the world. We usually bargain hunt and just use Priceline or something to get a good deal, when we go places like Baltimore, Niagara Falls, etc.

I suggested buying a resale contract for about 100 points, then 5 years down the road when we have kids and may want to visit more frequently, we can purchase another contract through Disney.

What do you suggest?

 

[ontheuptick]

Resale, without a doubt. If you aren't buying Poly or VGF, I see no reason to buy direct from Disney. When you travel elsewhere, find deals elsewhere. Trading your DVC points will NOT be a good deal.

 

[lawboy2001]

He seems to think we need to do it through Disney. We went to the DVC presentation on our recent vacation and were sold, however we had just got engaged and knew it wasn't smart to spend that kind of money right now. He thinks it will be great to have the option of using DVC points at hotels all over the world. We usually bargain hunt and just use Priceline or something to get a good deal, when we go places like Baltimore, Niagara Falls, etc.


What do you suggest?

I like your idea. Buy some DVC resale, and then add on to it direct later, if you feel you want the benefits of the direct points. I bought resale, and added on direct later. And I used my direct points to book a DLR hotel stay, but really...paying the direct premium just for the ability to book Disney or Concierge collection stays isn't worth it. Use the money you save by buying resale to pay cash for these other stays. Personally, I bought direct so that I could add on the precise # of points I wanted, when I wanted them, and not to book outside of the DVC resorts.

 

[MountainMouse]

It's definitely resale, don't wast your points trading out to places like Niagra and Baltimore. Nothing wrong with those places, but you can get hotels cheap compared to Disney and may even be lucky to break even on member fees. Even if you trade out to more expensive locations it's not as good a use of your points as using them at a DVC location. I understand if you might not want to do Disney yearly and may want to go to other locations, my recommendation would be to buy enough Disney points to cover your Disney trips. Use banking and borrowing to your advantage. If you want to go every two years then you need half the points, every three years you need a third. It doesn't have to be exact, there's flexibility in the banking and borrowing. Continue to surf the web for deals on vacations to the other locations you want to visit. And whatever you do, don't listen to the siren's song of a timeshare salesman. Understand that their job is to sell timeshares, not to look out for your financial or personal well being.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Not that I'd recommend buying DVC with the intent to trade it for hotel rooms all over the world I want to point out that resale points can still be used to trade thru the World collection which includes RCI as well as Club Intrawest and Club Cordial.

 

[disneynutz]

I suggest that you have him read the DIS and learn about the product before you buy.

Bill

 

[paults]

resale and get more pts

 

[DisneyDiana]

I bought resale and used my points once for RCI. It was a terrible use of points but I had extra and used it for family coming to visit that I didn't have room for. I don't reccommend it but you can even with resale.

 

[supersnoop]

Let's sum up this fiancé of yours:
Good decision: marrying a smart, reasonable woman capable of making good financial and long term decisions
Bad decisions: wanting to buy dvc direct

Tell him he needs to trust and build on his good decisions.

(Caveat: if you want to buy VGF or Poly, then he's made two good decisions; direct is a reasonable way to go)

 

[dsnydaddy]

Yeah, I looked into the point amounts for trading out of DVC. I just isn't worth it. Better to rent out points that you can't use and pay cash for those trips outside of Disney

 

[Dean]

My fiance and I are considering a FUTURE DVC purchase.. We have a wedding coming up in September 2016 but are considering purchasing it either the year before, so we can use points for our honeymoon, or following the wedding (we just wouldn't honeymoon using DVC). Regardless, we know it's something we want to do.

I suggested first purchasing a resale contract. It will be cheaper, and since we aren't really interested in AKL or VGF, we can buy elsewhere.

He seems to think we need to do it through Disney. We went to the DVC presentation on our recent vacation and were sold, however we had just got engaged and knew it wasn't smart to spend that kind of money right now. He thinks it will be great to have the option of using DVC points at hotels all over the world. We usually bargain hunt and just use Priceline or something to get a good deal, when we go places like Baltimore, Niagara Falls, etc.

I suggested buying a resale contract for about 100 points, then 5 years down the road when we have kids and may want to visit more frequently, we can purchase another contract through Disney.

What do you suggest?

Since you're looking at resorts that are much cheaper resale, there are NO situations where one can justify buying a full sized contract retail. NONE of the things lost are of really value. About the closest is simply cash access to member cruises and if that is a major goal, just buy resale and do a 25 points retail purchase. I also wouldn't buy together unmarried. If you decide to buy now, I'd suggest just one of you buy in, creating a partnership can get complicated.

 

[summabreeze85]

I bought BLT direct in 2009 because I didn't know about resale. We had just gotten engaged too and didn't know any better. We traded out of DVC and used our points elsewhere exactly 0 times. Also funny is out of probably 30 DVC trips we've only stayed at BLT twice. I work for southwest and travel around the world. I do what you said and priceline/hotwire EVERYTHING. Recently bought Wyndham at a great price which has better exchange value through RCI than Disney. We have since added on resale with a few contracts at different resorts and we actually just sold half our original DVC contract. GO RESALE!! (I am also trying to convince myself I don't need to add on at the poly lol)

 

[rmcildw2m]

I like your plan . Points spent outside Disney really don't go as far .

 

[Vernie822]

Everyone, thank you SO much for your comments! I definitely agree that we need to research it more and see where we stand financially on a resale. He wants to buy into it so that he can trade points for other worldwide hotels. I don't see the need, like I said, because I'm perfectly fine with a Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, whatever when we do long weekends in close cities. We'll definitely continue to talk about it and lurk on the boards.

However, we're staying at the Poly in 2015 and my gosh I'm so scared he will love it and will want to buy there hahaha. He loves the look of BLT and the proximity to MK, so we'll see. Thanks again everyone!

 

[disneynutz]

Everyone, thank you SO much for your comments! I definitely agree that we need to research it more and see where we stand financially on a resale. He wants to buy into it so that he can trade points for other worldwide hotels. I don't see the need, like I said, because I'm perfectly fine with a Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, whatever when we do long weekends in close cities. We'll definitely continue to talk about it and lurk on the boards.

However, we're staying at the Poly in 2015 and my gosh I'm so scared he will love it and will want to buy there hahaha. He loves the look of BLT and the proximity to MK, so we'll see. Thanks again everyone!

Looking at a resort and staying there are two different things.

Staying at a Disney cash resort and staying in the DVC rooms are two different things.

Using your points for booking anywhere other than a DVC room is like putting high octane gas in a car that doesn't require it. Most people don't do it, there isn't any benefit to the car but some people buy the more expensive gas anyway.

Bill

 

[MountainMouse]

I haven't done this math, so anyone that has please chime in. I'm betting that you could rent your DVC points and then use the cash for a reservation at any of the hotels in the disney collection or a cruise. This just shows how unnecessary purchasing direct just to get that benefit is.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I haven't done this math, so anyone that has please chime in. I'm betting that you could rent your DVC points and then use the cash for a reservation at any of the hotels in the disney collection or a cruise. This just shows how unnecessary purchasing direct just to get that benefit is.

I don't even take it as wanting to use the points for the Disney collection, just to trade to RCI which can be done with the resale points. Not that I'd recommend that for value nor convenience however.

 

[Dean]

Everyone, thank you SO much for your comments! I definitely agree that we need to research it more and see where we stand financially on a resale. He wants to buy into it so that he can trade points for other worldwide hotels. I don't see the need, like I said, because I'm perfectly fine with a Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, whatever when we do long weekends in close cities. We'll definitely continue to talk about it and lurk on the boards.

However, we're staying at the Poly in 2015 and my gosh I'm so scared he will love it and will want to buy there hahaha. He loves the look of BLT and the proximity to MK, so we'll see. Thanks again everyone!

Personally I think buying to trade routinely for any option is a poor choice and major mistake. Too few guarantees and too many variables. It's not to say that looking at the top exchange just in case isn't an option, it's simply not something one can or should count on. IF trading is a major issue, better to look at non DVC timeshares which are much cheaper and actually trade better.

I haven't done this math, so anyone that has please chime in. I'm betting that you could rent your DVC points and then use the cash for a reservation at any of the hotels in the disney collection or a cruise. This just shows how unnecessary purchasing direct just to get that benefit is.

In some cases likely but when you're buying in and know the info, I don't think it's worth complicating one's life to buy in planning to rent part. However, there are a few exceptions which include buying when you need less now but know you'll need more points later and when one is trying to avoid the small to ultra small contract but doesn't need all the points.

 

[JimMIA]

He wants to buy into it so that he can trade points for other worldwide hotels. I don't see the need, like I said, because I'm perfectly fine with a Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, whatever when we do long weekends in close cities.

Well, even if you accept his premise of using a timeshare for exchanges, that has nothing to do with buying direct or resale. You can use DVC points through RCI either way.

However, as Dean said above, if exchanging is an important factor in his decision there are many other timeshares which would work better.

For example, I own Wyndham -- which you can buy literally for nothing on eBay. I bought the rough equivalent of 600-700 DVC points for less than $2,000 total, including all closing and transfer fees.

Without exchanging, I have direct access to 88 Wyndham timeshare resorts in 52 cities in 24 states and the US Virgin Islands. That includes 5 resorts in the WDW area and 11 in Hawaii.

If I can't find what I need in Wyndham, a full individual membership in RCI is included in my annual MFs. So I can exchange to ANY RCI resort (3,200+ resorts), and I also have access to RCI's excellent "Extra Vacations" and "Last Call" cash rentals. To give you an idea, this summer we got a Last Call for a one bedroom at a nice resort on I-Drive in Orlando for a full week for $328 including all taxes and resort fees.

We also exchanged into a 2 BR OKW villa Dec 14-21, 2013 using Wyndham points via RCI.

As Dean said, I can't imagine any legitimate reason for purchasing DVC direct in your situation.

 

[MountainMouse]

For example, I own Wyndham -- which you can buy literally for nothing on eBay. I bought the rough equivalent of 600-700 DVC points for less than $2,000 total, including all closing and transfer fees.

Just out of curiosity, how much are member fees on those Wyndam points? If you've got the equivalent of 600 DVC points, that would be ballpark $3300/year if it were DVC.