First Contract: Debating how many points

[AstroBlasters]

For new members, incentives look to be as follows:
150 points - $5/point
200 points - $10/point
250 points - $11/point
300 points - $12/point
500+ points - $13/point
https://dvcnews.com/dvc-program-men...centives-improve-as-welcome-home-weeks-begins

Really not a lot of savings to go from one point level to the next aside from 150 to 200.

Does the buy resale first and then buy direct at a discounted price trick still work?

I don’t think those incentives look like a “can’t miss opportunity”.

 

[airjay75]

Does the buy resale first and then buy direct at a discounted price trick still work?

I don’t think those incentives look like a “can’t miss opportunity”.

I imagine so, but then you need to find what you want on resale which could take time, and then you’ll be dealing with a future round of incentives where the difference between new member and add-on pricing might not be as significant. I suppose if you’re patient and interested in resale anyways, could be a good way to go. But, once you get that itch for the points and the willingness to pay direct prices, patience sort of goes out the window - at least it did for me! Haha.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I imagine so, but then you need to find what you want on resale which could take time, and then you’ll be dealing with a future round of incentives where the difference between new member and add-on pricing might not be as significant. I suppose if you’re patient and interested in resale anyways, could be a good way to go. But, once you get that itch for the points and the willingness to pay direct prices, patience sort of goes out the window - at least it did for me! Haha.

There has always been a material delta between a new member and an existing member.

You also purchased at RIV, where the incentives were much better as you purchased more points.

At these levels, I’d consider getting resale to start and then adding on 200 points direct at the discounted member rate since that’s where the only material incentive increase occurs.

That is how I purchase my direct Aulani points and I got them for around $180pp with full previous years points and WITHOUT selling anything back for magical beginning.

 

[DoubleBaconBLT]

Yeah, I sometimes wonder why International owners continue to join DVC when they do not get the same benefits. This is unfair treatment and I wish those options ( or equivalent discounts) were available to you.

I know timeshares have a whole bunch of laws and regulations wrapped around them. I also know that different countries have different rules on things. So for example, international guests at one time couldn't book lightning lanes early because of some consumer protection regulations. There may be something similar with DVC.

 

[DoubleBaconBLT]

Does the buy resale first and then buy direct at a discounted price trick still work?

I don’t think those incentives look like a “can’t miss opportunity”.

They worked for me. Bought BLT resale in July. Finalized membership with points in my account in early September. Bought direct as an existing member with the member discounts just last week.

I feel like Poly was pretty solid. Those points sell resale for $155-175, with some listings as high as $190. After MB, an amazing credit card sign up bonus, and the incentives, my net price per point was $184 (of course, I ended up declining MB because I wanted the points, but the point remains). That's well worth it to have direct benefits and with our large family, we're saving $3K+ every time we buy annual passes.

Will there be better opportunities? Maybe. But I didn't wait on them because this was so solid.

 

[Chili327]

They worked for me. Bought BLT resale in July. Finalized membership with points in my account in early September. Bought direct as an existing member with the member discounts just last week.

I feel like Poly was pretty solid. Those points sell resale for $155-175, with some listings as high as $190. After MB, an amazing credit card sign up bonus, and the incentives, my net price per point was $184 (of course, I ended up declining MB because I wanted the points, but the point remains). That's well worth it to have direct benefits and with our large family, we're saving $3K+ every time we buy annual passes.

Will there be better opportunities? Maybe. But I didn't wait on them because this was so solid.

This is the way.

 

[DoubleBaconBLT]

This is the way.

My bigger problem is keeping myself from making a third DVC purchase in as many months. Boardwalk is calling to me... The spreadsheet says to go with Copper Creek, but my heart is enraptured by the Boardwalk.

 

[matt_in_nh]

Consider 150-160 point contracts. Get two and add another if you need it and go from there. 150-160 is a very common contract number and will allow easier resale if you end up doing that.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Consider 150-160 point contracts. Get two and add another if you need it and go from there. 150-160 is a very common contract number and will allow easier resale if you end up doing that.

I would go resale first and then buy 4 x 50 point contracts if going direct. If you need to sell, then small contracts demand a Preimum and sell quickly.

Waive title insurance if purchasing direct from Disney to help offset additional closing costs.

 

[VGCgroupie]

My bigger problem is keeping myself from making a third DVC purchase in as many months. Boardwalk is calling to me... The spreadsheet says to go with Copper Creek, but my heart is enraptured by the Boardwalk.

Buy both, the heart and the spreadsheet will both be happy. (I own both)

 

[VGCgroupie]

I would go resale first and then buy 4 x 50 point contracts if going direct. If you need to sell, then small contracts demand a Preimum and sell quickly.

Waive title insurance if purchasing direct from Disney to help offset additional closing costs.

This right here is what I would do.

 

[sndral]

That is good to know. Folks steered me away from December, in part, because of it being more difficult to "walk" reservations in December. I have yet to go for a December booking, but I imagine if you have home resort priority and are willing to waitlist any days you can't get right at 11 months, you are probably just fine the vast majority of the time. As you note, the more important consideration is probably whether you want to travel in September, October, or November.

OP specified they would usually book 1 br.s, occasionally 2 br.s, thus the resort view studio hunger games on early Dec. bookings shouldn’t impact OP.
For someone who’s planning on regularly going in Dec. & wanting to book a category that fills fast, then yes, a Dec. use year makes it impossible to walk into a Dec. booking. If, OTH, DVC ever puts the brakes on spec bookings/walking the issue might disappear.

 

[CarolynFH]

My bigger problem is keeping myself from making a third DVC purchase in as many months. Boardwalk is calling to me... The spreadsheet says to go with Copper Creek, but my heart is enraptured by the Boardwalk.

So, how will the spreadsheet feel each time you walk into CCV and think about how you could be walking into BWV instead? How will your heart feel?

 

[Chili327]

My bigger problem is keeping myself from making a third DVC purchase in as many months. Boardwalk is calling to me... The spreadsheet says to go with Copper Creek, but my heart is enraptured by the Boardwalk.

The heart wants what the heart wants, do not ignore.

I would go resale first and then buy 4 x 50 point contracts if going direct. If you need to sell, then small contracts demand a Preimum and sell quickly.

Buy both, the heart and the spreadsheet will both be happy. (I own both)

This right here is what I would do.

Agreed!!

So, how will the spreadsheet feel each time you walk into CCV and think about how you could be walking into BWV instead? How will your heart feel?

This is the real question.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

Buy both, the heart and the spreadsheet will both be happy. (I own both)

I second this advice (per my signature )

 

[nanoburd]

Wow so much support for splitting contracts.

I think 2x 150 or 6x50 is what I’ll do depending on how much it would cost to break it up.

Now the counter would be to get a resort view 1-bdrm for week 5 at PVB. Its 301 pts. If I did that I can’t break it up

I feel much more confident in this amount now, especially since my first year I’ll have 600 (bank the current year) to play around with and see how much I actually end up using.

And I vote Oct UY, there is virtually zero chance I will ever want to visit in those hot summer months.

This has been so useful!

 

[PolyRob]

Wow so much support for splitting contracts.

I think 2x 150 or 6x50 is what I’ll do depending on how much it would cost to break it up.

I feel much more confident in this amount now, especially since my first year I’ll have 600 (bank the current year) to play around with and see how much I actually end up using.

And I vote Oct UY, there is virtually zero chance I will ever want to visit in those hot summer months.

This has been so useful!

Disney will limit you to a max of four separate contracts under one promotional tier when purchasing.

You cannot do six separate 50 point contracts and get the developer incentive on 300 points.

Two 150 point contracts is fine. Four 75 point contracts is also fine.

 

[airjay75]

Yes, what @PolyRob said. My guide thought we could break it up into 6 50-pt contracts but was later told 4 was the limit per purchase. I did 2 150-pt for my initial 300 pt purchase and then 2 100-pt and 2 50-pt for my second 300 pt purchase. And, it's a $250 doc fee for each contract. If you think you might ever pass the contracts down to your kids, 2 150-pt might make sense as they would likely be grandfathered for direct benefits even if the minimum ownership increases later.

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

Wow so much support for splitting contracts.

I think 2x 150 or 6x50 is what I’ll do depending on how much it would cost to break it up.

Now the counter would be to get a resort view 1-bdrm for week 5 at PVB. Its 301 pts. If I did that I can’t break it up

I feel much more confident in this amount now, especially since my first year I’ll have 600 (bank the current year) to play around with and see how much I actually end up using.

And I vote Oct UY, there is virtually zero chance I will ever want to visit in those hot summer months.

This has been so useful!

The Poly tower 1B with that extra bathroom is REALLY nice. I have stayed at PIT in a deluxe studio twice now (resort view and theme park view,) but always do the tour of the 1B and 2B (when it's available to view,) and think they've really nailed the room utilization in the tower in all categories. Those Tower Studios, or Duo Studios, or whatever they call them, are WAY better than the Riviera ones, too. If you ever wanted to host grandparents or adults tagging along who want some privacy/have different sleep times, they're great options for lower points. You definitely will need to own at Poly to book those.

I believe there's only a handful of the resort view 1B and 2B, so you're smart to get a fixed week contract for that room category so you can set it and forget it. The PIT (Poly Island Tower) itself is great, but we really missed not having a QS option and sundries shop on site. The pocket gardens (samosas? samoas?) are very nice and peaceful. We enjoyed the fireworks up there with a bottle of wine, and it was cute with the little kids watching in their jammies around us.

Pros for PIT versus GCH is that it's not a far walk to GCH and the monorail and Captain Cook's, and you're definitely more removed from the chaos of GCH. Wailulu is awesome! I hope they expand the menu to breakfast and a few more options for dinner and lunch, but what they do have is very good. I'm just greedy and want more of it! The freestyle machine by the bathrooms/pool is really nice, and I appreciated the wash sink there for rinsing out the mugs/Stanleys.

Cons are it's still Poly and BUSY all the time on the grounds and pools. Definitely culture shock for us coming from Riviera and Animal Kingdom, which are never that crazy with little kids running all over, LOL. If you want the original Poly studios that sleep five, God bless ya, but those are not for us. We like a 1B and a door, unless it's a couple's trip.

 

[nanoburd]

The Poly tower 1B with that extra bathroom is REALLY nice. I have stayed at PIT in a deluxe studio twice now (resort view and theme park view,) but always do the tour of the 1B and 2B (when it's available to view,) and think they've really nailed the room utilization in the tower in all categories. Those Tower Studios, or Duo Studios, or whatever they call them, are WAY better than the Riviera ones, too. If you ever wanted to host grandparents or adults tagging along who want some privacy/have different sleep times, they're great options for lower points. You definitely will need to own at Poly to book those.

I believe there's only a handful of the resort view 1B and 2B, so you're smart to get a fixed week contract for that room category so you can set it and forget it. The PIT (Poly Island Tower) itself is great, but we really missed not having a QS option and sundries shop on site. The pocket gardens (samosas? samoas?) are very nice and peaceful. We enjoyed the fireworks up there with a bottle of wine, and it was cute with the little kids watching in their jammies around us.

Pros for PIT versus GCH is that it's not a far walk to GCH and the monorail and Captain Cook's, and you're definitely more removed from the chaos of GCH. Wailulu is awesome! I hope they expand the menu to breakfast and a few more options for dinner and lunch, but what they do have is very good. I'm just greedy and want more of it! The freestyle machine by the bathrooms/pool is really nice, and I appreciated the wash sink there for rinsing out the mugs/Stanleys.

Cons are it's still Poly and BUSY all the time on the grounds and pools. Definitely culture shock for us coming from Riviera and Animal Kingdom, which are never that crazy with little kids running all over, LOL. If you want the original Poly studios that sleep five, God bless ya, but those are not for us. We like a 1B and a door, unless it's a couple's trip.

You definitely hold the same opinion as me, we really love the newer DVC layouts which is why the resort restrictions is a deal breaker for us to stay direct.

We stayed at a PIT studio once and loved it, and didn’t feel it was inconvenient at all, in fact it was an oasis of calm, providing respite from a hectic monorail loop and MK.

The only thing I am uncertain about the 1-bdrm is the storage for the living room sleeping area. We’re trying it in Jan so we’ll see if the closet is too far to pack away stuff.