First DVC purchase: is it better to do one big block of points or to separate?

[princessaloha]

Aloha We are seriously considering making our first DVC purchase and are in the researching and planning stages. We are 90% sure we want to go resale. Have been reading the Dis Boards for a week and have a couple of questions I was unable to find a direct answer to and hope someone can either help me with the answer or direct me to the right thread. TIA!

Background: we are a family of 5, mom, dad, adult child and two little ones. We have made the decision to travel to WDW every two years while the little ones are young (under 18...that's still young to me) and hopefully longer than that. This year in our WDW planning, through travel sites, the cost of a 2 bdrm villa for 7-10 days Value Seasons runs us anywhere from $4,500-5,600 (approx). Airfare is around $4,000. Other seasons are even more. With tickets, foods, souvenirs, contingency expenditures, it will probably cost approx $10-11K.

Through my (albeit limited) research so far, I was thinking that we could shelve the WDW vacation this year, do a staycation here in the islands, and take that $10-11K (added to some other funds) and purchase about 275-300 points in DVC. Looking at the recent point charts and contracts that have passed RORF, it would hypothetically cost us between $13,000-18,000 ++ for that many points affording us the opportunity for 1 week stays in 2 bdrm villas at either our top three choices, BLT, OKW, or AKV. Making our 4th trip our break even trip (room only)! If we got a great deal with banked points and were able to take a two week stay then that would make our break even EVEN sooner!

So here are my questions:
1. Should we get ONE single contract with the total amount of points? or should we split it up into TWO smaller contracts with same UY (to make (hopefully never the case) future renting and re-resaling easier)?

2. Is it better to buy less points (say 275) and rent additional points when and if needed or better to buy more points (300) and rent out unsused points if there is an excess? Asking this one because in most cases we only need about 275 or less points for one week for most views with the exception of park views.

Sorry this was so long. Hope I made sense. Again Thanks In Advance for any assistance.

 

[hakepb]

Contracts can never be split so smaller contracts do give you more options

If costs were equal, I would definitely go with smaller contracts. There may be a better deal on a larger contract that might persuade me though.

It may be smart to start smaller then add on if those 25 points are really needed

 

[hakepb]

FYI value seasons to Disney like fall F&W and all of December are actually some of the most popular times to DVC members. Good weather and cheap points appeal to a lot of people.

 

[chalee94]

1. Should we get ONE single contract with the total amount of points? or should we split it up into TWO smaller contracts with same UY (to make (hopefully never the case) future renting and re-resaling easier)?

1 contract would be cheaper upfront - lower cost per pt and only one set of closing costs.

2 contracts gives you more options down the road. if you decide to visit wdw less often, you could sell one and keep one. if you wanted to will the contracts to 2 of your children, that would be an option.

2. Is it better to buy less points (say 275) and rent additional points when and if needed or better to buy more points (300) and rent out unsused points if there is an excess? Asking this one because in most cases we only need about 275 or less points for one week for most views with the exception of park views.

better to buy fewer pts and add-on if needed. for the first few years, you should be able to get away with borrowing from your next UY...

 

[princessaloha]

Contracts can never be split so smaller contracts do give you more options

If costs were equal, I would definitely go with smaller contracts. There may be a better deal on a larger contract that might persuade me though.

It may be smart to start smaller then add on if those 25 points are really needed

Mahalo (thank you) hakepb!

I think the only real difference in costs will be additional closing costs on more than one contract. I read somewhere that closing costs run between $250-575. Does this sound right?

I guess the next question for us would be whether to get all the points at one place to guarantee that week or split it at two places so we can have the 11 month booking option at two places and hope to add on the rest of the week at the 7 month point.

I'm leaning towards the "start out smaller then add on" option at the moment. Thanks!

ETA: spelling error

 

[princessaloha]

FYI value seasons to Disney like fall F&W and all of December are actually some of the most popular times to DVC members. Good weather and cheap points appeal to a lot of people.

Is there a chart that shows the different seasons through DVC point of view?

 

[princessaloha]

1 contract would be cheaper upfront - lower cost per pt and only one set of closing costs.

2 contracts gives you more options down the road. if you decide to visit wdw less often, you could sell one and keep one. if you wanted to will the contracts to 2 of your children, that would be an option.



better to buy fewer pts and add-on if needed. for the first few years, you should be able to get away with borrowing from your next UY...

Mahalo chalee94! These are great points.

 

[gatorgirl02]

Is there a chart that shows the different seasons through DVC point of view?

This should help you...

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/points-charts/dvc-resorts

 

[chalee94]

Is there a chart that shows the different seasons through DVC point of view?

if you are curious about demand and what villas at which resort are hardest to book this is a useful guide:

http://www.dvcrequest.com/how_soon_should_i_reserve.htm

(the time of year you are visiting can also impact demand for certain types of villas - for one example, BWV can be tougher to book during the food and wine festival at epcot.)

 

[disneynutz]

We took 2 years to buy, I had my spread sheets, studies, photos, read anything I could find and spent a vacation looking at DVC resorts. We met with a Guide and ended up buying BCV resale.

I thought that I was a informed DVC owner, but after our first stay at BCV, we realized that staying in the resort is different than looking at the resort.

We now own 26 contracts at 5 resorts and book around 10 reservations per year.

Here are my suggestions:

Buy a smaller contract at your favorite resort and take split stay vacations to determine which resort really is your favorite.

Buy the correct UY.

Buy one UY and title the contracts and deeds the same.

Buy smaller contracts.

Bill

 

[Dean]

I think the only real difference in costs will be additional closing costs on more than one contract. I read somewhere that closing costs run between $250-575. Does this sound right?

Assuming the same home resort, not it does not. Smaller contracts will be more per point normally so the real difference between say two 150's and one 300 is more in the $2-3K range. That may be worth it to get one or more high demand home resorts but it's a cost to consider. The distance and cost to travel can be quite a bit so you really should buy the minimum that will work for your EOY trip options. I suspect the number of points you're looking at is more than you need. You'd be better off buying less and seeing how things go with banking/borrowing. It sounds like you could easily make do with 150-170 points per year to fill your stated needs. You could always add on later

 

[princessaloha]

Sorry I don’t know how to multi-quote.

Gatorgirl02, chalee94: Mahalo for the links!

Dean: I’m working out the information you suggested in my brain and not sure if I have it right. If we went with only 150pts to start off with, that would mean we definitely couldn’t stay in a 2bdrm villa each year (?) but could stay every other year if we banked and borrowed (?) But if we wanted to stay longer (airline fees make 2 week mainland trips a better value) we would need to rent more points. Would that be cost efficient to rent out an additional week’s worth of points vs paying MF? That’s probably a confusing thought…sorry in advance.

DisneyNutz: We will definitely take all your points into consideration prior to making any final decisions. I have a couple of questions for you, if that’s ok. 1. When you say “split stays” do you mean splitting our stay at several resorts or splitting our vacation into two separate vacations? The latter will be hard for us 2. When you say, “staying in the resort is different than looking at the resort”, do you mean that for choosing which resort to make as our home resort or do you mean the entire DVC experience? If the later, can you please share your experience?

Thank you everyone!

On another tangent: is it normal to have to log in every time you post a question or reply? I've been asked to log in every time although I haven't logged out.

 

[disneynutz]

DisneyNutz: We will definitely take all your points into consideration prior to making any final decisions. I have a couple of questions for you, if that’s ok. 1. When you say “split stays” do you mean splitting our stay at several resorts or splitting our vacation into two separate vacations? The latter will be hard for us 2. When you say, “staying in the resort is different than looking at the resort”, do you mean that for choosing which resort to make as our home resort or do you mean the entire DVC experience? If the later, can you please share your experience?

Thank you everyone!

On another tangent: is it normal to have to log in every time you post a question or reply? I've been asked to log in every time although I haven't logged out.

More than one resort during your vacation.

IMO picking the home resort that you love is important and can't hurt no matter what anyone says. You are buying into a program that locks you into Disney vacations for many years to come. Your cash outlay for these vacations can easily be in excess of $100,000 but many folks act like buying a DVC interest is no big deal and they put less thought into the process than when they bought their car. Of course that's their business but it does drive me crazy.

The way that our family feels is that Disney is selling contracts at resorts outside of WDW and those owners may stay more at WDW resorts than at their home resorts. WDW has much more to offer and things to do so the competition from owners at 7 months to book a room has to increase as additional owners are added.

We thought the BCV was our favorite resort we love the theming of the BC and the location, but after staying in the villas we noticed that the rooms are pushed back behind the BC and there really isn't much of a view from the room. That's important to us because as time goes on we spend more time at the resort and less time in the parks.

Bill

 

[Dean]

Dean: I’m working out the information you suggested in my brain and not sure if I have it right. If we went with only 150pts to start off with, that would mean we definitely couldn’t stay in a 2bdrm villa each year (?) but could stay every other year if we banked and borrowed (?) But if we wanted to stay longer (airline fees make 2 week mainland trips a better value) we would need to rent more points. Would that be cost efficient to rent out an additional week’s worth of points vs paying MF? That’s probably a confusing thought…sorry in advance.

It really depends on the home resort and time of year. Using OKW as an example and assuming summer time (Magic Season), 150 points annually would get you a 2 BR EOY for a week, you'd need another 50-70 yearly for 10 days. For BLT obviously you'd need more, maybe 200 yearly for a week EOY. However, it's unlikely you'll need a 2 BR every time, it's unlikely you'll go as much as you think you will over a long period, esp if you will be in HI the entire time and most resorts are less points than BLT. There are numerous ways to supplement points if you are short. Just trying to get you to think about what you're doing and help you make the best decision for your family. In your situation it's best to have too few than too many points IMO.

 

[princessaloha]

More than one resort during your vacation. Ok, that would work

IMO picking the home resort that you love is important and can't hurt no matter what anyone says. You are buying into a program that locks you into Disney vacations for many years to come. Your cash outlay for these vacations can easily be in excess of $100,000 but many folks act like buying a DVC interest is no big deal and they put less thought into the process than when they bought their car. Of course that's their business but it does drive me crazy. ITA, home resort is important to us. PS, I would NEVER want to purposefully drive you crazy so will take more time to consider DVC than I did my car

The way that our family feels is that Disney is selling contracts at resorts outside of WDW and those owners may stay more at WDW resorts than at their home resorts. WDW has much more to offer and things to do so the competition from owners at 7 months to book a room has to increase as additional owners are added. Wow, never thought about that. Great point to consider.

We thought the BCV was our favorite resort we love the theming of the BC and the location, but after staying in the villas we noticed that the rooms are pushed back behind the BC and there really isn't much of a view from the room. That's important to us because as time goes on we spend more time at the resort and less time in the parks.

Bill

Thank you!

 

[taaren]

I'd go ahead and get the amount of points you think you'll need as long as the maintenance fees won't be a burden to you financially. If you find you have too many you'll probably be able to stay-cation at Aulani before any points expire. Which is my favorite place to island-hop to now ...

I get the airline and time making 2 weeks in a 2 bedroom sound like the best option. That's what we're doing this winter, precisely for that reason! However, we don't plan on making it back to WDW every year or even every other year as those flights are just too long for us to do regularly, hence why we bought on the West Coast at VGC since we can usually score flights in the $400 RT/pp range, and fly for only 4 1/2 hours instead of 10+.

It sounds like your browser is logging you out of the DIS for some reason before you reply. There's probably a check box somewhere you can click to have it remember you as logged in.

 

[princessaloha]

It really depends on the home resort and time of year. Using OKW as an example and assuming summer time (Magic Season), 150 points annually would get you a 2 BR EOY for a week, you'd need another 50-70 yearly for 10 days. For BLT obviously you'd need more, maybe 200 yearly for a week EOY. However, it's unlikely you'll need a 2 BR every time, it's unlikely you'll go as much as you think you will over a long period, esp if you will be in HI the entire time and most resorts are less points than BLT. There are numerous ways to supplement points if you are short. Just trying to get you to think about what you're doing and help you make the best decision for your family. In your situation it's best to have too few than too many points IMO.

Gotcha. I think I need to re review the points per week on several of the resorts and re-think this part. Thank you for taking the time to help me think things through.

 

[princessaloha]

I'd go ahead and get the amount of points you think you'll need as long as the maintenance fees won't be a burden to you financially. If you find you have too many you'll probably be able to stay-cation at Aulani before any points expire. Which is my favorite place to island-hop to now ...

I get the airline and time making 2 weeks in a 2 bedroom sound like the best option. That's what we're doing this winter, precisely for that reason! However, we don't plan on making it back to WDW every year or even every other year as those flights are just too long for us to do regularly, hence why we bought on the West Coast at VGC since we can usually score flights in the $400 RT/pp range, and fly for only 4 1/2 hours instead of 10+.

It sounds like your browser is logging you out of the DIS for some reason before you reply. There's probably a check box somewhere you can click to have it remember you as logged in.

Aloha!!! a fellow islander! We love Maui. Was just there last month.

Ok, completely off topic from my original question but have to ask since you mentioned VGC: If we have one of the WDW resorts as our home resorts, will booking at the VGC 7 months out be difficult? Say around Sept/Oct or Jan/Feb (our usual vacation time) Just in case, as you mentioned, we don't want to travel the 14 1/2 hours to WDW one year? I get the feeling 7 month booking time frame is difficult for most resorts at WDW but what about VGC?

Mahalo nui loa!

ETA: Thanks, will check my settings for the log in issue

 

[hakepb]

Mahalo (thank you) hakepb!

I think the only real difference in costs will be additional closing costs on more than one contract. I read somewhere that closing costs run between $250-575. Does this sound right?

I guess the next question for us would be whether to get all the points at one place to guarantee that week or split it at two places so we can have the 11 month booking option at two places and hope to add on the rest of the week at the 7 month point.

I'm leaning towards the "start out smaller then add on" option at the moment. Thanks!

ETA: spelling error

It looks like your question has been answered.
Your use of phrases from the islands is making this one of my favorite threads! You are asking all the right questions.
Mahalo

 

[k3chantal]

I think you also need to familiarize yourself with the 'rules' DVC has put in place with resale points. Sorry, I don't know what they are because we have never purchased resale but I remember thinking, "That would really limit me especially with what choices I have already made."
One of the best things about this vacation club is how versatile it is. We have not only been to Disney World several times, but to Disneyland, a 7 day cruise, and to Hawaii through RCI and we have only been members since 08 and only have 280 points per year.
So you may want to consider buying less resale points so that you can buy a new contract in order to be as flexible as you can be. That said, we have never regretted our decision to purchase and when the day comes again that we have some extra cash; we will want to buy another contract.