First Time Buyer @ 25 y/o

[bakerworld]

IMO, it is really getting to the point of SSR being the only place to find at popular times 7 mons out. On Wednesday I was booking 2 days in November. When I initially searched I had a choice of Poly, Bay Lake and Saratoga - at the 8a I had a choice of Saratoga.

 

[IsamarV14]

Thanks for this! It’s been hard to predict availability since I’m not currently a member but I have looked at other posts and threads of availability. We might look into another resort, possibly AKL for the 11 month advantage and if we need a 7 month option, seems like SSR is usually available.

 

[rkstocke5609]

You know, when I bought, I bought at VWL because I knew that I could get into SSR or AKV at the 7 month mark because they were so huge. Just something to consider....(and, I applied rule #1, always buy where you wouldn’t mind staying if you had no choice)

And, I certainly would be waiting to see what kind of deals the current pandemic could generate for resales....

 

[IsamarV14]

You know, when I bought, I bought at VWL because I knew that I could get into SSR or AKV at the 7 month mark because they were so huge. Just something to consider....(and, I applied rule #1, always buy where you wouldn’t mind staying if you had no choice)

And, I certainly would be waiting to see what kind of deals the current pandemic could generate for resales....

I do agree with waiting to see how the economy plays out. I have thought of renting points first for our next trip, then proceeding to purchase later on this year. But thank you! and also I think I am going to take the advice at purchasing a more popular resort that may be hard to get into at the 7 month mark.

 

[viper17d]

My wife and I bought in when we were 26, and have gone 11 times in 5 years.

You’re not too young if you: a) can afford the upfront cost without financing and b) know that you can afford ~$1,500+ per year for maintenance fees, park tickets, food and travel to make your trips a reality.

Key advice: buy where you want to stay. As people have stated, SSR is broadly viewed as the best “deal”, but it is getting harder and harder to book elsewhere at 7 months - that intensifies if you’re looking for studios elsewhere and is impossible if you’re looking for studios elsewhere during peak times.

Having gone to Disney, I assume you have a favorite resort or park? If you love Magic Kingdom, you could be kicking yourself if you don’t own at BLT/VGF/PVB/CCV/BRV - not having to take a bus to your favorite park is huge. What kind of theming are you into? If you love theming, speaking to the MK resorts, Wilderness Lodge and Poly have a noted advantage over BLT and VGF.

How long do you want a contract? Boulder Ridge may be a good deal on resale, but 2042 isn’t that far away. Honestly, that may not matter to you if the resort/value proposition points you there (a lot of people will sell their contracts well before the stated expiry).

Just scratching the surface here, but keep up your research. Don’t assume DVC will save you money - the vast majority of us have caught add-on-itis over the years, buying more points, staying longer in nicer accommodations, taking more trips and ultimately spending way more at Disney than we ever anticipated when we first bought in. In these five years we’ve owned (resale first), we’ve added on direct twice!

Best of luck!

 

[IsamarV14]

My wife and I bought in when we were 26, and have gone 11 times in 5 years.

You’re not too young if you: a) can afford the upfront cost without financing and b) know that you can afford ~$1,500+ per year for maintenance fees, park tickets, food and travel to make your trips a reality.

Key advice: buy where you want to stay. As people have stated, SSR is broadly viewed as the best “deal”, but it is getting harder and harder to book elsewhere at 7 months - that intensifies if you’re looking for studios elsewhere and is impossible if you’re looking for studios elsewhere during peak times.

Having gone to Disney, I assume you have a favorite resort or park? If you love Magic Kingdom, you could be kicking yourself if you don’t own at BLT/VGF/PVB/CCV/BRV - not having to take a bus to your favorite park is huge. What kind of theming are you into? If you love theming, speaking to the MK resorts, Wilderness Lodge and Poly have a noted advantage over BLT and VGF.

How long do you want a contract? Boulder Ridge may be a good deal on resale, but 2042 isn’t that far away. Honestly, that may not matter to you if the resort/value proposition points you there (a lot of people will sell their contracts well before the stated expiry).

Just scratching the surface here, but keep up your research. Don’t assume DVC will save you money - the vast majority of us have caught add-on-itis over the years, buying more points, staying longer in nicer accommodations, taking more trips and ultimately spending way more at Disney than we ever anticipated when we first bought in. In these five years we’ve owned (resale first), we’ve added on direct twice!

Best of luck!

Thank you for your advice! I feel like we would catch on add-on-itis considering how much we love WDW.

 

[Tornat]

something to keep in mind to no one knows the economic impact for owners to next year dues might skyrocket or nights might cost more points . that 2 billion or some points people lost sense the closer of the parks is going to impact every DVC owner not just the ones that lost there points. If I was in you're shoes I would just take advantage of the super cheap deals Disney packages and look into dvc next year after things settle down. I really don't think the resale market will really go down this year. Maybe next year if there is a spike in cost to owners .

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I think the availability threads are officially a bad idea to use as a guide right now. We are going to have several years of volatility in booking, and that may lead to permanent shifts. At the very least they are not going to be especially predictive for the next 3-5 years, which will also see shifts in owner patterns and resale access.

 

[SL6827]

Buying where you want to stay is going to be even more prudent now and in the future than ever before. If you love the BCVs, I would try to get a resale there this year as the pricing is going to get cheaper. I have seen several contracts with Fidelity for points at $130 in the past few weeks. This is the one DVC location that will always be popular due to the location and that pool.

 

[E2ME2]

We are looking into SSR however, we have hopes in future stays at AKL, BCV, etc. I think we are fine in taking the 7 months gamble, being that we can book almost any time of year from the way our lives work out. We are looking into how the resale market fluctuates based on the current economic situation.

I'm with zavandor, but I am also biased in favor of SSR. My primary objective with DVC was to stay "anywhere" on property, as we travel mainly in winter to get away from cold winters at home.
SSR has been great for us. We have successfully gotten other resorts at 7 months, but they're not always available. The refurbished rooms at SSR look awesome, and we will get to see those on our next trip.
I wish you many years of DVC happiness. I was much older than 25 when we became owners so my only regret is not buying sooner, and not buying more points!
This current crisis will eventually pass, but there may be some bargains ahead, so this might be a good time to buy in. I recommend buying in resale first, and then adding Direct to get the perks.
Based on your travel habits, you could probably benefit from the GOLD AP discounts; we sure do! We actually stagger dates every year so that 1 GOLD AP covers two calendar years worth of trips, and every 3rd year is a non-park visit.
So divide the GOLD AP cost by 3, and that's our annualized ticket cost.
ET

 

[SL6827]

Why not just buy a smaller resale this year if you find a good deal and go from there. Test those waters first with say a 50-65 pointer. I have seen a couple of BCVs small contracts at the 130.00 mark this year.

 

[zakdavid]

Disclaimer: This is my first time on the boards, however I've been watching DIS unplugged and other Disney YT channels for about 3 years now. I am also a person that has been to Disney almost every year since I was about 11/12, I was a cheerleader who would compete at Disney almost every year. I am going to be 25 years old soon and I'm very interested in buying DVC. I recently took the tour last September and then returned Jan 2020 for a quick trip as my parents live in FL, so I'm very interested in purchasing in about 6-8 months (I want as much DVC info, as possible)

My main question would be: What would be probably the best value to buy into? If I can purchase a good contract, I would hope to go more than once a year, at least twice. If it better to have a dollar amount budget or a points budget?

Thank you for any responses and your inputs!

I don't think there is such thing as too young if you can afford it. I bought at 22 as I was in a position of not having student debt and could afford it with my salary. I financed but paid it off in the first 12 months. I was already visiting Disney World 5-6 times a year and for me it was a money saver to go via DVC. I went with a Poly resale and a small direct contract for the blue card. I mainly picked Poly because the length remaining was important to me.

 

[Yinn]

Disclaimer: This is my first time on the boards, however I've been watching DIS unplugged and other Disney YT channels for about 3 years now. I am also a person that has been to Disney almost every year since I was about 11/12, I was a cheerleader who would compete at Disney almost every year. I am going to be 25 years old soon and I'm very interested in buying DVC. I recently took the tour last September and then returned Jan 2020 for a quick trip as my parents live in FL, so I'm very interested in purchasing in about 6-8 months (I want as much DVC info, as possible)

My main question would be: What would be probably the best value to buy into? If I can purchase a good contract, I would hope to go more than once a year, at least twice. If it better to have a dollar amount budget or a points budget?

Thank you for any responses and your inputs!

Treat this like your 401k. Time is your friend!

Go for the longest contract there is as you’ll be able to get full use out of it. A 2042 contract leaves you at 47 years old and out of contract. Potentially prime Disney visiting years.

Comparatively, a longer contract (CCV, VGF, PVB, RIV) would leave you in your 70s. You would’ve been able to enjoy it yourself, with your kids, and your grandkids. Money well spent.

 

[IsamarV14]

Treat this like your 401k. Time is your friend!

Go for the longest contract there is as you’ll be able to get full use out of it. A 2042 contract leaves you at 47 years old and out of contract. Potentially prime Disney visiting years.

Comparatively, a longer contract (CCV, VGF, PVB, RIV) would leave you in your 70s. You would’ve been able to enjoy it yourself, with your kids, and your grandkids. Money well spent.

This is a great way to look at this! Thanks for the perspective.

 

[E2ME2]

This is a great way to look at this! Thanks for the perspective.

Add to that - it becomes more valuable the more you use it!
If you don't use it, it becomes just another fixed cost obligation.
You can't put a dollar figure on the joy we've had by using our points for vacations with our grown kids, their spouses, and our grandchildren!!
We would never have booked a 3BR-GV at SSR, without having points in DVC.
ET

 

[zakdavid]

I second the above. There are so many things I have done that I wouldn't paying cash. Getting a 2 bedroom for a friends trip to run wine and dine being one of them. Spending 8k in cash for a big villa/suite no thank you. Using points why not, I get more points the next year and it's a memory we'll always have!

 

[taaren]

I bought when I was 28 and DH was 26 (DS was 2). Bear in mind, your life will change a lot more than you think it will over the next few decades. That being said we've now owned for dozen years, and at 2-3 trips annually, that is about 30 trips we've stayed on-site that we would not have had without DVC, and we agree that it is still the best value for our money that we ever spent.

Buy slightly less points than you think you'll need; I have found it is even easier to transfer points in than I thought it would be originally, and as the current situation shows apparently borrowing is better than banking for getting the most out of your points. Also, you have the luxury of being able to add on later. You likely will want to, but you may take a few years of using your points before you figure out the best way to maximize value for you and your personal situation. This may mean you want more points at a different resort, or a different UY, etc.

For example, when we bought we'd planned on doing weekday trips in big rooms with lots of friends invited. We did those our first several years. In different parts of our careers and the kids (and friends kids) academic careers, we end up having to use the points in mostly short weekend trips in studios instead for a number of reasons (easier to afford more flights, harder to take time off, we still hate summer, etc). Those reasons will change over your lifetime.

For us, the resort choice was easy, and whenever I get around to adding on in Florida, there's not a doubt of where I'll buy even though the resort I want is objectively a terrible value, it is the only one that would have enough value to be worth buying at. It took a few trips at a handful of resorts to be sure, so try staying at each of the resorts you're thinking about purchasing, and do a split stay perhaps, or grab just one night or two at those resorts. Sometimes trading off a great room for proximity or vice versa isn't a preference you know you have until you stay there. Or you might not know how strong your preference is for one feature over another, but a few stays will help with that.

 

[Becky19]

I'm 26 and have just had an offer accepted on a contract at SSR. Only 60 points, but this is what we can afford right now without financing and we plan on buying more in the near future.

I'd have loved to buy at Beach Club but the contract length did put us off, I just wouldn't consider buying any of the 2042 contracts. We went with SSR because it's the best value and we like the resort so don't mind staying there if we're unable to get anything else at the 7 month mark.

 

[E2ME2]

I'm 26 and have just had an offer accepted on a contract at SSR. Only 60 points, but this is what we can afford right now without financing and we plan on buying more in the near future.

I'd have loved to buy at Beach Club but the contract length did put us off, I just wouldn't consider buying any of the 2042 contracts. We went with SSR because it's the best value and we like the resort so don't mind staying there if we're unable to get anything else at the 7 month mark.

I don't think you'll be disappointed - are these your only 60 points ??

 

[Becky19]

I don't think you'll be disappointed - are these your only 60 points ??

Yes this will be our first contract. Using this to test the waters and then hopefully add on a larger contract next year