First-time buyer looking for advice

[Sandisw]

Thank you VERY MUCH, everyone!!! Two quick questions:

• If I understand correctly, resale only gets you the original 14 DVC resorts—it doesn't include hotels like Contemporary or Port Orleans. Is that correct?
• Is it possible to get Boardwalk as your home resort if you buy direct?

The only way to stay at WDW resorts that are not DVC (like the CR or Port Orleans) is to buy direct points and exchange them into those hotels...although it costs a lot of points to do that. As mentioned, BLT, located at the CR, is DVC and can be booked using resale points.

DVD will sell you BWV points if you want to buy them direct, but they are quite a bit more expensive than resale points. They are even more expensive than the resorts of RIV and AUL that are in active sales.

 

[Epcot Forever Forever]

Thank you VERY MUCH, everyone!!! Two quick questions:

• If I understand correctly, resale only gets you the original 14 DVC resorts—it doesn't include hotels like Contemporary or Port Orleans. Is that correct?
• Is it possible to get Boardwalk as your home resort if you buy direct?

Others have answered your question but I want to be clear: the most expensive way possible to stay at Port Orleans is to purchase direct DVC points and then exchange them for a non-DVC Disney hotel room. It’s WAY cheaper to just get Port Orleans rooms through Disney as needed, and also paying for room nights with cash avoids DVC’s cancellation penalties. If you are buying DVC, the only use of DVC points that isn’t tantamount to setting cash on fire is to use them to stay in DVC rooms.

 

[CarolynFH]

Thank you VERY MUCH, everyone!!! Two quick questions:

• If I understand correctly, resale only gets you the original 14 DVC resorts—it doesn't include hotels like Contemporary or Port Orleans. Is that correct?
• Is it possible to get Boardwalk as your home resort if you buy direct?

Just to make clear what others have said above about booking WDW hotels with DVC points, I looked at the points charts for POFQ and CR. The least expensive room (standard room, least expensive season) at POFQ is 24 points PER NIGHT, and the least expensive at CR is 63 points PER NIGHT. You asked about Boardwalk DVC, so as a comparison the least expensive DVC studio there is 9 points per night, and the most expensive studio is 24 points per night (for the Friday and Saturday between Christmas and New Year's). So, don't think about buying DVC to stay in the hotels. As others have said, buy DVC to stay in DVC resorts.

 

[mattw0640]

WOW! I knew it made more sense to use DVC for DVC, but I didn't know how much. Thanks, everyone.

 

[Artemis Fowl]

Weeklong studio stays are usually only available at OKW, SSR and AKV at the 7 month mark, so buy where you want to stay. Also, research other resale systems like Wyndham and Marriott and see if they might be the better option for you. DVC is only if you want to go to WDW every year for at least a decade. Other systems have AWESOME amenities (like water parks) at their Orlando locations, but also have awesome other locations if you don't want to go to Orlando every year. They also are 1/10th the price when buying resale.

I own Wyndham, Marriott and DVC. I get so much more enjoyment as an adult with my Wyndham and Marriott. The DVC is for the kid. For example, I just scored a 2 bedroom ocean front room at Marriott's Frenchman's cove in St. Thomas in June for $1100 for the whole week via Interval International (retail is $800/night). I could have traded into a 1 bedroom at SSR instead of St Thomas via Interval International, but I'd rather go spend a week in St. Thomas than stay at SSR. Also, my Marriott membership only costed me $1800 vs the $8000 my 50 DVC points costed.

I saw you post about Marriott in another thread and tried to google how their system works, but couldn't really find an explanation. DVC is the only timeshare system I have ANY knowledge about. Is there a site you can share about how Marriott works?

 

[Brian Noble]

Is there a site you can share about how Marriott works?

TUG is a good place to start (www.tugbbs.com). Lots of MVC expertise there.

 

[mattw0640]

Is sales tax applied on top of the price per point at resale vendors, included, or does it vary?

When renting your DVC points, is there a minimum amount, or do vendors accept whatever few you may have left over at the end of the year?

 

[Epcot Forever Forever]

Is sales tax applied on top of the price per point at resale vendors, included, or does it vary?

When renting your DVC points, is there a minimum amount, or do vendors accept whatever few you may have left over at the end of the year?

I’m 99.99% sure timeshare sales in Florida aren’t subject to sales tax.

You need to have enough points to book a reservation. If you don’t you should just bank them. Your next reservation will automatically use the banked points first.

If you have a 200 point contract and use 196 every year, the first year you’ll bank 4 points, the next you’ll use those 4 and then 192 of your new year ones, so you’ll bank 8, the 3rd year you’ll use those 8 plus 188 3rd year points so you’ll bank 12, and so on, and eventually you’ll have enough points to rent out to someone.

 

[mattw0640]

Thanks!

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Also, having the extra wiggle room is good because of point reallocations. The recent trend is that Fall is getting more expensive, balanced out by summer.

 

[cbyrne1174]

TUG is a good place to start (www.tugbbs.com). Lots of MVC expertise there.

Lol I recognized you as bnoble on TUG.

 

[DarthDadMan]

I may have missed it, but I didn't see any mention of a Riviera resale contracts can only be used at Riviera, none of the other DVC resorts.

 

[mattw0640]

WE'RE IN!!!! We placed a bid at the end of August and the points just showed up in our account today!!!!!! YAYYYYY!!!!!!!!! (Runs around the room and throws pixie dust on everybody.)

 

[Lorana]

WE'RE IN!!!! We placed a bid at the end of August and the points just showed up in our account today!!!!!! YAYYYYY!!!!!!!!! (Runs around the room and throws pixie dust on everybody.)

Congrats!!! Isn't it just the best feeling?

...now be careful of addonitis!

 

[BamaGuy44]

WE'RE IN!!!! We placed a bid at the end of August and the points just showed up in our account today!!!!!! YAYYYYY!!!!!!!!! (Runs around the room and throws pixie dust on everybody.)

Welcome! How many points and which resort did you decide on?

 

[mattw0640]

Welcome! How many points and which resort did you decide on?

It's just 56 points, at Boardwalk. The plan is to go for long weekends every other year as we start out, and get some attacks of addonitis if the timing is right in the future . And we LOVE Boardwalk!

 

[BamaGuy44]

It's just 56 points, at Boardwalk. The plan is to go for long weekends every other year as we start out, and get some attacks of addonitis if the timing is right in the future . And we LOVE Boardwalk!

Awesome we love Boardwalk too! I can see us picking up a small Boardwalk contract at some point