Hello, my husband and I will be first time buyers for DVC. We live in SC and have three young children. My husband also serves in the military (not likely to move from SC in the foreseeable future). We are very interested in purchasing a small DVC contract to get our feet wet and learn the ins and outs of DVC. We would like to add on points at resorts in the future after we get a sense of what our family enjoys. We do currently enjoy many of the military advantages that come at WDW including SOG and discounted tickets. However, we are interested in pursuing DVC in case the military benefits run out or they outgrow our family. We would like to add another child to our family in the near future so that is another factor. We are convinced that we want to purchase resale at this time and at a resort that studios house 5 (current # in our family) but outside of that, nothing more has bene decided.
ALL THAT TO SAY, please give me any and all tips and advice that you would for a first time buyer. Again, small contract (possibly around 50 points), resale and any resort that a studio sleeps 5 is all that we have decided at this point.
Thank you!
Well, you have a lot to consider.
The resorts where 5 fit in a studio are BCV, BRV, BWV, POLY, RIV and VGF. Once you become a family of 6 and the youngest turns 3, you will need 2BR villas or, in the case of Poly, 2 connecting studios. That’s going to take a heck of a lot more points! You might want to consider owning at another resort with a lower per-point price and then booking 5-person studios or 1BR villas that are available at 7 months rather than owning at any of those “5-person studio” resorts.
You will also want to take into consideration the expiration date for some resorts. BCV, BRV, OKW (unless extended) and BWV contracts will all expire in early 2042. That gives you only 21 years to enjoy your ownership. It may seem like a lot of years but with a 50-point contract, you’re probably looking at visiting WDW every other year...so that’s about 10 or so vacations (even fewer trips if you’re doing every three years). What’s really painful is that you get a bill every year for your dues whether you vacation the next year or not.
Small contracts are hard to find. They sell quickly and go for a premium price. It might make sense to wait and set your sights on a larger contract.
@skippytx made some excellent points about getting to know how DVC operates before you buy. Familiarize yourself with terms like banking, borrowing, wait lists, use year and point reallocations. You’ll be glad that you did.
Finally - and this comes from a mom with kids in their late 20’s/early 30’s - don’t choose a resort because your “littles” will like it or because it has easy access to the MK. Kids grow up and some day they’re going to want to be able to get to HS quickly instead of being a short walk from the MK. You and your spouse may become empty-nesters who enjoy strolling the World Showcase instead of plunging down Splash Mountain. Your family of 5 could unexpectedly become a family of 7. Choose a resort that makes sense for you both now and in the future.