First time poster with questions

[BH750]

Hi everyone, I've done some reading on here and learned alot (Thanks!) Now I'm ready to dig into the research to decide if DVC is right for us.

Some background...

- I didn't go to Disney as a kid and wasn't sold on going our first time as a family this year. My wife had to convince me. Boy am I glad. We stayed at a timeshare (Bonnet Creek) and LOVED our time. I think I loved it as much or more than anyone!
- So now looking into the long-term investment
- We have two young kids, 8 & 2. We wont have any more kids but we currently have an au pair licing with us.
- I'm so new to the Disney game I'm still trying to understand all of the different resorts let alone all the acronyms!
- We'd probably be happy staying at a Moderate but of course will take what we can afford.
- Not looking for a single room/studio but something with one separate bedroom
- We'd love to stay in the park where we could get there easily w/out drivig. We like to come back and forth once during the day, esp with a toddler.
- We plan to pay 100% up front and not finance
- Would prefer to buy extra rather than have to add-on later


Questions...

1. I'm having such a hard time figuring out which resort is right for us. Based on the above background, any suggestions for a moderate and deluxe to compare prices?
   
   
2. With that said, when trying to price directly on the DVC website it asks for a "home resort". And only two show up there, Polynesian Villas and Hawaii. What is this??? So confusing, esp when they say you can stay anywhere.
   
   
3. What is the actual term these days? Some articles sounded like it depended on the resort? I heard 50 years?
   
   
4. Can I buy any amount of points (over the 100 min?) On the DVC website its in 25 and 50 pt increments.
   
   
5. After reading on here I get that its not just a financial decision but also how you like to vacation. Also read that the value really only translates into Disney Resort Hotels? Again so confusing b/c it looks like there 25 (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/resorts/resort-hotel-list/). What about Hilton Head? Heard it doesnt translate to the cruise which is fine. The guy we talked to at the park mentioned thousands of places around the world. First thought was we could go to disney until the kids get old and then use it to travel the world.
   
   
6. Calendar year or term year? In other words, if I bought today do I have until Dec 31, 2016 to use my points before the roll over? Or until June 15, 2017? Makes a big difference in whether or not I buy now I'm thinking.

I'm sorry that's a ton of questions. And I'm sure I'll have more!

 

[chalee94]

if you loved Bonnet Creek, DVC will be a lot more expensive. So if you're not committed to paying a big premium for onsite stays, do some research first for offsite timeshares.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/common-owners-dvc-and-bonnet-creek-buena-vista.3518009/

also check out TUG for timeshare suggestions and information:

http://www.tugbbs.com/forums/

that can be a much cheaper way to get more space but there is a learning curve.

1. Bay Lake Tower is really the only resort where you can walk to the Magic Kingdom. When the kids are older you might prefer Epcot (Beach Club or Boardwalk villas). Any DVC resort will get you access to the bus system at WDW, and Saratoga Springs Resort is probably the best overall value.

If you want to save money by booking BLT-standard villas or Boardwalk-standard villas, you really should own at that resort AND book at 11 months out.

2. DVC will sell you what they have even if it doesn't suit you. Do your own homework - it will probably take at least several months.

(The part about "staying anywhere" isn't exactly true either...but you can book any other DVC resort "subject to availability" at 7 months out.)

3. The ownership term varies by resort. Some expire as early as Jan 31, 2042. Some go longer. Doesn't matter if you buy direct or resale.

4. If you buy direct and want to buy 107 pts or whatever, they will accommodate you. If you buy resale, you get whatever the contract says. Current owners who want to add on directly, can buy a 25 pt contract if they want...so 25 is a nice round number for DVC.

5. DVC points have the most value at DVC resorts (including Hilton Head, Hawaii/Aulani and Vero Beach). Buying direct gets you more options (like staying at the Yacht Club resort or Hotel Del Coranado in San Diego or for Disney Cruises) but they are extremely expensive trades - you are generally better off paying cash.

6. It's called "Use Year" - so an October Use Year is like a 12 month period for using your pts for stays that starts on Oct 1 instead of Jan 1 - that is part of your "homework."

start reading more here:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/understanding-use-year-updated-april-27-2016.1942668/

 

[disneynutz]

To get the most from a purchase and to save some money you need to learn about this DVC thing. Sales people can put lipstick on a pig and make it look nice, you should consider buying for DVC rooms only at the Disney resorts. Your decision should be based on facts and numbers, at Disney it's really easy to have emotions and Disney's very effective marketing cloud your judgement.

Bill

 

[chalee94]

Calendar year or term year? In other words, if I bought today do I have until Dec 31, 2016 to use my points before the roll over? Or until June 15, 2017? Makes a big difference in whether or not I buy now I'm thinking.

BTW, Use Year has nothing to do with when you buy in. For direct purchases, you can usually negotiate which UY month you prefer. For resale purchases, you get the UY month that comes with the contract.

 

[crisi]

Also be aware that buy in cost is only the first step. You'll have dues, tickets, airfare (unless you live within driving distance), food - and all of those things increase in cost every year. And some kids do grow out of Disney - our son was done by 12. Also, as they get older its harder and harder to find time to go with them - ours are in high school and there is not a time in the calendar we can go as a family - between school and sports and activities. And that will all happen around the corner with your eight year old.

In your shoes, I'd rent points for a year or two. Get a feel for the resorts and if you really want "the Disney lifestyle"

 

[suebeelin]

I bought without renting but we also bought with the intent of using the contract for at least 10 trips (our break even point).

If you are paying cash, can commit to another 7-10 trips to Disney, and prefer a Disney resort, then dvc may make sense for your situation.

We bought resales and are glad we did so. Unless you are sure you'll stay at the Polynesian most of the time, it's not worth buying directly from Disney. There are multiple properties available-- raging from great theming (AKL) to a near park resort (bwv/bcv/BLT) to best bang for your buck (SSR). Explore the options available to you via resale.

If you buy a resale contract, you can still "stay anywhere" on the dvc property network. However, you can no longer use your resale points to exchange for cruises, hotel rooms, adventures by Disney. Your resale membership also means no more discounts (including annual pass discounts) and invitation to member events. I still think resales are worth the cost savings over direct.

Good luck.

 

[Dean]

Hi everyone, I've done some reading on here and learned alot (Thanks!) Now I'm ready to dig into the research to decide if DVC is right for us.

Some background...

- I didn't go to Disney as a kid and wasn't sold on going our first time as a family this year. My wife had to convince me. Boy am I glad. We stayed at a timeshare (Bonnet Creek) and LOVED our time. I think I loved it as much or more than anyone!
- So now looking into the long-term investment
- We have two young kids, 8 & 2. We wont have any more kids but we currently have an au pair licing with us.
- I'm so new to the Disney game I'm still trying to understand all of the different resorts let alone all the acronyms!
- We'd probably be happy staying at a Moderate but of course will take what we can afford.
- Not looking for a single room/studio but something with one separate bedroom
- We'd love to stay in the park where we could get there easily w/out drivig. We like to come back and forth once during the day, esp with a toddler.
- We plan to pay 100% up front and not finance
- Would prefer to buy extra rather than have to add-on later


Questions...

1. I'm having such a hard time figuring out which resort is right for us. Based on the above background, any suggestions for a moderate and deluxe to compare prices?
   
   
2. With that said, when trying to price directly on the DVC website it asks for a "home resort". And only two show up there, Polynesian Villas and Hawaii. What is this??? So confusing, esp when they say you can stay anywhere.
   
   
3. What is the actual term these days? Some articles sounded like it depended on the resort? I heard 50 years?
   
   
4. Can I buy any amount of points (over the 100 min?) On the DVC website its in 25 and 50 pt increments.
   
   
5. After reading on here I get that its not just a financial decision but also how you like to vacation. Also read that the value really only translates into Disney Resort Hotels? Again so confusing b/c it looks like there 25 (https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/resorts/resort-hotel-list/). What about Hilton Head? Heard it doesnt translate to the cruise which is fine. The guy we talked to at the park mentioned thousands of places around the world. First thought was we could go to disney until the kids get old and then use it to travel the world.
   
   
6. Calendar year or term year? In other words, if I bought today do I have until Dec 31, 2016 to use my points before the roll over? Or until June 15, 2017? Makes a big difference in whether or not I buy now I'm thinking.

I'm sorry that's a ton of questions. And I'm sure I'll have more!

It seems you've got down a lot of the info. The first question is whether DVC is right for you and only then how many points/home resort. DVC is only good for DVC stays, if you want something for Disney and other things too, I'd suggest you consider non DVC timeshares. There are no scenarios where it's reasonable to buy DVC for cruises or non DVC stays. You also need to be able to plan at least 7 months out and be OK with the compromises of timeshare though I get the sense you are. If you decide to buy, I'd go resale and possibly add on a small 25 point package retail if and only if the perks are of value to you. I do recommend a cushion and you can look at that up front so if you decide you need X number of points, you could buy a little less resale planning to do the small add on if needed immediately. SSR will be the best value long term and will certainly meet your expectations related to looking at a moderate stay. Look at RTU as part of the value but not as a disqualifying factor, even if it's only 25 years, that's a long time.

It does seem you're early, I'd suggest you spend some time learning so you can instantly answer most of these questions yourself, until you can you're not really ready to buy anyway but this is a good way to start to gather that info. Maybe stay your next time on a private rental or through one of the rental services. If you decide to proceed, you'll likely need at least 300 points yearly for a week every year during magic season depending on your home resort thoughts. You can always buy later, don't go overboard just to avoid that possibility but a 10-20% cushion is reasonable and possibly 2 home resorts given the volume you're likely looking at.

 

[kniquy]

I am similar to you in that i never went as a kid but just went w/ my family 2 years ago. I wasn't sure about spending more to stay onsite, but my husband convinced me it is a different experience -- it totally was and i am hooked which is why we purchase our resale DVC. You can get a good idea of the different resorts and rooms by just looking a different youtube videos -- davids -which is a DVC rental company has videos of most if not all room types at all resorts.

You can contact DVC directly to get an information package which has a dvd and points chart.

If you plan on visiting at least every other year then DVC can be a good purchase - you will be able to stay in deluxe accommodations for the cost of the moderates. First you need to look at the budget for what you want to spend. Figure out the time of year you want to visit most (this will help determine your use year), If you want to visit towards the end of the year september to december then you really need to buy at the resort you want to stay at -- this is the high DVC time frame. Jan-August you pretty much can book any resort at 7 months. Look at the points charts to determine the room type and points cost. This will help you figure out the number of points you need to buy. Some say increase it by 20% so that you have a cushion of points in case you need them. You can purchase a resale contract vs direct which will save you in some cases 40-50%. Keep in mind the contract end date for each resort, that may weed out some earlier ending contracts (2042).

You can start looking at dvc resale sites -- just google dvc resale - and you will probably will find 5-6 resale sites. once you figure out roughly the resorts you are considering then the resale sites can help you figure out the cost/price per point of the different resorts. Then you want to look at the ROFR thread where it lists what people are actually paying -- because like many things you don't pay "sticker price". After your initial purchase price there are annual maintenance fees which tend to increase about 3% per year. There is probably another whole thread on the history of MF changes

These boards are a wealth of knowledge so you are starting in the right spot. You will never learn everything. Even after our purchase I am always on this board learning new things.

 

[Disneypapa]

Also be aware that buy in cost is only the first step. You'll have dues, tickets, airfare (unless you live within driving distance), food - and all of those things increase in cost every year. And some kids do grow out of Disney - our son was done by 12. Also, as they get older its harder and harder to find time to go with them - ours are in high school and there is not a time in the calendar we can go as a family - between school and sports and activities. And that will all happen around the corner with your eight year old.

In your shoes, I'd rent points for a year or two. Get a feel for the resorts and if you really want "the Disney lifestyle"

I would echo the above suggestions. You would be well served to rent a trip and while on the trip visit some of the other resorts to check them out before deciding what resort you like and if indeed you plan to visit WDW at least ten times to justify the cost. I purchased a resale contract in 2002 at OKW and we have been every other year since then plus maybe two other short adult only trips. I feel I have gotten my money's worth and have no regrets. BTW, to keep some points from expiring, I have rented points out to help recoop the annual maintenance fees. Just a few added thoughts and good luck with your quest.

 

[Firepath]

I would add that, since you stayed at Bonnet Creek and are looking at DVC, I have found the quality and condition of the rooms there to be much nicer that those we've stayed in DVC. Even though we found Bonnet Creek superior in that respect, we still choose DVC for the convenience and transportation, ability to book FP+ earlier, room charge, etc. If the appearance of the room is of high importance to you, you might be disappointed with DVC.