For those that bought 10+ years ago

[CanadaDisney05]

For those that bought 10+ years ago, would you feel different about your purchase if your membership excluded you to use your points at the following resorts:

Bay Lake
Grand Californian
Aulani
Grand Floridian
Poly
Copper Creek
Riviera
Reflections

This would mean you were limited to use at the following resorts:

Vero
Hilton head
Boardwalk
Old key west
Saratoga
Beach club
Boulder ridge
Animal kingdom

For those of us looking to purchase now, I am trying to guage the "value" of being able to book at future resorts, based on current resale restrictions.

Edit:

Thanks for the responses so far. Keep them coming.

Just a bit of clarification. What I'm really trying to gauge is if the same resale restrictions existed 10 years ago that exist today, would you have been happy with a resale purchase? Would you have preferred to pay direct prices (at one of the original 14 so the resale wouldn't have the same limitations as Riviera) vs going resale. Keep in mind, this means if you bought at BLT or any of the resorts in the first list, afterwards, it would be under the same restrictions that Riviera currently is. It also means you would not have had those experiences staying at any of the resorts in the first list over the past ten years.

On a side note, I looked at Marriott Vacation Club once. If I understood it correctly, they have similar resale restrictions as Riviera. However, they do offer some sort of upgrade charge paid directly to Marriott that gives you full access. Basically, it allows Marriott to still earn a profit on resale purchases. I can see Disney moving towards this model.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

I bought BLT in 2009 and the options in your second list were the only DVC resorts available at the time. Are you asking if I knew the top list (and any future resorts) we not included in the list of DVC resorts we could use our points at would we have paid more to do so? If so, I think for me the answer would be would a minimal amount. I really like BLT and would have been fine over the years staying at just BLT and 8 resorts on your bottom list.

I voted $1-$20 just for the fact that if the upcharge was say, $5- $10, I would have done it. After looking back at 10 years of DVC ownership and staying at every resort, I would have been happy just staying at BLT if that was the way the system worked.

I think though I'm in the minority. I think if your trying to gauge where Riviera direct vs resale spread is going to land it's going to be much wider than other resorts. Not being able to stay at any other resorts is going to be a big turnoff for a lot of people. I could see once DRR sells out and they raise the direct prices to the crazy amount they have some of the sold out resorts at, I could see the direct/resale spread anywhere from $70-$100...depending on where they price DRR when sold out.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Bought in 2003. I actually would be OK staying in the second group you mention. Except for OKW, we own at all of them.

In regard to the first group we bought at BLT and Grand Floridian, so in regards to your question, would we be able to book with those points anything in the first group? We have stayed in every DVC resort so far, and have been very happy with our DVC purchases.

 

[erionm]

Members since 2007 and we would have no problem if we could only stay at our home resorts (AKV & BLT).

 

[Marionnette]

For those that bought 10+ years ago, would you feel different about your purchase if your membership excluded you to use your points at the following resorts:

Bay Lake
Grand Californian
Aulani
Grand Floridian
Poly
Copper Creek
Riviera
Reflections

This would mean you were limited to use at the following resorts:

Vero
Hilton head
Boardwalk
Old key west
Saratoga
Beach club
Boulder ridge
Animal kingdom

For those of us looking to purchase now, I am trying to guage the "value" of being able to book at future resorts, based on current resale restrictions.

I bought AKV and BWV because that’s where I wanted to stay. The ability to trade into the other resorts that existed at the times of purchase was not a factor influencing my decision. I have purchased VGF since then for the same reason. If I were to be “stuck” only being able to trade into the resorts that existed at the time of the direct sale of the contracts, I would still be happy with my choices.

However, if I were to be restricted to only staying at my home resort with my resale points, that would have been a different consideration. Because while I bought to stay at my home resorts, sometimes plans change and I need to add a night inside the 7-month window. At that point, I would have no options to combine my AKV and BWV points to stay at whatever is available. I probably would not have purchased at all, given that kind of restriction.

 

[cheryl.UK]

I bought in 2006, and added BLT. Would I be happy with the second group plus BLT? Absolutely. That's what I bought at the time. I knew what I was buying. I was happy with it at the time and I'd be happy with it still. The fact I can use the other resorts is a bit moot because I can use them now and don't. I didn't buy DVC for what might happen in the future, I bought for what It gave me at the time. DVC have given me new options...that's nice...but it's not what makes DVC special for me

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You really have to keep in mind that if someone bought Saratoga they were not thinking how they would be able to book Poly or VGF, neither of which was even announced.

 

[amcnj]

Back when we bought there was only one resort. Since that was where we expected to be staying, we have lower expectations about staying at other locations than those who bought later when multiple resorts existed and the ability to stay elsewhere was a feature.

 

[jarestel]

In 2001 when we initially purchased VWL (now BRV) the only other on-site resorts were OKW and BWV. So at that time, staying at other resorts wasn't much of a concern at all. It seems like a bigger deal to newer members today but even now I almost exclusively stay at my home resorts because that's where I like to be. So I would not pay a premium to stay at other resorts because that kind of negates the reason for buying resale (saving $$$) in the first place.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

PS: it is Villas at Wilderness Lodge and don't forget. Never forget. VWL!!

 

[bwvBound]

We purchased SSR, pre-opening, sight-unseen, in May 2004. If there were restrictions against “any, all, including future” we would not have purchased. We would have continued our pattern of trading in using other timeshare.

DVC has not been an entirely pleasant holding. It was, for many years, our least favorite timeshare. While that opinion has changed for the better over time, it has become the one with the “most drama” (not a good position).

Currently I cannot recommend DVC to friends. I’m glad we purchased when we did but would not repeat our purchase in present day given the pricing and restrictions.

 

[CarolMN]

Bought BWV in 1999 and honestly, it never occurred to me that we could use our points at other DVC resorts ( OKW was the only other DVC resort at that time). But it wouldn't have mattered to me if I'd known all the rest were coming. We have occasionally stayed 2-3 nights at other resorts, and once, for a week at AKV with my sister's family, but other than that, we've always stayed at BWV and I'm happy to do so in the future.

OK with me if that's the only place we could stay.

 

[cruisin5]

BLT is 10 years old, should it be in the second group? (barely 10 years old)

 

[Deb & Bill]

We bought 22 years ago. I'd be fine with just OKW and VWL.

 

[Lumpy1106]

BLT is 10 years old, should it be in the second group? (barely 10 years old)

I don't want to speak out-of-school, but I believe the OP wanted to hear from owners of the 2042 expiration resorts. BLT expires later (which is one of the reasons why we bought there). We primarily want to stay there but I definitely want to check out BWV and BCV. I don't know that I would have paid a premium for the luxury of doing so, but I do think there is some value to that - maybe $20/point? It's a good question no doubt.

 

[erionm]

I don't want to speak out-of-school, but I believe the OP wanted to hear from owners of the 2042 expiration resorts. BLT expires later (which is one of the reasons why we bought there).

SSR expires in 2054 and AKV expires in 2057. Both of which are in the 2nd group.

The OP has edited the post to add this:

Just a bit of clarification. What I'm really trying to gauge is if the same resale restrictions existed 10 years ago that exist today, would you have been happy with a resale purchase?

So based on what the OP is asking, BLT should really be in the 2nd group since it was on sale 10 years ago.

 

[CanadaDisney05]

I don't want to speak out-of-school, but I believe the OP wanted to hear from owners of the 2042 expiration resorts. BLT expires later (which is one of the reasons why we bought there). We primarily want to stay there but I definitely want to check out BWV and BCV. I don't know that I would have paid a premium for the luxury of doing so, but I do think there is some value to that - maybe $20/point? It's a good question no doubt.

I've heard a lot of people suggest that there is no reason to purchase direct as the benefits are very minimal compared to the cost difference. The general consensus on the resale restrictions seems to be that you already have access to the 14 original resorts, so why would it matter that you don't get access to anything new. This seems easy right now, because there is only 1/15 DVC resorts that you don't have access to. The one resort you don't have access to isn't even open yet, so nobody has really seen it yet.

My "concern" is that in 10 - 15 years, I will regret not ponying up for the direct purchase because I will not have access to 7 of 21 resorts. After 2042, that could be as much as 10/19 resorts that I wouldn't have access to. These resorts may end up being the "best" resorts too. They may also end up being terrible. Nobody knows.

Im trying to see with the benefit of hindsight, if you bought 10-15 years ago, and didn't have access to half the resorts that we know and love today, would you be willing to pay a premium to access these.

 

[CanadaDisney05]

So based on what the OP is asking, BLT should really be in the 2nd group since it was on sale 10 years ago.

The question was more general. The details of which resort is in which group doesn't really matter so much. Lets say the resale restrictions were implemented 11 years ago. I wanted a date that excluded BLT specifically because I know that is a popular resort.

 

[Sandisw]

We only bought in 2009 when they built BLT as that is where we liked to stay..the Contemporary. I paid more to buy direct for those points and if I had been limited to future resorts I would have been okay since that was my favorite.

But in 10 years, I have sold and bought different contracts at different resorts so it’s hard for me to completely judge. What I wouldn’t do right now is buy a resort that would be more difficult to sell on the resale market if I knew it could never be used elsewhere. But, back in 2009, when buying BLT, if they had had that restriction, I would have done it without question because i had stayed in that area and knew it was what I enjoyed.

I don’t think I could purchase, even today, a resort that I never stayed at, especially given the restrictions.

 

[crisi]

Its hard to do a comparison to then and now for the purchases of purchase - like in ten years in will be hard to do a comparison.

When we bought (BWV resale in 2002), there was OKW, VWL, BWV and BCV was still built but not yet open. We didn't expect to stay at the Poly on DVC points...but it was also FAR easier to move around between those resorts - not guaranteed, but easier.

But over the twenty years of ownership, we've also discovered that we like our home of BWV. We did one night in VWL (which is a favorite of mine), one week at BCV because the kids were SAB age (and they preferred the BWV pool), and one trip to VAKL (we were traveling with a six year old). Our next trip will be HHI because we are now empty nesters and want to spend a week away from the cold and snow - but don't need the parks. But with that HHI exception (and we'd be fine - possibly better off - in a different HHI rental - there isn't really any huge reason to stay at Disney's other than we have the points), each of those trip we would have done just fine staying at BWV if it was going to cost more.

As it is, it does cost more for me to stay at the Poly, BLT, GFV, etc. - points for rooms there are higher. And that is one reason we haven't switched. Bigger reason, there has to be a good reason to even bother - about the only reason is not wanting to be at Disney World or bringing guests who want something other than BWV.