Getting close to making DVC decision, does this sound like a sound plan?

[Barak's Disney]

Okay, we are getting close to jumping right in to DVC membership (after a year of lurking here and 2 years of renting from ebay guy). Our first DVC vacation as members will be slated for Spring Break 2008 (subsequent trips will also be made during this time period, Chritsmas or early summer). This is our plan:

Buy 175 point contract at VWL. Bank 175 points this year and use those points and next years points for 350 point stay in 2008 (1 week in 1 bedroom). For example, December use year = 175 points on Dec 1, 2006 and 175 points on Dec 1, 2007, for a total of 350 points for use in March/April 2008.

Rent 6 points and stay in studio for one week in 2009.

After studio stay in 2009, make decison if studio is adequate (children will be sleeping through the night in hotel beds by then and won't need two rooms Right???). If studio is adequate, continue renting 6 points on annual basis or consider small add on. If studio not adequate, purchase 175 point contract at another resort (the new Contemporary DVC resort or the new AK resort, right? One of those rumors has to be true ) and alternate resorts on a yearly basis (b/c I am a super-freak planner and have to have that 11 month window!).

What do you think? Reasonable plan? Feasible? Or am I insane to even ponder the idea of staying in a studio after experiencing a one bedroom? Feel free to critique my plan. I've thought about it a lot and this seems too simple, like I am overlooking some critical factor.

 

[rinkwide]

...am I insane to even ponder the idea of staying in a studio after experiencing a one bedroom?...

There's a guy on eBay who sells DVC license plate frames that say: "Studios Are For Renters"

 

[lawlesslovewdw]

There's a guy on eBay who sells DVC license plate frames that say: "Studios Are For Renters"

Next year we had the choice between 2 wks in 1 bed or 4 wks in studio !

Sorry studio it is

Best buy new license plate

Although in 5 years are going to add on 200 points then we can be proper dvc owners

 

[dianeschlicht]

Sounds feasible, but I don't find the value of DVC to be in studios at all. You might as well be getting a regular hotel room. To get the true value of DVC, you need to be staying in 1 bedroom or larger units.

I'm quite sure most of us here thought at one time we could go with the minimum points contract and make it work. We thought that too when we first looked into DVC. By the time we purchased, the minimum had been changed from 210 to 150. We decided on 220 and felt pretty good about that decision. After the first trip in a 2 bedroom, we realized we wouldn't be happy in a studio again, so we came home and added on another 150. Those 380 points seem to be just perfect for us. We often will bank a few points each year, but we are usually close to even with our annual point usage. No need to do a lot of banking or borrowing, and we don't rent out any either. With a family, you are definitely going to come to a point when you want more than 1 bathroom. That is when you will be glad to have extra points. The way I look at it is that points will never be as cheap as they are now! Best to buy them now and enjoy them before you have to pay even more per point.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Since DVC has decided to enforce the transfer rule, you may have a hard time getting someone to transfer 6 points to you.

Do you plan on getting your points through Disney or resale? With VWL the smallest DVC, where is the wait list for points there through Disney? It may take a long time to get your points through Disney. If you purchase a resale, you may have to take what you can get, more or less than 175.

 

[Inkmahm]

Since DVC has decided to enforce the transfer rule, you may have a hard time getting someone to transfer 6 points to you.

Do you plan on getting your points through Disney or resale? With VWL the smallest DVC, where is the wait list for points there through Disney? It may take a long time to get your points through Disney. If you purchase a resale, you may have to take what you can get, more or less than 175.

We had next to no wait at all getting first a 150 point VWL contract and then a 30 point add on VWL contract in April/June this year. We could have had a different UY right away but had to wait a few days to get October UY to match the BWV contract we already had.

 

[Barak's Disney]

Since DVC has decided to enforce the transfer rule, you may have a hard time getting someone to transfer 6 points to you.

Yes, we have had to re-evaluate the plan since the enforcing of the transfer rule cropped up! What a difference a day makes! We will need a minimum of 181 points for our plan to work - b/c who is gonna transfer 6 measily points, right?