Give it to me straight...

[OKWFan88]

Hi, I am a complete newbie when it comes to this but I have started researching the possibility of buying into DVC and whether we should go resale or straight Disney purchase... Really would appreciate any guidance/advice if purchasing DVC is worth it for our situation... Hubby and I are 40 and 39. No kids sadly, but we are both lovers of Disney. We usually rent DVC points when we visit and our go to resort is OKW. We prefer the laid back appeal and larger rooms. We also always rent a vehicle so the buses we don't usually utilize. We usually visit Disney two to three times a year and the visit length is between 5-7 days each visit. We live in CO. We prefer to visit in Sept, early Dec and Jan. We aren't big fans of the heat so we prefer the cooler months, but we do go in Sept every now and then because of the lower crowds. We do a lot of last minute trips which I have read isn't that great for DVC planning. We prefer 1 bedrooms in order to get the kitchen and the washer/dryer. We sometimes don't even go to the parks and just do a resort stay. We aren't pool people but love to relax and enjoy cocktails and delicious food. So determining where to buy into, and what use year to choose and what cost per point we should be looking out for, well it's all a bit overwhelming. Also, the deed date I am not sure if that should be something that should concern us as we don't have children and wouldn't be passing it along to anyone else... Budget wise, we would probably put down around $5K and finance the rest of it as we usually always pay off debts significantly quicker or maybe put rest on a low % credit card offer and get credit card points - not sure yet how we would do it... With the amount of trips we do a year, I'm assuming we'd need to purchase a bunch of points but I find myself getting confused when looking at all the DVC rental sites that are selling contracts or if we should just do it direct with Disney. Any guidance or advice you could impart based on our situation would be wonderfully appreciated... Thanks

 

[Marionnette]

Hi, I am a complete newbie when it comes to this but I have started researching the possibility of buying into DVC and whether we should go resale or straight Disney purchase... Really would appreciate any guidance/advice if purchasing DVC is worth it for our situation... Hubby and I are 40 and 39. No kids sadly, but we are both lovers of Disney. We usually rent DVC points when we visit and our go to resort is OKW. We prefer the laid back appeal and larger rooms. We also always rent a vehicle so the buses we don't usually utilize. We usually visit Disney two to three times a year and the visit length is between 5-7 days each visit. We live in CO. We prefer to visit in Sept, early Dec and Jan. We aren't big fans of the heat so we prefer the cooler months, but we do go in Sept every now and then because of the lower crowds. We do a lot of last minute trips which I have read isn't that great for DVC planning. We prefer 1 bedrooms in order to get the kitchen and the washer/dryer. We sometimes don't even go to the parks and just do a resort stay. We aren't pool people but love to relax and enjoy cocktails and delicious food. So determining where to buy into, and what use year to choose and what cost per point we should be looking out for, well it's all a bit overwhelming. Also, the deed date I am not sure if that should be something that should concern us as we don't have children and wouldn't be passing it along to anyone else... Budget wise, we would probably put down around $5K and finance the rest of it as we usually always pay off debts significantly quicker or maybe put rest on a low % credit card offer and get credit card points - not sure yet how we would do it... With the amount of trips we do a year, I'm assuming we'd need to purchase a bunch of points but I find myself getting confused when looking at all the DVC rental sites that are selling contracts or if we should just do it direct with Disney. Any guidance or advice you could impart based on our situation would be wonderfully appreciated... Thanks

DVC favors those who can plan more than 7 months in advance with 11-month advance planning needed for some villas. Once you’re inside the 7-month booking window, owners can book at any DVC resort. At 60 days out, you will find availability is very limited. There are quite a few people who make this work but they are very flexible with their dates and the resorts they stay at.

Believe it or not, September thru early January are peak DVC months due to low point requirements, lighter crowds and more temperate weather. An August UY would suit your travel pattern the best. September would also work for you.

OKW is a beautiful resort and if you love it, I would recommend owning there if you can make plans more than 7 months in advance. But if you’re going to routinely make plans less than 7 months out, then it won’t matter where your home resort is, you can use those points anywhere (unless they’re restricted). If that’s the case, buy the best value. Current wisdom would say buy SSR. It has a longer contract and low annual dues. Given your ages, that would mean many additional years of Disney trips or a contract with some value left if you’re older and wish to sell.

Resale companies will not accept credit cards for final payments. Some won’t even take them for your down payment. Direct sales will accept credit cards but you will pay a lot more per point than you will for resale. However, there are some advantages to a direct purchase, especially if you buy OKW. The first advantage would be the discount on annual passes. For someone who goes 2-3 times per year, this can be a nice savings if you manage to squeeze 3 trips in within 365 days. The other advantage to buying OKW direct would be that the contract is extended to 2057, while most resale OKW contracts expire in 2042. A third advantage to a direct purchase at any resort would be the ability to use those points at Riviera and any future DVC resorts such as the proposed Disneyland Tower.

I suggest taking a look at the 2020 points chart for OKW and adding up the number of points you would need for times that you normally travel. Then round up to account for point reallocations that change the points charts. Don’t forget that you can borrow from the next year’s points to complete a reservation if you need to, or you can purchase One Time Use Points thru Member Services if you’re inside the 7-month booking window. You can purchase up to 24 OTUPs and the current rate is $19/point.

 

[RoseGold]

Last minute and DVC do not go together. This is the kind of thing you need to lock in at 7 months, which doesn’t sound like you. I don’t really understand how you were renting DVC points last minute.

You actually sound more suited to Good Neighbor off property, assuming FastPass ever exists again, and the system is the same. Or even Airbnb. There are other ways to get a washer and dryer that aren’t 15k.

The studios do have access to laundry, just not in room.

Might be worth looking into Redweek, they rent out all kinds of timeshare weeks, many are near Disney. Especially if you don’t care about the parks, this might be a better fit.

 

[OKWFan88]

Thanks for all the info. Last minute DVC rental for OKW has never been a problem for us. We are flexible with the dates and never had an issue. The last minute piece of it isn't that big a deal to us, we can plan 7 month out... I see the perks by going thru Disney direct but wow the cost difference with a resale is very tempting. I think we would need at least 300 points in order to have the amount of points we would need for at least three trips a year...

 

[RoseGold]

I think we would need at least 300 points in order to have the amount of points we would need for at least three trips a year...

I'm not really clear what you are asking, since you seem to have walked back what you said in your OP? It's hard for anyone to know what you want if you don't explain it.

Regardless, there is no need to start with 300 points, and I say this as someone with three (soon to be four) contracts. Start with less.

Availability will be TIGHT for years with millions of stray points floating around. This will not be a last minute thing.

I don't see any reason you would buy direct in anything you have posted.

 

[davidl81]

Some people get a tad bit too negative from time to time on the board. One big advantage you have is you want to ready 1 bedrooms which are usually the last rooms to get booked in DVC. So since you have been renting points you understand room availability. While at 30 days it’s tough, at 3 months or so with some flexibility you can 85% of the time make 1 bedrooms work. You go enough to make DVC work. Buy SSR points since you won’t be taking advantage of the 11 month window. As long as you are flexible with where you stay (ie okay with OKW, SSR, AKL etc) it’s going to work out for you.

 

[Dean]

Hi, I am a complete newbie when it comes to this but I have started researching the possibility of buying into DVC and whether we should go resale or straight Disney purchase... Really would appreciate any guidance/advice if purchasing DVC is worth it for our situation... Hubby and I are 40 and 39. No kids sadly, but we are both lovers of Disney. We usually rent DVC points when we visit and our go to resort is OKW. We prefer the laid back appeal and larger rooms. We also always rent a vehicle so the buses we don't usually utilize. We usually visit Disney two to three times a year and the visit length is between 5-7 days each visit. We live in CO. We prefer to visit in Sept, early Dec and Jan. We aren't big fans of the heat so we prefer the cooler months, but we do go in Sept every now and then because of the lower crowds. We do a lot of last minute trips which I have read isn't that great for DVC planning. We prefer 1 bedrooms in order to get the kitchen and the washer/dryer. We sometimes don't even go to the parks and just do a resort stay. We aren't pool people but love to relax and enjoy cocktails and delicious food. So determining where to buy into, and what use year to choose and what cost per point we should be looking out for, well it's all a bit overwhelming. Also, the deed date I am not sure if that should be something that should concern us as we don't have children and wouldn't be passing it along to anyone else... Budget wise, we would probably put down around $5K and finance the rest of it as we usually always pay off debts significantly quicker or maybe put rest on a low % credit card offer and get credit card points - not sure yet how we would do it... With the amount of trips we do a year, I'm assuming we'd need to purchase a bunch of points but I find myself getting confused when looking at all the DVC rental sites that are selling contracts or if we should just do it direct with Disney. Any guidance or advice you could impart based on our situation would be wonderfully appreciated... Thanks

Other than not paying cash, it seems buying is a good choice for you. You have DVC experience and enough trips over time to have an idea of what your long term plans are likely to be. Retail doesn't make sense $$$ because you wouldn't get enough benefit from the passes to justify that option. In a sense buying OKW is the logical choice but you can get into OKW 1 BR basically anytime you want at 7 months out. In that situation I'd buy SSR resale and use the points at OKW if that's your preference but reserving SSR at 11 months out. I probably would not buy a cushion of points for the circumstance mentioned. Since it seemed like Dec/Jan would be your main volume of trips, I'd look at Dec. If you would go Sept as frequently, that might be a better choice.

 

[OKWFan88]

Sorry if I"m not being clear but I don't believe I'm walking anything back from my original post. We do last minute trips but that's not a deal breaker, as our main goal is to invest in something that means a lot to us as a family which would be Disney vacations. If in the long run it's a cost savings benefit to buy into DVC rather than continue to rent DVC points or pay cash for a reservation then buying into DVC makes sense. The 300 estimate was based off the first posters suggestion for me to review the 2020 OKW point chart to estimate the number of points I would need to do two to three trips a year. Unless I am reading the points charts incorrectly, or not understanding how the points work when you are a DVC member? Just here to learn and determine if it's a good idea for us or not.

 

[RoseGold]

If your objective is to spend three weeks at a timeshare without going to the parks, I believe you could do it at equally nice/nicer places for MUCH less money than Disney. I would not buy DVC if I weren't planning on going to the parks.

If you book Disney hotels for three weeks a year, and are OK with SSR/OKW 1BR, then yes, buying some points is probably a good idea. The standard cheap point resort for this is SSR, which is a screaming deal right now.

 

[Dean]

Sorry if I"m not being clear but I don't believe I'm walking anything back from my original post. We do last minute trips but that's not a deal breaker, as our main goal is to invest in something that means a lot to us as a family which would be Disney vacations. If in the long run it's a cost savings benefit to buy into DVC rather than continue to rent DVC points or pay cash for a reservation then buying into DVC makes sense. The 300 estimate was based off the first posters suggestion for me to review the 2020 OKW point chart to estimate the number of points I would need to do two to three trips a year. Unless I am reading the points charts incorrectly, or not understanding how the points work when you are a DVC member? Just here to learn and determine if it's a good idea for us or not.

IMO DVC is not reasonable to buy mainly for last minute trips. Make sure you're looking at the 2021 points charts as they are quite a bit different.

 

[Marionnette]

Thanks for all the info. Last minute DVC rental for OKW has never been a problem for us. We are flexible with the dates and never had an issue. The last minute piece of it isn't that big a deal to us, we can plan 7 month out... I see the perks by going thru Disney direct but wow the cost difference with a resale is very tempting. I think we would need at least 300 points in order to have the amount of points we would need for at least three trips a year...

I wouldn’t start with 300 points. And especially not a 300-point contract, which will be difficult to sell if you find that you need to.

Don’t forget that renting is always on the table, even if you’re an owner.

Or if need be, you can get a points transfer from another owner for less than the cost of rental points in many cases.

Start smaller and add on points once you’re comfortable with the way DVC works.

 

[smisale]

We are trying to buy resale at SSR we are looking at 160 pts I made my decision strictly on what it cost me every year to pay cash out of pocket. last year I stayed at AOA in a family suite and it cost me 6800.00 hundred. So to me it made sense. What worries me that you are going to finance the interest is very high. Just take that into consideration when you calculate the total costs.
Interest,Cost,Annual Dues,
and if it still makes sense go for it. you can always rent your points if you don't use them and recoup some of the money spent

 

[tntbrd]

Hi, I am a complete newbie when it comes to this but I have started researching the possibility of buying into DVC and whether we should go resale or straight Disney purchase... Really would appreciate any guidance/advice if purchasing DVC is worth it for our situation... Hubby and I are 40 and 39. No kids sadly, but we are both lovers of Disney. We usually rent DVC points when we visit and our go to resort is OKW. We prefer the laid back appeal and larger rooms. We also always rent a vehicle so the buses we don't usually utilize. We usually visit Disney two to three times a year and the visit length is between 5-7 days each visit. We live in CO. We prefer to visit in Sept, early Dec and Jan. We aren't big fans of the heat so we prefer the cooler months, but we do go in Sept every now and then because of the lower crowds. We do a lot of last minute trips which I have read isn't that great for DVC planning. We prefer 1 bedrooms in order to get the kitchen and the washer/dryer. We sometimes don't even go to the parks and just do a resort stay. We aren't pool people but love to relax and enjoy cocktails and delicious food. So determining where to buy into, and what use year to choose and what cost per point we should be looking out for, well it's all a bit overwhelming. Also, the deed date I am not sure if that should be something that should concern us as we don't have children and wouldn't be passing it along to anyone else... Budget wise, we would probably put down around $5K and finance the rest of it as we usually always pay off debts significantly quicker or maybe put rest on a low % credit card offer and get credit card points - not sure yet how we would do it... With the amount of trips we do a year, I'm assuming we'd need to purchase a bunch of points but I find myself getting confused when looking at all the DVC rental sites that are selling contracts or if we should just do it direct with Disney. Any guidance or advice you could impart based on our situation would be wonderfully appreciated... Thanks

You said you go last minute; however, you do three trips or so a year. These I understand are on rented points, not pre-booked last minute reservations. You love OKW, you already know you can get in there "last minute," whatever that means particularly for you, during these times. You also indicated you don't go to the parks so often. Therefore, the direct benefits may not be something that is generally necessary for you. In my opinion, go resale. if you believe you need 300 points then do so. I agree with an August use year, which is what a previous poster indicated you should look at. if you want to build up to 300 points then do several 100 point contracts, or two 150 point contracts. Personally, this is a personal preference issue. If you two are sold on Disney and know when you go and know when the resort you love is available, then get all 300 points at once. Pay one closing cost. Assuming you're ok with the cost. OKW will be a 2042 resort so you'll be able to vacation for another 21 years or so. You'd both be 60. If you think you'll still be going after that, then look for a OKW extended contract and you'll get an expiration of 2057. Enjoy it. My family went with 200 points resale as we aren't there three times a year and didn't really need the benefits of the direct contract. We added direct later and got the "benefits," but if you're not in the parks that often then you may not necessarily need those "benefits." In the end this is my opinion, but if I were you I would go resale. In doing so I would determine whether or not you you'll be enjoy going when you're 60 or when you're 75, then look for the contract which fits your vacation wishes and wants and go resale if you don't need an annual pass or care about after hour parties and the like. Resale takes longer, direct is quicker. Resale is cheaper, by a lot. We bought Copper Creek resale and saved $14,000 versus buying direct. If you buy resale you can stay anywhere except Riviera and any resorts built afterward.

 

[OKWFan88]

Thanks all for the advice. We like being in the Disney bubble and at least one trip a year we don't go to the parks, but the other two trips a year we do. But usually not every day. You all make good points about the amount of points to buy and possible resale if we needed to sell as it sounds like smaller contracts are easier to sell. From what I am seeing on the 2021 point charts for a week during the months we like to go we are looking at around 159 points for a week. But since we like to go two to three times a year, we would need more points... Maybe start with two smaller contracts and see how it works and then we can look at buying another contract.

 

[SomePixiedust]

You can also mix it up and buy a direct contract for the perks if they are important to you, and then add on with resale to get the points you need. I'm in a similar situation. We are very flexible on our travel dates, we like to do 3-4 small trips a year with one being planned in advance and the rest only 3-4 months out. We don't care where we stay and sometimes don't go to the parks. We are currently buying a resale contract and plan to add on with direct points. We like the Disney bubble so it makes sense for us. Do what's comfortable for you!

 

[OKWFan88]

I am looking at resale contracts and noticed Vero is significantly less. So, I could make that my home resort and still book at OKW at seven months? Is the only advantage to buying where you want to stay Is so you can book at 11 months? We’d probably rarely stay at Vero but since the cost of points are significantly less if we could get a Vero contract and book at OKW Then we’d be happy campers. Or are there restrictions if you buy into Vero thru resale?

 

[My3kids1989]

I am looking at resale contracts and noticed Vero is significantly less. So, I could make that my home resort and still book at OKW at seven months? Is the only advantage to buying where you want to stay Is so you can book at 11 months? We’d probably rarely stay at Vero but since the cost of points are significantly less if we could get a Vero contract and book at OKW Then we’d be happy campers. Or are there restrictions if you buy into Vero thru resale?

Look at the thread on sleeping around points-this might help you. Since it sounds like these would be similar to sleeping around points. I recently bought 150 BWV for Food and Wine specifically to book 11 months out because I know I am going then. VB has an earlier expiration and higher MF. I got great advice on that thread.

 

[jlb727]

I am looking at resale contracts and noticed Vero is significantly less. So, I could make that my home resort and still book at OKW at seven months? Is the only advantage to buying where you want to stay Is so you can book at 11 months? We’d probably rarely stay at Vero but since the cost of points are significantly less if we could get a Vero contract and book at OKW Then we’d be happy campers. Or are there restrictions if you buy into Vero thru resale?

MFs at Vero are extremely high, getting close to $10 a point now compared to 7.22 a point at OKW, and that will be your main expense going forward. Yes, cost per point is low, but those MFs will only go up. I would only buy Vero if you really want to stay at Vero.

 

[BennyBoyWrench]

Hubby and I are 40 and 39. No kids sadly, but we are both lovers of Disney. We usually visit Disney two to three times a year We prefer to visit in Sept, early Dec and Jan. We aren't big fans of the heat so we prefer the cooler months, but we do go in Sept every now and then because of the lower crowds. Budget wise, we would probably put down around $5K and finance the rest of it as we usually always pay off debts significantly quicker or maybe put rest on a low % credit card offer and get credit card points

Oh my goodness! You're us, plus 2 years

 

[Dean]

I am looking at resale contracts and noticed Vero is significantly less. So, I could make that my home resort and still book at OKW at seven months? Is the only advantage to buying where you want to stay Is so you can book at 11 months? We’d probably rarely stay at Vero but since the cost of points are significantly less if we could get a Vero contract and book at OKW Then we’d be happy campers. Or are there restrictions if you buy into Vero thru resale?

I agree with the above, HHI & VB points are a poor choice as a points cow though nice resorts unto themselves.