Grand Floridian Villas - Resale restrictions?

[Sandisw]

Well, I barely remember posting that comment 2 months ago, but since you quoted me, I completely disagree that timeshare ownership needs to have an exit strategy.

Maybe it comes from different socioeconomic background, or maybe it comes from how it was initially presented, or maybe it comes from someone having a better long-term vision than me, but I don't consider DVC an investment - it's a luxury.

I have many investments, but this is not one of them. I fully intend to get enough use out of my points to "make up" for the initial and ongoing costs. Maybe that's stupid and poor economic sense, but that's my opinion - just like you have yours.

Unlike you, though, I just don't feel the need to publicize my opinion about the same thing every few days...

Agree. I think most people buy DVC because they have been or intend to go to Disney for a long time and just see it for what it is..a way to potentially save on the lodging so that they have more money to use for all the other expenses of the trip. !

 

[RoseGold]

What’s not true? That the closures were done because of what was a nationwide shut down and rules?

You said that if the resort exists, you have the right to use it. That isn't true in a lot of circumstances, and it wasn't true in Covid.

For Covid, DVC was generous with points and policies, but they didn't have to be. There are a lot of reasons that you might not be guaranteed anything at all.

It could even be worse than that and you get an assessment for damage and don't get to use the resort. I'm not saying this is likely, but it could happen and it's in the rules.

 

[CarolMN]

No more arguing, please.

 

[tjkraz]

Using a once-per-century event like a global pandemic to support an extreme position is an interesting choice.

 

[RoseGold]

Using a once-per-century event like a global pandemic to support an extreme position is an interesting choice.

Read what you bought. There are a lot of things that are allowable in the rules, some have happened (pandemic), some haven't (destruction or sale). There's no "guarantee" in there at all.

If you want a guarantee, it's a cancelable hotel booking, not a timeshare.

 

[havoc315]

It's interesting that when resold, restrictions can apparently apply to using points at Riviera. I would have thought that was part and parcel to the original association agreement for VGF. I find it odd that they can even do that. I get the restrictions on the new association at Riviera. Those were there from the get-go, but I don't see how restrictions can be applied to contracts sold under an association that didn't originally include those restrictions in its charter.

Riviera did not exist at the time of the original charter. Thus, Riviera and any other future resorts can be restricted from use by VGF re-sale buyers. When an original owner bought VGF, there was never any assurance that there would be any additional future resorts, or that their future re-sale buyers would get to use future resorts.

I know it will never be pursued, but would it hold up in a courtroom? Then again, I honestly wonder if any of the restrictions against resale owners of the original resorts would hold up in a court of law, but I'm just an armchair lawyer using common sense as my guide.

 

[Nabas]

Read what you bought. There are a lot of things that are allowable in the rules, some have happened (pandemic), some haven't (destruction or sale). There's no "guarantee" in there at all.

If you want a guarantee, it's a cancelable hotel booking, not a timeshare.

But wasn’t DVC “forced” to reopen (like a lot of timeshares) sooner than Disney wanted to?

As I recall, there were threats of lawsuits and a push by the governor’s office to “reopen Florida”.

We went to WDW soon after the DVCs reopened, even though the parks, hotels, and Disney Springs were closed.

It was eerie driving through WDW on our way to VGF, with almost no other cars on the road.

 

[RoseGold]

But wasn’t DVC “forced” to reopen (like a lot of timeshares) sooner than Disney wanted to?

VGC didn't. It was closed after tons of stuff was already open.

The point is that DVC can do a lot of things that aren't "guaranteed" access to your home resort. It's in all the documentation, and it has actually happened, with Covid.

 

[tjkraz]

You said that if the resort exists, you have the right to use it. That isn't true in a lot of circumstances, and it wasn't true in Covid.

"a lot of circumstances..."

Old Key West has been open for about 1600 weeks and closed for 12. Grand Californian open for 700 weeks, closed for about 55. Both due to a pandemic the likes of which the world hasn't seen since the Spanish flu. (Can we please not use that as a jumping off point for "see, there's an 8% chance of VGC being closed!")

Everyone is aware of the possibility of a fire or natural disaster and the POS addresses the remedies available to owners should such events occur. The beach resorts have faced brief closures--for which points were refunded without penalty. Perspective is important. Spinning this into the idea that there is a laundry list of "gotcha" items Disney could use to deprive owners of their timeshare use is a bit ludicrous.

Recommending potential owners read the POS and familiarize themselves with the full terms and conditions is useful advice. Inflammatory declarations like "there are a lot of reasons that you might not be guaranteed anything at all" is FUD.

 

[RoseGold]

More than one poster said you are "guaranteed" your resort.