Help me to understand, please!!!

[LBelle]

Okay...we are seriously considering buying into the DVC in the very near future. Hre's what I don't understand: when I look at each resort and figure out how many points we would need to stay at a certain resort at a certain time of year, etc. If we plan on buying X # of points, will those points I buy now still provide for me the same thing 10, 20 years down the line?

If I need 8 points to stay in an OKW studio in Sept. 2007, will it still be 8 points years down the road?

Thanks for your help!

 

[tjkraz]

The total points at a resort cannot change. In other words, a two bedroom villa at OKW represents about 14,000 points if booked for an entire year (according to Caskbill's planner.) That figure can NEVER change.

What could happen is that DVC could alter the seasons or change the balance of points between weekday and weekend stays. To use an overly simplistic example, let's say that DVC decided that the first two weeks of December had become too popular with members, while early May remains a very slow period. It would be within their rights to move Dec 1-14 to Dream season and move May 1-14 to Adventure season.

As you can see from that example, the total points for the year would still be about 14,000 for that room, which is what must happen if there are any changes. If the points go up for one day or season, they most go down elsewhere.

This type of change only happened once in DVC's history, around 1996 I believe. Some people think it's inevitable that DVC will adjust the points again. Others disagree. There's really no way to know for certain--forty years is a loooooong time.

 

[RobDoc]

As Tim noted, the point charts have been changed only once, in 1996, and have remained stable since and will thru 2008 at least. At that time some nights went down a few points, some nights went up a few points and many did not change at all.

The reason DVC would opt to make changes is to keep the system in balance to try to maintain a balanced level of occupancy. I don't expect any changes for the foreseeable future, but I feel it's important for members to realize that it is possible and is within the realm of DVC to make such changes without approval of the membership.

 

[LBelle]

Thanks for all the info!!

I was just worried that it would not work out to our financial benefit if DVC were to raise the points needed on a yearly basis, just as the resort rates go up all the time.

 

[skibum]

That is one of the advantages of DVC. After the initial downstroke, inflation can only effect your maintenance fees.

 

[LBelle]

Thanks everybody!!!!