Help-question about Home Resort

[Umpyman]

Wife and I are thinking about doing the DVC, since we go twice a year anyway. Seems like it might be a good deal. One thing I'm worried about - what is the advantage to choosing a particular home resort, other than the extra few months ahead of time I can book? Are there point discounts for staying at "home?" Help please...I need to justify this "investment" to the boss (wife.) Me saying "we could spend $11K today, and by the time we're using walkers, we'd be saving money!" but that might not go over too well... Any other tips you could offer about selling the wife? Help...

Remember, it all
started with a mouse...

 

[Ed T]

Having a bigger booking window, 11 months, is the biggest advantage to the home resort. You do not get discounts for staying at your home resort. Each resort has a different point total chart for the different types of accommodations, times of year, #s of days etc. The maintainence fees are different at each resort but the bottom line is as most people will tell you is to buy where you think you want to be.
You may also know that Boardwalk and OKW are sold out resorts and can be purchased through resale only. VB, HH, and VWL are available through Disney. VWL is currently at $ 72.

If you are interested in resales I can share my experiences with you since I have bought both through Disney and resale. Just send me an email.

Good luck with your decision and I'm sure that you will get a lot of good feed back on this question.

Ed
DVC 1994

[This message was edited by Ed Trybulski on 02-01-01 at 12:06 PM.]

 

[BillPA]

The points required to stay are different from resort to resort. The themeing is also very different. Here is a link to what the points are per night http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/dvc/7_DVCCharts/pointcharts.htm

also on this site is a points calculator that will help you determine how many points you might need.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/resort/dvcpoint.shtml

And some FAQ about DVC can be found here

http://www.wdwinfo.com/dvc/faq.shtml

Bill
OKW '93

 

[dvcdudes]

The few month difference is pretty important. Buy where you would like to stay most. If you buy at one resort you may not be able to book the time periods you want at a different resort at the 7 month window.

DVCDUDES
Owner BWV Feb 2000

 

[Peggy Sue]

If you plan to visit WDW during any peak periods, you need the 11 month window in order to get into your resort. If you wanted to travel to WDW during April vacation, and you purchased at HH, chances are you wouldn't be able to get anything at the 7 month window. On the other hand, we have been very successful with the 7 month window when booking off-peak dates. HH is impossible to get into in the summer if you don't own there, we had no problems getting 1 week in sept. booking 3 months in advance. Some dates, like the 1st couple of weeks in December also book very quickly..only because that is a popular time for DVC members to visit..not that the parks are necessarily busy.

So..Home is important. We now have points at OKW and BWV so we can have the 11 month window at both resorts.

Good luck with your decision!

Have a wonderful day!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Everyone is giving you good advise. I would reccomend you become familiar with the different resorts so you know where you are likely to want to stay. OKW owners like the quiet atmosphere and the townhouse style accommodations with an outside entrance. We also like the smaller number of points it takes for a ressie there, and the larger size units. BWV owners like the convenience of being close to two parks (Epcot and MGM), and the activity of the boardwalk. VWL owners like the embiance of the resort. These are all important things to consider. We purchased 4 years ago after debating and dreaming for years. We now wish we would have done it at the begining. We used to go to WDW every other year. We purchased DVC so we could go and stay in deluxe accommodations every year. We quickly learned it was not enough!! We added on more points and now go 2-3 times a year, or do exchanges. Our only regret is not doing it sooner.

Disneydiane

 

[Galahad]

Also, you'd be "saving money" long before you get to walkers but only if you would otherwise be going to Disney every year or so anyway and staying on-site. If it is strictly to save money then other timeshares are probably more economical. But if it is to save money on the magic of the "full-Disney" then you can't go wrong. Numerous other threads explain the break even point very well. If you would go every year and stay at least at a Moderate resort otherwise, it will be worth the $$.
Good luck convincing "the boss". My "boss" did the convincing in our house. Agreeing with her was a testiment to my good sense.

 

[kbowfamluvswdw]

I am in the same boat. There are 3 of us and we have takin the DVC tour. I think I have a pretty good handle on how this works for planning and number of points needed (150-200). We plan on going once a year with potentially a second trip every other year or couple of years. Travel would be Jan, Feb, Sept, ot Oct looking for a studio may be a 1bed. Where to buy in, looking resale. Big question seems to be this....at 7 months out, how hard is it to book somewhere other than SSR or OKW. We would be looking for BLT, WL, BCV, AKV. Thanks for the help.

 

[kbowfamluvswdw]

Forgot to mention, we always stay mod or deluxe and have gone 1-2 times per year since 2005.

 

[supersnoop]

I am in the same boat. There are 3 of us and we have takin the DVC tour. I think I have a pretty good handle on how this works for planning and number of points needed (150-200). We plan on going once a year with potentially a second trip every other year or couple of years. Travel would be Jan, Feb, Sept, ot Oct looking for a studio may be a 1bed. Where to buy in, looking resale. Big question seems to be this....at 7 months out, how hard is it to book somewhere other than SSR or OKW. We would be looking for BLT, WL, BCV, AKV. Thanks for the help.

At seven months out, BCV will be impossible in October. Expect to snag a lake view at BLT. VWL should ne open, AKV will be the easiest to book.

 

[CMNJ]

New owner so my experience is only for this year but we have been watching the Resort availability tool closely (for studios) the past couple weeks as our 7 month window opens soon for our planned October vacation-AKL is avail for our full week as is SSR and OKW. Both BLT (lake view included) and WL have 3 of 7 days missing. I have also looked at the whole Oct calendar and for studios BLT and WL are missing days from every week-but if you are looking to book shorter trips (4-5 days) or plan on 1 bedrooms more often that gives you a lot more flexibility (for instance blt and wl still have full avail in 1 bedrooms for our week of travel and I think most of Oct) I know things may vary year to year but just trying to give you a current perspective.

 

[pangyal]

Wow, a 14 year-old thread! I just wanted to point out that VWL was selling direct at $72/pt as per the second post !!!

 

[chalee94]

Travel would be Jan, Feb, Sept, ot Oct looking for a studio may be a 1bed.

Aug and Sept are good options for use year.

as far as home resort, if you have a strong preference where you want to stay and you can book 10-11 months in advance, you should buy at that home resort.

if you buy SSR expecting to get BCV every trip, you will be disappointed.