My wife and I have been mulling over
DVC for the last few months. We both love Disney and have visited 5 times in the last 4 years, once off site, twice deluxe and twice moderate. We have a 19 month old daughter who we are in the process of indoctrinating to Disney. We both work and have a good income and low amount of debt. We are very frugal and usually don't buy things we won't need. We are currently debating buying 100 points, 160 points, 200 points or 240 points at BLT (100 is not possible), AKL, or SSR. I guess what I'm asking is for a family our size does a studio work well, or is a one bedroom much better? How often do members bring their extended family or friends down? If you have a lot of points do you often have leftovers you dont use? How difficult is it to sell or trade points? Any insight you could give us would be greatly appreciated.
Christian & Margie
Really it comes down to what you can afford. DVC is a luxury item and isn't typically something one 'needs'. That said, if you prefer to stay at moderate and deluxe resorts and travel to The World at least once per year, you may find savings in DVC. I'll try to answer some of your questions based on our experiences:
Q: Studio vs 1BR.
A: Studio's are great, ample space and everything you need. 1BR's are better. We used Studio's at first; but once we started staying in 1BR's we got spoiled, especially with little ones. Having a washer/dryer in the room with little ones is a great bonus. Also, having the separate bedroom where you can lay them down to sleep is great as the rest of the family can sit in the living area and do other things without worrying about waking the little ones.
Q: How often do members bring their extended family or friends down?
A: We do it quite often; but this presents it's own issues. In the past, we've usually rented larger accomodations to make room for the extended family -- but then you end up with a bunch of last minute adds/cancelations. In the future, we will likely book our stay, and then add studios as necessary if extended family decides to join us. Point-wise it's pretty close, everyone gets their own privacy, and if someone backs out it's just a studio and not like you have a GV for 4 people.
Q: If you have a lot of points do you often have leftovers you dont use?
A: Not typically, we do bank any extra points into the next year. If we decide to take another vacation in between, we'll just borrow against next year. We pretty much use what we have. It's recommended to buy less points and add-on after a few years. The thinking is that at the beginning, new DVC members tend to go more often than they will later on as the fad wears off. By the third year, you'll know whether or not you need more points if you find yourself still needing to borrow, etc. It's easy to add-on. Also, you're better off buying multiple smaller contracts, so if you want 200 points, you can buy 4x50 or 2x100. If you decide in 10 years you want less points, it's a lot easier to off-load those smaller contracts.
Q: How difficult is it to sell or trade points?
A: Procedurally, selling is very easy. You make a reservation in someone else's name, they give you money. It's pretty simple. Realistically, this depends on where your renters come from. If you're going to look to the boards/internet for renters, then it may take you awhile to build up a reputation. You can't really 'trade points' though. You can transfer points into someone's account (or have them transferred to yours), but this is a one-time per year function.
Good luck with your decision!
!!! But you can build as time goes along and you are better able to determine if it is necessary for you to have more points; start off purchasing what suits you family now and for next couple of years. Adding on additional points in future is easy enough - - directly through Disney is 25 pt minimum with cash, 50 pt min if you want their financing and presently no closing fees for add-ons. Or you can always purchase another contract on resale market if you wish to add-on more points. 
