Home vs. Others

[dmen]

Hi! We are contemplating purchasing a DVC. I am not sure that we need to be convinced to buy, but we are torn as to where. How difficult is it to use your points at other WDW/DVC villas (for instance if we buy at OKW would it be easy to get BWV? How difficult is it to use them at other WDW hotels/Disneyland hotels and other Disney properties? The presentation made it sound so easy to swap points for the Concierge/Adventure etc. Is it really that easy? And what about if we want to swap for a week somewhere else--like Hawaii? We plan to use mostly for Disney stays, but still wondering.

 

[caverill]

We joined DVC last October.

Our first visit to WDW as DVC members is in two weeks.

We recently decided that we wanted to spend two nights at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island this summer.

MS was very helpful and was able to get us exactly what we wanted, when we wanted it. The total cost for us to use points for the Grand Hotel was the $ 75 transfer fee (not counting the points). The total effort to make the reservations was only three phone calls (due to checking for available dates and confirming).

Hope this helps!

Clark Averill

DxL 95
DL 97
Off-Site 98-Courtyard/DD
DxL 00
Joined DVC - Sept 00
BWV - Feb 01

 

[drusba]

At home resort you get 11 month booking advantage; 7 months at non-home resort. That can make a difference and that has been particularly true at BWV--for example for many times last year many were unable to get what they wanted at BWV with the 7 month window.
Easy to trade to a regular Disney hotel in WDW or Disneyland; same for Concierge/Adventure collection. Haven't done trade for other timeshares, but have heard there can be some difficulty there if you want Hawaii (what you can get depends on what owners at other resorts want to give up and the demand for Hawaii, like the demand for Disney World, is higher than suppl

 

[spiceycat]

if you are flexiblity in when you stay (Jan-Dec), where you stay(BWV, OKW, or VWL), and what you stay in (studio,1-bed, 2-bed) then no.

But if your vacation time has to be the same week each year then yes it would be difficult at the 7-month window to get it.

DVC resorts are different that the WDW resorts, the value season because of the points being less is very popular. So even if you cannot find the time you want at DVC resorts you generally will be able to find it at a WDW resort. But it hurts to paid in points for the hotel room. A hotel room can cost as many points as a 2-bedroom.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We found it very easy to do a Hawaii exchange, but we were very open about when and where in Hawaii, and started the search as far ahead as possible. We got a week on the Big Island after just 5 days.

Disneydiane