how can i love the beach club when i've never been there!!??

[annabug]

hi everyone!

we are considering buying dvc this year. we have considered it before, and sorry we didnt purchase over a year ago....anyway... i was told there is a current promotion where you get a year of points for free.

choosing a home base:
i have been to SSR and OKW

we liked SSR, but i can see how i would LOVE BC
OKW, not so much

love the BC theme, location, pool, dining

at SSR, it was nice, my little guy loved the splash area
but thats about it
we do not golf, nor do we spend much time at DTD
but it is cheaper...i know, i know, buy where you would want to stay...thats my problem, i have never been to BC!!!!
should i take a trip just to see it before i buy??
is that crazy??

how much are points at BC
we are a family of 4, me, dh, dd (6) ds (2)

we would like to travel a week at a time, in may, nov/oct, and june

any advice/suggestions/leasons learned/pros/cons for SSR vs BC for this newbie would be greatly appreciated
annabug

 

[chalee94]

should i take a trip just to see it before i buy??
is that crazy??

not crazy. some people definitely want to rent a reservation to stay at a certain DVC resort before they commit the big bucks to buy in.

how much are points at BC
we are a family of 4, me, dh, dd (6) ds (2)

$115 per pt direct (with no closing costs.) http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/financial/pricing-a-promotions

$80 to $85 per pt resale (with a little extra in closing costs. http://www.dvc-resales.com/dvclisting.cfm

we would like to travel a week at a time, in may, nov/oct, and june

link to pt charts: http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/BCV-Points.shtml

any advice/suggestions/leasons learned/pros/cons for SSR vs BC for this newbie would be greatly appreciated

BCV is the only option for access to stormalong bay pool...and one of only 2 resorts within a short walk of epcot (slightly longer walk to DHS). BCV does expire in 2042 while SSR expires in 2054 - might make a difference, might not. i think BCV also often shares buses with the other epcot resorts - you'd get a better feel for that if you stay there, tho.

 

[annabug]

so if i buy at SSR, can i stay at BC??

I think i am planning on getting 200 points, does that seem right?

should i buy 100 points at each resort??

i know i am all over the place, so many things to consider!

thanks for your advice!!

 

[chalee94]

so if i buy at SSR, can i stay at BC??

maybe. if you book at 10-11 months you will definitely get SSR. then at 7 months out, you can try for BCV.

if you are happy with SSR, i'd buy there (and try for BCV to see if you can get happier.) if you'd be disappointed to be stuck with SSR, i'd pay extra for BCV.

I think i am planning on getting 200 points, does that seem right?

a BCV 1BR looks like more like 250-260 pts for a week...but how you spend the pts is up to you.

should i buy 100 points at each resort??

if you buy 100 SSR and 100 BCV, you can still only use the BCV contract to book BCV at 11 months out. you can only combine the pts to book whatever is available at 7 months out.

you would be able to bank 100 BCV pts from that contract and use them with 100 current BCV pts to book BCV at 11 months out with those 200 BCV pts and guarantee a BCV reservation every other year. but again, that's only with pts from the BCV contract. (if you borrowed BCV pts, you could use up to 300 BCV pts for a single reservation every three years - some people do this.)

if you buy 2 100 pt contracts, you can give/will them separately to the children, if that is a consideration. but it may cost you more in closing costs up front to buy 2 contracts.

 

[annabug]

ok, you are a big help chalee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

what would it be to buy lets say 260 points in 2 contracts 9(130) each for bcv//...how do i figure that out??
does it matter what month you buy in?? is that when i have to stay there?

i did call the official dvc number, and a disney person will be calling me back

i am assuming they do right by me right?? i really dont want to look into resale..they seem to be very helpful

i just dont have time for all the research with 2 year at home, he constantly is grabbing my laptop from me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[disneydenisel]

We love BCV !

Each contract would be $14,950 (130 x 115), no closing costs, so $29,900. If they have the points for the use year you want and that month hasn't passed yet, then you will usually get 2010 points, too !

It is a great place!

 

[chalee94]

what would it be to buy lets say 260 points in 2 contracts 9(130) each for bcv//...how do i figure that out??

buying direct, it's easy. $115 x 260 = about $30,000. disney should let you split the 260 pts into 2 contracts. (since they are not actively selling BCV, you may have to push harder to convince them that you only want BCV and not BLT or AKV.)

buying resale will cost about $22,000 plus another $1,000 in closing costs for 2 contracts - the problem is finding 2 contracts exactly the right size with the same use year month. it would save money but take a lot longer to get exactly what you want (or you'd have to be flexible on getting 100 pts here and 150-160 pts there.) you'd also have to look out for resale contracts that don't have any points coming until 2012 or so (called "stripped" contracts).

does it matter what month you buy in?? is that when i have to stay there?

the use year month tells you 2 things - when your use year starts and when your banking window closes.

the short answer is that use year has nothing to do with when you call to book or when you have to stay...but ideally, you don't want to have to travel in the last 3 months or so of your UY because it limits your options if you need to cancel. i have an oct UY because i like to travel in nov/dec and i never want to travel to wdw in the summer (july-aug-sept.)

more detailed explanations can be found here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1942668

i am assuming they do right by me right??

it costs a bit more to go direct but it is faster and easier (and financing is also easier although i'd caution folks about financing a luxury item...especially a timeshare as the value can drop a ton very quickly.)

 

[chalee94]

i will say don't be in too big of a rush.

take some time and poke around the threads on the DVC forums to see what owners like and don't like about different resorts and the DVC program in general...see if the positives apply to you more than the negatives.

don't worry too much about the current promotion. another one will come along after that most likely...

 

[annabug]

not actively selling BC??
how do i approach that one?

i am thinking about coming for a weekend in march.
can i visit all of the dvc resorts in 2 days?

 

[chalee94]

not actively selling BC?? how do i approach that one?

DVC still has BCV pts to sell. the guides' pay incentives are probably more geared toward selling newer resorts. it's just something to be aware of - they sometimes say that can't sell BCV but if you are firm that BCV is all you want, they will "find a way."

i am thinking about coming for a weekend in march.
can i visit all of the dvc resorts in 2 days?

nah - too much travel time - but in addition to the official tour (which will show you model rooms for current resorts like BLT and AKV), you can visit the boardwalk. there's a model of the BWV on the boardwalk and you can check out the lobby for BCV. if the lobby personnel isn't busy checking people in, you could ask politely if there was an open BCV villa that they could show you (sometimes they don't have time but it's worth asking if you are focused on buying at BCV.) i'd plan to have a meal or 2 on the boardwalk somewhere and enjoy the nightly entertainment (wandering jugglers/magicians/etc.)

 

[FindingFigment]

annabug...please be careful about going fast. there is a lot to learn and understand.

My family consists of just me and my husband and a 4 year old. We'd never use 260 points in one year. Just make sure you know what size room you're looking at and how long you plan to vacation.

If you have a small family and will only be vacationing one week per year, then 150 points could very well work for you. Just depends on your needs.

Also, do you understand what UY is? (Use Year)

 

[CarpeDisney]

I'd also mirror what others have stated.....take your time with this purchase, and get a full understanding of the product.

That being said, while my family doesn't own multiple contract I've read on the boards that others have used two smaller contracts at different resorts to stay for a desired amount of time every year at alternating resorts.

Example, if you buy 130 points at BCV and 130 at SSR.

Year 1:
Bank all of your BCV points
Borrow all of your SSR points from the next year and use current SSR points
Result: 260 Points at SSR and 0 points for BCV

Year 2:
Use the BCV points banked from the previous year, and the current year's points
No points available at SSR.
Result: 260 points at BCV and 0 points at SSR

Year 3....start the cycle again.

System works well if you only plan to stay at these two resorts.....if other resorts are desired you'll be subject to the 7 month booking window, and options may be limited depending on the time of year you'll be travelling and the type of room your looking for.

Best of luck on your decision.

 

[disneydenisel]

Hi annabug,

We read about BCV and thought it sounded perfect for our family in 2005 (kids were then 6 and 3). We rented points from an owner and stayed there, and knew that it was the place we wanted to call "home." We like walking to EPCOT for Illuminations and we like the short boat ride to the Hollywood Studios. Kids love the pool area and we like "Beaches and Cream" for ice cream and burgers.

As soon as we got home that year, we looked into points. We have enough points to stay in a 2-bedroom for a week, every other year. Or with banking and borrowing, enough points to go two years in a row sometimes (like this year). I could really use more points, but we bought what we could afford at the time and it has worked out well. If you are comfortable staying in a studio or 1-bedroom, then you can stretch your points a long way. Depending on your budget, you can always start out with a smaller contract and then add on later. There are a lot of ways to make it work!

 

[vicki_c]

annabug...please be careful about going fast. there is a lot to learn and understand.

My family consists of just me and my husband and a 4 year old. We'd never use 260 points in one year. Just make sure you know what size room you're looking at and how long you plan to vacation.

If you have a small family and will only be vacationing one week per year, then 150 points could very well work for you. Just depends on your needs.

Also, do you understand what UY is? (Use Year)

Good advice and what I was going to say too. You might want to slow down a bit and do some basic reading before jumping in.

 

[disneynutz]

Each resort has it's pluses and minuses. You need to take the time to understand what they are and decide what's a deal breaker.

Some members love the Epcot area so BCV and BWV makes sense, while others spend 90% of their time in the MK so BLT and VWL might be a better choice.

Some have a car and want to park close to their room, OKW, AKV Kidani, and SSR offer close parking.

Some use the pool, some don't and the ones that don't, dislike their dues paying for a pool that they will never use. You need to know that your dues pay for everything, security, transportation, pools, entertainment, even the animals at AKV.

Unless you have money to burn, take your time and learn all that you can before you spend thousands of dollars. You will be glad that you did.

Bill

 

[chalee94]

we are a family of 4, me, dh, dd (6) ds (2)

here are some other things to consider.

1BRs at AKV, BLT and OKW have 1 king bed + 1 pullout sofabed + 1 pullout sleeper chair. not sure how you handle sleeping arrangements but 3 separate beds might work better.

1BRs at kidani village at AKV and BLT have 2 bathrooms.

 

[nyck]

Do not feel strange that you want to buy BCV and have nevr stayed there. I had never stayed in 1 resort in that area but alsways want to stay at the Yacht and Beach I was a kid.

In 1995, My mom took me to Disney World for a graduation gift from High School. We stayed at the Caribbean beach resort (moderate), but while on there we toured OKW since it was teh only DVC at the time. My mom wanted to purchase it then, but she was a single parent who put me through provate schooling K-12 and she was finally getting out of that debt since I paid for my own community college. In 2003, after I went to school and recieved 2 degrees and bought a house, I was planning a WDW vacation and booked the Yacht Club (since I always saw how pretty it was on the WDW vacation video). A 5 day package there was going to cost me $5000 Then I remembered the OKW tour we took in 1995 and said "Maybe I can buy that". Well when I called, OKW had sold out years ago and BCV and BWV was for sale. I watched the video they sent me and I bought 300 BCV points from home.

The first time I stayed there I knew that it was the best decision I had made other than my house. Even with the new ones being built, I still love BCV the best and wish I had bought more there. The location, food options in the entire area and the quiet building is what I love the most, plus you can't get any closer to Epcot. So if that is where you want to buy, that is where you should buy.

 

[csharpwv]

It used to be this way - but I'm not sure if it still is or not -

When we bought in 2008 if you were STAYING in a DVC resort on that trip - they would allow you to apply 100% of your price paid for your accommodations on that trip to your DVC purchase.

I don't know if it still that way or not - but I know it was an option when we bought just a few years ago.

If you are thinking about buying at Beach Club - you may just want to buy direct through DVC - they have been buying back almost all of the BCV contract in the ROFR process.

So you might just want to go the direct route and save yourself a lot of time and trouble through the resale process. You may pay a few dollars more - but you will own your contract immediately with no worry about ROFR at all.

 

[annabug]

ok.totallyoverwhelmed
thank you all for your thougtful responses

i spoke with DVC agent today who was very helpful

aside from points and home location, what else should i be conisdering

if my family of 4 went in June to BCV in a one bedroom, i would need about 250 points

i am thinking of considering 250 points (split into 125 each) at BC

does that seem reasonable?

I was told that there is a very limited amount of BC points available, which is why i feel pressured.....i dont want to loose out on a resort i love....

we also have a june 2012 dream cruise booked, so i can use my first year and bonus points toward that

what is a use year??
thank you for helpingme with the jigundo decision,,,i really apprecite it
annabug

 

[chalee94]

When we bought in 2008 if you were STAYING in a DVC resort on that trip - they would allow you to apply 100% of your price paid for your accommodations on that trip to your DVC purchase.

I don't know if it still that way or not...

pretty sure this is not an option any more.