How do you get value

[Crazysheep]

I am considering buying points but don't seem to resolve the following queries;

1. Why are resale prices at the same resort at different prices e.g. Animal Kingdom ranges from $80 to $92 dollars.

2. My brief search of flights indicates no saving. I would go either last two weeks in August or October. The cost of flights, premium economy, works out at only £800 cheaper than a package , with same seats, to Port Orleans Riverside. How do long term owners make this work? Do you know some cheaper airlines? I live within range of the following airports; Glasgow/Newcastle/Manchester plus any others around those areas.

Cheers

 

[wickesy]

I've never looked at resale but I would imagine prices will vary on a number of factors - the number of points people are selling, the use year, plus the general fact that much like selling a car or a house different people will want different returns on their investment.

As far as flights go you can save a lot if you are willing to go indirect and/or if you wait for sales. DVC is generally considered to be better value if you are used to staying in deluxe resorts whereas Port Orleans is classed as a moderate resort, so you are getting a better standard of accomodation for the same price.

 

[Shooby doo]

Some of the lower No.s may be partial contracts by that I mean that the current owner may already have used some of this years allocation & the lower price is an incentive to buy their contract rather than a full one.Even the higher priced contracts there is room for a haggle,the best bet to get the "average" is to go onto the DVC boards & look for the thread "who got thru' ROFR" or something along those lines.
As the previous poster said DVC is classed as deluxe with normal rack rates between $300-$500 per night whereas Por as a Moderate might be $120-$160,the number crunching suggests that it takes 4-5 holidays to get your money's worth out of DVC-initial costs plus annual dues etc.
At the minute the major airlines appear to let their sale seats go approx 3 months before but again as the previous poster said you can make savings by going indirect. For instance we can't go direct from Glasgow unless we go Charter so the normal route of choice is via London but we can make savings with Continental thru' Newark & there is only a couple of hours difference .
SD

 

[dolphingirl47]

We became members in 2007 when the exchange rate was very favourable. We also chose a sold out resort for which DVC had some points (we went through DVC direct) and also made sure that we got a resort with relatively low dues. For us it has turned out excellent value.

In the first year we got 2 years worth of points and used the bulk of them for a cruise in a higher category then what we would normally book. This year we are doing a split stay and are spending 4 nights in a Savannah view studio at AKV Jambo House. The same 4 nights would cost us $2025 if booked directly via Disney. On top of that we will also spent 5 nights at our home resort OKW, which would cost another $1828.

We also had points left that we banked, which will be enough for a post cruise stay next year. From memory, we paid about $700 in dues at the beginning of the year. At the moment we still have to factor in the initial outlay, but by 2011 we will have broken even on that one so it is pure savings for us then.

Before we became DVC members, we had never stayed onsite. We always stayed on International Drive and even there the hotel prices (if you don't want the most basic of motels) are higher than what we pay in dues. Add to this that we get our airport transfers free, can get discounted annual passes and get other discounts and perks and this has really worked out for us.

We have not gone down the package holiday route for years as we could never get exactly what we wanted. When we fly to Florida next week, we are taking indirect flights via Atlanta and they only cost us GBP312 per person.

Corinna