How far ahead do you plan prior to purchasing?

[EpcotPhoenician]

I’ve been researching DVC for quite some time, and I’m looking to purchase points on the resale market for a yearly 4-5 night trip. I have been paying cash for my trips, and I’m at a point where I would rather invest that cash into ownership. I’m currently looking into both Poly and Old Key West.

My current situation is that I’m single, not yet married (late 20s) and for that reason, the studio suits me best. But I realize that this won’t always be the case, and that down the road, I will likely need a 1 bedroom, hence why I’m debating Old Key West as my home resort.

I suppose my question is, how far in advance do you plan for “life” prior to purchasing? Is it realistic to purchase at the resort I love most (Poly) and disregard where I may be 10 years from now? Where do you draw that line? If I need a 1 bedroom later in life, can’t I just purchase more points with the same use year to simplify things?

Thanks in advance for the advice, all.

 

[KVacc]

I think it’s really hard to plan for the future. Even if you had a family 4, oops you could become a family of 5 on accident and need more space. If you got a poly contract, that is several more years than OKW and your situation could be different yet again in that extra time, so that is another to think about. Really the big deal is the 11 month vs 7 month priority. We opted away from poly cause of them only having studios. Get the home resort you LOVE to be at. You can always add on later.

 

[DVChris]

Both properties have pretty good availability at 7 months. If you ever want the OKW Grand Villa then you need to own there. Poly has lower dues and longer contract. Good luck!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Remember that though it's good to buy where you want to stay it doesn't mean there won't be opportunities to book at other resorts. If you're ready and financially able to buy now then I'd say go with your preference which seems to be Poly. Later on book with those points elsewhere although if you find that becomes an issue then you can sell Poly and buy at a different resort. It's unlikely to be an issue to book 1BR's though at some other resort - somewhat dependent on the time you plan to visit.

 

[MICKIMINI]

My son is in his early 30's and was married a few year ago. DH and I have been hoping we could spend time (again - we're 1996 OKW) with our son at our happy place. We've transitioned from young family to seniors in that time. I can assure you it goes by quickly! This is a long term commitment so it just makes sense to think ahead.

Having multiple resorts and UY's has not been an issue for us. Buy Poly now and start saving for OKW. In the future you can do split stays and/or combine points at 7 months. Options are good!

Good luck!

 

[Wedgeout]

In resale I’d only buy a 2057 contract for OKW. Just because you are thinking you might need a one bedroom later, wouldn’t deter me from PVB now as my home resort. OKW will likely have availability most of the year at 7 months. Even at SSR as a backup. Unfortunately I wasn’t as lucky as you to plan for “life” prior to purchasing. Took until in my 50’s when planning “rest of my life” when I made my choice. Go with the majority vote from your mind, heart, and gut. Good Luck!

 

[davidl81]

You will be perfectly fine if you buy a Poly contract. Although DVC is a large purchase, its not something that will effect anything 10 years from now. If you end up having a family later on maybe you will want something bigger, but honestly 7 month availability for basically anything but studios is fairly good 95% of the time. A lot of people on the boards will tell you that 7 months is impossible etc, but as someone who owns SSR and AKV and who almost never stays there I can tell you 7 months is usually fairly open.

I just checked for 7 months from today just wondering. I can get 1 full week at every 1BR resort at WDW, every 2BR resort but Beach Club and Boardwalk, and studios at more than half of the WDW DVC resorts.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Contacts are extremely easy to buy and sell. Buy for now, then add on or change things around later.

 

[gregskellington]

Buy for now in your situation. You're young, single, and not a parent. It could be next year that changes, next decade, or somewhere in between. You can always buy, sell, or add on down the line when you know what you actually need that's different.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I agree with the others: buy where you want to stay, for what you need for now. You can always sell your points later to buy a different resort, or keep the points you buy now and add more later.

One bedrooms are usually the last room size to book up (aside from possibly the CCV cabins or Poly bungalows). You can often find availability at the 7-month mark for 1 bedrooms, although some seasons are much tighter than others. Early December, and the fall in general, is the peak season for DVC, and you'll want to plan on booking early at your home resort and not count on availability to switch at the 7-month mark.

 

[RoseGold]

I like Poly better mathematically, but buy OKW if you need the 11 month advantage for something. BIG points difference in these bookings, so Poly will be much more overall. OKW is the overall cheaper choice, because the chart does the work.

It's not like DVC contracts are hard to buy/sell. Either of those work fine, even if you start a family, for a long time. Maybe your 12 year old will need some space and you can reassess then. Or maybe your SO wants to spend their vacation visiting family abroad. Life happens, you sell. No big deal. Buy for your situation now.

 

[Pluto1976]

Thinking ahead makes sense. Something to ponder is; since Poly studios are some of the biggest in the WDW resorts, they could comfortably accommodate a growing family at least in the beginning and one may not need a 1BR. On top of that you seem to prefer the Poly and buy where you want to say is sage advice.

 

[MISCdisney21]

I went poly because multiple reasons:
1. Expiration date gives many future years and trips. If comparing to extending old key west, you get almost 10 more years with poly
2. Fees are lower than some other resorts currently.
3. Location. With very young family, we have easier transportation options. Our main parks while kids are this age are magic kingdom and epcot. Poly can take boat, monorail. With 1 kid bus isn’t bad with stroller break down but more kids it can be a hassle.
4. Studio can fit 5. So while young they’re in pack and play or oldest on Murphy bed.

I think poly is good fit when your single and in your 20s. If you get married and have 3 kids, you’d still have plenty of years for the studios.
And hopefully if you outgrow it in 10 years, the value would go up and you can sell to buy a different contract.

 

[Minniemoo15]

We are a family of 4 in Poly and prefer to stay there in a studio over a 1 or 2 bedroom somewhere else. We just love the resort. So I would buy where you want to stay now and reassess later in life. Maybe we will need 1 bedroooms when my girls become teenagers, but even then 1 beds are pretty easy to get at 7 months.

 

[lions1995]

I’d have to agree with the vas majority on this thread. If you love the Poly, buy there. It has a lot of years left on its contracts. And who knows, maybe they eventually add some larger units down the road.
Deal with the future when it comes.

 

[FinallyFL]

Buy Poly where you love. I attempted to predict my family preferences in the future and purchased SSR when it opened. I thought with 3 daughters the proximity to Disney Springs would guarantee a win. Wrong! They all preferred the other resorts to SSR and weren't into shopping even in the teen years. Sold SSR for a small profit and purchased more BWV.

 

[sethschroeder]

I would never buy POLY but if its your must stay location then do it. You should buy where you want to stay IMO as its not worth the aggravation to try and save a little money but not get the room you wanted.

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

I would never buy POLY but if its your must stay location then do it. You should buy where you want to stay IMO as its not worth the aggravation to try and save a little money but not get the room you wanted.

Just curious, why would you never purchase Poly?

 

[sethschroeder]

Just curious, why would you never purchase Poly?

Only studios, high point charts for studios, and not a fan of monorail.

Plus the bungalows scare me if they ever re balance points from them.

Oh and not next to Epcot and all the dinner options and festivals.

 

[RoseGold]

Plus the bungalows scare me if they ever re balance points from them.

There's over 300 studios and 8 bungalows. They could make the bungalows 50 points a night, and it wouldn't budge the studio pricing.

If they made them 50 points, bet Poly points would be more appealing, haha.