How many points is right??

[browniemtb]

Still looking into buying into the DVC. This site has been fantastic for info from all of you owners. I intitially was going to buy into SSR but found out that the BWV were available, that where we like to be. Looking at the point schedule it seems that if I want to go during any school vacation I need 310 points. I was going to purchase 250 or 270 which would leave me short for April vacation. The down side isn't the purchase price per say but the maintenance fee at $4.69 point, which can fluctuate. Do any of you have a feeling about what intitial point purpose would be right? I know most of you say you can never have enough...Help......
Brownie

 

[iankh]

Last year when I started thinking (again) about buying and looking at resales, I based my choice on the seasons I would most like want to travel and the room size I would most likey want.

I found a contract that was the right point size and bought that. Once it was official and I was a member I called DVC and added on 30 more points to bring me to where I needed to be to meet my most common needs/wants.

 

[Cruelladeville]

You didn't mention whether you were planning to vacation every year, and when. As a teacher, I always vacation when everyone else is at Disney, too, and you will need many more points at Christmas and Easter, than you will during President's Week and summer. While you may need 310 pts, you can really cut down on the points you buy if you are willing to pay cash on the weekends, or if your accommodations will vary, for example, you rent a one bedroom villa this year, and a two bedroom next year. You can also rent points from a member, if you don't need too many. You also should realize that buying thru Disney at BW is expensive, full price at $96, while SSR is on sale now for around $83. You can maximize your money if you buy BW at resale with banked points for around $80. If you need financing, then you will need to go thru Disney, and, in that case, I would seriously think of SSR. Right now their cost of points and maintainence fees are cheaper. BW is very highly sought after, it's true, but that also keeps the dues up there, since a big part of the dues are taxes. They have been going up pretty regularly in the past 4 years.

 

[Dean]

Still looking into buying into the DVC. This site has been fantastic for info from all of you owners. I intitially was going to buy into SSR but found out that the BWV were available, that where we like to be. Looking at the point schedule it seems that if I want to go during any school vacation I need 310 points. I was going to purchase 250 or 270 which would leave me short for April vacation. The down side isn't the purchase price per say but the maintenance fee at $4.69 point, which can fluctuate. Do any of you have a feeling about what intitial point purpose would be right? I know most of you say you can never have enough...Help......
Brownie

There are too many variables to give one single answer. Assuming you are looking resale, you might be flexible and take the best deal in your points range. Remember you could always bank and borrow points or even add on through DVC if you wanted to supplement. Or you could easily leave out one weekend day (on points) here and there and make up for the shortfall. For your situation, you might consider buying two smaller contracts at different resorts. Or you might buy one smaller one then add on through DVC at different resorts to give you access to several options at the 11 month window. Remember you could also have points transferred in if you needed extra, for a fee of course.

I know many people are under the impression you can never have too many points, but I disagree with the presumption for many situations. Since you're looking at a 2 BR during school vacations, I'd say the ideal number of points for you is around 350 per year with fees in the $1600-2000 range over the next few years. If you're thinking over Xmas very often, you may need a little more. If you might not go every year or might not need the full 2 BR, you could easily get by with less. If you can and will plan a full 11 months out, you could get a standard view for the 310 or so you mentioned. It would be better not to buy all 310-350 in one contract, but if you can get a good enough deal, that still might be your best option.

To head in a totally different direction and I'll preface, this approach would not be good for many people. If I were starting over with DVC today, I'd take an entirely different approach. I'd buy the best but smallest contract I could find resale, maybe 50-70 at BWV. I'd then add on 25 points at each resort I thought I'd want to stay periodically and that I judged to be hard to get at the 7 month window for when I'd want to go. Then I'd rent points for transfer and have them transferred to the specific resort contract and use year I was planning on using at 11 months out. I might even buy a cheaper contract at HH, VB, SSR or OKW for a different use year to use as a points reservoir and possibly for a GV at which ever resort I ended up with.

Hopefully I have given you some things to think about that will help YOU make the best decision for your family.

 

[browniemtb]

Thanks for the info to all. BWV are at $92 a point. This would be the resort we would go to the most. The other factor I'm looking at is if I ever needed to bail out. It sounds like BWV would be easier than SSR and more than likely at a higher point price. My wife also likes to spend more then 7 days most places we go. 310 could come in handy for summer travel...even though I just put in a pool.

The other question is that it seems that most people here are very positive about the DVC, except for some service issues. Is there any negative feedback that people have heard? I guess I'm trying to make myself feel better about making a $28000 investment in my family, that doesn't sound good does it.

Brownie

Spoke to a DVC rep today..with DVC referral SSR is $83.30 point....no deals at BWV.

 

[Dean]

Thanks for the info to all. BWV are at $92 a point. This would be the resort we would go to the most. The other factor I'm looking at is if I ever needed to bail out. It sounds like BWV would be easier than SSR and more than likely at a higher point price. My wife also likes to spend more then 7 days most places we go. 310 could come in handy for summer travel...even though I just put in a pool.

The other question is that it seems that most people here are very positive about the DVC, except for some service issues. Is there any negative feedback that people have heard? I guess I'm trying to make myself feel better about making a $28000 investment in my family, that doesn't sound good does it.

Brownie

Spoke to a DVC rep today..with DVC referral SSR is $83.30 point....no deals at BWV.

For on property stays at WDW at DVC resorts over multiple and light or neutral on weekends, it's a no brainer. It isn't usually a good choice for most other situations. At least consider off site timeshare options as well as they would be dramatically cheaper.

 

[fletcher1964]

If you have the time to keep track of the variety of contracts, then you can probably work the system pretty well. We have points at OKW and BCV. Each time we make a reservation we're asked which contract to take the points from. If you're booking over 7 months, you have to have the points at the resort you're reserving. I've never heard of the option to transfer the points from contract to contract to book over 7 months out. Again, there's always ways to work the system if you have the time.

If someone could give me the heads up on transferring, I'm curious about it.
Also, both of our add ons were automatically give the same UYApr (which I hate). Just yesterday, FedEx brought the info package to purchase another add-on. When we requested the package, Betty told us that our UY is the same for all contracts. Do you think I have the option to have a different UY?

 

[Alexander]

Buy as many points as you can afford! We did and it's still not enough! Sorry not much help am I!

 

[luvindisneyworld]

Hi, we purchased 210 BCV points when we joined in 2002.We really wanted VWL points but they were not avavilible,so after we bought into BCV we then did an add on for VWL of 140 points.
We dont think we have enough points .With DVC I dont think you could ever have to many points. .
Whatever choice you make will be a good one with DVC.

Misty

 

[Dean]

If someone could give me the heads up on transferring, I'm curious about it.
Also, both of our add ons were automatically give the same UYApr (which I hate). Just yesterday, FedEx brought the info package to purchase another add-on. When we requested the package, Betty told us that our UY is the same for all contracts. Do you think I have the option to have a different UY?

To get a different use year you'd have to either buy 150 points min of resale.