How many points!?

[JLa01844]

I know this is all opinion based but wanted to get some feedback.

We’ve settled on looking for our first resale contract at Wilderness Lodge (BRV or CCV)! Yay! We’ve figured out what our use year should be and now we are wondering on points.

1) Initial thought was enough for 1 bedroom stay once per year and if we didn’t happen to use the points one year we’d just rent them out.

2) Last night friend (DVC owner) recommended buying 1/2 the amount of points and plan to travel every other year by banking the points we don’t use.

Thoughts? We have been consistently going to WDW for 15 years between every 12 - 18 months. We do enjoy some non-Disney Vacations in between our stays at WDW. Typically a cruise (RC, NCL, and DCL).

 

[Lorana]

How frequently do you WANT to travel to Disney? Once per year, or once every other year? If you're really fine with once every other year, then your friends suggestion is a good one. If you want to go once per year, buy enough for a 1 BR (plus a little extra as point charts may change!) and then rent on those odd years you don't go -- or bank and take a longer trip in the next year.

If you can afford it, having the extra points is nice, because it means that when you want a longer trip or want to try other resorts that might have higher point charts, you have the points and thus the flexibility to do so. Renting out those points when you don't go, allows you to cover your MF fees. And while some people may say it's not a good strategy, if you can afford it to buy "double" the points and you end up going every other year, renting out every other year means that you'll mostly cover dues for those 2 years.

 

[linzjane88]

I will say I bought 225 thinking we would continue staying in studios and going once a year. We very quickly got spoiled and realized the greatness of having a door away from the kids, especially as they get older. That turned into 'it's much more fun to have friends and family with us!' so now we book 2 bedrooms....you can see the slippery slope Then if you factor doing the 7 month switch at a resort that may not have standard views available and the points can go quick. I am in a constant borrowing cycle!

It's hard to nail down exactly how many points you need but leave a little cushion, and think hard about how you might change your travel patterns after DVC.

 

[JavaDuck]

Use the points charts to figure out how many points you'll need to take the types of vacations you want to take. Think about all the different ways you may book a vacation and how many points each would cost. As others have mentioned make sure you add a few extra points to take into account the charts possibly being adjusted and/or booking at a non-home resort. Definitely decide if you plan to travel every year or every other year. Also don't forget about maintenance fees.

 

[MICKIMINI]

It's definitely better to buy more not less! If you can buy CCV on the secondary market with a good UY for you, you can then buy 100 direct from DVC and have them match your UY. If you strategize right, you will get 100 extra points from the current UY with your direct purchase. It's better to do it in that order. I always recommend buying several smaller contracts regardless if it is resale and/or direct as it will give you an option to sell one if necessary. As OP's say, you will enjoy bigger villas with kitchens, WD and private bedrooms. Once you are a member, every other year won't cut it!

We bought 100 BRV points a few weeks ago for $99 with a June UY and just picked up another 50 BRV points for $110 this week with the same UY averaging $102.66 PP. We felt it was a great opportunity to pick up this resort which we love and add it to our Oct UY OKW contracts. My guess is, the CCV expiration may be important to you for the long game. A combination of direct and resale is my suggestion for you. Good for you for doing your homework and good luck!

 

[sethschroeder]

As others have mentioned make sure you add a few extra points to take into account the charts possibly being adjusted and/or booking at a non-home resort.

Do not and I am very serious do not buy for "possible chart changes". The time you go could always go down or up. When it goes down or up it is going to typically not be that impactful (your time could be the exception).

Random Example:
BWV 1BR (August 1st-8th) costs 271 in 2020 and 276 in 2021
5 points extra for a week in a 1br
Borrowing 5 points each year from the following year will impact your stay length after 55 years. Yes it would take 55 years for you to run out of points that you could borrow.

Lets say it even takes just 15 years of borrowing before you would deplete the borrowing power you would have? In that case you would simply skip 1 stay (or purchase transfer points from someone else) every 15 years (3 stays basically over the life of a contract).

The only reason why you buy some extra points is if you know you know you will be going during different times, staying at resorts that cost more, or plan on increasing your points total in the future anyways.

 

[sethschroeder]

1) Initial thought was enough for 1 bedroom stay once per year and if we didn’t happen to use the points one year we’d just rent them out.

2) Last night friend (DVC owner) recommended buying 1/2 the amount of points and plan to travel every other year by banking the points we don’t use.

I think its important to not go in with renting as a primary option for point usage. If you are going to plan on going yearly then plan for that. If you are not sure you could always do a smaller contract and buy another one in the future after you see yourself wanting to go every year.

Also look at all the upset "bankers" on this site who can't travel and can't bank their points another year. I think a better method is borrowing which right now is capped at 50%. We have a pool of banked points that we will use but its not my goal anymore to have points that I will have banked.

 

[JLa01844]

It's definitely better to buy more not less! If you can buy CCV on the secondary market with a good UY for you, you can then buy 100 direct from DVC and have them match your UY. If you strategize right, you will get 100 extra points from the current UY with your direct purchase. It's better to do it in that order. I always recommend buying several smaller contracts regardless if it is resale and/or direct as it will give you an option to sell one if necessary. As OP's say, you will enjoy bigger villas with kitchens, WD and private bedrooms. Once you are a member, every other year won't cut it!

We bought 100 BRV points a few weeks ago for $99 with a June UY and just picked up another 50 BRV points for $110 this week with the same UY averaging $102.66 PP. We felt it was a great opportunity to pick up this resort which we love and add it to our Oct UY OKW contracts. My guess is, the CCV expiration may be important to you for the long game. A combination of direct and resale is my suggestion for you. Good for you for doing your homework and good luck!

That is a great idea that I hadn't considered. Buying multiple smaller. Thanks for that.

 

[JLa01844]

I think its important to not go in with renting as a primary option for point usage. If you are going to plan on going yearly then plan for that. If you are not sure you could always do a smaller contract and buy another one in the future after you see yourself wanting to go every year.

Also look at all the upset "bankers" on this site who can't travel and can't bank their points another year. I think a better method is borrowing which right now is capped at 50%. We have a pool of banked points that we will use but its not my goal anymore to have points that I will have banked.

Very true!

 

[JLa01844]

Do not and I am very serious do not buy for "possible chart changes". The time you go could always go down or up. When it goes down or up it is going to typically not be that impactful (your time could be the exception).

Random Example:
BWV 1BR (August 1st-8th) costs 271 in 2020 and 276 in 2021
5 points extra for a week in a 1br
Borrowing 5 points each year from the following year will impact your stay length after 55 years. Yes it would take 55 years for you to run out of points that you could borrow.

Lets say it even takes just 15 years of borrowing before you would deplete the borrowing power you would have? In that case you would simply skip 1 stay (or purchase transfer points from someone else) every 15 years (3 stays basically over the life of a contract).

The only reason why you buy some extra points is if you know you know you will be going during different times, staying at resorts that cost more, or plan on increasing your points total in the future anyways.

Thanks for that. good tip!

 

[JLa01844]

Use the points charts to figure out how many points you'll need to take the types of vacations you want to take. Think about all the different ways you may book a vacation and how many points each would cost. As others have mentioned make sure you add a few extra points to take into account the charts possibly being adjusted and/or booking at a non-home resort. Definitely decide if you plan to travel every year or every other year. Also don't forget about maintenance fees.

Yup! Maintenance fees will be considerably cheaper expense than our non DVC trips!

 

[JLa01844]

How frequently do you WANT to travel to Disney? Once per year, or once every other year? If you're really fine with once every other year, then your friends suggestion is a good one. If you want to go once per year, buy enough for a 1 BR (plus a little extra as point charts may change!) and then rent on those odd years you don't go -- or bank and take a longer trip in the next year.

If you can afford it, having the extra points is nice, because it means that when you want a longer trip or want to try other resorts that might have higher point charts, you have the points and thus the flexibility to do so. Renting out those points when you don't go, allows you to cover your MF fees. And while some people may say it's not a good strategy, if you can afford it to buy "double" the points and you end up going every other year, renting out every other year means that you'll mostly cover dues for those 2 years.

I guess I’ve been happy with tye amount that we go but then again I didn’t own DVC! I bet we would just go every year once we owned. LOL.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Right now there is a limit to the number of points you can borrow from your next UY. Limit is 50% of the total number of points. There hasn't been any indication of when this limitation will end, but it might be good to keep it in mind if you plan on borrowing points (like you have enough for a studio and decide you really want a one bedroom or you thought five nights would be enough, but now you want to stay ten nights).

 

[Lorana]

I guess I’ve been happy with tye amount that we go but then again I didn’t own DVC! I bet we would just go every year once we owned. LOL.

I will say that we had been a "once a year" family, and now we tend to make more trips, though we've gone from 10 days at a time to 4-5 days at a time. And while we were content with a 1 BR (boys in the living room, us in the master), we'll admit that 2-BRs are SO NICE. Addonitis is a REAL PROBLEM.
We did just buy 2 fixed weeks at CCV in a Studio, rather than 1 Fixed Week in a 1 BR. This was partly because we couldn't decide which week we wanted more (Thanksgiving or early Christmas Season), but also that we are telling ourselves that a Studio will be more than fine once the kiddos are grown and no longer traveling with this, and this way we get TWO weeks then rather than one, but I have to admit I'm wondering if we should have just gone with the 1 BR, lol.