I am really confused- please help

[Kebby]

We are thinking we want to buy DVC, but I am confused.

How do I know what UY I want? If we buy resale, are we treated the same as if we bought direct? I hear a lot about buying in to SSR and then just staying elsewhere. We often go in September so getting in somewhere won't necessarily be an issue, but still it sounds a bit risky.

How long does the process take? For example, if we buy now, how long before we can start using our points? We had to move our September trip to December because of an accident, but I assume using our points in december won't be an easy feat.

Also, how easy is it to add on points?

 

[nalajms]

UY - Timing for banking points from this year to next year. If you had a Dec UY and ended up canceling your Sept, you'd have to cancel by end of July to bank your points. Dec UY points expire 11/31.

Most of the advise here is buy a UY a few months prior to when you travel most. So if you travel in Sept/Dec, a Aug, Jun, or Sept might work better.

Buy where you want to stay if a specific resort matters to you. SSR, OKW, and AKV are the bigger resorts with most availability. If you really want to stay at BLT most of the time, better buy BLT. It's hard to get the standard rooms most of the year at 7months. Lake & Park view costs a lot more points. I think at the end it's a wash to buy SSR and use it on Lake & Park views instead of buying BLT to get the standard rooms. All this assumes you can plan at 11 months.

Resale can take 2+ months from offer to booking. If you bought now, it's possible you'll be booking by early Aug.

Adding on thru Disney is easy. Adding on through resale is the same as buying new.

Good luck!

 

[AJA]

One big thing to remember with DVC is the "busy" time for DVC isn't the same as for the Disney parks. September is usually not that busy because of the heat, hurricanes, and humidity (we go in Sept a lot lol) but since it's a low points DVC is busier than the hotels. As an example, we've found May (higher points) easier to book than September.

You're doing the right thing by asking lots of questions before you make your decision.

ETA: as the pp already said, if you have your heart set on a certain resort then buy at that resort (especially a small DVC resort like Beach Club or the popular location of BLT). If you don't mind staying at SSR if you can't find the room you want at a different resort at the 7 month mark then buying a less expensive resorts makes a lot of sense.

 

[Minniesgal]

September isn't the busiest time but it also isn't that quiet for DVC bookings. We are going the tail end of August and i can tell you a few days after the 7 month window opened it was difficult to change any bookings. Some things have come up since on a waitlist but not all.

I would only buy SSR if i didn't mind staying there or if i dodn't mind doing split stays. If you plan on going for 10-14 nights and want to stay in the same room same resort best to buy where you want to stay and book earlier. If you don't mind staying at SSR and are happy to experience other resorts just for s few nights then your strategy is fine.

I went against the recommended advice on UY. We come from the UK so our trips are booked 11 months in advance as i buy flights then so come hell or high water i will not be cancelling. We travel in the summer so conventional wisdom would advise me to have a December UY so if I have to cancel I can still bank the points. However we travel only once every two or three years and we want to bank and borrow every trip. What i have done is take an August UY and i do split UY holidays (start in July and finish in August so it is across two UY). that allows me if I wish to sue 4 years worth of points at once.

I think UY is a very personal decision. If you go resale I would be more interested in the right number of points at the right price. Direct you can choose. If buying resale I would be thinking buying points to use next year not this year not saying using them this year would be impossible buy certainly difficult. I would expect December to be already pretty busy this year.

 

[chalee94]

How do I know what UY I want? If we buy resale, are we treated the same as if we bought direct? I hear a lot about buying in to SSR and then just staying elsewhere...

I assume using our points in december won't be an easy feat.

lots of people buy SSR assuming they can stay in BLT or BCV with no problems. most of them wind up disappointed. this thread is a helpful warning:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3118962

here's a discussion of december availability at exactly 7 months out:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2919467

 

[DizBub]

ETA: as the pp already said, if you have your heart set on a certain resort then buy at that resort (especially a small DVC resort like Beach Club or the popular location of BLT). If you don't mind staying at SSR if you can't find the room you want at a different resort at the 7 month mark then buying a less expensive resorts makes a lot of sense.

We own at BLT and BCV. Please be aware that to get either of these resorts you pretty much have to use your 11 month booking advantage. Not saying it's impossible but highly unlikely especially at popular times like F&W, F&G, holidays, etc. You must be prepared to plan and book early otherwise you could be disppointed.

Owning points there gives you no guarantee that you can stay there unless you use your 11 month booking window.

 

[AJA]

We own at BLT and BCV. Please be aware that to get either of these resorts you pretty much have to use your 11 month booking advantage. Not saying it's impossible but highly unlikely especially at popular times like F&W, F&G, holidays, etc. You must be prepared to plan and book early otherwise you could be disppointed.

Owning points there gives you no guarantee that you can stay there unless you use your 11 month booking window.

We own at BCV (hoping for a small BLT contract too!) and we've been ok with getting what we wanted at BCV (in May) as long as we book before the 7 month mark. We bought where we wanted to stay and have never regretted it.

For our last vacation we were able to get the first week of May at about 9 months out. But if we had wanted say Star Wars weekend it might have been a different story!.

And OP remember late September starts Food and Wine. It is HARD (not impossible, but tough) to get an Epcot DVC stay during F&W at the 7 month mark. Again remember slow Disney Parks time and slow DVC time are not the same.

Overall you're biggest expense is going to be your yearly dues. Make sure you run the numbers on what's best for your family. A higher purchase price can easily be off set with lower dues if you plan on owning for long time.

 

[lorie13]

We are thinking we want to buy DVC, but I am confused.

How do I know what UY I want? If we buy resale, are we treated the same as if we bought direct? I hear a lot about buying in to SSR and then just staying elsewhere. We often go in September so getting in somewhere won't necessarily be an issue, but still it sounds a bit risky.

How long does the process take? For example, if we buy now, how long before we can start using our points? We had to move our September trip to December because of an accident, but I assume using our points in december won't be an easy feat.

Also, how easy is it to add on points?

September is our favorite month to go also. I have been able to book BLT, BCV, BWV right at the 7 month window (we own AKV).

Resale process can take up to 2 months to complete. We started on April 11th for a BWV resale contract and are still waiting for the points to be added to our membership.

On UY we have Dec, that is what Disney gave us when we purchased AKV direct. If I had to choose now I would go for Feb or Mar. With a Dec UY dues are due Jan 15 for that year and you do not receive your points until Dec, you can borrow them, but if you have to cancel borrowed points they have to be used in the current year. Example, if I borrow my Dec 13 points (which I will not receive until Dec 1) and book a trip in 2013, then have cancel the trip I have to use those points by November 30, 2013.

 

[DizBub]

We own at BCV (hoping for a small BLT contract too!) and we've been ok with getting what we wanted at BCV (in May) as long as we book before the 7 month mark. We bought where we wanted to stay and have never regretted it.

I should have clarified....I was speaking to our situation.

We like to go in Sept/Oct and to get BLT standard anything you really seem to need the 11 months. At BCV we need a 2br with 2 queen beds. Since they only have 25 of them I can't seem to get one of those unless I call exactly at 11 months.

I did manage to get BWV standard studio at 7 months for this May but had to cancel and rebook for the week before. Thank goodness we love SSR because that's all we could get.

Good luck with your research.

 

[River Country]

We are thinking we want to buy DVC, but I am confused.

How do I know what UY I want? If we buy resale, are we treated the same as if we bought direct? I hear a lot about buying in to SSR and then just staying elsewhere. We often go in September so getting in somewhere won't necessarily be an issue, but still it sounds a bit risky.

How long does the process take? For example, if we buy now, how long before we can start using our points? We had to move our September trip to December because of an accident, but I assume using our points in december won't be an easy feat.

Also, how easy is it to add on points?

I bought direct from Disney several years ago at SSR and i can say that i have had no problem getting the resorts i wanted at 7 months out both for December and April/May

I have gotten BCV for December at 7 months and i got BWV for April at 7 months. I also got VWL at 7 months for May

I also got OKW at 7 months for December. I hear BLT is a tough one at 7

I am staying at my home SSR this december becasue i love the resort its my fave which is why we bought there but i wil be adding points more than likely adding them at SSR

 

[Dean]

We are thinking we want to buy DVC, but I am confused.

How do I know what UY I want? If we buy resale, are we treated the same as if we bought direct? I hear a lot about buying in to SSR and then just staying elsewhere. We often go in September so getting in somewhere won't necessarily be an issue, but still it sounds a bit risky.

How long does the process take? For example, if we buy now, how long before we can start using our points? We had to move our September trip to December because of an accident, but I assume using our points in december won't be an easy feat.

Also, how easy is it to add on points?

It sounds like you need to get a lot of information and understanding before you proceed. IF you travel at set times, UY is a fairly important issue but if you go at all times of the year it doesn't matter much or at all. I'd buy the cheapest option that gives you an 11 month window where you want to go most of the time and that you'd be happy staying at if you can't get anything else.

Resale buyers don't have all the same options as qualified buyers but for DVC reservations there is no difference nor can there be.