I have some questions about DVC

[PrincessBetsy]

Hey everyone!

I have been looking into purchasing a timeshare and I wondered if it is worth the money. Me and my family usually visit WDW at least once a year, but we usually stay at the Grand Floridian or Polynesian. If we did buy a timeshare it would probably be at Wilderness Lodge. I have also been looking at the new resort next to the Contemporary.

I also wondered when the points would run out. Is it different for each resort? Additionally, if you buy a timeshare directly through Disney do you get put on a waiting list until points become available? (This part confuses me the most - I guess I'm not sure about the process for purchasing a timeshare.)

Thank you so much in advance!

 

[bangzoom6877]

If you are set on staying on the monorail line since that is what you usually do then Bay Lake Tower (BLT) at the Contemporary is probably the best choice for your home resort. If you simply like being in the MK resort area then Wilderness Lodge would probably be good.

As far as how long the timeshare is good for...we bought a resale at BWV. For that specific resort, the DVC membership is good until the year 2042. For SSR, it is until 2054 and for Animal Kingdom Villas it is until 2057. I am not sure about BLT but I think it is also 2057 like AKV. The earliest any of the DVC memberships expire is 2042, so you are looking at 34 years from now, minimum.

Your points replenish every year. Let's say you bought 200 points at BLT, for talk's sake. You buy them with a March Use Year, which means that every March 1st, your 200 points will be replenished and can be used until the following year, on the final day of February. You may bank those points into the next year if you want, and you can borrow the points from the year after. So let's look at the following scenario:

-you have 200 points at BLT, March Use Year, beginning March 1, 2009
-you do not plan to go this year so you bank the points into the next year, 2010. this means that on March 1, 2010, you will have 400 points available to use over the course of one year
-you take a trip in October 2010 that costs you 450 points, so you need to borrow 50 points from 2011
-March 1, 2011, you will have 150 points made available to you to use that year or to bank for the following year

Does this make sense? I hope I did not confuse you! Oh, you have until the end of the 7th month of your UY to bank your points. For example, I have an April Use Year so I have until November 30th to bank my points each year.

Also, keep in mind that your home resort is very important, as you have the 11-month booking advantage there, so buy where you want to stay all the time! We did this for BWV to be able to walk to Epcot and DHS. We want to stay in the Epcot area every trip, and BWV is beautiful so we chose that! It's a place we can go to trip after trip and still love it every time!

 

[bangzoom6877]

Oh also...I believe that if you buy directly through Disney it is very quick until you can book your first trip! Resales take much longer. We made the offer on August 26th and it was accepted that same day, and we closed on October 6th. We were not in any rush though...our first trip home is in July 2010 but we wanted to lock it in now! Plus we want to bank 2009's points and use them in 2010 to get a one-bedroom, which we will do every other year when we go!

 

[DeeCee735]

Additionally, if you buy a timeshare directly through Disney do you get put on a waiting list until points become available? (This part confuses me the most - I guess I'm not sure about the process for purchasing a timeshare.)

Thank you so much in advance!

If you are buying at BLT or AKV, the two resorts that are NOT sold out, and you are flexible with use year, (taking the UY they have points available for) you will NOT be put on a waitlist. However if you want points at a sold out resort directly through Disney, they may or may not have points available immediately. If not, you will go on a waitlist. There seems to be alot on the resale market, so you may just have a good chance at Disney having points available at the sold out resorts as well.

Good luck!

 

[Tara]

I am not sure about BLT but I think it is also 2057 like AKV.

Close...it's 2060.

 

[PrincessBetsy]

Thank you so much everyone! You have helped me out so much! I definitely think that BLT is probably the best choice for me. Does anyone know when they start selling the timeshares for BLT?

 

[bangzoom6877]

I believe they are currently selling BLT contracts. If you are not currently a DVC member you must purchase a minimum of 160 points. However, if you want that MK view every trip and want to go often or for a lot of nights each trip, you probably should buy much more!!

 

[PrincessBetsy]

I believe they are currently selling BLT contracts. If you are not currently a DVC member you must purchase a minimum of 160 points. However, if you want that MK view every trip and want to go often or for a lot of nights each trip, you probably should buy much more!!

Ok, thanks! How would I go about buying a contract? (Sorry for all the questions, but I just want to make sure I make the right decision. )

 

[Tara]

Ok, thanks! How would I go about buying a contract? (Sorry for all the questions, but I just want to make sure I make the right decision. )

You can call DVC and do the whole transaction by phone and they'll mail you paperwork to complete and send back. They make it very, very easy. I'd be glad to share the name of a helpful guide with you if you want - just PM me - or if you look in the "my guide makes me not want to buy" thread as there are a lot of good guide recs there.

For us, BLT is was the right place to buy. We prefer deluxe resorts and usually stay at Grand Floridian or Beach Club. The idea of BLT appeals to us a lot and we love the location, so it was a natural fit for us. Down the road we'll probably do a Beach Club Villas add-on so we can have home booking advantage there, to. But for now this gives us the experience we want.

As for making the right decision, you might want to wait until your next trip and do the DVC presentation and tour the models. This will give you a better idea of the resort and it's possible there will be better incentives than the current $5 off per point. (Possible - but no one really knows what future incentives will be, if any.) BLT is in no danger of selling out anytime soon, so waiting until you can make your decision in person won't hurt.

Good luck!

 

[PrincessBetsy]

You can call DVC and do the whole transaction by phone and they'll mail you paperwork to complete and send back. They make it very, very easy. I'd be glad to share the name of a helpful guide with you if you want - just PM me - or if you look in the "my guide makes me not want to buy" thread as there are a lot of good guide recs there.

For us, BLT is was the right place to buy. We prefer deluxe resorts and usually stay at Grand Floridian or Beach Club. The idea of BLT appeals to us a lot and we love the location, so it was a natural fit for us. Down the road we'll probably do a Beach Club Villas add-on so we can have home booking advantage there, to. But for now this gives us the experience we want.

As for making the right decision, you might want to wait until your next trip and do the DVC presentation and tour the models. This will give you a better idea of the resort and it's possible there will be better incentives than the current $5 off per point. (Possible - but no one really knows what future incentives will be, if any.) BLT is in no danger of selling out anytime soon, so waiting until you can make your decision in person won't hurt.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for this information! Me and my family love deluxe resorts and we love the location of BLT, so it will probably be the resort we choose. I think I might go tour the models, since they won't be selling out soon. Thanks again!!