Is there a DVC guide for dummies? :)

[d1sneyf4n]

I am at a lost when it comes to this whole thing. Is there someplace that can explain it all in easy to understand terms? TIA

 

[disneynutz]

The best advice is to start reading the DVC threads here on the DIS.

Bill

 

[Deb & Bill]

And feel free to ask questions here as well. We'll chuckle under our breath when you ask the same old question, but you'll get good answers and lots of suggestions.

 

[chalee94]

there's a link to point charts for the different resorts in the top right hand corner.

(note: the point charts show the price - per night - in points. there is no discount for a 7-night stay and it doesn't matter if you start in a different season, just add up the point cost per night as listed in the charts to figure how many you need.)

here is basic info on DVC and links to the different resorts (with pics) to get a feel for which you would prefer:

http://allears.net/acc/dvc.htm

(there is also a resorts link above that you can use- look under the villas section.)

if you call to book your home resort at 11 months out, you will virtually always get what you want. if you wait, results become more variable.

for further reading, here is a good thread to start with:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2740145

here are some general information you might find interesting:

here is a thread for more info about choosing a home resort.

here is a link to historical annual dues per point for the different DVC resorts and other DVC info.

and if you are ready for slightly more advanced information:

here is a thread for understanding use year.

for pricing/buying information:

here is (usually accurate) current pricing for contracts purchased directly.

there is a link above for resale listings, which will be much cheaper but take longer to close and also no longer have access to trading for disney cruises or stays at disney hotels like the GF.

 

[d1sneyf4n]

there's a link to point charts for the different resorts in the top right hand corner.

(note: the point charts show the price - per night - in points. there is no discount for a 7-night stay and it doesn't matter if you start in a different season, just add up the point cost per night as listed in the charts to figure how many you need.)

here is basic info on DVC and links to the different resorts (with pics) to get a feel for which you would prefer:

http://allears.net/acc/dvc.htm

(there is also a resorts link above that you can use- look under the villas section.)

if you call to book your home resort at 11 months out, you will virtually always get what you want. if you wait, results become more variable.

for further reading, here is a good thread to start with:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2740145

here are some general information you might find interesting:

here is a thread for more info about choosing a home resort.

here is a link to historical annual dues per point for the different DVC resorts and other DVC info.

and if you are ready for slightly more advanced information:

here is a thread for understanding use year.

for pricing/buying information:

here is (usually accurate) current pricing for contracts purchased directly.

there is a link above for resale listings, which will be much cheaper but take longer to close and also no longer have access to trading for disney cruises or stays at disney hotels like the GF.

Wow, thank you!! So if we were to buy a resale, we could only stay at our "home resort"?

 

[d1sneyf4n]

Thank you all for the replies. I think I have my homework cut out for me. I know we would only really want to stay at the Beach Club Villas, Boardwalk Villas or Bay Lake Tower. We would like to go 2 times a year if possible. If not than it would be more like say Oct 2012 and then not again until Dec 2013.

 

[Brandis]

As far as DVC resorts go, you have the same rights as any DVC member, resale or direct. You can book at your home resort at 11 months out and all the other DVC resorts at 7 months out.

What you can't do with a resale contract is:

- Booking the Adventure Collection (Disney resorts without a DVC resort attached to it, like Polynesian, Grand Floridian etc.)

- Booking cruises with DVC points.

You still could use DVC points to book with RCI, but most members see this as bad value for their points.

I think that's about it...

 

[missycj96]

Passporter sells a reasonably priced E-book. It is informative and explains everything. I bought it when i purchased dvc.

 

[DopeysGal82]

Thank you all for the replies. I think I have my homework cut out for me. I know we would only really want to stay at the Beach Club Villas, Boardwalk Villas or Bay Lake Tower. We would like to go 2 times a year if possible. If not than it would be more like say Oct 2012 and then not again until Dec 2013.

There are 2 recent threads on the front page that started about my decision to buy and I got a LOT of good responses.

You should buy where you want to stay, Out of those three, you can only get BLT direct right now (though I've heard if you ask, sometimes you can get some of the sold out resorts). BLT is the most expensive, so if you're not planning to stay there a lot, you're better off with BWV or BCV on resale. If you buy resale, you can still use your points for any DVC property at the 7 month mark, but you lose being able to book DCL and some of the other trades. People almost unanimously agree that this "benefit" which is not guaranteed, is a bad use of points anyway, so in realty you're not missing much by buying resale.

If you're flexible,I would suggest flipping your trips and dong Dec 2012 and October 2013. The reason is you can do both of those trips on one annual pass. That's exactly how DH and I have done it twice. We just got back from WDW and we'll be back in Oct for F&W. 1 trip per year, but they work out to be on one pass, and you get $100 off annual passes through DVC.

For us, after October 2012, our next planned trip is DLR, and we might not get back to WDW until fall of 2013 or early 2014. So instead of renewing our APs and spending money on time we won't use, we'll let it expire next December, and then buy it again when we need it in late 2013 or early 2014.

 

[chalee94]

Wow, thank you!! So if we were to buy a resale, we could only stay at our "home resort"?

you have no guarantee to stay anywhere. if you wait till 2 months out and there is no availability anywhere, you are out of luck - doesn't matter where you own or how many pts you have.

i'm just saying that if you are not a good planner, you have a higher risk of losing pts - direct or not.

as brandis posted, there is (currently) no difference between direct and resale from within the DVC program...just if you are trading out for cruises or the poly.

you might want to think of it as competing for a spot. at 11 months out, you are competing for a villa with other owners of that resort. at 7 months out, all DVC owners have a shot. there may be something available at the last minute but there might not be...or options may be extremely limited.

just something to think about to decide whether timeshares like DVC would be right for you...

 

[Deb & Bill]

...You should buy where you want to stay, Out of those three, you can only get BLT direct right now (though I've heard if you ask, sometimes you can get some of the sold out resorts). ....

DVC will sell you any points if they have them. So just ask if you want BCV or BWV. But you can usually find just about anything on resale. Including Aulani and BLT.

 

[d1sneyf4n]

Thank you all once again for the responses. I was looking on allears and I saw this..........
Although you are buying a "real-estate interest" and your purchase is actually deeded, your ownership ceases to exist after these dates.

What does that mean? After such and such date you no longer have ownership and all the money you put into it goes out the door?

 

[DopeysGal82]

Thank you all once again for the responses. I was looking on allears and I saw this..........
Although you are buying a "real-estate interest" and your purchase is actually deeded, your ownership ceases to exist after these dates.

What does that mean? After such and such date you no longer have ownership and all the money you put into it goes out the door?

Right. It's more like a lease. You have this ownership and it has an expiration date. OKW owners were offered an extension recently, so other resorts may be offered the same extension in the future.

Another way to think about it when you're evaluating this is to multiply your points by the number of years you have left on the contract and then dividing your buy in price by that number. Then you can add in the dues for each year to get your price per point, so you're thinking of it in terms of what you're getting for how much money.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Right. It's more like a lease. You have this ownership and it has an expiration date. OKW owners were offered an extension recently, so other resorts may be offered the same extension in the future.....

But they were charging $15 for the first month or so, went up to $20 a point for a few more months and then up to $25 a point. Since it doesn't go into effect until 2042, why in the world would I spent that money now for 15 more years that I will never use? In the world of resales, the extra 15 years hasn't impacted resale prices too much. You won't get what you pay in for the extra years. It was basically a flop.

 

[DopeysGal82]

But they were charging $15 for the first month or so, went up to $20 a point for a few more months and then up to $25 a point. Since it doesn't go into effect until 2042, why in the world would I spent that money now for 15 more years that I will never use? In the world of resales, the extra 15 years hasn't impacted resale prices too much. You won't get what you pay in for the extra years. It was basically a flop.

I guess it depends on whether you have reason to believe those extra years can be used by you/your progeny, but it's impossible to predict and I'm sure that if it was such a flop and they are not selling for those extra 15 years, they'll make another "offer" closer to the ending date, or you can rebuy. Who knows what DVC (or Disney World for that matter) will look like in 30 years.

 

[disneynutz]

I guess it depends on whether you have reason to believe those extra years can be used by you/your progeny, but it's impossible to predict and I'm sure that if it was such a flop and they are not selling for those extra 15 years, they'll make another "offer" closer to the ending date, or you can rebuy. Who knows what DVC (or Disney World for that matter) will look like in 30 years.

There is little money to be made with contract extensions. IMO Disney will tear down and rebuild the resorts and sell as new. Older buildings have too many issues, the Contemporary and Poly tear downs are two examples.

Bill

 

[luckyman_apd]

There is little money to be made with contract extensions. IMO Disney will tear down and rebuild the resorts and sell as new. Older buildings have too many issues, the Contemporary and Poly tear downs are two examples.

Bill

Very true. It is can be cheaper (or only slightly) more expensive to rebuild than to renovate/rehab. And if they tear down, rebuild and resell as DVC again, as long as they have the buyers, it will still be profitable for them. This is why you see so many abandoned buildings and shopping centers, but see new ones being built all the time.