Is there a strategy to buying DVC?

[disneynutz]

I don't believe this is accurate. Declared but unsold inventory is not booked with points by DVD and offered for cash accommodations. Rather the UNdeclared inventory is offered for cash. Declared inventory for active sales is open to members at other resorts to book on points- otherwise the contracts DVD is selling wouldn't be whole with current UY points when sold.

Thus it should be easier to book the newest resorts right when they open, then get harder as they move toward selling out, and then gradually become easier again over time as demand moves on to the next big thing, or home resort owners decide to try something else.

I don't claim to be any definitive expert, but someone I would regard as such- Tim Krasniewski- says functionally the same thing here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3363216

Another DVC best kept secret? I tracked VGF availability as soon as additional units were declared. It may have been a timing issue but I didn't see additional inventory available for member bookings.

Bill

 

[newdeal]

we just bought SSR resale contract and upon booking our first trip I realized why they say to buy where you want to stay. We booked at 2 months out for February mind you, but all the cheaper views are gone and you end up being stuck having to use more points to stay in a more expensive view category, which negates any savings you get from buying or from maintenance fees. I am still OK with buying SSR but I am sure over the years we will stay everywhere, find a favourite, and resell our SSR contract for whatever our favourite is

 

[disneynutz]

we just bought SSR resale contract and upon booking our first trip I realized why they say to buy where you want to stay. We booked at 2 months out for February mind you, but all the cheaper views are gone and you end up being stuck having to use more points to stay in a more expensive view category, which negates any savings you get from buying or from maintenance fees. I am still OK with buying SSR but I am sure over the years we will stay everywhere, find a favourite, and resell our SSR contract for whatever our favourite is

Sounds like a plan!

No matter what you read or think you know, buying and using is the best teacher. We like all of the DVC resorts for different things, some much more than others.

We just finished our DVC/Disney 10 year vacation plan staying at VGF, BWV, and VWL even though we also own AKV, BLT, and BCV.

Bill

 

[Dean]

I don't believe this is accurate. Declared but unsold inventory is not booked with points by DVD and offered for cash accommodations. Rather the UNdeclared inventory is offered for cash. Declared inventory for active sales is open to members at other resorts to book on points- otherwise the contracts DVD is selling wouldn't be whole with current UY points when sold.

Thus it should be easier to book the newest resorts right when they open, then get harder as they move toward selling out, and then gradually become easier again over time as demand moves on to the next big thing, or home resort owners decide to try something else.

I don't claim to be any definitive expert, but someone I would regard as such- Tim Krasniewski- says functionally the same thing here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3363216

If I read your post correctly, you misunderstood my post. Undeclared inventory is not part of DVC and is not available, points are irrelevant. Declared but unsold inventory means the points are held by DVC and they will use them to secure things to rent out if they don't expect to sell them quickly. Of course they should be competing with members for such reservations. My experience is that it's not easier during the active sales phase even though on the surface you might think it is. Here are the components. You've got new buyers who want to stay at that resort and you've also got more points than simply a single years worth and more points that would be required to reserve during the time the resort is available the first couple of years because of members buying during their UY but getting a full years worth of points. I'm guessing that with UY differences and the usual reservation process, you've still got about 10-20% more points active the first 2 yrs than you have villas. For most resorts this will overwhelm the volume of availability, the one exception I can think of I think was either VB or BWV where they declared very large chunks at one time then realized they had made a tactical error.

This is the same principle but reverse direction of why the 7 month availability for DVC at WDW in general reached it's most difficult point around 2-3 yrs after SSR was a complete sell out. Once members try their resort a time or 2, they are more likely to be willing to stay somewhere else. Now SSR is the extreme example and VGF likely to be be less representative of that principle but it still applies, esp for those who's only points are there.