It's OK to use your retail poly points to stay at SSR

[SpaceMountain77]

From a DVC member standpoint, we could repeat those 2 issues plus add the fact it's higher points than it likely should be. It really should have been more OKW level across the board.

This, Dean, is the heart of the problem. A one week studio stay during the month of September is 76 points at Old Key West and 97 points at Saratoga Springs. While guests do not have to pay more for a Hospitality House location at Old Key West, a preferred location is 14 more points, over a standard, at Saratoga Springs. If someone has an additional 10 vacation points, 107 points affords a booking at Beach Club, Boardwalk, or Boulder Ridge Villas.

Old Key West and Saratoga Springs should have more comparable point charts.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

This, Dean, is the heart of the problem. A one week studio stay during the month of September is 76 points at Old Key West and 97 points at Saratoga Springs. While guests do not have to pay more for a Hospitality House location at Old Key West, a preferred location is 14 more points, over a standard, at Saratoga Springs. If someone has an additional 10 vacation points, 107 points affords a booking at Beach Club, Boardwalk, or Boulder Ridge Villas.

Old Key West and Saratoga Springs should have more comparable point charts.

With the new standard view at SSR a studio is 83 points for a week in Sept and 97 for the preferred view. At other times of the year the standard view studios at SSR are identical to OKW studios. Some nights during the year the SSR standard is less than the OKW.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

With the new standard view at SSR a studio is 83 points for a week in Sept and 97 for the preferred view. At other times of the year the standard view studios at SSR are identical to OKW studios. Some nights during the year the SSR standard is less than the OKW.

This is true, Kathy, but during some times of the year, the point difference between a SSR preferred studio and BC/BR/BW seems negligible.

 

[msjprincess]

Please - all new purchasers! Buy those expensive points at all the new resorts!

Because I can't wait to try your new resort using my cheap points when you want to trade out to mine!

It's a win win for both of us - I'll get your place using lower cost points and you will get my place for less points than you will pay at your resort.

Yep. I'll be using my cheap SSR/OKW resale points for a Poly stay this summer

 

[bumbershoot]

To me, the upgrades and free weeks devalue Saratoga Springs, which makes it hard to use points that were $145 - 180 each.

I don't feel that showing the resort as an upgrade and as a place worth staying at devalues it.

 

[Minniesgal]

I have to confess I wouldn't use my VGF or my VGC anywhere but those resorts. Those points were more expensive and I only justified it as we specifically wanted to stay there.

Now i love SSR and will happily use my AKV points to stay there and frequently do

 

[Dean]

I don't feel that showing the resort as an upgrade and as a place worth staying at devalues it.

I agree somewhat that upgrading others to SSR could devalue it but probably only if it happens enough to make it predictable such that others are booking values and moderates somewhat planning to have a chance at the upgrade. Much like one might do on a cruise by booking a lower cabin and trying to get a higher one. But I don't think it has any effect on availability given that the inventory used is totally separate OR was available last minute anyway.

 

[Disn3yVision]

I agree. No one needs to justify how they use their DVC points. However, any attempt to justify paying direct pricing for points at a "premium" resort (ie: VGF, VGC, & PVB) and using them at other resorts still doesn't make it a wise financial move. The numbers don't change no matter how one crunches them. Many people overpay for stuff all the times and feel okay about it, but that doesn't make overpaying a good move financially.

LAX

You are correct, but the question at hand is what exactly are you paying for. The point of my post is that some people are in fact paying for THE OPTION to stay at Poly whenever they want to, because that is important to them. Even if they do not always exercise that option. They are not buying 50 stays at Poly, but rather they are buying into all 14 of the DVC properties, choosing the resort they want to have TOP PRIORITY at as the Polynesian.

If you want to have the peace of mind that you can always get Poly whenever you want, and you know that you want to stay at Poly more than any other resort (even if that only means 20 times out of 40), then the only way to guarantee that is to buy direct at Poly. Sure you can gamble and get cheaper points resale and hope you will be able to get Poly at the times you want 7 months out, but it is far from guaranteed. Especially if you want to book 7 days straight in a lake view over a holiday weekend or during F&W. So if what you are buying is the OPTION to stay at PVB whenever you want to then you actually aren't overpaying for anything, as there is no cheaper way to purchase that.

And just because you did purchase there it should not stop you for booking the right resort for any given trip, as to best fit that vacations specific needs. If you want to stay at all the DVC resorts 1 time and PVB every other time (that's about 18 stays elsewhere accounting for new resorts and 22 stays at PVB) at the times you choose then you should probably buy Poly. Buy where you WANT to stay... not buy where you are going to stay every single time. I strongly feel you would be cheating yourself never to experience the other resorts because you know you want to stay at a premium resort more often then not and want to guarantee that.

Going back to my steak analogy, you aren't overpaying because you didn't eat the whole steak. You stopped eating because you were satisfied... You got your value out of it. Sure you could have gotten a smaller, cheaper steak somewhere else... But it wouldn't have been that steak with its unique taste and flavors from that chef at that restaurant. You surely aren't going to ask the kitchen to cook you a smaller steak for half the price, so you pay the full price... even if you are only going to eat half. Because there is no cheaper way to get THAT exact steak that you want, just as there is no other way to get top booking priority at PVB without buying direct, even if you are only going to use that priority half of the time.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

I don't feel that showing the resort as an upgrade and as a place worth staying at devalues it.

Hypothetically, you reserve a studio standard, at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, for 97 vacation points, from September 17 - 24, 2017. Upon arriving at your room, you learn that your neighbors, in the 1-bedroom villa, had been upgraded from their standard room at Disney's All Star Music Resort. How would you react?

 

[Dean]

You are correct, but the question at hand is what exactly are you paying for. The point of my post is that some people are in fact paying for THE OPTION to stay at Poly whenever they want to, because that is important to them. Even if they do not always exercise that option. They are not buying 50 stays at Poly, but rather they are buying into all 14 of the DVC properties, choosing the resort they want to have TOP PRIORITY at as the Polynesian.

If you want to have the peace of mind that you can always get Poly whenever you want, and you know that you want to stay at Poly more than any other resort (even if that only means 20 times out of 40), then the only way to guarantee that is to buy direct at Poly. Sure you can gamble and get cheaper points resale and hope you will be able to get Poly at the times you want 7 months out, but it is far from guaranteed. Especially if you want to book 7 days straight in a lake view over a holiday weekend or during F&W. So if what you are buying is the OPTION to stay at PVB whenever you want to then you actually aren't overpaying for anything, as there is no cheaper way to purchase that.

And just because you did purchase there it should not stop you for booking the right resort for any given trip, as to best fit that vacations specific needs. If you want to stay at all the DVC resorts 1 time and PVB every other time (that's about 18 stays elsewhere accounting for new resorts and 22 stays at PVB) at the times you choose then you should probably buy Poly. Buy where you WANT to stay... not buy where you are going to stay every single time. I strongly feel you would be cheating yourself never to experience the other resorts because you know you want to stay at a premium resort more often then not and want to guarantee that.

Going back to my steak analogy, you aren't overpaying because you didn't eat the whole steak. You stopped eating because you were satisfied... You got your value out of it. Sure you could have gotten a smaller, cheaper steak somewhere else... But it wouldn't have been that steak with its unique taste and flavors from that chef at that restaurant. You surely aren't going to ask the kitchen to cook you a smaller steak for half the price, so you pay the full price... even if you are only going to eat half. Because there is no cheaper way to get THAT exact steak that you want, just as there is no other way to get top booking priority at PVB without buying direct, even if you are only going to use that priority half of the time.

Technically speaking one is not really buying access anywhere other than potentially the home resort. All we're really buying is the right to try to reserve starting at 11 months out at our home resort. Plus currently (could change) the chance to EXCHANGE to other resorts in the club assuming the resort we own is still in the club. Ultimately it's a combination of several gambles on the Disney/DVC's end and on our personal situations. Buying at a given resort doesn't guarantee access but it does give a priority. Buying high end and using elsewhere dilutes the $$$ value of the investment and it's easy to get to where one would have been better off both $$$ wise and other just to go cash or to own elsewhere and pay cash for the high end options. Obviously there are variables but the number I quoted above of staying at the home resort at least 75% of the time is a good reference to make owning at the top end options of Poly, VGF, DD & VGC reasonable. It's likely even more for Poly simply because I'm convinced once can get a studio there most of the time owning elsewhere anyway as long as they plan 7 months out. Same for AKV other than value/concierge. Obviously there are other variables but they are more emotional, preference & aggravation related and difficult to impossible to quantify.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

I have to confess I wouldn't use my VGF or my VGC anywhere but those resorts. Those points were more expensive and I only justified it as we specifically wanted to stay there.

Now i love SSR and will happily use my AKV points to stay there and frequently do

I use my AKV points freely throughout the Walt Disney World resort. At the 7-month mark, I gladly reserve whatever the best option happens to be. Over the past few years, our AKV point use has included reservations at AKV, BCV, OKW, and PVB. If available, we prefer deluxe studios, near Hospitality House, at Old Key West because of their size and the two queen beds.

However, I, too, only use my VGF points for VGF reservations. We truly enjoy staying at VGF, especially for the winter holidays. Also, given the limited availability of lake view studios, I book at the 11-month mark and keep the reservation.

 

[Disn3yVision]

Technically speaking one is not really buying access anywhere other than potentially the home resort. All we're really buying is the right to try to reserve starting at 11 months out at our home resort. Plus currently (could change) the chance to EXCHANGE to other resorts in the club assuming the resort we own is still in the club. Ultimately it's a combination of several gambles on the Disney/DVC's end and on our personal situations. Buying at a given resort doesn't guarantee access but it does give a priority. Buying high end and using elsewhere dilutes the $$$ value of the investment and it's easy to get to where one would have been better off both $$$ wise and other just to go cash or to own elsewhere and pay cash for the high end options. Obviously there are variables but the number I quoted above of staying at the home resort at least 75% of the time is a good reference to make owning at the top end options of Poly, VGF, DD & VGC reasonable. It's likely even more for Poly simply because I'm convinced once can get a studio there most of the time owning elsewhere anyway as long as they plan 7 months out. Same for AKV other than value/concierge. Obviously there are other variables but they are more emotional, preference & aggravation related and difficult to impossible to quantify.

So what would you suggest then for somebody who wants membership perks, wants to stay at every resort one time (including the new resorts they will build in the next fifty years, all of which will likely sell for the same price per point or more than PVB) but also wants to stay at the Poly every other time, and wants to have top priority at Poly over all other resorts (This is very important to them, as they would always be happy being stuck with a PVB reservation and this isn't true for the cheaper resorts)? What would be the smartest way to buy into DVC in such a situation?

 

[SpaceMountain77]

So what would you suggest then for somebody who wants membership perks, wants to stay at every resort one time (including the new resorts they will build in the next fifty years, all of which will likely sell for the same price per point or more than PVB) but also wants to stay at the Poly every other time, and wants to have top priority at Poly over all other resorts (This is very important to them, as they would always be happy being stuck with a PVB reservation and this isn't true for the cheaper resorts)? What would be the smartest way to buy into DVC in such a situation?

I have a strong feeling that Dean is going to quote me because of my description of the system.

As members, we are currently able to make reservations at the 7-month mark because not everyone books in advance and some members modify their reservations for another resort. If, for whatever reason, more members booked in advance and kept to their home resort, as is the case around the winter holidays, availability would be significantly affected at the 7-month mark.

The system works as it does because of current member behavior, but behavior can change. As the DVC presence at Walt Disney World continues to grow, resort demand and availability may change and affect reservation availability at non-home resorts. If membership perks and trying resorts are your first and second priorities, respectively, then PVB may not be the best home resort.

 

[supersnoop]

and wants to have top priority at Poly over all other resorts

This shouldn't be the last consideration on your list. It's really the only consideration. All other considerations can be mitigated.

But then the question is; how much is it worth to you? Depending on the time of year you normally vacation, you might be able to get PVB half the time at 7 months. If you always book short notice, then it doesn't really matter, anyway. There are simply too many variable to come up with one standard answer. If you'd actually book at 11 months, is it worth $10,000 to $20,000 to ensure you get PVB half the time, instead of taking a risk and potentially staying at the other resorts more often?

Since your list includes staying at other resorts at least once, I'd say, buy SSR, get a small direct add-on, and stay wherever you can each time. With some flexibility, you'd probably still get PVB half the time.

 

[Disn3yVision]

I guess my issue is when "buy where you want to stay" becomes "buy where you will stay every time if you buy at a premium resort" or "since you bought a premium resort you shouldn't use those points anywhere else" even if said other place is a better fit for that specific vacation. The entire philosophy around buy where you want to stay is one should buy where they would be happy staying if they can't get anywhere else... and if that place is PVB and there is no close second then it is "worth" every penny to buy PVB direct and use some points to stay at other resorts.

What you are paying for is peace of mind. Why do people get rental car coverage on their car insurance (when it would be cheaper to just save that amount every month and pay out of pocket if you end up needing a rental at some point) or elect to get additional insurance from Enterprise when they rent a car even though they already have insurance and the credit card it was rented on carries insurance as well in case of an accident? People do it for peace of mind, so they don't have to worry about it when the time comes. If you want the peace of mind that you will always have top priority to book PVB and that is very important to you, then you should buy PVB and you aren't overpaying. And if you do decide to do that, that doesn't mean you can not visit other resorts that are not considered premium or that you are diluting your purchase by doing so.

This shouldn't be the last consideration on your list. It's really the only consideration. All other considerations can be mitigated.

But then the question is; how much is it worth to you? Depending on the time of year you normally vacation, you might be able to get PVB half the time at 7 months. If you always book short notice, then it doesn't really matter, anyway. There are simply too many variable to come up with one standard answer. If you'd actually book at 11 months, is it worth $10,000 to $20,000 to ensure you get PVB half the time, instead of taking a risk and potentially staying at the other resorts more often?

Since your list includes staying at other resorts at least once, I'd say, buy SSR, get a small direct add-on, and stay wherever you can each time. With some flexibility, you'd probably still get PVB half the time.

Exactly, it comes down to how much is its worth to you to be sure you can get the resort of your choice (in this case PVB) whenever you want to. How much are you wiling to gamble that you won't be able to get it sometimes, and how disappointed would you be if you couldn't. If PVB is your favorite resort by far, and you don't want to have to be "flexible" just to "probably" get PVB "half the time" then your suggestion does not apply. That was not the last of my considerations, just the last listed on the list, as it was not in order of importance.... they were all of equal importance in my example. If you don't want to have to "stay wherever you can" but rather want to stay at PVB on those occasions then you need to buy PVB. Obviously somebody who wants to try all of the resorts and has no/little preference between shouldn't buy PVB.... but we are talking about when they have an INCREDIBLY strong preference for PVB and there is no close second.

If membership perks and trying resorts are your first and second priorities, respectively, then PVB may not be the best home resort.

You conveniently left out the most important priority, that you want first priority at PVB over all other resorts and there is no close second. So then, if you want top priority at PVB, membership perks, and to try every resort at least once as EQUALLY weighted priorities, I don't see how buying PVB isn't the best option. As a matter of fact, it is the ONLY option. And if you buy PVB because you want to be sure you have top priority there, then you are not diluting your purchase in any way by staying at other resorts as you are not diluting your ability to stay at PVB whenever you choose and that is one of the main reasoned you purchased at PVB.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

So what would you suggest then for somebody who wants membership perks, wants to stay at every resort one time (including the new resorts they will build in the next fifty years, all of which will likely sell for the same price per point or more than PVB) but also wants to stay at the Poly every other time, and wants to have top priority at Poly over all other resorts (This is very important to them, as they would always be happy being stuck with a PVB reservation and this isn't true for the cheaper resorts)? What would be the smartest way to buy into DVC in such a situation?

Buy 1/2 of the points required for the PVB stays and use banking and/or borrowing. Then buy a "trader" for the other stays and use banking and/or borrowing.

Little in my DVC experience makes me think that PVB is going to be different than all other resorts for booking although that certainly doesn't guarantee that it won't be. However I am expecting it to settle into the same sort of patterns as other resorts - probably similar to other monorail and Epcot resorts. If one has any sort of flexibility on dates then I do believe a person could buy all their points elsewhere and still end up booking at PVB 50% of their stays with a few caveats based on the time of year one is looking to go. Another factor will be if there's no flexibility on the years it's ok to try the other resorts or if one absolutely has to be able to stay at PVB whenever they want on specific dates. If so then PVB likely is the best option but I don't really see that lining up with a person who also wants to stay elsewhere 50 or 60% of the time. They likely will be flexible and would have been just as happy owning elsewhere and then trading into PVB.

 

[SpaceMountain77]

You conveniently left out the most important priority, that you want first priority at PVB over all other resorts and there is no close second. So then, if you want top priority at PVB, membership perks, and to try every resort at least once as EQUALLY weighted priorities, I don't see how buying PVB isn't the best option. As a matter of fact, it is the ONLY option. And if you buy PVB because you want to be sure you have top priority there, then you are not diluting your purchase in any way by staying at other resorts as you are not diluting your ability to stay at PVB whenever you choose and that is one of the main reasoned you purchased at PVB.

You lead with membership perks and trying other resorts, so, based on the sentence structure, it seemed as though those were weighted more heavily. It was not a matter of conveniently leaving something out, instead, it was an interpretation based on the structure of the post.

 

[supersnoop]

You lead with membership perks and trying other resorts, so, based on the sentence structure, it seemed as though those were weighted more heavily. It was not a matter of conveniently leaving something out, instead, it was an interpretation based on the structure of the post.

I disagree. It was just a method of building a straw-man. "Look! In this very specific scenario with no compromise and no concern for cost, I'm right!"

 

[Dean]

So what would you suggest then for somebody who wants membership perks, wants to stay at every resort one time (including the new resorts they will build in the next fifty years, all of which will likely sell for the same price per point or more than PVB) but also wants to stay at the Poly every other time, and wants to have top priority at Poly over all other resorts (This is very important to them, as they would always be happy being stuck with a PVB reservation and this isn't true for the cheaper resorts)? What would be the smartest way to buy into DVC in such a situation?

Depending on the number of points one needs, buying something like SSR (alt BLT or AKV) and Poly might be best. For some it might be buying resale at SSR then doing a smaller add on at Poly. Or it might be best to buy SSR fans truly to get in to Poly routinely maybe with a 25 point add on possibly at the Poly. If you're set on about half but it doesn't need to be a specific trip at Poly, I'm comfortable one can get in if they plan at 7 months out and use the wait list. In part it depends on where they're stay if not staying at Poly. If it's Poly then a higher end option if they can get it then Poly might be best. Remember that Poly will be more expensive for the same option and every time one uses if for a lower end or even other high end options, it decreases the value.

 

[Dean]

I'd add that basically no new buyer is going to truly know where they want to stay unless they have a ton of DVC type experience anyway. Some get lucky and guess well but more often than not where they prefer to stay isn't where they think it is.