Just returned from 2nd WDW trip, now thinking DVC might be good idea

[Infamousmare]

I'm so upset with my dh for not letting me take the DVC tour while we were on-property last week! We just came back from our 2nd trip to WDW and have already planned our 3rd for next Sept. (using 35% off bounce back offer). We stayed at WL last year, SSR this time and will be @ CR BLT in Sept. Needless to say, we love the villas.

Dh was dead-set against doing DVC. He'd just heard the spiel from Starwood (where he is platinum and decided Starwood VO likely wouldn't do much for us) and figured DVC would be more of the same...until we got home and he talked to some friends of ours who are DVC members. NOW he's interested.

Here's what I think I've figured out gleaning the boards here and at The Timeshare Store:

1. Buying resale is usually a better idea than direct through DVC.
2. During the time(s) we like to visit WDW (Sept & Nov), fewer points are required
3. There seems to be some difference in price for points

Here's what I don't understand:

1. Having never done timeshare or anything related to it, I can't figure out the pricing on the resale website. It *appears* that the price-per-point figures out to be much more expensive than paying OOP. Have I done the math incorrectly?

2. It seems very confusing to buy/rent/borrow points. Is this a headache for you or do I just not have a good grasp of how this works?

3. If I am a DVC owner at one resort, can I stay at another resort? Or am I relegated to my "home" resort?

4. If we were to buy into DVC can we also take advantage of other Disney perks, like dining plan, etc?

5. Knowing that we plan to go to WDW at least once a year (our kids are 4, 7 and 5 months) for the next several years, is this a good investment? Or is this something we'd only want to buy for a much longer term commitment (like more than 10 years)?

6. Is this a good time to buy? If not, are there better times of year (generally speaking) to buy? If we were to buy now, could we use the points for our September vacay?

7. Adding on to #6, we already have a villa reserved @ BLT. Can this reservation be turned into a DVC points reservation? (or would we be better off to use the 35% discount that's already applied and pay cash for this vacay and use points for future vacations?)

8. Lastly, my dh isn't much of a Disney guy; however, I love it and so do my parents/in-laws. Can we use points to reserve 2 villas for one vacation, should the extended family want to come along? (I understand that 3-brm villas are available; however, they don't seem to be cost-effective. Of course, I may be totally wrong on this one.)

God bless you if you've made it this far! I really appreciate your help.

 

[com_op_2000]

I have added my comments to your information:

I
1. Buying resale is usually a better idea than direct through DVC.
If you are ONLY using the points to stay in DVC resorts then buying resale is the way to save $$$.

2. During the time(s) we like to visit WDW (Sept & Nov), fewer points are required
Yes, you need to check the points charts for details. Also, this is the time of year for F&W at EPCOT, So if going there is important to you and you want to be in BCV or BWV to walk to EPCOT, then make one of these your home resort for the 11 month booking window.

3. There seems to be some difference in price for points
Yes, supply and demand. (IE: BCV is higher cost due to being a smaller resort and having access to the best pool area in WDW, OKW and SSR are the largest so there is more supply, also the end-of-use dates are different for each resort)

Here's what I don't understand:

1. Having never done timeshare or anything related to it, I can't figure out the pricing on the resale website. It *appears* that the price-per-point figures out to be much more expensive than paying OOP. Have I done the math incorrectly?
Yes

2. It seems very confusing to buy/rent/borrow points. Is this a headache for you or do I just not have a good grasp of how this works?
Not a headache, you just need to do more research.

3. If I am a DVC owner at one resort, can I stay at another resort? Or am I relegated to my "home" resort?
Yes; Home booking window 11 months from the date of stay. Any other DVC resort 7 month booking window from the date of stay.

4. If we were to buy into DVC can we also take advantage of other Disney perks, like dining plan, etc?
Yes - dining plan but not free dining

5. Knowing that we plan to go to WDW at least once a year (our kids are 4, 7 and 5 months) for the next several years, is this a good investment? Or is this something we'd only want to buy for a much longer term commitment (like more than 10 years)?
This is NOT an investment, if you buy today and sell at some point in the future, you will not recover your money. You are buying pre-paid vacations for 30 - 50 years. You need to research this further to understand what you are purchasing.

6. Is this a good time to buy? If not, are there better times of year (generally speaking) to buy? If we were to buy now, could we use the points for our September vacay?
Prices are always going up if you buy direct from DVC. All resale contracts offers can be bargined.

7. Adding on to #6, we already have a villa reserved @ BLT. Can this reservation be turned into a DVC points reservation? (or would we be better off to use the 35% discount that's already applied and pay cash for this vacay and use points for future vacations?)
No, you are booked through CRO. The inventory for CRO and DVC are separate. Yes, you should be able to get a room somewhere at WDW for Sept, if you buy today.

8. Lastly, my dh isn't much of a Disney guy; however, I love it and so do my parents/in-laws. Can we use points to reserve 2 villas for one vacation, should the extended family want to come along? (I understand that 3-brm villas are available; however, they don't seem to be cost-effective. Of course, I may be totally wrong on this one.)
Yes, I have booked upto 3 rooms at one time frame.

 

[lions1995]

I am gonna take a shot at these. But I would recommend you go to http://www.dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/dvc-for-beginners for a good overview.

1. the point costs are a one time thing. So for example if you buy BLT direct you will pay about $140 / point and resale about $100 / point. This is a once and done cost, though you will probably need to get a mortgage / loan to pay for them. There are also maintence costs that range from around $4 to $7 per point that you must pay every year (http://www.dvcnews.com/index.php/component/easyfaq/?task=view&id=51). The newer resorts hae lower MFs and as time goes by they raise them about 3% a year.

2. You need to look a the accodations you will most likely use and when you will go and what resort. You can find the resort point chart and determine about how many points you will need. If you truely go every year, banking / borrowing will probably be a minor issue. You may have to borrow from the next year if you do not hae enough points for what you want.

3. Your "Home" resort allows you to book at that resort 11 months prior to your check in date. You can still stay at another resort, but you will need to wait until 7 months prior to check in to get into your "non home" resort. Most likely, you will book your home resort at 11 months and then call in at 7 months and change your reservations to the resort you want. There may be a change in points required. This can cause some imbalances and could result in lossing some points depending on te situation. If your desired resort is not available at 7 months, you can be placed on a waitlist. I have had goos success getting what I wanted. If you travel low season, you should be in better shape.

4. Buying DVC allows you to purchase the Dining Plan (you will never get it from free however). You can add it to your reservation up to 48 hours before checkin and it must be paid for at that time. You must match the numbers of days of your reservations with your dining plan. (4 nights reservation implies you would need to buy a 4 night dining plan). However changing room types / resorts constitutes a new reservation, so you could elect to have it for your first reservation and not your second. There is a difference in "perks" if you buy directly from DVC versus resale. If you but resale, you can only use your memebership / points to stay at DVC resorts. You can not us them to trade into RCI or to go on a Cruise.

5. If you are ony looking for use in the next 10 years, I would recommend buying a relatively cheap but popular resort (Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, or Boardwalk). You would certainly want to look into the maintence fees for wach resort as well. DVC resorts are good for 50 years from opening. So some of these resorts have less that 30 years remaining. So as time goes they will devalue due to that fact. You should find points from $70 to $85 for these resorts. Maybe even lower if the ownder depleted their current and future year points. Over 10 years, you will probably have paid off the points mainence fees at that point. You can choose to sell it or rent it at that point. Again, having a popular resort will help you with both.

6. Prices do not vary throughout the year. Resale is always getting slightly lower, but that would not stop me from buyng now.

7. I am not sure if you can convert from cash to DVC. I doubt it. If you have money down already, I would probably go on the cash reservation. It could allow you a little more time to find the perfect resale offer. If you do nt need the points this year, you can probably get a lower price from some one who has used their points already. Some listing show that there are banked points from the previuos year plus new points coming. They tend to be a little higher priced because you start immediately with double points. But if you do not need them, you can probably find a lower price.

8. You can reserve as many rooms / nights as you need (given you have enough point) So if you want a two bedroom and a one bedroom at the same time, that is no problem.

Hope this helps.

 

[mousefan1972]

I'm so upset with my dh for not letting me take the DVC tour while we were on-property last week! We just came back from our 2nd trip to WDW and have already planned our 3rd for next Sept. (using 35% off bounce back offer). We stayed at WL last year, SSR this time and will be @ CR BLT in Sept. Needless to say, we love the villas.

Dh was dead-set against doing DVC. He'd just heard the spiel from Starwood (where he is platinum and decided Starwood VO likely wouldn't do much for us) and figured DVC would be more of the same...until we got home and he talked to some friends of ours who are DVC members. NOW he's interested.

Here's what I think I've figured out gleaning the boards here and at The Timeshare Store:

1. Buying resale is usually a better idea than direct through DVC.
2. During the time(s) we like to visit WDW (Sept & Nov), fewer points are required
3. There seems to be some difference in price for points

Here's what I don't understand:

1. Having never done timeshare or anything related to it, I can't figure out the pricing on the resale website. It *appears* that the price-per-point figures out to be much more expensive than paying OOP. Have I done the math incorrectly?

2. It seems very confusing to buy/rent/borrow points. Is this a headache for you or do I just not have a good grasp of how this works?

3. If I am a DVC owner at one resort, can I stay at another resort? Or am I relegated to my "home" resort?

4. If we were to buy into DVC can we also take advantage of other Disney perks, like dining plan, etc?

5. Knowing that we plan to go to WDW at least once a year (our kids are 4, 7 and 5 months) for the next several years, is this a good investment? Or is this something we'd only want to buy for a much longer term commitment (like more than 10 years)?

6. Is this a good time to buy? If not, are there better times of year (generally speaking) to buy? If we were to buy now, could we use the points for our September vacay?

7. Adding on to #6, we already have a villa reserved @ BLT. Can this reservation be turned into a DVC points reservation? (or would we be better off to use the 35% discount that's already applied and pay cash for this vacay and use points for future vacations?)

8. Lastly, my dh isn't much of a Disney guy; however, I love it and so do my parents/in-laws. Can we use points to reserve 2 villas for one vacation, should the extended family want to come along? (I understand that 3-brm villas are available; however, they don't seem to be cost-effective. Of course, I may be totally wrong on this one.)

God bless you if you've made it this far! I really appreciate your help.

1. The price per point you see on the Timeshare Store's website is a one time purchase price. Once you buy the points, they are yours to use annually until the contract expires (different years depending on the resort)

You will also have annual dues to pay each year. The cost is a set price per point which increases yearly. Again, the dues price per point depends on which home resort you choose.

2. Once you are an owner, you will not likely need to rent points. You will want to learn and become very comfortable with the terms banking and borrowing, as these will apply to you regularly as a DVC owner.

3. Yes. The difference is when you can book. At your home resort, you can book 11 months in advance of your check in date. For all other resorts, you can book 7 months in advance of your check in. What is available at 7 months is very hit or miss. A good rule of thumb is to buy at a resort where you won't be disappointed to stay at each vacation, if you are unable to change resorts at the 7 month mark.

4. DVC members can currently purchase the DDP. Free dining is not available for DVC points reservations.

5. DVC isn't an investment; you are prepaying for your family's vacations. The older resorts contracts expire in 2042, and BLT, the newest WDW resort, expires in 2060. So if you think Disney may be a short term thing for your family, DVC may not be the best fit.

6. Now is as good a time as any to buy. Yes, you could use points for September if you buy now. The big question is if you buy direct or resale. Resale will take several months to close, and your options will be limited as to what is available to book for September. If you buy direct, your points will be there immediately to use.

7. No, you can't turn your cash ressie into a points ressie. The inventory is different. When your points are in the system, you can see what is available for DVC rooms and then cancel your cash reservation if you find something suitable.

8. Yes, you can book as many villas for a vacation as you have points available to use.

Hope this helped you!

 

[JimMIA]

I'm so upset with my dh for not letting me take the DVC tour while we were on-property last week!

He did you a huge favor. If you'd taken the tour, you would have bought direct from DVC, probably would have paid at least 50% too much, and would have no idea what you'd bought.

Here's what I think I've figured out gleaning the boards here and at The Timeshare Store:

1. Buying resale is usually a better idea than direct through DVC.

Yep.

2. During the time(s) we like to visit WDW (Sept & Nov), fewer points are required

Yes, but...as your kids get a little older, school committments may force you to change your pattern. Or not.

3. There seems to be some difference in price for points

Yep. But the question is: WHY? And also, does it matter?

Having never done timeshare or anything related to it

First thing to understand: You're considering a 30-50 year annual financial commitment to a timeshare.

I can't figure out the pricing on the resale website. It *appears* that the price-per-point figures out to be much more expensive than paying OOP. Have I done the math incorrectly?

Probably, yes.

To arrive at a semi-realistic estimate of your cost, do the following:

• Divide the per-point cost you pay by the number of full years remaining on your contract (will vary from 30-50 depending on resort). That gives you your acquisition cost for the points (<$3 per point).
• Look at the "DVC Resources" sticky at the top of the DVC pages and find the thread on annual dues (AKA: maintenance fees or MFs).
• Add the acquisitiion costs and dues to get a semi-accurate estimate of your DVC costs for the current year. (Probably gonna be in the $7-$9 range)
• Multiply that number times the # of points needed for a reservation, or for a particular night, for your total cost.

It seems very confusing to buy/rent/borrow points. Is this a headache for you or do I just not have a good grasp of how this works?

Probably a grasp issue. Borrowing is brain-dead simple -- just remember that banking and borrowing are irreversible transactions, so if you borrow and cancel, the points stay where they are...which could be a bad thing.

Buying direct is simple and expensive.

Buying resale is somewhat simplier than buying a "pre-owned" house -- really pretty easy. But time-consuming -- think 6-8 weeks.

Renting is like renting a condo for a ski vacation. No big deal.

If I am a DVC owner at one resort, can I stay at another resort? Or am I relegated to my "home" resort?

Yes...to both. You can use your points at any DVC resort currently -- and probably for the life of DVC as we know it. But you are only GUARANTEED to be able to use points at your home resort. Not something I would seriously worry about.

If we were to buy into DVC can we also take advantage of other Disney perks, like dining plan, etc?

Sure, go ahead. But understand that perks are perks, and they come and go. When DDP first started, we couldn't get it with a DVC points stay. Now we can. Next week? Who knows? Could change at any minute.

IGNORE perks. Seriously.

Knowing that we plan to go to WDW at least once a year (our kids are 4, 7 and 5 months) for the next several years, is this a good investment? Or is this something we'd only want to buy for a much longer term commitment (like more than 10 years)?

I always encourage people to go back to the starting point and determine if they want to get involved in a timeshare to begin with. If you want to buy a timeshare for stays at DVC resorts at WDW, DVC is an excellent program. IMHO (and many disagree), if you want to vacation anywhere else, DVC is an expensive and limited option.

6. Is this a good time to buy? If not, are there better times of year (generally speaking) to buy? If we were to buy now, could we use the points for our September vacay?

Any time you're ready, and DVC fits your family's needs, is a good time to buy. If not, not.

Adding on to #6, we already have a villa reserved @ BLT. Can this reservation be turned into a DVC points reservation? (or would we be better off to use the 35% discount that's already applied and pay cash for this vacay and use points for future vacations?)

No, you can't convert the existing reservation to points. You MIGHT be able to make a points reservation after you close and then cancel the cash reservation.

Lastly, my dh isn't much of a Disney guy; however, I love it and so do my parents/in-laws. Can we use points to reserve 2 villas for one vacation, should the extended family want to come along?

Yes. You can reserve as many villas as you have points for.

 

[luckyman_apd]

After 2 trips last year AND taking a modified tour (i was short on time, and didn't want a sales pitch, just the info) We are considering it as well.
I'm not going to go over every question as others have done that. I'll just give you my spin and reasoning. Buying into a DVC is PREPAYING for future Disney trips....especially if you are buying resale. You are paying an upfront cost, and then paying monthly dues. Depending on your travel habits, it can be a huge savings with better accommodations on your future trips.
After the last 3 years, my wife and I have discovered we like to go around every 18 months. We live in NJ so flying is really the only way to go, which increases the price of the trip each time. You need to remember that DVC is for LODGING only. You will still be paying for travel and park tickets every trip. Now you can get discounts on yearly passes but I'm going to leave that out of the equation.
There are countless websites weighing the costs and possible savings and whether its a good deal or not, but they are all flawed. I'm a Math teacher, so I KNOW the math. It's like algebra, there are so many variables that there is no magic solution to see if it's cost effective. Only you can do that based on YOUR usage. So I will use myself as the base of this example.
My recommendation is to buy less points up front, and add on in the future if this doesn't fit your needs. IF you buy in for more points than you will lose, you will have paid too much up front, and you be paying more every year in dues than you need to......making it not a good deal. You will either lose your points from not using them, or take more trips than you planned, spending more rather than saving.
We are considering a 100 point purchase. I can ONLY travel in November or the summer due to my work schedule. 5 nights in November, and probably 7 in the summer. So as an example....in 2012 we plan to go in November. Our trip is to take the grandparents and get 2 studios. If we get 2 value studios that's 152 points. We use 100 2012 points and borrow 52 from 2013 use year. We DON'T travel in 2013 and bank those 48 points till 2014. In 2014, we have 148 points to use. I can then borrow 100(or less) from 2015 use year and get a 1 bedroom for 7 days. Points vary for a week at this time from 188 to 269 depending on where we stay.

Now the $ math. There are various resales for 100 points. Lets just go with 100 for BLT, and 100 points at VWL. the BLT is $99 a point, and VWL is $67. So up front it's $9900 or $6700. Take into account the end dates. 2060 vs 2042. So, for BLT I'm paying $9900 for 4900 points over the life of the contract. That's $2.02 per point over the whole contract. Add in 2012 dues of $4.22 per point, that's $6.24 per point in 2012. Break it down for VWL, it's only 3200 points over the life of the contract so $2.09375 per point and $5.61 in dues so $7.70 per point. Now that studio we are looking at for next November....76 points x $6.24 per point = $474.24 for 5 nights! Even at $7.70 per point thats only $585.20 for 5 nights. Now, you tell me if you think you're going to get rooms that cheap even at a Value resort? I don't think so.

Now, there are a few flaws in my math. I didn't include closing costs. That's really only a few cents per point WHEN CONSIDERED OVER THE LIFE of the contract. Also you have to consider the life of the contract. I'm in my mid thirties. Buying BLT is going to last me till I'm 80's. Will I still be vacationing in Disney in my 80's? I don't know, but for us, hopefully our kids or grandkids could use the points then. Also, dues will go up each year....but so will inflation on the cost of booking through Disney. For us.....I feel like it's worth it, but these numbers are only based on resale. Disney price per point is much higher. You will get more uses for the points other than DVC resorts, but IMHO I think you'd be better off renting your points to someone (even at $8 or $9 rather than the $10-$12 standard) and then paying cash for those other uses.

If you travel to disney more than me, then you will need more points than I am looking at, but the price per point stays the same really. So you will save on your lodging. IT WON'T save you anything if you end up in a situation where you start going to Disney more because you are forced into a situation where you have too many points. For me, that was the hardest choice....How many points to buy. For me, it is worth it to start with a lower amount. If I find next year or in 5 years we don't have enough points.....Well then I'll look into a 50 or 100 point resale. I'm willing to pay another closing costs of $300-$400 instead of being stuck with paying dues on points I'm not using.

Hope I didn't ramble too much and I've given you some help. I've been back and forth with this since last february and we are just now about to make a purchase.

 

[disneynutz]

Here is what we have learned.

Buy where you love to stay.
Buy Resale to save money.
Expect the rules and policies for the DVC to change.
Expect some difficulty booking at 7 months.
Expect to get your room requests about 50% of the time.
Expect WDW to be busy all year long. If there is a slow time, Disney will reduce the park hours to make them busy.
As time goes on you will spend less time in the parks and more time at your resort.
DVC is a luxury purchase.
In addition the purchase price you will need money every year for dues, transportation, food, tickets, tips, and extras which increase in price every year.

Bill

 

[DenLo]

1. Buying resale is usually a better idea than direct through DVC.
Definitely a lower cost per point. But you are restricted on using your points for DVC reservations or exchanges to RCI. You cannot use resale points purchased after March 21, 2011 for any other Disney Collection including the Disney Cruise Line.


2. During the time(s) we like to visit WDW (Sept & Nov), fewer points are required

There are seasons for reservations. The seasons can change mainly because holidays like Easter move their dates from late March or April.

3. There seems to be some difference in price for points

Here's what I don't understand:

1. Having never done timeshare or anything related to it, I can't figure out the pricing on the resale website. It *appears* that the price-per-point figures out to be much more expensive than paying OOP. Have I done the math incorrectly?

But you are not paying for a one time discounted visit. Depending on the home resort you buy, you will have between 30 to 50 years of use for your points. Also you are paying for a larger accommodation at a deluxe resort. Also discounts come and go. With the economy being in the tank there has been more discount offers for cash reservations. Those will be gone when the economy recovers.

2. It seems very confusing to buy/rent/borrow points. Is this a headache for you or do I just not have a good grasp of how this works?

When renting points the owner of points makes all of the reservations including adding the DDP to your reservation. Trust is involved, with no guarantees.

If you own points you can borrow up to one year of points. You can also bank one year of points into the next year. So some members only travel to WDW every three years using the banking and borrowing of points. E.g. the bank their 2011 points, plan to travel in 2012 and borrow their 2013 points to have enough points to cover their vacation. Then in 2014 they bank their points and it all starts over in 2015.

3. If I am a DVC owner at one resort, can I stay at another resort? Or am I relegated to my "home" resort? The DVC can restrict members to staying at their home resorts. That's one of the reasons people say buy where you want to stay. However since the DVC opened it second DVC resort, members can book at any other DVC resort at the 7 month mark. But keep in mind that the total number of points sold by the DVC for each resort would completely fill that resort for the entire if all of the home resort members booked at their home resort. But people don't do that regularly (see #2 above) and members switch resorts all the time. During busy DVC months, especially in October and December it might be hard to get points at other resorts at the 7 month mark especially if you want 7 nights at the same resort.

4. If we were to buy into DVC can we also take advantage of other Disney perks, like dining plan, etc? You can buy the DDP--no free dining for DVC members because we do not make a reservation at a full price to get free dining.

5. Knowing that we plan to go to WDW at least once a year (our kids are 4, 7 and 5 months) for the next several years, is this a good investment? Or is this something we'd only want to buy for a much longer term commitment (like more than 10 years)? The DVC is a longer investment. It's for the life of the contract. Sure there is a resale market, but it's not an investment. Real estate markets fluctuate and timeshares do it even more.


6. Is this a good time to buy? If not, are there better times of year (generally speaking) to buy? If we were to buy now, could we use the points for our September vacay? I don't think the time of year really matters. I would make sure that the contract you choose is not stripped of points for this year and next year unless the price per point is really reduced.

7. Adding on to #6, we already have a villa reserved @ BLT. Can this reservation be turned into a DVC points reservation? (or would we be better off to use the 35% discount that's already applied and pay cash for this vacay and use points for future vacations?) Cash reservations and DVC reservations are not usually exchangeable. If there are DVC rooms available after you close, then you could make your DVC reservation and then cancel the cash reservation.

8. Lastly, my dh isn't much of a Disney guy; however, I love it and so do my parents/in-laws. Can we use points to reserve 2 villas for one vacation, should the extended family want to come along? (I understand that 3-brm villas are available; however, they don't seem to be cost-effective. Of course, I may be totally wrong on this one.) Yes on multiple villas, only your number of points restrict you there. And yes a GV is pricey. We have a family reunion scheduled for 2013 and we'll be renting more villas and giving the families some privacy too.

God bless you if you've made it this far! I really appreciate your help.

Good luck on your decision making. I really think it wouldn't hurt to stay in a DVC villa and see how you like it first and then decide.

 

[JimMIA]

I'm a Math teacher, so I KNOW the math.

Take into account the end dates. 2060 vs 2042... Break it down for VWL, it's only 3200 points over the life of the contract.

I 'm no math teacher, but every time I calculate 2042-2012. I get 30, not 32. What am I doing wrong?

 

[JimMIA]

One thing that is often forgotten is the basic premise of DVC. DVC is of value is you really would not be happy staying anywhere offsite and you want deluxe accommodations larger than a hotel room.

There are many, many options of all kinds offsite and they are almost all MUCH less expensive than any Disney accommodations onsite. For example, this May, I had a "split" vacation scheduled -- two nights in an OKW 1 BR on DVC points and three nights in a Wyndham Bonnet Creek timeshare 1 BR on Wyndham points. When I did the math, my OKW stay was costing me $189 per night (27 points X $7) and Bonnet Creek was costing me $40 per night (9K points X $4.48). And Bonnet Creek is beautiful and perfectly located.

And even onsite, if you're happy staying in a regular hotel room, Disney value resorts are definitely less expensive and mods are probably about the same.

This is a personal opinion, of course, but I would not buy anyone's timeshare to stay in a studio.

 

[luckyman_apd]

I 'm no math teacher, but every time I calculate 2042-2012. I get 30, not 32. What am I doing wrong?

Ha Ha! Caught me. I was calculating from 2011. The resale I was going from had 2011 points to use as well. That is 32. 2042 - 2011 is 31, but you are subtracting getting the difference in years. thats 31 years, but you also get 2011 points so that makes it 32. Now that we are in December, I'm sure most resales will not have 2011 points left.

Hope that clears it up If you check the BLT math, that one is correct

So that actually would make the cost per point go up, since it is 100 less points to use......but still a good deal in my mind.

 

[luckyman_apd]

One thing that is often forgotten is the basic premise of DVC. DVC is of value is you really would not be happy staying anywhere offsite and you want deluxe accommodations larger than a hotel room.

There are many, many options of all kinds offsite and they are almost all MUCH less expensive than any Disney accommodations onsite. For example, this May, I had a "split" vacation scheduled -- two nights in an OKW 1 BR on DVC points and three nights in a Wyndham Bonnet Creek timeshare 1 BR on Wyndham points. When I did the math, my OKW stay was costing me $189 per night (27 points X $7) and Bonnet Creek was costing me $40 per night (9K points X $4.48). And Bonnet Creek is beautiful and perfectly located.

And even onsite, if you're happy staying in a regular hotel room, Disney value resorts are definitely less expensive and mods are probably about the same.

This is a personal opinion, of course, but I would not buy anyone's timeshare to stay in a studio.

This is why DVC is so different for everyone. For me a studio is a notch above a standard room. Having the pullout sofa instead of 2 double beds is a bonus. I don't like using beds as furniture, so to be able to roll it up and have a place to sit is better for me. Staying on the property is a must for us. Traveling by plane, I don't want to have to rent a car when I'm there, or take a cab or whatever. Plus I'm a big fan of magic hours. I like those extra hours at night....my favorite time in the parks. But our tastes are different. For me I think it's a good deal. We have friends who own a Marriot timeshare and they love it. They would never do it differently. I'm not trying to convince anyone my choice is best for them.

Just for perspective, what kind of room did you have off property? That is a whopping price difference for sure (as the cheapskate in me would enjoy) but I imagine the 1br at OKW was nicer. But again different strokes for different folks.

Now, in 8 years after 4 or 5 trips in a studio, I could be singing a different tune.

 

[JimMIA]

Ha Ha! Caught me. I was calculating from 2011. The resale I was going from had 2011 points to use as well. That is 32. 2042 - 2011 is 31, but you are subtracting getting the difference in years. thats 31 years, but you also get 2011 points so that makes it 32. Now that we are in December, I'm sure most resales will not have 2011 points left.

Hope that clears it up If you check the BLT math, that one is correct

So that actually would make the cost per point go up, since it is 100 less points to use......but still a good deal in my mind.

Actually nobody's gonna get 2042 points on those resorts. The contracts end on January 31.

The rest of your math was correct and I'm glad to see someone thinking things through that way.

 

[JimMIA]

Just for perspective, what kind of room did you have off property? That is a whopping price difference for sure (as the cheapskate in me would enjoy) but I imagine the 1br at OKW was nicer. But again different strokes for different folks.

I'm not a person for whom the villa is the most important aspect of my vacation, so I'm probably not the best person to ask. To be honest, OKW is my favorite DVC resort and there were some things I like better about OKW and other things I like better about Bonnet Creek. The basics -- in my personal estimation -- are:

• Room size - OKW 1 BR villas are larger. However, for most room sizes, many other timeshares will offer more space. Timeshare folks who exchange into DVC often complain about "lack of space."
• Furnishings -- clear edge to Bonnet Creek, although I have not stayed in a refurbished villa at OKW yet. Better furniture, much more complete kitchenware of better quality at Wyndham.
• Location - tossup. We drive and can be parked at any theme park in 15 minutes from either resort. WBC has free scheduled bus service to all theme parks and DTD, but I suspect Disney transportation is better.
• Amenities - clear advantage to WBC - 5 pools, two REAL lazy rivers (with abundant FREE tubes) that put SAB to shame, minigolf, great activities, live entertainment...no contest
• Atmosphere - I like OKW's tranquil ambiance better. But WBC was fine -- very pretty lakefront high rise complex.

For a resort to visit, I like both very much. Despite the big cost differential, I definitely did NOT feel like I was shopping at a bargain basement at WBC. Overall, I'd give OKW a slight edge in things that are important to me, but I honestly think many folks would prefer WBC because of the amenities and price.

IF I were BUYING A TIMESHARE, however, I'd look at an entirely different set of criteria.