Looking into buying DVC next year.

[steffani]

We have thought about it since our first trip in 2010. We even talked to someone in DVC sales while on our trip. We are thinking of going back in October 2018. We will have eight people with us. Myself, DH, and our six kids. They will be 16 to 4 YO. We want to pay most of our bills off and save money to pay cash for DVC. The only bills left would be a mortgage and student loans. Since we would like to take the kids every two to three years (September-November) and maybe take an adults only trip every couple of years (F&W), we figured DVC was the way to go.

Are there any downsides to buying direct vs. resale?

Can we still bank and borrow points if we do resale? We are thinking of buying just enough points to get us started going every three years (150-200) if we bank and borrow.

We would like to stay at SSR in a treehouse or AKV with a savanna view with the kids and at BWV when it is just the two of us. How hard is it to book at any of these locations at the 11 month and 7 month mark?

How important is use year? My DH does not understand when I try to explain it to him. Maybe I am going about it the wrong way, LOL.

Is it a pain to add DDP and tickets? Will they send Magicbands to us or will we have to pick those up ourselves?

I know I have more questions, I just can't think of them all right now.

Thanks!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Are there any downsides to buying direct vs. resale?

Main downside to buying direct, for you, is that the only WDW resort currently being explicitly sold direct is the Poly, which is all studios or hyper-expensive bungalows. You sound like a family who will need a 2BR or Grand Villa. None of those exist at the Poly, and paying $165/point and getting no home resort advantage is not productive.

Are there any downsides to buying direct vs. resale?

Fewer than Disney claim there are. You may not be able to use DVC points for most non-DVC uses offered to direct buyers. This isn't necessarily a huge sacrifice, as non-DVC point uses tend to be low value compared to points cost, and are also not guaranteed long-term even to direct buyers. Those benefits can change.

Can we still bank and borrow points if we do resale?

Yes.

We would like to stay at SSR in a treehouse or AKV with a savanna view with the kids and at BWV when it is just the two of us. How hard is it to book at any of these locations at the 11 month and 7 month mark?

If you want a Studio at BWV during Food & Wine, 11-month home resort is essential. The 2BR at AKV can generally be booked at 7 months.

Is it a pain to add DDP and tickets?

No.

Will they send Magicbands to us or will we have to pick those up ourselves?

If you live in the US, they will be sent. If you live outside, you will get them at check-in.

In a broad general sense, based on your family size and intended uses, you're very strong candidates for resale purchase, and very weak candidates for direct purchase. Read everything you can here: http://www.disboards.com/threads/★-☆-★-the-dvc-information-center-★-☆-★.3436037/

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We have thought about it since our first trip in 2010. We even talked to someone in DVC sales while on our trip. We are thinking of going back in October 2018. We will have eight people with us. Myself, DH, and our six kids. They will be 16 to 4 YO. We want to pay most of our bills off and save money to pay cash for DVC. The only bills left would be a mortgage and student loans. Since we would like to take the kids every two to three years (September-November) and maybe take an adults only trip every couple of years (F&W), we figured DVC was the way to go.

Are there any downsides to buying direct vs. resale?

Can we still bank and borrow points if we do resale? We are thinking of buying just enough points to get us started going every three years (150-200) if we bank and borrow.

We would like to stay at SSR in a treehouse or AKV with a savanna view with the kids and at BWV when it is just the two of us. How hard is it to book at any of these locations at the 11 month and 7 month mark?

How important is use year? My DH does not understand when I try to explain it to him. Maybe I am going about it the wrong way, LOL.

Is it a pain to add DDP and tickets? Will they send Magicbands to us or will we have to pick those up ourselves?

I know I have more questions, I just can't think of them all right now.

Thanks!

The downside of direct is paying much more for most resorts than if you bought resale. When it's 200 points you could save thousands over direct. There are trade restrictions on resale - you wouldn't be able to use the points for the Disney collection or concierge collection but you still can book the world collection which includes RCI and Buena Vista Trading Co and of course any DVC resort. Usually you can rent the DVC points and pay cash for any trades out of DVC and still have some cash left over vs doing the trade, and you'll have much more flexibility. You also can not go on the member cruise unless you have some direct purchased points.

Otherwise you'll have all the same benefits and yes, can bank and borrow. And no benefits nor trades are guaranteed to go on forever for anyone, including direct buyers. DVC can change things and has.

Much of the 7 month availability will depend on when you are going but the Treehouses and savannah view should usually be available in Sept-Nov. If you are flexible it can be possible to get BWV at 7 months but that would likely be the most difficult as F&W is very popular.

The UY you have can act as a type of free insurance against last minute cancellations. If you have a UY that starts just before your travel (so in your case, Aug or Sept) then if you have to cancel 30 days or less and the points go into holding, or if you have banked or borrowed points that will expire at the end of your UY you'll have the most possible time to reschedule a trip or to rent out the points if you are unable to find another time and you would still be well within the banking window. So, say you have an Aug UY and in July you learn you can't go on your Sept trip and you cancel. But because you go ever 2 years you have banked points that will expire by July 31st of the next year unless you use them but you still have all 12 months available to rebook a trip and you'd also have the option to bank any current points by March 31st of the next year. However, now assume that UY was Oct and you would be taking a trip in the last month of that UY. If you had cancelled in July then you would only have Aug and Sept as possibilities to use the points and you would be past the banking window for an Oct UY (May 31st) so you'd have all points expiring Sept 30th.

 

[jerseyduke]

It is always best to travel in the beginning of your UY.

You are saying take the kids in the Sept - November time frame, and do food and wine, which is also in the same time frame, sounds like an August or September UY is your best bet. Decemeber would be the worst.

If you cancel within 30 days, your points go into holding, which means they can only be used to book 60 days out, and expire at the end of the UY.

Scenario 1: A November trip planned, December UY, trip cancelled within 30 days
Result - Points go into holding and are almost certainly lost, they expire at the end of November. (within 30 days, it is already october, so you only have less than 2 months to use them)
Scenario 2. A November trip planned, September UY, trip cancelled within 30 days.
Result - Point go into holding, but you have until the end of August the following year to use them.

Points going into holding always stinks, but you can clearly see the difference between the two UY cases.


UY is made more complex than it needs to be. The bottom line with it is, if you tend to travel at the same time of year, Buy a UY such that that time would be early in the UY, not late.

 

[steffani]

Thanks everyone! I'll try to have DH read the UY info. He doesn't seem to care as long as it is a good deal. I tried telling him it matters, LOL.

 

[steffani]

We wouldn't use the points for anything but going to DW. We have been to DL (me, 3 times, DH and older two kiddos, 1 time). DH was not impressed. He enjoyed DW more.

 

[jerseyduke]

It is unlikely that you would get such a screaming hot deal, that ignoring UY would be wise(based on the idea that you have a somewhat set vacation schedule). Particularly if you are patient. Looking constantly and within a few months you will find a deal just as good as any in a UY that makes sense for you.

Breaking a point is about the same as losing 10$ (you could have rented the point for that as profit); if you include the Maintenance fees as a loss, breaking a point costs 15-16$.

Unlikely you are going to find a contract that is 15 to 16 $ cheaper per point(or even 10 for that matter), than any similar contract that goes up for sale over a 2-3 month period.