Need Advice from Experienced DVC'ers

[Dis13]

We just returned from our information-gathering trip to WDW. We stayed at BWV and OKW and toured all of the resorts while there (will save the details for another thread).

I had originally planned to start with a small, 100 point purchase and add on later, but there are several 150 point contracts available, and I think it would make more sense financially to just go ahead and purchase the 150 points upfront.

Of course, now I need to convince DH that it makes more sense to make the larger purchase up front! (We'd be paying cash, not financing.)

For those of you who purchased smaller contracts, how long before you "needed" to add on?

Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me?

Thank you!
Donna

 

[pickles]

I am a newbie, but will offer you what i have learned. Look at the point system and compare what type rooms you like to rent and what time periods you like to travel and the length of time and get an average and then buy points to fit those needs. If you have kids or extra family members 100pts won't go far.

Buy what you can afford that will cover your average trip needs. I would buy 2 smaller packages over a big huge package as you can always sell excess.

Good Luck!

BTW i just got the DVC sales book yesterday and boy Disney sure did a nice job on the book! Never thought it would e a hard back yearbook looking thing.
There is a few things different they could have done with the video..get more/better pics visiting websites like allears, than on their video, but overall it was nice.

 

[Dean]

It depends on your family makeup, likely trips over the years including number, length and specific days of the week and times of the year. Assuming 100 points would be just perfect today and make total sense for you to own DVC, it's very likely that 150 points will actually be a better value over time. Your cost per point will likely be less and you will have a far greater number of resale options to chose from as well as the option of retail. You may simply want to find the contract that's the best value in terms of home resort, price per point and points availabilitiy over a range of contract sizes. It is likely that one 100 pt contract would be far better than another.

 

[dmoore22]

If you don't vacation every year 100 points may work through banking and borrowing. That could give you a nice 300 point trip every 3 years or 200 points every 2 years. I believe you'll find it difficult to postpone gratification. You could also do a combination of buying and renting additional points as needed. We purchased add-on points even before our first DVC vacation. We have no regrets.

 

[las3888]

I'm not sure how large your party is, or if you plan on doing mostly a studio or 1 BR or how often you plan to go. That being said, you really can get by with 100 points or even less if you plan to go in low DVC season and stay in a studio, especially at OKW or BWV in a standard room, and if you go Sun-Thurs, you can probably manage 2 trips a year. A studio at OKW in Sept. for example is only a mere 8 points per night!

We started small - 100 points. We did add on. It may have been a few years (2?) down the road. We had a child and increased our room size need. You do get a little add-on-itis once you are a DVC-er. We just didn't want to start so big (150 points), and needed something small to get our feet wet.

If you go the smaller route, if you find you need to add on, I found shopping for an add-on just as much fun if not more than the first contract...Good luck!

 

[Boas]

we wanted to wet out feet w/ a 100 pnt BCV contract. just closed and now planning our first trip.

if we like it and find we need more I will either suppliment w/ rented points, or buy. I can always add from Disney in 25 point increments (as long as the points become avail... may have to wait list, but cross that bridge later).

if we decide it is not for us, we can sell (easier to sell small contracts).

Good luck.

 

[Dis13]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

I think my next step is to sit down and try to figure out how we plan to vacation (which, once I have the points, I'm sure will definitely increase!) and then see how many will work for us.

We are a family of 5, but after our "no kids" trip this past week, I think DH and I will be planning more of those! Also, we really liked switching resorts, so I need to factor that in as well (the different point requirements). Loved staying in the one bedroom at Old Key West, but could probably "survive" staying in a studio so I'll need to take that into consideration as well!

Hopefully you'll be welcoming me home soon!
Donna

 

[Boston5602]

Thank you everyone for your replies.



Also, we really liked switching resorts, so I need to factor that in as well (the different point requirements). Loved staying in the one bedroom at Old Key West, but could probably "survive" staying in a studio so I'll need to take that into consideration as well!

Hopefully you'll be welcoming me home soon!
Donna

You might be able to "survive" in a studio but after staying in a 1 bedroom ,would you want to "settle" for a studio.

 

[Dis13]

EXACTLY!

Another part of my "dilemma" - I don't want to buy too many points now, just in case they do announce DVC at the Contemporary/Airstrip. I need to plan for an add on there! Will have to see how far I can push DH...

 

[greenban]

If you don't vacation every year 100 points may work through banking and borrowing. That could give you a nice 300 point trip every 3 years or 200 points every 2 years. I believe you'll find it difficult to postpone gratification. You could also do a combination of buying and renting additional points as needed. We purchased add-on points even before our first DVC vacation. We have no regrets.

Same here, word-for-word!

-Tony

 

[mowog]

On a resale closing cost will be the same for a 100 point or a 150 point contract. We bought a 170 point resale and found that with 4-5 people we like 2 bedrooms. If we traveled by ourselves we would get a 1BR for the 2 of us. Nice having the washer/dryer and full fridge. We stay 5-6 nights each vacation and our plans are to go once a year but do it twice within a 1 year period, then skip a year and repeat. It averages out to 1/year but we can do it this way with an AP every other year.

Anyway, doing the 2 BR in value seasons we saw in a few years we were going to run out of points and would have to skip an additional year. If we did a 1br or studio we would have been OK, but we like to take people with us. We just added 50 points and my spreadsheet shows we'll have a surplus of points in about 5-6 years that we could rent or (most likely senario) one of our 2 adult children would gladly take off our hands, or we could do a trip during higher point periods like Christmas.

So evaluate what your vacation plans will be and work out a scenario for a few years and see what happens. I made a spreadsheet and I'm out six years and the 50 extra points puts us in a banking position every year. I never thought I would plan vacations so far in advance but I actually like it. With not enough points we couldn't stay where we wanted as much as we wanted, but we didn't want so many that we would only do WDW as a vacation.

100 points will easily get you a studio every year. Worse case is you can rent a room for a few nights of your holidays if that isn't enough for the accomodations you want.

Good Luck, Jean and Bob

 

[lizziepooh]

With 5 in your family, you won't be able to stay in a studio once the youngest reaches age 3. I would go for more points now if you can swing it. As far as convincing DH, I would mention how much money you could save by doing breakfast and a few simple meals by having the full kitchen in the 1 or 2 bedroom units. With a family of 5, the washer and dryer in the unit would also be really helpful. You can pack a lot less clothes and don't have to haul them to the laundry rooms. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[RonH]

I'll offer this. 13 year ago my wife to be and I bought 250 points at OKW which at that time was DVC. We since added 100 points and 5 and 2 year old sons. We've driven from PA with the boys 4 times and even before that stayed in a 1 bedroom. It's like a home and great for the kids to have some space.

It's worth it to have more points. You never know when family may want to go and as along as you are careful with banking and borrowing you should be OK. It's also not that difficult to rent points if you need to. Good luck but keep in mind your annual dues are based on the points you own. I will say that we always see upgrades and maintenance at OKW so I feel like our dues are being used as intended.

Just MHO but I hope it helps.