Need DVC Buying Advice

[nwhitehead1214]

I have been playing with the idea of joining DVC since 2000. We go to Disney twice a year (usually Spring Break and last week of August). We like to stay at the Poly and get the full package. How many points would we need and what do you think of Wilderness? The studios look smaller than the hotel rooms so I think I would need a one bedroom. Also, do your fees go up every year? What have you seen as an average fee increase? Does Disney have any cap as to what they can raise? Also, what other benefits come with DVC? Ticket prices? Do you get a dining plan option? It is hard to think about buying when the economy is not doing so well and Disney is just offering to the public some really fantastic deals. I guess would you still buy your membership with the great deals that Disney is throwing to the public? I am a Disney fanatic so no one need to convince me as to whether or not I will go to Disney. I don't care what my kids think-- I am going as much as can! Please help.

 

[Sandisw]

There is a lot of information all over these boards as well as at dvcnews.com that I used to help me make my decision to buy into DVC last month. You are thinking of all the right questions about deciding about the trip.

First, a stay in the one bedroom for the week at the end of August , at say VWL, is around 270 points. That could change over the years if DVC decides to reallocate the points (which they just did in 2010). Of course, if they add points to one type of room and season, then they will lower something else, but just so you are aware that there can be a points difference. During Spring break, it would be about the same. The studios are slightly smaller (maybe 50 - 75 sq. ft) than the deluxe rooms so if you don't want to worry about that, definitely plan on the 1 bedroom.

So, if you really want to go twice a year, every year, you would need about 550 points.

DVC members do get some perks, but most will tell you not to buy for those reasons as they can add and take them away at anytime. The biggest perk I think for me is the $100.00 discount on the yearly pass. The fact that you go twice a year would make it very beneficial for you.

MF range around $4.00 - $6.00. They do go up every year but I am not positive to the amount. Other members may have a better answer than me.

Contract length is something else to consider, along with picking a home resort where you will be happy. Since you are used to staying at the Poly, you may want to consider the new resort, BLT. It is only available through Disney and has a higher price per point than buying a contract through resale, but right now, the MF are the lowest and the contract goes until 2060. VWL ends in 2042.

You can add the dining plan option to any reservation. It has to be added within 72 hours of check in and you pay when you get there. DVC rooms do not get daily housekeeping but depending on the length of your stay, you get at least trash/towel (if longer than 7 days, you get both trash/towel and a full cleaning once).

Right now, Disney does have some incentives for new members if you have a member referral (if you are interested, just PM me...I can share my info and my guide--he is great!). However, VWL is available through the resale market and the prices are very attractive right now. There are several great brokers. I used TSS when I bought a small resale contract last month at VWL and had a wonderful experience. I then added on more points directly through Disney at BLT. That has also been a great experience.

Lot to consider and lots to read! Good luck and happy planning. I think that if you love Disney and go every year, at least once, the DVC is definitely something to seriously consider for your accommodations!!!

 

[nwhitehead1214]

Thank you for your great, great insight. If I may pick your brain a bit more (or anyone). I want to know, truly from a practical standpoint, is it difficult to book not at your home resort. I like to take vacations in August and Spring Break-- if I decide to do it 5 months out and I locked out at my time of the year (spring break and August). Please tell me your experience.

Can Disney unilaterally change your points or is there some restrictions on their decisions? What concerns me the most is Disney can change your points and maintenance fees, pretty much unilaterally. Is there something in your DVC contracts that limits their ability.

 

[Tozzie]

Thank you for your great, great insight. If I may pick your brain a bit more (or anyone). I want to know, truly from a practical standpoint, is it difficult to book not at your home resort. I like to take vacations in August and Spring Break-- if I decide to do it 5 months out and I locked out at my time of the year (spring break and August). Please tell me your experience.

Can Disney unilaterally change your points or is there some restrictions on their decisions? What concerns me the most is Disney can change your points and maintenance fees, pretty much unilaterally. Is there something in your DVC contracts that limits their ability.

DVC can reallocate the points from year to year but if points go up in one season or for specific nights (such as Fri or Sat) then they have to go down in another area as the total points requirement for the resort can't change. AS for dues, they do go up but there is a cap to what it is raised each year.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I think I remember reading in my research that the cap for dues is 15%, but as far as I know, the increase has never been close to that. It's been more around 3-5%. If I'm wrong, I'm sure someone will let me know.

 

[Sandisw]

Your home resort only matters if you are able to take advantage of the additional months of booking given to owners of a particular resort. Those that don't make their plans before the 7 month mark really are at the mercy of what is available, home resort or elsewhere.

If you want a certain resort to stay at, you really want to be able to book 8 - 11 months before while you are only competing against other owners at that resort and not all members. If you don't see yourself being able to do that, but booking around the 5 month mark, you are much better off just buying a resale contract that has a less price per point.

Right now, SSR contracts are going between $65.00 and $75.00 per point. That resort expires in 2054 so that's 12 years more than, say, VWL.

Just to be clear about the points, Disney can not just "add points" to a resort, They can only realign them. If something goes up, something else MUST go down. But, depending on a member's specific travel, it may affect you in a negative way. However it could also affect you positively.

When they readjusted for 2010, they lowered weekend points and raised weeknights because so many DVC'rs were staying Sun - Thurs. on points and paying cash for weekends (or not staying weekends at all). It created an imbalance that Disney wanted to fix. Those that always stayed weeks and used weekends anyway, were probably not affected as negatively as those that did the weekday stays. I would not worry about that piece too much. It is just recommended that members should not try to buy EXACTLY the number of points they need but rather have a bit of a cushion in case your travel changes. The fact that you stay during what is considered Magic Season (second highest season for points use), in my opinion, means your chances of having the points you need GO UP a great deal a lot less likely.

I always travel in August (I am a teacher) so I know I can book 11 months out. I bought into BLT because I know I want to stay here and wanted the booking advantage.

It sounds like your travel times are pretty consistent so being able to book 8 - 11 months out might work for you and therefore, make choosing a home resort you are happy with more important to your decision.

In addition, you need to consider your UY (the time each year you will get your points). Members can bank their points into the next year within the first 8 months of their UY. You want to try to TRAVEL during those first 8 months so that, if you have to cancel your trip at least 31 days out (less than that, and there are different rules for what happens to your points), you can still bank the points.

Based on March/April and August travle, you would want to try for an August UY. That gives you until the end of March each year to bank any unused points.

Hope this helps!!!

 

[nwhitehead1214]

Your home resort only matters if you are able to take advantage of the additional months of booking given to owners of a particular resort. Those that don't make their plans before the 7 month mark really are at the mercy of what is available, home resort or elsewhere.

You are so helpful Thank you. Wonder if buying HH is not a bad idea for my family. I think as the kids get older we are more of a golf/beach family. So much to think about.

 

[gszen]

As you stated Disney is offering some great package vacation deals. On the other hand if you purchase DVC points now, they are cheaper with the weakened economy. If you wait until the economy goes up, your cost for the points will also be higher.

 

[Deb & Bill]

As you stated Disney is offering some great package vacation deals. On the other hand if you purchase DVC points now, they are cheaper with the weakened economy. If you wait until the economy goes up, your cost for the points will also be higher.

I will second cheaper vacation deals through Disney right now over DVC points through Disney. You can get a resale for less now, but no incentive deals, no free cruise, no extras. If you buy through Disney, you will pay the highest for points and some resorts still don't have an incentive to purchase.

 

[parkjumper]

It's hard to think about spending money on expensive vacations when there are a lot of people who are out of work. Do you think about that all when making vacation plans? just curious. I heard that the stock market is supposed to get a lot worse before it gets better, so it might make more sense to hold on to your cash.

 

[nwhitehead1214]

If I try to book BCV 5 months out for a one bedroom in August, what are my chances of it being available? I'm trying to determine how valuable "home resort" is.

 

[nwhitehead1214]

vacations are part of our budget every year and spending time with my family is worth more than the cash. We have actually saved quite a bit, that is case and actually now is a wonderful time to buy. As they economy turns these will certainly go up again. We thought of buying every year and decided against it in favor of saving (the economics didn't make sense). Now the DVC is becoming more and more attractive in the resale market. I found VB for 48.00 a point. Disney is selling currently at 112

 

[parkjumper]

You might be right, but i dont think so. If the banks continue to collapse, its going to be the people who have money that the government will come after to take and give to those who dont. It'll be hard to give up something like this, wont it?

 

[nwhitehead1214]

You might be right, but i dont think so. If the banks continue to collapse, its going to be the people who have money that the government will come after to take and give to those who dont. It'll be hard to give up something like this, wont it?

Depends on what happens to the country. I am hoping we don't move to a socialist agenda. These are the things we consider when buying. But, like the stock market now is the time to buy at the low end. I can't afford DVC when it hits the high end (as it was years ago). However, it would not be difficult to give it up if I needed to. But I am lucky that I saved and didn't spend when everyone else was spending.

 

[Deb & Bill]

vacations are part of our budget every year and spending time with my family is worth more than the cash. We have actually saved quite a bit, that is case and actually now is a wonderful time to buy. As they economy turns these will certainly go up again. We thought of buying every year and decided against it in favor of saving (the economics didn't make sense). Now the DVC is becoming more and more attractive in the resale market. I found VB for 48.00 a point. Disney is selling currently at 112

One suggestion. Don't buy VB unless you really want to use your points at VB. The dues at VB are the highest of any resort and they continue to go up. In the future, VB could even cease to be a part of DVC because of it's distance from WDW. I don't think DVC is selling VB for $112 because they know it's not worth that. BCV, yes. VB, no.

 

[nwhitehead1214]

One suggestion. Don't buy VB unless you really want to use your points at VB. The dues at VB are the highest of any resort and they continue to go up. In the future, VB could even cease to be a part of DVC because of it's distance from WDW. I don't think DVC is selling VB for $112 because they know it's not worth that. BCV, yes. VB, no.

Really. You think there is a possibility of VB being removed from the DVC group. I didn't think that was an option. Well that certainly removes that from consideration. Do you believe that it could be the same for HH? I know that VB is not worth 112 my point was just economically if you really don't care that much about where you stay (OKW, SSR, etc) why would you go with a 112 contract instead of a 48.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Really. You think there is a possibility of VB being removed from the DVC group. I didn't think that was an option. Well that certainly removes that from consideration. Do you believe that it could be the same for HH? I know that VB is not worth 112 my point was just economically if you really don't care that much about where you stay (OKW, SSR, etc) why would you go with a 112 contract instead of a 48.

There is always the possibility as it is stated in the Public Offering Statement. Any of the resorts could be separated. And with the potential for hurricane damage, it could result in an assessment to owners to make repairs. Or decision not to repair at all.

If you want to stay at WDW, you really should buy at WDW. If that's all you want, not Concierge Level at AKV, not MK view at BLT, not Boardwalk view at BWV, then consider one of the less expensive DVC resorts, SSR or OKW.

 

[nwhitehead1214]

One suggestion. Don't buy VB unless you really want to use your points at VB. The dues at VB are the highest of any resort and they continue to go up. In the future, VB could even cease to be a part of DVC because of it's distance from WDW. I don't think DVC is selling VB for $112 because they know it's not worth that. BCV, yes. VB, no.

Does Disney provide for that in the contract? What happens to VB owners if they close the resort? There has to be some sort of remedy for them. Do you know what it is? We currently like to stay at the Poly but we are just as content with all the other DVC properties. I really would not mind any of the resorts. Also, if you bought 3 smaller 100 point contracts (one being VB) could you not use the banking/borrowing system to benefit and perhaps buy BCV or BWV for home resort advantages? Lots, lots to contemplate.

 

[nwhitehead1214]

There is always the possibility as it is stated in the Public Offering Statement. Any of the resorts could be separated. And with the potential for hurricane damage, it could result in an assessment to owners to make repairs. Or decision not to repair at all.

If you want to stay at WDW, you really should buy at WDW. If that's all you want, not Concierge Level at AKV, not MK view at BLT, not Boardwalk view at BWV, then consider one of the less expensive DVC resorts, SSR or OKW.

See thank goodness I read the boards and do my homework. I had no idea. VB must see its share of hurricanes!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Does Disney provide for that in the contract? What happens to VB owners if they close the resort? There has to be some sort of remedy for them. Do you know what it is? We currently like to stay at the Poly but we are just as content with all the other DVC properties. I really would not mind any of the resorts. Also, if you bought 3 smaller 100 point contracts (one being VB) could you not use the banking/borrowing system to benefit and perhaps buy BCV or BWV for home resort advantages? Lots, lots to contemplate.

It's in the Public Offering Statement. It does state that should DVC decide to remove the property from DVC, you would no longer be able to use your points to stay at other DVC resorts. Only at the one you owned that was separated. And if they remove it because of condemnation or lack of quality, you would be out of luck.

Any points at VB could only be used at 7 months at other resorts if it were still joined to DVC.