Need help as to where to start

[Elana]

This is my first post. We are seriously thinking about purchasing DVC. I have been reading the boards but still have questions. We have stayed at OKW. An Oct UY is what we are thinking about. We did not do the tour. We probably can only do one trip prior to 2010.

1. Should we purchase now, or wait until we know we can plan our trips at the 11 month?

2. How helpful is the information DVD from Disney regarding DVC?

3. If we purchase before Oct. 2007, do we get 2006 points?

4. It seems that choosing your guide can be important. Since we do not have a guide, can we request one of the many guides who have been recommended by members of this board?

Thank you for your help.

 

[IndianaMouseLover]

This is my first post. We are seriously thinking about purchasing DVC. I have been reading the boards but still have questions. We have stayed at OKW. An Oct UY is what we are thinking about. We did not do the tour. We probably can only do one trip prior to 2010.

1. Should we purchase now, or wait until we know we can plan our trips at the 11 month?

2. How helpful is the information DVD from Disney regarding DVC?

3. If we purchase before Oct. 2007, do we get 2006 points?

4. It seems that choosing your guide can be important. Since we do not have a guide, can we request one of the many guides who have been recommended by members of this board?

Thank you for your help.

We are faily new members so I will try to help you out as much as I can. I know other well versed members will also add their expertise.

If you are planning on having OKW as your home resort you will have to do one of two things to get that resort. Purchase resale or contact DVC to see if they have any OKW pts. in inventory. Or were you planning on buying into SSR or AKV?

If you purchase resale you will be able to purchase any amount of points to become members. If you go through DVC the min. is 160 points.

Secondly, if you can only take take one trip prior to 2010 you will have to figure out what to do with points you cannot use such as rent them out, give them to family, or those points will "disappear".

The UY (use year) you receive is what DVC has available if you go throuhg them. I don't believe you can just choose the UY you would like. If you go through resale you can see what is available. Maybe you already have your eye on a contract.

Answers to your questions:
1. Should we purchase now, or wait until we know we can plan our trips at the 11 month?

I guess I am not sure what you are asking here? Are you asing if you should wait until after 2010 when you can plan your trips? Maybe another DVCer can help here.

2. How helpful is the information DVD from Disney regarding DVC?

I would call and request the DVD and the "Dream Book". The DVD was very helpful but the book was a good chunk of the useful info. such as point charts, benefits, cost factors, etc.

3. If we purchase before Oct. 2007, do we get 2006 points?

This is assuming you are able to get an Oct. UY. Again it depends on he Use Year (UY) that DVC is on for the home resort you choose. I addressed this earlier.

4. It seems that choosing your guide can be important. Since we do not have a guide, can we request one of the many guides who have been recommended by members of this board?

I don't believe you will get to choose your guide. I am not sure how they are assigned but when we called they asked me where I lived so it leads me to believe it has to do with where you may live on what guide you get. I could be totally wrong here. Just a hunch.

I have tried to give you some views on your questions. As I said we are new members since earlier this year. So I am still learning myself. I know that there will be some very wise DVCers that will tune in and help out. What answers I have given you are only my point of view. I could be totally off my rocker.

I hope I was at least somewhat helpful. Good luck with your decision.

 

[vandy]

1. Should we purchase now, or wait until we know we can plan our trips at the 11 month?

More important is if you purchase now, will you be able to use your points? The 11-month booking window is usefull for peak seasons, holidays etc, but is not necessarily needed. Many DVC members plan at the 7-month window and some even spur of the moment. That flexibility is why DVC is special.

2. How helpful is the information DVD from Disney regarding DVC?

The DVD is nothing more than a commercial, fluff. The book is better and does give some good information so go ahead and request it.

3. If we purchase before Oct. 2007, do we get 2006 points?

Disney gives 'developer' points as an incentive on their new resort sales, such as AKV and SSR. Each resort only has so many points allotted to it so they must work within those confines. They cannot just give points. Maybe some of their resales they bought back through ROFR have current year points? Resales from places like the Timeshare Store may have current or banked points left as well (and some may have no points available until next year. Need to look closely at the listings).

4. It seems that choosing your guide can be important. Since we do not have a guide, can we request one of the many guides who have been recommended by members of this board?

Once you request your information from Disney, you will be assigned a guide. If you want a specific one, you will need to call and request them and they can send you the informational package. I will PM you with our guide's name (long time guide, knows everything).

 

[Teyedoubleguhrrrr]

1. Should we purchase now, or wait until we know we can plan our trips at the 11 month?

To answer this, I would ask you this - how many points are you looking to buy? If you start with a small contract now at OKW - with proper banking/borrowing of points you can have your one trip before 2010 without having too many points expire on you. Then, if things look like they will pick up in terms of the number of trips, you can always add-on (but beware of add-on-itis - its ADDICTIVE!!) However, it may be difficult to get points with the same UY/resort depending on what you want. It is always a risk you run, but starting small is an option for you.

2. How helpful is the information DVD from Disney regarding DVC?

I thought the DVD was honestly a joke. Not helpful at all. But when I saw it, I already knew a lot about DVC. I think you will get more info here on the DIS boards and site (including points charts, etc.) than you will there.

3. If we purchase before Oct. 2007, do we get 2006 points?

Depends on the resale contract. Like others have said - read the listing carefully.

4. It seems that choosing your guide can be important. Since we do not have a guide, can we request one of the many guides who have been recommended by members of this board?

Since I bought resale from TTS, I didn't have a guide. Keep in mind that once you have a guide, they stay with you until they leave DVC. We had a guide assigned to us in 1993 when we first investigated DVC (but we were poor newlyweds...). However, when we re-started the process recently, she was still our contact.

Have fun exploring all of your options. It can get overwhelming, but it is very exciting, too!

 

[Deb & Bill]

A DVC contract is a fairly large output of cash, including monthly member fees. If you won't be using the points between now and 2010, why put out all that cash?? It doesn't make much sense to me if you don't plan to use it. Invest the money in the stock market, or whatever your choice of investment. If you still are interested in DVC in 2009 for 2010, buy then.

Renting out points/reservations takes a good amount of time/effort until you get the hang of it. Plus, technically, you could be considered a commercial renter if you are renting out all your points and not using any yourself. Disney isn't looking too fondly upon commercial renters.