Need help buying DVC

[WalloghbyWay]

So I generally go to Orlando once a year or every other year. I travel with friends or my brother and his kids. My needs would always be a 1 or two bedroom. I don’t want to stay in a studio. I would love to stay at the RIV and I know the restrictions with buying resale. I also tend to book less than 7 months out. The research I’ve done says, booking less than 7 months doesn’t help when trying to get desired resorts or two bedrooms. My travel times would be the fall so mid September to mid December, I’d almost never travel on holidays or the summer. Occasionally maybe the spring. Also, my needs would be wed to sun or less. I’m thinking a 150 point contract may suffice. I hear SSR or BLT would be least amount cost per point. I heard having a UY of Sept is best. What is the availability at 5 months out? Any chance of a 2 bedroom mid December? Or Jan available or am I looking strictly at one bedrooms at OKW or SSR? In which case, does it make financial sense to buy into DVC knowing I will rarely make a reservation from 11-5 months?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

You seem to have some fixed times in mind like mid December so why would you have to wait to book until less than 7 months? If that ends up being the case for the fall then there a very high possibility you'll be at SSR or even piecing a reservation together. It could make for a frustrating ownership. But I'm not understanding waiting if you have times in mind?

 

[WalloghbyWay]

You seem to have some fixed times in mind like mid December so why would you have to wait to book until less than 7 months? If that ends up being the case for the fall then there a very high possibility you'll be at SSR or even piecing a reservation together. It could make for a frustrating ownership. But I'm not understanding waiting if you have times in mind?

I wouldn’t know if mid December was happening until around July/August. My trips are based around conference dates that happen in Orlando mid December or Jan. The actual dates aren’t listed until late summer. The fall would happen again based on work schedule and it would be last minute for F&W. I already own other resorts that can be frustrating and I was able to deal with a certain level frustration with DVC since I know my booking pattern. Something tells me that it will be a greater frustration than expected. I do also split my time with a few days on the back end for universal. If I’m going to end up at SSR, I may as well own there and be lucky if I can get something else i guess. Or just stick with what I have with vistana and book getaways at Marriott cypress harbor and be an outsider

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Early December is the highest demand for DVC all year. Even a 1BR will be a struggle 6 months out, let alone closer.

You want to travel in DVC's high demand season. Even 1BRs can be rough.

 

[WalloghbyWay]

Early December is the highest demand for DVC all year. Even a 1BR will be a struggle 6 months out, let alone closer.

You want to travel in DVC's high demand season. Even 1BRs can be rough.

That’s what I was afraid of. I thought early to mid December was a bit slower due to it being right before the holiday. I guess I’ll have to rent first and see how cost effective that is. I wish some of these ownerships across the board held inventory back for the last minute (within a few month) traveler. I feel like less and less people are “planning” so far in advance these days. Even when I used to rent my Atlantis weeks, they would rent months in advance. Now people start reaching out 2 months in advance. I find myself booking travel sometimes weeks before I go. Most people I know are beginning to travel like that. Years ago people “planned” a year in advance, not so much I feel. Not everyone. I know there are planners, but are people planners because we all have vacation clubs? I’m just ranting because I really want a DVC and I want it to work for me lol

 

[CarolMN]

Given your stated travel & booking patterns, DVC would not be a good choice for you. You will end up frustrated more often than not.

 

[CraigInPA]

The booking behavior for DVC has evolved from 4 or 5 months being sufficient to 7 months being acceptable, to now more than that. Some people have begun walking reservations months before the 11 month booking window opens for difficult to obtain accommodations.

DVC's highest demand weeks are those first two weeks in December due to low point requirements and the holiday decorations all being up. DVC's high season runs from September to mid January, coinciding with Food and Wine, holidays, and the marathon in January. While it may be possible to piece something together during this period under 7 months away, it will be frustratingly difficult to do so and you may fail. This reality exists whether you are an owner booking your own points, or a person renting a reservation from an owner.

For these reasons, DVC is not a good choice for you unless you can obtain the date of your conference more than the current 5-6 months out. You may want to contact the people holding the conference and ask them when it is before they announce. My wife did contracts for large conventions, and the venues were generally booked at 11 months or sometimes farther out from that. They withhold announcing the conferences to the public until they line up speakers, arrange print ads, and set up the website, all of which happen long after the dates are decided.

 

[Sandisw]

I agree with others, DVC isn’t for last minute travelers...and for DVC last minute is 3 to 5 months,

Add in you want to travel during busy DVC times, makes it even more difficult to use To get what you will want. Impossible...no. But you may not find enough nights in one place or in the room size you want.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

DVC will never hold units for last minute booking and block people with points booking further out. It would be a violation of contract.

 

[WalloghbyWay]

Thanks everyone. I was afraid of it not being ideal for less than 7 mo and I don’t want to “walk” reservations. I guess I’ll just have to look into renting

 

[Great3]

I wouldn’t know if mid December was happening until around July/August. My trips are based around conference dates that happen in Orlando mid December or Jan. The actual dates aren’t listed until late summer. The fall would happen again based on work schedule and it would be last minute for F&W. I already own other resorts that can be frustrating and I was able to deal with a certain level frustration with DVC since I know my booking pattern. Something tells me that it will be a greater frustration than expected. I do also split my time with a few days on the back end for universal. If I’m going to end up at SSR, I may as well own there and be lucky if I can get something else i guess. Or just stick with what I have with vistana and book getaways at Marriott cypress harbor and be an outsider

Yes, if you are going to book under 7 months, might as well buy SSR if you are going to buy.

However, as others already stated, unless you are willing to change your booking behavior, you will just end up being unhappy with points you can’t use that will expire. DVC probably isn’t the right product for you.

Great3

 

[WalloghbyWay]

Yes, if you are going to book under 7 months, might as well buy SSR if you are going to buy.

However, as others already stated, unless you are willing to change your booking behavior, you will just end up being unhappy with points you can’t use that will expire. DVC probably isn’t the right product for you.

Great3

Thanks. Maybe a small 100 point contact may be decent I can bank and borrow when I can book in advance

 

[TCRAIG]

Thanks everyone. I was afraid of it not being ideal for less than 7 mo and I don’t want to “walk” reservations. I guess I’ll just have to look into renting

Renting from an owner?

 

[WalloghbyWay]

Renting from an owner?

Yes. Many are saying the way I book isn’t ideal for ownership. I’d think finding a rental for the time I want will be more expensive but I’ll get to stay where I want.

 

[Sandisw]

Yes. Many are saying the way I book isn’t ideal for ownership. I’d think finding a rental for the time I want will be more expensive but I’ll get to stay where I want.

Just remember though, renting isn’t going to provide with more availability if you are booking short notice. Owners will have the same problem booking the rooms you’d have trouble booking last minute.

But, if you are thinking to rent when you can plan in advance, then yes, it may be better than owning.

 

[WalloghbyWay]

Just remember though, renting isn’t going to provide with more availability if you are booking short notice. Owners will have the same problem booking the rooms you’d have trouble booking last minute.

But, if you are thinking to rent when you can plan in advance, then yes, it may be better than owning.

Lol. Why why why can’t life be easy lol.

 

[TCRAIG]

Just remember though, renting isn’t going to provide with more availability if you are booking short notice. Owners will have the same problem booking the rooms you’d have trouble booking last minute.

But, if you are thinking to rent when you can plan in advance, then yes, it may be better than owning.

Exactly - if there’s no units available at short notice for you as an owner - then there’s no units available for an owner to book on your behalf as a rental either...

 

[crisi]

Lol. Why why why can’t life be easy lol.

Booking through CRO is pretty easy Timeshares trade flexibility for value. And its universal in the industry. If you want to go where you want when you want, cash is always a better option. If you can work around the restrictions of timeshare booking, timeshares can work - a do work for a lot of people. But in order to create the value, well....there's no free lunch. Its done by maximizing usage, which means the its a game of musical chairs - you need to anticipate when you are going to need the chair and move quick to get the chair you want, or someone else's butt will be in that seat. Unlike musical chairs - there are enough chairs for all the players - but some of them are less desirable than others - available only when you don't want to sit down or not right sized for you.

 

[DVC2000]

So I generally go to Orlando once a year or every other year. I travel with friends or my brother and his kids. My needs would always be a 1 or two bedroom. I don’t want to stay in a studio. I would love to stay at the RIV and I know the restrictions with buying resale. I also tend to book less than 7 months out. The research I’ve done says, booking less than 7 months doesn’t help when trying to get desired resorts or two bedrooms. My travel times would be the fall so mid September to mid December, I’d almost never travel on holidays or the summer. Occasionally maybe the spring. Also, my needs would be wed to sun or less. I’m thinking a 150 point contract may suffice. I hear SSR or BLT would be least amount cost per point. I heard having a UY of Sept is best. What is the availability at 5 months out? Any chance of a 2 bedroom mid December? Or Jan available or am I looking strictly at one bedrooms at OKW or SSR? In which case, does it make financial sense to buy into DVC knowing I will rarely make a reservation from 11-5 months?

SSR and OKW will usually have rooms available after the 7 month reservation window. Last year I was able to book a 1BR at SSR 2 months away for traveling in November.

 

[WalloghbyWay]

Booking through CRO is pretty easy Timeshares trade flexibility for value. And its universal in the industry. If you want to go where you want when you want, cash is always a better option. If you can work around the restrictions of timeshare booking, timeshares can work - a do work for a lot of people. But in order to create the value, well....there's no free lunch. Its done by maximizing usage, which means the its a game of musical chairs - you need to anticipate when you are going to need the chair and move quick to get the chair you want, or someone else's butt will be in that seat. Unlike musical chairs - there are enough chairs for all the players - but some of them are less desirable than others - available only when you don't want to sit down or not right sized for you.

Yup. Perfectly said lol. I actually own a few differing VOI. All trading in II. Now all in Orlando but part of vistana so I have the star options and always go to the Bahamas. I ideally want to be on property once a year. The other times I’m fine with weekends at another hotel since I have universal annual pass. I’m just weary of spending the money on DVC knowing I’d only be able to get units in resorts that are readily available on RCI last minute.