Need help thinking about adding on and best strategy?

[CWTC]

Hi all -

I would greatly appreciate anyone's thoughts or best way to approach this. It's kind of a long back story so my apologies. My husband and I own 3 contracts (BCV, VGF, and BLT) - BCV (resale but grandfathered) and VGF (direct) are blue card, BLT white card. Way back in the day before we even met, he tried to convince his parents to buy DVC because they went every year, stayed 9-10 nights at YC, but they were spooked by the MF's. About 4 years ago, my inlaws stopped traveling due to my FIL's health. He died a week ago and once his death became apparent we started thinking about how to get her back to Disney because she really loves Mickey Mouse. The two of us previously had a 1 br VGF stay booked for 5/2022 and we were able to get flights and book a standard GF room for my MIL. She is bargain hunter and always played the room discount game. She is not pleased regarding the room cost and honestly neither are we (which is in part why we bought into DVC 12 years ago). Honestly 700$ plus per night for a standard studio hotel room seems ridiculous at disney. But I digress.

She now wants to buy into DVC to get larger accommodations and to not have to worry about the price/discount game - we would put the points in our name and I would manage them for her. She is in her early 80s and walks 3-4 miles each day, still drives, only takes 2 pills, etc. Granted nothing is a guarantee but we estimate she has a good 5-10 years of travel in her. Ideally we would use the points to get 2 BR's when we travel and all stay together. Right now we have enough points for a 1 BR (8 to 9 nights), 1-2 stays per year, and we rotate between our 3 home resorts. My husband is thinking we would want to add on enough points at all 3 resorts to accomplish this so we can always stay together.

1) Normally we would buy resale. I though am not thrilled about how long that would take (our last resale took just over 100 days from start to finish) given we are dealing with an elderly woman here. I also am not thrilled about having that many white card points in our DVC portfolio given that as we age we may want to exchange them out for a cruise or something. We also need them to be relatively small contracts and same UY which may be hard to find on the resale market.

2) If we don't buy at all 3 resorts, then it makes sense to buy BCV plus either BLT/VGF. VGF is her least favorite resort but now that VGF2 is online the cost per point makes it the most attractive. BLT though is the largest resort and presumably we would have the most flexibility with booking there. BCV though makes the least sense given its expiration but we do not want to be at an EPCOT area resort and have her at a MK resort. That just seems like a recipe for trouble and angst.

3) I think we could get by with 50-75 each at BLT and BCV based on alternate usage/when we usually travel but I want built in cushion for point redistribution AND if she wants to get her own studio elsewhere. Similarly I think 100 at VGF would be good enough but want that same cushion. I'm thinking we want 100 BCV, 100 BLT, and 150 VGF. Of each combo if we only did 2:
a. 100 BCV and 250 VGF
b. 100 BCV and 200 BLT
c. 100 BLT and 250 VGF

4) I know they are in theory selling BCV direct but are they really? Would they even have BCV points to sell us?

Thank you so much in advance for any advice or thoughts! I know I am missing something in the above thought process and with VGF2 I now feel a time crunch.

 

[wnielsen1]

They will sell you BCV direct, but you will pay dearly for it. However, given your situation as you describe above, that might be OK rather than dealing with resale. Disney has been very active in buying back BCV so they should have points to sell you.

 

[RoseGold]

I think there's a decent math argument to sell the legacy points and go VGF2. Even the BC, which is at astounding highs. Cash those gains in now.

Buy small contracts and then you are completely flexible. Sell if you change your mind or circumstances change.

If you really want BLT/BC priority, then you will have to pay for it. In expensive contracts or less nights at those resorts or in keeping overvalued points that will go down in value eventually. At both BLT/BC, and assuming you aren't traveling super peak, the larger rooms are not impossible at 7 months if you have the points to do it. If she wants her own room, then do it at VGF in the awesome new building.

I don't see why you would ever buy BC direct. Resale isn't that big of a delay, and DVC requires booking way in advance. If you're worried about a few months delay, then just book for $188 at Pop for this summer.

And don't forget RIV. If you're buying VGF2, booking RIV is also in play for your Epcot resort.

 

[sndral]

Sorry for the loss of your FIL.
Why is the GF your MIL’s least favorite resort & which resort is her favorite? Is it because it’s so expensive (in which case getting to stay there ‘cheaply’ on points could change her mind) or does she not like the location/aesthetic of the resort? Since this purchase is focused on including your MIL in your annual trips in the years she has left to travel & she’s the one buying albeit to put into your names I’d let that be my guide.
The only reason to buy VGF right now is because the current price may well be the lowest it’ll be for a direct purchase, but if your MIL dislikes the GF & is unlikely to change her mind & your goal is to include her, then GF points aren’t the best fit.
Since you already have your May visit covered there’s no rush to add points unless you think your MIL will change her mind about the VGF.
I’d focus on where you ideally would stay in the trip after May 2022 & acquiring enough points at that resort for a 2 bedroom there.
Also, she can gift you as a couple $32,000 per year in 2022 w/out having to report it to the IRS, so I’d keep that in mind as well as you decide how many points to buy where.

 

[dboules]

Beach Club direct points are available.

Last week I contacted my DVC Sales Rep and she was able to get us exactly what I was looking for -- 38 BCV points with a June use year.
But I didn't realize that I would on top of the whopping $265/point price also pay closing costs. When we bought direct way back they didn't charge the closing costs.

So we ended up findings a resale for 60 points and the entire cost with closing costs is less than $2000 difference but I get 22 additional points yearly and 40 extra banked points.

 

[CWTC]

Wow guys! Thank you for all the thoughtful replies. You have given me alot to think about and I'm organizing my thoughts to your responses. So greatly appreciated.

They will sell you BCV direct, but you will pay dearly for it. However, given your situation as you describe above, that might be OK rather than dealing with resale. Disney has been very active in buying back BCV so they should have points to sell you.

I did call - I really don't like dealing with DVC guides/salespeople - but they do currently have points to sell at 265$ per point. I have a really hard time stomaching that price point though.

Beach Club direct points are available.

Last week I contacted my DVC Sales Rep and she was able to get us exactly what I was looking for -- 38 BCV points with a June use year.
But I didn't realize that I would on top of the whopping $265/point price also pay closing costs. When we bought direct way back they didn't charge the closing costs.

So we ended up findings a resale for 60 points and the entire cost with closing costs is less than $2000 difference but I get 22 additional points yearly and 40 extra banked points.

Yeah, the pricing is a huge barrier especially when I think about what we paid resale in 2009 for our BCV club points.

I think there's a decent math argument to sell the legacy points and go VGF2. Even the BC, which is at astounding highs. Cash those gains in now.

Buy small contracts and then you are completely flexible. Sell if you change your mind or circumstances change.

If you really want BLT/BC priority, then you will have to pay for it. In expensive contracts or less nights at those resorts or in keeping overvalued points that will go down in value eventually. At both BLT/BC, and assuming you aren't traveling super peak, the larger rooms are not impossible at 7 months if you have the points to do it. If she wants her own room, then do it at VGF in the awesome new building.

I don't see why you would ever buy BC direct. Resale isn't that big of a delay, and DVC requires booking way in advance. If you're worried about a few months delay, then just book for $188 at Pop for this summer.

And don't forget RIV. If you're buying VGF2, booking RIV is also in play for your Epcot resort.

I agree the math says sell our legacy points and go all in on VGF but we bought at BCV to use at F&W. We honestly have been considering a small resale add on for ourselves at BCV. In terms of our travel habits, we most commonly travel for F&W, then early May, then early December. So home resort advantage plays a role for us and if we couldn't stay where we wanted to, we would not be happy.

You make a good point though on not buying BCV direct: we had been thinking in all or nothing terms. Buying direct at VGF now but buying resale for BCV is not something we had considered.

Regarding POP or RIV, my MIL places a high value on being able to walk to a park. She has friends who own at SSR and we have friends who own at RIV and I cannot count the number of times she has said something along the lines of "what is the point if you can't walk to a park." This then obviously limits choices for DVC purposes.

Sorry for the loss of your FIL.
Why is the GF your MIL’s least favorite resort & which resort is her favorite? Is it because it’s so expensive (in which case getting to stay there ‘cheaply’ on points could change her mind) or does she not like the location/aesthetic of the resort? Since this purchase is focused on including your MIL in your annual trips in the years she has left to travel & she’s the one buying albeit to put into your names I’d let that be my guide.
The only reason to buy VGF right now is because the current price may well be the lowest it’ll be for a direct purchase, but if your MIL dislikes the GF & is unlikely to change her mind & your goal is to include her, then GF points aren’t the best fit.
Since you already have your May visit covered there’s no rush to add points unless you think your MIL will change her mind about the VGF.
I’d focus on where you ideally would stay in the trip after May 2022 & acquiring enough points at that resort for a 2 bedroom there.
Also, she can gift you as a couple $32,000 per year in 2022 w/out having to report it to the IRS, so I’d keep that in mind as well as you decide how many points to buy where.

Thank you - he had been sick for awhile so at least everyone had time to prepare.

As for her lack of love for the GF, I think its a combination of things. YC was the first deluxe they ever stayed at and for the next 20+ years it was the only resort they ever booked: emotional connection to YC is huge. They stayed at GF once for our wedding but she has said she feels like she has to dress up at GF so comfort plays a role as well. That said, MK is her favorite park and now GF is walkable. Poly has her favorite bars and she can walk that from GF. I think GF will grow on her for those reasons. She also likes bargains and the incentives at VGF may attract her for that reason. It still doesn't solve the issue of BCV during F&W though. Any park that does not have direct, walkable access to a park is a no go which in some ways makes the whole decision simpler because its less to choose from.

Your comment on no rush is really helpful and is a perspective we did not consider. We have May 2022 covered. There is a slight time rush as we have a 12/2022 stay booked at BLT for ourselves and we were planning on converting part of that trip to a Poly bungalow once month 7 rolls around. If we started a resale process now, we might be able to use the new points to spend the whole 8 nights at Poly (she has always talked about wanting to stay in a bungalow). Certainly if we went direct we would have the points in time. We won't be at BCV again until 2023 which would give us time to find a cheaper BCV contract via resale.

In terms of future stays, it would have to be park walkable resorts with 2 BRs: poly, blt, vgf, bcv, or boardwalk. Poly is out because there are no 1 bedrooms. I hesitate to buy a huge chunk of points at BCV/boardwalk because of the expiration although I am fine with a small chunk. This all brings us back to VGF or BLT.

Again many thanks for your insights and perspectives!!

 

[RoseGold]

Well, to make this more complicated... I think there's an argument that the next cheap room flip could be Yacht Club. If that were to happen in 2-3 years, buying something flexible, like BC resale -- or keeping your legacy points -- would put you in a good position to be able to buy into that.

If Yacht Club is that special to your family, I might plan in case that happens, though I doubt it would have the room types you want if it's a cheap flip, like VGF.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/whats-the-next-dvc-property.3874255/

 

[CWTC]

If Yacht Club is that special to your family, I might plan in case that happens, though I doubt it would have the room types you want if it's a cheap flip, like VGF.

We would be all in on YC if they had the right room types. When its just spouse and I, we always get 1 BRs and would need/want 2 BRs for us + MIL. I don't see disney going through the expense and hassle to flip YC to a collection of studios/1Br/2Br but instead would anticipate an "easy" flip ala VGF2 and poly.

 

[kboo]

Your comment on no rush is really helpful and is a perspective we did not consider. We have May 2022 covered. There is a slight time rush as we have a 12/2022 stay booked at BLT for ourselves and we were planning on converting part of that trip to a Poly bungalow once month 7 rolls around. If we started a resale process now, we might be able to use the new points to spend the whole 8 nights at Poly (she has always talked about wanting to stay in a bungalow). Certainly if we went direct we would have the points in time. We won't be at BCV again until 2023 which would give us time to find a cheaper BCV contract via resale.

In terms of future stays, it would have to be park walkable resorts with 2 BRs: poly, blt, vgf, bcv, or boardwalk. Poly is out because there are no 1 bedrooms. I hesitate to buy a huge chunk of points at BCV/boardwalk because of the expiration although I am fine with a small chunk. This all brings us back to VGF or BLT.

If your MIL's favorite park is MK, I would really suggest you look at how much it would cost to be able to get 2br std points at BLT, compared to 2br std at VGF. For a week at Xmas, it's 484 (BLT) v. 639 (VGF). Even in the lowest season it's still about a 70 point difference. Also, the walking path between MK and BLT is not nearly as scenic but it is a LOT shorter (I've done both, quite a lot.) If your MIL is not in love with VGF, I would go with BLT. VGF is probably my kids' favorite resort, and even though we have planned our points and our holiday stays, I still cringe at how much they cost. (Thanks to the pandemic canceling a lot of trips, we have done stays at VGF 1br over Christmas in 2019 and 2021. Still. It's a LOT of points.) I would keep the VGF contract for shorter or smaller stays with just you and DH.