Need some positive reinforcement/AKV December Update/We are now owners!

[MaryD73]

Ok, my DBF and I are considering buying 200 point at AK. The deal they have ($8 discount, $500 disney reward, 200 2007 pts) is making it very appealing.

Now the hitch. We are planning to stay at AKL in December for a week using a 40% off pin. With so little lead time there was no way they could convert our reservation to a DVC reservation using our new points.

We are having a hard time justifying buying DVC and then a month later paying cash for a trip. And not to mention it will be the Holiday season and cash flow will be limited in general. We won't be using our points until May at the earliest.

I am also a little concerned about how difficult it is to get rooms based upon the number of 'waitlist' threads here.

Now my questions for all you seasoned folks:

1) Would you go ahead and buy now or wait until we are there in December and buy onsite?
2) Is it really that hard to get rooms if you plan ahead 7/11 months?
3) Also have a finance question. Has anyone financed their purchase through Disney and paid it off realy early, say in the first 3 months? I want to make sure there are no penalties like my Guide said.

I know that these are three random question and I have rambled on. I am still learning and hope you all can help. Also, with all this hard thinking I am losing the enthusiasm I had when we first started looking. So please tell me it is all worth it!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Since you are going in December, I probably would wait unitl then to buy as long as you have not yet taken the tour.

As long as you can plan 7-11 months out, and don't always go during high occupancy times, you will usually find something. We have been members for more than 10 years, and have never found it to be an issue.

When we did our first add-on of 150 points, we financed for 3 months until our funds were available. No penalties at all!

 

[deltachi8]

Go ahead and buy, who's stoppin' ya?

 

[MaryD73]

Go ahead and buy, who's stoppin' ya?

Since you are the DBF, I think your opinion is in question. I am looking for input from others here that have already been there.

Since you are going in December, I probably would wait unitl then to buy as long as you have not yet taken the tour.

Thanks dianeschlicht for the information. What did you mean by if we had not taken the tour?

 

[disneynutz]

1) Would you go ahead and buy now or wait until we are there in December and buy onsite?

I would contact my Guide and ask if you buy now, can they get you a reservation for December? I have always had good luck with our Guide. When they want to make a sale, miracles happen.

2) Is it really that hard to get rooms if you plan ahead 7/11 months?

Depends on the time of year, type of room, resort.

3) Also have a finance question. Has anyone financed their purchase through Disney and paid it off realy early, say in the first 3 months? I want to make sure there are no penalties like my Guide said.

No penalties. Pay it off with a reward CC, then pay off the card. You can use the reward towards your next visit.

 

[AnneMT]

I agree that the guides are a great help... I'm sure they can come up with a good idea for you.

We can recommend the use of the Disney credit card rewards... another good idea!

 

[MaryD73]

Unfortuneately our guide has told us there is nothing that he can do. The explanation is that early December is always in demand and there has been a major slow down in construction at AKV. In fact they are having to move people with exisitng AKV reservations to other resorts. All of this is putting a strain onthe DVC and he could only find rooms nightly at different resorts He couldn't even find two nights in a row.

Does this sound accurate to anyone else?

 

[LisaS]

Unfortuneately our guide has told us there is nothing that he can do. The explanation is that early December is always in demand and there has been a major slow down in construction at AKV. In fact they are having to move people with exisitng AKV reservations to other resorts. All of this is putting a strain onthe DVC and he could only find rooms nightly at different resorts He couldn't even find two nights in a row.

Does this sound accurate to anyone else?

Early December is one of the busiest times for DVC. The points are very low, the decorations are up, there is a lot going on -- great time to be at WDW and most DVCers who want to go at that time booked right at the 11 month window. This would be very very very late to be trying to book any WDW DVC resort for any dates in December. You might find the odd single night here or there but not put together an entire stay in the same room at one resort. There are lots of people on the waiting list for dates in December as well so even if they could pull some inventory from CRO, I would hope it would go to people who have spent weeks on the waiting list.

I am curious about the comments about the construction slowdown at AKV and that they are moving people with AKV reservations to other resorts. This is the first I've heard about that and with so many folks here booked into AKV for December, I would have thought we would have heard about this. Can you elaborate?

 

[MaryD73]

All he told me was that not all the rooms they had planned to be open by December will be ready and they are scrambling to find rooms for everyone.

I really hope he was just overstating the problem for my benefit and anyone that would be affected has already been contacted.

Next time I talk to him I will try to draw out more information.

 

[dianeschlicht]

snip
I am curious about the comments about the construction slowdown at AKV and that they are moving people with AKV reservations to other resorts. This is the first I've heard about that and with so many folks here booked into AKV for December, I would have thought we would have heard about this. Can you elaborate?

I was wondering about that too! Everything we have heard indicates that AKV is ahead of scheudule with the villas. No one on this board has spoken before of getting switched, so I wonder if this is a relatively new development or just a mistaken guide? Even our DVC emails have commented on being ahead of schedule.

 

[disneynutz]

All he told me was that not all the rooms they had planned to be open by December will be ready and they are scrambling to find rooms for everyone.

I really hope he was just overstating the problem for my benefit and anyone that would be affected has already been contacted.

Next time I talk to him I will try to draw out more information.

What are your dates and size of room for your December trip? Maybe someone could check availability for you.

 

[MaryD73]

What are your dates and size of room for your December trip? Maybe someone could check availability for you.

We are looking at Dec 9 - 16th, studio (any kind). We have a pool view AKL room booked already so we know we have a place to stay. It would have been nice to enjoy the villa rooms if they had been available.

Right now I am more concerned with those that already have reservations. I have a call into my guide to see what is going on.

Thanks everyone!

 

[MaryD73]

There are some villa rooms in the AKL main building going slower than anticipated. Disney had left themselves some wiggle room, but there is none left. So basically if you have a room booked you are OK but hope that nothing goes wrong between now and then.


Oh yes, WE DID IT!!! We are now the proud owners of 200 points at Animal Kingdom Villas!!!!!

 

[LisaS]

There are some villa rooms in the AKL main building going slower than anticipated. Disney had left themselves some wiggle room, but there is none left. So basically if you have a room booked you are OK but hope that nothing goes wrong between now and then.

This is all very interesting. I got the impression from some of the first people to stay at AKV that the construction crew was working on some of those rooms right down to the wire. It sounds like they are nervous about that happening again with some of the rooms slated to open in December. It would be extremely difficult to move people to other DVC accommodations during that time since most of the resorts are booked.

Oh yes, WE DID IT!!! We are now the proud owners of 200 points at Animal Kingdom Villas!!!!!

Congratulations and welcome home!!

 

[ems_mom]

Long planned trip paying $ to BCV last week ended with a DVC tour the morning we flew out. (Couldn't believe my husband was even interested...the tour was his idea!) I still can't believe it...we sent our paperwork back yesterday, and are now AKL DVC owners! Yea! The $8 points rebate, 2007 points (which we already know we will bank) and the $500 reward dollars plus those awesome models tipped the balance for "Mr. Big". I'm so excited!

 

[DVC Grammy]

.............It sounds like they are nervous about that happening again with some of the rooms slated to open in December. .....................

Aren't those the value and the concierge level ones?

I can see them making some sort of possible switch for those who booked value, maybe into a standard room somewhere, but what could they do with the folks who booked CL and don't have available rooms?