Never Been to your "Home" resort?

[keliblue]

Question, Are there DVC owner who have never actually been to their "HOME" resort ? The reason I am asking is this, we are thinking of purchasing an investment @ HH (lower maintance & $) but don't think we will ever see the place.

My other question is... Is 7 month enough time to book at places like VWL (studio) if we would only travel in the off season.. Sept thru Early December each year

Thank you so much

 

[Deb & Bill]

October, November and early December are hardly off season for DVC. If you ever want to stay in a GV or get a Boardwalk view or need to make a reservation more than 7 months ahead of time, you need to buy where you want to stay the most.

 

[Chuck S]

Remember that "off-season" for most of Disney World is often busy season for DVC. Especially early December, and Food and Wine Fest for the EPCOT area resorts.

However, as long as you aren't extremely picky about which onsite resort you stay at, you can usually find something at the 7 month mark. VWL, however, being the smallest resort, can be "iffy" anytime of year at the 7 month window. So if you HAVE to have VWL on a consistent basis, I suggest you purchase there. If OKW or SSR will suit your style on the occassions when you are unable to get VWL, then buying at HH should not be a problem.

 

[keliblue]

October, November and early December are hardly off season for DVC. If you ever want to stay in a GV or get a Boardwalk view or need to make a reservation more than 7 months ahead of time, you need to buy where you want to stay the most.

Being that I am "not" an owner.. I only have the points chart to go by when it comes to the seasons... thank you for enlightening me

 

[Sammie]

I would not recommend buying a property to gain access to the others unless you know you will never be able to book prior to 7 months. Some due to their jobs, etc. know they can't plan a vacation and book it 11 months out, so in that case they might as well go for lower cost, etc.

However if you want certain locations at certain times, that are very desirable to other members such as the months you mentioned, then you will need the home resort advantage.

 

[Sorcerer's Dad]

We own at HH, and lived in Virginia at the time we bought. We used the points at Hilton Head spring and summer, Vero Beach in spring break, Boardwalk first week in June, Old Key West at all different times.

HH is kind of a central spot for us where family can get together, and is really great over 4th of July -- which I was able to get without a problem, likely because I made the reservation way before the 7 month window.

Our daughter also owns at HH.

But because she and her husband wanted to make sure they could have good access to VWL, they have also bought into VWL.

I think buying where you want to go is sound thinking, but as noted in a previous msg, it really won't matter if because of your circumstances you wouldn't ever be able to request reservations more than 7 months in advance.

 

[disney gadabout]

Over the years I have seen it become moree difficult to book at the 7 month mark. But if you will be happy to stay at the larger resorts such as OKW or Saratoga Springs, go for it.

 

[ksoehrlein]

I'm a HH owner (since 2002) who has never stayed there. Same story as you: the lower cost was the major appeal for us.

We tend to book our trips only a few months ahead of time and have not had a problem finding "a" room at WDW, just not always at our first choice of resort. Luckily, we love them all.

The 2 times we did make plans at the 7-month mark, resort choice was important to me, so I called day-by-day and ended up with my first choice (BCV and the hard-to-get Standard view BWV). BUT we would have been happy with any room on property. If you're going to buy at HH, it's important to have a similar attitude when you make your ressies to avoid possible disappointment.

 

[tedhowe]

I'm not trying to contradict the "buy where you want to stay" conventional wisdom... I believe that it is generally very sound advice.

But I'd like to relate our experience.

We have technically never stayed at our home resort. My parents purchased a membership in 1993 and we have stayed at OKW almost exclusively. Other than one 2-night stay at Boardwalk in 1998, the only time we've stayed anywhere other than OKW was a family trip for us and my inlaws to Hilton Head in 2000.

While we were there, my DW and I decided to buy our own membership. We bought at HH. Since then, we have continued to only stay at OKW. So we haven't stayed at our home resort on our membership.

We've never had trouble getting the accomodations we wanted at OKW. Since 2001 we've had 4 trips (Oct. 2001, Jan 2003, April 2005 and upcoming Feb 2007) and have had no problems getting our preferred accomodations - typically 2 bedroom units at OKW.

Now, it's pretty much a given that OKW is the easiest resort to get into at 7 months (perhaps SSR is comparable) and I understand that 2BR units are the easiest to get at 7 months, so we may just be lucky in that our preferred travel pattern is the easiest to accomodate at 7 months.

Definitely if you are interested in one of the smaller resorts (BCV, VWL) I would recommend buying where you want to stay.

 

[CarolMN]

It is unlikely that you will have trouble getting any on site DVC resort for a September vacation if you call at the 7 month mark.

If you call at the 7 month mark, you should be be able to get one of the smaller on site DVC resorts(VWL, BCV, BWV) for October, November or December vacations (no guarantees of course, but you would have a pretty good chance). You will need to call day by day to have the best chance.

You will seldom if ever be able to get a standard view, guaranteed Boardwalk view at the BWV or a GV at any of the resorts for October - December vacations.

SSR is the largest DVC resort - if you would be happy staying there if you can't get something else, buy the contract that gives you the best deal. Be sure to include the maintenance fees in your calculations. A low price per point contract doesn't necessarily carry the lowest annual dues.

Best wishes -

 

[mcorbo]

Question, Are there DVC owner who have never actually been to their "HOME" resort ? The reason I am asking is this, we are thinking of purchasing an investment @ HH (lower maintance & $) but don't think we will ever see the place.

My other question is... Is 7 month enough time to book at places like VWL (studio) if we would only travel in the off season.. Sept thru Early December each year

Thank you so much

I own 350 pts at VWL since early 2004 and have yet to use them there. In 6 stays, we have had 4 at BWV and 2 at BCV. I guess I should really look into selling off half and buying at BWV.

 

[knothead180]

DW and I bought 170 points at VWL in 2001. Since then we have stayed one time each at BCV and VB, and 4 times at BWV. After enjoying our membership for 5 years, we came to two conclusions: We need twice as many points, and it would be better to have them all at our preferred resort, BWV. So we have recently cleared ROFR and are waiting to close on a 350 point contract at BWV. Once there are some points available in the VWL contract, we will put that up for sale. (Don't want to try to sell it "stripped.")

In retospect, you could say we originally bought too few points and bought them at the wrong place. Was that a mistake? Absolutely not! We have enjoyed six great trips, and at the going rates we can sell the VWL contract for more than we paid for it, even after commission. It was just a process of discovery and learning what we wanted. What a fun lesson!

 

[AnnaS]

We own at OKW and BCV. BCV since it opened. We have stayed once at the BWV and at least 4 times at OKW. (We have cruised DCL 3 x (Western, Eastern and West Coast - cruising med. next year - combination of points and cash). We have yet to stay at BCV. We keep inviting friends or get an extra studio for my son's friends - so OKW has worked out point wise. Can't wait to try out BCV - not sure when 08/09?

 

[Deb & Bill]

I own 350 pts at VWL since early 2004 and have yet to use them there. In 6 stays, we have had 4 at BWV and 2 at BCV. I guess I should really look into selling off half and buying at BWV.

Do you have multiple contracts at VWL or just one big one of 350 points? You can't split a contract, so if you just have one, you'd have to sell the entire thing or keep the entire thing.

 

[thirtycats]

Our membership is at BCV and we've only stayed there once...for just 2 nights.

We stay at the Boardwalk the most. We went in 2004. I wanted a standard view (to save points) and tried getting it at 7 month window. No luck there! But we did get a regular 2 bedroom.

We made reservations in March 2005 for June at Saratoga Springs and September in BWV. Got what we wanted there! Including the standard view.

Around October, I tried calling for a studio in early December. That was a lesson in DVC right there. EVERYTHING was booked!!!! I never realized it was such a busy time.

Anyway, what I've learned about booking DVC vacations. Whenever you think you have a brilliant idea such as "Let's give up the view at Boardwalk and save points" or "Let's go in December where points are super low, but we can still see the X-Mas decorations"......Everyone else has the same brilliant idea as you. And you won't find anything.

 

[Lady V]

hey!! I bought into SS in May of 2005. I have not stayed there yet. I have stayed at OKW and BW. I am, however, staying there for my upcoming Jan trip. I am very excited to stay there-I have heard great things!!

 

[Jim from Jersey]

I also bought into SSR in 05 and have not stayed there yet. At the beginning of 2006 we stayed at WL - made reservations at the 7 month mark - and this Dec. we are staying at OKW. For the Dec. stay, I made SSR reservations 11 months out and at the 7 month mark I tried to change to somewhere else. At that point, there was nothing available and I put my name on all the wait lists. Two weeks ago we got the call for OKW and accepted. Our 2007 trip will most likely be in Nov. and I will be making SSR reservations at the 11 month mark. However, once again, when 7 months comes around I will try for another resort. Your situation is a little different, I know that at 11 months out, I can pretty much guarantee a stay at WDW by staying at SSR. I then have the luxury of trying to get in somewhere else. If it doesn't happen, so be it - I am still at WDW. With buying into HH, you would always have to wait till the 7 month mark to try to get in at WDW and that may not always be possible. Best of luck with which ever way you choose! Jim

 

[vascubaguy]

I currently own at OKW and SSR and just stayed at OKW for the first time a few weeks ago. I have yet to stay at SSR but have ressies there for NYE.

My original purchase was at OKW where I bought because the cost per point was (at the time) close to HH and (at the time) the MFs were much less... I'm not distraught by not being able to book at the 7 month window, but in hindsight I would have preferred having the OKW points at the BWV instead, even though they are more per point and the MFs higher...

 

[Snoopygirl]

My DH and I just bought at SSR last month. We have a DL trip planned in March and are staying at GCH. We are planning a trip in Sept. 2008---WDW/DCL (woohoo ) w/ the whole family......8 of us. Everyone wants us to try and get WL!! I'll probably book at SSR at the 11 month and then try to get WL at the 7 month.

 

[winjos]

We purchased our BWV points in 2000. We are leaving tomorrow for our first stay at our home resort.

We have stayed primarily at OKW, but have also booked trips to HH, VB, and, VWL. I have called as soon as 2 weeks prior to leaving and I've been able to get a room. We love OKW, and we have had great luck getting in on short notice.

Now, we wanted to go to the F & W festival, and I called at the 11 month mark. We had a change in plans (friends couldn't go), and I was put on the waitlist in July. I received all the days I wanted except 1 (all DVC booked solid on this day )

Getting other resorts at 7 months is possible, you will just need to be flexible or willing to use the waitlist for your desired resort.

Good luck!