New DVC Member - Perspective of a Direct Buyer

[Wakey]

Also study the 7 month availability thread. 1 beds are very easy to get Jan to Sept anywhere, save for maybe a few special events or holidays. The other day I checked for a week at Christmas and it was still available many places at 7 months . When you hear people complaining they can never book anywhere at 7 months, they are mainly after studios. If you think you'll be a 1 bed person take this into account.

 

[nydisneydad]

A bunch more to respond to, I'll just try to add some general stuff rather than address things individually.

First, let me say that yes, this post is 100% about justification for buying direct... But not in the way some people might think. Taking the time to organize my thoughts has helped me solidify my decision, and my major intent here was to get my own thoughts on paper as it where, and to let others considering direct know my head-space. I saw a lot of posts about the benefits of resale, but very few saying "hey, it's okay to buy direct." I appreciate some people feeling I may be having doubts or that I am trying to find ways to reconcile my decision, but rest assured I'm not. These forums, as well as the posts in this thread, have led me to ask some more thoughtful questions. And I'm glad to say that to this point the answers I've come up with to those questions have not changed my thinking.

There were things I read here that gave me pause... but the more research I did, the less they concerned me. It's easy to second guess endlessly... But in the end, here's where I'm at:

Poly is ideal for us because, while we like the idea of 1- and 2-bedroom villas, more consideration has made me realize that location is even more important. Being on the monorail (and walking distance to the TTC) is probably the most important factor *IF* we have no choice but to stay at Poly. And I emphasize the "if"... We'll typically vacation in mid- to late-May, or possibly first week of February. In the summers we vacation up in the north, where it's not quite as sweltering, and my job doesn't much allow for travel in November or December. So it's highly unlikely I'd be looking at booking a July - December trip at Disney any time in the immediate future. If I did, it'd likely be for a weekend getaway with my wife.

I studied the 7-month charts on these and other boards (understanding the data changes year to year) and came to the conclusion that my needs aren't like the majority. If I want a studio, I'm going to want to stay at the Poly, because theirs are among the largest, and are the most conveniently located. If I'm going to want to stay in a 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom villa... well it seems like I'll still have options at the 7-month window. And if not, or if patterns change? Well then I know we'll be happy with the Poly.

As to the savings of buying resale... yes, it'd be cheaper (though not much cheaper at the Poly). But even at direct rates I still feel like I'm getting a great deal for what I'm spending. I'm not urging others to pay more to go direct, just letting them know that I, for one, am perfectly fine with it. As I said in my original post though, that's going to vary widely among individuals.

Anyway, I do appreciate all the comments/suggestions, and I still think this is a good and productive thread for anyone on the fence between the two, as everyone can take in all the information and make the decision that's best for them. And I do still have nearly a week to opt-out, so while I don't think I'm likely to, nothing is set in stone either way.

 

[disneynutz]

If you are happy in your own mind then go for it! My only thought is that you home resort only has studios and we found out years ago that the luxury and flexibility of one bedrooms and above are the only way to vacation. Have you considered BLT or VGF? We own both and VGF IMHO is the best resort on property and it has studios, one, two, and three bedroom units giving us maximum flexibility and the ability to book there at 11 months. VGF owners can probably book PVB at 7 months but PVB owners will find it difficult to book VGF.

Bill

 

[icydog]

My experience with timeshares, Disney included, is that you should buy resale and not retail. I own a lot of timeshares and a lot of DVC points. Please take my advice. If you rescind and study the ins and outs of the program, and decide this is for you, you can always buy the same contract again.

But think about it, you can get the same contract going resale for less money and even with double points if you know how to shop. It just makes sense to take a breath.

My advice, cancel immediately, exactly as described in your contract via certified mail return receipt, and read these forums before buying anything retail.

 

[deide71]

I just signed paperwork on a 120 point contract at Saratoga Springs. December use year. Currently has 140 points available and will get 120 in Dec 2017. I paid 10200 plus $498 in closing costs. It took 3 minutes to email the broker with offer, 5 minutes to fill out the paperwork and fax it back. Once we pass ROFR it will take about 30 mintutes to sign the contract and deed with a notary and drop the self addressed envelope in the mail. Over $13,000 for less than one hour of work. I guess your time is REALLY valuable.

 

[icydog]

I think the OP has a lot of Pixie Dust in his eyes. I hope he sees the light very very soon!

 

[supersnoop]

I find the "it's faster" justification to be irrelevant when you're returning from a vacation, especially when you plan to travel every other year. You've got over a year to figure everything out and put in as many offers as it takes. And, 98% of the time, it only takes one.

There are often recommendations to buy direct on these boards. When you want a very small contract or you are absolutely set on a brand new resort. But the direct/resale spread tends to be about $60/point. I'd think $7,200 would be worth the trouble, especially when time isn't a factor.

Recognize that you just bought a timeshare. And that you don't have a history of regular travel to Disney. Will this really force you to take an annual vacation? Will you continue to visit Disney after they are grown? Or will you regret it in three years.

Plus, it sounds like BLT would be a better fit for you. If your kids are the same gender, they can share the sofa bed at PVB, but they're going to quickly outgrow that Murphy bed.

 

[Neytiri411]

A bunch more to respond to, I'll just try to add some general stuff rather than address things individually.

First, let me say that yes, this post is 100% about justification for buying direct... But not in the way some people might think. Taking the time to organize my thoughts has helped me solidify my decision, and my major intent here was to get my own thoughts on paper as it where, and to let others considering direct know my head-space. I saw a lot of posts about the benefits of resale, but very few saying "hey, it's okay to buy direct." I appreciate some people feeling I may be having doubts or that I am trying to find ways to reconcile my decision, but rest assured I'm not. These forums, as well as the posts in this thread, have led me to ask some more thoughtful questions. And I'm glad to say that to this point the answers I've come up with to those questions have not changed my thinking.

There were things I read here that gave me pause... but the more research I did, the less they concerned me. It's easy to second guess endlessly... But in the end, here's where I'm at:

Poly is ideal for us because, while we like the idea of 1- and 2-bedroom villas, more consideration has made me realize that location is even more important. Being on the monorail (and walking distance to the TTC) is probably the most important factor *IF* we have no choice but to stay at Poly. And I emphasize the "if"... We'll typically vacation in mid- to late-May, or possibly first week of February. In the summers we vacation up in the north, where it's not quite as sweltering, and my job doesn't much allow for travel in November or December. So it's highly unlikely I'd be looking at booking a July - December trip at Disney any time in the immediate future. If I did, it'd likely be for a weekend getaway with my wife.

I studied the 7-month charts on these and other boards (understanding the data changes year to year) and came to the conclusion that my needs aren't like the majority. If I want a studio, I'm going to want to stay at the Poly, because theirs are among the largest, and are the most conveniently located. If I'm going to want to stay in a 1-bedroom or 2-bedroom villa... well it seems like I'll still have options at the 7-month window. And if not, or if patterns change? Well then I know we'll be happy with the Poly.

As to the savings of buying resale... yes, it'd be cheaper (though not much cheaper at the Poly). But even at direct rates I still feel like I'm getting a great deal for what I'm spending. I'm not urging others to pay more to go direct, just letting them know that I, for one, am perfectly fine with it. As I said in my original post though, that's going to vary widely among individuals.

Anyway, I do appreciate all the comments/suggestions, and I still think this is a good and productive thread for anyone on the fence between the two, as everyone can take in all the information and make the decision that's best for them. And I do still have nearly a week to opt-out, so while I don't think I'm likely to, nothing is set in stone either way.

If you are happy with your direct purchase, awesome! Welcome home.

 

[Gizmo74]

We also bought 200 Poly points direct this past March. We have Oct use year and did get the 2016 points since we are still in that use year.

Our reasons for buying direct. We wanted a longer contract so Poly and CCV were our options. I liked the Poly for location. Sure we like one and two bedroom options but I also don't mind staying at SSR if I needed bigger options. I am very familiar with how DVC works and even rented points from a friend. We have stayed at SSR twice and Aluani once on points. We have never stayed in a studio but when I took the tour of the Poly Studio I loved it. The only thing the one bedroom has over Poly studio for me is the washer and dryer. But, I am on vacation and I don't cook and don't like to wash clothes. I feel if I wanted something bigger, I would look to see what's available at 7 months if nothing, I am at the Poly!

A few years ago, we tried buying direct at BCV and was on the waitlist. Once the waitlist came through it was after the price increase and they didn't honor the previous price. They called me the next day with points but with price Increase. We chose not to buy at that time.

I am very happy with our purchase and planned a return trip this July 4th week and staying at the Poly! I even took advantage of buying the gold annual pass for this trip.

At the time, there wasn't much savings buying Poly resale. The contracts listed were stripped and not much cheaper then direct. I know we over paid and could have gotten in cheaper at other resorts buying resale. If I ever decide to add on, I will probably do resale unless they open a new resort that I love.

I know the folks on the board can be tough about buying direct. Sometimes I don't like to tell that I bought direct because it appears I am not a smart buyer. I know everyone is so passionate about DVC and love to share how to get in cheaper. In fact, when I tell my friends about DVC I tell them about direct and resale and let them decide what is best for them. Grand Floridian DVC sold out quick with people buying direct. I wonder if those direct buyers got the same "buyers beware" message as I have seen with Poly direct buyers?

Congrats on your purchase.

 

[nydisneydad]

Look, I'm certainly not going to argue that resale isn't cheaper. Obviously it is. BUT... The comparisons aren't apples to apples.

I'm a numbers guy, I crunch everything. Two things that seem quickly glossed over when comparing the direct price to the resale price... contract end date and maintenance. Out of due diligence, I checked several resale sites. Of the non-monorail resorts, BWV appeals to me most, so I took a look there...

19,500 for 200 points. Sounds great compared to my 21,500 for 120 points right? Except the contract expires in 2042 and it's not loaded. I'd be paying $3.90 per point over the life of the contract and over $20k more in maintenance between now and 2042. By comparison, I'm paying $3.51 per point for my fully-loaded PVB contract which expires in 2066.

Meanwhile the SSR deal mentioned earlier is certainly a good one... Expiration is in 2052 which makes it $2.47 per point... Except I have no intention of staying at SSR on any of my trips. And given how important everyone says home resort is, it seems like that wouldn't make any sense for me.

I also looked at some PVB resales. I could get a 150-point non-loaded contract for 22,350. It's $3.02 per point which is certainly better than my rate. BUT... I'm probably paying about an extra $17k in maintenance over the life of the contract than with the 120-point contract. I'm not actually looking for 150 points right now, so just because I can get more points at around the same cost I'm paying doesn't mean I should, and as people often say here... getting discounts by spending more money than you planned to is not saving money. As for 120-125 points contracts... I could probably find one if I'm patient, but after discounts, bonuses, need to rent points for trip I'm planning next year, etc. I'm probably only saving $1,500 at best. Obviously to some that savings is a big deal -- and I'm not arguing that it shouldn't be a consideration -- but for me it's not worth the hassle.

Also, this seems easily overlooked, but I feel my sales guide earned her commission. She was fantastic, and with all my running around back and forth on closing day, she took extra time, even to sit with me and chat about stuff that had nothing to do with Disney while I waited for the van. It wasn't a sales push at that point... I'd already signed the papers. It was just being friendly. I'm not saying that in and of itself is worth $1,500 (obviously it's not), but it's one of MANY factors why I wouldn't just knee-jerk cancel my direct and buy resale. Mileage is going to vary for everyone individually, but I'd feel pretty lousy dumping the contract and buying direct just to save some money. Also, call me a sucker if you want, but if NO one buys direct, there's no DVC. They are, indeed, a business. If resales were enough to keep the business running, they wouldn't staff as many kiosks as they do at all the resorts and parks.

 

[kboo]

.... Grand Floridian DVC sold out quick with people buying direct. I wonder if those direct buyers got the same "buyers beware" message as I have seen with Poly direct buyers?

Congrats on your purchase.

I think this quote highlights a point that everyone's been making, but not super explicitly - IF there is a new resort that is ONLY selling direct and it is where you want to stay above all others, then it makes sense to buy direct. VGF is the smallest DVC on property, and it's got the largest square footage per villa (biggest studios, biggest 1BRs, biggest 2BR...). It has more signature restaurants and better quality restaurants than any other resort on property. It also happens to be our family's favorite resort. If you wanted to buy at the time they were selling direct only, you had no choice; you had to buy direct.

I think the reason why everyone is reacting to you, OP, isn't that it's ALWAYS a poor choice to buy direct, but more that buying at Poly doesn't sound like it's THE right resort for you, and if that's that case, then it's especially tough that you bought direct. I do think that if you'd ended up buying at CCV most of us wouldn't be so vocal about "you shoulda bought resale." The point is, you're never going to stay in a 1BR or 2BR at your home resort, if you buy Poly. Which means that you're at the 7mo booking window if you want a 1BR or larger. I was booking a February 2018 trip with my new points (we'll get to that later), and even 9 months in advance, ALL the studios were gone and ALL the standard 1BRs and ALL the standard 2BRs. (I did manage to get a lake view studio using the waitlist, but ALL the standard 1BR and 2BR are showing only a few nights here and there. So if you're counting on getting the lowest points 1BR or 2BR at 7 mo, don't count on it.) You just bought into a resort that literally doesn't have 1BR, and functionally doesn't have 2BR unless you want to spend your whole year's points on one night.

And - the choice between 2 studios or a 1BR? I'd pick a 1BR hands down, all the time. Consider that you have a full kitchen, a dining table, and a washer/dryer and, at some resorts, 2 full baths and jetted tubs. We didn't use the kitchen too much (but some people do) but we did use the w/d because it was there, and it was handy, and it enabled us to pack less, and we could put a load in and go to bed, or put a load in and go out to a park, or the pool, and the laundry took virtually no time to do. In fact, it's sort of like the "lengthy" process of buying resale - each of the little steps is easily fit into the snippets of time you have during the day. We had a signed contract the same day I made the offer, it went to ROFR the next day, and it passed 9 days later.

Anyway, for about the same price you paid, we have 50% more points, plus all the direct perks because we bought a small add-on direct, plus 11 month booking for 1BR and 2BR. (I'm counting the cost of that direct contract in the total amount we paid.)

Back to OP's point about it not being that much cheaper to buy Poly resale, you're right, it's not a ton cheaper ($3600) for a longer process and less "perks," but the undercurrent to your posts is that Poly just doesn't sound right for your family in the long term. Sure, it's nice and of course you can all stay in a studio since you've stayed in hotel rooms before, but one of the advantages of buying DVC is that you have the flexibility to stay in larger accommodations. You're hobbling yourself out of the gate to not have 11 mo availability for 1BR and 2BR.

(re: perks-- if you stick with the plan of only going every other year, the biggest perk, of the Gold annual pass, probably isn't even worth it.)

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Well, sure, the comparison isn't apples to apples. You say you want 1BRs. So you bought the most expensive retail points at a resort where you will never get an 11 month advantage, and will be competing for booking at 7 months with people who bought $80 points who will use them (and their lower dues!) to book the exact same rooms.

For a vacation you won't be taking for at least a year, so speed of transaction has no economic value.

You're swallowing pixie dust on the joy of "Disney membership!" It's a timeshare. You bought a timeshare. The guide gets paid whether you buy or not; the bulk of their compensation is not commission.

 

[CaliAdventurer]

Look, I'm certainly not going to argue that resale isn't cheaper. Obviously it is. BUT... The comparisons aren't apples to apples.

I'm a numbers guy, I crunch everything. Two things that seem quickly glossed over when comparing the direct price to the resale price... contract end date and maintenance. Out of due diligence, I checked several resale sites. Of the non-monorail resorts, BWV appeals to me most, so I took a look there...

19,500 for 200 points. Sounds great compared to my 21,500 for 120 points right? Except the contract expires in 2042 and it's not loaded. I'd be paying $3.90 per point over the life of the contract and over $20k more in maintenance between now and 2042. By comparison, I'm paying $3.51 per point for my fully-loaded PVB contract which expires in 2066.

Meanwhile the SSR deal mentioned earlier is certainly a good one... Expiration is in 2052 which makes it $2.47 per point... Except I have no intention of staying at SSR on any of my trips. And given how important everyone says home resort is, it seems like that wouldn't make any sense for me.

I also looked at some PVB resales. I could get a 150-point non-loaded contract for 22,350. It's $3.02 per point which is certainly better than my rate. BUT... I'm probably paying about an extra $17k in maintenance over the life of the contract than with the 120-point contract. I'm not actually looking for 150 points right now, so just because I can get more points at around the same cost I'm paying doesn't mean I should, and as people often say here... getting discounts by spending more money than you planned to is not saving money. As for 120-125 points contracts... I could probably find one if I'm patient, but after discounts, bonuses, need to rent points for trip I'm planning next year, etc. I'm probably only saving $1,500 at best. Obviously to some that savings is a big deal -- and I'm not arguing that it shouldn't be a consideration -- but for me it's not worth the hassle.

Also, this seems easily overlooked, but I feel my sales guide earned her commission. She was fantastic, and with all my running around back and forth on closing day, she took extra time, even to sit with me and chat about stuff that had nothing to do with Disney while I waited for the van. It wasn't a sales push at that point... I'd already signed the papers. It was just being friendly. I'm not saying that in and of itself is worth $1,500 (obviously it's not), but it's one of MANY factors why I wouldn't just knee-jerk cancel my direct and buy resale. Mileage is going to vary for everyone individually, but I'd feel pretty lousy dumping the contract and buying direct just to save some money. Also, call me a sucker if you want, but if NO one buys direct, there's no DVC. They are, indeed, a business. If resales were enough to keep the business running, they wouldn't staff as many kiosks as they do at all the resorts and parks.

I think if no one bought direct the market would take care of things but I get what you're saying so I guess, thanks for making the $82,000 I saved by going resale possible ; )

 

[kboo]

Also, this seems easily overlooked, but I feel my sales guide earned her commission. She was fantastic, ....

This actually annoys me - what did she claim to give you as an "incentive" if you signed before the end of your vacation? Points you were already entitled to, whether you signed last week, tomorrow, next month, or later this year. That is not an incentive, and to sell it as such is unfair and playing with the truth a bit.

Let's crunch some numbers:
to make things nice and round - say you bought at $175pp x 120 = $21,000
50 years at PVB, 120 points per year = 6000 points
So your annual cost per point = $3.50 + $6.13 (maintenance fees) = $9.63 per point

BLT (which I think is a better fit for your family, even though I may be biased ):
I got 160 points for $106pp = $16,960
42 years left at BLT x 160 points = 6720 points
MFs at BLT are $5.62
So my annual cost per point = (19,690/6720) + 5.62 = $8.55 per point

 

[ELMC]

Also, this seems easily overlooked, but I feel my sales guide earned her commission. She was fantastic, and with all my running around back and forth on closing day, she took extra time, even to sit with me and chat about stuff that had nothing to do with Disney while I waited for the van. It wasn't a sales push at that point... I'd already signed the papers. It was just being friendly.

OP, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. I appreciate your position and although I heavily favor resale purchases, I am not about to enter into a debate about the pros and cons of each, because I think that would be a waste of our time. But I did read all of your posts, and I have few thoughts that I would like to share. Hopefully you accept them with the helpful nature and positive intentions that I am going for.

First, I picked this quote from above specifically because I think it beautifully highlights much of what people are trying to tell you, mostly because we've all been there. You are in the afterglow of what sounds like an amazing vacation, and that is the lens though which you are analyzing this decision. Of course it was a sales push at that point. I'm not saying that your guide wasn't nice, but she is a saleswoman. Everything she does is geared around three objectives. 1) Get sales. 2) Retain sales (she knows very well that you have a 10 day cooling off period). 3) Get referrals for more sales. She may be the best mom, friend, neighbor, community servant, etc. in the world. But everything she says to you starting with "hello," ending with "see ya real soon," and everything in between is part of the sales pitch. I'm not trying to rain on your parade and the last thing I want to do is tamp down your enthusiasm. But you yourself said that you were very analytical and the emotional portion of this purchase is in conflict with your analytical side.

Which leads me to my bigger point. In reading your posts I had a very difficult time trying to figure out if you were trying to help others considering buying direct or if you were trying to convince yourself that you did the right thing. Each time you come into new information that may be contrary to your hypothesis (and course of action) you find reasons to dismiss it. I'm guessing that many of the arguments you make to dismiss these facts couldn't hold up to the holes that you yourself could poke in them if you were looking at this from the outside. The inference I make from reading your posts is that there is an extremely strong confirmation bias at work here.

I'm not going to tell you not to buy direct. But I am going to say that I don't think that you should buy direct right now. There is no doubt in my mind that you should cancel your purchase...for now. That is the only way you can be objective and unbiased in your analysis. Right now all of your analysis is being done to support a conclusion that you have already reached. But true analysis and application of the scientific method has to allow for the possibility of "disproving" your hypothesis. You may very well come to the same conclusion, and if so, you can call up the same guide and make the same purchase and you have lost NOTHING. (You'll actually save some money on the prorated portion of your maintenance fees for 2017). My guess is that is what will probably happen. But what if it isn't?

Bottom line, you risk nothing by rescinding now and proceeding accordingly. You risk almost everything by not.

Good luck!

 

[ELMC]

This actually annoys me - what did she claim to give you as an "incentive" if you signed before the end of your vacation? Points you were already entitled to, whether you signed last week, tomorrow, next month, or later this year. That is not an incentive, and to sell it as such is unfair and playing with the truth a bit.

Good catch, I completely missed this. So this is definitely a problem, and the type of problem depends on how it was presented. If the OP has a 100% accurate recall of the discussion, then this is clearly a misleading statement by the saleswoman. That's bad. However, if the OP maybe misinterpreted or misunderstood this statement, it supports the thinking that he is not fully understanding what it is he just purchased. Knowledge of UY and how points are allocated is considered to be part of a basic understanding of the system. Purchasing without understanding this and other functional elements of the program could be problematic.

 

[Littlelulu01]

I understand where you are coming from with the direct purchase. Just wanted to add something about your wonderful sales experience. Your guide telling you that she was going to give you the 2016 points as a special bonus is so NOT a special perk she gave you. It was actually a bit deceiving for her to tell you this in my opinion. There's a couple threads going right now but essentially if you purchase direct points you get the 2016 points for any uy prior to current uy except for when purchase of ccv. For ccv a uy any month after opening will get you 2016 points as long as you purchase prior to uy start. December uy will qualify for 2016 points.

The other thing is about the poly sale. It almost sounds as if she was one heck of a salesperson. Your family is staying at boulder ridge, a deluxe resort you really like. Your family will sometimes need a one bedroom and she's explained how this can be done with banking and borrowing and still keeping you at 120 points. You end up purchasing at poly, a resort they are REALLY pushing right now over ccv. My guide even gave me the poly pitch when I wanted to add on 25 even though 25 random poly points can't get me anything of value at poly. There's got to be a poly bonus for guides right now. My guide also made sure to emphasize ccv high dues.

So if you are set on direct- Fact is that 120 points can be a less expensive option at ccv. If you are ok with studios for much of the time the studios during your proposed vacation times are less than poly even with the higher dues. Dream season studio at poly is 153 points/week or $932 in dues. It's 120 points/week at ccv or $879 in dues. With only 120 points should you choose to go to wdw every year you actually have enough to do that at ccv in more than just adventure season. The 120 poly points only get you standard studio in adventure season. The higher mf's makes no sense in her explanation when talking about an amount of points that will get you basically a studio most times. Also with the ccv higher dues right now- it very well may be lower in the future. They went really high on property taxes this year and DVD is fighting that.... the only for sure that we do know and will remain a constant for the life of ccv is that the points to stay there are always going to be less than at poly. Mf's can increase at different rates or perhaps not much at all. The increase of mf's is different at each resort each year.

If you want to stay at ccv in a studio to save points it will be extremely hard to get one with your poly points at 7 months. Ccv is set up for the same and some say even a more difficult situation to book even at 11 months than GFV which is really hard to get into at 7 months.

You could cancel sale and purchase ccv And purchase through guide and she's still going to get the commission or whatever it is they get. Otherwise you can still back out and get a resale contract and you should not feel bad at all about it. Your guide will still be very happy to sell you 25 direct add on points if you do resale and want direct benefits. If she's not then a simple call gets you a new guide. If you are set on poly and have figured out this is a great fit that's great and enjoy your vacation ownership. I guess it would kinda kill me to use $176 points at the 7 month mark for a resort knowing I could be using points that cost half as much. I just purchased a subsidized Aulani resale contract for $80/point. Made offer on 3/15/17. Had points loaded on my dvc page on 5/8/17 so less than two months start to finish. That's less than half what poly is selling for and it's got a 2060 expiration. Granted it's not wdw and I plan on using points at Aulani (buy where you want to stay most of the time) but occasionally I may use the points at wdw 7 months. It'll only cost me $5.28/point mf's to do so.

If poly is where you want to be most of the time then I think you made the right decision. If direct is only way you are going to go that's understandable but I'd recommend really thinking about perhaps switching to ccv where your points will go much further any season compared to studios at poly and you have ability to book a one bedroom in your home resort window occasionally. Not sure if kids are teenagers yet. My first wdw visit was with husband and two teenage girls in a studio. I heard him whisper, "never again" after a couple nights trying to sleep with them carrying on. He's since returned to wdw and loved the one and two bedrooms.

 

[Lynne M]

Well, sure, the comparison isn't apples to apples. You say you want 1BRs. So you bought the most expensive retail points at a resort where you will never get an 11 month advantage, and will be competing for booking at 7 months with people who bought $80 points who will use them (and their lower dues!) to book the exact same rooms.

For a vacation you won't be taking for at least a year, so speed of transaction has no economic value.

You're swallowing pixie dust on the joy of "Disney membership!" It's a timeshare. You bought a timeshare. The guide gets paid whether you buy or not; the bulk of their compensation is not commission.

I'm gonna re-post this because the first paragraph is a beautiful distillation of what we've all been saying.

Take away the pixie dust and "owning a piece of Disney" fluff, and what you bought - what we all bought whether it was direct or resale, was the ability to book rooms with our points. That's all DVC is. We're all booking the same resort rooms.

If one-bedroom villas are what you want, you'll never be able to use the 11-month advantage to get them. And by purchasing direct, at a resort with relatively high fees, you've ensured that you're paying more for the villa than many other people who are booking that same villa.

 

[pdude81]

While I think it's helpful to give an unknowing buyer an idea of what they can save on resale purchases, the OP has shown that he clearly has that information now and after an weighted analysis with his own factors he has determined that he is happy with the choice. There is a difference between trying to help your friend find the right person and telling them you hate their girlfriend, IMO.

If it helps, nydisneydad, I am in a similar field to you and researched all of these things including resale before purchase. I took a bit of a different path than you but ended up in the same place. Anyone researching on forums like this and others will be overwhelmed with the opinion that they should buy resale and then a tiny add on if you have any need for direct benefits, so I was thinking about a 100 AKV contract and then perhaps a 50 point direct add on somewhere else. Going to the parks in person, going through the sales pitch, and spending a little time walking around the Polynesian changed everything for me. The cost per point come down a lot if you are able to get up to the levels where they give decent incentives, but you are indicating that you are looking for a smaller amount of points now and not necessarily the 25 more points to get the 100 SSR kickback or up to 200 points which is usually the sweet spot on pricing. I assume you've run the numbers on which rooms you'd want in the seasons you are likely to visit to make sure you're covered, since the promotions can be helpful as long as you don't burn all your savings on financing.

One thing you'll see a lot during your reading of forums like this is that after buying in, a lot of people end up looking for many more point than they initially planned on, as the every 2-3 year trips can for some turn into twice a year trips. Knowing all this I did not sign up to buy right away even though I was convinced by the location and options that PVB was a great location and that I wanted to own points there in the long term as well as start planning my next vacation with the two years worth of points that I'd have at my disposal. I too was thinking looking at prior (current) year points as a bonus, when in fact you are still just paying more for the points than people did 2 years before, and missed out on a year worth of points on top of it. It is great to start with a big chunk right away, but it's not an incentive even if the guides try to make it seem like that. So anyway, having understood all of my options before going and realizing once there that I'd want more points long term, I went from thinking about a modest number of points to buying a 200 (+20) PVB contract with the idea of resale add ons later on as needed. As a programmer, uncertainty is the enemy of progress, and I expect that you looked at this as buying what you wanted and paying a premium not to have it be a PITA to solve this "problem". It's a time vs. money valuation. Now people may tell you it is super easy and doesn't take any time to buy resale, but you'd likely spend days analyzing which contracts are the ones you'd be targeting only to find them gone or not willing to come down from what seem like inflated numbers right now... or worse yet stripped of points for the next 2 years and then you can't even go on the vacation you're dreaming of. So I can see why you'd want to buy direct first and then take a look at resale add ons when and if you find that more points are needed. I also think that PVB studios are going to get much harder to book as time goes on and if you want the option of adjoining studios when your kids are older teenagers or if you want to go without the kids later in life that is a great option. CCV being in the main building is cool, but 1BR at BRV should be doable at the 7 month mark a lot of the time if that would be acceptable to you using your points.

So again, if you feel like you're doing the right thing after honestly factoring in resale, then congratulations and welcome home. Resale isn't going away and you can add on somewhere else later if you find there are more options. It is nice to have those points ready for use and your vacation planned, so that the highs and lows of the resale market don't seem as intense when you know that you're already covered. If you need more in the future, figure out what you want and wait for the right contract to pop up. In some cases you will be too slow or the contract will disintegrate as soon as you touch it, but you will already have a home and can wait for the right thing to work itself out.

 

[quandrea]

Well, sure, the comparison isn't apples to apples. You say you want 1BRs. So you bought the most expensive retail points at a resort where you will never get an 11 month advantage, and will be competing for booking at 7 months with people who bought $80 points who will use them (and their lower dues!) to book the exact same rooms.

For a vacation you won't be taking for at least a year, so speed of transaction has no economic value.

You're swallowing pixie dust on the joy of "Disney membership!" It's a timeshare. You bought a timeshare. The guide gets paid whether you buy or not; the bulk of their compensation is not commission.

Forget $80 points. I have $60! Dollar points (thanks Fidelity). If you have any plans to stay in one or two bedrooms, the Poly is not for you as a home resort. It makes no sense to pay Poly retail prices only to put them into the seven month pool, forgoing your home resort advantage.

I'd cancel Poly and really think about the best home resort for you. Resale or direct.