New Guy looking for advice

[Gwydion]

Hi everyone. Just found out about DVC two weeks ago and am doing my research. I'm very interested in the program. My wife and I are in our mid-thirties and have a five-year old and a newborn. We both love Disney World, but due to my work have not had the opportunity to go but four times since marrying eleven years ago. My work is changing and I look forward to spending a lot more family time this year. I am hoping that joining DVC will "force" me to take more vacations. We know we want to be on WDW property. We have cash, so we can buy resale if it is to our advantage. And our favorite park is Epcot. For all these reasons, we love the idea of BCV (as apparently do a lot of other people). But the practical part of me says to go with SSR because of the incentives and the extra 12 yrs. I know every newbie asks these same questions, but any advice would be helpful.
1) The mantra is "Buy where you want to stay!" But what I've read says that reservations are not a problem within the 7-month window except for holidays. We don't plan on being there at peak times (we don't like crowds), so how important is it that we endeavor to get BCV if that is where we would prefer to stay?
2)All things being equal, is resale the way to go with cash?
3)My main problem with SSR is the lack of innerpark transportation. I'm sure DTD is nice, but we are going to Orlando for the big four parks. I've heard the bus ride is a long circuit, while the walk from BCV to Epcot is a breeze.
4)With all you veterans buying BCV add-ons, is there even a realistic market for those points? I understand that the price keeps going up due to demand. Is BCV still worth it, and is there really a three year wait for it?
5)What does Disney do with their ROFR properties they buy back? Are they only offered to existing customers as add-ons?
6)Are the DVC rooms really nicer or just bigger? I've read that some people here feel like second-class citizens compared to regular guests and I want to know that the quality of service is just as good or better.

I hope to be joining your ranks soon, and just wanted to say that these boards are fantastic. I'm not a forum person, but I feel right at home with you guys and appreciate the care you all seem to have in helping others better understand DVC. Glad to be here.

 

[Beca]

You've asked a lot of really good questions.

Unfortunately...you are also asking us to look into the future and see what will happen down the road. (If I could do that, I would've bought BCV LAST year instead of this one...it was a LOT cheaper then!!!!

I also get the sense that you are "no dummy". You have hit on a lot of the "trends" that seem to be running thru the resale market right now.

First, let me say that we bought into DVC for EXACTLY the same reasons. We were married in 1992, and in 2004 noticed that we had taken exactly ONE vacation...and, it was with my Mom!!!! I have a 3yr old dd, and I knew that I didn't want to let 12 more years go by without us taking vacations...so we reflected that our ONE vacation was to WDW...so, we KNEW it must be important to us (I actually won an all expenses paid trip to Ireland, but we just never found the time to go...how sad is that?). So...good for you. Owning DVC will not only "force" you to take more vacations, but it will also make you focus and plan on those vacations....something that I enjoy almost as much as the vacations themselves!!!

I did NOT buy at BCV last year because it was a "few dollars" more per point than the others, and I loved the idea of the standard view point structure at BWV (and honestly, I didn't think BCV would do much for me). One year later, I am selling a contract and DESPERATELY looking for BCV points...which are costing me a LOT more money than they would've a year ago (not to mention losing a little money on the contract I am selling due to broker fees). But, I really want to own there...and, the points are probably not going to become "more plentiful" as the years go by.

You have also rightly noticed that it is a lot of "DVC veterans" who are looking to add to what they have. There is probably a good reason for that. I also find it very interesting that with incentives, you can now by SSR cheaper thru DVC than the "sold out" resorts.

What is a good buy? My dh says, "DVC is like artwork...it is worth what you are willing to pay for it. And, if you are concerned about getting a good deal...it's probably not worth it". But, that's my dh...and, that's why we're not millionaires. But...we ARE DVC owners who are looking forward to many years of WONDERFUL vacations.

So...where does that leave you? I don't know. But, for me it came down to this. I just couldn't "put my heart" into spending $13,000+ dollars for a resort that I didn't want to call "home". When completed, SSR will have 838 units...BCV has 208 (OKW has 500+, BWV has appx. 380, VWL has 137). There are now 90,000 DVC members, and it is growing at an amazing rate!!! Right now, it is "somewhat" easy to get into BCV after the 7 month mark (I am on the waitlist for Apr 17-22...I am NOT holding my breath on that one), but there are no promises that it will be that way in the future.

Right now, the recommended advice is, "Book at your home resort. Then call day by day to switch". As the membership grows, there will be more and more people calling to do that (just a matter of statistics). So, my question to you is, "If you buy at SSR, would you be happy staying there? Or, would it put a damper on what otherwise would be an amazing vacation?" If you would not be just as happy at SSR...then BCV is a MUCH better bargain. I always say...DVC is a lot of money to not LOVE where you own.

"DVC veterans" are adding on to their favorite resorts because those resorts are the places that melted their hearts...and, it is a WONDERFUL feeling to buy somewhere that makes you so happy!!! 38 years (or 50 years) is a long time to wish you had ordered what the person next to you is eating for dinner, instead of what is on your plate.

As far as your "questions" go. DVC re-sells the contracts they ROFR on to anybody. However, I think you still have to be a "member" to get on the waitlist (at least that is what my guide told me a year ago). But, if you were to come in "armed" with the right knowledge...you could probably get your guide to put you on. DVC will sell any points they have to anyone. So, getting OKW is something you could do via DVC.

However, if you have cash and are looking for a sold-out resort...resales are the way to go. There are a few good resellers. PM me if you want the info.

As to the "3 year wait"...who knows??!!! DVC will not release the info on how long the waitlists are, or where you are in the line. But, my guide told me that all waitlists for BCV are "at least a mile long". Bongo59 (I think that is right) is VERY credible, and a 3-year wait does not surprise me at all. My guide told me minimum wait time would be a year.

As to the quality of the resorts....go to www.disneyworld.com and look at what a room at BC rents for compared to a studio at BCV. Then, do the same for BW/BWV, and WL/VWL...they villas always rent higher than a room. We just returned from our first trip home as DVC members, and I was completely blown away by how nice our accomodations were, how big our room was (sorry Richyams )...and, all just being minutes away from Epcot (we were at BWV). I have stayed at the Poly, Fort Wilderness cabins, and the Contemporary. A 1bdrm at BWV blew them all out of the water!!! We get free valet parking, a washer/dryer in your room, and many disounts. Rather than feeling like a "second-class citizen"...I felt like I was floating on air!!! I couldn't believe they were so nice!!!!

These are just MY opinions, and I'm sure that SSR owners can give you more to think about concerning the "upside" of SSR ownership. So, please take my opinions for what they are...the opinions of one person who unabashedly loves BCV. You have to decide what's right for you...but, good for you for asking all these questions. You are DEFINITELY asking the right ones!!!

Good luck in whatever you decide!!!



Beca

P.S. WELCOME to the Dis...we are so happy to have you!!!

 

[RAD]

Looking at your comments it appears that you REALLY want to buy at BCV so I say go for it and forget your other reasons. Would you be happy if you did buy at SSR but when you went to make a reservation at BCV they were full and you had to stay somewhere else? I know, I've been there with BWV. I really had my heart set to stay at BWV but they were full so I had to stay somewhere else. Everytime I saw BWV it hurt a bit that we weren't there.

 

[sleepydog25]

First, welcome aboard! You're right--there is a lot of good info on here, but as with most items of advice, you have to decide which pieces are right for you. Like you, my DW and I needed something to force us to take vacations since we moved to a rural part of VA and want to expose our DD to more than what is available here. DVC was the right choice for us.

Second, we did choose SSR because it was available right then without waiting. We are very flexible with our travel and don't go during peak seasons, either, so having a 7-month window for a resort outside of SSR works just fine. On the other hand, we aren't huge fans of BCV or BWV, not that anything is wrong with either one. We simply prefer to get a little further away from the action once our day at the parks is done. We enjoy VWL the most, as it is close to the parks yet seems to exist in its own world. But, if SSR is what's available, then it's a lovely spot, too.

If you can afford the DVC option, then choosing your home resort is a highly personal decision, and only you can know what will work best for you. The other posters to this thread have some great ideas to be sure. As for the roominess, we've been extremely pleased with our accomodations and service. Sure, there may be the occasional bugaboo, but I defy you to not find that anywhere. Overall, our experience has been wonderful. Good luck!

 

[mikesmom]

New guys here are always saying "we never go at busy season". You need to know that busy season at the parks and busy season for DVC ressies are 2 different matters. Busy for the parks is summer vacation, spring break (very busy for both) and Christmas break (HUGE busy!!!). Busier times for DVC reservations are early December (low point costs, low crowds in the parks plus the holiday decorations bring us in droves), and Food & Wine Fest in October and November (particularly for BWV and BCV because you can walk into the park). Also, there seems to be almost a perpetual busy season for BCV because of the popularity of the pool - HUGE matter for families with children as it is practically a water park all by itself.

When you go may change also, if school schedules start to be an issue.

Plus as other posters have said, more members means more folks competing at the 7 month window for BCV. If you want to stay there, I would buy there!

One more consideration. You haven't mentioned your age. Just how old will you be when that last 12 years rolls in? If you are in your 20s it might matter, if in your 30s, you'll be pushing 80. Will you even care at that point?

 

[Caskbill]

The big unknown today, that nobody can really predict, is just what happens when SSR gets close to selling out. SSR is going to be the biggest resort of all of them, eventually representing about 43% of all DVC owners.

BCV has 208 units. Today (not counting any of SSR yet), that's 13.5% of all the DVC units. (BWV 383; OKW 531; VWL 136; HH 102: VB 175). SSR is going to have something over 800 units. That means eventually BCV owners will represent less than 9% of all DVC owners. It's going to be a large case of supply and demand. How many BCV owners will be going to non-BCV resorts each year and thereby freeing up units available for others to reserve. How many of the owners at the other resorts will be wanting to trade into BCV.

The 11-month window has the potential to become much more important 2 - 3 years down the road. Just food for thought.

 

[dbond]

We made our decision to buy DVC from a purely financial standpoint. We bought in 1997, when our only choices were OKW & BWV. OKW was only available resale at the time. We also had cash and my frugal nature forced me to go with the best bang for my buck. At the time, it was OKW, resale. The dues are less, we got a great deal on the resale, with banked points. We've never been disappointed and we've never not been able to get a room at whatever resort we chose. But again, my frugal nature always feels like I'm getting so much more at OKW because the rooms are so much bigger. I guess I have a spacial thing, not a location thing. So, everyone's preferences are different. Some choose based on resort, some choose based on the best financial deal, some like the extended years with SSR.

Frankly, choices are good, but there's so many choices and so many variables now, I don't envy those of you that are new to DVC and have to actually make that decision. I'm sure it's a difficult one to make. When the moneytree begins to grow, we're going to take advantage of those extra 12 years with SSR. Can't Wait!!

 

[paults]

Gwydion

If you can swing it , did you think about buying a small resale at BCV (75 to 100 pts) and then get a new contract at SSR (150 pts). That way your children will have somewhere to take MOM & DAD when they get older since you can leave your DVC to them. and you can still book BCV at 11 months


We own at BWV 250 pts and love it there.

Good luck

 

[debloco]

When you go may change also, if school schedules start to be an issue.

Plus as other posters have said, more members means more folks competing at the 7 month window for BCV. If you want to stay there, I would buy there!

One more consideration. You haven't mentioned your age. Just how old will you be when that last 12 years rolls in? If you are in your 20s it might matter, if in your 30s, you'll be pushing 80. Will you even care at that point?

I would definitely echo mikesmom on the school issue. When we started taking our DD to Disney she was just 4, and it wasn't a big deal to vacation off-season whenever we wanted. That has changed considerably as she hit the middle school and high school years. We now vacation only around the school calendar, realizing that it's a season of our lives (8 years). We only have one child, but you have two so the time period may be longer. Especially if your child is in a gifted program (middle school) or Honors/AP classes in high school, it becomes very difficult for them to miss days. It does cost more to travel at peak times, but again, it's a season of our lives as a family. We'll have a little more flexibility when she's in college, but down the road (much later!)I could see another round of only going around the school calendar with the grandkids! DVC is a long term purchase, so I would encourage you to look beyond the current situation with your little ones.

CLC Tiger Pom Mom
Deb

 

[ricapito]

Fly down for a day and tour the resorts and see rooms in each!!! I wish that's what I would have done.

 

[DrTomorrow]

Greetings!

Lots of good advice so far. I'll add one thing I didn't see mentioned. You said that your favorite park is Epcot, but keep in mind that you'll be going through some significant changes in your family situation as everyone ages. I'm willing to bet that your children's favorite park will be the MK for a long time; as they get to the teen years - and after that, when you're empty-nesters - Water Parks / DTD / Pleasure Island / West End might take on a lot more importance. Planning on taking the grandchildren (a long way off, but remember - DVC is a 37-49 year purchase)? Then MK might become big again. Of course, you know yourselves better that we do, but I see a fair amount of newbies basing decisions solely on "school schedules" - in your case this would be less than half your DVC ownership, at best. So just don't lose sight of the longer-term view.

One other thing: keep in mind that the 11 month home resort advantage is valuable ONLY IF YOU CAN USE IT. If your situation allows you to regularly make vacation plans almost 2/3 or a year or more in advance, good. But if you'll have to 'wait until April to see if we can go in September', then it doesn't matter.

Good luck!

 

[poohj80]

3)My main problem with SSR is the lack of innerpark transportation. I'm sure DTD is nice, but we are going to Orlando for the big four parks. I've heard the bus ride is a long circuit, while the walk from BCV to Epcot is a breeze.

Walking/boating to Epcot or MGM from BWV or BCV is a breeze, but you'll still need to take buses to MK and AK. With small children, my guess is they will prefer MK most for awhile. SSR has its own dedicated buses just for that resort so I hear the bus transportation is not bad at all. Personally, we always drive ourselves no matter where we stay so we have more freedom, but I have heard nothing but good things about the SSR buses.

 

[LIFERBABE]

One other thing: keep in mind that the 11 month home resort advantage is valuable ONLY IF YOU CAN USE IT. If your situation allows you to regularly make vacation plans almost 2/3 or a year or more in advance, good. But if you'll have to 'wait until April to see if we can go in September', then it doesn't matter.

I agree with Doc. If you cannot plan your vacations at 8-11 months on a regular basis, then being a BCV owner is not going to help you stay there any more than the SSR owner.

That's the caveat to buy where you want to stay. At 7 months, all owners are stripped of their home resort and you just become a DVC owner, points floating in the wind, landing wherever there is availability if you choose to use them.

 

[twotoohappy]

I'll throw in my 2 cents...

Buy where you want to stay.

You can buy BCV from Disney with a 150 pt minimum. $89 per point and you get all your points intact. With resale some contracts are stripped of points, so you won't be able to use them right away and you have to pay (usually) around 500 in closing costs. With Disney, they pay closing costs. I purchased resale first, got a good contract and loved the Timeshare store. Then bought the rest from Disney because as soon as you put the deposit down you can book a vacation. Resale sometimes takes months. When buying sold out resorts through Disney sometimes you wait for points, sometimes they have it. Get a guide that wants to make you happy. I use Byron Helgeson 8005018668 . I told him I wanted BCV this past year and he got my 150pts (new contract) of BCV points in about a month.

I also own at VWL because we go down for 8 nights usually. We stay at VWL first and get our MK fix and get to ride the boat. I hate busses.
Then, we send our bags over to BCV and stay there and walk/boat to Epcot and MGM. You still have to bus it to AK or DTD but this limits our bus excursions.

Good luck!