New to buying DVC, which resort? Advice needed.

[GrumpyInPhilly]

Out of all of those, SSR would be our choice. We do own 300 points there along with RIV and VGF points which we use for SAP.

We have found the food there to be quite comparative to any of the other resorts…all have their pluses and minuses.

IMO, it’s a great starting contract and budget friendly.

I agree with this statement.

 

[RoseGold]

Some people will always say oh, the math doesn't really work out and maybe just stay at Swan/Dolphin. Idk. Maybe that's sometimes the case, but as an example, it's $1878 for one week at the Dolphin in August. At SSR it's 102 points for a standard studio. The dues for this year at SSR are $7.86 so that one week costs $801.72 in an SSR Studio. Yes, there's also an up front cost of let's say $105 per point at SSR. But if you even use the points 10x you'll have broken even to the Swolphin.

Fine, pick Wyndham or the dozens of other properties. If we are comparing SSR, there's even more. Heck, the Waldorf was <200 for my August dates. That's an objectively superior property, and DVC can't compete at all with that. It's not like it's hard to rent a week at an Orlando timeshare that isn't Disney.

The point is there are a whole lot of options in between spending 5 figures on a timeshare and never going to Disney.

I would bet renting is the best choice mathematically in your example.

 

[lilsonicfan]

Fine, pick Wyndham or the dozens of other properties. If we are comparing SSR, there's even more. Heck, the Waldorf was <200 for my August dates. That's an objectively superior property, and DVC can't compete at all with that. It's not like it's hard to rent a week at an Orlando timeshare that isn't Disney.

The point is there are a whole lot of options in between spending 5 figures on a timeshare and never going to Disney.

I would bet renting is the best choice mathematically in your example.

Oh I forgot the “Waldorf was $200 for August” bit.

I think there are certainly lots of options potentially worth considering. If OP wants to give her money to Disney, which it sounds like she does, buying into DVC is a reasonable choice.

 

[RoseGold]

Oh I forgot the “Waldorf was $200 for August” bit.

I think there are certainly lots of options potentially worth considering. If OP wants to give her money to Disney, which it sounds like she does, buying into DVC is a reasonable choice.

Do your own search then, if you don't dig Waldorf. There are plenty of as good (or far better) properties, and sometimes they are cheap. They probably have better websites. A lot of DVC inventory is aging or badly located, and there is plenty competitive with that, including DVC itself, with renting points.

 

[E2ME2]

I hope to visit once a year for a week. Potentially may bank/borrow for a longer trip every other year.
I did dismiss DVC initially due to the level of commitment.
I may compare costs of renting for the number of years that we expect to use DVC and see how that comes out.
Swolphin is a good call, thanks.
So many options to consider.

We started out at 7-10 days on a trip, once a year, and did it with 210 SSR Points.
We have no complaints with SSR - the breakfast is actually decent there, the steak subs and pizza are really good. We don't usually eat dinner at the resort, but there are a ton of options at DS.
We alo were able to find other availability at 7 months
(over the years when we only owned at SSR, we were able to use those points at AKL/BWV/AUL/OKW/HHI)
Based on my tracking, we broke even in year 8, compared to the cash rates available for the rooms we stayed in.
So, if you're sure to go every year, keep digging in with your analysis.
Many here will provide inputs, both positive & negative...........

 

[bakerworld]

Hi all
I last visited WDW in November 2019. At that time I could afford 10 nights at AKL (it was the low season). I haven't been able to visit again for a number of reasons. I'm looking to book another trip but due to inflation and Disney price increases, the same budget will now only get me to Art of Animation! As I would like to visit fairly regularly, I've decided to purchase a contract. I'd rather put the thousands of dollars I'd pay to stay on property towards something that will last.
A direct purchase is out of my price range, but I can afford a second hand contract of 100 points, which I believe will get me a week in the low season at one of the moderate resorts.
I've been comparing Animal Kingdom Lodge, Old Key West and Saratoga Springs as they appear to be within my budget.
When running the numbers, AKL has a higher lifetime cost due to the length of contract and yearly dues. I'm also concerned at the lack of studios available. I have read that it can be difficult to book a studio at the 11 month window.
Old Key West is often a 2042, which I'm not too worried about, but the dues are higher.
Saratoga is a longer contract, so will perhaps retain it's resale value for longer. The dues are nice and low. Being able to walk to Disney Springs will be a good benefit for us.
Although, I'm concerned about the following:
- Are the points very rentable? I'm worried that supply might be much higher than demand.
- I've heard that the food is terrible. I'm happy to walk over to Disney Springs, but it's nice to have somewhere close by to pick up a quick breakfast.
- It's easy to book Saratoga at the 7 month window. Is it foolish to have a home resort that is so easy to book?
Obviously, if money were no object I'd be considering a different set of resorts, but I'm just trying to do the best that I can with what I have.
Ideally I'd try out more resorts before I purchased, but I don't want to delay too much longer. I'm in the UK so a trip to WDW comes at quite a time and financial cost. The feedback that I've heard so many times is that members wish they had bought sooner.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Hayley

IMO going every 3 or 4 YEARS, or anticipating visiting more regularly, doesn't = DVC but I live over here. I've only recently entered the rental market. I've rented once and, since I don't rent high, she's recontacted me to rent points. I rent $15/point regardless of where or which points is used. Just me.

Moving on, I wouldn't purchase a Home that is easy to transfer into at the 7 month deadline. However, if you don't purchase AKL or BLT then you'll miss getting the value/standard villas. 100 points could go a long way at 8/12 points a night. If you don't purchase BC/BW/BL points you'll never get in there October thru December but maybe that's not an issue.

Food: we like bar food so nuff said on that subject.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Buy where you want to stay. Your future self will thank you

 

[momtwoboys]

if you are good with a 2042 resort, try searching for a BRV contract. Great location, great food options, just refurbed and overall nice atmosphere