New to DVC! Buying into BLT this weekend! Tips? Advice?

[reneebaker]

First let me introduce myself. My name is Renee wife and mother to two boys 4 and 6 from Kansas City. And this story starts last year. We have friends who are total disney addicts. Last year they convinced us to go on a trip with them to WDW during Free Dining at All Star Music. We were so excited for our trip then a few months before our trip they cancelled! We were so sad. The only thing that eased our pain was that we got a pin code to upgrade to a 1BR at OKW. Lets just say, we got the Disney bug which quickly escalated into the DVC bug. We sat in our room every evening watching the DVC channel. Every bus ride with my husband talking/interrogating DVC members trying to get their opinions, thinking to ourselves....maybe. Then we did the tour. And we were sure we wanted to do it but we weren't so sure about finding the money to do it after paying for a trip to Florida. So fast forward to this year. I have turned into a disney monster! I am constantly on the DIS planning the perfect vacation. I've planned everything from dining reservations to itineraries. We were staying at POR during free dining, our cancelling friends are going again, I got every dining reservation a girl could dream of, perfection, right? We were just hoping that we didn't get too spoiled staying at OKW. And then we got a call from Chris letting us know that Disney dropped the buy in from 160 points to 100. And we couldn't resist! So this weekend we are putting our money down! Now our perfect vacation is at the Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs! I am soooo excited and I just had to share with other people that would be super excited with me! I am a researching fiend. So I think that I know everything that I need to know.... But just in case I am putting the question to the experts.... Is there anything I need to know? Tips? Tricks? Advice? Well Wishes? I am open to it all! And thank you for letting me lurk on the boards and research to my hearts content

 

[BLTtinkerbell]

Congratulatons!

 

[javamom]

Welcome Home Renee! I'm from Wichita, KS. See, I am waving! LOL

 

[jlovesee]

Hi from close to home, Independence, MO! Welcome home!

We also have 100 pts split between OKW and BLT, we started with 25 and added on two more times since then.

We started in 2007 and so far have had three trips with DVC, with our fourth coming up this January at BLT, we love it!

Jennifer

 

[mdsd8700]

Congrats and Welcome!! I too am a new member we just purchased points yesterday! I also am a Disney addict spending hours and hours researching each and every Disney Vacation. All meals, all rides and shows tucked into my itineraries. My family lovingly refers to me as the Disney Nazi . My kids are much older 13 and 16 (close to 17). We talked about DVC so many times but just never did it until now. Since it is a 50 year contact our kids can take their kids Our first trip was for the oldest's 4th birthday and we have done a Disney trip of some kind every year since then. I can feel your excitement reading your post and am smiling right along with you. We are early morning park people getting there well before opening and doing it all before noon or 1 pm and then heading back to the hotel for swim and sun. (Did these even when the kids were as young as yours). Then out at night to a park or Downtown taking it very leisurely. Since you say you are a researcher and a planner my best advice to you is Tour Guide Mike. I don't know if you have already come across it on the internet while researching or if your other Disney Fiend Friends have mentioned him. You have to pay for the service, it is like $20 or something. I always get the renewal code so I don't remember the first time cost. If you love to plan TGM will overload you with information and it will take you hours if not days to sort through it all. But if you ask me pretty much everything he has to say is right on. Worth it's weight in Gold!! He can even tell you what days of the week are best for which parks, so far he hasn't ever steered us wrong. Congratulations again!! It is so wonderful to share our joy with all the other Disney Lovers on these boards.

 

[reneebaker]

I am so excited to see people from around here! We actually live in Kansas City area. Harrisonville to be specific I was kinda worried about the logistics since we don't plan on driving (23 hours with a bored 4 and 6 year old? NO WAY) having to pay for plane tickets, park tickets and the dining plan. But in the end we decided that it is something that we want to do and if nothing else it will force us to treat ourselves to a vacation at least every two years!

 

[reneebaker]

I haven't heard about tourguidemike! How have I missed this?! I will definitely be checking him out and thanks for the tip!

 

[DenLo]

reneebaker, Welcome Home, neighbor! We too own at BLT. Getting in at 100 points is pretty sweet. My recommendation is study the point charts to see where and what type of villa you can rent for 100 points. And if your dream is to stay at the THV (Treehouse villas), then consider buying into SSR versus BLT. Buy where you want to stay. The reason for that is you can use your 100 points at your home resort for reservations made between 8 months and 11 months prior to your check in date. To make reservations at any other DVC resort you have to wait until the 7 month mark. So if you own at BLT and want to make a reservation at SSR then you have to wait until the 7 month mark.

My other advice, read everything you can about the DVC here on the DisBoards. There are some really good threads with great advice.

mdsd8700 Congratulations and Welcome Home!

Here's one thread the explains Use Year: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1942668&highlight=use+year

Also at DVCNews.com they have good information called DVC for Beginners: http://www.dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/dvc-for-beginners

 

[reneebaker]

Our dream resort is BLT. However our co travelers, the last minute cancellers referred to in OP, are a family of 5 almost 6. (She is going to be 7 months pregnant at time of travel) So for all of us to stay at BLT, even with borrowing from 2011 and the incentive points, it would have been 2 studios. We figured with this group 4 adults and 5 1/2 kids aged 16, 7, 6, 4, 2 and in utero. We would do better to have a 3 bedroom this go around. Plus our pregnant mom developed a fear of the monorail the last trip when they had to stop for some kind of safety check in mid air. Needless to say I am hoping to avoid making her anxious enough for the baby to come early. Which made my hubbys dream of BLT this trip not come true.....

I have been studying away! I really have been trying to convince him 116 is a wonderful number. But he wants to stay where we are and if we decide to add on later we can. I have a feeling I am going to get a horrible case of addonitis.....

 

[dbs1228]

Enjoy yourself and welcome home! I have not stayed at THV (cannot wait to stay there) but have heard the bus transportation was less then par there. Just a heads up if you do not have a car.

Let us know about your stay!

 

[antnyh]

Welcome home! We are new also. Just signed everything last night. Trying to pull a rabbit out of our hat and get a ressie over Thanksgiving. Not giving up yet. We got all of 2009 points as well, so you should be able to get that plus the 100 2010 points for a total of 200. Be sure to check into 2009 points when you finalize everything. When is your Use Year?

 

[reneebaker]

We are going to have an August use year we are getting our 2009 points. We are using 2009, 2010, and 2011 points to get a THV for 8 nights. lol But it will be worth it I hope! Our friends are driving and we are flying so if all else fails we can pile into their minivan and drive to SSR to catch a bus to the parks.....

 

[dbs1228]

Welcome home! We are new also. Just signed everything last night. Trying to pull a rabbit out of our hat and get a ressie over Thanksgiving. Not giving up yet. We got all of 2009 points as well, so you should be able to get that plus the 100 2010 points for a total of 200. Be sure to check into 2009 points when you finalize everything. When is your Use Year?

Let your guide know that you need a ressie (the dates you want during Thanksgiving) included in the sale. Guides have a magic stash of rooms they can get for new sales. It may not work but I have heard more times then not they help you out for your 1st ressie. We wanted a 2 bedroom BLT in Dec and it was not available, called our guide and he was able to find it for our exact dates we needed. Welcome home!

 

[ToddyLu]

Let your guide know that you need a ressie

When we purchased last June we had a reservation for Pop last Oct/Nov. So the Guide got us 2 SV studios to replace the Pop reservations. They do have pixie dust. In fact he stayed on the phone with me 3 way to get MS on the phone to make sure we had it. Make it part of the sell.

 

[jstarcze]

Welcome Home and Congratulations from Mickey, Goofy, and Me!

 

[Candy Orlando]

Congratulations and Welcome Home! Enjoy!

 

[ruthma]

Let your guide know that you need a ressie (the dates you want during Thanksgiving) included in the sale. Guides have a magic stash of rooms they can get for new sales. It may not work but I have heard more times then not they help you out for your 1st ressie. We wanted a 2 bedroom BLT in Dec and it was not available, called our guide
and he was able to find it for our exact dates we needed. Welcome home!

When do u get a guide. Is it just the person you call for ressies ?