New to DVC - Debating Home Resort

[SRUAlmn]

Hi! We are in the process of choosing a resale contract as our first DVC purchase. I have spent hours combing the internet and basically listening to every podcast I can get my hands (errr, ears) on from the last few years. I have spreadsheets and notebooks galore. I need help! Ha!

When we initially began looking we were looking at Grand Floridian, Poly, or Boardwalk as those were resorts we’d stayed on the hotel side of and really liked. As I dig deeper into all the nooks and crannies I don’t know anymore.

Every single person/site/podcast preaches over and over to “buy where you want to stay” because availability can be so difficult at 7 months. However, we are on a budget and this won’t be a “plop down a stack of saved up cash” situation for us so I really want to be smart about it.

When looking at current resales, for example, $30,000 can get you about:

160 pts at Grand Floridian
170 pts at Bay Lake Tower
180 pts at Polynesian
220 pts at Boardwalk
220 pts at Animal Kingdom
240 pts at Saratoga Springs
300 pts at Old Key West

Granted I know I have to factor in maintenance fees and length of contract but it just feels like we would have so much more flexibility with room type and length of/number of trips by having more points.

It is my husband, myself and our 4 year old so studios will work for us, and we normally visit once a year, but would like to have additional points to also use at Hilton Head once a year for 3 nights since we live in SC and really enjoy the resort as a little mini vacay. One bedrooms are better and I know they’re easier to find available at 7 months, which is another reason I feel like we need more points.

We normally travel either in Oct/Nov or Jan (our fave.) I’ve been back and forth about less points and a resort we know we like vs more points and being shut out of our faves over and over. We definitely wouldn’t mind staying at a resort like Saratoga or OKW obviously, they’re nice resorts! I just want to know that over the next 20+ years that wouldn’t be our “only” option!

Sorry this is so long, but I know my fellow DisBoards Disney Fanatics will have some great support/advice! Any thoughts are much appreciated!!

 

[shoegal9]

Hi! We are in the process of choosing a resale contract as our first DVC purchase. I have spent hours combing the internet and basically listening to every podcast I can get my hands (errr, ears) on from the last few years. I have spreadsheets and notebooks galore. I need help! Ha!

When we initially began looking we were looking at Grand Floridian, Poly, or Boardwalk as those were resorts we’d stayed on the hotel side of and really liked. As I dig deeper into all the nooks and crannies I don’t know anymore.

Every single person/site/podcast preaches over and over to “buy where you want to stay” because availability can be so difficult at 7 months. However, we are on a budget and this won’t be a “plop down a stack of saved up cash” situation for us so I really want to be smart about it.

When looking at current resales, for example, $30,000 can get you about:

160 pts at Grand Floridian
170 pts at Bay Lake Tower
180 pts at Polynesian
220 pts at Boardwalk
220 pts at Animal Kingdom
240 pts at Saratoga Springs
300 pts at Old Key West

Granted I know I have to factor in maintenance fees and length of contract but it just feels like we would have so much more flexibility with room type and length of/number of trips by having more points.

It is my husband, myself and our 4 year old so studios will work for us, and we normally visit once a year, but would like to have additional points to also use at Hilton Head once a year for 3 nights since we live in SC and really enjoy the resort as a little mini vacay. One bedrooms are better and I know they’re easier to find available at 7 months, which is another reason I feel like we need more points.

We normally travel either in Oct/Nov or Jan (our fave.) I’ve been back and forth about less points and a resort we know we like vs more points and being shut out of our faves over and over. We definitely wouldn’t mind staying at a resort like Saratoga or OKW obviously, they’re nice resorts! I just want to know that over the next 20+ years that wouldn’t be our “only” option!

Sorry this is so long, but I know my fellow DisBoards Disney Fanatics will have some great support/advice! Any thoughts are much appreciated!!

I would choose more points (AK, SSR, or OKW if extended to 2057). We own at the Poly, AKV, and CCV, normally stay in studios, and have around 350 points and I never feel like its enough. Also, I would have never said SSR before they were refurbished, but we LOVE what they did in the 2019/2020 refurb!

Of course this could change in the future, but Polynesian studios were fairly easy for us to get at 7 months before we owned there. I don't own at Grand Floridian but I just booked a resort studio there for Halloween weekend- the new building really opened that up. We have also stayed at BLT and BWV a few times without owning there. So, its not impossible. I feel like Beach Club and CCV at Christmas are the ones where you really need to be an owner and book 11 months out.

 

[SRUAlmn]

I would choose more points (AK, SSR, or OKW if extended to 2057). We own at the Poly, AKV, and CCV, normally stay in studios, and have around 350 points and I never feel like its enough. Also, I would have never said SSR before they were refurbished, but we LOVE what they did in the 2019/2020 refurb!

Of course this could change in the future, but Polynesian studios were fairly easy for us to get at 7 months before we owned there. I don't own at Grand Floridian but I just booked a resort studio there for Halloween weekend- the new building really opened that up. We have also stayed at BLT and BWV a few times without owning there. So, its not impossible. I feel like Beach Club and CCV at Christmas are the ones where you really need to be an owner and book 11 months out.

Thank you so much! I agree the new Saratoga rooms are nice! I’ve been stalking an availability tracking site just to keep an eye on things and have been seeing what you mentioned as well. I really appreciate your insight!!

 

[bdphill22]

I would recommend the higher point, longer length, lower price per point contracts.

Yes, there are some rooms at some resorts at some time of years that are unavailable at 7-months. If you’re looking for some specific room/resort/date combo that might not be available.

However, if you are ok with one of many different options, and based on your long list of contracts/resorts you’d be ok with purchasing then you probably are, then you’re likely to find something you’re happy with at 7 months.

This is especially true if you’re booking 1-bedrooms instead of studios. 1-bedrooms are the most available of the standard room categories, and much more available than studios.

With higher point contracts you list you could probably get the same length of stay in 1-bedrooms as the lower point contracts you list there.

When people talk about availability they are almost always referring to studios. I have found that I can book almost all room/resort/date combos I’d like for 1-bedrooms.

 

[bdphill22]

And remember, if you buy a contract for it’s 11-month booking window, it only helps you at that one resort. Any other resort you’d want to try over your life is just the same as buying one of the lower price per point contracts.

The booking difficulties are…

- Studios at the popular resorts (VGF, BLT, PVB, CCV, BRV, BCV and BWV) during October – Mid January.
- 2-BR at BCV and BWV during October – Mid January, with some but less difficulty for 1-BR.
- Value studios and all concierge rooms at AKL (11 month window required).
- Standard view studios at BWV and BLT and tower studios at Riviera all year (because they are so cheap in points).
- 1-BR and 2-BR at CCV, BRV and VGF in November and December (Christmas).

 

[supersnoop]

I'd look at the points required for a stay in the room you'd book at each resort. A rough estimate makes me think that 70 points at BWV will get you the same type of room as 100 points at BLT or 120 points at PVB or VGF. While purchasing more points seems like a benefit, you might actually do better with fewer points at some of the less expensive places.

 

[sndral]

I think it’s important to realize that as DVC adds more resorts demand at 7 months changes, likewise as they adjust/tweak the point costs of various seasons demand also changes. Finally IMO the booming rental market has heightened demand for certain popular times & resorts. Thus, what availability looks like right now will be very different from what it will look like 5 or 10 years from now. Studios are always harder to get, the fall frenzy is called that for a reason - it’s a popular time to go. Once your 4 year old starts school you’ll likely find yourself vacationing when your child is on school vacation. For all those reasons I’d buy at a resort I really liked staying at - this is a luxury purchase that you’ll own for years, so why risk booking disappointment when for a few dollars more you can get something you love?
Also, I eased into DVC, I bought about half the points I wanted in the beginning at a resort I liked (AKV for me) that ‘beginner’ contract was loaded, so I was able to use those points w/ banking & borrowing for a couple of years & try out my other candidate resorts before I ’needed’ to buy more points. That also let me try out the DVC system & see if I liked it, I did & thus I felt comfortable buying my second contract at a more expensive resort - VGF.
Good luck w/ your decision.

 

[BillPA]

Start on the small side. You can always add more if DVC works like you hope it will.
I would avoid all the 2042 resorts. That way if you find it's not what you expected, you can sell easier.

 

[Nabas]

When we initially began looking we were looking at Grand Floridian, Poly, or Boardwalk as those were resorts we’d stayed on the hotel side of and really liked. As I dig deeper into all the nooks and crannies I don’t know anymore.

It is my husband, myself and our 4 year old so studios will work for us, and we normally visit once a year, but would like to have additional points to also use at Hilton Head once a year for 3 nights since we live in SC and really enjoy the resort as a little mini vacay. One bedrooms are better and I know they’re easier to find available at 7 months, which is another reason I feel like we need more points.

We normally travel either in Oct/Nov or Jan (our fave.)

We are definitely in the "buy where you want to stay" camp.

With that in mind, October to early January is probably the most popular time of the year for DVC, and getting a Studio for those months at anywhere but your Home Resort can be tough.

Also keep in mind that your 4-year-old will be in school soon, and it might be difficult to go in October, November, or January.

Buying at the Poly will give you the best chance to book a Studio. Grand Floridian will be pretty good too.

The Boardwalk's big issue is that there are only 19 years left on those contracts, so they are not a good value at current prices.

 

[J2tran]

If you're doing a lot of your travels in the October / November period, I think that's usually when things are busy. So it might be a better decision to actually see which resort you wouldn't mind staying at the most and selecting that as your home resort.

I've been lucky so far and have been to stay at other resorts during a 7 month window booking so I've never had the opportunity to stay at my home resort. However, it's always nice to know that I can book it at the 11 month window and actually don't mind staying there for once!

I do agree that you shouldn't put too much consideration into the 2042 ones. Time flies and you might not to enjoy as often as you think!

 

[supersnoop]

I own a small BWV contract specifically so I can get a room there during Food & Wine. If you want to stay near Epcot in October, you really do need to own there.

 

[Red Dog Run]

I own OKW, AKV, BLT, VGF, and HH. Hands-down for my husband and I is OKW 1 bedroom. Own 240 pts. Getting rid of HH to get more AKV, but think I would have rathered OKW in AKV's state. Had allergies the entire stay at AKV. It was split in-between 1 week at OKW, then AKV, then BLT. Only had red itchy eyes during AKV 4 days, not the previous week at OKW nor BLT. My husband was not as bad, but his sinuses were clogged soon after and also cleared upon departure. The room was clean, but it had a slight cleaning odor that the other resorts didn't. This did not happen on our last AKV stay, though. Could have been the room, but I do not like the dark, dingy look of AKV Kidani. I do LOVE the balconies over the savanna. Great for kids.

 

[Sandisw]

I think DVC is too much money to not choose a resort you’d be happy with each and every trip in case you can’t trade out.

Your Octobrr/November travel time is one of the busiest so I would always assume you will be at your home resort as 7 months will be tough to get at the near park resorts, especially in studios.

We do have SSR points, but we also one points at RIV…our favorite…and VGF…our second…to ensure we get what we want and then use SSR to add other trips or upgrade room size…or even replace the booking at 7 months when there are still rooms available for a few nights.

Having a lot of points is great, but if you buy and then getting what you would like isn’t happening, it will be frustrating.

I also agree with someone else who says things change as more resorts and owners come into the mix. 7 month booking has changed a lot since I joined in 2009

And, there Is a good chance that in 2042, places like BCV, BWV, and BRV, wont be part of the system and if they come back, a very good chance restricted so resale points bought today wont be eligible.

Granted, that’s 19 years away, but, in 10 years, you may have fewer and fewer owners at those resorts trading out.

Good luck.

 

[SRUAlmn]

Thank you everyone so much. Such great information and a lot to think about!

My son starting school won’t really change our travel habits. We’re ok taking him out of school and are potentially considering homeschooling since I was a teacher for 16 years before becoming a SAHM.

Great point about the 2042 resorts being difficult for resale and/or having restrictions if they extend !

I have a notebook in which I wrote the 6 resorts we’d most want to stay at and each season and how many points it is for a studio and a one bedroom so I’m going to play “let’s plan a fake trip” a bunch of times and see how many points we’d really “need” to start. I like the suggestions to maybe start a little smaller. My husband is a little more “frugal” than I so getting him to agree to more contracts down the line seems unlikely, which is why I feel like we need to go for the whole shebang all at once!

 

[sethschroeder]

so much more flexibility with room type and length of/number of trips by having more points.

Except your annual dues are going to be much higher as well.

Annual dues on your outlined points:

OKW	BWV	SSR	AKV	VGF	PVB
$ 2,643.00	$ 1,777.60	$ 1,759.20	$ 1,812.80	$ 1,121.60	$ 1,330.20

Then you look at the next 20 years (until BWV expires): not accounting for MF increases

OKW	BWV	SSR	AKV	VGF	PVB
$ 52,860.00	$ 35,552.00	$ 35,184.00	$ 36,256.00	$ 22,432.00	$ 26,604.00

Then you need to look at what you will get with the points as well.

• Standard rooms are typically only going to be an option for home resort
• Certain resorts you might have little luck getting Studios/2BRs if you dont have it as a home resort and you are not flexible

However, we are on a budget and this won’t be a “plop down a stack of saved up cash” situation for us so I really want to be smart about it.

Then do this.

Outline your budget (upfront and annual), remember tickets/food/flights (those add up), and outline your required and preferred stay (at this point with 2 kids our required stay is really at minimum a 1BR but prefer 2BR) as well as how many nights.

This now gives you an idea of how many points you need to stay at each resort. Eliminate any resort that does not fall within your budget. Finally pick your resort of choice out of the following.

Some people also will go for their #1 resort and buy in smaller chunks (100 points now, 100 in 2 years, 100 in years) which helps them get what they want. You possibly can find contracts with all the previous years points banked which means you might get extra points to start with helping you bridge the gap until you buy additional contracts.

 

[sethschroeder]

My husband is a little more “frugal” than I so getting him to agree to more contracts down the line seems unlikely

See this is something I would lay out up front.

As an example instead of spending $30k now, just do $20k now and get like 150 points at BWV but you outline the extra $10k is being saved to use along with another $10k in another couple years to get another 150 points if everything works for you.

I will say if you go in to a 1br though you are not going to want to go back to a studio with kids in the room likely. The 1br makes it more of a vacation as you have some time away from the kid(s) while spending a good amount of time with them still.

 

[sethschroeder]

I also just caught that you might be financing some or all of this? I would never personally suggest that as you just don't know what could happen.

People have done it and been happy but it impacts your savings/breakeven. It also can cause extra stress in the future if your partner does have work trouble and we do hit a recession or inflation spikes further or daily goods keep going through the roof.

Everyone is different though but you will find many who caution financing a DVC purchase. Heck you could turn around in 2 or 3 years and find DVC has went up even further in price or it bottomed out because a recession.

 

[RoseGold]

I'm assuming studios. My advice is completely difference for 1BRs.

If your goal is cost efficiency, I would buy AKL. The value studio is HARD to get. You have to walk it for months maybe. But the standard rooms aren't, and even the value 1BR, which is one of the best deals in DVC. If that's still too many points, just go SSR. All it takes in a trip or two in the value room and you made up the difference in the cost. Put in a waitlist or two. Maybe you get lucky. You will eventually get the value room. Heck, I got it once and don't even have AKL points.

You could also maybe get lucky with BW/BC or maybe you just want 9 point OKW rooms. $30,000 in AKL points goes a LONG way in studios, if you are flexible in where you want to stay. Like much further than you need to go. So you don't even need to spend this much.

I'd also consider BLT. Standard value requires home points. More expensive, and maybe not worth it to you, if you'd be happy at SSR.

 

[SRUAlmn]

Thank you so much for taking the time to put together the MF chart and over time totals. I’m such a numbers nerd so that helped a lot to have a visual. Thank you!!!

 

[RoseGold]

Point charts matter. A lot. You need to pick a week or two and compare total cost with the charts. Cheaper rooms will require home points (BW/BLT/AKL).