New with questions

[Bigeasy]

Hello all. We are ready to purchase at BLT for the 160 pts direct.

I pondered about AKV but the everyone in the house seems to like the BLT.

Questions.

How hard would it be to reserve a 1-2 Bdr at AKV(or any resort for that matter) if it is not your home resort?

For BLT resale I seem to find a better incentive with Disney direct. Sounds correct?

UY, we plan on going mainly in summer or March, December UY?

No need to explain the benefits, we see it, even did a spreadsheet.
Why would someone not buy more points resale for the same price as new, the only caveat would be not having the home resort you wanted.

Thanks for all the great input on these forums. Looks like BLT has location and is a hot commodity.

Ready to sign, thanks for the input

 

[disneynutz]

IMHO the only reason to buy direct is if you want easy financing.

I would never buy at a resort without staying there first. We broke that rule and bought BLT. Of all of the WDW DVC resorts, it is our least favorite.

Bill

 

[Sandisw]

AKV is a pretty big resort. In the summer, you should not have a lot of trouble getting reservations there at the 7 month window. Also, I think most of the resorts should be available if you call right at the 7 month mark.

As far as March, it will probably depend on when you want to go as some of those weeks are Spring Break. It could be hit or miss, but again, if you utilize calling right when you window opens up, you should be able to try other resorts.

Dec or Feb UY would work very well for your travel times. I am assuming you mention Dec since you may be buying direct with Disney. Since we are still in the 2009 UY for Dec, you would get both 2009 and 2010 UY points.

Because BLT is still one of the newer resorts, there are not a lot of contracts out there for sale and many are limited with terms of not having points until 2011 or 2012, which puts buying through Disney a better option. Plus, you can get exactly what you want.

We went direct for BLT, after buying in small contract via resale at VWL. For some of the new resorts, going direct might make sense but if you want one of the older ones, or looking for a great deal and don't mind staying at SSR or OKW, you can get a much better deal there. We were not interested in doing this, even though it was going to save us about $5000. We just knew we wanted to stay at BLT for most of our trips. We have tried VWL, BWV, and BCV now and have decided that BLT really is the best place for us--although we loved BCV and are considering adding on points there for the near future when we want to visit for a long weekend during F & W.

Good luck!!

 

[JimMIA]

IMHO the only reason to buy direct is if you want easy financing.

Just to amplify Bill's point, there are a number of BLT resales on the market with a wide variety of points, use years, etc. Generally, the ASKING prices are about $100 per point, which is a substantial savings over 160 points purchased direct.

 

[gakmanny]

Thanks for the information

 

[Bigeasy]

Thanks for the info.

The difference I see with direct is getting all '09 points added with the purchase of 2010. So I will have 320 to start my vacation, not bad. The resale did not offer, only smaller points.

I do see a good value with AKV as far as price and points, but the household likes BLT.

So if my planning cannot be made 7 or 11 months out, how difficult would it be?

As mentioned, March and summer realistically for us to travel.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Sandisw]

Thanks for the info.

The difference I see with direct is getting all '09 points added with the purchase of 2010. So I will have 320 to start my vacation, not bad. The resale did not offer, only smaller points.

I do see a good value with AKV as far as price and points, but the household likes BLT.

So if my planning cannot be made 7 or 11 months out, how difficult would it be?

As mentioned, March and summer realistically for us to travel.

Thanks again for all the help.

DVC works best for those that plan ahead. If you are thinking you may not be able to book prior to 7 months, then where you buy your points really doesn't matter, other than for MF's.

As a BLT owner, once the resort opens up for all members to book, you have no advantage over anyone else. Owning BLT will only benefit you for stays at that resort if you are going to book vacations during home resort booking period.

We travel in the summer and own BLT. Last year, we were able to stay at BWV, VWL, and BLT. This summer, we did BCV and BLT. BCV was gotten right at 7 months (studio) and was not available at 6 1/2 months when I considered adding a night.

I was able to get VWL about 6 months out for an August vacation, and secured BWV around 2 months out, but it was only for 2 nights.

Anything is possible at the 7 month mark, but some things are less likely than others. As soon as you start eating into that time and trying to book with less time--6, 5, 4 months out, etc.--the harder it will be to secure your reservation.

Good luck!

 

[disneynutz]

Thanks for the info.

The difference I see with direct is getting all '09 points added with the purchase of 2010. So I will have 320 to start my vacation, not bad. The resale did not offer, only smaller points.

I do see a good value with AKV as far as price and points, but the household likes BLT.

So if my planning cannot be made 7 or 11 months out, how difficult would it be?

As mentioned, March and summer realistically for us to travel.

Thanks again for all the help.

You are buying 2009 points if you choose a UY between now and the end of the year. The value of those points are about $1600. Looking at some of the BLT resale contracts, you could save $2400 buying resale.

Bill

 

[KingRat]

While the resale does look like it will save some money, best to be comfortable with whatever you decide.

 

[JimMIA]

You are buying 2009 points if you choose a UY between now and the end of the year. The value of those points are about $1600. Looking at some of the BLT resale contracts, you could save $2400 buying resale.

The "value" of 2009 points is the value the DVC timeshare salespeople attribute for their own sales purposes, and it's based on a whole series of bogus assumptions.

They assume that value based on rental point prices -- which you will only receive if you go through the hassle and risk of renting.

They also assume the points cost nothing, which of course is not true. The true cost of BLT points (initial price + maintenance fees) is actually probably around $6 per point.

This "value" also assumes a new owner would be able to rent every one of the 2009 points (if you only rented half, you'd lose money)...but for some reason would not rent any resale points they bought. That defies logic.

There is actual value to the 2009 points, but it's in the banking extension, not in some bogus claim of a timeshare salesman. I'd consider the value of those points exactly the same as I would consider banked points in a resale contract -- for their value to MY family for future vacations.

The only true cost comparison is to compare dollars you spend for the various options -- purchase price + maintenance fees for the current year (if any) + closing costs (if any) + interest costs if you finance (if Disney can provide a lower rate than you can get on your own, that may partially offset the price savings via resale).

If you want a true picture of the costs, look only at the money.

 

[a742246]

Buying direct for BLT would be the way to go. Any other dvc property, resale would be the way to go.

Anyway, enjoy your purchase.

 

[AirGoofy]

I do see a good value with AKV as far as price and points, but the household likes BLT. So if my planning cannot be made 7 or 11 months out, how difficult would it be? As mentioned, March and summer realistically for us to travel.

Regardless of where you book, if it is too close, you may have difficulties. I read where someone could not get into SSR (largest resort) with 2 month's notice. You can check out the resort availability board, but it is hard to tell what dates it actually filled up. We were able to do AKV for June this year at the 6 month mark. Spring Break and Easter (March and April) may be difficult times to catch a trip.