Hi everyone,
I am looking to possibly purchase around 50 points at BLT so that we can stay every 3 years (by banking, using, and borrowing).
I had a few questions that I could not find an answer to. Thanks in advance for any help.
I'll to my best to answer your questions and provide you some basic information to point you in the right direction. That being said, each of the questions you have asked have multiple threads with multiple posts dedicated to them, so you have to figure that the answers you'll receive here are somewhat simplified.
Before we get started, I am wondering how you came to your decision to purchase DVC and specifically a contract at BLT. Before looking at any contract, it is important to look at your vacation patterns and priorities to determine whether or not DVC will be of help to you. I'd enjoy hearing more about your thought process behind your purchasing decision, just so we can get a better idea of where you are coming from.
1) I can't see buying at $155 per point direct, so will probably be looking to do resale. Do people just buy direct because they are uneducated? Or am I missing something? My comment is not meant to be snide, I just don't know how there could be a $65 difference in price?
I don't think you are being "snide" when you say uneducated, but thanks for your consideration. Uneducated simply means "not knowing" and there are simply a lot of people who buy direct who do not even know of the existence of a resale market. It has been said time and again, but timeshares are a product that are sold, not bought. Go to a presentation and you'll understand this comment better. Disney is a wonderful place. DVC salespeople capitalize on this and basically equate purchasing DVC with a lifetime of happiness and magical vacations. People get caught up in that...it's hard not to.
But there's another side to direct purchases, those who knowingly and willingly make the choice to purchase direct over resale. For these people, convenience and flexibility are more important than cost. By buying direct they are getting almost instant access to their points, they don't have the struggles with the first reservation that many resale buyers do, and they have the flexibility to use the points outside of DVC (cruises, ABD, etc.). They are consciously paying more money to not have to deal with these hassles. That's a personal decision. Just as many resale buyers say that they're nuts to spend the extra money, they probably say that resale buyers are nuts to go through the stress of the resale process. It's like cat people and dog people...you're not going to change anybody's mind in this debate.
2) If I plan on vacationing primarily in June, but maybe July or August, what should be UY be?
Definitely read the threads on UY. But ideally, your use year month should not be after the 4 month period where you are likely to take vacations because you might end up losing points should you have to cancel. But there's a lot more to it than that, so please read the UY threads.
3) If I add-on at a later date, do I need to add-on for the same UY, and do I need to add-on at the same resort as I initially purchased?
No. You may purchase virtually any amount at any resort. Just know that the more use years and resorts you own, the increased amount of tracking is required of you which increases the possibilities of your making a mistake and possibly losing points. To many, it is easy to track and not enough of a reason to not buy a different UY if the right contract comes along.
4) We are used to staying in moderate resorts, and having food courts available for our quick dining breakfast/lunch. If you use DDP, where do you usually utilize your quick dining? It seems like a lot of resorts don't have food courts.
There is a difference between being used to this and actually preferring it. Please understand that if you purchase DVC your vacation habits will change. All DVC units have at the very least a kitchenette, which makes dining in the room incredibly easy. If you enjoy staying in mods and eating at food courts, then quite possibly DVC is not for you. But if you are looking for the ability to prepare more of your own meals and stay in upgraded accommodations, then DVC might be for you. As for the DDP, there have been so many changes to it that it has become very difficult to gain any financial advantage from it. Some people take a certain comfort from being on it, and that's cool, but from a strictly numbers standpoint it is very hard to justify. Again, cat people and dog people.
5) Magic season BLT is 139 points weekly. What happens if I have 50 points, do I just waste 11 points every 3 years? What happens when my room after a few years is increased to 153 points? Do I need to buy more points?
By buying a 50 point contract for a 139 point need every three years, you are sort of painting yourself into a corner. There is a possibility that those points might go to waste. You would certainly have more flexibility buying a larger contract, using 2 years worth of points for your vacation and renting out any extra points you might have. This obviously requires more work and cash up front, but it greatly increases your flexibility. As for your 153 point scenario...Disney allows you to buy up to 24 "one time use" points each year for $15 each. The problem with these is that they have no specific home resort, so they can only be used to book at 7 months out. Quite a problem if you are looking to use them for BLT. This is another reason why your 50 point contract could be more trouble than it's worth.
As you can probably imagine, it looks like you have some more research ahead of you before you are fully prepared to make a decision. Good luck, keep reading, and keep asking great questions!
Point requirements shouldn't change much.
Bill
