newbie questions

[cajungirl]

My husband & I are staying at the VWL in three weeks on rented points. While there we would like to investigate ownership. Do we have to set up an appointment in advance? Does anyone know about how long the presentation takes? Also, I think I read that DVC points can be used at timeshares around the country (world?). Is that correct? If so, is there a list somewhere of other properties? Thanks very much for any and all help!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

I would reccommed you call the DVC number and get an appointment for the time that is most convenient for you. Allow a couple hours and tell the guide you want to see ALL the DVC properties. Then you can mull it over and decide if you really want BCV as your home resort, or want to buy a resale through someone else at what is probably a far less price. The key is to buy where you think you want to stay most. We love OKW because of the quiet, but some prefer BWV for the exact opposite reason. There is a difference too in the townhome versus hotel style accommodations. DVC trades through Interval International timeshares. Not all II properties can be traded into with DVC, because DVC likes to make sure they are up to the same quality as what you have with them. I go to WDW at least once a year and have traded out only once to Hawaii. We have enough points so we were able to trade out a week and still stay at WDW for 10 days too. Happy shopping!

 

[lacool]

There are DVC desks all over Disney where you can set up your tour. We made the appointment at about 4pm Monday for the next morning at 9am. They send a van to pick you up and will drop you off anywhere on Disney property when it is over. They also provide childcare during the tour if you need it!

The tour itself runs a bit over an hour. During it, they will provide you with a book that lists the other properties, in the US and abroad, for which you may use you points.

Just keep in mind that you can get a better deal through a reseller than you can directly through Disney. I didn't find that out until afterwards!

Have fun!

 

[SamR]

As lacool said, there are DVC information desks at each resort, each park, and at Downtown Disney, and you can stroll up to one of them, get some information, and set up an appointment time. I was there during a very busy time (the week before Easter), and had no problem getting an appointment to fit my schedule. Plus when you stop by one of the desks, they often have a small incentive, such as a meal for your family. (They will make a note on the card they give you, and the DVC rep will give you a set of vouchers at the end of your tour.) The tour itself is pleasant, and relatively low-pressure.

They also provide childcare during the tour if you need it!

Yes! They have a nice little supervised room with videos, video games, coloring activities, snacks, etc. My two-year old daughter stayed with my wife and I during the tour, but our boys (5 and 9 at the time) went into the children's room. They are typically very shy about getting dropped off somewhere, but they went right in and were not at all excited about coming out! And that's after being there over two hours! (I was pretty much convinced by the time I took the tour, so we went straight from the tour into the paperwork!...Hence the extra time involved.)

Enjoy your stay at VWL.

 

[JohnnyII]

If you schedule a tour first thing in the morning, they will drop you off at the park of your choice after it is finished. They have an 8:10AM thor that will be completed around 9am, depending on your questions. They offered me a set special fast passes for the park of my choice but I was leaving that afternoon and could not use them.

John

 

[Disney Doll]

They are very accomodating with regard to getting you there, and showing you around. You can make your appointment before you go, or you can go up to one of the kiosks once you get there...there are kiosks all over the place.

When we did it (1997), the presentation took about 45-60 minutes, we had a lot of questions afterwards, and our guide (Mark Webb) was very patient and willing to answer all questions. It's not a hard sell at all. As a matter-of-fact, there was no pushiness. He also took us on a tour of each of the size units...we were at OKW, and they were located right there. I would have bought it that day, but my DH wanted to be practical and do the math first ...you know how men are!!!!

The only other piece of advice I can give you is to tour each of the resorts at WDW, as they are all different in their style. The basic room set up in VWL,BWV,and BCV is the same. OKW has the largest rooms and the set up can be slightly different from the other 3 resorts. Buy where you think you'll want to stay the most. We like OKW as our home resort, because it has a nice relaxed feel to it, without feeling like you're out in the middle of nowhere. BWV/BCV are more centrally located. VWL is very serene. All have their beauty, it's just really a personal choice. And remember, you can stay at any of the resorts(depending on availability of course). What we did was to say to ourselves "Which resort could we be happy staying at for the rest of lives each time we came here, if we could never get into another DVC property?" For us, it was OKW. With your home resort, you have the 11 month booking window, with the other resorts you have a 7 month booking window. It's a possibility that you could never stay in another resort besides your home one, if each time you call at the 7 month window all the others were full. Truthfully, that has never happened to us, and I have called as short as 3 weeks before a trip and have still been able to get a room at any of the DVC resorts.

If you decide you like the BCV, then you will have to purchase through Disney. If you decide you like one of the other 3, then look into resale purchase. We just did a resale through The Timeshare Store, and it was positively painless. There's a a link to The Timeshare Store from the DIS.

I've blabbed on long enough. Good Luck!!! It was the best investment we've ever made.