NooooB Question

[ssawka]

My wife and I are starting to look into DVC and are trying to figure out the best way to approach it. We are thinking of buying a resale, but we want to be able to take 2 vacations a year, one at WDW and one at the beach. We live in Northern Virginia, so Hilton Head is doable for us. When we go to WDW we are not overly picky about where we stay.

We are a bit concerned about when the contract ends, since we have a special needs child who most likely will never be independent. The idea is that if god forbid something happens and we both pass that her care giver will still be able to take her on vacation.

So, my choices are the following:

1. Buy two seperate contracts, one at Hilton Head and one at a WDW resort (maybe SSR since it has a longer expiration date and you can get reasonably priced resales).
2. Buy one big contract at Hilton Head and take what I can get at WDW.
3. Buy one big contract at a WDW resort (again perhaps SSR) and hope to be able to get a week at HHR during the summer.

I should also add that we are looking at using the points for studios on each trip.

Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[sshd]

If you have only a small window in which to travel and your dates are not flexible, I think you should get 2 contracts, one for each of the resorts that you want to stay in. That way you can make reservations for 11 months in advance. If you want to stay at a resort other than the one that you own, you can only make reservations 7 months in advance, making busier times of the year a bit harder to get reservations for.
We looked at both resale and new sale and went for the new sale because of the incentives offered by Disney. Of course, that choice if yours and of course it is based on if the incentives work for you or not.
Also look at the annual dues. Hilton Head has higher annual dues and several other resorts.
Everyone has their own opinions and these are only mine. I hope it helps you some.

 

[erionm]

You would not want to have all of the points at HHI as it has the second highest annual dues. If you were planning on going to HHI during it's busiest times, you would want own enough HHI points to be able to book that at 11 months. I don't know when HHIs busy time is.

 

[RobDoc]

If you are wanting a trip to HH each summer - especially in a Studio - you will want to have a contract at that resort. There are only 21 Studios and they are not always available within 7 months in the busy summer months.

If your financial situation allows, I'd purchase 2 contracts - one at HH and one at a WDW DVC resort, otherwise purchase enough points at HH to use at both locations. There is a lot greater chance for availability at the WDW resorts at 7 months using the HH points as long as you are flexible and not expecting high demand dates.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[thepops]

I went with the suggestion of two contracts as well. If you aren't going to hit both places in 1 year, buy half the points you would need for your stay (plus a little "wiggle room" in case they adjust the points again like they just did). Then you get the 11 month advantage at both, and by borrowing/banking you'll go every year to one or the other.

 

[OneMoreTry]

You will need to make provision for dues to be paid every year if something did happen to you. As well as expenses for travel, etc.

DW and I are in the same situation with a special needs child. Do you really think that you can make arrangements for Disney Vacations for many years after you are gone? Are you setting up a trust fund? Have you spoken with potential trustees and caretakers about this?

I'm just wondering, for personal reasons, how you are going about making such ambitious, long-term arrangements. It seems it could only work if there are other children or family members who love WDW and are willing to take him/her with.

 

[allshookup]

I also voted two contracts both for availability & re-sale purposes. I understand it is easier to sell a smaller contract over a large one. We have two contracts both at SSR because we plan on giving one to each of our children when we are no longer willing or able to go. If they decide they don't want them, we hope we/they have an easier time selling them separately.

 

[Disney_Villain]

The OP never specified what seasons they'd travel in.

If they travel in high-demand seasons, then having 2 seperate contracts for the 11-month booking window advantage makes a lot of sense. If not, then it would be better to have all their points at a WDW resort like SSR (for low maintenance fees).

 

[ssawka]

The OP never specified what seasons they'd travel in.

If they travel in high-demand seasons, then having 2 seperate contracts for the 11-month booking window advantage makes a lot of sense. If not, then it would be better to have all their points at a WDW resort like SSR (for low maintenance fees).

Disney_Villain,

Thank you (and all other posters) for your reply. Since we probably will be traveling at peak times then I guess two seperate contracts is preferable.

Can anyone tell me how two contracts would work? Would I need to do a point transfer if I wanted to combine points. Also would that fall in the "once a year" rule?

 

[thepops]

You'd prob. want to bank and borrow within each contract (if you wanted to alternate years and resorts). Then there isn't a transfer issue. If you do transfer between your contract that would fall under the once a year rule (for both since one was a transfer out and one in)

 

[JimC]

I'd buy a DVC contract for WDW and a Marriott contract for HH.