Not ROFR thread - general discussion

[juliebee]

I want to plug Water Butlers. I believe they are former Disney cast members and they do a fantastic job: https://waterbutlers.com/

I've used Water Butlers twice and I was happy with them as well. They send a picture of the delivery which was helpful so the bell services could see what it looked like and found it easily. I will mention that they have a lot of water choices on their website (plus lots of other things too) but if you are really hung up on a certain brand of water you should actually put that in the message to them also. They substituted a different brand which didn't matter to me, but I know others have stronger opinions on water. Just selecting the water brand/quantity doesn't ensure that is what you will get, unless you perhaps put in a message what acceptable subs are.

 

[TheThousandthSoul]

I always refused to consider a resale contract on a different Use Year.

Why should I stay on the same course?

 

[airjay75]

I always refused to consider a resale contract on a different Use Year.

Why should I stay on the same course?

I've toyed with it several times, but always concluded that the cons outweighed the benefits. Seems like it introduces unnecessary complexity to using and/or combining your points. But, plenty of people seem to do it and make it work just fine. I guess, the question I would need to answer first is why am I buying a contract with a different UY? I don't have a good reason for myself.

 

[TheThousandthSoul]

I've toyed with it several times, but always concluded that the cons outweighed the benefits. Seems like it introduces unnecessary complexity to using and/or combining your points. But, plenty of people seem to do it and make it work just fine. I guess, the question I would need to answer first is why am I buying a contract with a different UY? I don't have a good reason for myself.

For my second resale contract - I am convinced I could have paid a lesser amount had I bought a contract with a different UY.

I’m satisfied with my purchase, with the price I paid at the moment I had a deal.

That being said, I would love to hear from people who manage multiple UYs. It may open a new path for any future purchase.

 

[PolyRob]

For my second resale contract - I am convinced I could have paid a lesser amount had I bought a contract with a different UY.

I would love to hear from people who manage multiple UYs.

Are you adding on at the same resort for the home resort booking period? Want split stays? Buying SAP? Have a specific trip that doesn't fit within your current UY?

There are times when an additional UY can make sense. I don't personally have multiple, but I know someone that travels primarily in the fall and needed a summer trip annually. Oct didn't cut it anymore so she added on enough at a different resort just to use in the summer and cover all her trips annually.

If price is the only deciding factor another UY may not be the right choice. The savings up front will result in a lot more work over the decades of membership if you don't have a specific need for the additional UY. You could even strand points negating the entire savings.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

For my second resale contract - I am convinced I could have paid a lesser amount had I bought a contract with a different UY.

I’m satisfied with my purchase, with the price I paid at the moment I had a deal.

That being said, I would love to hear from people who manage multiple UYs. It may open a new path for any future purchase.

I became a two UY owner by accident. I had a specific price in mind for a BWV resale contract but kept striking out w/ my original UY (June). One day, I decided to place a bid on a contract with a Dec UY - and the sellers accepted. It was fully loaded, so I went for it.

Looking back, I probably should have considered this setup from the beginning. Given our travel habits - we go several times a year - having both June and December actually makes a lot of sense. It helps make sure we’re never using points right after a banking deadline. I know that’s not a big deal for everyone, but for me, it’s something I prefer to avoid.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I became a two UY owner by accident. I had a specific price in mind for a BWV resale contract but kept striking out w/ my original UY (June). One day, I decided to place a bid on a contract with a Dec UY - and the sellers accepted. It was fully loaded, so I went for it.

Looking back, I probably should have considered this setup from the beginning. Given our travel habits - we go several times a year - having both June and December actually makes a lot of sense. It helps make sure we’re never using points right after a banking deadline. I know that’s not a big deal for everyone, but for me, it’s something I prefer to avoid.

I’m a huge fan of two use years, especially if they’re at different resorts, because you can’t combine them for the 11 month advantage anyway, and as someone who plans trips within five months at least once a year, having twice as many waitlist options is great.

Having said that, I think 4 years (the number I have) is at least one too many, and I would never advise 2 UY for the same home resort— even if it saves you $15-25/pt up front, that is a huge pain to save less than $1/yr.

 

[TheThousandthSoul]

Are you adding on at the same resort for the home resort booking period? Want split stays? Buying SAP? Have a specific trip that doesn't fit within your current UY?

There are times when an additional UY can make sense. I don't personally have multiple, but I know someone that travels primarily in the fall and needed a summer trip annually. Oct didn't cut it anymore so she added on enough at a different resort just to use in the summer and cover all her trips annually.

If price is the only deciding factor another UY may not be the right choice. The savings up front will result in a lot more work over the decades of membership if you don't have a specific need for the additional UY. You could even strand points negating the entire savings.

Thank you.

What about buying a resale contract at a restricted resort? Unless I could combine the cost points with direct points, I fail to see why the UY would matter.

 

[VGCgroupie]

For my second resale contract - I am convinced I could have paid a lesser amount had I bought a contract with a different UY.

I’m satisfied with my purchase, with the price I paid at the moment I had a deal.

That being said, I would love to hear from people who manage multiple UYs. It may open a new path for any future purchase.

For me the downside is transfers being limited to one. I have multiple contracts under one use year and I find that actually much more confusing than having different UY.

 

[PolyRob]

Thank you.

What about buying a resale contract at a restricted resort? Unless I could combine the cost points with direct points, I fail to see why the UY would matter.

That could be fine. Does the new UY work with your travel habits? As mentioned above you'll get two more waitlists, but you'll need to remember another banking deadline. Not the end of the world, but more work.

If it's restricted you'll never combine it with one of the original 14 resorts resale. If you ever added on direct that could make it more interesting. You would have to decide if you want that with the original 14 resale resort UY or the restricted resort UY. Direct points would mix with any resale contract at 7-months being able to book the original 14 and/or restricted resorts.

 

[FOTM_Ring_Bearer]

For my second resale contract - I am convinced I could have paid a lesser amount had I bought a contract with a different UY.

I’m satisfied with my purchase, with the price I paid at the moment I had a deal.

That being said, I would love to hear from people who manage multiple UYs. It may open a new path for any future purchase.

We have 3 UY's. Feb was our first, which was great for summer trips. As our girls got older we started taking fall/winter trips. So, we bought more points (different resort) with an August UY. Then we added on with a June UY. I haven't had a problem keeping track of our points. I do have a spreadsheet for that and it's worked out well.

 

[disneylandtour]

I always refused to consider a resale contract on a different Use Year.

Why should I stay on the same course?

There's something to be said about the two extra waitlist spots that you get with a second UY. If you check into the DVC at least once a month and can set banking alerts on your phone, you should be fine.

 

[disneylandtour]

So I'm figuring about one more month until we start to see the usual end of the year deals, before owners have to think about next year's MFs.

 

[Sandisw]

For my second resale contract - I am convinced I could have paid a lesser amount had I bought a contract with a different UY.

I’m satisfied with my purchase, with the price I paid at the moment I had a deal.

That being said, I would love to hear from people who manage multiple UYs. It may open a new path for any future purchase.

We have three UY but each is large enough to function on its own.

We use them for different trips and for split stays so having that many works out fine.

It does mean I may be borrowing when I have other points that could be used, but that’s okay.

We never relied on transfers and so them eliminating the exception they were giving owners with multiple UYs to transfer more than once didn’t impact us because we never bought with that intent.

But, all my stays are early in the UY for the membership we use which allows the utmost flexibility if we do need to cancel or change a trip!

Now, we do have resale RIV with direct VGF which is nice because I know that I won’t ever lose a RIV point because I can supplement with my VGF.

I had BLT that I bought resale with it thinking no big deal and I hated it so I sold it a year later.

 

[atthebeachclub]

Now, we do have resale RIV with direct VGF which is nice because I know that I won’t ever lose a RIV point because I can supplement with my VGF.

I had BLT that I bought resale with it thinking no big deal and I hated it so I sold it a year later.

I think this is smart if your preferred resort is the resale one.

 

[Girlstar30]

I am very happy I have two use years right now.

We love split stays, I have 6 waitlists set right now, getting into the resort i want is the most important thing to me, even with the extra headache.

I also didnt know when purchasing what my travel patterns would be. I assumed spring travel. I had no idea I would own over 500 points during my first purchase So far it has actually been fall and winter. The original uy works well for the September travel we want to do often because of low point season. We dont mind the heat. It was very relaxing and pleasant to us being there in the quiet season.

My second use year is December, which was just a coincidence because a contract popped up and I needed points asap. Now im so happy for it because we have discovered that we like short vgc stays often and we get to spend the holidays there this year without worry about banking deadline should we need to cancel.

I am fully in borrowing mode so there's no chance of me losing points and I dont see that changing much

As others have mentioned, the transfer rule is the worst part about it. If it wasnt for that, this would very simple (To me). Since it is there i agree it is more difficult of course. Is it worth it is dependent on the individual and their needs.

Ive heard of people selling contracts because they got tired of two use years. That's crazy to me, but I guess everyone has different needs.

 

[Girlstar30]

If I could do things all over again, I would have boughy 100% SSR SAP and have 750 points instead of 590 for almost the same price i paid for three resorts.

I realize im not the typical owner But this is something I may consider in the future.

 

[atthebeachclub]

I know we have a low volume of contracts on the market right now, but it seems like it is still a buyers market to me. Prices are not increasing much. Listed contracts seem to be moving slowly unless prices very well. There just aren’t that many contracts listed. The ROFR thread is slow. Anyone wondering if there is a slowdown in purchasing?

 

[airjay75]

I know we have a low volume of contracts on the market right now, but it seems like it is still a buyers market to me. Prices are not increasing much. Listed contracts seem to be moving slowly unless prices very well. There just aren’t that many contracts listed. The ROFR thread is slow. Anyone wondering if there is a slowdown in purchasing?

An interesting thought and question. I ultimately feel like it is just hard to say. When I hear people from the site sponsor that they send out to the various podcasts to talk about the resale market, they all seem to be like, we need more contracts. And their list prices certainly don't seem to be coming down much from what they always are, so it seems like they are able to move them. So, at least what they say publicly, there seems to be more a lack of supply than a lack of demand, but who knows - at the end of the day, they make money from volume and from higher prices. I feel like if we saw them significantly lower list prices, it might be a sign that they can't move them unless the price were lower. Would they raise prices if there was excess demand and low supply? I'd think so, so maybe supply and demand is actually relatively balanced right now? Which, I suppose reinforces the thought you're having - less supply, but also less demand.

And, maybe it is all just seasonal. One DVC podcaster I listen to often makes the point that it is winter time, when folks up north are dreaming about warm weather that their mind starts turning to something like DVC, and so that is when there is increased demand. And, that just happens to coincide with dues season, which tends to increase supply as folks realize they don't want to pay another years worth of dues.

Just some thoughts I have.

 

[PolyRob]

I am fully in borrowing mode so there's no chance of me losing points and I dont see that changing much

Be careful of overborrowing. If you ever had to cancel due to an unforeseen circumstance and your trip on borrowed points is right before the end of the UY all the points are gone. That's an extreme case, but it can get messy when mixing UYs of transferred points.

The only way to truly protect points would be planning travel on the current UY allotment prior to your banking deadline so they can be cancelled 31+ days into the future and then banked.

The DVC insurance can also help, but that will only cover dues.