Please help!

[Gabe]

Thank-you everyone for all your advise.
Now we have a decision and a phone call to make!

Gabe

 

[CarolMN]

The really critical items for you to consider in making your home resort decision are airfare and the usual lead time you have to plan your vacation.

Since we also have to worry about airfare, I want/need to know my lodging is set as far ahead of time as possible. That gives me time to find a sale and lock in the best airfare. (Can't afford the "usual" prices from MSP-MCO, LOL). The 11 month window is important for me as I cannot stand the "stress" of worrying about whether or not the waitlist will come through for me. If you really don't want to stay at VB if you can't get a WDW ressie when you call, and don't want to wait for the waitlist to possibly work before you book non-refundable airfare, then you do need to "buy where you want to stay the most".

FWIW, if you mostly plan to travel in the summer, I don't think you will have a problem getting a WDW ressie less than 7 months ahead of time. It's actually easier to get in the WDW DVC resorts on points during the summer than in some of the "slower" (lower point) seasons.

If your circumstances do not permit you to plan more than 7 months ahead of time (maybe a job or kid issue), as others have said, the 11 month window doesn't matter. Buy where you think you can get the best deal.

I do agree that VB may not be the least expensive to own in the long run. I expect dues to continue to be the highest of the DVC resorts (due to extra expenses of maintaining the ocean front property) and also for them to rise faster than the others (same reason). However, VB is a beautiful resort and if you ever want to stay in one fo the Beach Cottages, you will need the 11 month window to get one. If you haven't seen the Beach Cottages in person yet, just wait! They are truly gorgeous!

Have fun making the decision!

 

[bray]

We just spent 2 nights at VB after spending 7 days at Wilderness Lodge. We went on the tour at the Boardwalk and am considering Beach Club points.

While at the tour, we signed an agreement to sell back our 2003 (feb use year) points at $10 per point. It was stressed that if we were interested in using this agreement, we had to sign while on Disney property and VB did not count. We were going to VB in 2 days for 2 nights.

When speaking with the rep at the sales office (we were at VB), I indicated that we are very serious about purchasing points and wanted to keep our 2003 points. Who knows maybe we will be able to bank them and use them next year. The sales rep did bring up the option of purchasing VB points and selling them back at $15 per point while banking them for 2004. However, it would not be a feb. use year and would mean higher annual dues.

We decided that it was not in our best interest to buy VB points. We were staying at VB (garden inn room) that was booked as a hotel type reservation through Disney only about 4 weeks in advance.

 

[floridafam]

bray,

Where you think you will stay the most?

Buy where you will stay the most.

We just had friends that were offered the $15 MB at VB or the $10 MB at VB-the $10 one allows you to keep this years points.

They were also offered a Feb. use year.