Please help!

[Gabe]

We are currently in the process of buying direct from disney. THe offer is this:

We buy at Vero Beach. Use year will be December.
We get 150 points now. Disney gives us credit at 10 dollars per point AND we get to keep the points. In December we get an additional 150 points.
The down side is we have to buy in Vero Beach. My question is this:

How big of a deal is it to have the 11 month window which we won't have at WDW. I mean, we never go during the busy times of the year so we don't think we will need to book that far in advance.

Please help. Also is there a difference in annual dues in Vero versus WDW Properties?

Thanks

 

[Richyams]

Don't do it!!!!

Its absolutely absurd to buy VB points mainly for use at WDW.

The dues at VB are the highest of any DVC resort.

They have been doing all kinds of things to sell those points, including lying and making false statements.

VB was a failure for Disney. the failure was so bad that it nixed any idea of their ever being another off site DVC resort. Its been such a failure that the resort is merely a shadow of its original plan. Disney actually sold one property that was officially announced as an off site DVC.

Buying VB to stay at WDW is a bad idea, a very bad idea.

 

[Merilyn]

If you want a beach front location at the 11 month window, do it. If you are buying to go to WDW, don't do it. The dues are higher at VB. The off season at WDW will be easier to get at 7 months, at least now they are. I bought OKW when it was the only one and now also have VB because I wanted a beach with the 11 month window. Buy where you want to go the most. OKW has cheaper dues but only in a resale now. I would check all of the locations out in person or the web site. They are very different, each with their own special attraction. Good luck with you decision and I hope to be WELCOMING YOU HOME soon.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Buy where you will want to stay most often. Vero is a beautiful resort, we love it and go there during peak seasons so the 11 month window is important to us. But is you don't plan to stay there primarily, I'd choose a resort where you do want to stay at to have the 11 month advantage. Vero doesn't deserve the bashing it takes from some posters, but the advice that you should buy where you want to stay most often is good advice. You can allways go the resale route.

 

[zurgswife]

I also vote for buy where you want to stay not where it is the cheapest...

 

[ncligs]

Originally posted by Gabe
Please help. Also is there a difference in annual dues in Vero versus WDW Properties?

Rounding to the nearest penny, here are the dues for 2000/2001/2002/2003 by each resort. Only buy at VB if you plan on going there most of the time,or if you want the Beach Cottage.

OKW - $3.16/$3.13/$3.22/$3.39
BWV - $4.02/$3.83/$3.92/$4.10
HHI - $3.26/$3.32/$3.49/3.69
VB - $4.08/$3.98/$4.17/$4.37
WVL - NA/$3.63/$3.80/$4.05
BCV -- opened at $3.77/$3.97

 

[Regina]

I'll echo what others have said about buying where you want to stay, but I absolutely don't agree about any criticism of VB.

The offsite resorts simply didn't have the response that the onsite resorts did. There are various reasons for this, none of which are attributed to there being a problem with the resorts themselves. They are quite lovely, they just aren't in WDW.

When we purchased 11 years ago, we also traveled during off-season. Then along came High School and College schedules, and next thing we knew, we were going during Christmas week.

You can't predict what the future will hold. If you can, purchase at BCV or look for a resale. You're better off having that 11 month window at an onsite resort.

 

[JimC]

11 month window is important for certain times of the year when it is most crowded, particularly if you want 2 or 3 bedroom units-- I suspect all of December (even though it is adventure season for the first half of the month) and any of the premier seasons are competitive times to make reservations. If you need or might need in the future the 11 month advantage then buy where you will want to have that advantage. We bought points at BCV for that reason.

Otherwise buy where you get the best long term deal. I believe that is OKW resale -- the combination of point cost and maintenance dues generally provide the best long term value. If you are really trying to conserve, then staying at OKW is best because it has the lowest point requirements of the properties -- you need fewer points. Most of our points are at OKW for that reason.

As to VB, we just returned from a week there in May and love the resort. Great CMs, lovely beach and pool, well maintained. It is very laid back and relaxing. But it is a different environment from WDW. We will visit there again.

 

[Dean]

If you only want to get into the DVC system and stay at WDW, you are making a mistake IMO. If you will use them a significant part of the time at VB and also at WDW, you are OK. The up front savings ARE NOT worth the higher yearly costs along with the uncertainties and risk of waiting every time for the 7 month window. At almost $100 per year higher dus on 150 points, any savings you have now will be eaten away eventually, likely in less than the 15 years it looks like now as VB dues are likely to rise faster than those at WDW. The lack of an 11 month window where you might actually want to stay is the real problem though.

Look at it this way, if you own VB and nothing is available at WDW at 7 months, you are pretty stuck. You can always wait list but who knows about that. OTOH, if you own OKW and never want to stay there, you can book at the 11 month window and then try to change over at 7 months. If nothing is available you can wait list and if that doesn't come through, you've still got a room at WDW and can plan everything for your trip including air fare if you need to.

 

[Richyams]

I would love to hear some of the lines that they used to get you to consider their failed resort.

A few common lies that we have heard related before are"

"Since most reservations are made less than six months out, the seven month window is meaningless"

"Sure, VB dues are highest now, but dues change every year, VB was lowest once"

Unfortunately, even though its Disney, they are still timeshare salesman and they lie like dogs.

Not all of them, but we have heard the same lies again and again.

Did they give you either of those lines? Or did they come up with some fresh ones?


Where was their any criticism of VB?

VB is a beautiful resort, one of the finest in the world. You never hear me criticize VB, I am very happy to have it as an option....that doesn't change the fact that it was a brutal failure for DIsney, a failure of such magnitude that not only is the resort only a shadow of its original plan, but it failed so badly that Disney will never again build offsite and the have sold at least one preoperty slated as a DVC resort, I believe it was actually two properties, one officially announce, one rumored.

 

[floridafam]

Don't do it if you are planning on staying at WDW most of the time.

It's bad for you and for DVC. What happens if they finish selling VB to a bunch of people who don't want it and never stay there?

VB is the best!!! We love it. It's one of the best beach resorts we have ever been to but it's not WDW. We go there because we love the beach and are truly "beach people".

Buy BCV or BWV or look for a resale.

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

Originally posted by Richyams
...VB is a beautiful resort, one of the finest in the world. You never hear me criticize VB, I am very happy to have it as an option....that doesn't change the fact that it was a brutal failure for DIsney, a failure of such magnitude that not only is the resort only a shadow of its original plan, but it failed so badly that Disney will never again build offsite and the have sold at least one preoperty slated as a DVC resort, I believe it was actually two properties, one officially announce, one rumored.

Just out of curiosity, how does HHI compare to this description of VB? I've stayed there once and what struck me was the fact that it's not that big of a resort. I thought it only had something like 100 rooms... and didn't it sell it in a decent time-frame???

 

[Richyams]

No, it didn't sell in their expected timeframe either. Both HH and VB, VB more so, always had a better MB offering and both also benefitted from lies told by DVC sales staff.

 

[PamOKW]

VB and HHI were an experiment by DVC. I would not classify them as failures. I would say that Disney had to make a determination whether they were going to be in the resort business at WDW (and their other theme parks) or would they become players in the general timeshare/resort business. They went with choice A. They did not dedicate the resources necessary to go after the general public. They only market to people who express some interest in Disney World or the Disney Cruise, a smaller pool of people. On top of that, if you are interested in Disney when you come to Florida, it's a harder sell to get people to buy Vero (also in Florida) rather than selling them something different, HHI.

Back to the original poster. The best advice is to buy where you'll stay. That said, it is not impossible to use Vero points at WDW if you are open to booking at any of the WDW DVC resorts. In fact, there have been several people who have posted their positive experiences owning offsite and using them at WDW. It is true that once you hit the 7 month mark, it really doesn't matter what resort is your home resort.

 

[mikesmom]

Be aware that WDW slow season and DVC slow season are 2 different things. The boards frequently have people writing in saying "I can't get a DVC ressie in November, I thought that was slow season?". Many times of the year that are off-season for the rest of WDW are in great demand at DVC because of low point charges - thus, pretty hard to get at 7 months out.

Buy where you want to stay.

That being said, we loved Vero the one time we stayed there. We would buy there to insure an 11 month beach vacation if funds were a little more flexible.

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

Gotcha - thanks for the info.

All I have to say is at least we have a few non-WDW DVC resorts. As someone who owns at OKW, I'm glad I at least have the opportunity to vacation away from WDW every once in a while via DVC. We loved HHI and felt it was great alternate vacation from WDW, and something we'd likely do every 3 years or so or even do it as a 2 or 3 day pre-vacation prior to WDW if we drove to WDW.

I would agree with everyone else - buy where you think you'll stay the most. It makes sense. If you investigate and find out OKW or VWL is for you, make the effort via resale and a good enough offer to get it.

 

[Richyams]

I also agree with being happy with the options. VB and HH are both beautiful resorts in great places. I am very happy to have them as options.

 

[arcruiser]

If you are usually able and want to plan vacations 11 months out - go for a WDW resort...
but if you are not typically able to plan that far out (7 months or less), then it truly does not matter (except for dues).

 

[Snowgod]

If you love the beach, want to stay in a beach front Cottage, want to do this at least every other year, then VB is a wonderful place to buy. You can always add on at WDW later.

 

[lsutigger2]

I am one of the folks who own at VB, have never stayed there, and have made four reservations at WDW resorts without so much as a waitlist. And have always gotten my first request, place and room size. I know this is not the norm and I agree that "own where you want to stay" is important. Look below for times of year and places visited. (Just realized that I don't have time of year listed - 01 was Oct, 02 was Oct, 03 was May/Oct!) I even made my OKW reservation at about 4 1/2 months out.

So, while it may not be the wisest thing to do, it can be done. If you are nervous about not getting what you want at WDW, then buy at WDW.

Just more information for you to consider.