Potential DVC member

[Kluhxrenay]

Hey everyone,

My husband and I have been considering to join the DVC. How does it all work? And do you accumulate points when you stay somewhere or have to buy them? How many points allows roughly for a week stay at Disney World? Thanks!

 

[SandyinMonterey]

You purchase points. I remember the guy who sold us our DVC, he said generally people buy a minimum of 250 points. Whether that's true or not, I don't know. It's difficult to determine how many points are required for a week stay because that all depends on the resort and more importantly when you go. Around holidays like Christmas and Easter, more points are required. There are yearly fees too. When booking thru DVC, you have an 11 month window at your home resort (what you buy into) and 7 month booking windows for all the others. I would suggest going on one of the tours and booking an appointment with DVC if you can. If not, give them a call.

 

[chalee94]

My husband and I have been considering to join the DVC.

i would suggest it's better to think of DVC as something you own rather than something you join.

How does it all work?

DVC is a timeshare. you buy pts that represent a real estate interest in a specific resort...it's deeded but works like a lease, so it will expire at some point, depending on which resort you buy into.

you pay an upfront cost for your contract and then you pay "annual dues" or "maintenance fees" each year for things like housekeeping, lobby staff, grounds upkeep and transportation costs to the parks.

based on how many pts you buy, you can try to rent different DVC accommodations at wdw, in hilton head south carolina, in vero beach, or in hawaii (california also but the resort there is very tiny). there are point charts linked above that will give you an idea of how many pts you would need to accomplish what you want to do.

you can also trade out through RCI or, if you buy direct, you can trade for disney cruises or wdw hotels like port orleans riverside...but trading out is generally a poor deal.

And do you accumulate points when you stay somewhere or have to buy them? How many points allows roughly for a week stay at Disney World? Thanks!

you have to buy points. they are renewed annually until the resort expiration date. you can bank them ahead one year, but after that, you have to use them or lose them.

do you want to stay at old key west resort or grand floridian villas? do you want a studio (like a hotel room, but generally only with one "real" bed and one pullout sofabed) or a 3BR "grand villa" with a pool table overlooking an african savanna? do you want to stay in early november or christmas week? the costs vary considerably - look at the point charts linked here:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/DVCpoints.shtml

this thread is also very useful:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2823949

 

[francie57]

We had a lot of questions so we took the tour when we were at Disney last year and got all of our questions answered. We then came home and bought through a resale site. Save a lot over what Disney wanted. We now have 410 points at the BW. The only thing we can't do by buying resale is book a cruise with the points (wouldn't be doing that anyway since the point count for a cruise is outrageous) and we can't book the Disney Adventures (again something we wouldn't be doing anyway). With our 410 points we have a week in a 2 bedroom coming up on the 16th, 2 studios reserved for F&W festival in Oct, and a 1 bedroom for marathon weekend in Jan. We still have 64 points that will be banked for a future trip. As others have said, the number of points you buy depends on when you want to go and for how long, which resorts, and what size villa.

 

[Kluhxrenay]

Thank you all. This was very informative and useful! I appreciate your feedback!

 

[GBBTomorrow]

I remember the guy who sold us our DVC, he said generally people buy a minimum of 250 points. Whether that's true or not, I don't know.

Wow..our salesperson told us the "normal" purchase was 160.

 

[lovin'fl]

We started with 200 in 2006 and that was plenty for a while. Then, MIL and FIL started using our points and our 3 kids became teens so we needed a 2BR villa and when Disney started offering the deals on PAPs, well we began going a few times a year. So, now we have 505 points at 4 home resorts and I am looking to add 45-95 more. Now that our kids are older, DH and I plan to do several short trips each year (mostly in fall and winter as our form of snow birding it).

For OP...you buy the points either via resale (several brokers list resales) or direct with Disney (at almost twice the cost of resale). You get that number of points every year (on your allotted use year month) and it goes until expiration (2042 for some resorts and up to 2064 for VGF and in between for other resorts). You can use those points to book at your home resort at 11 months out and at non-home resorts at 7 months out. You can bank points and borrow to use 3 years worth of points at once. There is so much to know about DVC. Going to the tour at Disney is a good idea and there are likely stickies here on the DVC boards that you can read.

 

[Atchley]

We started with 180 points. Most people probably start with 160 because that is the lowest amount that you can first time purchase from Disney.
With our 180 points, we are able to go two out of three years and have never stayed in anything less than a one bedroom.
We will eventually add on more points but in small amounts. The only downside to that is multiple home resorts, but it's Disney....I can deal.

 

[Disneylifeforme]

We bought in with 100 and 10 free

 

[bucsfan1029]

We started with 180 points. Most people probably start with 160 because that is the lowest amount that you can first time purchase from Disney.
With our 180 points, we are able to go two out of three years and have never stayed in anything less than a one bedroom.
We will eventually add on more points but in small amounts. The only downside to that is multiple home resorts, but it's Disney....I can deal.

We just bought in direct for 125 points, first time purchase.

 

[chalee94]

We just bought in direct for 125 points, first time purchase.

they used to set 160 as a minimum - i think it was because the minimum needed for a trade into RCI for a 1BR was 160 pts but who knows?

(at one time it was as high as 230 pts for a minimum purchase.)

but if sales have been slow, they have been willing to go as low as 50 pts to new buyers. (i guess they just don't show them the glossy brochures about ABD and cruises since they won't have enough pts to trade out for those options, even if their direct purchases allow them that option...)

 

[disneynutz]

DVD will change the purchase minimums based on how bad they want/need to sell.

Bill

 

[hakepb]

they used to set 160 as a minimum - i think it was because the minimum needed for a trade into RCI for a 1BR was 160 pts but who knows?

(at one time it was as high as 230 pts for a minimum purchase.)

but if sales have been slow, they have been willing to go as low as 50 pts to new buyers. (i guess they just don't show them the glossy brochures about ABD and cruises since they won't have enough pts to trade out for those options, even if their direct purchases allow them that option...)

In order for them to advertise "500 worldwide locations" I think they needed that RCI weekly trade #

Now that we (I think) can access RCI points locations for fewer points, I guess they can get away with a lower number.