Purchasing Resale in 30s

[ziravan]

While the extended expiration date was a draw for our decision to buy SSR, so was the price. We needed 150 points to go for usual 11 days. While we would have loved BCV or BWV, we would have needed more points at a higher price per point to do that and that was not in our budget. We are quite happy to book at SSR each year and try at 7 months to stay somewhere else, if we can't oh well at least we are at Disney.

I hear what you're saying, but I get that same feeling staying at Bonnet Creek with a similar MF profile and almost no buy in cost resale. We are just as excited to be at Disney.

But. That's not why I bought DVC. This is, after all, a luxury product.

If you want a Ferrari, don't buy a Porsche because they're all the same. They're not. Not knocking Porsche (or SSR). Everybody has different preferences.

My point is, it's a luxury product. Buy what you want. At the buy in prices for DVC, even resale especially retail, you should get what you want and if that's a 2042 resort, 26 yrs from now will take care of itself.

For example, and this is us, but it's what we wanted:

 

[zavandor]

I would be more specific and say "buy where you want to stay --- IF it's a near park resort (BCV, BWV, BLT, Poly, VGF, VGC)".

If it's something DVD learnt in the latest years is that near park resorts are more easily sold than stand alone resorts like AKV and SSR. So it's reasonable to think they'll try to build new resorts near parks. What if they expand the Yacht Club with a new big building? It would increase availability in the Crescent Lake area and decrease value of BCV and BWV points. Personally I bought the resort that better fit my plans when I bought: cheap points and low MF to visit all resorts over time.
I think one could buy DVC with two different plans:
1) one has a favorite resort and knows he want to vacation there almost all the time. Then buy that resort whatever other conditions are. But one should have vacationed there a lot of times to be sure this is what will work for them long term. Unless someone has an history of booking with CRO at the same resorts for years, I wouldn't suggest this to anyone buying into DVC for the first time. As other have said: what if you get bored after a few stays or find out another resort is your favorite?
2) one wants to visit different resorts over time, then buy the cheapest option. This works if one has some flexibility in travel plans and has the knowledge to play the system. For me DVC is a great system because I can visit different resorts every time I go to WDW. It's a new vacation every time I go.

 

[zavandor]

If you want a Ferrari, don't buy a Porsche because they're all the same. They're not. Not knocking Porsche (or SSR). Everybody has different preferences.

Well, I bought a Mercedes, but I can borrow a Ferrari when I want to go out

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

I so understand your dilema. My husband and I are in our early and mid 30's and contract length was a big deal for us. Ultimately we went with the shorter contract at VWL because we love it there. Also selecting a smaller contract to offset the higher price per point. We hope to buy a larger and longer contract in the next few years but for now we will stick with a place we know we love and offers us the location we want.

 

[ziravan]

Well, I bought a Mercedes, but I can borrow a Ferrari when I want to go out

Right. But the Ferrari (BCV) isn't always avail, while the Mercedes (SSR) is avail much more of the time.

Since I wanted BCV, I get to drive it as much as I want, and also sample other places.

We really like AKV, but I don't own there. Don't need to in order to book it from time to time. We've stayed at all the WDW resorts except BWV and VGF and we've got BWV booked early next year.

I like the flexibility and variety of the system. It just works better knowing the resorts I like the MOST are avail for booking at 11 months (12 months in the case of my Poly Lake View fixed week.)

To me, the 2042 window on BCV wasn't that big a deal. Our contract will more than pay for itself in 28 yrs of use. At the end of 28 yrs, well, addonitis insured I'll have a place to stay at WDW until I'm 98 (2066 at Poly).

 

[hhoman]

I'm dealing with a similar issue. I am also in my early 30s. I have 100 points at poly and 100 points at Californian. But I want to get 100 points more now. But I can't decide if I should get more at Californian or wait and see if a new dvc resort opens in the west coast in the next 5 years. My issue is waiting would end up potentially with waiting for something that may never happen, or having a contract that goes on for too long.

 

[ScubaCat]

It's between quick access to epcot and a nice pool for 26 years, or a small puddle masquerading as a pool for 38+. We're not big swimming in puddles, so the choice was easy for us.

 

[CMNJ]

It's between quick access to epcot and a nice pool for 26 years, or a small puddle masquerading as a pool for 38+. We're not big swimming in puddles, so the choice was easy for us.

I'm also in the "buy where you want to stay" vs buy the cheapest camp. While SSR and OKW are nice they seem no different to me than moderate resorts since we stay in studios generally (large spread out resorts with bussing everywhere and multiple bus stops). We weren't making this huge financial commitment to stay in a "moderate resort" and take the buses everywhere-the draw to DVC for us was the ability to stay within walking distance of the parks at the hotels where we wouldn't want to pay retail. If we were to "get bored" with BWV I know that we will still be happy with only needing buses for 2 parks and one of those buses is now dedicated (MK) so no sitting through 4 more stops before even leaving the resort.
SSR is a nice resort (we stayed there a few days last year) but it is too spread out with too many bus stops for us-we never have a car so we rely on Disney transportation or our two feet. I understand for many the ability to purchase more points is more important and I get that-as long as people don't mind that they may not be able to trade into near park resorts at their desired times of travel. BCV can be especially hard at times due to its small size.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'm contemplating my first purchase. I'm in my early to mid 30's. I would really like to purchased beach club but with the early contract date i'd only be still in my 50's when it expired. Which is having me lean toward BLT or OKW w/ Extension.

If it were you would you go with the contract that expires sooner for the place you want or would you go for the contract that gives you 10-20 more years?

One big thing to remember is that the home resort won't matter at all if you won't or aren't able to plan and book your trip in the home priority booking window of 11-7 months out. At 7 months a point is a point and can be used at any resort with availability.

I tend to recommend buying where you don't mind staying. It's not the route that we took as I initially thought owning at our favorites was going to be important but with flexibility in time and room size we could taken a different approach. But, at the time we were buying there also wasn't as large of an upfront purchase difference. These days it gets to be more significant if you consider say SSR vs VGF or PVB. And BCV is also at a medium or even high premium when you consider the remaining years. That isn't saying that it can't still be worth it but there's going to be greater potential savings with the lower price/lower dues properties. Of course the goals of DVC ownership will vary with owners and maximizing savings is only one possibility vs achieving savings while staying exactly where you want vs paying hotel room costs for a larger villa with more amentities or any variation of scenarios.

 

[pangyal]

It's between quick access to epcot and a nice pool for 26 years, or a small puddle masquerading as a pool for 38+. We're not big swimming in puddles, so the choice was easy for us.

You are such an unapologetic pool snob.

Not to say I disagree with you on Stormalong Bay!

 

[ScubaCat]

You are such an unapologetic pool snob.

Not to say I disagree with you on Stormalong Bay!

It's not easy being right all the time. It's a curse, really.

 

[dsnydaddy]

3 major buying philosophies:

Buy where you want to stay. (My philosophy and why I bought BCV and Poly).

Buy where you don't mind staying (7 month is a bonus - if this were my philosophy I'd have bought AKV).

Buy cheapest combo of price, MF, and length of contract. (SSR - I'm just happy to be here).

Very well put.

 

[Missyrose]

I'm contemplating my first purchase. I'm in my early to mid 30's. I would really like to purchased beach club but with the early contract date i'd only be still in my 50's when it expired. Which is having me lean toward BLT or OKW w/ Extension.

If it were you would you go with the contract that expires sooner for the place you want or would you go for the contract that gives you 10-20 more years?

I bought my first DVC contract at the age of 30, it's at Boardwalk. That's where I own the majority of my points -- I eventually added on at BLT and VGF because I love staying at those resorts too and rely on having home-resort advantage.

I honestly have never regretted buying at Boardwalk. It's truly my home at Disney. Where I stay is a big part of my Disney trips (we are no longer park commandos and spend more time at the resort) and not being able to stay where I love (or having to stress about getting into the resort I love) would drastically alter my trips/planning.

@disneynutz often doles out a particularly wise piece of advice: Spending this much money and only being able to "hope" you get to stay where you want to stay can be a stressful and unpleasant way to plan.

Be completely honest with yourself, will not being able to stay at BCV regularly upset you in any way?

 

[rothesay]

Buy where you want to stay. (My philosophy and why I bought BCV and Poly).

Buy where you don't mind staying (7 month is a bonus - if this were my philosophy I'd have bought AKV).

Buy cheapest combo of price, MF, and length of contract. (SSR - I'm just happy to be here).

I think this sums it up really well. Originally I was struggling between "Buy where you want to stay" (AKV) and "Buy Cheapest Combo of prices" (SSR) but I somehow ended up with "Buy where I don't mind staying" (OKW). Hopefully, I'm not going to regret my action.

 

[Matty B13]

I think this sums it up really well. Originally I was struggling between "Buy where you want to stay" (AKV) and "Buy Cheapest Combo of prices" (SSR) but I somehow ended up with "Buy where I don't mind staying" (OKW). Hopefully, I'm not going to regret my action.

I would go with AKV over OKW, AKV has more years left on the contract unless your picking up an extended OKW contract which would be the same contract end date. Also, OKW might have some problems when the unextended contracts end leaving the rest of the owners paying higher dues.

 

[Mmw37]

I've been debating too. I think I'd rather stay on the boardwalk (BCV vs BWV, we'll decide after a stay at BCR in Jan), but hope I don't regret the expiration date. Kids are 4 and 1 so they will be grown, and DH and I will be in/nearing retirement age by 2042 and probably planning a move back to FL. So I think we'll be fine with it ending? But I've been wavering a little. Otherwise I'd go with BLT, we definitely want to be able to walk to at least one park. Hopefully we can at least occasionally stay in both!

 

[Perelandra]

I hear what you're saying, but I get that same feeling staying at Bonnet Creek with a similar MF profile and almost no buy in cost resale. We are just as excited to be at Disney.

But. That's not why I bought DVC. This is, after all, a luxury product.

If you want a Ferrari, don't buy a Porsche because they're all the same. They're not. Not knocking Porsche (or SSR). Everybody has different preferences.

My point is, it's a luxury product. Buy what you want. At the buy in prices for DVC, even resale especially retail, you should get what you want and if that's a 2042 resort, 26 yrs from now will take care of itself.

For example, and this is us, but it's what we wanted:

View attachment 187540

If I hadn't seen the comment several times on boards such as these that goes something like this, "I bought in at SSR 7 years ago and have yet to stay there, but if I have too...." then that argument would be so much more convincing.

 

[Dean]

If I hadn't seen the comment several times on boards such as these that goes something like this, "I bought in at SSR 7 years ago and have yet to stay there, but if I have too...." then that argument would be so much more convincing.

And that's the issue. IMO the idea that you buy anywhere and can only stay there is simply wrong. But the potential does vary with the time of year, desired options, villas size and flexibility. No one is going to buy anywhere and be restricted to that resort all the time unless they plan poorly and then they shouldn't own a timeshare. But one isn't going to get certain options routinely, maybe not at all. BWV/BLT standard, AKV value/concierge, VGF in general are not likely to be realistically available but likely can be had over time with effort and effective use of the wait list. But there is risk and aggravation being delegated to the 7 month window consistently though basically no one new to DVC will have sufficient information to make a well informed home resort decision. My feeling is it's better to underbuy in terms of resort (and often points as well) going in for most people with very rare exceptions. Put another way, better to buy SSR resale and find it doesn't work at all for a given person than to buy Poly and use for the system in general.

 

[Perelandra]

And that's the issue. IMO the idea that you buy anywhere and can only stay there is simply wrong. But the potential does vary with the time of year, desired options, villas size and flexibility. No one is going to buy anywhere and be restricted to that resort all the time unless they plan poorly and then they shouldn't own a timeshare. But one isn't going to get certain options routinely, maybe not at all. BWV/BLT standard, AKV value/concierge, VGF in general are not likely to be realistically available but likely can be had over time with effort and effective use of the wait list. But there is risk and aggravation being delegated to the 7 month window consistently though basically no one new to DVC will have sufficient information to make a well informed home resort decision. My feeling is it's better to underbuy in terms of resort (and often points as well) going in for most people with very rare exceptions. Put another way, better to buy SSR resale and find it doesn't work at all for a given person than to buy Poly and use for the system in general.

And in my case, I can travel at any time of the year, so SSR makes a ton of sense.
Now, if I find I simply must stay at BCV during Food and Wine or at VGF at a peak time, then I will rent out my points for the year and rent points myself, paying the home resort premium, for one of the aforementioned destinations. If I only do that once in a blue moon, I still save a ton of money buying in at SSR.
Now, if I was someone that had to stay at the aforementioned scenario every year (I'm not) then of course, I would be a fool not to buy the Ferrari up front.

 

[Perelandra]

I hear what you're saying, but I get that same feeling staying at Bonnet Creek with a similar MF profile and almost no buy in cost resale. We are just as excited to be at Disney.

But. That's not why I bought DVC. This is, after all, a luxury product.

If you want a Ferrari, don't buy a Porsche because they're all the same. They're not. Not knocking Porsche (or SSR). Everybody has different preferences.

My point is, it's a luxury product. Buy what you want. At the buy in prices for DVC, even resale especially retail, you should get what you want and if that's a 2042 resort, 26 yrs from now will take care of itself.

For example, and this is us, but it's what we wanted:

View attachment 187540

I know I just responded to this above, but I actually do agree with you if money is no object.
Now, if $750 oil changes are an issue...