Purchasing

[Dan C]

So we just came back from our trip, but while on the trip we did the DVC open house and purchased a 100pt contract at the poly. Now that we are home and able to digest what we did a little more, we are regretting our decision a bit. I think we would see more value based on our family and vacation habits to have purchased a contract at another resort. My wife was very pleased with the incidentals and does not want to lose them for the time being. I would prefer to purchase the bulk of our points resale at a resort we would prefer to call home base and then add a small contract direct to get the incidentals.

Should I purchase the small contract now, within my 10 day window, then cancel the main contract. Or cancel the main contract, purchase resale, then purchase the small contract direct?

Any pro/cons to either method? Any flags raised that would prevent either?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

So we just came back from our trip, but while on the trip we did the DVC open house and purchased a 100pt contract at the poly. Now that we are home and able to digest what we did a little more, we are regretting our decision a bit. I think we would see more value based on our family and vacation habits to have purchased a contract at another resort. My wife was very pleased with the incidentals and does not want to lose them for the time being. I would prefer to purchase the bulk of our points resale at a resort we would prefer to call home base and then add a small contract direct to get the incidentals.

Should I purchase the small contract now, within my 10 day window, then cancel the main contract. Or cancel the main contract, purchase resale, then purchase the small contract direct?

Any pro/cons to either method? Any flags raised that would prevent either?

Personally I'd find a resale contract and then do the small add on. With small contracts it's much easier to manage and use if it's the same UY as the majority of your points. When you buy direct they would match up to the UY you already have from the resale. Otherwise you'd be trying to find a resale with the same UY as the small contract you bought direct.

There could be some small issue doing this depending on what resort you are looking for as DVC doesn't always have points in all the UY's for some of the sold out resorts but if they do then a small add on is easy.

Have you given consideration to the best UY for your travel habits?

 

[zavandor]

The general rule is: in doubt, cancel.
You can think more about it and then repurchase exactly the same contract in a month time if/when you're ready. They've announced a price increase for the Poly, though, the'll probably continue with the incentives, but it's not sure. However paying a little bit more is a small price to pay to be sure you've made the right decision.
If you purchase a resale contract at another resort and then add 25 points direct, you get all the (worthy) benefits and spend less.

What are the benefits your wife would like to keep? Annual Pass and merchandise discount and the members lounge have some value. The members event are quite difficult to get, they are limited in numbers (there are many threads about the new Soarin tour with members frustrated all reservations have gone in a few minutes) or limited to a very few dates so it's quite difficult if you don't live nearby to attend if you don't happen to already have a reservation for the exact date. All those benefits are granted regardless of the amount purchased, so a small 25 points add-on to a resale contract would give you them all.
You must also understand that all these benefits are not guaranteed. They might be cancelled at any time without any notice. For example, there is going to be a new price increase non annual pass soon (since it's more than a year since the last one) so that benefit may change like it was changed last year. Or even removed.

Booking cruises and other Disney hotels can be done only with direct points, but it is not really a perk: the value of these exchanges is very bad and with 100 points you wouldn't go very far anyway, all those options cost A LOT of points.

 

[Dean]

So we just came back from our trip, but while on the trip we did the DVC open house and purchased a 100pt contract at the poly. Now that we are home and able to digest what we did a little more, we are regretting our decision a bit. I think we would see more value based on our family and vacation habits to have purchased a contract at another resort. My wife was very pleased with the incidentals and does not want to lose them for the time being. I would prefer to purchase the bulk of our points resale at a resort we would prefer to call home base and then add a small contract direct to get the incidentals.

Should I purchase the small contract now, within my 10 day window, then cancel the main contract. Or cancel the main contract, purchase resale, then purchase the small contract direct?

Any pro/cons to either method? Any flags raised that would prevent either?

I'd cancel and investigate more. Then if buying is right for you then look at resale then possibly add 25 points for the perks. The lost ability to trade for DCL and the like is actually doing you a favor because they are more expensive than buying less points and paying cash. The other exchange options aren't reasonable to buy for either but since you did only 100 points, I'm sure you were looking at that anyway.

 

[Dan C]

We don't have a typical vacation time. So we are flexible as far as that goes. My wife is very happy with the 20% of dining and merchandise, while being fully aware that it can be taken away at any time, she wants to take full advantage of it while it is available.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Rescind. You can buy a resale contract at another resort, then seek out a 25-point direct add-on and save thousands while also getting home resort advantage at a resort you want to be at. It sounds like Poly wouldn't be your first choice.

It is hard to save enough on dining and merchandise to make up for the cost of direct, especially if you want home resort elsewhere, FWIW.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We don't have a typical vacation time. So we are flexible as far as that goes. My wife is very happy with the 20% of dining and merchandise, while being fully aware that it can be taken away at any time, she wants to take full advantage of it while it is available.

How about looking at it a little differently - is there a time you wouldn't be likely to visit? For us that's summer at WDW. Hot, humid! But others are unlikely to go during the school year and summer is their most likely.

If everything is on the table then it makes shopping for resale much easier - you can just go with the best contract you find no matter what the UY. But if you do have times you are more likely to go or times you would never plan a trip it can be beneficial to get the best UY possible as it provides a sort of free insurance against last minute cancellations. The best UY will give you plenty of time to reschedule should that ever happen. We for one have had 2 family members pass away that required rebooking on very short notice. It was nice to have time to use the points.

 

[Dean]

We don't have a typical vacation time. So we are flexible as far as that goes. My wife is very happy with the 20% of dining and merchandise, while being fully aware that it can be taken away at any time, she wants to take full advantage of it while it is available.

If you're truly that flexible, SSR will be the cheapest. Roughly half up front and cheaper dues long term. I'd likely look at around 150 points resale then an add on retail depending on your specifics but even if looking at a studio for a week, I'd still go to those sizes or likely wouldn't buy. I'd only go smaller if it made sense otherwise and I could get the same price per point as the slightly larger numbers.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Make sure you rescind within the ten days of purchase. Start looking for a resale contract at the resort you won't mind staying at if you cannot change your reservation at seven months out. If you really want SSR, buy there. But if staying there isn't really your cup of tea, buy the resort you like the best and feel the most at home. If that is Polynesian, you probably won't get a better deal buying resale after closing costs are added. It is getting more difficult to book some resorts at seven months out, especially for F&W and the holiday times.

 

[aleh021]

So we just came back from our trip, but while on the trip we did the DVC open house and purchased a 100pt contract at the poly. Now that we are home and able to digest what we did a little more, we are regretting our decision a bit. I think we would see more value based on our family and vacation habits to have purchased a contract at another resort. My wife was very pleased with the incidentals and does not want to lose them for the time being. I would prefer to purchase the bulk of our points resale at a resort we would prefer to call home base and then add a small contract direct to get the incidentals.

Should I purchase the small contract now, within my 10 day window, then cancel the main contract. Or cancel the main contract, purchase resale, then purchase the small contract direct?

Any pro/cons to either method? Any flags raised that would prevent either?

Definitely rescind if you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase & your home resort option. If you love Poly then I would say keep it as the savings & time in doing resale might not be that huge of a difference vs buying direct, plus consider your contract length.

BUT if you don't love Poly enough to have it be your home resort & having to wait for the 7 month mark to make reservations at your favorite DVC spot, I'd say look at your other options.

Regardless choose what makes the most sense for you.

 

[Dan C]

So we did decide to cancel and we are looking at our resale options. At this point, while the kids are young, we don't mind pulling them out of school. We would probably avoid any June, July, August trips. So I think an October use year makes the most sense for us.

Thanks everyone for the advice and input.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Good luck!

You can buy Poly points if after evaluating they're your best option and what you really want. You'll be happier after evaluating that, especially if it turns out you'll be happier elsewhere!