Purchausng resale conundrum

[plygph]

Look you will find good and bad advise here (mine included)

At 5 months it is not a dire as some are saying here and your looking for a 1 bed room if I read correctly. Studios usually go fast and are hard to come by but there is always wait list. 1br units are easier as you will the higher points needed rooms are always lurking around at that booking window. Also unless your vacation dates always included major holidays Halloween (MNSHP), Thanksgiving, Christmas, or one of the many Running events you should be safe.

Given your dynamics I would be looking resale at OKW( the most underrated of all DVC properties, you cant beat the size of the rooms at this resort my first 2br apartment was not as big as a 1br), SSR, or AKV.
But I really feel it is not as bad as the people are saying here but they are right you have to be flexible, you might not get the "cheap" rooms, the view may not be what you want, may not be the resort that you had your mickey heart set on, and you may have to split resorts during your stay but it can be done. But we want people who join our ranks to be happy with their purchase into DVC.

The only DVC property that I have ever struggled to get into at the 7 month window, and have not been successful is the Grand Californian. They really need to build another in California.

Maybe the thing to try for the first time at a DVC resort is to try to rent point points through like Dave's rental site and a sponsor here on this board at your booking window and see how it works then make a decision to buy or not. Or there is always buy DVC at then book your home resort at 11 months or non home resort at 7 months then if your plans change cancel. Your cancealtion can potentially make someone on the wait list happy just don't miss your banking window or you will list your points for rent and making a rental customer happy either way some or all end up happy. Disney Joy

We love DVC its not right for everyone but if you decide to take the plunge Welcome Home.

My 2 cents

 

[poofyo101]

Could also consider OKW Extended to 2057. Also pretty reasonably priced.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Over the long haul it's about the dues, especially if the purchase price is relatively similar.

2019
SSR - $6.40/pt
OKW - $7.23/pt
AKV - $7.44/pt
BLT - $6.40/pt

On 100 points that's SSR and BLT for $640, OKW is $83 more and AKV is $104 more. Since there would be no home priority bookings it would just be paying more for the same room.

 

[rg35]

I wouldn't buy either if you can only plan 5 months out (and I assume that's a maximum in a best case scenario, and other times might be shorter).

I know people always say "you can piece something together!" or "you might find something that works depending on when you travel!" But is that additional stress you want to worry about when planning a vacation and spending tens of thousands of dollars up front that you might not be able to use? And I know some people are really into split stays and accept it as part of late DVC booking, but that's not a vacation to me. I want to go somewhere, unpack, and be at that place for the duration. I don't want to spend a day packing, having to move things over to a new resort, unpacking, etc., especially not with three kids. I don't know how people enjoy doing this multiple times over the course of a single trip.

Bottom line is that DVC does involve some planning if you want to effectively use your points and not deal with "lost" points as well. I generally have our next three trips planned out (in pencil) to ensure we are maximizing our points use.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I know people always say "you can piece something together!" or "you might find something that works depending on when you travel!" But is that additional stress you want to worry about when planning a vacation and spending tens of thousands of dollars up front that you might not be able to use?

And I think it also comes into expectations. Are you buying into DVC knowing you'll most frequently be at OKW and Saratoga and you're fine with that - and both are nice, so don't get me wrong on that - or piecing together waitlists and split stays? Or are you looking at it on the traditional selling points, about "staying all over Disney!" and "flexible options for dates and resorts?" Because if you're reading the sales spiels about 7 month switches and being able to stay at any DVC resort, that's not going to work nearly that way on bookings inside 5 months, or closer in. It becomes a far different product, use case, and value proposition.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Just because nobody has mentioned it, here are Skier Pete's prediction charts. Charts are based on just plain persistence checking the availability, but this will give you an IDEA what might be available at 5 months. Buy SSR resale if you decide to take the leap since "buy where you want to stay" doesn't really apply inside of 7 months out. Buy enough points for the larger units with the premium locations since that is what most likely will be available. Compare to the cost of staying on-site in a non-DVC resort and remember that you can almost ALWAYS find availability there.

 

[Mardin]

So additional info (which i think at this point is not necessary) we will most probably stay in Jan Feb or Aug-Sep so not busy season. That said i think the consesus here is dvc is not for us which is a shame. I thought a cheap 160 to 200 point resale contract might work but maybe not

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

So additional info (which i think at this point is not necessary) we will most probably stay in Jan Feb or Aug-Sep so not busy season. That said i think the consesus here is dvc is not for us which is a shame. I thought a cheap 160 to 200 point resale contract might work but maybe not

Jan-Feb isn't the busiest of seasons but it's not a slow season anymore either. Probably would work but it's the time I think may see more tightening of availability. Aug and early Sept you'd probably have a pretty good probability of it working ok as things are at the moment assuming SSR, OKW and possibly AKV 1BR's are ok for the plan. Hard to predict what it would be a few more years down the road though. I'm not going to say it's going to be just fine all the time for 5 month bookings but I couldn't state that I don't think it could work for you for those times and the 1BR's. The further you get away from the 7 month window the more difficult it will get though.

 

[lovin'fl]

I think it's do-able. A 1BR in Jan/Feb/Aug/early Sept...can work. Another thing to keep in mind too, is that things change over time. When we first bought, 2006, our 3 kids were in a year round elementary school. We bought DVC with intentions to go every end of Sept-early Oct intersession. Then we moved to traditional schedule schools and had to tweak our DVC usage. Then my 2 DDs began playing competitive softball where they only had like 1st 2 weeks in Aug, Thanksgiving week, Xmas to NY off practices and tourneys...and off school. So early Aug or Xmas week it was for many trips. Then they went off to college (now) and it's even tougher to find time to get us all together for vacay. So DH and I do couples only trips (many times with SIL and BIL, also empty nest). So now we can go anytime (so we kinda could look last minute to see what is available and book). We actually started doing no kids trips when they were in HS (for F&W). But I say this because maybe down the line you'll be more able to book farther out than 5 months. I wouldn't rule DVC out. Just think it through. But SSR (or OKW or AKV) resale seems the best bet for you. ANd if you want/need the DVC annual pass pricing, then go direct with the cheapest of those 3 which I think is OKW.

 

[poofyo101]

100% it is doable. and worst case it isn't you can always sell the contract again.

 

[JasonMak2000]

I'd dip my toe in with a 100 pt. SSR resale contract. Then I'd bank my points and do a dvc trip every 2 years and just a cash trip or no trip in between. See how much work and stress it is versus how much value you get out of it as a member. You may find you are more adaptable than you think. If it works great, then buy another 100 pts. and you are set. If not, you can sell and most likely recoup most if not all of your money. Don't give up on your dream man!

 

[Deb & Bill]

The other problem with Aug-Sept is hurricane season. While you might not get a hurricane in Orlando, maybe just a tropical storm. the odds are good that one will happen. If you don't get hit on the west, you could get hit on the east side.