Question about purchasing DVC

[JetsettingDopey]

Long time lurker, first time poster here in DVC land

My wife has been a huge Disney fan her whole life (we averaged 4-5 trips per year while in college in Florida) and the past 12 years while deployed we always made it a point to come back to Disney (she grew up/has had family in Florida her whole life, all of my family recently moved to Florida) at least for one-two weeks one to two times per year.

We have always talked about DVC, however with a 7 month old now we are both ready to “make the plunge” if you will.

We had a “virtual” DVC consultation the other week (my wife has watched the promotional DVD’s, researched for years, etc) and while the gentleman was a huge help I did have a couple of questions since our presentation last week:

- My wife and I have always loved AKL. While almost all of our presentation revolved around AKL the one thing that gave me pause was that the “lease expires” (apologies if I said that wrong) in 2057. While 33 years is still plenty of time I was wondering if it wouldn’t make more sense to look at something like “Riviera” since that one had a date of 2070. I understand the 7 month versus 11 month booking window for a home resort, however I guess my question is still how hard is it to get something like a AKL at 7 months if we choose to do another home resort to get a longer window.

- It was mentioned a few times in the call that there is a “flash” sale for Rivera however he could not tell us about it as it would be a one time offer and we would only have 7 calendar days to accept it then the offer would go away forever. Any ideas what the “flash sale” could have entailed? Are these run regularly? Or was this simply an old fashioned sales pitch?

- Lastly several of my wife’s girlfriends have mentioned the next time we visit family we should set up a DVC meeting in person. I am 100% on board with seeing a property in person, however it seems like part of the justification folks keep citing is “you might get perks”. We are probably going to end up joining DVC (sooner or later) but my question is are there any other benefits to going in person? Is there a better time to go? Better “perks” offered for going in person in X month or Y month or at a certain time of year?

TIA!

 

[JackosinDIS]

First thing… look in to resale so you can make a choice between a direct or resale contract (resale is around half the price of direct points… almost exactly the same minus a few benefits).

Second, I think you have established that deciding on your home resort is pretty important. There’s no right or wrong answer on that question, but I will say that AKL is pretty easy to book at 7 months, so not necessary to own there to book. You may find more value in getting a contract at a resort where the 11 month booking window matters.

Worth seeing the rooms in person to decide which is right for you… but remember you can always go away and buy resale after you have seen them!

There are discounts on the direct sale prices pretty much year round, these tend to change on a quarterly basis. No ‘flash’ sales on RIV at the moment, but they will tell you that as a sales tactic. Know that you get better discounts if you are already a member - another reason to buy resale first before buying a direct contract.

 

[supercarrie]

As said above, look at resale and make sure this isn't a better option for you. There are pros and cons to both direct vs resale. We decided to start with resale and added on a direct contract to take advantage of the member "add on" savings, but also to save thousands of dollars on some of our points. (Some people are happy to stay resale members forever. We knew we wanted at least some of our points to be direct.)

I hate that they wouldn't show you the pricing. It was mostly a sales pitch to not, with one small caveat - legally, if they decided to pull the incentives, you would still have 7 days from tour date to decide and receive those incentives. Perhaps they are a newer guide and trying to follow the strict 7 day rule, but in practice, the incentives do not expire until the date listed in the fine print. (Exceptions being for flash sales, but Riviera is not generally a "flash sale" property.) And they are always running incentives on actively selling properties - they vary in how good they are, but incentives are *always* a thing until the resort is sold out.

Also remember that for Riviera, there is Magical Beginnings where you can sell back your first year of points at $20 a point, which could bring the cost down further. I believe AKL would qualify for this as well.

Here is the current Riviera pricing sheet for new members: https://dvcexplorer.com/fin/g/Riviera_Prospect_DeveloperCredit.pdf

AKL is $210 per point without incentives, so you can do the math there.

Here is a list of all the current base prices and promotions: https://www.dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/financial/pricing-a-promotions

If you look at Riviera, make sure you look at the resale restrictions for going on to sell it. I own at Riviera and think it is something to weigh up, not as big a deal as most people make it out to be, but understand that the purchaser of a resale Riviera contract can only use it at Riviera - which does dampen the resale price a bit if you ever go onto sell it. If you were not planning on holding the Riviera contract for a long time, I'd consider buying something else.

Once a resort is sold out, they will run limited time flash sales occasionally - for instance, they just ran one for AKL which unfortunately you missed. However, not to say that next quarter they won't have one again.

Poly goes on sale on Oct. 27th to new members. Is that resort of interest to you at all? It expires in 2066.

Lastly - how many points are you thinking about buying? Add-on-itis is a real thing, so be prepared for that. Most people underestimate how many to buy (myself included) and end up adding on over time.

 

[VGCgroupie]

If you like Animal Kingdom I would buy resale.

The cons of resale are expect 2-3 months before you can use your points. You can’t stay at Riviera, Cabins at Ft, or Villas at DL. You can’t use member lounges or other perks.

Having a small resale contract first will help you learn the product and if the missed perks would benefit you. If you love DVC and you want more points you will get a members discount on a direct purchase with Disney.

 

[Sandisw]

While I love RIV, and AKV tends to be one of the easier resorts to get at 7 months, I am a big believer in buying the home resort that you love if you have one

Home resort advantage currently sits at 4 months with trading at 7 months. That can change. You are only guaranteed the one month advantage but on the flip side they could make it longer for owners.

While 13 years is a long time, DVC is too expensive to buy something you aren’t sure you want to stay at and then be frustrated you can’t trade the way you hoped.

The biggest benefit of direct points vs resale points is the ability to use them everywhere. Resale today can’t be used at RIv, CFW and VDH, and presumably future new resorts.

For membership extras, which you get access to by owning at least 150 direct points, those can come and go and it’s never a good idea to buy for them… they should be seen as a bonus IMO.

I definitely would not buy RIV without seeing it because it is way different than AKV…

 

[emchen]

Long time lurker, first time poster here in DVC land

My wife has been a huge Disney fan her whole life (we averaged 4-5 trips per year while in college in Florida) and the past 12 years while deployed we always made it a point to come back to Disney (she grew up/has had family in Florida her whole life, all of my family recently moved to Florida) at least for one-two weeks one to two times per year.

We have always talked about DVC, however with a 7 month old now we are both ready to “make the plunge” if you will.

We had a “virtual” DVC consultation the other week (my wife has watched the promotional DVD’s, researched for years, etc) and while the gentleman was a huge help I did have a couple of questions since our presentation last week:

- My wife and I have always loved AKL. While almost all of our presentation revolved around AKL the one thing that gave me pause was that the “lease expires” (apologies if I said that wrong) in 2057. While 33 years is still plenty of time I was wondering if it wouldn’t make more sense to look at something like “Riviera” since that one had a date of 2070. I understand the 7 month versus 11 month booking window for a home resort, however I guess my question is still how hard is it to get something like a AKL at 7 months if we choose to do another home resort to get a longer window.

- It was mentioned a few times in the call that there is a “flash” sale for Rivera however he could not tell us about it as it would be a one time offer and we would only have 7 calendar days to accept it then the offer would go away forever. Any ideas what the “flash sale” could have entailed? Are these run regularly? Or was this simply an old fashioned sales pitch?

- Lastly several of my wife’s girlfriends have mentioned the next time we visit family we should set up a DVC meeting in person. I am 100% on board with seeing a property in person, however it seems like part of the justification folks keep citing is “you might get perks”. We are probably going to end up joining DVC (sooner or later) but my question is are there any other benefits to going in person? Is there a better time to go? Better “perks” offered for going in person in X month or Y month or at a certain time of year?

TIA!

Use dvcrofr.com to research the resale market (get current market prices). Start with an AKL resale contract of 100 points. It takes 30-60 days to complete the transaction. During that time you will get fully educated.

Afterwards, based on your descriptions above, if you must have direct membership, the only actively selling resorts worth considering are Riviera or Poly Island Tower.

Lastly check out my family’s journey below to learn from our early mistakes (spoiler alert, we bought direct first).

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...-points-a-blend-of-direct-and-resale.3928069/

 

[CarolynFH]

I am also in the “buy where you’d rather stay” camp.

I’m not sure it’s been mentioned here yet - I just skimmed the posts above - but I think you should look at the point charts for the resorts you’re considering. Ignore the AKV Value villas, they’re hard to book, but compare the points cost of Standard view and Savanna view at AKV vs. Standard and Preferred at RIV for the dates and villa size you think you’d be most likely to book at this stage in your lives. Points will go at lot farther at AKV.

I also agree with the advice to consider the resale vs. direct issues, which are laid out above.

 

[D-Trick]

You and your wife love AKV/AKL, so definitely buy there! Imagine how much MORE special it will be to you knowing that you own it.

The financial commitment to purchasing a timeshare is not to be taken lightly, so the general consensus on these boards will be to go resale first since the savings are undeniable and significant. If in the future you decide you want to purchase direct to get the DVC-Y Membership Magic benefits, you would get the cheaper existing member pricing.

Start small and let the add-onitis disease take over.

 

[sndral]

I think of DVC in terms of where, when, & how much.
Where is determined by where I want to stay, in my case AKV (which I bought resale) & VGF (which I bought resale & direct.) Everyone has different preferences, for example, I love grand lobbies w/ soaring spaces, so Riviera w/ its small lobby is not for me, others like Riviera’s compact footprint & Skyliner access to Epcot & DHS. I’m not a fan of the towers so BLT & Riviera aren’t for me, others like those resorts, especially BLT’s quick walk to MK.
When matters because if you plan to go at popular times of year you need to buy where you want to stay for home resort booking priority. If you are flexible about when you go and/or like staying at different resorts, then costs may matter more to you than which resort you choose. Here’s a link to one of several availability charts to give you an idea of how hard/easy it will be to book various villa sizes at WDW resorts. https://www.dvcfieldguide.com/availability-tables
The how much conversation starts w/ resale v. direct, Resale is cheaper but comes w/ limitations like not being able to stay at Riviera or the cabins. Also, paying cash v. financing. If you have to finance then be realistic about what you are actually paying. Early in my DVC buying journey I opted for resale because, frankly, I was aggressively saving for retirement & resale was all I could afford w/ my cash on hand. Later, all of that aggressive saving/investing paid off & I had ample spare cash & opted to add on direct. After those big questions are answered then consider whether DVC is offering any incentives, & take a look at the point charts of the various resorts, 150 points will go a lot further at the older resorts compared to newer resorts like Riviera or VGF. Also, think long term, some resorts have higher annual maintenance fees than others.
There are currently 12 DVC resorts at WDW, a good resource for diving into each of them is the resort tab here https://dvcnews.com/ you’ll find resort size, expiration date, maintenance fees, & point charts for each resort.
In your case the 2042 resorts aren’t attractive to you, despite their attractive point charts - so OKW (also has extended 2057 contracts,) BC, BWV, BRV @ WL are out.
Here are other options w/ their expiration dates:
SSR 2054 (888 villas,) AKV 2057 (458 villas,) BLT 2060 (281 villas,) VGF 2064 (302 villas,) Poly 2066 (380 villas + new tower villas,) CCV @ WL 2068 (184 villas,) Riviera 2070 (341 villas,) the cabins at FW (don’t know size or expiration date -2070s?)

 

[AstroBlasters]

The real question is…. if you really want to stay at a resort like AKV that is easy to book at 7m…. can you just buy a resort with lower total cost to own (upfront/# years remaining + dues)?

I am a buy where you want to stay person… but Animal Kingdom has soooo much inventory….

 

[supercarrie]

The real question is…. if you really want to stay at a resort like AKV that is easy to book at 7m…. can you just buy a resort with lower total cost to own (upfront/# years remaining + dues)?

I am a buy where you want to stay person… but Animal Kingdom has soooo much inventory….

Especially if you are comfortable with Kidani vs Jambo and aren't interested in the club level rooms at Jambo.

 

[VGCgroupie]

The real question is…. if you really want to stay at a resort like AKV that is easy to book at 7m…. can you just buy a resort with lower total cost to own (upfront/# years remaining + dues)?

I am a buy where you want to stay person… but Animal Kingdom has soooo much inventory….

Agree, I probably should have worded my response "do not buy AKV direct only buy it resale" if AKV ends up being the resort of choice

 

[disneylandtour]

Long time lurker, first time poster here in DVC land

My wife has been a huge Disney fan her whole life (we averaged 4-5 trips per year while in college in Florida) and the past 12 years while deployed we always made it a point to come back to Disney (she grew up/has had family in Florida her whole life, all of my family recently moved to Florida) at least for one-two weeks one to two times per year.

We have always talked about DVC, however with a 7 month old now we are both ready to “make the plunge” if you will.

We had a “virtual” DVC consultation the other week (my wife has watched the promotional DVD’s, researched for years, etc) and while the gentleman was a huge help I did have a couple of questions since our presentation last week:

- My wife and I have always loved AKL. While almost all of our presentation revolved around AKL the one thing that gave me pause was that the “lease expires” (apologies if I said that wrong) in 2057. While 33 years is still plenty of time I was wondering if it wouldn’t make more sense to look at something like “Riviera” since that one had a date of 2070. I understand the 7 month versus 11 month booking window for a home resort, however I guess my question is still how hard is it to get something like a AKL at 7 months if we choose to do another home resort to get a longer window.

- It was mentioned a few times in the call that there is a “flash” sale for Rivera however he could not tell us about it as it would be a one time offer and we would only have 7 calendar days to accept it then the offer would go away forever. Any ideas what the “flash sale” could have entailed? Are these run regularly? Or was this simply an old fashioned sales pitch?

- Lastly several of my wife’s girlfriends have mentioned the next time we visit family we should set up a DVC meeting in person. I am 100% on board with seeing a property in person, however it seems like part of the justification folks keep citing is “you might get perks”. We are probably going to end up joining DVC (sooner or later) but my question is are there any other benefits to going in person? Is there a better time to go? Better “perks” offered for going in person in X month or Y month or at a certain time of year?

TIA!

If you were to buy AKV, IMO, you should buy it resale. I have 800 DVC points, 300 of which are AKL. There are some upsides and downsides to AKV. The upsides: (1) you can book both value rooms and club rooms at 11 months, which is really the ONLY time that these rooms are regularly available. I use the value rooms multiple times a year. There's a lot of value here for me. (2) The lobby and layout of both Jambo and Kidani is beautiful. (3) Fabulous meal options. And (4) the animals. The downsides: (1) the only transportation is bus and unlike many other DVC areas, you can't walk to any other resort areas, nor are there monorails, skyliner, and boats. (2) Aside from the value and club rooms at Jambo, most other types of rooms are available at the 7 mo mark, so if you're looking for standard rooms, there's little 11 month advantage here. (3) Dues are on the higher end, which up front doesn't look like a big deal, but may be five years from now. (4) The contract now has 33 years, which isn't bad. But BLT will get you a few more years. The dues are lower. At BLT you're hooked in to both boats and the monorail. MK is walkable. And the cost of BLT is just a little more right now, on resale, than AKV. During the pandemic, AKV was a bargain, but that's ended. Generally, I think most new re-sale people should consider whatever contract is presently a bargain. And that would be BLT at the moment. If you're looking at a direct purchase, I would suggest looking at properties with at least 40 years and good incentives at the moment.

 

[sndral]

…At BLT you're hooked in to both boats and the monorail. MK is walkable. …

This brings up an interesting point, BLT presently has boats, however they suspended boat service for a while & only recently reinstated it w/ limited hours. It used to be the only walkable resort to MK, but now you can walk to the MK from the VGF, & once the Poly tower opens you’ll be able to walk from there to the MK as well (albeit a long walk.)
VGF used to be really tough to get, now w/ the added resort studios in the converted BPK building, it’s easier to get. Poly used to not have anything but studios and a few bungalows, now with the added tower the Poly will have all villa sizes (but a lot of points fighting for non studios.) When I bought most of my resale points DVC didn’t limit member benefits to direct buyers only & they hadn’t created resale booking restrictions yet. W/ DVC things change, sometimes for the better, sometimes not.
It really comes down to how you intend to use it - I prefer to stay at Jambo at AKV, so how big/available Kidani is doesn’t matter to me, for example. I prefer to stay in 1 br.s or larger, so that fact that VGF added a bunch of studios doesn’t make it any easier for me to book what I want at VGF. I go at popular times, so the fact that I can stay anywhere in July means nothing to me. Other folks care about different things thus their analysis will be different.
If I were buying resale now, CCV @ WL is beautiful & as the smallest resort it looks to be a bargain on the resale market ATM or I’d buy AKV again because I love my stays at the resort.
If I were buying direct now, I’d opt for Poly over Riviera, Poly points will hold more value on the resale market IMO because Riviera resale points can only be used to book at Riviera, whereas Poly resale points can be used anywhere except Riviera & the cabins (& DL hotel villas) & I ‘like’ the vibe at the Poly over the Riviera.

 

[AstroBlasters]

This brings up an interesting point, BLT presently has boats, however they suspended boat service for a while & only recently reinstated it w/ limited hours. It used to be the only walkable resort to MK, but now you can walk to the MK from the VGF, & once the Poly tower opens you’ll be able to walk from there to the MK as well (albeit a long walk.)
VGF used to be really tough to get, now w/ the added resort studios in the converted BPK building, it’s easier to get. Poly used to not have anything but studios and a few bungalows, now with the added tower the Poly will have all villa sizes (but a lot of points fighting for non studios.) When I bought most of my resale points DVC didn’t limit member benefits to direct buyers only & they hadn’t created resale booking restrictions yet. W/ DVC things change, sometimes for the better, sometimes not.
It really comes down to how you intend to use it - I prefer to stay at Jambo at AKV, so how big/available Kidani is doesn’t matter to me, for example. I prefer to stay in 1 br.s or larger, so that fact that VGF added a bunch of studios doesn’t make it any easier for me to book what I want at VGF. I go at popular times, so the fact that I can stay anywhere in July means nothing to me. Other folks care about different things thus their analysis will be different.
If I were buying resale now, CCV @ WL is beautiful & as the smallest resort it looks to be a bargain on the resale market ATM or I’d buy AKV again because I love my stays at the resort.
If I were buying direct now, I’d opt for Poly over Riviera, Poly points will hold more value on the resale market IMO because Riviera resale points can only be used to book at Riviera, whereas Poly resale points can be used anywhere except Riviera & the cabins (& DL hotel villas) & I ‘like’ the vibe at the Poly over the Riviera.

That is some valuable institutional knowledge….

 

[disneylandtour]

This brings up an interesting point, BLT presently has boats, however they suspended boat service for a while & only recently reinstated it w/ limited hours. It used to be the only walkable resort to MK, but now you can walk to the MK from the VGF, & once the Poly tower opens you’ll be able to walk from there to the MK as well (albeit a long walk.)

The blue flag boats are now there at the dock starting at 3pm (or maybe it's 3:30pm). It is true--these were one of the last things to come back post-covid. But historically the boats have been there for decades. The later time is mostly for dinner reservations (and, I'm guessing, to see lights at FW). There was a battle over who would pay for the boats post-covid--Contemporary, BLT, FW, WL, etc. And from what I understand the solution was this--from a financial standpoint, the boats were primarily valuable to fill restaurants (Steakhouse 71, Hoop, Storybook, etc). So the boats come on just before dinner hours, which is 4pm and stay on until most restaurants close. I'm pretty sure the closing time changes from season to season. But within this timeframe, I think the boats are back to stay. From memory, they've been back in service for about year now. I use the blue flag route all the time if I'm at CCV, much less so if I'm at BLT.

 

[Chili327]

The real question is…. if you really want to stay at a resort like AKV that is easy to book at 7m…. can you just buy a resort with lower total cost to own (upfront/# years remaining + dues)?

I am a buy where you want to stay person… but Animal Kingdom has soooo much inventory….

Agreed, if you want more value, & longer contract go with BLT or CCV, & you can still stay at AKV.