We are considering the vacation club but a resale. While at WDW last week we did the tour and they pushed BLT and AKL. Personally I would never stay at either. And as I have read on here "buy where you want to stay". I want the BCV. I love the resort. The BCV have about 32 years left - correct? At what year might I break even (estimated)? Has anyone worked this out? Last week they handed me a piece of paper saying we would break even on BLT in about 9 years. I know the yearly fees are higher at the BCV.
What are your thoughts on buying a BCV resale? Having less years does not bother me as long as I knew in the long run it would work out money wise. I would rather have less years then find myself staying in BLT
How much do you save on other things. I know you get a discount on annual passes - but how much? The DVC guy could not tell us. Also he mentioned other discounts but was not clear.
Visit
http://www.mouseplanet.com/8739/A_Disney_Vacation_Club_Primer which provides information to consider in the decision making process. It also provides a link to a spreadsheet that you can use to simulate various scenarios.
Joining DVC has definitely had a positive impact on the way we vacation and the quality of of our vacations. We purchased a resale at a time when Disney was not offering incentives as generous as the ones they are currently offering, eg., buy four get 3 for free, free dining plan, $750 gift card, etc. By the same token DVC has increased the number of discounts and perks compared to what was offered at the time we first bought in. We did notice initially that we were spending about the same as we did at WDW as we spent when we were staying at the Value Resorts, maybe a little bit more. However we found that we could now afford to stay longer and in much nicer accommodations. I should qualify this further. We have six kids so we seldom, if ever, could get by staying in anything less than two rooms. Obviously the moderates, deluxe, and home-way-from-home were out of our budget. With DVC we could now stay in a two bedroom which could sleep 8, with a full kitchen (which actually cut our expenses for dining), two baths (with five daughters that's a necessity), and a laundry room (cuts down on packing). Plus a jacuzzi in the master bath. We also found that we could stay longer for about the same cost as we were staying a few days at the Value Resorts. We also purchased APs as opposed to the Park Hopper Passes. By staggering our vacations each year we were able to get at least two trips out of each pass, hence we could get by with purchasing new APs every other year which created an additional savings. As AP holders we could purchase the Disney Dining Experience (now called Tables in Wonderland) for additional dining discounts. This was before the
Disney Dining Plan. We've compared both (
DDP & TIW) and have found that the TIW has been a better deal for us. Between the DVC, AP, and DDE we could always find a discount on food or merchandise purchases. Plus we received the Disney Visa Card when it first came out which also provided some perks, including earning Disney Reward Dollars on your purchases to be spent at Disney Parks or Disney Stores. When we were at WDW this past Christmas the merchandise locations were offering generous discounts to card holders, AP holders, etc. However you had to ask for it, it was not automatic or volunteered. We would not have known about it had a CM not mentioned it casually. The discounts were combined and were very generous. Always ask, ask, ask.
We bought resale. With resale it was a matter of watching and waiting for the best deal to come along. A lot of it has to do with timing. We found a resale in which an overseas seller had the number of points we felt we would need plus a year's worth of banked points at a very good price. While in the process our agent mentioned they had an add-on that they had not posted on they're website yet. It was another out-of-country owner that was anxious to sell. The price was right plus he paid our first year's maintenance fees. The only inconvenience has been that we now have two use years. So far it has not been an issue to manipulate the points. We just have to do a little extra homework before we make our reservations but its not a major issue. Resale vs. Buying from Disney? It's another one of those issues with timing. Since we purchased we noticed that Disney does, off and on, provide incentives that are very competitive with buying a resale. Again, its a matter of timing.
When we were looking we checked with all the commonly mentioned Resale Agents. We ended up buying from Lee Reid Timeshare Resales (
http://www.eleereid.com/eLeeReid Disney Timeshares.htm). I think we found him by accident since he is not well known on these boards. He made the process painless and had the best deal we could find at the time. It doesn't hurt to pit one agency against the other to compete for your business and get you the best deal possible. It doesn't hurt to run it by a Vacation Club Guide. Sometimes they have a little flexibility to get the sale. We've had the guide throw out a deal then, of course, say he/she will first check with his manager. Then he/she returns with an offer that will be good only if you purchase within X amount of time such as by the end of the tour.
Good luck in your quest. The journey is half the fun and the destination is definitely worth it.
Bill
