Random question about small contract purchase...

[Fall1]

I am wondering if anyone has ever bought into DVC with a small contract with the purpose of staying in a DVC resort every other year but then still paying OOP to stay at a regular Disney resort the other year. So, still vacation at WDW every year, but only stay on points every other year?

Not sure if this makes sense, but it seems a good way to afford DVC and then still try out other resorts.

Thanks!

 

[disneynutz]

We have found that once you try a DVC 1 bedroom you loose interest in staying else where.

We started with a small resale contract, then another, and another, and another. So now we can book at our favorite resorts at 11 months and vacation 2 or 3 times a year at WDW.

 

[MustHaveMickey]

I've been wondering the exact same thing... we are saving our pennies to buy a small contract thru resale. We're actually considering two small contracts, one at VWL and the other at BWV (probably 25 or 50 pts each). That way we can bank every other year, and have priority at more than one resort. Not sure if that makes sense...but anyway. We can't wait to own a part of Disney!

I also think one advantage to buying small is that your dues are cheaper, and you can always rent or trade with other members if you need more points.

 

[keishashadow]

I've been wondering the exact same thing... we are saving our pennies to buy a small contract thru resale. We're actually considering two small contracts, one at VWL and the other at BWV (probably 25 or 50 pts each). That way we can bank every other year, and have priority at more than one resort. Not sure if that makes sense...but anyway. We can't wait to own a part of Disney!

I also think one advantage to buying small is that your dues are cheaper, and you can always rent or trade with other members if you need more points.

i promised DH in my sales pitch that i'd only pay cash for DVC, which necessitated that i start small.

bought resale @ WL thru this site's sponsor. if you don't count weekends, we've enough to visit every year; otherwise I need to bank/borrow.

then, decided to add on thru DVC just enough points to stay @ BWV everyother year (fyi, if the UY is available current minimum purchase is 25 cash, 50 finance)

found out we really like to visit twice a year ; so back to square one...waiting for 1 more add-on (come on CR ).

will say while we enjoy WDW, we like onsite @ Universal (espec for the FOTL perc) or 3 day DCL on cash...so it's working out well for us.

nice thing about DVC is the flexibility, one size doesn't fit all.

ps - i don't even want to LOOK @ a 1 BR for fear of being swayed to the dark side, studios work just fine for us.

 

[gingermouse17]

We have found that once you try a DVC 1 bedroom you loose interest in staying else where.

We started with a small resale contract, then another, and another, and another. So now we can book at our favorite resorts at 11 months and vacation 2 or 3 times a year at WDW.

it's true- once you try a 1 bdrm especially if you have young kids and have the luxury of washing their clothes when they get dirty instead of waiting or planning your trip around the laundry facilities was a dream

I would put a load in before we went to the parks, and put them in the dryer at night. We would wake up to clean clothes every morning. Made it worth the extra points.

 

[MustHaveMickey]

i promised DH in my sales pitch that i'd only pay cash for DVC, which necessitated that i start small.

bought resale @ WL thru this site's sponsor. if you don't count weekends, we've enough to visit every year; otherwise I need to bank/borrow.

then, decided to add on thru DVC just enough points to stay @ BWV everyother year (fyi, if the UY is available current minimum purchase is 25 cash, 50 finance)

found out we really like to visit twice a year ; so back to square one...waiting for 1 more add-on (come on CR ).

will say while we enjoy WDW, we like onsite @ Universal (espec for the FOTL perc) or 3 day DCL on cash...so it's working out well for us.

nice thing about DVC is the flexibility, one size doesn't fit all.

ps - i don't even want to LOOK @ a 1 BR for fear of being swayed to the dark side, studios work just fine for us.

Sounds like we are in the same boat!

Thank goodness for this government rebate thing we should be getting in May...it will get us much closer to our goal! I too, swore that we WOULDN'T go into debt on this!

I check the DVC resale listings several times a day (addicted!!!) and it seems like the small points go fast! So I'm nervous that when it comes time to purchase it will be hard to fine the right deal. All of the resale sites say "email us and we'll find the exact package you need..." Is this really true?

 

[jamstew]

I check the DVC resale listings several times a day (addicted!!!) and it seems like the small points go fast! So I'm nervous that when it comes time to purchase it will be hard to fine the right deal. All of the resale sites say "email us and we'll find the exact package you need..." Is this really true?

You should definitely get on their mailing list so you'll get first notice of new listings. Even then, you have to jump on them really quickly. When I got an email with a contract I wanted, I called immediately.

 

[ACDSNY]

ps - i don't even want to LOOK @ a 1 BR for fear of being swayed to the dark side, studios work just fine for us.

We've always been on the dark side...I think we were set up by WDW CRO on our first trip to WDW...they talked us into a 2 bedroom unit at Disney Institute, second trip OKW 2 bedroom so we were doomed to purchasing DVC as we love the 2 bedroom units. I've only spent one trip in a studio and I think it will be our last. I missed the washer/dryer too much.

 

[brianm27]

We have a grand total of 120 points, a 50 point contract and a 70.

The 120 points gets us about a week each year in a studio. We also like to do a last minute long weekend in the fall or winter or maybe a second week at the end of summer. The DVC resorts tend to fill up during food and wine and early december, but we can usually get great annual passholder rates at these times at other Disney resorts.

A great perk right now is the $100 annual pass savings. Perks come and go, but this one saves our family $300 per year right now, allows us to buy the DDE card for 20% off at table service restaurants, and gets us the AP room discount at the Disney resorts.

We like the cabins at Fort Wilderness in the summer and POFQ for quick weekends which are not cost effective on points.

We look at it like owning two cars. One is sporty with a turbo charger, the other is big and roomy with great fuel economy. Like both of them for different reasons at different times. Some of our trips are DVC, some not.

 

[luna99]

Sounds like we are in the same boat!

Thank goodness for this government rebate thing we should be getting in May...it will get us much closer to our goal! I too, swore that we WOULDN'T go into debt on this!

sounds like me too! My husband doesn't even know that I'm saving up for DVC!

but my plan is to save up enough to buy a 50 or 70 point resale at SSR and at that rate I can definitely afford the fees (around 15-25 dollars a month) and we can visit in the off season sun-thur! I will pay for the entire thing myself if I have to and if he's not interested in going to disney once a year then I can take a trip alone for 3-4 days myself and just relax! (but I'm sure he'd come, especially if we don't have to pay for accomodations!).

We only need a studio since it's just the two of us now and once we have kids we can still fit in the studio with the kiddos sleeping on the pull out sofa. I'm sure once we start going and he sees what a deal this is, he won't mind adding points in the future as well! Ain't I a stinker?

 

[MustHaveMickey]

sounds like me too! My husband doesn't even know that I'm saving up for DVC!

but my plan is to save up enough to buy a 50 or 70 point resale at SSR and at that rate I can definitely afford the fees (around 15-25 dollars a month) and we can visit in the off season sun-thur! I will pay for the entire thing myself if I have to and if he's not interested in going to disney once a year then I can take a trip alone for 3-4 days myself and just relax! (but I'm sure he'd come, especially if we don't have to pay for accomodations!).

We only need a studio since it's just the two of us now and once we have kids we can still fit in the studio with the kiddos sleeping on the pull out sofa. I'm sure once we start going and he sees what a deal this is, he won't mind adding points in the future as well! Ain't I a stinker?

hahaha...that's hilarious! If our husbands don't comply, YOU AND I will vacation on our own! Maybe we could meet up sometime! lol...

My plan as of today (it changes daily- ha) is to buy 50-60 points at VWL. Saving my pennies!!! It shouldn't take too long to reach that goal...I'm hoping I win the lottery in the meantime tho.

 

[luna99]

hahaha...that's hilarious! If our husbands don't comply, YOU AND I will vacation on our own! Maybe we could meet up sometime! lol...

My plan as of today (it changes daily- ha) is to buy 50-60 points at VWL. Saving my pennies!!! It shouldn't take too long to reach that goal...I'm hoping I win the lottery in the meantime tho.

I would totally love to meet up with some Dis'ers sometime if my hubby didn't want to come along! Actually, I'm already thinking of the fun things I could do with a little 3 day vacation all to myself each year. One year I could invite my mom and sister and do a girls weekend.. or I could invite some of my girlfriends who are spread out all over the country and we could have a mini high school reunion type long weekend! Oh, the possibilities are endless!

my plan changes daily too though, so don't feel bad! and don't even get me started on the lotto. Good Lord, if I won the lotto I would start travelling and I don't think I'd make it back home for at least a few years (and a few of those months would be spent at WDW for sure!)

 

[Mic]

A small DVC contract is better than NO DVC contract. And the price per point keeps going up; every DVC owner I've ever met said they wished they had purchased sooner(us included). We financed our first 150-point contract through Disney without really exploring the resale option. I am happy with that purchase, but the payment was hard sometimes. All of my add-ons have been small for two reasons: in a pinch, I could probably sell them faster, and I can afford to pay cash for them. If I had to do over again, I would start small(probably a resale), and add on through Disney in increments of 25-50 points, as needed. I'm just curious how long it will be before you are staying at DVC resorts every year...my kids noticed right off that there was no Community Hall or washer/dryer at the non-DVC resorts!