Reflections after first year of DVC ownership

[Instagramhusband]

I just hit the 1 year mark as a DVC member. Over a period of 5 months starting in February we purchased 555 points cumulatively over 4 contracts at three resorts. We spent several years researching the idea of direct vs resale, weighing pros and cons of each resort, and our expected Life goals going forward as it related to travel and Disney. We have a small immediate family that lives within 6 hours drive time of WDW and we have a pretty flexible work/life balance in place. My wife has friends in Orlando and frequently goes to the area to visit without my son and I. This site was a great resource in deciding the right way to think about the choices and helped me really think outside of my normal method of buying big ticket items.

I have but one regret. I didn't do this sooner.

So far we have had 6 stays on our points with most being of the 2-3 night variety. We have stayed at AKV, SSR, Poly, Key West and RIV. The best advice i saw on this board was buying where you want to stay for that 11 month booking window. AKV and Key West were our only forays outside of our home resorts and ironically that was a spontaneous trip that was a split stay between the two resorts to accommodate the short notice three night trip we through together with a month's notice.

The advice on this board, that may not apply to everyone and didn't really apply to me was the importance of having the same use year for all contracts. I have two use years and honestly I felt like the number of points and how flexible we are with our work/life balance that advice didn't apply to us. My wife is a planner and is as detail oriented as they come so managing that has not been a concern at this point.

One other thing for those considering a resale contract. Ask all the questions about fee's and transactional costs for your title company. There are differences and its worth knowing before you choose.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Welcome home! It apparently took you awhile, but you really dove in! We just hit the 32nd year mark, and never regretted it!

 

[Instagramhusband]

Welcome home! It apparently took you awhile, but you really dove in! We just hit the 32nd year mark, and never regretted it!

Ironically it was my wife that took convincing and she was the one going 8 times a year the last 7 years.

 

[tx911]

I just hit the 1 year mark as a DVC member. Over a period of 5 months starting in February we purchased 555 points cumulatively over 4 contracts at three resorts. We spent several years researching the idea of direct vs resale, weighing pros and cons of each resort, and our expected Life goals going forward as it related to travel and Disney. We have a small immediate family that lives within 6 hours drive time of WDW and we have a pretty flexible work/life balance in place. My wife has friends in Orlando and frequently goes to the area to visit without my son and I. This site was a great resource in deciding the right way to think about the choices and helped me really think outside of my normal method of buying big ticket items.

I have but one regret. I didn't do this sooner.

So far we have had 6 stays on our points with most being of the 2-3 night variety. We have stayed at AKV, SSR, Poly, Key West and RIV. The best advice i saw on this board was buying where you want to stay for that 11 month booking window. AKV and Key West were our only forays outside of our home resorts and ironically that was a spontaneous trip that was a split stay between the two resorts to accommodate the short notice three night trip we through together with a month's notice.

The advice on this board, that may not apply to everyone and didn't really apply to me was the importance of having the same use year for all contracts. I have two use years and honestly I felt like the number of points and how flexible we are with our work/life balance that advice didn't apply to us. My wife is a planner and is as detail oriented as they come so managing that has not been a concern at this point.

One other thing for those considering a resale contract. Ask all the questions about fee's and transactional costs for your title company. There are differences and its worth knowing before you choose.

Congrats and happy anniversary!

I'm about a year and a half in myself. Zero regrets, and like you I wish I had gotten in sooner!

 

[PlutoNotPlanet]

I just hit the 1 year mark as a DVC member. Over a period of 5 months starting in February we purchased 555 points cumulatively over 4 contracts at three resorts. We spent several years researching the idea of direct vs resale, weighing pros and cons of each resort, and our expected Life goals going forward as it related to travel and Disney. We have a small immediate family that lives within 6 hours drive time of WDW and we have a pretty flexible work/life balance in place. My wife has friends in Orlando and frequently goes to the area to visit without my son and I. This site was a great resource in deciding the right way to think about the choices and helped me really think outside of my normal method of buying big ticket items.

I have but one regret. I didn't do this sooner.

So far we have had 6 stays on our points with most being of the 2-3 night variety. We have stayed at AKV, SSR, Poly, Key West and RIV. The best advice i saw on this board was buying where you want to stay for that 11 month booking window. AKV and Key West were our only forays outside of our home resorts and ironically that was a spontaneous trip that was a split stay between the two resorts to accommodate the short notice three night trip we through together with a month's notice.

The advice on this board, that may not apply to everyone and didn't really apply to me was the importance of having the same use year for all contracts. I have two use years and honestly I felt like the number of points and how flexible we are with our work/life balance that advice didn't apply to us. My wife is a planner and is as detail oriented as they come so managing that has not been a concern at this point.

One other thing for those considering a resale contract. Ask all the questions about fee's and transactional costs for your title company. There are differences and its worth knowing before you choose.

Congrats!!! A question here as you stayed at RIV, did you end up getting direct points or a RIV resale?

 

[intamin]

Ironically it was my wife that took convincing and she was the one going 8 times a year the last 7 years.

You just need to hold the Disney trips hostage.. I told my fiancee now wife that we weren't going to Disney anymore if it wasn't on points because I was done paying cash (we had done a WDW trip earlier in the year and just came back from AUL) and I had my points in 2 months . Even with a cast member discount when we went to AUL the prices were still insane, I'm pretty sure we paid over 3500 for 5 nights in a standard room

 

[PlutoNotPlanet]

You just need to hold the Disney trips hostage.. I told my fiancee now wife that we weren't going to Disney anymore if it wasn't on points because I was done paying cash (we had done a WDW trip earlier in the year and just came back from AUL) and I had my points in 2 months . Even with a cast member discount when we went to AUL the prices were still insane, I'm pretty sure we paid over 3500 for 5 nights in a standard room

When AUL has those 30-40% off for several nights, it’s acceptable as you get more room service. Otherwise, it’s indeed expensive.
But when you are on points, wouldn’t you struggle what room type to book?

 

[hhisc16]

For our 5th year DVC anniversary, I agree.

I wish we would have bought sooner.

 

[radiodome21]

I agree % on wish I had done this sooner. Though for my situation it would’ve only been a few years earlier pre-Covid. We used to go to the Florida panhandle at Easter and spend way too much money on vacation rentals. Not too mention the weather was never great. I bought in August 2023 and we didn’t use our points until December 2024. Things kept popping up but we’re now booked 3 more times before the end of the year. Does make attending Run Disney events easier.

 

[AstroBlasters]

I just hit the 1 year mark as a DVC member. Over a period of 5 months starting in February we purchased 555 points cumulatively over 4 contracts at three resorts. We spent several years researching the idea of direct vs resale, weighing pros and cons of each resort, and our expected Life goals going forward as it related to travel and Disney. We have a small immediate family that lives within 6 hours drive time of WDW and we have a pretty flexible work/life balance in place. My wife has friends in Orlando and frequently goes to the area to visit without my son and I. This site was a great resource in deciding the right way to think about the choices and helped me really think outside of my normal method of buying big ticket items.

I have but one regret. I didn't do this sooner.

So far we have had 6 stays on our points with most being of the 2-3 night variety. We have stayed at AKV, SSR, Poly, Key West and RIV. The best advice i saw on this board was buying where you want to stay for that 11 month booking window. AKV and Key West were our only forays outside of our home resorts and ironically that was a spontaneous trip that was a split stay between the two resorts to accommodate the short notice three night trip we through together with a month's notice.

The advice on this board, that may not apply to everyone and didn't really apply to me was the importance of having the same use year for all contracts. I have two use years and honestly I felt like the number of points and how flexible we are with our work/life balance that advice didn't apply to us. My wife is a planner and is as detail oriented as they come so managing that has not been a concern at this point.

One other thing for those considering a resale contract. Ask all the questions about fee's and transactional costs for your title company. There are differences and it’s worth knowing before you choose.

I almost guarantee that at some points over the next 10 years you will hear from your wife that she wishes you just had one use year.

The only caveat is that they made it significantly easier with the ability to transfer banked and borrowed points.

 

[intamin]

When AUL has those 30-40% off for several nights, it’s acceptable as you get more room service. Otherwise, it’s indeed expensive.
But when you are on points, wouldn’t you struggle what room type to book?

Idkkkk obviously they're hard to book but I've booked the hotel room category with my AUL points and got a week last year and another week this year and in total spent 250 points so roughly 125 points per visit. Room service is nice but it isn't THAT nice LOL

 

[supercarrie]

We are almost to our one year anniversary ourselves! We started with 100 BLT points (resale, closed in the spring) and then added on 153 Riviera direct points in June and used MBs. We planned up front that we wanted to land at around 250 points (for now)...as we are big cruisers and also have plans to go to the Asia parks and other destinations in the next few years. (Tokyo is booked for this November!)

Last year, we did one night at the Grand Californian, two nights at Boardwalk in a 1 bedroom garden/pool view, and four nights at Aulani in a 1 bedroom island garden view.

This year, we have booked a big trip in the spring with two cruises and time before/in the middle/after the cruises:
2 nights AKL Jambo house studio / Disney Wish 3 nighter / 4 nights CFW / Utopia of the Seas 3 nighter / 1 night Polynesian Island Tower studio

We are local to DL and I also just booked one night at VDH in August. (And then paying cash for Tokyo Disney in November.)

2026 is the first time we'll actually use our home resort 11 month advantage and are planning a BLT/Riv split stay.

Biggest regret - I agree, not buying in sooner. The $3300 we dropped on a cash stay for 3 nights at an Aulani ocean view studio still haunts me.

I'm also very happy having BLT as a second home resort, but in hindsight, the 250 point level for Riviera was pretty strong last summer, so it wouldn't have been much more to buy all direct points. Not an issue now, but I wonder for the future if I'll regret not having more direct points to use at Riviera, LSL, etc. By that point, we'll probably be looking to add on again though, so a moot point. I LOVE the BLT refurb so for now, very happy we have the 11 month advantage for resort view rooms.

 

[Chili327]

I have but one regret. I didn't do this sooner.

.... and like you I wish I had gotten in sooner!

.... I agree.
I wish we would have bought sooner.

I agree % on wish I had done this sooner.

Biggest regret - I agree, not buying in sooner.

My 2 year is coming up really soon (offer accepted on the 23rd), & of course like everyone that finally jumps in... wish I would have even known about DVC sooner.!!

 

[TCRAIG]

I almost guarantee that at some points over the next 10 years you will hear from your wife that she wishes you just had one use year.

The only caveat is that they made it significantly easier with the ability to transfer banked and borrowed points.

NOT true if you go multiple times a year!

 

[thanxfornoticin]

NOT true if you go multiple times a year!

We go 2-4 times many years, and I wouldn't trade having the same UY for our planning. I know there are many (like yourself, probably!) who work through multiple UYs just fine. But having multiple resorts and different types of trips throughout the year, having the points in one UY pool has worked much better for us and our planning. I would be one of those giving advice to keep the same UY!! But for those who have figured out the ins and outs and perks of multiple UYs, enjoy!

 

[AstroBlasters]

NOT true if you go multiple times a year!

I’ll stand by my guarantee. Having multiple UYs is workable, and it has become less of a PITA, but it’s still a PITA that will come back to bite people most of the time.

 

[Brian Noble]

The only caveat is that they made it significantly easier with the ability to transfer banked and borrowed points.

Is it also possible to book with transferred points online now? If so, that also seems like it makes things a lot simpler.

 

[JackosinDIS]

Is it also possible to book with transferred points online now? If so, that also seems like it makes things a lot simpler.

Not at the 11 month mark, unless the transferred points are the same home resort (where you are transferring Poly June UY to Poly Feb UY for example). You can book online at the 7 month mark though.

ETA: I transferred some poly points from one membership to another and they actually showed up in one of my existing contracts!

 

[AstroBlasters]

Is it also possible to book with transferred points online now? If so, that also seems like it makes things a lot simpler.

I don’t think you can see the transferred points in the dashboard, but they will be there when you go to book.

I agree that the ability to transfer banked/borrowed points makes things easier….

But then I think of someone in the ROFR thread a while back who was new to DVC and said they purchased 5 different home resort in 5 separate UYs just because they were trying to get the lowest ppp….. what a future nightmare….

 

[Chili327]

I don’t think you can see the transferred points in the dashboard, but they will be there when you go to book.

I agree that the ability to transfer banked/borrowed points makes things easier….

But then I think of someone in the ROFR thread a while back who was new to DVC and said they purchased 5 different home resort in 5 separate UYs just because they were trying to get the lowest ppp….. what a future nightmare….

Why do they do that? Seems like it should be pretty easy to show them somewhere, is it something they hope people might forget about them? lol