Resale Purchase Question - Number of points for BCV Studio around NYE

[kevinmulh]

I'm curious what the crowd's recommendation is as far as size of contract/number of points for what I'm considering. My fiancee is a teacher, I work at a school as well, so our vacation times are limited to the normal summer/breaks. Since she hates the heat (and honestly so do I), summer is out, and we wouldn't want to miss Christmas at home. So, NYE - a few days before and after, 6-7 nights total - is what we'd go with every year.

Following the advice to buy where you want to stay, it leads me to target BCV (we've stayed here twice, it's sentimental and our favorite). We only need a studio with two of us and no kids in the plans - and the desire to stay there between, say, 12/28 or 12/9 and 1/2 or 1/3. And we'd be staying every other year, rather than every year.

Rough math with points leads me to think 100 points is enough - 150 points per trip give or take, banking and borrowing as needed - mostly because 150 feels like too heavy a contract (which I could always rent out, but would rather not deal with). December UY would be ideal, too.

Assuming we stick with the every-other-year plan, knowing we won't visit at other times of the year, how large a contract would you recommend? Acknowledging we'd have to book at the 11-month mark, too.

Thanks for any answers - this board really does have a ton of information on it, which I really appreciate!

 

[Ksquared]

I'm certainly no expert as I'm new to DVC; however, we recently purchased our first contract and went with 100 points. We decided that with banking/borrowing, and figuring we won't stay every year, that 100 was enough for us. If we find it's not, we can pick up a small contract with the same use year down the road, use the one-time points that Disney allows or find a point transfer if need be. Sounds like you have done some research. If 100 doesn't feel like quite enough but 150 too much, you could split the difference and pick up 125 points which may give you the option of a 2nd shorter trip one year maybe during a long weekend or adding on a day or two to your normal NYE trip.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

First, for that time period and resort, never assume you can use One Time Use Points. They are at 7 months only, and only by phone. If your stay ends up needing them, you won't get the night you're trying to cover. Just plain fact with New Year's at BCV.

I think for the time period you're after, a 4- or 5-night stay should be doable on a 100 point contract, even allowing for reallocations. I don't expect that season, which used to have a name but I shall now merely refer to as Yowch That Costs A Lot! to go up in he next few reallocations.

So banking/borrowing on a 100-point contract should actually still leave you some surplus for 5 night stays nearly every year, or the odd pre-cruise rental (you rent to someone) if you have points that aren't carrying. But you should be carrying just fine.

Let's pretend year one is 2021, 5 nights. 12/31 is a Friday. You have any UY but December.
12/29 and 12/30 are 27 points each. 12/31 is 28 points. We don't have the 2022 chart but let's just add 1 point to each night - 1/1 would be a Saturday, thus 16, 1/2 a Sunday so 15. Puts you at 113.

Use: 100 2021 UY points
Borrow: 13 2022 UY points

Then you bank the 87 remaining 2022 UY points when able. Those points would be used first for your 2023 trip, and you'd use ~26 points of the 2024 UY (assuming any UY but December), bank 74 forward. Obviously, over time the banked forward points would decrease, but only about 10-15 per year.

You'd be running on surplus for a long time, even if they raised the points for that time period a bit. And that's assuming 5-night stays, not even gaining more surplus by having a 4 night some years.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

For the number of night you are looking at and every other year stays 100 points would be plenty. For the upcoming year it would take 132 points for Dec 28-Jan 3rd. You'd be fine even with 75 points more than likely as that still would allow for a modest increase if it were to happen. It's 157 for an entire week that includes a majority of the highest season. As long as you'd range between 6-7 nights every other year it would work.

which used to have a name but I shall now merely refer to as Yowch That Costs A Lot! to go up in he next few reallocations.

I really wish they would have left the names and just added to them.

 

[TraderSamWDW]

Just a question - have you been to WDW for NYE?
A few days before and a few days after? Are you aware that WDW parks reach capacity on NYE?

Staying at beach club, most of the time with it being on the cold side for that pool, and the level of crowds you will endure, you may learn to accept the heat some?

Just a thought to add to the mix. @_auroraborealis_ and @KAT4DISNEY already gave the answer you need for points. Just want to make sure of the crowd levels you will be dealing with. Although, a great aspect about DVC is you arent tied into a time frame.

 

[kevinmulh]

Great responses so far, thank you! I have been for NYE - went this past year - and had a blast. Had to plan the trip wire to wire, which we enjoyed doing (there were spreadsheets), and bail on the parks mid-day. Concern about the time of year is completely valid, but we're planners, and with just the two of us we're flexible.

I didn't write up a trip report about the trip, although maybe I should sometime. But the trip definitely had me thinking about DVC, or at least trying to justify DVC.

My additional concern is with making sure there's availability at the 11-month mark with BCV, but with hotel rates averaging $650/700 per night that time of year, I feel like pursuing a resale contract is a good move. Question about UY too - hold out for a December UY, or stay flexible?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

My additional concern is with making sure there's availability at the 11-month mark with BCV, but with hotel rates averaging $650/700 per night that time of year, I feel like pursuing a resale contract is a good move. Question about UY too - hold out for a December UY, or stay flexible?

If you book 11 months out you will be fine. Do not count on anything at 7 months.

For UY, September, October and December would all be good. BCV has a fairly heavy number of points in the February and March UYs, so you might run into that while shopping, but December is about 14% of BCV points, October 8% and September 5%, so options should come up.

 

[kevinmulh]

This was really helpful, thanks for everyone's input. Sounds like I'm on the right path. Encouraging to hear I can pull off those dates at 11 months!