Resale Questions

[twasilew]

We're on the outside looking in, but very interested in DVC. I've noticed on the resale sites that there is a big difference in price per point for different locations. Maybe I just don't understand the process fully yet. But why wouldn't someone purchase resale at say Vero Beach for 50$ per point, then just use those cheap points for stays at WDW Orlando DVC resorts? What are the pitfalls here?

Why would anyone pay 100$ per point at BLT, when you can get 55$ per point at OKW? The points can be used for either location right?

Thanks for any replies.

 

[msp2mco]

A lot of people ask this, and there are probably many reasons, but two of the big ones are:

1-Buy where you want to stay. That allows you to secure your desired resort at the 11-month booking window. Your desired resort may be completely booked at the 7-month window during popular times.

2-Maintenance fees are higher at Vero Beach than other resorts (last time I looked). BLT also allows for longer ownership since it is a new resort.

However, VB is a great resort, and if you want to stay there a lot, it would be sensible to buy there. But, if you really want to stay at WDW, then I'd suggest buying at one of the WDW resorts.

 

[deedisneydream97]

OKW was the first vacation club....so your contract expires sooner. I hear the rooms are great there...but you have to bus, boat or take a car everywhere. BLT is $$$, but I would definitely purchase a resale there (and I have....we have already added twice to our original BLT purchase thru Disney...the Time Share Store (they sponsor this board) is extremely helpful, just pick up the phone and ASK them. They will give you helpful info. Saratoga Springs has some great resale bargains. It is easier to try and book at a different resort during the slower months, like May, MidJanuary, September, first week of december.

Our two favorite home resorts: BLT, and told DH I only will stay there in a one bedroom Magic Kingdom view because that is why we purchased there!!!! However, once the "awe" has worn off (sitting on our deck, wine and cheese readily available and having the MK fireworks so close I could almost touch them...and laughing as we hear different cars' burglar alarms going off from the fireworks vibrations, and seeing Wishes one night and being surprised by the Halloween Fireworks the next)...anyway, when I get tired of that I will "hoard" my points and stay in a standard view so we can hoard points for a big family gathering some time.

BWV....standard view one bedroom. Quiet, close to parking lot, easy walk to MGM.....SORRY.....Hollywood Studios, easy walk to Epcot. Cheap points. Short drive to Winn Dixie for necessities....beer, wine and pool toys.

 

[Kidanifan08]

For staying at WDW, OKW, SSR and BWV are lowest on the resale market. As a PP stated, VB is cheap but as a PP stated, the MF's are the highest of all the resorts and MF's become your biggest expense over time as a DVC member. These go up about 3% per year.

The expiration date of the contracts varies. OKW,BWV, BCV, VWL, HH and VB in 2042, SSR 2054, AKL and some OKW extensions 2057 and BLT in 2060. So, for example, buying 100 points at SSR for $50/pt versus 100 points at AKV would be a $2000 difference, but you get 15 more years of ownership.

As others have stated, buying where you want to stay is very important, especially if you want to travel during popular time for DVC members, such as F&W at EPCOT and the entire month of Dec. Additionally, premium views (BLT-MK, AKV-concierge, BWV-BW view) or standard views (the lowest point cost rooms at the various resorts) are almost impossible to get at the 7 month mark. So, you would need to buy more points initially if your plan is to use VB at WDW most of the time. Now, if you know that you only travel to WDW in Feb or early Sept, then you could probably buy anywhere and get in at one of the WDW resorts, but probably not the premium views. But remember, you are buying into at least 30 years of ownership, and it is hard to predict what your travel plans will be in the future.

Here is a good resource for info about the various resorts: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2532406

You could contact one of the sales people at TSS to learn more as well and to discuss their resales. They are very knowledgeable and we have used them for two small resales. Other things to think about are how many points you need based on your travel plans, which UY to look for, how quickly you want to use your points the first time (resale can take up to 2 months to get points).

Just the fact that you are looking at resale puts you ahead of the game. Keep reading and welcome to the boards!

 

[rlovew]

Just to correct 1 things said above- the first weeks of December are not a slow time for DVC- there is a chance you can get something outside your home resort but many people don't if you plan to go then buy where you want to stay.

 

[Sandisw]

We thought about this when we bought in 2009 and went ahead and spent extra to buy BLT at those higher prices. We are very particular about where we want to stay and knew that we would not enjoy staying anywhere but in that location.

We spent years going to Disney and almost all the trips ended up, one way or the other, at the CR, because we love to walk and spend a lot of time at MK.

Since becoming members, we realize we also like to be in the Epcot area and walk to the parks from there so are in the process of adding on points at BWV--in the 50's I might add.

We spent more for the home resort advantage. It allows me to know, pretty much, that I will be at the resorts I love and in the long term, the difference doesn't amount to that much.

With Vero, you are locked out of WDW until 7 months prior and that could prove to be difficult. If you don't care where you stay, then yes, pick any WDW property for cost and go from there.

At the end of the day, you are really buying the right to stay at your home as Disney has the legal right to remove your resort from the club and then that is all you will have. Do I think that is likely? No, but if your looking to go to WDW, then buy on property.

Good luck!

 

[HookdonWDW]

One more note: Add President's Day week (usually February vacation in the Northeast) to the harder times to get.

 

[Dean]

We're on the outside looking in, but very interested in DVC. I've noticed on the resale sites that there is a big difference in price per point for different locations. Maybe I just don't understand the process fully yet. But why wouldn't someone purchase resale at say Vero Beach for 50$ per point, then just use those cheap points for stays at WDW Orlando DVC resorts? What are the pitfalls here?

Why would anyone pay 100$ per point at BLT, when you can get 55$ per point at OKW? The points can be used for either location right?

Thanks for any replies.

The issues are how much you're willing to gamble and how badly you need a given resort and time. If you'll only be happy at a certain resort and/or view type, you should likely buy there or not buy at all. VB/HH are the other extremes with the lowest prices, higher fees (esp VB) and NO 11 month window at WDW. For most people the LOWEST price (adjusted for RTU exp) WDW resort will be the best value. Almost always this will be SSR but occasionally one might find an extended OKW low enough to fit into that basket as well. As long as you'd be happy staying most trips at that resort (though you likely won't have to), you'd be set. Just reserve home resort at 11 mo out and then try to change to another resort at 7 mo if desired. It is my opinion that one can get into a WDW resort for amount $50 a point now and less in a year as the resale vs retail issue settles out. At what point VB/HH have enough price spread to justify the risk is obviously a personal decision open for debate, to me, I'd say at around $30 a point given the current other realities is the appropriate level where some might try the risk. Clearly for those who would visit VB or HH in higher demand times, the scenario shifts significantly.

 

[JimMIA]

Just to correct 1 things said above- the first weeks of December are not a slow time for DVC...

This is correct. In fact, the period from Thanksgiving through New Years is THE BUSIEST time of the year for DVC, and it's busy at all resorts.

I tend to be one of the contrarians on "buy where you want to stay" -- not because I think it's not valid for many families, but because I think it's become one of those DIS cliches that people accept without further thought because they hear it frequently. I have two criteria I think someone should meet before they adopt a "buy where you want to stay" approach:

1. You MUST be able and willing to book more than seven months in advance of your vacation. If you can't (and many families can't because of work or family constraints), the home resort booking advantage has ZERO value.
   
   And frankly, I'd go even farther with this criteria. I would say don't use "buy where you want to stay" unless you can book exactly 11 months out to get where you want.
   
   For most of the preferred accommodations (GVs, early December, MK view at BLT, BW view or standard at BWV, etc) you are going to have to book, not at 8-9 months, but the morning your 11-month window opens. Many owners even work the system by booking before their windows open for a week, and then "walking" their reservation. If you think you're going to be able to get BCV during Food & Wine consistently at 8 months out using your home-resort booking advantage, that's just not realistic -- and therefore, you should not use BWYWTS as your strategy.
2. Where you stay, or a particular type of accommodation or view, must be VERY important to you. If you're satisified with whatever you get (and all of the DVC resorts are great), then the booking advantage doesn't matter.

I have one HUGE caveat to this, however: Do NOT buy where you would be disappointed to stay. Don't buy any resort you'd be unhappy with if it was the only reservation you could get for a particular trip.

 

[DVCconvert]

Well put Jim!

 

[JimMIA]

As long as you'd be happy staying most trips at that resort (though you likely won't have to), you'd be set. Just reserve home resort at 11 mo out and then try to change to another resort at 7 mo if desired.

I agree with everything Dean said in this post, but I just wanted to highlight this part. If you have some flexibility, buying OKW, SSR, or BWV makes the most sense to me...by far.

I think there is often too much focus on one particular trip and being able to get precisely what you want for each and every trip. Personally, we always have the attitude that we'll try to get what we want, and if we can't get it for that particular trip we'll just stay there some other time.

With regard to BLT, it's a big resort with a lot of availability...and with very high per-night point costs. I certainly would not want to stay there regularly because of the costs, and if you use BLT points for other resorts (which you will) it's an even worse bargain. But if I wanted to stay there occasionally, I'd be perfectly happy with a lake view -- and I could get that most of the time at seven month using OKW/SSR/BWV points.

Why pay $90-$140 per point? The only reasons are to get the MK view, or to be assured of getting BLT during peak periods. Makes no sense to me personally -- but having an MK view is the most critical element of their vacation to some people. Depends on what is most important to you, and you need to define what's most important as much as possible before you buy.

 

[DenLo]

We're on the outside looking in, but very interested in DVC. I've noticed on the resale sites that there is a big difference in price per point for different locations. Maybe I just don't understand the process fully yet. But why wouldn't someone purchase resale at say Vero Beach for 50$ per point, then just use those cheap points for stays at WDW Orlando DVC resorts? What are the pitfalls here?

Why would anyone pay 100$ per point at BLT, when you can get 55$ per point at OKW? The points can be used for either location right?

Thanks for any replies.

Just want to be sure you know that when buying resale you have more restrictions on using your points for non-DVC exchanges. Many of us here on the Disboards only use our points for DVC stays so it's easy to forget that someone just looking now may not know about this change. Here's the official statement.

Under the new policy, Members who purchase from anyone other than Disney Vacation Development, Inc., on or after March 21, 2011, will not be eligible to use those Vacation Points to make reservations within the Concierge Collection, the Disney Collection or the Adventurer Collection. Those Vacation Points will instead be valid only for reservations at Disney Vacation Club resorts, as well as for RCI® exchanges, Club Cordial and Club Intrawest.

Just for your information these exclusions include:

• Walt Disney World® Resort: Accommodations located at Walt Disney World Resort that are owned and made available by WDPR.*
• Disneyland® Resort: Accommodations located near Disneyland Resort that are owned and made available by WDPR.*
• Disneyland Resort Paris: Accommodations located near Disneyland Resort Paris that are leased, operated, and made available by EDL Hotels S.C.A. And, accommodations located near Disneyland Resort Paris that are owned, operated, and made available by Euro Disney S.C.A.
• Hong Kong Disneyland® Resort: Accommodations located at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort that are owned, operated and made available by Hongkong International Theme Parks Limited.
• Tokyo Disney Resort®: Accommodations located near Tokyo Disney Resort that are owned by Oriental Land Co., Ltd., and operated and made available by Milial Resort Hotels Co., Ltd.
• Disney Cruise Line: Cruise vacations operated by and made available by Disney Cruise Line.
• Adventures by Disney: Guided group vacations operated by Adventures by Disney.

*Which means using your points at a cash non-DVC Disney resort.

 

[JimMIA]

There is another often-overlooked aspect of the new "resale restrictions," however...and it's a BIGGIE.

The things that are currently being restricted for resale purchasers are perks -- non-guaranteed benefits.

The ability to use DVC points for those options (however you value them) is NOT GUARANTEED to direct purchasers either. That means there is no assurance a direct purchaser will always be able to use those options, nor is there any certainty that resale purchasers will never get them back.

Disney, at any time and for any reason, could decide to either reinstitute those perks for resale buyers...or take them away from ALL DVC members, including those who purchased direct or were grandfathered in.

 

[snoope]

Many owners even work the system by booking before their windows open for a week, and then "walking" their reservation.

Can you explain what you meant by this in a little more detail?

 

[JimMIA]

Can you explain what you meant by this in a little more detail?

Sure, although it's a bit off-topic.

A while back, DVC changed the rules for making reservations. Instead of the previous requirement of calling 11 or 7 months from the check-OUT date, they now allow owners to call 7-11 months from their check-IN date. And you can make reservations for up to one week from that date.

So, for example, say an owner really wants to arrive on December 9th, which is during the busiest time of the year for DVC. They can call earlier than they really need, making Dec 9th their last night of their original reservation, and then "walk" their reservation by adding a day at the end and dropping day(s) at the beginning. The theory is they tie up their actual desired arrival date a week early and thereby gain an advantage over others trying to reserve the same date.

I've never tried it, so I don't know whether it provides any real advantage or not.

 

[Brian Noble]

here is another often-overlooked aspect of the new "resale restrictions," however...and it's a BIGGIE.

There is an ever bigger one.

They are almost always poor uses of your points. In almost every case, you'd be better off renting out the equivalent number of points, and using the proceeds to book the hotel, cruise, or tour you desire---you'll have money left over.

 

[Dean]

There is an ever bigger one.

They are almost always poor uses of your points. In almost every case, you'd be better off renting out the equivalent number of points, and using the proceeds to book the hotel, cruise, or tour you desire---you'll have money left over.

As I've stated before, I think they did people a favor forcing them to look at DVC usage only in their purchase decision. Not only do I think it'll save some money, I think it's give them a more realistic approach to their decision making process.