Resale: SSR or Poly?

[Junebug2]

We typically go to WDW for a week each year usually between November and March, family of 4, our kids are young. We love SSR. We’re trying to buy 200 pts, fall UY, but keep getting ROFR’d. We also love the atmosphere and location of Poly, but have never stayed there. We’ve only visited, had dining, the luau, etc.

Would you keep trying for a 200 point SSR, or would you go toward a 160 point Poly instead? Obviously less points and they only have studios (we stay in 1BR at SSR), but much longer on the deed and they’re not getting ROFR’d. Plus, we love SSR and should have no issue booking there at the 7 month mark if desired. We’re trying to stay under 30k for now, but will likely add on in the future.

I appreciate your thoughts!

 

[Her Dotness]

None of the above.

I would seriously wait to see what the price per point is on the new Poly tower. Hang onto what you've already set aside and save as much as you can over the next year-plus.

Buying direct is sooooooo much faster and easier than the lengthy waits to get past ROFR, get your points and then get documents.

If you possibly can, do consider waiting and saving up for the new Poly. With young kids, you'll adore being a very short monorail ride from the MK. Try for an SSR resale later to do split stays when your kids get older and for booking wherever you can get at 7 months for variety.

 

[Straulin]

Not a member yet, currently in ROFR (day 29). What about just buying the poly points needed for the SSR room? My understanding is that SSR is one of the easiest resorts to book. So it may be booking poly then switching to SSR at 7 months shouldnt be too difficult? Could someone more in the know chime in on that thought?

I am debating going for Poly if we get ROFRed and doing this for ourselves except trying to switch to Boardwalk or Beachclub at 7 months most trips. I hear that would be harder but plan on getting enough points to book studio or 1BR with preferred view to have several options to search. Poly was third choice to those two but has a better expiration.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Poly takes more points than SSR for a room. SSR dues are cheaper.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

None of the above.

I would seriously wait to see what the price per point is on the new Poly tower. Hang onto what you've already set aside and save as much as you can over the next year-plus.

Buying direct is sooooooo much faster and easier than the lengthy waits to get past ROFR, get your points and then get documents.

If you possibly can, do consider waiting and saving up for the new Poly. With young kids, you'll adore being a very short monorail ride from the MK. Try for an SSR resale later to do split stays when your kids get older and for booking wherever you can get at 7 months for variety.

I'm resale only but I bought SSR and AKV when the prices were in the basement and I continue to buy Aulani, where the prices are still in the basement. But if I were buying WDW today, I agree with you. ROFR has driven the gap between resale and direct to become so narrow that Direct can be very worthwhile now, particularly if you're buying up around 300+ points where the incentives are sweet.

I imagine Poly 2 will be something like $215 base price with $45 incentives. $170 pp direct net.

 

[Her Dotness]

What about just buying the poly points needed for the SSR room?

You could do that, but Poly either resale or direct will cost rather more per point, and I think Poly dues are higher, too.

Do be sure to check how much you'll be paying in dues from one resort to another. The initial outlay is a one-and-done, but dues are forever, as in until-you-sell-the-contract forever.

Dues can kill you once addonitis settles in, and you start adding a resale here and another there. (You think you won't, but you will. I speak from feverish experience.)

As Shelly F just said, you'll need a bunch more points for a Poly stay because of its location.

My understanding is that SSR is one of the easiest resorts to book. So it may be booking poly then switching to SSR at 7 months shouldnt be too difficult? Could someone more in the know chime in on that thought?

Cripes! I dunno why anyone would want to do that, although you likely could as easy as SSR often is to get.

The reason I say that is the old saw--location, location, LOCATION. Poly wins over SSR for ease and convenience any day. None of that internal shuttle nuttiness, either.

You can hop onto the monorail and be at MK in around 15-20 minutes tops. And, it's barely a 10-minute walk from the Poly to the TTC to get the Epcot monorail.

I am debating going for Poly if we get ROFRed and doing this for ourselves except trying to switch to Boardwalk or Beachclub at 7 months most trips.

Switching to either of those at 7 months is typically an "in your dreams" as popular as the Epcot resort location is. A few nights, probably. A week or more? HA! Forget that without waitlisting.

A 1br will be easier to get much of the year, but you can forget a studio unless you've that 11 month advantage from owning at either BWV or BCV. Those resorts are really popular.

 

[redboat45]

I"d keep trying for SSR. Maybe wait a bit until Disney cools off on buying them back.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

I wouldn’t touch poly resale until we know if Poly 2 is in the same association.
Beyond that I would buy where I want to stay.

 

[NorCalDisFan]

You could do that, but Poly either resale or direct will cost rather more per point, and I think Poly dues are higher, too.

Poly due is almost same to SSR's.

$7.3859 vs. $7.3287. In long term economy, Poly wins since it expires later, but upfront cost is higher.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

Realistically I think that BC makes sense resale - direct is insane and it’s impossible to book if you aren’t an owner.

I dream about CCV resale but we have a lot of direct points already and don’t need more points now. Plus we will be buying Poly 2 direct with incentives regardless of price.

 

[MICKIMINI]

I would hold off on most of your purchase for the new Poly! However, in the meantime, I would keep trying for a small fully loaded SSR contract in the UY you want so you will have the advantage of being a DVC member when prices are released! Buying fully loaded with 2021, 22 and 23 points will get you a good start and with banking and borrowing might get you through (in a studio) until you buy Poly.

Good luck!

 

[BamaGuy44]

I imagine Poly 2 will be something like $215 base price with $45 incentives. $170 pp direct net.

I hope you're right about that price, I'll be all over it. Sadly I'm expecting it to have a VGF style point chart

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I hope you're right about that price, I'll be all over it. Sadly I'm expecting it to have a VGF style point chart

Poly doesn't command VGF cash prices and there's no reason to believe it will have a VGF points chart.

 

[Royal Consort]

Poly doesn't command VGF cash prices and there's no reason to believe it will have a VGF points chart.

I don't agree. That view over seven seas from the tower has the potential to be impressive with a points chart that reflects the same.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I don't agree. That view over seven seas from the tower has the potential to be impressive with a points chart that reflects the same.

I'm talking apples to apples. Standard View versus Standard View. I've mapped points charts versus cash prices and points chart inflation is a myth. There's an idea that DVC has been jacking up points charts over the years and it just isn't true. The only outlier is Old Key West, which is arguably "too cheap" in points relative to its cash rates.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

I don't agree. That view over seven seas from the tower has the potential to be impressive with a points chart that reflects the same.

Maybe we plan for VGF pricing and if it is better that’s a bonus!

 

[BamaGuy44]

Poly doesn't command VGF cash prices and there's no reason to believe it will have a VGF points chart.

Current Poly no, but this will be a new thing. Brand new, on the monorail, theme park views from a tall tower. And no non-studios at current Poly that they will have to match up with. Probably not VGF chart but halfway between current Poly and VGF or more wouldn’t be a stretch, IMO.

 

[Junebug2]

Thank you so much for the input. You’ve all added great points I hadn’t considered - especially how poly’s expansion may affect association! We’re only a few days into our third SSR attempt, so I’m planning my next move fully expecting the contract to be taken.
Dues for the two resorts are very similar, but poly’s additional 12 years on the deed is appealing! I agree that if we’re strongly considering poly it would make the most sense to wait and see what happens with the expansion.

Thank you all for the input!

 

[DisneyRegulars]

If you love SSR I would go with quantity of points over Poly. As an owner for about ten years now of SSR and AKV points my desire for more points in general has always been stronger than my desire for points from a particular resort. We’ve stayed at all the resorts we’ve cared to on our SSR points, but often choose SSR over the others because our points go further there and we like the location.

 

[Her Dotness]

If you love SSR I would go with quantity of points over Poly. As an owner for about ten years now of SSR and AKV points my desire for more points in general has always been stronger than my desire for points from a particular resort. We’ve stayed at all the resorts we’ve cared to on our SSR points, but often choose SSR over the others because our points go further there and we like the location.

While this is a very workable approach, there is something to be said for a direct contract.

Yeah, I know everybody says don't buy direct for the piddly little perks you get. True enough that's a bad reason to go direct if your main or close-to-major reason.

Those little extra niceties can be very pleasant feel-goods, however. And there's something to be said for feeling good about a discount here, a discount there. Little enough we've all had these last few years in that department.

So, no, I'm not arguing buying direct is necessarily financially to your advantage. Only suggesting that you weigh the feel-goods along with how slick and simple the direct process is compared with resale.

You might find direct makes sense for you despite advice to the contrary. It did for us twice at off-sale prices.