Sales Tour

[carlbarry]

I'll be in WDW the end of February. I received the DVC book, etc. many months ago, and have chatted with a sales guide over the phone. However, he stopped calling me a couple of months ago when I told him I'd be in WDW, and I'd like a tour; he left a message telling me the tour would just repeat what he said on the phone, and I'd just be better off bringing down a check or credit card, since the 10% I'd put down would be the same as my cost for staying down there, anyway ($1,600! I think not!). So my question is: when I'm down there, and I know my schedule, can I just go to one of the sales booths, at say Downtown Disney, and ask for a tour? By the way, are they giving any gifts for the tour, other than ice cream? Thanks.

 

[JSTX]

Yes, you can stop by any of the booths in the parks and arrange a tour.

 

[ldo]

of course, if you are going to be down there you can have a tour--esp. if you have never even taken a tour!!! Of course, you would like to look at SSR and the new AKV models (which are at SSR). And you are more than OK to indicate that you are interested, but still want to think about it. DVC is a big purchase that lasts for many years--the sales guys at the DVC kiosk told me that 80% of people take the info and buy later.
The only freebies are a few fast passes. It's not like other TS tours where you get free tickets, $100, etc. But, on the flip side, it's not high pressure and IMHO DVC has a good product at a fair price (vs. many other TS places).
Just stop by your hotel DVC kiosk, or the DVC kiosk at DTD.

 

[carlbarry]

Thanks. I've been investigating the purchase for awhile now. In the meantime, I wound up purchasing a timeshare recently on ebay, for a very low price, for Star Island in Kissimmee. So I am not in a rush to purchase DVC; in fact, I would like to wait for resales to become available at AK, in the 75 point range. I've crunched the numbers, and that seems like a good number for me to try out. But while I'm down there, I figure it would be a good idea to take a look.

 

[AKLFan3]

When you go to a DVC kiosk at any park or hotel, the cast member will ask if you would like fastpasses or $15 gift certificates per person in your party that can be used for meals as compensation for your time. We used took the $15 gift certificates since we could care less about fastpasses. There were 2 of us who took the tour, so that was $30 off our dinner.

 

[DVC Mater]

I would like to wait for resales to become available at AK, in the 75 point range.

You might be waiting along time there. AKV has an expiration date in 2057 and historically all the DVC's have been appreciating as supposed to depreciating. The older 2042 resorts will start going down sooner then AKV and who knows what year that will happen.

OKW started out at $51 a point in 1991 and almost 17 years later its listing at minimum $70 a point.

 

[disneynutz]

I'll be in WDW the end of February. I received the DVC book, etc. many months ago, and have chatted with a sales guide over the phone. However, he stopped calling me a couple of months ago when I told him I'd be in WDW, and I'd like a tour; he left a message telling me the tour would just repeat what he said on the phone, and I'd just be better off bringing down a check or credit card, since the 10% I'd put down would be the same as my cost for staying down there, anyway ($1,600! I think not!). So my question is: when I'm down there, and I know my schedule, can I just go to one of the sales booths, at say Downtown Disney, and ask for a tour? By the way, are they giving any gifts for the tour, other than ice cream? Thanks.

The Guide that you spoke to seems a little pushy but he has a point. Staying at a WDW resort can cost you $1,600 or more depending where you stay. Since you have already made contact with your Guide, and the person you spoke with is now your assigned Guide, you will be dealing with him unless you request a change with his Manager. Good luck.

Bill

 

[yxe dad]

You might be waiting along time there. AKV has an expiration date in 2057 and historically all the DVC's have been appreciating as supposed to depreciating. The older 2042 resorts will start going down sooner then AKV and who knows what year that will happen.

OKW started out at $51 a point in 1991 and almost 17 years later its listing at minimum $70 a point.

I think they meant a contract for 75 points, not $75 per point!

 

[lugnut33]

I have a free day after the Daytona 500 and thought about doing the tours, but I said heck with it. I want to hang out at Epcot.

 

[javamom]

You may have a bit of a wait for 75pt contract at AK as well. That would essentially be an add-on contract for an existing member, since new contracts are 160pts or more. You would have to wait until a member with one of these small contract add-ons, decides that they don't want/need it any longer and places it on the resales market. Then, provided that sucha thing hits the resale market, you will hav eot be waiting to snatch it up ASAP.

At any rate, I hope you enjoy the other contract that you bought while you play the waiting game.

 

[AKV707]

Take the tour. While having the information is critical, seeing the model rooms really makes the potential purchase real. You can also ask any questions that you may have. The fast passes are good for three attractions each. They are "instant" fast passes. When you put the card into the fast pass machine, the time that is on your pass will be the current time. Meaning that you go right into the fast pass line. This, in effect, will make up for the time you spend (about 90 minutes) on the tour.

 

[msabol01]

Also keep in mind gifts / incentives for taking the tour varies. They were offering $50 gift cards when we went through.

 

[DVC Mater]

I think they meant a contract for 75 points, not $75 per point!

Good point, I totally missed that

 

[carlbarry]

Thanks for all the information.
Yes, I did write 75 POINTS--I don't expect the points to cost $75 each,not in this lifetime! Unless, of course, Disney abandons RFR.
As for actually getting 75 AK points, I know it might be awhile. I'd "settle" for OKW.

 

[kikiq]

We had our first DVC presentation at DLR and told our guide that we wanted to wait until we saw the models at WDW and toured all the DVC properties. She told us that if we took a formal tour that the guide that gave us that tour would be our new guide not her. AND that there was a informal tour time in the late afternoons that we could look at the AKV model rooms on our own. She knew we were leaving in a month for WDW for a weeklong stay and did not pressure us to give her any money or to sign anything. Spent most afternoons touring DVC properties having lunch or dinner there, toured all the models late one afternoon at SSR, stayed a week at the Poly, came back to California and bought 200 points at SSR.

Take the tour, seeing the properties and asking questions while you are there is worth it. The CMs in the SSR models were very helpful and knowledgable.

 

[dcamdad]

I'll be in WDW the end of February. I received the DVC book, etc. many months ago, and have chatted with a sales guide over the phone. However, he stopped calling me a couple of months ago when I told him I'd be in WDW, and I'd like a tour; he left a message telling me the tour would just repeat what he said on the phone, and I'd just be better off bringing down a check or credit card, since the 10% I'd put down would be the same as my cost for staying down there, anyway ($1,600! I think not!). So my question is: when I'm down there, and I know my schedule, can I just go to one of the sales booths, at say Downtown Disney, and ask for a tour? By the way, are they giving any gifts for the tour, other than ice cream? Thanks.

Maybe DVC is resorting back to applying what your stay costs being applied to your downpayment. That was one of the factors when we purchased OKW in 1996. After our tour and sales number crunching we were credited our cost for stay at WDW as our downpayment. Could not refuse the deal at that point.

 

[NHGoofy]

Maybe DVC is resorting back to applying what your stay costs being applied to your downpayment. That was one of the factors when we purchased OKW in 1996. After our tour and sales number crunching we were credited our cost for stay at WDW as our downpayment. Could not refuse the deal at that point.

Hi....Trying to absorb all this information! Newbie here. We all looking to buy a DVC, but trying to get the best deal we can. So much to learn, so little time....Are you saying that if we are staying at WDW and go to a presentation and put the 10% down, they will reduce the cost of the DVC by how much your room cost that week?

Thanks!

 

[carlbarry]

I really do not think that is what my salesguide meant. He was just basically repeating what he told me previously: why "waste money" paying to stay in Orlando, when if I was already a member, I could stay at Disney. When I had told him previously that I was planning to come down, he kept pushing that if I sent in the down payment, the paperwork could be done that would allow me to use points to stay at Disney, instead of the "further expense" of staying elsewhere.

 

[dcamdad]

Hi....Trying to absorb all this information! Newbie here. We all looking to buy a DVC, but trying to get the best deal we can. So much to learn, so little time....Are you saying that if we are staying at WDW and go to a presentation and put the 10% down, they will reduce the cost of the DVC by how much your room cost that week?

Thanks!

When we originally purchased in 1996, the money we paid for our stay at the WDW resort (not a DVC) was converted to our down payment, I think it was around $1200 or $1400. All the paperwork was signed and we started making monthly payments the following month. Keep in mind this may have been a common incentive at our purchase time in 1996 and may no longer be a buying incentive now.

 

[iadreamer]

Definitely take a tour. You can even call from your hotel. We also received a free picture and $25 in disney dollars.