Hi...good luck making your decision...here are some answers to your questions:
1. You can use points to stay at Disney World non-
DVC resorts, except for resorts connected to a DVC resort (e.g., the Beach Club Inn because it's connected to the Beach Club Villas), and also except for the values (i.e, you can't use points to stay at Pop or any of the All Stars). So, yes, you could use points to stay at the Poly and/or GF...
BUT, there is a $95 fee to make this type of reservation, AND the points it requires to stay a night at a non-DVC resort are MUCH higher than the points "cost" to stay at a DVC resort. Plus, points "costs" for non-DVC resorts can fluctuate (i.e., go up!), just like rack rates do. Points cost increases at DVC resorts are limited--Disney can (and does) reallocate the total points that can be used in a year (e.g., charge more for a weekday night and then less for a weekend night), but overall points charges cannot be increased. Thus, if/when the "cost" per night (in points) goes up for one season/size of villa/day of week, it has to go down someplace else...
2. Yes, points can be used for both ABD and
DCL. I've done neither, so have no personal experience.
3. I've done a small amount of looking at some of the ABD trips, and my recollection is that they range from around 400 points/person to 900-1000 (depending, of course, on how exotic/extensive the trip is--e.g., it's less expensive to do an ABD in the U.S. than it is say in China!).
People who post here on the DIS question whether use of points to book a DCL is worth it...cancellation issues can be difficult, and some say it's more cost-effective to rent your points and then book and pay cash for the DCL...but I have no personal experience with this...
4. Free dining is a perk that goes w/booking a room/package at full rack rates. So, no, it doesn't work w/DVC since DVC bookings are not at rack rates nor do they require a package (purchase of park tickets). You can, of course, book a package on cash and get free dining, and save your points for traveling at non-free dining times.
You can also add the
DDP to any DVC reservation (altho you pay for it)--but no free dining w/a DVC reservation. (On the other hand, DVC stays on points get you free internet (wired) in your villa, something hotel guests (or villa guests not staying on points) have to pay $9.95/day for)...also, at least right now, DVC stays get DDP at the base price--no surcharges for holidays...
5. Annual passes for DVC owners work exactly the same way they work for non-DVC owners--except DVC owners get a $100/pass discount (base AP; the discount is a bit more for the premium AP, I think--we buy regular APs so don't know as much about the premium ones)...
They work best if you're planning on more than 10 park visits (particularly if you park-hop)...lots of people suggest taking two trips within one year, by taking the second year's trip a week or two before the end of a full year (e.g., if you go 6/14-6/21 one year, go 6/7-6/14 the second year)...
6. Tables in Wonderland (TIW) is a discount dining card available to AP holders (and FL residents). When I bought mine last year it was $75. It gives its holder a 20% discount at most (but not all) sit-down restaurants at WDW, for parties of up to 10, including on things not covered by DDP (e.g., cocktails, appetizers). It automatically adds an 18% tip. So its real value is in getting the discount on things like appetizers and drinks.
I probably will not buy it again. I do like it better than DDP for our dining habits--but Disney Visa and DVC discounts are often the same or only a bit less, and it's an awful chore to figure out which restaurants honor which discounts. (Generally, I pull out all 3 cards and just ask the server to use the one that's best...that's fine if I'm dealing w/knowlegable and honest servers (presumably the vast majority if not all)...anyway, it seemed to me, on my last trip, that I got as much discount benefit from my Disney Visa & DVC cards...plus, the TIW doesn't work (there may be an exception) at counter service restaurants, so no discounts at places like Earl of Sandwich or the park counter service eateries.
7. I'm not an Aulani expert...but as far as I know if you own points there, you can book stays there starting at 11 months from the date of your check-in. If you're using other DVC resort points, you can book starting at 7 months from the date of your check-in.
8. You can buy any and all DVC resorts directly from Disney (and finance any purchase of 50 or more points through Disney). The guides are actively selling BLT, AKV and Aulani--and I think SSR (phase two--due to treehouse villas)...
But the guides can sell you any DVC resort--if they don't offer, ask about any resort you're interested in. (They get points to sell at sold-out resorts from Disney exercising its right of first refusal (ROFR) on the resale market, and/or from foreclosures)...I've never heard of any incentives offered for sales of sold-out resort points (I bought my BCV points well after BCV sold out, directly from Disney, w/out any incentives)...You may have to wait a while to buy sold-out resort points (I did, both times, for my BCV points--one took about 3 weeks for points in my use year to come available; the other took about 5 weeks) Frequently, tho, points are available "on the spot"...a lot depends on what use year you want/need.
Hope this info helps--
Maybe; it depends on how many days you will be going into the parks. Probably not if it is less than 10 though...
