Small Contract Expectations

[Roxas_XIII]

Hi all - I was bitten by the WDW bug about 7 years ago, and I've very recently gotten pretty interested in becoming a dvc member. I'm primarily interested in a very small (~50 - 75 pt.) resale contract for now, maaaaybe adding on more in the future if I love it. Looking to keep it small mostly because I'd like to pay the up front costs in full. I don't have kids (and none in the cards), and my partner doesn't share my love of Disney or travel - so I see all future trips as being just with a friend or two (i.e. I don't foresee the need for anything beyond a studio). I'm also very fortunate to have a job that allows me to be flexible with travel time, so I'm not locked into travelling during any particular time of year (although my best friend is a teacher, so summer trips might be more desirable.)

I know ~50 to 75 pts. won't go extremely far in the grand scheme of things, so I want to keep my expectations in check. Let's assume I never add on and the ~50 to 75 is the most I ever get. Based on what I've been reading in the forums here, I should go in understanding the following:

• Small resale contracts are pretty rare and can come at a higher price point, so it might take awhile to find a match (which is cool for me - not in a rush and the hunt will probably be fun).
• "Value" studios shouldn't be counted on, as there typically aren't many of them in stock at any given time.
• ~50 to 75 points might translate into a room every two or more years depending on how the stars align with availability. I shouldn't think I'll be able to go every year.
• "Studios" of any level might even be challenging to book, and should likely only be counted on for my home resort at the 11-month mark. Can't count on getting a studio at the 7-month mark, home or otherwise.
• Recently, borrowing restrictions have been put into place, which might make stretching a small number of points even tougher (but this is temporary due to current events, right? Will this be reversed in the future?)

Anything else I might not be thinking through? And given all of the above, might exclusively going for a small contract with the hope of studio-only use be too much of a gamble? I have a few preferences for home resorts, but I'm open.

Interested to hear your thoughts! It's been fun learning about dvc, and browsing through the forums has been a good crash course.

 

[ArmyChaplain Matt]

So we started out in October of 2018 with 75 direct at CCV, that lasted one trip staying at BWV before we added 150 there in May of 2019. Waiting on contract to sign for either 160 or 250 SSR now!! Add-onitis is real!!

 

[Roxas_XIII]

So we started out in October of 2018 with 75 direct at CCV, that lasted one trip staying at BWV before we added 150 there in May of 2019. Waiting on contract to sign for either 160 or 250 SSR now!! Add-onitis is real!!

Oh, man - that's awesome! Congrats!!!

 

[Anuhea35]

I got a 60 for $75pp and a 80 and $80pp both at OKW. This was both in the last 4 months. While rare it can happen. Have a idea in mind of what you wanna spend and check the different websites everyday. When you see something jump on it cause the small ones go fast regardless of home resort.

 

[soniam]

It sounds like you have done a lot of research and understand the issues with studios. My advice would be to just determine how many nights you would like to stay, frequency of stays, what time of year is most likely, and if you really have a preference on resort. If you don't have a preference, then Saratoga or Old Key West might be a good option. Points goes further there, and availability is also better. We recently has our first offer accepted; it's gone to Disney now for right of first refusal. It's just the 3 of us, and in a few years probably just the two of us. We really wanted Boardwalk for the location. A studio is fine for us, but I calculated for the higher priced studio, since they have more availability, even at 11 months. I would definitely assume that you need to stay at your home resort for a studio. It might not always be the case, but it could help with any disappointment.

 

[Roxas_XIII]

If you don't have a preference, then Saratoga or Old Key West might be a good option. Points goes further there, and availability is also better. We recently has our first offer accepted; it's gone to Disney now for right of first refusal. It's just the 3 of us, and in a few years probably just the two of us. We really wanted Boardwalk for the location. A studio is fine for us, but I calculated for the higher priced studio, since they have more availability, even at 11 months. I would definitely assume that you need to stay at your home resort for a studio. It might not always be the case, but it could help with any disappointment.

Thanks for the input, and congrats on the recent purchase!!!

I haven't yet stepped foot onto SS or OKW property, but I understand those two are choice spots for value and availability. Buy in prices are pretty attractive, too. I'm sure they're lovely and I definitely should check them out next trip before deciding for sure where my sights are set. My top choices as they stand now (all places I've visited before) are BCV, BRV, and AKV. AKV especially seems like a good value due to the studio tiers (plus animals!), but I have a feeling lots of other people think the exact same thing and thus availability for the lower-point studios might be tight. BCV or BRV would probably be a once-every-two-years trip at most on a tiny contract... but the BCV location is super and WL is just downright gorgeous.

 

[soniam]

Thanks for the input, and congrats on the recent purchase!!!

I haven't yet stepped foot onto SS or OKW property, but I understand those two are choice spots for value and availability. Buy in prices are pretty attractive, too. I'm sure they're lovely and I definitely should check them out next trip before deciding for sure where my sights are set. My top choices as they stand now (all places I've visited before) are BCV, BRV, and AKV. AKV especially seems like a good value due to the studio tiers (plus animals!), but I have a feeling lots of other people think the exact same thing and thus availability for the lower-point studios might be tight. BCV or BRV would probably be a once-every-two-years trip at most on a tiny contract... but the BCV location is super and WL is just downright gorgeous.

AKV is a good choice. It's a beautiful resort. Have you looked at the points availability charts that SkierPete does? They are a good indication of what is available when. I think studios, depending upon which one, were not terrible to get at 11 months. The prices are good there too. BCV is nice too, but it's priced kind of high. It's also small, which cuts down on availability. It expires early, which cuts down on the value some. We looked at BCV, because we want to be close to Epcot. However, we ultimately decided BWV would be better for the time of year that we would like to go, fall and spring. I haven't stayed at BRV, but I have stayed at CCV. Wilderness Lodge is very beautiful. Have you thought about renting DVC points to get a better feel for some of the resorts and the size of the studios? The studios vary greatly in size at each resort. I think some of the DVC sites list the size and configuration of the rooms. Be sure to understand the refund policy if you do; a lot of the contracts are non-refundable. Availability is also going to be wonky over the next couple of years due to the Covid closures/cancellations. There will be a lot of people with points who are trying to go. I don't think the situation will be permanent though. Just keep your eyes on the long term prize. Good luck!

 

[Roxas_XIII]

Have you looked at the points availability charts that SkierPete does?

No! I've never heard of this. I'll definitely look into it!

Have you thought about renting DVC points to get a better feel for some of the resorts and the size of the studios?

Yes, and that seems like the responsible thing to do. The irresponsible part of me just wants to buy right away, because I can't imaging being unhappy with any DVC resort... but seeing as how I'm not in a rush whatsoever, I should probably take my time and scope things out fully.

Availability is also going to be wonky over the next couple of years due to the Covid closures/cancellations. There will be a lot of people with points who are trying to go. I don't think the situation will be permanent though. Just keep your eyes on the long term prize. Good luck!

This is my assumption as well. Truth be told, as much as I want to return to the Disney magic asap, I'm cool to wait as long as needed for everything to blow completely over. A stripped contract wouldn't turn me off. As a buyer, one of the toughest parts is agonizing over the "right" time to buy, too. I don't want to wait too long and have prices increase! :O

 

[soniam]

Yes, and that seems like the responsible thing to do. The irresponsible part of me just wants to buy right away, because I can't imaging being unhappy with any DVC resort... but seeing as how I'm not in a rush whatsoever, I should probably take my time and scope things out fully.

I am not good at following my own advice. We have never stayed at Boardwalk, but that's where we bought

 

[SL6827]

Wait till the end of the year to buy. May get a better deal then.

 

[OlieRow]

Consider that most studios will have a queen bed, a sofa bed, and maybe a little (almost twin) Murphy fold down. The almost twin is probably too small for a lot of adults to be super comfortable. Not sure how you or your friends feel about sofa beds.

 

[CraigInPA]

My top choices as they stand now (all places I've visited before) are BCV, BRV, and AKV. AKV especially seems like a good value due to the studio tiers (plus animals!), but I have a feeling lots of other people think the exact same thing and thus availability for the lower-point studios might be tight. BCV or BRV would probably be a once-every-two-years trip at most on a tiny contract... but the BCV location is super and WL is just downright gorgeous.

BCV and BRV both expire in 2042, while AKV expires in 2057 (i.e., an extra 15 years).

While I strongly advocate for "buying where you want to stay", the current resale pricing of BCV seems to be way out of line if you factor in the amount remaining on the contract.

 

[CarolMN]

While I strongly advocate for "buying where you want to stay", the current resale pricing of BCV seems to be way out of line if you factor in the amount remaining on the contract.

Maybe not - if you compare to the cash price to stay at the BC. I know you are just pointing out that the resale price for BCV is higher if compared to other DVC resorts given the expiration date. For some, it really doesn't matter where they stay. But for those for whom it does, the better comparison is to the Disney cash price. If that is favorable enough, then IMO, the resale price is not out of line. YMMV.

 

[MamaBear12]

I would look for OKW points! OKW studios are the only ones with two queen beds (real beds) as opposed to one bed and one sofa sleeper, so more comfortable for you and a friend. And if you’re able to travel during adventure or choice season, a week will cost 76 and 78 points respectfully. With 80 points, you could easily go annually for 5-7 nights per trip depending on when you travel.

 

[Cg disney fan]

I just got a small point contract to hopefully convince my wife to buy more points in the future, but this was before the borrowing restriction was put in place to reduce it to 50%. This has really hurt my plans and I will have to rent or transfer the remaining points. Still looking forward to my welcome home stay no matter when that is.

 

[Jbarrerajr]

Has anyone had any luck buying a small point contract at SSR recently?

 

[Sophie Weaver]

Has anyone had any luck buying a small point contract at SSR recently?

I’ve been trying for weeks now, offering under $109 per point. No luck. Last two contracts under 100 points wanted $114 and $134 per point, with me paying dues on stripped points.

 

[Lorana]

I have a 100-point SSR contract in ROFR right now that went for $95/point. I'm paying dues, but it's almost fully loaded (186 2020 points and 100 2021 points).

 

[SL6827]

At the end of the year not only could you possibly find better deals, but there seems to be a lot of smaller contracts going up during then.