So WHEN is the best time to set my user year to?

[abarnes64]

I have been researching as much as I can get my hands on AND this site has been amazing!!! I can't thank you ALL enough!

Right now with little ones, a

 

[abarnes64]

Sorry folks, I have a hard time on my smartphone typing things sometimes with big thumbs-

We are looking at Jan wk and a Sept wk -

1) when is the SLOWEST time to go in WDW and for DVC?

2) then when would be the best time to ask for my points???

Trying to think ahead with if I have a sickness arise and not scramble with points I I can help myself by planning better BEFORE buying GF.

TIA for any opinion and insight!

 

[chalee94]

you ideally want to travel in the first few months of your use year.

you ideally never want to travel in the last 3 months of your use year.

a sept UY would work great for primarily sept and jan trips. (assuming you don't start some of the sept trips in august.)

slowest season for wdw and DVC is probably non-holiday, non-race weeks in jan and feb. summer is not bad for DVC, while sept to early jan is peak season for DVC.

 

[lovin'fl]

Jan and Sept are decent times to go. Sept is the least crowded, since kids are just going back to school. We love to go in Sept (it is HOT though). We used to love Jan too but that is getting to be more crowded (but still better than Xmas and summer and spring break). If you want to mostly go in those 2 months...you'd want a Dec or Aug or Sept UY...you want it to be the month before you tend to travel most. That way if you cancel the trip last minute (w/in 30 days of the trip...the points go in holding and must be used by end of UY), you have almost a whole year to use those points. We tend to use our DVC from Aug to Jan...we have June UY and Aug UY and that has worked great. I wish they were all Aug but it hasn't been an issue since we have never cancelled last minute (30 days or less before the trip) and have never had our points in holding.

 

[lovin'fl]

Also, in reading your other posts...if you are still thinking of getting a small direct contract first and then adding on a resale later, you may want to get a UY that is very common to make finding an add on easier. Here is the distribution of UY:
http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/owning-dvc/2014-updated-points-distribution-by-use-year

 

[abarnes64]

LovinFL!!! Thank you! Love those charts! That is helpful! I will have to look it all over later in detail on my home computer and obsess over my trips lol! Now, trying to decide how many points to buy at GF! Ugh!!!

I would like to stretch my points for 1st yr and try to go 2 wks and maybe HH? Would need to go value studios and that's fine for our lil family - major upgrade from WDW movies hotel still! Anyone know what happens if I need to buy a few points or etc? I heard I can do this.

Do you think 125 points is a bad entry idea for GF? I know Disney WANTS me to buy 160 pts to 'guarantee' me a 1 bdrm at any resort. I feel torn

 

[Missyrose]

LovinFL!!! Thank you! Love those charts! That is helpful! I will have to look it all over later in detail on my home computer and obsess over my trips lol! Now, trying to decide how many points to buy at GF! Ugh!!! I would like to stretch my points for 1st yr and try to go 2 wks and maybe HH? Would need to go value studios and that's fine for our lil family - major upgrade from WDW movies hotel still! Anyone know what happens if I need to buy a few points or etc? I heard I can do this. Do you think 125 points is a bad entry idea for GF? I know Disney WANTS me to buy 160 pts to 'guarantee' me a 1 bdrm at any resort. I feel torn

There aren't any value studios at VGF.

 

[abarnes64]

Missy rose can you clarify? In my book of points per room it states there are the S and SV category- I considered this to be a studio. Is this not? My Disney rep said these rooms are available and are NOT booked. Perhaps I used the incorrect terms??

 

[abarnes64]

For GF I am referring to

 

[LisaS]

Missy rose can you clarify? In my book of points per room it states there are the S and SV category- I considered this to be a studio. Is this not? My Disney rep said these rooms are available and are NOT booked. Perhaps I used the incorrect terms??

Here is a link to the 2014 points chart for VGF. There are two booking categories: S (Standard View) and L (Lake View): http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/GF-Points.htm#gfvillas2014

When you state you see "S" and "SV" it makes me wonder if you are looking at the point charts for AKV. It has four booking categories: V (Value), S (Standard View), SV (Savanna View) and C (Club Level, also called Concierge Level). Here are the point charts for AKV for 2014: http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/AK-Points.htm

 

[chalee94]

For GF I am referring to

VGF has standard view and lake view studios. standard view are slightly cheaper.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-vacation-club/GF-Points.htm#gfvillas2014

(but i did also think that you were confused between AKV - which does have super-cheap value studios (but not very many of them) - and VGF.)

 

[Missyrose]

Missy rose can you clarify? In my book of points per room it states there are the S and SV category- I considered this to be a studio. Is this not? My Disney rep said these rooms are available and are NOT booked. Perhaps I used the incorrect terms??

There are two options for studios at VGF: standard view and lake view. Standard view is less points than lake view. The only value studios in the entire DVC system are at Animal Kingdom Villas. I'm not sure what you mean when you say that the Disney rep told you those villas were available and not booked?

 

[abarnes64]

Sorry all- Yes, I am referring to the standard studio or lake studio. Most likely for first stay we'd book a standard studio in the non peak season and for the cheap rate and we'd probably go for 5 nights (no wknd) in 2!d half of Jan 2015.

Then another time, like in mid Sept for 1 wk in AKV for the studio standard. And who knows- maybe another low rate week in the at Another outside resort like HH

 

[abarnes64]

Sorry all- Yes, I am referring to the standard studio or lake studio. Most likely for first stay we'd book a standard studio in the non peak season and for the cheap rate and we'd probably go for 5 nights (no wknd) in 2nd half of Jan 2015./QUOTE]

At GF I am referring to- sorry!

 

[Missyrose]

Sorry all- Yes, I am referring to the standard studio or lake studio. Most likely for first stay we'd book a standard studio in the non peak season and for the cheap rate and we'd probably go for 5 nights (no wknd) in 2!d half of Jan 2015. Then another time, like in mid Sept for 1 wk in AKV for the studio standard. And who knows- maybe another low rate week in the at Another outside resort like HH

Okay, where you want to stay has no bearing on which UY to pick. And I would think a little more big-picture than basing your UY decision on the first couple of trips you want to take. If you have certain times you like to go each year (you mentioned September and January) then an August or September UY would work well for you. That way, your typical trips would fall early in your UY. So if you ever have to cancel, you would still have time to use the points or bank them into the next year.

Here's the thing, I think some of the problems you're having is you haven't learned the DVC lingo. There are no low-rates in DVC, there are different seasons and the number of points your stay will cost is based on which season your reservation falls.

When it comes to using your points, I think you should read up on availability at seven months for the different resorts. HH can be very difficult to get during the spring and summer months. AKV standard isn't too tough to get, but you'd be paying a hefty premium for your VGF points and that premium would be for nothing if you don't plan to use those points at VGF most of the time. You've put forth three trip ideas and only one of which involves staying at VGF. If you're only planning to stay at VGF a third of the time, I think you might want to reevaluate buying at VGF.

 

[abarnes64]

Yes - I am practicing using the DVC lingo still. It is an entire language excuse the incorrect language. You are correct in 'no low rates'. I should have said I intend to use my points during the off season mos for low points times to maximize my value.

I agree that VGF are expensive points and in the future we will plan to use those (2016) exclusively for GF. We do plan to buy a resale AKV to go to AKV. But for now and while my 2yo and 4yo love animals, we may split the points up and visit AKV bc my kids would enjoy it and well, we are happy when they are too. We plan to pay off the GF points this yr and then we'll add-on when we can pay cash for the resale.

Then I will use the AKV points for AkV and that will be less painful vs using my GF points for AKV

 

[Deb & Bill]

Yes - I am practicing using the DVC lingo still. It is an entire language excuse the incorrect language. You are correct in 'no low rates'. I should have said I intend to use my points during the off season mos for low points times to maximize my value.

I agree that VGF are expensive points and in the future we will plan to use those (2016) exclusively for GF. We do plan to buy a resale AKV to go to AKV. But for now and while my 2yo and 4yo love animals, we may split the points up and visit AKV bc my kids would enjoy it and well, we are happy when they are too. We plan to pay off the GF points this yr and then we'll add-on when we can pay cash for the resale.

Then I will use the AKV points for AkV and that will be less painful vs using my GF points for AKV

I think you need to wash the pixie dust from your eyes. Slow down and digest everything everyone has told you so far. You seem to be missing or not quite getting the high points of every response the seasoned members have told you.

Go back and read your posts and the responses to your posts. Use a computer instead of your IPhone so you can see it in bigger print.

You probably think I am being condescending, but I really hate for people to make an expensive mistake just because they heard something from the DVC salesperson.

Deep breath and go slower.

Or just ignore what I have written. Your choice.

 

[abarnes64]

Ok - well I sure hope I haven't offended any of the seasoned DVC'ers on the board! i (we i should say - the husband and i) are trying to learn and read all before making a decision.

I certainly appreciate the advice and it is why I asked for input! Thanks all

I do realize this is a long term financial decision AND that means a contact with long term financial commitment -MF.

I do read the comments you all post and hubby and I have discussed these excellent points, which have she'd light for us on the entire DVC process.

Thanks for your time and insight to all sharing!

 

[abarnes64]

you ideally want to travel in the first few months of your use year.

you ideally never want to travel in the last 3 months of your use year.

a sept UY would work great for primarily sept and jan trips. (assuming you don't start some of the sept trips in august.)

slowest season for wdw and DVC is probably non-holiday, non-race weeks in jan and feb. summer is not bad for DVC, while sept to early jan is peak season for DVC.

Thank you charles94 for the UY advice

 

[jillgunter]

Also when picking your use year, you say you have little ones. Some day they will be in school, and your travel dates might have to change. Unless you take them out or homeschool. Just something to think about!