Some basic ?'s

[caroline1851]

Okay, so i'm new to this idea....
If OkW Studio is 61 points, that would be roughly $6100 to purchase for a week, right? Now, that's a one time fee? and what typically are the yearly maintenance fees? do you have to stay the same week every year?

 

[dianeschlicht]

You have SO much to learn, it's almost impossible to answer that question as stated.

First of all, DVC is a timeshare that uses points, not weeks. You "buy" a certain number of points to use annually. Those points do indeed come with maintenance, but it depends on which DVC resort you own at and is figures on a "per point" basis. There is a minimum buy in of 160 points if you are buying direct from Disney, but you can buy smaller contracts if you are willing to peruse the resale listings and wait for the one that looks good for you. Resales are subject to DVC Right of First Refusal, so any resale must pass that before it becomes final.

Your points can be used for any size unit at any DVC resort as long as you have the points in your contract to "pay" for them. There is no specific week or unit size that you are tied to.

 

[kmaach]

Okay, so i'm new to this idea....
If OkW Studio is 61 points, that would be roughly $6100 to purchase for a week, right? Now, that's a one time fee? and what typically are the yearly maintenance fees? do you have to stay the same week every year?

Prior to my membership, I tried to answer the same question. You really should determine how often you will stay at the resorts, then refer to the points charts to determine how many points you need to buy. Only then will you be able to determine your cost savings, if any. Remember, this is a pre-paid vacation plan, not an investiment and primarily tailored to those who go often (generally once or more per year) and stay in Deluxe resorts (GF, Poly, etc). There is a spreadsheet somewhere on this website that will assist you in determining a break even point. Remember the annual Maintenance Fees before purchasing. We just bought 270 points!!!

 

[drusba]

First, be aware that there is no DVC resort at WDW for which you can get a week in a studio for 61 points. None are that low for a week. Click on at top of this page "DVC Point Charts" and start exploring points required for different size rooms at the different resort for the different times of year.

Second, you are correct that it is a one-time cost to buy your points (and you then get an annual allotment of the same number of points). Not sure of OKW price from Disney currently but believe it is actually slightly more than $100 a point (with a 160 point point minimum purchase by new purchasers). OKW resales from owners are available for less (and sometimes fewer points). Annual dues are in the $4 and $5 per point per year range and those can increase annually -- this is like a condiminum, you are paying for all the maintenance, employees, taxes etc. for the resort and dues can go up as costs go up.

Third, with a point system you can go any time of year. However, as you will see in the point charts, when you go can make a huge difference as the various seasons have different point requirements. For example, if you are thinking an OKW studio for a week, then starting 2010, it will cost you 77 points in a low season such as Sep but 154 points if you want Christmas week.

 

[chalee94]

Okay, so i'm new to this idea....
If OkW Studio is 61 points, that would be roughly $6100 to purchase for a week, right?

The cheapest 7-night stays in an OKW studio would run about 80 pts. Renting a reservation from a current DVC member would run about $800 or so, or you can purchase a contract for the next 30+ years for around $6000 (if you can find a resale for exactly 80 pts).

Now, that's a one time fee?

Heck, yes. if people were paying $6000 per year, they would not be renting for $800.

and what typically are the yearly maintenance fees?

For an 80 pt contract at OKW (again, if you can find one), yearly maintenance fees would run about $380 (which is about $32 per month.)

do you have to stay the same week every year?

With an 80 pt contract, you would have very few options, as there are only a few weeks at the 80 pt rate. You could choose to stay 5 weeknights – then move to a separate hotel near universal studios for the weekend on cash – and then return to wdw for 3-4 more nights on points.

Use the point charts in the top right hand corner of the screen to figure out how many pts you would need. You are free to spend your allotment of pts however you choose until you run out.
(But you will also need to learn about “use years” – since pts are allocated annually and while you can bank and borrow from other years’ allocations, pts do expire if not used within a certain time period.)

It can get complicated, so take your time learning how to use the system. If you like traveling to wdw every year (or every other year) and staying onsite, DVC can be a great deal.

 

[Crystal_27]

First, be aware that there is no DVC resort at WDW for which you can get a week in a studio for 61 points. None are that low for a week. Click on at top of this page "DVC Point Charts" and start exploring points required for different size rooms at the different resort for the different times of year.

To the OP, what drusba stated is indeed true, but keep in mind that DVC allows you to bank and borrow your vacation points, meaning that if you are short one year, you can borrow from next year's points. In the same vein, if you have extra points in a given year, you can bank them and place them into next year's allotment.

I realize that previous posters have said that 61 points won't get you a week at OKW. That's very true. However, if you plan on vacationing at Disney every other year, that a 61 point contract would give you a total of 122 points to use every other year which would absolutely get you a week's stay.

And, to answer your other questions, your buy-in gets you a set number of points every year. If, for example, your 61 point contract had a use year of March, you would receive 61 points every March. But, keep in mind that you can use your points to travel any time during the year, at any of the DVC resorts (your points are not tied to your home resort; they can be used at any DVC resort).

Hope that helps!

 

[Aubie881]

We are considering getting in on the DVC by buying a resale. What is considered a week, 6n7d or 7n6d. I assume it is 7nights.

 

[vicki_c]

We are considering getting in on the DVC by buying a resale. What is considered a week, 6n7d or 7n6d. I assume it is 7nights.

Points are by night. You don't have to book a week like other timeshares - you can book 1 night if you want - so a "week" can be whatever you need it to be, 6 days, 7 days, 5 days, whatever.

 

[Sandisw]

Welcome! Understanding DVC can be overwhelming but you have definitely come to the right place.

The great thing about DVC, IMO, is that you buy a set number of points and then decide how to use the points each year to visit WDW. For me, with the points I own, I will be going on one yearly trip for either 5 nights in a 1 bedroom, or 8 nights in a studio (depending on how many of my kids join us).

So, the first thing to do is look at the point chart at the top of the page and think about what and when you want to travel. If you are looking at a week, just pick a season, pick a resort that you might want to own at, and see what the point cost is.

Once that is done, then you know about how many points you would need for a yearly trip. Of course, you would not be locked in to always going a week at a time, but at least you know what you will be able to do.

There are members who start out with the plan to go every other year and therefore, can buy a contract with 1/2 as many points and utilize the "banking" option for DVC (you can bank up to 100% of your points into the following year). For example, 7 nights in a 1 bedroom, during Dream Season is 196 points.

For someone who wants to go every other year, they would only need a 100 point contract (which would run about $6500 initially) and then just pay the yearly MF's.

The more you read and the more questions you ask, the easier it will be to start to understand how DVC works in comparison to other timeshares.

Good luck!!!