Super new - considering DVC ?s

[Tattylou]

I’ve considered DVC in the past, but never really explored it much. The past few weeks I’ve really been reading more and more on these boards about DVC ownership. I’m looking for advice and have a few questions.
I’m a long time Disney fan. I went to Disney every year growing up and have gone every year since my youngest son was 3 (he’s 10 now). We switch off between Disneyland and WDW, but WDW is easier bc we are on the east coast. We are a plane ride away though. We prefer to stay onsite at WDW - typically we have done values or moderates, but have always wanted to do deluxe. Rack rates are more than I will pay for them though. We have to travel high peak times bc DH is a teacher. Family is four - kids 12 and 10 plus my husband and myself. We usually travel with my parents, but they generally get their own hotel room at the same resort. I’d say usually rack rate we are paying 2300 or so for a week for accommodations. For example, I just booked president’s week Feb 2022 at CBR for 320/night. This the week we would probably go usually.
I’m leaning towards resale bc it is so much cheaper. I’m not feeling super willing to finance 30k for 125 points direct. That is a lot of money. My husband would be like what the actual heck are you thinking lol. A small (50 point) resale contract I might be able to pay cash and get my feet wet with all this DVC stuff. I’m not sure 50 points would get me too far though on peak weeks.
-What is your thoughts on 50 points given my situation?

-What does ROFR mean?
-Can you use resale points at Hilton Head, Vero Beach, or Aulani?
-Can you use your Disney visa and get 6 months no interest and 2% back on resale? (my sense is this is only for direct)
-What are the benefits to buying direct in my situation? Does it ever make sense to finance? I see lots of info saying do not finance.
-If I pay cash then what are the typically monthly/yearly additional costs on a small 50 point contract?
-Once I have a small resale then I can add small direct contract if I want more points, right? What is the benefit of doing that as opposed to buying a small resale add on?

Any and all opinions and advice welcome.
Thanks so much!

 

[Eric Smith]

I’ve considered DVC in the past, but never really explored it much. The past few weeks I’ve really been reading more and more on these boards about DVC ownership. I’m looking for advice and have a few questions.
I’m a long time Disney fan. I went to Disney every year growing up and have gone every year since my youngest son was 3 (he’s 10 now). We switch off between Disneyland and WDW, but WDW is easier bc we are on the east coast. We are a plane ride away though. We prefer to stay onsite at WDW - typically we have done values or moderates, but have always wanted to do deluxe. Rack rates are more than I will pay for them though. We have to travel high peak times bc DH is a teacher. Family is four - kids 12 and 10 plus my husband and myself. We usually travel with my parents, but they generally get their own hotel room at the same resort. I’d say usually rack rate we are paying 2300 or so for a week for accommodations. For example, I just booked president’s week Feb 2022 at CBR for 320/night. This the week we would probably go usually.
I’m leaning towards resale bc it is so much cheaper. I’m not feeling super willing to finance 30k for 125 points direct. That is a lot of money. My husband would be like what the actual heck are you thinking lol. A small (50 point) resale contract I might be able to pay cash and get my feet wet with all this DVC stuff. I’m not sure 50 points would get me too far though on peak weeks.
-What is your thoughts on 50 points given my situation?

I think 50 points will be too low for you situation. That will get you three nights in a studio best case every year and likely it will be more like two. If you're going to do DVC, I would make sure you get how many points you'll need with a buffer of at least 10% to account for the points charts changing.

-What does ROFR mean?

It's Right of First Refusal. Basically, Disney has the right to buy any resale contract back at the same price that the buyer and seller agree to. It's a way for Disney to set a price floor for resale contracts. Here's a list of the highest ROFR price for January of this year at one DVC resale website:
https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/blog/dvc-right-of-first-refusal-report-rofr-january-21-report/This should give you an idea of what your absolute minimum price could be. I would expect to pay a bit more than these values per point.

-Can you use resale points at Hilton Head, Vero Beach, or Aulani?

Yes, you can use resale points there. I don't know what availability looks like at 7 months for these resorts at the time you want to go. I'd expect that they're not too bad. I know that is off peak for Aulani.

-Can you use your Disney visa and get 6 months no interest and 2% back on resale? (my sense is this is only for direct)

I don't believe you can do this.

-What are the benefits to buying direct in my situation? Does it ever make sense to finance? I see lots of info saying do not finance.

I don't think there would be much of a benefit to buying direct for you. The only perk that has a significant financial impact is the ability to buy discounted Annual Passes. Since it looks like you'd be going once a year, that won't help you. The only other "benefit" is the ability to stay at Riviera resort. You'll only be able to stay at the current DVC resorts (except Riviera) with a resale contract. It's also worth noting that you're going to have a very hard time getting a room at the DVC side of Grand Californian without owning there.

-If I pay cash then what are the typically monthly/yearly additional costs on a small 50 point contract?

Here are the current maintenance fees. They're on a per point basis:
https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/buying/annual-dues/

-Once I have a small resale then I can add small direct contract if I want more points, right? What is the benefit of doing that as opposed to buying a small resale add on?

Yes, you can do that. There are only a couple small benefits to buying a small direct contract that doesn't reach the threshold for being a full blue card member (125 direct points):
-Ability to stay at all new DVC resorts (only applies to the points you bought direct)
-You can match the use year of your resale contract with the direct points. You can do this via resale as well, but it may be difficult to find the right number of points and use year.
-You can buy the exact amount of points that you want.

Any and all opinions and advice welcome.
Thanks so much!

I think for your situation, you'll want to look hard at buying resale. I don't think the additional cost of direct would be worth it. I'd also recommend looking at the cheaper resorts (Animal Kingdom Lodge, Saratoga Springs...etc) since it sounds like you're going to be financing. I don't know that DVC will really save you a ton of money on your hotel, but it would allow you to stay at nicer resorts.

I think you also need to look at what kind of room you're going to want to book. There aren't any DVC studios with two regular beds. They all have one regular bed and one pull out couch or murphy bed. This is also true for the one bedroom units, but you do get more space with those.

 

[Tattylou]

I think 50 points will be too low for you situation. That will get you three nights in a studio best case every year and likely it will be more like two. If you're going to do DVC, I would make sure you get how many points you'll need with a buffer of at least 10% to account for the points charts changing.



It's Right of First Refusal. Basically, Disney has the right to buy any resale contract back at the same price that the buyer and seller agree to. It's a way for Disney to set a price floor for resale contracts. Here's a list of the highest ROFR price for January of this year at one DVC resale website:
https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/blog/dvc-right-of-first-refusal-report-rofr-january-21-report/This should give you an idea of what your absolute minimum price could be. I would expect to pay a bit more than these values per point.



Yes, you can use resale points there. I don't know what availability looks like at 7 months for these resorts at the time you want to go. I'd expect that they're not too bad. I know that is off peak for Aulani.



I don't believe you can do this.



I don't think there would be much of a benefit to buying direct for you. The only perk that has a significant financial impact is the ability to buy discounted Annual Passes. Since it looks like you'd be going once a year, that won't help you. The only other "benefit" is the ability to stay at Riviera resort. You'll only be able to stay at the current DVC resorts (except Riviera) with a resale contract. It's also worth noting that you're going to have a very hard time getting a room at the DVC side of Grand Californian without owning there.



Here are the current maintenance fees. They're on a per point basis:
https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/buying/annual-dues/


Yes, you can do that. There are only a couple small benefits to buying a small direct contract that doesn't reach the threshold for being a full blue card member (125 direct points):
-Ability to stay at all new DVC resorts (only applies to the points you bought direct)
-You can match the use year of your resale contract with the direct points. You can do this via resale as well, but it may be difficult to find the right number of points and use year.
-You can buy the exact amount of points that you want.



I think for your situation, you'll want to look hard at buying resale. I don't think the additional cost of direct would be worth it. I'd also recommend looking at the cheaper resorts (Animal Kingdom Lodge, Saratoga Springs...etc) since it sounds like you're going to be financing. I don't know that DVC will really save you a ton of money on your hotel, but it would allow you to stay at nicer resorts.

I think you also need to look at what kind of room you're going to want to book. There aren't any DVC studios with two regular beds. They all have one regular bed and one pull out couch or murphy bed. This is also true for the one bedroom units, but you do get more space with those.

this was very helpful - thank you!

 

[Tattylou]

I think 50 points will be too low for you situation. That will get you three nights in a studio best case every year and likely it will be more like two. If you're going to do DVC, I would make sure you get how many points you'll need with a buffer of at least 10% to account for the points charts changing.



It's Right of First Refusal. Basically, Disney has the right to buy any resale contract back at the same price that the buyer and seller agree to. It's a way for Disney to set a price floor for resale contracts. Here's a list of the highest ROFR price for January of this year at one DVC resale website:
https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/blog/dvc-right-of-first-refusal-report-rofr-january-21-report/This should give you an idea of what your absolute minimum price could be. I would expect to pay a bit more than these values per point.



Yes, you can use resale points there. I don't know what availability looks like at 7 months for these resorts at the time you want to go. I'd expect that they're not too bad. I know that is off peak for Aulani.



I don't believe you can do this.



I don't think there would be much of a benefit to buying direct for you. The only perk that has a significant financial impact is the ability to buy discounted Annual Passes. Since it looks like you'd be going once a year, that won't help you. The only other "benefit" is the ability to stay at Riviera resort. You'll only be able to stay at the current DVC resorts (except Riviera) with a resale contract. It's also worth noting that you're going to have a very hard time getting a room at the DVC side of Grand Californian without owning there.



Here are the current maintenance fees. They're on a per point basis:
https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/buying/annual-dues/


Yes, you can do that. There are only a couple small benefits to buying a small direct contract that doesn't reach the threshold for being a full blue card member (125 direct points):
-Ability to stay at all new DVC resorts (only applies to the points you bought direct)
-You can match the use year of your resale contract with the direct points. You can do this via resale as well, but it may be difficult to find the right number of points and use year.
-You can buy the exact amount of points that you want.



I think for your situation, you'll want to look hard at buying resale. I don't think the additional cost of direct would be worth it. I'd also recommend looking at the cheaper resorts (Animal Kingdom Lodge, Saratoga Springs...etc) since it sounds like you're going to be financing. I don't know that DVC will really save you a ton of money on your hotel, but it would allow you to stay at nicer resorts.

I think you also need to look at what kind of room you're going to want to book. There aren't any DVC studios with two regular beds. They all have one regular bed and one pull out couch or murphy bed. This is also true for the one bedroom units, but you do get more space with those.

So annual dues and maintenance fee are the same thing?

 

[Eric Smith]

So annual dues and maintenance fee are the same thing?

Yes they are. The two components of the cost for DVC are the initial purchase price and the maintenance fees.

 

[MissLiss279]

I think you also need to look at what kind of room you're going to want to book. There aren't any DVC studios with two regular beds. They all have one regular bed and one pull out couch or murphy bed. This is also true for the one bedroom units, but you do get more space with those.

I believe OKW studios have two regular beds.

 

[Eric Smith]

I believe OKW studios have two regular beds.

Just checked it, that's correct. I didn't know that.

 

[Tattylou]

I believe OKW studios have two regular beds.

Do any studios have the CBR 5th sleeper kind of thing? Sharing a bed with my youngest is like sharing it with a squirming sleep talking maniac.

I love the idea of buying at the Grand at DL bc I adore Disneyland and love the vibe of that hotel and the ease of getting to the parks from there. We live in Massachusetts though, so it seems crazy to buy at the one place that is 3000 miles away

 

[PurdueTodd]

Have you thought about renting points from a current DVC owner to test the waters?? Unless you know what resort you want to make your home resort, I’d rent points at a resort that I’d be interested in buying at before taking the plunge. It is a long term commitment......so make sure you buy where you’d like to stay so that you can take advantage of the 11 month booking window.

 

[Tattylou]

I actually have the liquid cash to buy a larger resale contract, but it’s supposed to be for siding my house, building a deck, and redoing my kitchen lol. Ironically, when we refinanced to get the money, my husband actually said - this is for the house stuff, not for vacations. He knows me too well.

 

[Tattylou]

Have you thought about renting points from a current DVC owner to test the waters?? Unless you know what resort you want to make your home resort, I’d rent points at a resort that I’d be interested in buying at before taking the plunge. It is a long term commitment......so make sure you buy where you’d like to stay so that you can take advantage of the 11 month booking window.

I have thought of that and was planning to do it for what was going to be our Feb 2021 trip - then pandemic happened and the 2021 trip got scratched. I’m leery of renting now bc I don’t love the cancel policies with the stupid covid still being a thing.
I’ve been to a fair amount of the resorts just from resort hoping or eating at them so I have an idea of the vibes of a bunch. I’m actually not super picky though - I’ve been contented at All Stars so I can hang with SSR - I actually like that it is right at Disney Springs. I like Animal Kingdom too. The monorail resorts have the appeal of easy transportation, but that’s not super important for me to spend a lot more for it.
I wish I wasn’t tied to a teacher’s schedule. It really is inconvenient for Disney travel lol.

 

[DVCSunDevil]

I’ve considered DVC in the past, but never really explored it much. The past few weeks I’ve really been reading more and more on these boards about DVC ownership. I’m looking for advice and have a few questions.
I’m a long time Disney fan. I went to Disney every year growing up and have gone every year since my youngest son was 3 (he’s 10 now). We switch off between Disneyland and WDW, but WDW is easier bc we are on the east coast. We are a plane ride away though. We prefer to stay onsite at WDW - typically we have done values or moderates, but have always wanted to do deluxe. Rack rates are more than I will pay for them though. We have to travel high peak times bc DH is a teacher. Family is four - kids 12 and 10 plus my husband and myself. We usually travel with my parents, but they generally get their own hotel room at the same resort. I’d say usually rack rate we are paying 2300 or so for a week for accommodations. For example, I just booked president’s week Feb 2022 at CBR for 320/night. This the week we would probably go usually.
I’m leaning towards resale bc it is so much cheaper. I’m not feeling super willing to finance 30k for 125 points direct. That is a lot of money. My husband would be like what the actual heck are you thinking lol. A small (50 point) resale contract I might be able to pay cash and get my feet wet with all this DVC stuff. I’m not sure 50 points would get me too far though on peak weeks.
-What is your thoughts on 50 points given my situation?

-What does ROFR mean?
-Can you use resale points at Hilton Head, Vero Beach, or Aulani?
-Can you use your Disney visa and get 6 months no interest and 2% back on resale? (my sense is this is only for direct)
-What are the benefits to buying direct in my situation? Does it ever make sense to finance? I see lots of info saying do not finance.
-If I pay cash then what are the typically monthly/yearly additional costs on a small 50 point contract?
-Once I have a small resale then I can add small direct contract if I want more points, right? What is the benefit of doing that as opposed to buying a small resale add on?

Any and all opinions and advice welcome.
Thanks so much!

Eric Smith covered these questions pretty well. To address the cost comparison, you had mentioned that you were paying around $2300 per week for a moderate. We are going for a week over Easter this year and we are staying at Beach Club. Our total through DVC is around $1550, which includes the maintenance fees and the initial purchase price spread out among all the points (we bought resale last year). And keep in mind that the week we are going is the highest point week of the year, so the dollar equivalent spent via DVC would be even less if we went at other “lower point” times of the year (I am not sure when you normally would be visiting). So in your situation, you would be spending less money and upgrading to a deluxe. That is just a very simple comparison of dollars, although there are other factors to consider before purchasing. But in your situation (you go every year and it seems like you plan to continue that trend into the future) it sounds like DVC could be a good option.

 

[Ruttangel]

You can often put up to $2,500 down as deposit on a credit card with some title agencies on resale contracts
Generally Financing can make a purchase just simply not add up.
I would also do about a month of research before you commit.
You could regret a snap decision
You could even do DVC tour next year if it’s not right for you now

 

[MissLiss279]

Do any studios have the CBR 5th sleeper kind of thing? Sharing a bed with my youngest is like sharing it with a squirming sleep talking maniac.

I think the studios that have the 5th sleeping pull-down bed are BWV, GF, Poly, and BRV. In the link below, if you click on each resort you can find more info on each, including floor plans.

ETA: BCV and RR also have a 5th sleeping surface.
https://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/resorts/resortmain.htm#deluxevilla

 

[DL1WDW2]

Don’t forget the banking & borrowing Rules with only 50 points... and restricted dates due to popular school vacation planning. Basically trying to find availability at 11/7 month window would be very difficult unless you want to start walking 50 points before the 11 month window...

 

[chalee94]

To add some color:

-Can you use resale points at Hilton Head, Vero Beach, or Aulani?

Yes. Resale pts are valid within the DVC system except for new resorts like Riviera as stated.

Availability at 7 month at WDW in the summer is typically not that bad. Peak season for DVC at WDW is in the fall (Fall Frenzy). It is always safer to book your home resort at 11 months and try to change at 7 months and see how it goes. I am a fan of "buy where you don't mind staying."

Availability at 7 month at HHI and VB in the summer is tough, as that is peak season for these beach resorts. February in HHI is much more probable.

 

[JETSDAD]

I think the studios that have the 5th sleeping pull-down bed are BWV, GF, Poly, and BRV. In the link below, if you click on each resort you can find more info on each, including floor plans.
https://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/resorts/resortmain.htm#deluxevilla

Also BCV and Riviera.

 

[Tattylou]

To add some color:

-Can you use resale points at Hilton Head, Vero Beach, or Aulani?

Yes. Resale pts are valid within the DVC system except for new resorts like Riviera as stated.

Availability at 7 month at WDW in the summer is typically not that bad. Peak season for DVC at WDW is in the fall (Fall Frenzy). It is always safer to book your home resort at 11 months and try to change at 7 months and see how it goes. I am a fan of "buy where you don't mind staying."

Availability at 7 month at HHI and VB in the summer is tough, as that is peak season for these beach resorts. February in HHI is much more probable.

Thanks.
We usually go to Disney in February - Presidents week

 

[MissLiss279]

Also BCV and Riviera.

Oh, yeah. Thanks!

 

[Tattylou]

Don’t forget the banking & borrowing Rules with only 50 points... and restricted dates due to popular school vacation planning. Basically trying to find availability at 11/7 month window would be very difficult unless you want to start walking 50 points before the 11 month window...

Ive read the general info about banking and borrowing - are there specific rules to school vacation time frames or something in particular you are referring to? Ty