Thinking about the DVC help

[katieam1]

Ok, my husband and I are thinking of buying into the DVC. I was wondering how the points work and if the 160 is really enough. We went to WDW in January and have another trip planned in August. We would like to keep that type of trend going where we go twice a year. Can 160 points accomplish that? Then we were looking at the resales thinking maybe that is how we want to go but not sure. Can anyone give advice? Do people who have the vacation club like it?

 

[chalee94]

Ok, my husband and I are thinking of buying into the DVC. I was wondering how the points work and if the 160 is really enough. We went to WDW in January and have another trip planned in August. We would like to keep that type of trend going where we go twice a year. Can 160 points accomplish that?

if you include weekends, probably not, but there is a link to pt charts in the top right-hand corner of the screen, so you can check and see how many you would need.

Then we were looking at the resales thinking maybe that is how we want to go but not sure. Can anyone give advice?

here is a link to another thread discussing resales and other introductory information about DVC.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2097991

 

[ammo]

The sufficiency of 160 points will depend entirely upon your travel preferences -- what seasons you travel, what type of room you book, and which resort you frequent. You can also skip a trip here or there and bank (i.e., save) points for the future. Alternatively, you can borrow points from your next year to use now, but some people seem to wind up in a persistent hole from this strategy.

And while avoiding weekends has been a way to stretch points in the past, DVC is reallocating points beginning Jan. 1, 2010, which will mean that weeknights require more points than previously and weekends require fewer. For those who stay in 7-day intervals, the reallocation is fairly trivial. But those traveling mostly over weekends were pleasantly surprised, while those traveling mid-week were disappointed (to say the least!). The net effect is that a lot of "mid-weekers" will only have enough points to make 4-night trips in the future, compared to 5-night trips in the past.

 

[ammo]

Regarding whether or not people like DVC, I am sure you can find all types. Those who post frequently on the boards seem to love DVC, and you can put my family in that category. But there are certain travel habits that affect people's enjoyment of DVC.

A fundamental consideration is your ability to plan trips months in advance. DVC can be frustrating if you try to book last-minute trips, because unreserved DVC rooms are turned over to the cash reservation system at the one-month mark (to ensure maximum occupancy). So if you call three weeks before your trip, you will face severely limited options. And the more popular locations, depending upon season, can book up fairly quickly. So the earlier you can plan your trips, the better.

But we typically have no problem planning major trips up to a year in advance. We also love the kitchen and laundry facilities. And we dine-in enough to save hundreds of dollars each trip over the cost of Disney dining. For us, DVC has been outstanding. I wouldn't call it a great financial investment, but it has been money well and joyfully spent.

 

[CNPHILLY]

Ok, my husband and I are thinking of buying into the DVC. I was wondering how the points work and if the 160 is really enough. We went to WDW in January and have another trip planned in August. We would like to keep that type of trend going where we go twice a year. Can 160 points accomplish that?

It really depends on whether you plan on using a studio, one bedroom or two bedroom. If you are using weekends, no matter what room you are in, you most likely will not get two full weeks each year with 160 points. As it is, in 2010, going in a studio in January and August would be around 115-150 pts. even if you went only Sunday night through Thursday night. I would always error on the side of getting a few more points than you need when you first buy, rather than adding later.

Then we were looking at the resales thinking maybe that is how we want to go but not sure. Can anyone give advice? Do people who have the vacation club like it?

We bought through Disney, but that was several years ago. The resales look like the way to go right now, giving that the values are so depressed. I know the mantra is buy where you want to stay, but we purchased at a resort and have never actually stayed there and have not had a problem getting into any resort we want. We go primarily in February and September.

We love DVC, but you are really making a long-term commitment, so keep that in mind.