Thinking of purchasing but not through WDW

[chetcroc]

Hello everyone. I have been reading this thread with great interest. I never considered purchasing from anyone but Disney. It appeared you lost certain privileges by buying from a non- Disney company. Many of you have said that you got great deals on resale. Can you give me some examples of what your price per point that you paid at the following resorts. I own at 6 resorts, and would be interested in what some of you paid per point for Bay Lake, Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom, Wilderness Lodge, Grand Californian and Aulani. I want to see the difference in what I paid. Thanks.

 

[graychef]

Hello everyone. I have been reading this thread with great interest. I never considered purchasing from anyone but Disney. It appeared you lost certain privileges by buying from a non- Disney company. Many of you have said that you got great deals on resale. Can you give me some examples of what your price per point that you paid at the following resorts. I own at 6 resorts, and would be interested in what some of you paid per point for Bay Lake, Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom, Wilderness Lodge, Grand Californian and Aulani. I want to see the difference in what I paid. Thanks.

Check out the ROFR thread for a list of some recent transactions.

 

[LaLalovesWDW]

You all know Im here taking notes right? This is soooo helpful!

One thing you might want to do is on your next trip take a day to travel to each the the DVC resorts and check each one out. Use the Disney transportation so you can see how good/bad it is. For such a large purchase you may really want to think about the resort - and think long term.

We have found after going to Disney for years and years we have really figured out what resorts we like the most and why. For example in our opinion Beach Club is the best of all. It is a combination of a lot of things - (1) you can walk to two parks, (2) the great pool, (3) the food options which include a very short walk to Epcot World Showcase, (4) the boardwalk, and (5) the general environment. Our second favorite is the Boardwalk (we own here) for similar reasons.

For me, the resorts where you have to take a bus to any and everything are to be avoided. This is just me though.

The Disney room I remember being "the best" was one where we had the room directly above the little store at the Beach Club on the second floor. We had a large balcony with a lake/boardwalk view. To get a cup of coffee or snack was like walking downstairs in our own house ... never even had to use an elevator the whole trip. The only bus rides were to the MK.

One other thing to mention - DVC members get a good discount on season passes. A season pass is a great way to go if you think by chance you will be at Disney more than once in a year (we make two treks there ... May and Jan).

So, learn everything about DVC before buying. In the meantime you can still go to Disney whenever you want w/o DVC.

I think I may just do that my upcoming trip. I have one day where I purposely didn't plan much and the resort that I don't really know much about are GF, WL, BCV, and OKV. Ive done the DVC tour spiel already and Id rather have a root canal than go through that again, so Im going to take everyone's advice and take some notes.

 

[DeefromOhio]

Hi.

We just returned from WDW, having spent our 2nd trip with 2 kids (ages 8 and 6) at POFQ. My husband is sick of 300 square foot rooms and 2 queen beds, so we decided to do the DVC tour and see what the 50% off signs were all about, although I don't believe that was ever explained. Hmmm....go figure!

The one bedroom villas are beautiful and just what we're looking for. I have read that they seem to be the easiest accommodations to book even at 7 months (1st is grand villas, 2nd is studios, 3rd is two-bedrooms, and 4th is one-bedroom), so are we safe with buying SSR? SSR seems great to me (especially as an equine enthusiast), and love that it's been recently refurbished! We also would love to stay at AKV, BWV, BCV, and VGF. Those are our top 4 non-home resorts.

We filled out some preliminary paperwork and left a $1,000 refundable deposit for VGF, but after looking into resale, we've decided $155.00/point is too rich for our blood and VGF requires way too many points for our 160 point purchase. So, we won't be finalizing the purchase.

From everything I've read, SSR seems to be the lowest in dues, and 50% off the cost of VGF. Before we make an offer on a 200 point contract, I just want to make sure we'll have a shot at staying at other resorts at the 7-month mark. After battling Spring Break crowds last week, we have no desire to come at peak times anymore, so we would most likely aim for the last week of October, first week of December, and early May.

What is the typical experience with booking non-home resorts at 7 months?

Thanks!

 

[supersnoop]

Hi. We just returned from WDW, having spent our 2nd trip with 2 kids (ages 8 and 6) at POFQ. My husband is sick of 300 square foot rooms and 2 queen beds, so we decided to do the DVC tour and see what the 50% off signs were all about, although I don't believe that was ever explained. Hmmm....go figure! The one bedroom villas are beautiful and just what we're looking for. I have read that they seem to be the easiest accommodations to book even at 7 months (1st is grand villas, 2nd is studios, 3rd is two-bedrooms, and 4th is one-bedroom), so are we safe with buying SSR? SSR seems great to me (especially as an equine enthusiast), and love that it's been recently refurbished! We also would love to stay at AKV, BWV, BCV, and VGF. Those are our top 4 non-home resorts. We filled out some preliminary paperwork and left a $1,000 refundable deposit for VGF, but after looking into resale, we've decided $155.00/point is too rich for our blood and VGF requires way too many points for our 160 point purchase. So, we won't be finalizing the purchase. From everything I've read, SSR seems to be the lowest in dues, and 50% off the cost of VGF. Before we make an offer on a 200 point contract, I just want to make sure we'll have a shot at staying at other resorts at the 7-month mark. After battling Spring Break crowds last week, we have no desire to come at peak times anymore, so we would most likely aim for the last week of October, first week of December, and early May. What is the typical experience with booking non-home resorts at 7 months? Thanks!

October and the first week of December are the peak times for DVC.

 

[disneynutz]

Hi.

We just returned from WDW, having spent our 2nd trip with 2 kids (ages 8 and 6) at POFQ. My husband is sick of 300 square foot rooms and 2 queen beds, so we decided to do the DVC tour and see what the 50% off signs were all about, although I don't believe that was ever explained. Hmmm....go figure!

The one bedroom villas are beautiful and just what we're looking for. I have read that they seem to be the easiest accommodations to book even at 7 months (1st is grand villas, 2nd is studios, 3rd is two-bedrooms, and 4th is one-bedroom), so are we safe with buying SSR? SSR seems great to me (especially as an equine enthusiast), and love that it's been recently refurbished! We also would love to stay at AKV, BWV, BCV, and VGF. Those are our top 4 non-home resorts.

We filled out some preliminary paperwork and left a $1,000 refundable deposit for VGF, but after looking into resale, we've decided $155.00/point is too rich for our blood and VGF requires way too many points for our 160 point purchase. So, we won't be finalizing the purchase.

From everything I've read, SSR seems to be the lowest in dues, and 50% off the cost of VGF. Before we make an offer on a 200 point contract, I just want to make sure we'll have a shot at staying at other resorts at the 7-month mark. After battling Spring Break crowds last week, we have no desire to come at peak times anymore, so we would most likely aim for the last week of October, first week of December, and early May.

What is the typical experience with booking non-home resorts at 7 months?

Thanks!

You get what you pay for. If your strategy worked 100% of the time, SSR would be sold out and nobody would own the other resorts.

We want to stay at our favorite resorts, don't waitlist and have certain days that we want to stay, in a certain size room. After several years of not getting what we wanted each year, we decided to just buy our favorite resorts for the home resort advantage.

Yes it costs more but for me it didn't make sense to spend thousands in vacation dollars and not get what we wanted. DW is happy, DD is happy, I'm happy.

Bill

 

[Dean]

Hi.

We just returned from WDW, having spent our 2nd trip with 2 kids (ages 8 and 6) at POFQ. My husband is sick of 300 square foot rooms and 2 queen beds, so we decided to do the DVC tour and see what the 50% off signs were all about, although I don't believe that was ever explained. Hmmm....go figure!

The one bedroom villas are beautiful and just what we're looking for. I have read that they seem to be the easiest accommodations to book even at 7 months (1st is grand villas, 2nd is studios, 3rd is two-bedrooms, and 4th is one-bedroom), so are we safe with buying SSR? SSR seems great to me (especially as an equine enthusiast), and love that it's been recently refurbished! We also would love to stay at AKV, BWV, BCV, and VGF. Those are our top 4 non-home resorts.

We filled out some preliminary paperwork and left a $1,000 refundable deposit for VGF, but after looking into resale, we've decided $155.00/point is too rich for our blood and VGF requires way too many points for our 160 point purchase. So, we won't be finalizing the purchase.

From everything I've read, SSR seems to be the lowest in dues, and 50% off the cost of VGF. Before we make an offer on a 200 point contract, I just want to make sure we'll have a shot at staying at other resorts at the 7-month mark. After battling Spring Break crowds last week, we have no desire to come at peak times anymore, so we would most likely aim for the last week of October, first week of December, and early May.

What is the typical experience with booking non-home resorts at 7 months?

Thanks!

It sounds like you want into the system and would like to try different resorts over time. SSR will work perfect for this as long as you realize that certain resorts and times will be elusive or maybe impossible. AKV concierge, BCV for many options and times, & 3BR GV will be unlikely outside the home resort. Ultimately it's closer to 1/3 the price of VGF long term, worth the minimal risk for many.

 

[Grumpy4315]

Just waited 2 months to here that the contract we were purchasing was in foreclosure now have to stare over wasted 2 months. The TSS should verify ownership before listing.

 

[DeefromOhio]

Hi Dean,

You are correct! We just want to get in at the lowest price/dues possible and if it's closer to a third of the long-term cost of VGF, then that's really awesome! If the only place we ever stay is at SSR, we will still have a beautiful resort, the separate master bedroom, and the kitchen that we want. The pools at SSR are great and the slides should make the kids ecstatic, especially since they've had no complaints about the sea monster pool at FQ. In the long run, it will be cheaper than renting points, and we'll have something that has a value and can be sold if we find it's just not working for us.

If things do work out, then we may consider purchasing add-ons for other resorts, so we have more options, but for less points and less money.

For now, we just want to get our feet wet with SSR, and make an initial investment that is way more comfortable than buying direct at VGF.

We made an offer on a resale last night. The ROFT list was very helpful in finding a number that we hope will fly with the seller and Disney.

Thanks for your input and for a great forum!

 

[lovin'fl]

Hi Dean,

You are correct! We just want to get in at the lowest price/dues possible and if it's closer to a third of the long-term cost of VGF, then that's really awesome! If the only place we ever stay is at SSR, we will still have a beautiful resort, the separate master bedroom, and the kitchen that we want. The pools at SSR are great and the slides should make the kids ecstatic, especially since they've had no complaints about the sea monster pool at FQ. In the long run, it will be cheaper than renting points, and we'll have something that has a value and can be sold if we find it's just not working for us.

If things do work out, then we may consider purchasing add-ons for other resorts, so we have more options, but for less points and less money.

For now, we just want to get our feet wet with SSR, and make an initial investment that is way more comfortable than buying direct at VGF.

We made an offer on a resale last night. The ROFT list was very helpful in finding a number that we hope will fly with the seller and Disney.

Thanks for your input and for a great forum!

Good luck with your SSR contract.

 

[Dean]

Hi Dean,

You are correct! We just want to get in at the lowest price/dues possible and if it's closer to a third of the long-term cost of VGF, then that's really awesome! If the only place we ever stay is at SSR, we will still have a beautiful resort, the separate master bedroom, and the kitchen that we want. The pools at SSR are great and the slides should make the kids ecstatic, especially since they've had no complaints about the sea monster pool at FQ. In the long run, it will be cheaper than renting points, and we'll have something that has a value and can be sold if we find it's just not working for us.

If things do work out, then we may consider purchasing add-ons for other resorts, so we have more options, but for less points and less money.

For now, we just want to get our feet wet with SSR, and make an initial investment that is way more comfortable than buying direct at VGF.

We made an offer on a resale last night. The ROFT list was very helpful in finding a number that we hope will fly with the seller and Disney.

Thanks for your input and for a great forum!

This is the cheapest way to get into the system and really has very little compromise for most people. There are approaches that will get you most options over time but it's best to have a plan. Even the most elusive options (AKV concierge, VGF) will be possible for those that plan well and put the effort in.

 

[DeefromOhio]

Hi Dean,

Can you elaborate on that a bit more, please?

Our only plan at the moment is to purchase the smallest quantity of resale points possible (25-50 ideally) as add-ons for the resorts that we may want, but have difficulty getting into.

I'm guessing that this would be 2-3 years down the road after we've had some time to get used to DVC and have our first purchase paid off. We're planning on taking a very small HELOC for our SSR points. Disney's financing was highway robbery at 10% down and 12% APR for 5 to 10 years, or 20% down and 9.99% APR for 5 to 10 years, which is just insane!

Thanks!

 

[Dean]

Hi Dean,

Can you elaborate on that a bit more, please?

Our only plan at the moment is to purchase the smallest quantity of resale points possible (25-50 ideally) as add-ons for the resorts that we may want, but have difficulty getting into.

I'm guessing that this would be 2-3 years down the road after we've had some time to get used to DVC and have our first purchase paid off. We're planning on taking a very small HELOC for our SSR points. Disney's financing was highway robbery at 10% down and 12% APR for 5 to 10 years, or 20% down and 9.99% APR for 5 to 10 years, which is just insane!

Thanks!

I would agree that the interest rate is dramatic but I recommend against financing at all, but it's a decision you'll have to make or already have for your situation.

Specific to your question I think you should buy enough points to use but not too many. Maybe underbuy somewhat since you plan on adding other resorts later. I wouldn't go under about 150-170 points then I'd see how it goes. It likely will take more than 2-3 years from when you start the purchase process, maybe 4-5 to truly get a feel for how things will go, what resorts you might want (rather than think you want) and whether you really need more points or not.

Personally I don't think the approach of buying a few points at many resorts is a good one. It really adds to your costs and has other limitations. I'd say IF you find you need to add on in the future, adding a single additional resort that gives you options that are important to YOU, might be the best approach or you may find that more cheaper points is your best option.

 

[DeefromOhio]

Great advice.....thanks!

The seller declined our SSR offer of $70 pp and took one for $72. So, it looks like we have some more time to think this through and plan.

Dee

 

[DeefromOhio]

Personally I don't think the approach of buying a few points at many resorts is a good one. It really adds to your costs and has other limitations.

Am I correct in assuming that you are speaking of closing costs for each purchase? I can definitely see how that would drive up the cost of ownership, which is something we don't want to do. Are there any others that I haven't considered?

Also, what types of limitations are there for small point acquisitions?

Thanks!

 

[DeefromOhio]

Hi again.

Okay, so I did some checking and I did not know that the 11 month window would only allow you to book up to the number of points that you have for that resort. So, if I only bought 50 points for BCV, then I could only book a one-bedroom villa for one night. Am I correct in assuming that once the 7-month window arrives, I could possibly extend that, but only if there was the availability to do so?

Our DVC guide made it seem like we could buy 160 at VGF and then add a small purchase for Poly and still have the same advantage. So, that's kind of a bummer, but an understandable limitation.

Are there any others that I should be aware of?

Thanks for helping me to dig deeper and to look for these pitfalls.

 

[disneynutz]

Hi again.

Okay, so I did some checking and I did not know that the 11 month window would only allow you to book up to the number of points that you have for that resort. So, if I only bought 50 points for BCV, then I could only book a one-bedroom villa for one night. Am I correct in assuming that once the 7-month window arrives, I could possibly extend that, but only if there was the availability to do so?

Our DVC guide made it seem like we could buy 160 at VGF and then add a small purchase for Poly and still have the same advantage. So, that's kind of a bummer, but an understandable limitation.

Are there any others that I should be aware of?

Thanks for helping me to dig deeper and to look for these pitfalls.

You really need to read as much as you can here, there are rules, policies, and more. You could bank and borrow your 50 points to use 150 for a reservation.

You also need to understand UY, banking and borrowing rules, and IMO stay at your prospective resorts before buying or be prepared to sell once you find out that the resort you bought isn't your favorite.

You also need to understand the pros and cons of resale.

Bill

 

[Dean]

Am I correct in assuming that you are speaking of closing costs for each purchase? I can definitely see how that would drive up the cost of ownership, which is something we don't want to do. Are there any others that I haven't considered?

Also, what types of limitations are there for small point acquisitions?

Thanks!

There really are 2 issues. One is buying multiple smaller packages raises the costs in 2 ways, these are by higher per point cost and the added additional closing. It also complicates matters by trying to juggle multiple contracts. The third area is finding multiple smaller contracts that actually fit your needs, esp without having to buy them retail. Since now you know that you wouldn't be bypassing the home resort window, I'm sure you better understand the complications of multiple small contracts.

 

[ELMC]

So glad I asked here... you guys are amazing!! Im probably one of the few who actually like SSR and OKW, so I thinking of a small contract there and a small one at AKV. I wonder why there are some many at AKV for sale??

Many people who buy DVC direct do so while on vacation and often with very little research. They also typically buy the resorts that are currently being marketed because they hear that the other resorts are "sold out". Additionally, many people also finance these purchases. Those are three very different characteristics that can all lead to problems of one sort or another, and they can all lead to owners selling (or worse simply giving the contract back to DVD).

The fact that it happens so frequently at AKV might be a function of the size of the resort (more buyers, more opportunities for this to happen). It may also have to do with the fact that AKV is one of the more recent, more expensive resorts to purchase, which increases the possibility that people are in over their heads. And, as others have discussed, the location is not the most popular, and owners might decide to sell so that they can own at a more preferable resort.

One thing to keep in mind is that virtually all of the AKV contracts up for sale right now are going to be sold at a loss. It's a very real risk of DVC (it's actually much less risk than other timeshare systems) and it's something to keep in mind when making a purchase. Sure, some people buy thinking that they're never going to sell, but my buddy said for years that he'd never get married. I went to his wedding twelve years ago and he's still married.

 

[jimim]

So glad I asked here... you guys are amazing!! Im probably one of the few who actually like SSR and OKW, so I thinking of a small contract there and a small one at AKV. I wonder why there are some many at AKV for sale??

We own at AKL cause I like to be out there. We like OKW alot too cause it's a nice laid back resort. Just be careful of which building you stay in if you did end up buying there cause there are a ton of bus stops! lol

We love AKL/V. We never regretted buying resale either. I would pay cash for a cruise wayyyy before using points unless I had a crap load of points!

One day I know I will prob buy a direct contract cause we need a few more points to allow us to get at least 2 weeks in one bedrooms vs just having enough for 2-3 weeks of studio stays right now during busy times of the year.

that's how I based how muc hwe bought also. We tend to go busy times of the year so i made sure I was able to get closer to 3 full weeks a year at AKV during peak times of the year.

jim