Tips for new owners?

[eticketplease]

I just bought my first contract of 320 points and I understand this point. I figured I am playing a little less per point and only one closing cost.....but I think I would have preferred two resorts with 160 each, same use year.

As someone who likes the larger accommodations I would split the contracts but have the same resort to have the 11 month advantage.

 

[RickNJane]

Bought our first contract in 1996. 250 points at BWV. Now we have 800 points among BWV, VDH, AKV, and BLT. It can get really addictive!
Things we learned.
1) Like a lot of posts, 1BR and above are the way to go. Before adding on look at the points chart. BLT, for instance is pretty cheap point wise.

2) Dues! Dues can be killer. Look at the dues. They can really make or break your yearly budget.

3) VDH has TOT. This can really be expensive. I wish I had known more about it when we added points at VDH. Our guide really glossed over that.

4) Know the differences between perks at the 2 coasts. Mostly the same, however WDW has a discounted AP, DLR does not, so we just buy from Get Away Today.

5) As others have said. Get used to planning a year out. A must do if you want to stay in your Home resort. We have had trips we planned at 6 months, but had to stay at OKW. That is not bad as OKW is a fantastic resort. It was just not BWV.

6) Set reminders for your banking deadlines. Before adding on, we would bank a year and borrow a year to make enough points for a prolonged stay.

7). If you add on watch the UY. Stay with the same if you can. It really makes things easier.

8) Did I mention Dues and TOT? Bears repeating.

9) Get used to the DVC website. You can look at availability for weeks across multiple resorts. It is a great resource for planning.

10) Don't be afraid to call MS. In my experience they are great!

Hope this helps!

 

[Psymonds]

Bought our first contract in 1996. 250 points at BWV. Now we have 800 points among BWV, VDH, AKV, and BLT. It can get really addictive!
Things we learned.
1) Like a lot of posts, 1BR and above are the way to go. Before adding on look at the points chart. BLT, for instance is pretty cheap point wise.

2) Dues! Dues can be killer. Look at the dues. They can really make or break your yearly budget.

3) VDH has TOT. This can really be expensive. I wish I had known more about it when we added points at VDH. Our guide really glossed over that.

4) Know the differences between perks at the 2 coasts. Mostly the same, however WDW has a discounted AP, DLR does not, so we just buy from Get Away Today.

5) As others have said. Get used to planning a year out. A must do if you want to stay in your Home resort. We have had trips we planned at 6 months, but had to stay at OKW. That is not bad as OKW is a fantastic resort. It was just not BWV.

6) Set reminders for your banking deadlines. Before adding on, we would bank a year and borrow a year to make enough points for a prolonged stay.

7). If you add on watch the UY. Stay with the same if you can. It really makes things easier.

8) Did I mention Dues and TOT? Bears repeating.

9) Get used to the DVC website. You can look at availability for weeks across multiple resorts. It is a great resource for planning.

10) Don't be afraid to call MS. In my experience they are great!

Hope this helps!

we are VDH and our guide did mention TOT. not a selling point, of course, but worth noting, especially if we're renting points.

It will be interesting as more rooms are dedicated at VDH to see if the occupancy at the two Disneyland resorts stays as tight; there's not really an OKW equivalent out here.

 

[RickNJane]

we are VDH and our guide did mention TOT. not a selling point, of course, but worth noting, especially if we're renting points.

It will be interesting as more rooms are dedicated at VDH to see if the occupancy at the two Disneyland resorts stays as tight; there's not really an OKW equivalent out here.

I am hoping that with DLR expansion will come a bigger DVC presence. Of course they will have to do something with TOT maybe like GCH where it is just part of the Dues. DVC seems to be in a building frenzy, so anything is possible I suppose. DLR is such an easy trip compared to WDW.

 

[Sondra Sunflowers]

This is a fun thread!

1. What's something you've learned the hard way that you can share?

Put a yearly reminder in your calendar to bank your points. I forgot to do it once. They give you a 1-time grace for that. I've never forgotten again and usually do it early.

As others have mentioned, we plan our trips MUCH further in advance than any of our friends. To better manage points, I'm always thinking a couple years out. My husband is in a clinical profession, so PTO is requested/granted about a year in advance so this doesn't bother us at all.

1. What's something you didn't realize until much later?

I have been a DVC owner since 2008. My daughter was 6 years old. Life has changed a lot since then. I didn't realize how much I would still love Disney at this stage of life, with an adult child. My husband and I really enjoy Disney just the two of us. DVC is now a big part of our retirement plan. We'd like to have enough points to spend 3-4 weeks over the winter. Disney snowbirds LOL.

The best advice anyone has ever given me was to take advantage of the annual pass discount. Even if you can only take 1 week of vacation a year, plan next year's trip 11 months later so you can use it twice.

1. What did you wish you knew starting out?

The prices ALWAYS increase. Buy as much direct points as you can afford with your first contract so you get that coveted blue card. You will probably add on later and resale will probably cost more than your original contract LOL. Speaking from experience....

 

[eticketplease]

Of course they will have to do something with TOT maybe like GCH where it is just part of the Dues.

If they did this the dues would be at or over the CFW ones at looking closer to VB.

The VGC transient tax is around $0.50 a point so much more reasonable to roll in to the dues.

 

[bdrex28]

Keep asking questions! But understanding the holding rules was something I didn’t get at first.

The other thing that helps me when I want to book is to forget the calendar year, and just think about your UY.

Start with the UY your trip will happen and then you know you can book it with banked points from the UY prior to the trip, UY of the trip, and then borrow from the UY after the trip.

It just makes it easier to know what points can be used!

I would like to add that Sandi was wonderful helping us as we were navigating DVC.

Thank you!!!

 

[WishesQueen]

What's a Welcome Home Offer and do they still offer it?

 

[eticketplease]

What's a Welcome Home Offer and do they still offer it?

They would give an extra amount off if you were currently staying on points and added on. Sometimes they would give the discount if you had an upcoming stay booked as well.

I don’t think they are offering it right now but they are offering those with a Disney Visa $1,000 off of 150+ add ons dvcnews.com reported.

 

[WishesQueen]

They would give an extra amount off if you were currently staying on points and added on. Sometimes they would give the discount if you had an upcoming stay booked as well.

I don’t think they are offering it right now but they are offering those with a Disney Visa $1,000 off of 150+ add ons dvcnews.com reported.

Congratulations to all my fellow new and old DVC owners!!

Thanks so much for explaining, we just purchased GFV and I didn't see that in the offer anyway. Just wanted to make sure I didn't miss an opportunity.

 

[Orbitz2003]

Great tips here

 

[Girlstar30]

You got me LOL!! I love many people - we've just had it with having company join us while on vacation.

Early in our DVC ownership, we were very generous inviting family members to enjoy vacations in 3BR GV's. We quickly realized people don't plan well even if they understand they have to buy their own park tickets and meals when out and about. All parties had been to WDW multiple times without us. It gets old to hear complaints about money... Are they asking us to pay for their trip? I know we all complain in our heads while at Disney, however being bombarded with complaints when you are providing luxury digs gets old really quickly.

Ugh this x1000. The last two disney trips I planned with others was like pulling teeth trying to plan excursions and gathering money, I felt like a collection agent. Complaints that they didnt feel like they had a say in the plans, Then the nerve when they werent invited again to ask, "So am i blocked out of going on vacation with you guys again?" Or a subtle, "Have a happy new year, hope I'm included in some plans with you guys this year" Vacations can and do ruin friendships. Most people are not greatful sadly, but it baffles me when theyre in shock when they don't get invited again

 

[alex33x]

1) What's something you've learned the hard way that you can share?

If you’re going to buy more than 150, split it into multiple contracts.

2) What's something you didn't realize until much later?

That I’m going to really want a 1+ bedroom in the winter trips especially so I can do laundry in my room. Got SOOO drenched at World of Color and only brought one pair of shoes. Haha.

3) What did you wish you knew starting out?

Nothing other than #1 above. Between DVC Show and Disboards I felt otherwise pretty informed. Amazing communities.

Welcome Home!

I'm a new owner as well, I do see that people recommend you split points into multiple contracts. In my case, I bought a 300 point contract which I hear its harder to sell if ever need to. The price was at an all time low for Copper Creek I paid about $106 per point. It took me a full year before I finally pulled the trigger.

But other than the sales aspect are there other reasons for this recommendation?

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

1) The vibe of a resort is an intangible that really makes or breaks our trips. We did a December split stay Riviera/VGF, and we REALLY disliked VGF because of how crazed the lobby/restaurants/shops were. Yes, the lobby is magnificent, but it was SOOOO crowded, really left a poor taste that surprised us. Riviera gets so much hate for its uninspiring lobby, LOL, but we love how quiet it is!

1b) We "settled" on a split stay at OKW after hearing it's in the middle of nowhere and only having buses and boats -- and we LOVED it. Again, as a family, I think we get peopled out in the parks and really need a relief valve of quiet to come back to.

2) We realized later that Disney is amazing without kids! LOL. We literally "just" got home this afternoon from our first couple-only trip and it was AMAZING. So easy and romantic. This confirms my secret dream to be DVC snowbirds once the kids are grown.

3) That buying DVC doesn't save you money the way you expect. We spend so much more on more trips/APs/more dining out, but it has enriched our family's lives so much. I just did a boy's trip with just my son at AKJ and let him plan the day. We did ONE day at AK, one day at Wild Florida doing gators and air boat ride, and a ton of loafing in the hot tub. I did our couple's trip this weekend. Next up is a girl's trip with our bougie daughter at RR/VGF and water parks.

3b) Take the DVC spreadsheet nerds with a grain of salt. I love and appreciate the work they do, truly, but at the end of the day, if you want a resort with restrictions or AKJ/AKK despite higher dues for the animals, buy what makes you happy. It's too expensive to just always go by "value."

3c) Speaking of which, 1Bs are supposedly not a good "value," but they make our trips one billion percent better; laundry, locking bedroom door, full kitchen, room for spreading out, good storage -- it's just really nice.

 

[Girlstar30]

I didn't realize how much they vibe of a resort matters and it truly does, probably the most important aspect of where you want to own/stay. Every resort has its own feels. Some of these cast members really go above and beyond. We experienced that at Riv, we weren't even guests there and we wanted to tour a room and the cast member told us that dvc wasn't there right now and we told him we'd walk the grounds and return. When we returned to the dvc desk the cast member still wasn't there so we left and the cast member who interacted with us saw us leaving and chased us down outside. He wanted to make sure that we weren't leaving without being able to see the room we wanted to see. I was impressed, he could have easily just let us walk on out, but he remembered us and why we came and wanted to make sure we were helped.

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

I'm a new owner as well, I do see that people recommend you split points into multiple contracts. In my case, I bought a 300 point contract which I hear its harder to sell if ever need to. The price was at an all time low for Copper Creek I paid about $106 per point. It took me a full year before I finally pulled the trigger.

But other than the sales aspect are there other reasons for this recommendation?

Three pronged for sales
1) harder to move a larger contract as fewer can afford it / want to add that many points.
2) as a result it will usually sell for less per point
3) if let say you have 300 points and decide you want less points at that resort but not zero points at that resort, you can’t just sell part of your points - you have to sell them all.

 

[eticketplease]

Three pronged for sales
1) harder to move a larger contract as fewer can afford it / want to add that many points.
2) as a result it will usually sell for less per point
3) if let say you have 300 points and decide you want less points at that resort but not zero points at that resort, you can’t just sell part of your points - you have to sell them all.

I think #3 is a biggie especially if this is a blue card contract.

With the CCV that was mentioned earlier the PP could have had 4 75 point contracts that all would have been eligible for the perks if that was all that was kept.

I debate about downsizing but then I realize I will always want a 1 BR

 

[MarkNC2Disney]

One thing I’ve learned is every DVC room is beautiful and has its pros and cons, and to not let expectations (due to room requests) steal my joy.

 

[IDSkinner]

As always, there are soooo many great tips on the DIS Boards. We have one contract at Disney GFV and love it. We're also not split stay people. We like to unpack and call it good until we leave.

• Owner's locker(OL)-We love having the OL so that way we can simply pack clothes for our trip. I had a bartender tell me a great and easy recipe for frozen margaritas and, although I make them at home and keep in a big pitcher in the deep freezer, that didn't work for Disney. I was able to figure out how to make small batches of the drink and had a portable blender added to my OL so we could have them on our porch. The OL allows us to make packing easy, security easy and know that everything we need is already there waiting for us. We also don't stay more than seven days, so the laundry is a non-issue. We like the studios and, although I cook, I prefer the experiences in the bubble with food and our snacks are simple. So, the need for a washer and dryer and kitchen are not important to us. The studio gives us everything we need for how we Disney.

• Grocery Delivery- We'll use a grocery delivery to get our snacks(some are already in the owners locker such as protein bars) to the resort before we arrive so that we're not having to do that chore once we arrive.

• We, too, had the family issues(Me and DW + 3 young adult children) during 2023 Christmas and WE paid for everything. It was our gift to our kids. Tickets, flights, food, snacks, transport, everything. We were surprised how there were any complaints about the room, sleeping arrangements and such that created unnecessary tension. I mean, you're on a fully paid trip to Disney at Christmas. What could possibly be any better? And, they are Disney fans, so it's not like any of them weren't excited to be there. So, as several had mentioned, tread lightly before opening up your stays to others. I now see how it can ruin friendships and alter family relationships.

• We now relax more on our trips when it's just the two of us. We aren't rope dropping and really we are simply loving the bubble. It's my job to find new experiences and surprise my wife on each trip we take. I enjoy the planning and the surprise.

• We can see buying more points in the future. I don't believe I'd enjoy varying use years. I'll bank and borrow to do 3-4 week long trips on an annual pass along with the SW companion pass. We'll splurge on dining to either try a new recommended place or revisit one that we love. So, we are spending more on food, but saving elsewhere on travel and tickets. All that being said, DVC has created a huge desire to do Disney more often than we ever had before. So, DVC is definitely working well for Disney regarding our family as we are definitely upping our game in frequency to the parks/resorts. And, that's a good thing!

 

[MICKIMINI]

Ugh this x1000. The last two disney trips I planned with others was like pulling teeth trying to plan excursions and gathering money, I felt like a collection agent. Complaints that they didnt feel like they had a say in the plans, Then the nerve when they werent invited again to ask, "So am i blocked out of going on vacation with you guys again?" Or a subtle, "Have a happy new year, hope I'm included in some plans with you guys this year" Vacations can and do ruin friendships. Most people are not greatful sadly, but it baffles me when theyre in shock when they don't get invited again

Just move on. You have no obligation to invite them at all and they should be grateful you invited them even once. If you didn't ask for money for preplanned excursions, it is unlikely you would every see it, right?

Like I've said, our son and DIL meet us at WDW most trips and we provide a DVC studio for them. Sometimes we are at the same resort, sometimes not. We meet for ADR's and park visits. We enjoy our visits as expectations are known and we travel well together. They travel overseas with DIL's family frequently. Our son and DIL are done traveling overseas with friends for the same reasons you mentioned. The friends basically had "tour guides" in Paris and other European cities but were appalled at hotel and meal prices even though they were clearly explained ahead. These are top earners, so no excuses here...I guess it is human nature!