Total Newbie to DVC

[Karlzmom]

Hi All!


I know someone here is is likely to know the answers and be willing to point me in the right direction.

How do I determine rather quickly what the *true* OOP cost of DVC is? I'm seeing the current promo for AKL, and wondering if its going to be a good deal. Part of this hinges on whether the SSR points being offered for this year could be used during the time we are supposed be at the Poly...how would I figure this all out with minimum headache? What's it really like to book away from your home resort...is availability actually there?

Too much $$ to make a mistake...and DH is very wary when he hears "timeshare"

Thanks in advance.

 

[chalee94]

How do I determine rather quickly what the *true* OOP cost of DVC is?

no problem, but it may take a little time to figure out how to use the information...

there's a link to the DVC resorts' point charts in the top right-hand corner of the screen which you can use to determine how many pts per year you would need for your preferred types of trips to wdw.

there's also a link to resale contracts in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

here is a link to current pricing for the different DVC resorts if you purchase direct.

here is a link to the historical maintenance fee costs, if you'd like to estimate what annual costs will be on your contract going forward.

I'm seeing the current promo for AKL, and wondering if its going to be a good deal. Part of this hinges on whether the SSR points being offered for this year could be used during the time we are supposed be at the Poly...how would I figure this all out with minimum headache? What's it really like to book away from your home resort...is availability actually there?

in 3 months? december (all of it) is one of the most difficult times to book at DVC...many members book it 11 months in advance. it's not completely impossible...DVC may have put a room or 2 aside at SSR for new DVC members...but it's awfully unlikely.

booking on short notice (i.e. less than 5 months out) can be tough to do with any timeshare. DVC is sold with the intent of being awfully close to 100% booked year-round. this can also mean than booking away from your home resort at 7 months or less is not a sure thing...it can be pretty difficult at 7 months for relatively busy times, although if you're willing to waitlist it's not impossible. at less busy times (although there seem to be fewer of those nowadays), it's not too difficult to try other resorts if you're flexible.

but to make a long story short, the rule here is "buy where you want to stay" (or at least "buy where you won't be unhappy to end up.")

i would forget about buying with the intent of staying in december (although if you feel like you have a good handle on DVC and want to see if a guide can book you a room for your 2008 trip, knock yourself out). spend some time on the DVC boards...learn to use the search function...and scan through threads to learn more about how to use a DVC membership and what members are having issues with...BEFORE committing thousands of dollars to buy in.

JMO.

 

[Disney_Villain]

... the rule here is "buy where you want to stay" (or at least "buy where you won't be unhappy to end up.")

Echo that! You're very likely to be booking your home resort (due to availability) more often than other resorts.

 

[Karlzmom]

Thanks for the quick input.

I have no problem with AKL, I think it looks nice. My big issues are 1) I live in CA and am not certain about a yearly pilgrimage, so would want to be able to do something for vacation in other places, though I'm not set on any particular place...just don't want to be paying for something I can never use.

The question about DEC was the notion that if I can put my money being spent for our already booked trip into the DVC purchase its a wiser financial move than to simply hand over the thousands to be spent for a hotel room, and then still have the DVC to pay-off, and needing yet another cross-country trip before I could even begin to use what I'm paying for.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[chalee94]

The question about DEC was the notion that if I can put my money being spent for our already booked trip into the DVC purchase its a wiser financial move than to simply hand over the thousands to be spent for a hotel room, and then still have the DVC to pay-off, and needing yet another cross-country trip before I could even begin to use what I'm paying for.

my other concern is that you may be disappointed with SSR, as it's very different than the poly...no monorail and a bit more distant from the "magic."

while you can trade out of DVC to other locations, if you're not convinced you want to travel to wdw every year, you may want to look into a different timeshare. many can be acquired more cheaply than DVC with comparable or lower annual dues and, if it has a good trade value, you should still be able to get into DVC on occasion. it's worth a look.

it's up to you...if you feel like you have a good handle on things and want to call a guide to see if they can fit you in at SSR, it's worth a call...(but my guess is that they would tell you that SSR is completely booked at this point.)

i would just encourage you to take your time and make sure you understand the potential pitfalls of DVC rather than acting too quickly. but feel free to keep asking questions...