Totally Clueless...

[dismom22]

We just got back from a 5 night, 4 (park) day trip. We stayed at Pop Century but one night we walked through Ft Wilderness and my mom LOVED it. I don't think it's even an option to buy into anymore, resale possible though, I guess. But when you do that, you can't use your points elsewhere, right? Like a condo in Nashville or any other non-Disney locations?

I'm so totally clueless about DVC and I'm just not sure where to start. I've got the booklet and the DVD from Disney. It all sounds great but there's so much information. I need the basic stuff first. Where does one start in the DVC decision making and research?!?

 

[chalee94]

We just got back from a 5 night, 4 (park) day trip. We stayed at Pop Century but one night we walked through Ft Wilderness and my mom LOVED it. I don't think it's even an option to buy into anymore, resale possible though, I guess. But when you do that, you can't use your points elsewhere, right? Like a condo in Nashville or any other non-Disney locations?

do you mean ft wilderness (cabins and campground) or the wilderness lodge? it is possible to buy into VWL (either resale or direct) but you would be staying on the villas side and not in the hotel side (where the impressive lobby is).

don't believe the lies. resale points can still be traded into RCI for non-disney locations (dishonest disney "guides" have suggested otherwise but it's a lie). it's a crummy value to trade a disney timeshare that you paid thousands for upfront for a tennessee timeshare that sells on ebay for $1 but it is an option that you still have. i would just buy DVC to use for DVC resorts. if you want to go other places on a regular basis, stick to renting DVC reservations from owners for a while.

I'm so totally clueless about DVC and I'm just not sure where to start. I've got the booklet and the DVD from Disney. It all sounds great but there's so much information. I need the basic stuff first. Where does one start in the DVC decision making and research?!?

start here on the DIS. read posts - even ones that don't seem to apply to you - to find out more about how DVC works and what current owners like and don't like. learn to use the search function to find out more details. ask questions if you are confused.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

Do you mean the Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness? There are resale contracts available for Wilderness lodge or you can go on the waitlist with Disney directly. Fort Wilderness is not DVC but Villas at Wilderness Lodge is.

 

[Reddog1134]

There is no DVC at Ft. Wilderness. I assume you mean the Wilderness Lodge. I point that out because there have been rumors and possible starts and stalls regarding a Ft. Wilderness DVC.

If you but resale, you cannot use your points to book any thing from the Disney Collection, Adventurer Collection and Concierge Collection.

 

[sandieb]

Ft. Wilderness is the campground. Wilderness Lodge is the hotel and the Wilderness Lodge Villas are DVC. There is a ton of information on the intranet and the DVC website as well as on the DisBoards. Generally, folks purchase a desired number of points based on: how often and how long you visit, the time of the year you might generally go, and the size of the villa you would like to stay in.

DVC is a timeshare although some of their practices may differ from other DVC properties. The DVC properties for sale now are the Grand Floridian Villas and the Animal Kingdom Villas. There is an advantage to early booking at your home resort (the resort you buy into). However, at 7 months prior to your stay, you may book at any resort based on availability.

Some people try to rent points and stay in a DVC property prior to making their purchase. We didn't do that and have been very pleased with our decision 12 years ago to buy in.

The DVC guides are a great resource and there is no hard sell.

Best wishes with your search.

 

[dismom22]

Thanks! Yes, I meant Wilderness Lodge. Sorry, as much as I love Disney, I'm still rather new to the details. My family would be astounded at all the knowledge I lack. They think I know everything there is to know about Disney. Boy are they wrong!!

 

[DisFanatic]

Surf the disboards, there are so many well informed people on here, i think some secretly work for Disney! Our decision to purchase was all based on info we obtained from our friends on this site.
Wilderness Lodge is a beauty at Christmas!! Good Luck!

 

[disneynutz]

We just got back from a 5 night, 4 (park) day trip. We stayed at Pop Century but one night we walked through Ft Wilderness and my mom LOVED it. I don't think it's even an option to buy into anymore, resale possible though, I guess. But when you do that, you can't use your points elsewhere, right? Like a condo in Nashville or any other non-Disney locations?

I'm so totally clueless about DVC and I'm just not sure where to start. I've got the booklet and the DVD from Disney. It all sounds great but there's so much information. I need the basic stuff first. Where does one start in the DVC decision making and research?!?

You start here on the DVC boards reading the purchase threads. Only you know your vacation habits, likes and dislikes, reading the purchase threads will provide you with the info to get you started.

Bill

 

[MouseMomx2]

As others have said, yes, you can still buy into the Wilderness Lodge but the best option for that is via resale. You can go on a waitlist through Disney, but you will spend much less money through resale.

There are a couple of restrictions to resale points.

• First, you cannot use them to stay at any of the non-DVC Disney resorts but those aren't a great use of points anyway.
• Second, you can not use them for the Disney Collection. The DC includes Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney and the non-US Disney parks. Again, these are not a great value anyway.
• Finally, you cannot use them for the Concierge Collection. The CC includes many upscale resorts both in and out of the US.

You are still able to use resale points at all of the DVC properties and to trade out through RCI. We bought our first 3 contracts directly through Disney but our most recent contracts via resale.

The sponsor of this board, The Timeshare Store, is reputable and great to work with. You can sign up for email alerts that come weekly and include the latest listings.

Have fun researching!

 

[dismom22]

See I don't even know what RCI is/means. I can read purchase threads but I don't understand what all it means. And it seems a lot of people are posting figures and percentages and stuff I just don't follow.

 

[MouseMomx2]

See I don't even know what RCI is/means. I can read purchase threads but I don't understand what all it means. And it seems a lot of people are posting figures and percentages and stuff I just don't follow.

RCI is a large timeshare group of which DVC is a part. If you choose to, you can trade out of DVC by going through RCI. this allows you to stay in other parts of the country/world on your DVC points. Some members teade out often and others never do. We have traded out to Sedona, AZ and it was a great trip. Friends have traded out twice for stays on the island of Madeira.

My advice would be to read everything you can about the DVC program and then ask questions on anything that isn't clear to you. We are a friendly bunch and most of us love "talking DVC", especially with newbies!

 

[chalee94]

See I don't even know what RCI is/means. I can read purchase threads but I don't understand what all it means. And it seems a lot of people are posting figures and percentages and stuff I just don't follow.

RCI is an exchange service. Timeshare owners from all over (in FL, TN, Mexico and Africa, for example) can offer their timeshare (condo) week to RCI and try to exchange their week for someone else's week in another part of the world. But those timeshares are pretty much all cheaper to buy with lower annual dues than DVC.

If you are considering spending thousands of dollars on DVC and thousands more each year on annual dues, it's probably worth it to invest the time to learn to follow some of the discussions on the DVC boards. There is a lot to learn and timeshares are not for everyone. Some people do get burned.