Unsure to buy

[jrdoa]

We've been through the Disney Vacation Club "tour", gathered paperwork, and viewed the DVD. Unfortunately, our guide couldn't provide us definite answers on many items, but was persistent on us buying BLT because it's the "hot" property. We explained we were interested in other properties, but we kept going full circles on BLT. It actually made our "tour" uncomfortable in thinking we were getting pushed into this and BLT was our only option. She did bring up AKV after she realized we weren't too interested in BLT, or at least that point we weren't. The info on AKV was very limited.

Here are some questions if anyone can answer them. Sorry so long, but I'm sure we'll have more later.

1. What perks are included for club members at the resorts that are free to DVC members? The best we got out of her was "you would get a 10% discount at some restaurants and recreation", but that was it.

2. Is it true that if you are a DVC member and you buy AKV, you are not able to stay with your points at the Animal Lodge, but only AKV? Same thing for BLT that you can't use your points at Contemporary.

3. Is there a cap on how many points you can carry over each year? IE. You bank 140 points in 2009 and carry over to 2010. We decide not to use the points in 2010, but plan on a major trip in 2011. Are the 2009 points still available and for how long?

4. We were told by our tour guide that when you contact DVC member services, they can only take care of the lodging reservations. But we've read on a website that they can book airfare, restaurants, etc. Which one is it? Is there also a fee to reserve rooms under the DVC services?

5. We have looked at all options, including resale. Our tour guide brought up the resales and was against them stating that we may end up being responsible for back owed dues. Would that be possible?

That's it for now. Thanks in advance to all of your responses.

We really want to do this, but just haven't felt comfortable enough to pull the trigger.

 

[Chic]

We've been through the Disney Vacation Club "tour", gathered paperwork, and viewed the DVD. Unfortunately, our guide couldn't provide us definite answers on many items, but was persistent on us buying BLT because it's the "hot" property. We explained we were interested in other properties, but we kept going full circles on BLT. It actually made our "tour" uncomfortable in thinking we were getting pushed into this and BLT was our only option. She did bring up AKV after she realized we weren't too interested in BLT, or at least that point we weren't. The info on AKV was very limited.

Here are some questions if anyone can answer them. Sorry so long, but I'm sure we'll have more later.

1. What perks are included for club members at the resorts that are free to DVC members? The best we got out of her was "you would get a 10% discount at some restaurants and recreation", but that was it.

2. Is it true that if you are a DVC member and you buy AKV, you are not able to stay with your points at the Animal Lodge, but only AKV? Same thing for BLT that you can't use your points at Contemporary.

3. Is there a cap on how many points you can carry over each year? IE. You bank 140 points in 2009 and carry over to 2010. We decide not to use the points in 2010, but plan on a major trip in 2011. Are the 2009 points still available and for how long?

4. We were told by our tour guide that when you contact DVC member services, they can only take care of the lodging reservations. But we've read on a website that they can book airfare, restaurants, etc. Which one is it? Is there also a fee to reserve rooms under the DVC services?

5. We have looked at all options, including resale. Our tour guide brought up the resales and was against them stating that we may end up being responsible for back owed dues. Would that be possible?

That's it for now. Thanks in advance to all of your responses.

We really want to do this, but just haven't felt comfortable enough to pull the trigger.

I'm sure there are many others who can provide answers to all of your questions but I can answer a few.
Perks: Free use of gym and Spa facilities, you can pool hop and swim at other DVC resorts even if you are staying at another, discounts on food and souvenirs at the resort and the parks, discounts on water rentals such as boats and parasailing
Points: You can use your DVC points to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Contemporary but you have to pay a $95 transaction fee and the required points per night are much higher than a DVC resort
Banking: You can bank 100% of your points into the next year as long as you do it at least 6 months before the month of your use year. Example: a December use year means you must bank by July.
Fees: There is no fee to reserve a DVC resort room, Member Services can book your dining reservations but I'm not sure about airfare.
Resales: You will not have to pay back dues unless it's agreed to between buyer and seller. Resale contracts are negotiable and you can bid for the seller to pay maintenance fees from the current or past year. Your resale broker does a search on the contract to be sure there are no problems. I bought my recent Saratoga Springs resale for $64 a point and the seller paid maintenance fees.
Hope this helps!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We've been through the Disney Vacation Club "tour", gathered paperwork, and viewed the DVD. Unfortunately, our guide couldn't provide us definite answers on many items, but was persistent on us buying BLT because it's the "hot" property. We explained we were interested in other properties, but we kept going full circles on BLT. It actually made our "tour" uncomfortable in thinking we were getting pushed into this and BLT was our only option. She did bring up AKV after she realized we weren't too interested in BLT, or at least that point we weren't. The info on AKV was very limited.

Here are some questions if anyone can answer them. Sorry so long, but I'm sure we'll have more later.

1. What perks are included for club members at the resorts that are free to DVC members? The best we got out of her was "you would get a 10% discount at some restaurants and recreation", but that was it.

2. Is it true that if you are a DVC member and you buy AKV, you are not able to stay with your points at the Animal Lodge, but only AKV? Same thing for BLT that you can't use your points at Contemporary.

3. Is there a cap on how many points you can carry over each year? IE. You bank 140 points in 2009 and carry over to 2010. We decide not to use the points in 2010, but plan on a major trip in 2011. Are the 2009 points still available and for how long?

4. We were told by our tour guide that when you contact DVC member services, they can only take care of the lodging reservations. But we've read on a website that they can book airfare, restaurants, etc. Which one is it? Is there also a fee to reserve rooms under the DVC services?

5. We have looked at all options, including resale. Our tour guide brought up the resales and was against them stating that we may end up being responsible for back owed dues. Would that be possible?

That's it for now. Thanks in advance to all of your responses.

We really want to do this, but just haven't felt comfortable enough to pull the trigger.

1. Don't buy DVC based on the perks. They change all the time and could disappear totally. Right now, they are similar to what you might get with an AP for shopping and dining, but not exactly the same.

2. It is true that you cannot use points to stay at a hotel that is connected to a DVC resort. So you cannot use points at AKL, CR, BC, BWI, WL, GC at this time. If they eventually build DVC resorts at all the deluxe resorts, that will eliminate all the deluxe resorts outright. But they could eliminate or raise the points for non-DVC Disney stays any time they want. These are negotiated by DVC and are not the same.

3. You can only bank for one year. If you banked 2009 points into 2010, they would be lost at the end of your 2010 UY which might even be sometime in 2011. But the most points you can have at any one time is three years worth (unless your stay crosses your use year and then you could actually use four years' worth of points).

4. I think they have discontinued travel arrangements through MS. You can make ADR's through MS. If you are reserving a room on DVC points at a DVC resort, there is no extra fee at this time. If you are using your points to make a reservation for a non-DVC location, there is a $95 fee to make the reservation and for each change you make.

5. For a resale, you just need to find a reputable reseller. The purchase should include title insurance, so you would be aware of any costs required to close the sale.

 

[Sandisw]

You are asking a lot of great questions and certainly should not buy DVC if you are not 100% sure that you are making the right move. It is a big investment and choosing the right resort, the correct UY, etc. is important.

Most of what the guide shared with you was correct. DVC members do have perks but as a PP mentioned, they can and will change over time. The only benefit that we are guaranteed is the ability to book rooms using our points.

There are a lot of contracts available for AKV resale that will save you money over going with Disney. We have bought and sold through the TSS and they are wonderful. Once you buy, regardless of how, you will be a member just like anyone else.

The best use of DVC points is to stay at DVC resorts. If you are looking to stay elsewhere, do your homework as there are pros/cons of it. Some require a booking fee (like cruises, etc.).

The other important piece is to understand UY and how that works in conjunction with your travel plans. If you are someone who travels at a particular time of year regularly, you want to pick a UY that allows for the most flexibility in terms of canceling or changing a reservation. For example, we bought June UY because we primarily travel in August. If we have to cancel or change more than 31 days out, we are still in our banking window and can bank the points. Or, have a lot of time left in the UY to rebook the trip without risk of losing the points.

Good luck!

 

[Crystal_27]

5. We have looked at all options, including resale. Our tour guide brought up the resales and was against them stating that we may end up being responsible for back owed dues. Would that be possible?

LOL - I'm quite sure that your Guide is against resales because a resale would take money out of her pocket - LOL. It's really a shame that your Guide was so set on pushing BLT on you, though. Truly, unless you want BLT *or* if you can get a loaded contract for AKV through Disney coupled with a great incentive, buying resale is the way to go. Unfortunately, we were in the boat of really wanting BLT so that meant we had to go through Disney.

As to being responsible for back dues, sometimes, as part of the seller's negotiation, they will ask that you prorate the maintenance fees of the current year based on when in the use year you are buying. For example, if the contract's use year is February and you are buying in May, the seller would ask that you "reimburse" at closing the maintenance fees from May on (which, frankly, seems a reasonable request). However, that doesn't happen in all cases; there are a lot of negotiations (or none) that can take place when buying resale. It sounds as if your Guide was trying to scare you that you would be responsible for dues before the current use year. I'm quite sure that, in the due diligence of the brokers, that all that is checked out before the listing is placed.

Anyway, it sounds like you've got a lot to chew on. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Dean]

We've been through the Disney Vacation Club "tour", gathered paperwork, and viewed the DVD. Unfortunately, our guide couldn't provide us definite answers on many items, but was persistent on us buying BLT because it's the "hot" property. We explained we were interested in other properties, but we kept going full circles on BLT. It actually made our "tour" uncomfortable in thinking we were getting pushed into this and BLT was our only option. She did bring up AKV after she realized we weren't too interested in BLT, or at least that point we weren't. The info on AKV was very limited.

Here are some questions if anyone can answer them. Sorry so long, but I'm sure we'll have more later.

1. What perks are included for club members at the resorts that are free to DVC members? The best we got out of her was "you would get a 10% discount at some restaurants and recreation", but that was it.

2. Is it true that if you are a DVC member and you buy AKV, you are not able to stay with your points at the Animal Lodge, but only AKV? Same thing for BLT that you can't use your points at Contemporary.

3. Is there a cap on how many points you can carry over each year? IE. You bank 140 points in 2009 and carry over to 2010. We decide not to use the points in 2010, but plan on a major trip in 2011. Are the 2009 points still available and for how long?

4. We were told by our tour guide that when you contact DVC member services, they can only take care of the lodging reservations. But we've read on a website that they can book airfare, restaurants, etc. Which one is it? Is there also a fee to reserve rooms under the DVC services?

5. We have looked at all options, including resale. Our tour guide brought up the resales and was against them stating that we may end up being responsible for back owed dues. Would that be possible?

That's it for now. Thanks in advance to all of your responses.

We really want to do this, but just haven't felt comfortable enough to pull the trigger.

Definitely get comfortable before buying. I'll disagree on the need to title insurance as it's easy to protect yourself without it for DVC even more so than most timeshares. It sounds like you had an aggressive guide who was either not especially educated or not completely honest.