Using points at non Disney locations?

[cdhheidi]

We are seriously considering buying resale DVC, (probably resale, as BWV is our favorite Disney home away from home), but more than half of the time we would probably use our points to travel to non Disney locations. We live in Idaho, and as our youngest is disabled, we tend to drive most places that we travel to. We also homeschool, so our travel is usually during the school year, and educational in nature... we love learning about our country, and there are SO many wonderful places to learn about!

Anyway... I would really be interested to hear from anyone who has actually stayed at some of the places listed that are non Disney locations... are they nice? is there a way to find out how many points they are and a little more about them? In particular we would likely be wanting to go to the ones in the Southwest, the rockies, and the Northeast, though the east coast and north east is also on our itinerary for the future as we will be studying our nations beginnings over the next few years...

thanks much for any insight!

 

[anonymousegirl]

From what I have heard, buying Disney with the idea of doing a lot of trading out is not a good idea. My impression is that since Orlando is so over-run with timeshares it is hard to trade your WDW time share for another unit elsewhere.

 

[cdhheidi]

From what I have heard, buying Disney with the idea of doing a lot of trading out is not a good idea. My impression is that since Orlando is so over-run with timeshares it is hard to trade your WDW time share for another unit elsewhere.

If that is the case then I must not understand the DVC point system correctly. I thought that the points were able to be used for over 500 different locations world wide, including many locations throughout the US and North America, as well as in Europe, Africa, etc..?

Can someone better explain this to me?

Thanks!

 

[dcfromva]

We are seriously considering buying resale DVC, (probably resale, as BWV is our favorite Disney home away from home), but more than half of the time we would probably use our points to travel to non Disney locations. We live in Idaho, and as our youngest is disabled, we tend to drive most places that we travel to. We also homeschool, so our travel is usually during the school year, and educational in nature... we love learning about our country, and there are SO many wonderful places to learn about!

Anyway... I would really be interested to hear from anyone who has actually stayed at some of the places listed that are non Disney locations... are they nice? is there a way to find out how many points they are and a little more about them? In particular we would likely be wanting to go to the ones in the Southwest, the rockies, and the Northeast, though the east coast and north east is also on our itinerary for the future as we will be studying our nations beginnings over the next few years...

thanks much for any insight!

cdhheidi,
You'll get varying opinions on this, so I'll give you mine. I would not buy DVC with the idea of trading out half of the time because of the overhead I am paying for my points. (DVC maint fees are on the high side) Another factor is I have not really seen a lot of choices to be able to trade into.

If I were in your shoes, I would buy a BWV resale with about 1/2 the points I figured I needed for my stay. With banking points, you would have enough points for a DVC stay every other year.

Then, you could look for a different timeshare resale with good trading power to compliment the DVC for stays in alternate years.

 

[cdhheidi]

cdhheidi,
You'll get varying opinions on this, so I'll give you mine. I would not buy DVC with the idea of trading out half of the time because of the overhead I am paying for my points. (DVC maint fees are on the high side) Another factor is I have not really seen a lot of choices to be able to trade into.

If I were in your shoes, I would buy a BWV resale with about 1/2 the points I figured I needed for my stay. With banking points, you would have enough points for a DVC stay every other year.

Then, you could look for a different timeshare resale with good trading power to compliment the DVC for stays in alternate years.

That is kind of what we were thinking of, were just thinking that if we didn't feel like going to Disney for a few years we COULD use the points for something else (as the kids get older... or if the younger's health issues get to the point where travel is even harder, etc).

Frankly, DH and I would be happy just the two of us someday going and relaxing for a week at BWV every couple of years and not going to parks or anything! We were SO happy the 5 days we spent there last year... worth every penny we spent and we were NOT ready to leave! LOL!

Thanks for your input...

 

[dcfromva]

That is kind of what we were thinking of, were just thinking that if we didn't feel like going to Disney for a few years we COULD use the points for something else (as the kids get older... or if the younger's health issues get to the point where travel is even harder, etc).

Frankly, DH and I would be happy just the two of us someday going and relaxing for a week at BWV every couple of years and not going to parks or anything! We were SO happy the 5 days we spent there last year... worth every penny we spent and we were NOT ready to leave! LOL!

Thanks for your input...

cdhheidi,
There is another option, too. There are some folks who rent their DVC points and then use the cash from the rental to fund their accomodations at their non-DVC location. You could take a gander at the rent/trade board to see how that works. I think $10.00 per point (and higher) is the rental price per point. It varies because each person sets up their own deal.

 

[Dean]

We are seriously considering buying resale DVC, (probably resale, as BWV is our favorite Disney home away from home), but more than half of the time we would probably use our points to travel to non Disney locations. We live in Idaho, and as our youngest is disabled, we tend to drive most places that we travel to. We also homeschool, so our travel is usually during the school year, and educational in nature... we love learning about our country, and there are SO many wonderful places to learn about!

Anyway... I would really be interested to hear from anyone who has actually stayed at some of the places listed that are non Disney locations... are they nice? is there a way to find out how many points they are and a little more about them? In particular we would likely be wanting to go to the ones in the Southwest, the rockies, and the Northeast, though the east coast and north east is also on our itinerary for the future as we will be studying our nations beginnings over the next few years...

thanks much for any insight!

DVC points are the best value staying at DVC resorts, even then they are not a good value for long weekends. For half DVC and half other, DVC alone would be an extremely poor choice. I'd go with less DVC points, just enough to do what you want with DVC only with about a 10-20% cushion depending on exactly what you're looking at. This assumes DVC makes sense for you even for this, it doesn't for some. Then look at other options for the non DVC stays. This might be simply cash or a non DVC timeshare. As for the quality of other timeshare, they vary from Roach Inn to the Ritz and Four Seasons. Most, but not all, are below DVC the question is how much below. There are a number that are at or close and if you investigate and plan ahead, you can do very well. Depending on your planning abilities, location, preferences, vacation habits and budget; I normally prefer a mix of DVC plus Marriott or DVC plus one of the points systems like Wyndham or Bluegreen especially. But there certainly are other timeshare systems and one or more might be better for your situation than the ones I mentioned. One question is whether to buy DVC at all. I'd say if you don't generally need a 2 BR, can travel off season, will stay a full week, can and will plan ahead and don't really care which DVC resorts you will stay at, you can potentially trade in to DVC far cheaper than owning. Those that are less flexible, more set on their wants (specific resorts), need 2 BR or larger, can take advantage of the flexibility by avoiding weekends are among those that should consider owning.

 

[bwvBound]

Anyway... I would really be interested to hear from anyone who has actually stayed at some of the places listed that are non Disney locations... are they nice?

Heidi,

From II's list of resorts available to DVC in the Western States, I've stayed at:

• WASHINGTON: Worldmark Surfside Inn, Worldmark Mariner Village. Mariner Village was right on the beach with a reasonable unit (no complaints). Surfside was a bit dated but the 1BR unit had 2 full bathrooms. Of the two, I'd say Mariner Village had better "theming" - but this could be a matter of personal preference.
• OREGON: Worldmark Eagle Crest, Worldmark Gleneden, and Worldmark Running Y. Eagle Crest is a huge resort property with golf, equestrian and other activities located on site. The WM unit was fairly small -- I would have preferred the "townhome" styles offered by Eagle Crest at the same property. The townhomes were much larger units, some with private jetted tubs on the balconies. Loved Running Y - another "destination property" with multiple golf courses, equestrian, indoor pool complex, etc. Lots of wildlife and a real "vacation" experience. Gleneden is on the coast and located w/in an easy drive to restaurants, shops.
• CALIFORNIA: Worldmark Big Bear, Worldmark Clear Lake, Worldmark Windsor, Worldmark Angels Camp, Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara, WorldMark Oceanside Harbor. Big Bear is handy for ski season and more recently for Toyota Land Cruiser events; resort is reasonably themed and well maintained. Clear Lake is right on the lake ... but we didn't enjoy the immediate neighborhood. Angels Camp is a pretty property with great access to town; nice to visit during Calaveras County Fair (think "frog jump"). Aviara - very nice unit with great china ... but I didn't enjoy the location (unit overlooking a busy street; lacked "resort" feel). Oceanside Harbor - vibrant colors and modern theming (not quiet beach designs), not the best location -- but reasonable.
• UTAH: Worldmark St. George, Worldmark Bear Lake and Worldmark at Midway (see II's link to Wintergreen at Midway). Truly loved Midway -- the setting is lovely, swimming in the crater is a special delight. St George was 'ok' (clean and functional -- but not well themed); location was a little far for day trips to Zion NP. Wasn't too thrilled by Bear Lake other than the unit size (huge unit on two levels).
• MONTANA: None of the three listed. We stayed a few days this past summer at Worldmark's West Yellowstone resort and loved its location relative to the park's west entrance and West Yellowstone Village.
• IDAHO: Neither of the two shown. We have visited and enjoyed Worldmark's Arrow Point on CDL with a huge 3BR unit right on the lake. While we sometimes felt we were on the "wrong side of the lake" we still found the resort to be a great launching point for hiking, touring, etc. Highlight of our trip: Riding the Hiawatha Trail by mountain bike.
• COLORADO: None of those listed ... but we have visited Worldmark's Estes Park. Great access to the Rocky Mountain National Park; units were smaller-than-usual with strange layout quirks. (No closets!!) Plenty of shops and restaurants nearby.
• ARIZONA: Worldmark Bison Ranch, Worldmark Pinetop, and Worldmark Rancho Vistoso. Each are delightful in different ways. Bison Ranch has really "Disneyesque" theming of an old western town -- played out especially well for the units built over the shops. Pinetop is a mountain retreat and Rancho Vistoso an desert oasis. Each are nice, clean and comfortable.
• OKLAHOMA: Worldmark Grand Lake. The location seemed a bit "out of the way" (long drive to shopping and restaurants) but there was a handy boat launch across the street from the entrance. We spent quite a bit of our time out on the water -- perfect.

We've been to many more ... but I've gotta cut this short somewhere. The obvious pattern in my list above: plenty of Worldmark resort visits. We own "just enough" DVC points to cover our on-property Disney trips and we own Worldmark for nearly everything else. Please evaluate owning "non-DVC" for your non-Disney travels -- there are so many places to visit that aren't on Disney's hand picked list of II destinations.

 

[Piscesqueen]

I was wondering about II too , how did the transaction work out for you? I would also be doing II's exchange if I bought into DVC but I'm very unsure about it because it seems like not many DVC'ers think it's a wise choice.

The guide I spoke to said that he has some clients that NEVER visit WDW and chose the exchange travel instead and that they were happy but I'd love to hear about personal experiences with II.

I was going to start a thread asking this question as well until I found it here !! I also live in Idaho and my family typically travels within driving distance but we DO want to do WDW every other year. I don't mind the booking fees for the exchanges but I'm concerned about how easy or hard it is to get into the exchange. My guide said that WDW is in such high demand that it's easy to exchange but I don't know if he's just trying to sell me into DVC knowing that I want to use NON-Disney resorts too .

From the book I received it stated that for 1 week in a 1 bedroom during peak season it would be 160 points (I understand that this is NOT locked in and can go up with time)...that doesn't seem that bad IMO; it compares to DVC from what I can tell but I'd love to hear more about personal experiences.

Thanks ahead of time!

 

[bwvBound]

Related threads on using DVC points for non-DVC stays ...

• Can someone explain the DVC trading dilemma?, Oct-08
• DVC Interval Exchange Rate, Oct-08
• Interval International exchange, Oct-08
• Where is the best use of points outside DVC?, Jan-2005 (note: older thread)
• Getting Ready to Buy - Question about II, Oct-2008
• In a non-Disney exchange, what happens if you have to cancel?, Jan-2001 (note: older thread; info may be out of date -- but it explores an interesting question)

To run your own searches from GOOGLE include the site in your search terms. Examples:

• site=disboards.com Dean II exchange
• site=disboards.com dvc ii short stay
• site=disboards.com world passport

 

[bwvBound]

The guide I spoke to said that he has some clients that NEVER visit WDW and chose the exchange travel instead and that they were happy ...

I don't doubt it -- it all boils down to personal choice and choice's many components (values, available resources, personal preferences, personal experiences, etc.) Just because I can do something doesn't make it my best option. When booking travel I often find that my non-DVC tools (cash, other timeshare) are faster, easier and less expensive than using DVC. (Of course, it all depends ... plenty of decision trees to consider based on the goal, resources, etc.)

From the book I received it stated that for 1 week in a 1 bedroom during peak season it would be 160 points (I understand that this is NOT locked in and can go up with time)...that doesn't seem that bad IMO; it compares to DVC from what I can tell but I'd love to hear more about personal experiences.

Key to your comment: the exchange, at 160 points, is a good value compared to <similar unit size and season at DVC>. Right -- but do you really want DVC to be your basis? When you consider the cash equivalent of the 160 points (based on purchase + dues or rental potential) -- is it still a good exchange? Could you have secured the 1BR Peak Season reservation using other tools for less outlay? (Granted -- you might not care. Price/Relative "ease" of booking are big factors to me ... but these are areas of personal choice ...)

 

[ACDSNY]

Anyone have any suggestions for a reasonably priced Marriott TS for trading?

 

[bwvBound]

Anyone have any suggestions for a reasonably priced Marriott TS for trading?

There is an interesting thread running now in TUG's Marriott Resort board re: 2009 Maintenance Fees

 

[Dean]

I was wondering about II too , how did the transaction work out for you? I would also be doing II's exchange if I bought into DVC but I'm very unsure about it because it seems like not many DVC'ers think it's a wise choice.

The guide I spoke to said that he has some clients that NEVER visit WDW and chose the exchange travel instead and that they were happy but I'd love to hear about personal experiences with II.

I was going to start a thread asking this question as well until I found it here !! I also live in Idaho and my family typically travels within driving distance but we DO want to do WDW every other year. I don't mind the booking fees for the exchanges but I'm concerned about how easy or hard it is to get into the exchange. My guide said that WDW is in such high demand that it's easy to exchange but I don't know if he's just trying to sell me into DVC knowing that I want to use NON-Disney resorts too .

From the book I received it stated that for 1 week in a 1 bedroom during peak season it would be 160 points (I understand that this is NOT locked in and can go up with time)...that doesn't seem that bad IMO; it compares to DVC from what I can tell but I'd love to hear more about personal experiences.

Thanks ahead of time!

I have extensive experience exchanging II and though I've never actually exchanged DVC, likely know more than most anyone around. Anyone that buys DVC and simply plans to use it to exchange ongoing is making an extremely poor choice. I frankly doubt there's anyone who actually has done this unless they bought in and then got stuck where they couldn't travel to DVC resorts and are trying to make the most of their situation. That's the only way I could even see it and even then one in that situation should just sell unless it's expected to be a very temporary situation.

NO resort in orlando has good trade power. Actually DVC trade power is less than some others in the area due to the fact that you don't get credit for the exact week or resort deposited but rather get an average trade power for all the weeks and resorts deposited and the internal trading preferences. I'd be distrustful of any guide who stated that. Either they are ill informed, or dishonest, either way not what you want. If you want to trade $2000 worth (160) of Disney points for a resort I can have a better chance at for about 25% cost, that's up to you. At least you'll know going in that you are putting yourself in this situation.

There are a subset of resorts and weeks that are a good value but even then one can have as good or BETTER chance at getting those weeks by other means, esp given many of those are either Royal, Westin or Marriott resorts all with some type of system where others will be in line before you for the units. There are simply too many negatives and too much cost to make buying DVC to trade a reasonable choice. Better to buy less DVC points and then consider a non DVC timeshare for other options. One can come out about 60% up front and about 60% per year compared to DVC alone assuming trading every year. And for less cost, you'll have a lot more choices and a better chance of getting what you want in trading for most situations if not all.

I've recently posted a some of my exchanges but let me just whet your appetite with one example. HI in Jan/Feb 2008 with first class FF miles tickets, 7 nights in a 1 BR at the Wyndham in Waikiki on the new Beach Walk, 1 night hotel, 7 nights in a 1 BR Westin on Maui, interisland, all cost including meals, activities, indirect timeshares cost; total cost about $2500 for 15 nights.

 

[ACDSNY]

There is an interesting thread running now in TUG's Marriott Resort board re: 2009 Maintenance Fees

Thanks bwvBound for the link!

 

[Dean]

Anyone have any suggestions for a reasonably priced Marriott TS for trading?

The answer is, it depends. Likely the best single value is Horizon's Branson Gold or Platinum. $4-6K or less to purchase, yearly fees under $700 a year for a lockoff option ($99 fee), often gets a bonus week so 3 trades for one week of ownership. There are others that are good choices for many including Manor Club, Utah Resorts, CA and AZ desert resorts, Palm Beach, even HI for some. Unfortunately there's not a top trading value and resort to own to use all in one, there is actually precious little overlap between the 2. But owning something you will use part of the time will make up for a lot of the extra costs or other limitations of trading certain resorts.

Overall I'd prefer for most novice buyers to buy something they'll use at least part of the time even if it's not the single best value at the time for trading. Given you're in CA, HI or Newport Coast could be good choices depending on other factors. And I wouldn't limit yourself to Marriott, esp if cost and value are important factors for you. Spend your time, get educated and figure out what's best for YOU.

 

[JimC]

We bought Marriott for non-Disney vacations because DVC is too expensive to use in that way. Agree with Dean that you might be better off with fewer DVC points and then a different strategy for non-Disney vacations.

 

[5forDiz]

If you own Marriott can you trade into DVC's WDW resorts & DVC HHI or VB ? I know I've seen some posts on the DIS about owning other timeshare and having ability to trade in for a week at DVC resort, just can't recall if Marriott gives you this ability.

Right now we're looking at either an add-on to our dvc or maybe ( with big emphasis on maybe ) something outside dvc that would work with our other vacation habits which are Jersey shore (Marriott has Seaview at Galloway Twshp. outside of Atlantic City) or Palm Beach ( Ocean Pointe I think is Marriott there) or HHI (know Marriott has several there). But we are thinking it would maybe be good idea to have that trade into dvc ability so if we wanted an extended trip we could do that along with what we book on our points.

 

[Dean]

If you own Marriott can you trade into DVC's WDW resorts & DVC HHI or VB ? I know I've seen some posts on the DIS about owning other timeshare and having ability to trade in for a week at DVC resort, just can't recall if Marriott gives you this ability.

Right now we're looking at either an add-on to our dvc or maybe ( with big emphasis on maybe ) something outside dvc that would work with our other vacation habits which are Jersey shore (Marriott has Seaview at Galloway Twshp. outside of Atlantic City) or Palm Beach ( Ocean Pointe I think is Marriott there) or HHI (know Marriott has several there). But we are thinking it would maybe be good idea to have that trade into dvc ability so if we wanted an extended trip we could do that along with what we book on our points.

Potentially yes. DVC and II do not restrict a resort or it's members from trading one resort to another other than 2 situations. One is regional block where the destination resort can block by location. DVC does this for Orlando and HH. OTOH, the resorts on the DVC II list for members to trade out to have NO meaning for trading in. The other issue is simply trade power combined with resort quality. The ability to trade in is simply a function of having sufficient trade power and resort quality to be eligible for a given exchang, the unit being available in II at some point and where you stand in line. Marriott is ahead of most simply because they have sufficient resort quality and trade power to qualify. Still, II has to have a way to shuffle the line to decide who gets a given exchange as it's not done by when you get in line but rather the trade power I mentioned above. Unfortunately DVC members can't trade back in using DVC, this would be a good way to extend points in some situaitons.

Of the Marriott's you mentioned, the NJ option is likely the best value to trade. Still, I'd only recommend it if you would use it part of the time. If you want something closer, Williamsburg (esp the lockoff section) would be a much better unit to own to trade that's relatively close. You might also look at Bluegreen, Wyndham and Starwood all of which have good choices in the general areas you mentioned, esp MB. Still, as I mentioned previously, There is not much overlap in a good Marriott to own to use and one to own to trade. For many it's almost better to own two (one of each) possibly every other year for the locations that is available.

 

[Golden Rose]

We'd never really considered buying a timeshare of any kind until we bought into DVC. (We love cruising, and so far I'm not aware of anyone who seems to have a good cruiseship timeshare program.) We bought DVC because we realized we were going about twice a year right now, always staying at deluxes, and it really would save us money. But, I have to say, the more I've looked at some of the II trading options we've heard about through DVC, the more interested we are in acquiring another timeshare down the road. I've come to really believe (reading enough on the boards here, often Dean's excellent explanations) that if I want to do lots of trading, I need another timeshare.

I wouldn't just buy where I want to stay. The only one I know we'd use often is Hyatt's Wild Oak Ranch... we stay at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country near it all the time and keep Sea World Texas annual passes. But I can't justify the buy in cost since I can always find good deals at the hotel. So I'm thinking that what we would want is simply a good trader.

I think we'd primarily want to trade into Hawaii, Mexico, and Central America (we love Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama... although I haven't found a Costa Rican timeshare I'm dying to try out yet.) I'm not sure if that means we'd want something that trades through II, or something that trades through RCI. I'm not sure how good candidates we are for timeshare trading in general; we're pretty picky about accomodations. I'll put up with less than stellar rooms for a stunning view, but I'm pretty picky about hotel rooms in general. (I don't need the Four Seasons, but I do like the level of a Hyatt Regency.)

Anyway, I've been lurking a lot on the TUG forums recently. (Haven't gotten around to buying a membership, although I plan to.) I know I have a lot to learn before we dive any deeper into timeshare waters. We contemplated buying DVC for about a year and a half before taking the leap. Now I just need to stop checking ebay timeshare listings until I learn a lot more...