VGF

[Networth]

Please pardon if this is a stupid question as am knowledgable about many many things Disney, except DVC...
That said have the Villa’s at the GF sold out?

I was considering purchasing, we toured in December 2013 but the salesmen was very very rude (long story). So we stuck it on the back burner and just kept booking rooms at the GF(our favorite resort) the way we have since the 80’s Anyway we have a trip in August and were considered touring again and purchasing a 300-350 point contract. Yet now I hear its sold out? If this is true how would we go about purchasing, is it resale only? Can Disney do anything for a direct purchase cash in hand?

Thanks guys.

 

[chalee94]

nothing is ever really "sold out" - DVC is constantly reacquiring new inventory from foreclosures and ROFRed resales, so you can still check to see if they have any available for direct purchase.

if they don't have anything, they can still put you on a waitlist which may or may not take a while.

since it is "sold out", there won't be any discounts - full $165 per pt most likely. also, salespeople might be inclined to steer you toward aulani or the poly, so be firm.

standard DIS advice: resale will probably save you money (although probably not a ton, since VGF resales are still pretty rare) and you don't lose anything of value by buying resale.

(some people seem to have the muddle-headed notion that resale is like buying rolexes from a back-alley guy in a trenchcoat - but remember that if you eventually do decide to sell, disney will NOT buy back your contract and you will be looking to sell in the resale marketplace. might as well get comfortable with it now instead of waiting...)

 

[disneynutz]

Disney manipulates the market to control prices and to increase sales for their targeted projects. Last I heard DVD has declared that they are no longer accepting buyers for their VGF waitlist. The reason, they want to push new buyers to PVB which has had slow sales so far.

Resales for VGF are low in number because the resort is fairly new and the buyers there seem to be happy with their purchase at Disney's flagship resort and property.

Bill

 

[DVC Doctor]

Please pardon if this is a stupid question as am knowledgable about many many things Disney, except DVC...
That said have the Villa’s at the GF sold out?

I was considering purchasing, we toured in December 2013 but the salesmen was very very rude (long story). So we stuck it on the back burner and just kept booking rooms at the GF(our favorite resort) the way we have since the 80’s Anyway we have a trip in August and were considered touring again and purchasing a 300-350 point contract. Yet now I hear its sold out? If this is true how would we go about purchasing, is it resale only? Can Disney do anything for a direct purchase cash in hand?

Thanks guys.

300 VGF points from Disney will cost around $50,000

They advertise they are sold out, but something tells me if you call them and only want VGF, they will gladly take your $50k

I used a guide named Chris Mansour and he was excellent.

 

[MickeyBobby]

VGF is, in fact, sold out. Not only is it sold out, but they are no longer accepting anyone onto the VGF waitlist. I was hoping for an additional 100-150 points there, but I can't even get on the list. I'm sure this is to push people towards the Poly, especially when sales there have been slow. In the future, they'll open up the waitlist again. Check for resale.

 

[cbnsoul]

VGF is, in fact, sold out. Not only is it sold out, but they are no longer accepting anyone onto the VGF waitlist. I was hoping for an additional 100-150 points there, but I can't even get on the list. I'm sure this is to push people towards the Poly, especially when sales there have been slow. In the future, they'll open up the waitlist again. Check for resale.

I'm in the same boat. I was stunned after I called my guide and he said the wait list was closed. I e-mailed member satisfaction and got essentially a "non-response" so e-mailed Ken Potrock. Waiting to hear back. I think it's ridiculous that you can't go on a wait list for a property you want, knowing it could take quite awhile to come through. I at least feel that they should have given some warning, knowing that it would have increased the length of the list, rather than just closing it one day.

 

[MickeyBobby]

Well, my guide stated the waitlists were "too long," so they closed them for VGF, VGC, and BCV. BCV and VGF I can understand, because they've been long for a while. The explanation for VGF just doesn't stand up, especially when the resort had points for some use years mere days before I called. VGF waitlist is simply closed because they want people to buy at Poly, end of story.

Maybe they wouldn't have to worry about doing this kind of thing if they would have built proper 1 and 2 bedrooms at Poly? I know I would have been much more open to buying points there if so. No way I'm cramming my family of 5 into a studio at Poly, or anywhere. Not to sound like a jerk, but even the funky layout of the Poly bungalows made us feel a little crammed compared to the VGF two bedrooms. We stayed opening night in a Poly bungalow, and while the outdoor space is great, the interior layout feels very off to me.

 

[dizfan]

The price of VGF resale is very close to what Disney sells direct for. There is very little profit in it for them to ROFR points to sell to people on the VGF waitlist. This means it could be a long time before some of the people on the wait list are able to buy.

Since VGF is recently sold out, the more likely scenario for DVC to reacquire points will be through foreclosures. During the first few years after a sale, a percentage tends to come back to Disney. Sick family members, job loss, etc. Unexpected things happen in everyone's life. This will be a slow trickle.

If the first person on the wait list wants 1000 points with Dec UY, they will wait until they have 1000 points for Dec UY to sell to them. A person second on the list for Dec UY could be stuck waiting a couple years. For example, county records show there is a new a VGF contract for a fixed week GV (over 1000 points). (I believe this showed up early June records and was signed mid-late May.)

 

[cbnsoul]

Couldn't agree more. AFAIK, I never heard that DVC ever stated VGF was "sold out". We heard stories of points becoming short in certain use years just this spring so I would find it very hard to believe that the wait lists were THAT long for VGF already. My thought was that they are pushing the Poly as well. I could see maybe closing VGF for new buyers but letting current DVC members, or maybe even just current VGF owners, add on. I don't know. I just never expected them to close the list entirely.

 

[cbnsoul]

The price of VGF resale is very close to what Disney sells direct for. There is very little profit in it for them to ROFR points to sell to people on the VGF waitlist. This means it could be a long time before some of the people on the wait list are able to buy.

Since VGF is recently sold out, the more likely scenario for DVC to reacquire points will be through foreclosures. During the first few years after a sale, a percentage tends to come back to Disney. Sick family members, job loss, etc. Unexpected things happen in everyone's life. This will be a slow trickle.

If the first person on the wait list wants 1000 points with Dec UY, they will wait until they have 1000 points for Dec UY to sell to them. A person second on the list for Dec UY could be stuck waiting a couple years. For example, county records show there is a new a VGF contract for a fixed week GV (over 1000 points). (I believe this showed up early June records and was signed mid-late May.)

This makes complete sense but, unless that list get awfully long very quickly, I don't see why they hadn't taken a similar approach to other resorts after they sold out (resort size maybe?) or with resorts like BCV and VGC, which have had long wait lists for quite some time.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

This makes complete sense but, unless that list get awfully long very quickly, I don't see why they hadn't taken a similar approach to other resorts after they sold out (resort size maybe?) or with resorts like BCV and VGC, which have had long wait lists for quite some time.

It's a different person in control. This VP is definitely different - and not necessarily in a good way IMO.

 

[dizfan]

Couldn't agree more. AFAIK, I never heard that DVC ever stated VGF was "sold out". We heard stories of points becoming short in certain use years just this spring so I would find it very hard to believe that the wait lists were THAT long for VGF already. My thought was that they are pushing the Poly as well. I could see maybe closing VGF for new buyers but letting current DVC members, or maybe even just current VGF owners, add on. I don't know. I just never expected them to close the list entirely.

IMHO, Disney did a poor job communicating. Although, they did send out the 80% sold out flier in October or November of 2014. That drove up VGF sales.

As KAT4DISNEY points out, different VP.

When we were at PVB in early May, I was shocked at DVD's marketing.
- Magical Express video was advertising VGF as the "newest" DVC resort, despite PVB being open. Felt odd riding DME to PVB to check-in when they were saying VGF was the newest.
- My wife noticed the express monorail sound track said Bay Lake Tower was the newest DVC resort. (I have been told this was removed from the sound track now).
- I went to a few DVC kiosks and they had absolutely nothing on PVB. Others had a flier, but no pictures of PVB.
- They weren't providing tours onsite (unless you were lucky). We happened to be able to join a tour, couple supposedly bought a FW bungalow and wanted a tour. wdrl and denlo reported they started offering daily tours of the bungalows (based on availability) on May 17 and also opened up a studio for tours.
- They also had all kinds of problems getting PVB approved for sales in all 50 states. CA was approved around the date they announced the webcast.

The marketing issues may have been intentionally done. They may have wanted to sell out VGF before fully marketing PVB. From the outside we will never know. However, it is the first resort to be marketed so poorly on opening.

Definitely a different strategy than they have ever deployed before. Every business I have worked for, either does this by design or someone (and usually many people) are given opportunities for employment elsewhere. Only time will tell if Iger approves.

 

[Missyrose]

I've maintained that Disney was targeting Poly's cult-like following for PVB. They expected the people who only stay at Poly when they go to Disney to buy points by the bushel. And, well, that doesn't seem to have happened, so DVC seems to be scrambling to put a more typical marketing plan into place to kick-start lagging sales.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I've maintained that Disney was targeting Poly's cult-like following for PVB. They expected the people who only stay at Poly when they go to Disney to buy points by the bushel. And, well, that doesn't seem to have happened, so DVC seems to be scrambling to put a more typical marketing plan into place to kick-start lagging sales.

Kind of a build it and they will come attitude that they are having to adjust.

 

[Minniesgal]

I still think what was said earlier is true. Waitlists closed or not if they have a potential new owner wanting 300 points at VGF or nothing they will find points somewhere. DVC are not know for treating all buyers consistently.

 

[wdrl]

Based on deeds recorded with the Orange County Comptroller through June 9, 2015, VGF had only 23,107 points left that could be sold to the general public. Since there is usually a gap of anywhere from two weeks and 4 or 5 months between the purchase date and the recording date, it is quite likely that almost all of the remaining 23,000 points are committed to sales that have not yet been recorded.

DVD has reacquired significantly fewer deeds for VGF than it has for other WDW resorts. Since sales began two years ago, DVD has only foreclosed on 12 deeds containing 1,425 points. It has also bought back nine deeds containing 3,209 points -- usually because the buyer wanted to change or upgrade their Guaranteed Week accommodation. By comparison, in the first two years of sales for BLT, DVD reacquired 81 BLT deeds containing 15,169 points.

Given the current pricing structure and resale market, I doubt that DVD will be reacquiring many VGF deeds in the near future. Demand is quite strong on the resale market which is keeping VGF resale prices high. Owners who have to get rid of their deeds can get an acceptable price on the resale market, thereby avoiding foreclosure. And due to the tight margin between the high resale price and the direct price, DVD has little financial incentive to ROFR a VGF deed.

 

[DWorldOrBust]

I sure am glad that I didn't wait to purchase my VGF points! As others have stated, VGF did sell out and the waitlist is closed.

 

[frank808]

I can tell you for sure that vgf is sold out and no waitlists. This past week was the first time my family and i have stayed at vgf and love it. We bought our 2 guaranteed weeks when vgf first opened sales but have never stayed there till last week. We loved it so much that i called my guide to buy 300 or so points. Was told no points for sale. I am sure she would have liked to sell them to me as we have bought vgc,aulani and vgf direct over the years from her.
Now i am scouring the resale sights but the cost difference is so close to direct.