We have decided to buy, but have some questions...

[Jon99]

We have decided to buy 150 points, probably thru resale and probably at VWL.. A few questions though..

My wife is a teacher and I own a seasonal business, so for the time being about the only time we can go is either at Christmas or Spring break.. So what do I want as a use year???

Has anyone ever done an analysis as far as whats a better deal, $95 per point for 50 years or about $70 plus fees at VWL for 38 years???

Whats the normal wait for adding points at VWL compared to the others???

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

I can tell you that a December use year would probably be your best. That way if you had to cancel either your December trip or a trip anytime in February, March or April, you would still be in the first 6 months of your use year and therefore still be able to bank all of your points from the canceled reservation.

HBC

 

[jaysue]

December use year is best - no doubt about it - it is the same use year we have - DW is a teacher and once she is back to work after maternity leave we will be in the Dec/Mar cycle similar to you

As for 2054 SSR versus 2042 VWL, the present value of the 12 future years is basically $0 once discounted so I think the decision comes down to location, amenities and whether the extra 12 years is important to you

If you act promptly, you can get SSR - assuming you get minimum 150 pts for current price of $89 less $5 back credit for $84 net

VWL would be hard to book at Christmas time so if the themes, decor and location are important than that would be a strong + for VWL

SSR strong pluses: very nice pool, close to SSR, very close to golf, 2054 expiration, a touch closer to non-WDW options such as Universal and Sea World than VWL

thanks
jaysue

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by jaysue
...(snip).....SSR strong pluses: very nice pool, close to SSR, very close to golf, 2054 expiration, a touch closer to non-WDW options such as Universal and Sea World than VWL

thanks
jaysue

I'm quite sure jaysue meant to type "close to Downtown Disney"


FWIW, use year is only important if you have to cancel a reservation for a stay that occurs toward the end of your use year. Depending on your personal situation, that may not be a major problem. Keep in mind that over the course of your ownership, your travel habits/times may change. A "best" use year now might not be "best" later on.

For those reasons, I don't think use year should be a critical factor in your decision. Buy where you think you will want to stay most often. That is the most frequently repeated piece of advice from this Forum. Jaysue said it very well:

the decision comes down to location, amenities and whether the extra 12 years is important to you

Best wishes -

 

[PamOKW]

Just echoing Carol's comment that the only time Use Year comes into play is when you are canceling and only can get crucial when you are cancelling during the last 60 days of your Use Year.

The December Use Year does look to be the most flexible for a Christmas/Spring trip since you have until May 31 each year to bank all your points.

However, if you take a trip in July and cancel any time after May 31, you would only be able to bank up to 50% of your total points.

If down the road, you decide you'd like to take a trip over Thanksgiving, the December Use Year would be terrible if you had to cancel last minute.

It's only when you cancel close to the travel date that Use Year matters. It's a consideration but shouldn't be a deal breaker.

 

[tjkraz]

I'm assuming you've already done this, but I'll float the idea just in case.

The Christmas and Easter weeks always fall in the most expensive DVC season (Premier?) Since you said "Spring Break", it's possible that your break will not fall right around Easter and thus be a bit cheaper some years.

However, I just want you to be aware that 150 points isn't going to go very far during these seasons. 150 will get you a studio for 5 or 6 nights, or a 1B for 3-4 nights.

Now, if you're planning to use 2 or 3 years' worth of points for a single trip, then you should be able to plan something significant. But realize that it's going to take a LOT longer for your DVC investment to pay for itself. If you need to use 2 years' worth of points for a single trip, you're going to pay $1000-1200 in Maintenance fees alone just for that one trip.

I suspect you will still come out ahead when comparing with cash reservations. But your ROI period on the initial $10,000+ investment will be much longer than someone who can travel during the slower periods and get 2x the value for their points.

Just some food for thought...