What do you wish you'd known?

[ellynsoh]

I wish I had known about resale; with fewer than 150 points, I could have bought in years ago with cash. Just think about the inexpensive, luxurious vacations I could have had.

 

[AnnaS]

I wish I had known earlier about DVC and wish I had known that our first 200 point purchase was not going to be enough or good enough anyway (we added three times since then). I think we are good now (460).

 

[dianeschlicht]

Originally posted by LIFERBABE
3 months after purchasing DVC LOL!

Well I kinda had a feeling (Karma and all) so I held money in reserve for all the inevitables that go wrong after you make a luxury purchase for yourself. (or does this only happen to me?)

I also wish I had been aware of the Handicap Accessible units and their floorplans, in case we ever received one. This would have also been factored in our purchasing decision, not a deal breaker, but definitely a consideration.

Could you explain why the possibility of getting a handicaped unit might be a big issue? Obviously, they have to have these, and I know they always let folks know if that is what they are scheduled in. We have never been given a handicapped unit, but then we always book at the 11 month window at OKW, and I think that prevents that from happening. I also a quite sure that if you mistakenly got one and didn't want it, they would move you.

 

[Chim Chiminy]

First off, I wish I had listened to my mother.
She tryed to get us all to take the tour during our April 2002 trip, and we all laughed at her. We didn't want to lose any park time to go tour a stupid timeshare.

If I had listened to her and bought in then, we would have saved I think $5 a point. And recieved a free stay I believe. This was for BCV.

When we got home from that trip, I started looking into DVC online. I gathered a lot of info right here on the DIS.
By the time we bought in October, the price had gone up.
We bought 170 points, and I don't remember how I came up with that number.

Fast forward to August 2003. We always vacation with my parents, sometimes my brothers, sometimes my BILs. That trip I realized we didn't have enough points.
So when we got home I called up my guide to add on at SSR. Another 180 points.

Now I am working on a plan to add on points at HH through resale.........I will have to be real sneaky with this one.

The moral is-----buy sooner than later. You can never have enough points.
Oh yeah, mother always knows best (at least when it comes to DVC!)

 

[LIFERBABE]

Could you explain why the possibility of getting a handicaped unit might be a big issue? Obviously, they have to have these, and I know they always let folks know if that is what they are scheduled in. We have never been given a handicapped unit, but then we always book at the 11 month window at OKW, and I think that prevents that from happening. I also a quite sure that if you mistakenly got one and didn't want it, they would move you.

There have been several posted occasions where this is not the case. Here is an example:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=472299

Not a big issue, just something I wish I had known that would have been one of the many variables considered towards purchasing. When I visited the DVC sales office, there were no HA units available to tour nor were they mentioned so others may not be knowledgeable of them either.

Thanks to the Dissers for sharing this info through room reports.

 

[StormTigger]

I would have to say I wish I would have known about:

1) These boards, the wealth of information... wow.

2) About resale, VWL is our favorite resort but "home" is BCV cuz that what was on sale at the time... don't know if I would have changed to buy resale... but would have liked the option. (yea.. I really needed another option at the time.. )

3) That SS was going to open 2 yrs after my purchase w/ a 50 yr contract. That ... I might have actually waited for.

I must say though, I'm not disappointed in my purchase, and like everyone else.. I WANT MORE POINTS!!

 

[roadtripper]

What a great mental health purchase DCV would be. When life gets stressful, it's nice to know we always have a Disney trip planned, and I have so far resisted the urge to add on to our measly 150 points, though I do lurk on the resale boards. Anyone want to sell 50 OKW points with a Feb use year? Anyone? Anyone?

 

[rocketriter]

I wish I'd bitten the bullet and bought more than 180 points. I now think that between 300 and 325 would suit us very nicely. However, committed to one loan, we want to pay that one off before going back to the well.

 

[BWVDee]

I had received information and had gone on the tours, etc., from the very beginning of DVC, so I knew a lot about DVC for years before purchasing a DVC membership. I was very interested in the whole DVC concept, but OKW was the only resort available at the time; and it was not at all what we desired for the price of a timeshare located on Disney property. However, once BWV opened, I bought over the phone and then proceeded to add on pts over the phone! Without a doubt this was one of the best decisions I have ever made. However I must admit as thoroughly as I researched DVC and all my options before purchasing a membership, the one thing I did not think through as thoroughly as I should have was the use year.

 

[Apollo53]

However I must admit as thoroughly as I researched DVC and all my options before purchasing a membership, the one thing I did not think through as thoroughly as I should have was the use year.

I know I didn't think about the use year. I've noticed several people bought the use year up in this thread. What is so important about the use year?

 

[jodifla]

Use year becomes important if your plans change. For example, we have an April use year. We decided to go to Vero for our anniversary at the end of February. If something happens and we can't go, we only have until the end of March to use the points. We're also past the banking window.

So it's best to have a use year that's toward the beginning of the time you like to travel, so you have more opportunity to bank your points, or travel later in your use year if you have to cancel.

 

[rsschneck]

I will give you an example of why UY is so important. My example will be our upcoming trip to HHI in March.

I booked this 7 months out. We have an April UY. I booked a 2 bedroom and used all my 2003 points plus I borrowed 21 points from my 2004 allotment. We are about a week shy of the actual UY allotment date which would be April 2004. Problem is if say we had some people back out (which we did) and wanted to downsize to a 1 bedroom or even cancel the trip. The points that we borrowed have to be used by March 31,2004. Plus our other points from 2003 can no longer be banked because of deadlines on banking. So, basically we are going to HHI when I booked and staying in the 2 bedroom no matter what!

We travel at different times of the year, so UY didn't matter too much to us. The only tricky vacation time seems to be aroung Spring Break because of our April UY.

Hope that gives a good example. So, if you vacation at the same time every year pick a UY that if you had to cancel or change the ressie that you could bank those points to use in the future.

 

[Apollo53]

Thank you both for the information.

I can see where the UY cold present a problem

 

[AZKathy]

One thing we did not know that I wish we knew when we signed up was that we would have an addition to our family! <a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_5_2v.gif' border=0></a>We would have gotten more points right then and there!!!!!

 

[EeyoreJMH]

I think I'd have to echo the more points sentiment. We bought 250 points at BWV when we were first married and thought that would be more than enough. However, since we both come from familes who love Disney, we often invite others to join us, resulting in needing larger accomodations. For example, when it's just the two of us, we'll stay in a 1-bedroom, but when the families come for a trip, we usually try and get the Grand Villa at OKW. I can't imagine what'll be like when kids are in the picture

 

[jimh13432]

I wish I were there right now............

 

[JimC]

Maybe a bit more pressure, we should have done it much earlier -- back in 1992 when we first took the tour. They made it too easy for us to convince ourselves we could not afford it!

But that is possibly why they are so successful. You buy when you are truly ready. Although it took us a decade to figure out we could afford it.

 

[southtown]

I wish I knew SSR resort was coming and was going to be a 50 year contract. I bought at BCV and not even six months later SSR went on sale and I was very upset to think for 750 more bucks I could have had twelve more years. I was really upset about it,but I kept thinkig about how my wife and I talked to a couple on the Boardwalk that were DVC members before we bought saying how the BCV and BWV were in the best location and how everyone wants to be there and so on. Once we stayed there I am more that pleased with BCV. I just figure when I add on I will add on in 50 point increments at SSR intil I have around 200 points,so when my BCV contract is over I will still be able to enjoy DVC.

 

[Disney-Kim]

I wish we had bought when we toured in 1998. We bought last summer. I also wish that we had bought more points than the minimum 150. We financed and I just didn't even think of buying more points because I was so excited that we were buying DVC.
I would have prob bought about 220-250 points so we could do a 1 bedroom instead of a studio w/o having to borrow.