What is the benefit of buying a more expensive home resort?

[satorifound]

Is it just the 11 month vs. the 7 month booking window?

Are the resorts usually booked up by the 7 month time frame for a non-busy time of year?

 

[bobbiwoz]

Some units in some of the resorts may be booked up by the 7 month window. It depends on the season, the type of villa and the resort.

On the planning thread someone booked BWV at 7 months and was happy until the realization came that they are spending the same number of points for preferred view, but the preferred view doesn't include a boardwalk view. The bargain "standard" view villas are also booked. So, BWV wasn't booked but some favored types of rooms were.

At BCV, there are dedicated 2 bedrooms with 2 queens. I own at BCV so that when I go with my extended family, that's what I'll book 11 months out. On one of the other DVC boards, someone is excited because she got the dedicated 2 bedroom with 2 queens at 7 months and is only 3 days away from the vacation.

BLT is expensive and has a later expiration date, so that's part of the price differential. I own at 7 resorts and generally book what I want at 11 months, and sometimes at 7 months, I'll use other points to get other villas for friends at the resort we'll be at. It is possible to get "good" villas at 7 months, I got a treehouse using some banked HHI points that came with a resale I bought!

Bobbi

 

[satorifound]

Could you buy a token amount of points in a more expensive resort and a larger amount of points in the less expense one in order to be able to book 11 months out?

 

[Cap]

Could you buy a token amount of points in a more expensive resort and a larger amount of points in the less expense one in order to be able to book 11 months out?

No, when booking between 11 months and 7 months, you have to be using all "home resort" points to book at that resort.

Also, in response to the original question, resorts that used to have good availability at the 7 month window have become busier and there is less or no availability at that time. Now that there are (reportedly) over 400,000 DVC members, there is also lots of competition at the 7 month window for the more popular resorts / views. So, unless you are careful to book exactly at the 7 month window, you may not get in.

 

[DebbieB]

Could you buy a token amount of points in a more expensive resort and a larger amount of points in the less expense one in order to be able to book 11 months out?

No, only points from the home resort can be used @ 11 months.

There's more to deciding on a home resort than just current price. You also need to take a look at annual dues and contract end date. The original DVC resorts expire in 2042. The new ones expire 2054-2060. Annual dues range from $3.89 per point at BLT to $6.78 at VB.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2532406

 

[jimbostacks]

Maybe it is just me, but I am finding it harder and harder to get the "prime" resorts at 7 months. I own Saratoga, but like to bounce around to other resorts. Wilderness Lodge and Beach Club have been geting harder lately. So I am looking to but at Beach Club to be able to get a chance before 7 months. Justmethough, I hear of others having luck. Especially now that my kids are older and we have to travel at more peak times.....

 

[satorifound]

Thank you all for the feedback.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

If you do want to stay at some resorts at "peak" times then that window can be key. I want a week in at BCV for Food and Wine so those points were worth the premium.

 

[Deb & Bill]

There aren't so many non-busy times for DVC anymore. And the times WDW isn't all the busy, DVC can be very busy. Like early December. Extremely busy for DVC, not so busy for WDW guests booking through Disney Reservation Center.

 

[mountdew1]

To the OP, you should buy at a resort you are comfortable staying at with the amount of points to let you stay in the room you want, when you think you would want to go. You may be able to buy more points at a cheaper resort, but if you wouldn't be happy staying there, then what the use? There is always the chance that you won't get the resort you want so you need to make sure you are going to be happy with what you can get.

There aren't so many non-busy times for DVC anymore. And the times WDW isn't all the busy, DVC can be very busy. Like early December. Extremely busy for DVC, not so busy for WDW guests booking through Disney Reservation Center.

Lots of DVC owners are trying to maximize their points use. Being able to get that early week in December for low points makes alot more sense for some people than traveling a week or two later in terms of where they could stay and for how long.

 

[satorifound]

Thank you. I may have to tour some on the upcoming trip.

To the OP, you should buy at a resort you are comfortable staying at with the amount of points to let you stay in the room you want, when you think you would want to go. You may be able to buy more points at a cheaper resort, but if you wouldn't be happy staying there, then what the use? There is always the chance that you won't get the resort you want so you need to make sure you are going to be happy with what you can get.



Lots of DVC owners are trying to maximize their points use. Being able to get that early week in December for low points makes alot more sense for some people than traveling a week or two later in terms of where they could stay and for how long.

 

[Granny]

Thank you. I may have to tour some on the upcoming trip.

That is definitely an excellent idea. Look for a resort that you feel you would be happy staying at for a number of years. Not that you couldn't try other resorts, but you want your home resort to be a great fall back for those times when you can't get into another resort.

Good luck!

 

[mousenyc]

Not that you couldn't try other resorts, but you want your home resort to be a great fall back for those times when you can't get into another resort.

great advice!

 

[sweetdana]

If you can afford/ don't mind the extra $$; buy where you want to stay. The 11 months window is heavenly.

If not buy where you will not feel let down at. IE Buy your 2nd or 3rd fav resort if it saves you enough $$.


If you dislike/hate SSR, or OKW, or AK, don't buy where you are not totally cool with being stuck. .. Also your favs may change over time.. Mine did. My second fav resort now is SSR. I love being stuck there.

 

[Mtnman44]

In my limited experience, and observing others' experiences here, I would say that the 7 month window can not be relied upon for anytime during December. Also, it will likely be dissapointing for these other circumstances:

-days adjecent to holidays or holiday weeks
-BLT MK Views or Standard Views
-AKV Values or Concierge
-BWV standard view
-BWV Boardwalk view
-Any grand Villa
-OKW hospitality house catagory
-BWV or BCV from late Sept to Nov
-Tree House Villas at SSR

If any of the above would be a common, often, or always desired use of your ponts, consider buying points at that resort for the Home booking advantage.

 

[cvjw]

Keep in mind that things change, and just because you are planning on visiting Disney at a non-crowded time, life sometimes has a way of changing that. We bought points to visit Disney at the end of May/first of June when school lets out, and in Sept during our fall break - both are relatively quiet times at Disney. Spring forward a couple of years, and our school board cancels our fall break. Now, we need to visit Disney during Christmas vacation, and you must book 11 months out. If we had purchased points at a resort that we didn't really like, we would be stuck there, with little chance of changing resorts at the 7 month window. Buy where you would not mind staying - some times of the year are really hard to book at the 7 month window.

 

[eleclips]

We have found that if you go on the wait list you can get what you want. We live in Florida so we are close. Members since 2000 and have gotten all of our wait list requests. It seems that a lot of people make reservations far out if they might use them to lock up the time, but when it gets close to the dates they cancel before they loose the points.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We have found that if you go on the wait list you can get what you want. We live in Florida so we are close. Members since 2000 and have gotten all of our wait list requests. It seems that a lot of people make reservations far out if they might use them to lock up the time, but when it gets close to the dates they cancel before they loose the points.

You've been lucky. We've never gotten our waitlist, even the shorter one for three nights at BLT.

 

[crisi]

Keep in mind that things change, and just because you are planning on visiting Disney at a non-crowded time, life sometimes has a way of changing that. We bought points to visit Disney at the end of May/first of June when school lets out, and in Sept during our fall break - both are relatively quiet times at Disney. Spring forward a couple of years, and our school board cancels our fall break. Now, we need to visit Disney during Christmas vacation, and you must book 11 months out. If we had purchased points at a resort that we didn't really like, we would be stuck there, with little chance of changing resorts at the 7 month window. Buy where you would not mind staying - some times of the year are really hard to book at the 7 month window.

And if you don't change, sometimes Disney does. Our "normal" vacation was in early October when we bought - right before Food and Wine. Minnesota has a school break then for a few days - so pull the kids for a few, take the holiday - get a week. It was a wonderful time for Disney - light crowds - and a wonderful time for DVC - without F&W reservations at Epcot resorts weren't hard to get.

The year we bought it was announced that F&W was so popular, it would run all of October! So our "easy" reservations (we own BWV) became "standard view may not be available if we don't call day by day AT eleven months."

Now we've changed - to late August.

I'm also a fan of "buy where you don't mind staying." If your heart is set on BCV over Food and Wine - you really should buy it so you aren't disappointed. If "anywhere at Disney is great, we are flexible and want to try all the resorts - and don't care about a special resort or room type for any specific trip" - buy SSR - buy in cost is low, dues are low, contract length is long.

 

[hbehrman]

If "anywhere at Disney is great, we are flexible and want to try all the resorts - and don't care about a special resort or room type for any specific trip" - buy SSR - buy in cost is low, dues are low, contract length is long.

This is our families philosophy. Where we live in NC the kids are on a year round school schedule (45 days in school, 15 days out) until they go to high school. So we bought at SSR and take what we can get (last year AKV) at 7 months (usually the week before Columbus Day in October), or go to SSR (which is not a bad thing). This year we are off to Hilton Head, which we will probably buy into when the kids get closer to High School (as to go in the summer it is beneficial to own, i.e. hard to get a ressie in those months).

Another reason we bought at SSR (besides the golf course, spa and proximity to DTD) was to have 11 month ressie for the treehouses as we invite our relatives to go with us. Since we are a family of 5 (unless we stay at AKV, OKW or BLT in a 1BR) a 2BR (8 people) or treehouse (9 people) would be needed so we have extra room for the ones we love (if they care to join us).