Where to BUY?

[areickart]

Hi everyone,

I've been reading these postings and gathering information for a few weeks now. I saw the DVC presentation about a month ago, and really wanted to buy on the spot and am glad now that I didn't because of the huge resale market. My question is based on a theory, and I'm hoping that you can help me out. The theory is that no matter where you own, you can stay at any of the resorts. When I asked the Cast Member about this, he said that unless it's during peak season/and or you want BLT, there shouldn't be a problem booking what you want 7 months out. If this is TRUE...then why not buy the cheapest points...like at VB.

So is it fairly easy to book other places at the 7 month window like they say it is?

Thanks for your opinions.

 

[Sandisw]

Welcome to the boards.

In theory, yes, you can book any resort at the 7 month mark. However, getting the room type and the exact dates may not always be available. Peak times for DVC may not necessarily be the same as peak times for the park.

If your goal is to buy DVC to stay at WDW, then the motto is buy where you want to stay. If you have no real preference, then going with the resort that is financially a good deal makes sense.

However, I would not buy VB if you are planning trips to WDW. While the buy in price is less, MF's are high which offset any upfront costs in a few years down the road.

There are a lot of great deals out there for SSR. They MF's are fairly low, it expires in 2054 (when many others expire in 2042) and its located in WDW. If you bought there, you could book at WDW trip at the 11 month mark and then at 7 months, try for a reservation at a different resort. But if nothing else is available, at least you would be at WDW. With VB, you can only book 7 months out and might find yourself without a room for some of your stay.

But if you really want to be at other WDW resorts, then you might want to buy at one of those resorts. EVen though the costs upfront might be a bit more, you will be assured that you have a room at a place you are happy.

I bought at VWL with the goal of adding on at BLT in the summer, since that is where I really want to be (VWL is my 2nd choice). I was so excited to be an owner, that I ended up adding on right away and now realize that I really want to own all my points at BLT. I know that I can book there at 11 months. If I want to try other resorts, I can switch a few nights at 7 months but if I can't, it won't matter. I know that I am paying a premium for my DVC, but it is worth it to me.

Good luck!!!

 

[backyardponder]

I agree with the PP concerning VB. Buy at VB if you want to stay at VB during peak times.

When looking at the resorts, make sure you look at the points charts. OKW and BWV Standard View are great deals in that they need less points than other resorts.

Things to consider, in addition to the points are when the resort expires, location, MF, and how you feel about a resort.

Big advantage of your home resort is the ability to reserve there 11 months out. Having that reservation in hand takes a lot of the "stress" of wondering if you can get what you want at the 7 month window. For example, in my case, I bought into DVC via resale because I want to do a large family vacation every few years. I want to have, for 10 nights, a 2BR plus two studios at BWV in the standard view booking category. Due to the limited number of rooms in this category, it would be unlikely that I would be able to get that at the 7 month window.

Good Luck!

 

[DisneyWalker44]

Your cost of owning people isn't just the price per point to buy in. You also have to figure mantenance fees and depreaciation. When you look at all the costs, it might even be cheaper to buy directly from Disney.

 

[browniemtb]

Just to add and reiterate what has been said thus far....

1) Buy where you want to stay the most-though you have the ability to book anywhere at 7 months there will be times if the year where both BWV and BCV will be nearly impossible to get, hence F&W.

To share one of our main criteria before we bought-we wanted to be with in a boat, monorail, or walking distance to a park or parks. At the time of our purchase we looked at BWV,BCV, VWL. Although all were sold out Disney still had points for sale, BWV for us and we have been happy travelers ever since.

My DW actually mentioned that she wants to go back this fall so I mentioned that maybe we should try BLT. She has no interest since the kids absolutely love the Boardwalk area and the shows during the evening. But I still would like to venture off and try the other resorts.

 

[disney4metoo]

Your cost of owning people isn't just the price per point to buy in. You also have to figure mantenance fees and depreaciation. When you look at all the costs, it might even be cheaper to buy directly from Disney.

I agree, and buy where you want to stay!

 

[tjkraz]

I tend to fall into the "don't buy where you don't want to stay" camp. We didn't buy DVC for a single resort--we bought for the collection (which has nearly doubled in size since our purchase.)

The problem with "buy where you want to stay" is that it assumes that either:

1) The buyer only wants to stay in a single resort, or
2) The buyer has the resources to purchase points at multiple Home resorts.

If you have your heart set on staying at a single resort the vast majority of the time, then by all means buy at that resort.

But if you have every intention of hopping from one resort to another and don't have any great affinity for one location, then location of your Home resort isn't terribly important. I wouldn't advise buying at a resort that you personally dislike. It's wise to take advantage of the 11 month booking window to book your Home and then try to relocate at 7 months. But more often than not you'll have success booking elsewhere when calling at 7 months.

If you're location-neutral, then you need to start factoring in things like the different buy-in costs, annual dues and contract durations.

There are specific dates and groups of rooms which are hard to get at 7 months--things like AKV concierge, OKW grand villas and BWV BoardWalk view. You'll have to do a lot more research in order to fully get a handle on those pockets of high demand, and determine whether they impact your decision or not. If your goal is simply to have SOME access to rooms at OKW, BWV, BCV, AKV, BLT, etc. at 7 months, the vast majority of the time there will be availability.

 

[crisi]

Or, the "don't buy where you will be disappointed to end up."

The guide was ..... mistaken. As a non-DVC member, you'd never guess that early December is peak season, would you? And yet, it is and we just getting to the seven month window, and some rooms at some resorts are unavailable. This year seems to be a good one for availability though - seems a lot of DVCers are delaying travel with the economy.

Also, the guide often says that the resort they are pushing is the one that will be hard to get a seven months. Makes no sense, people who own BLT will want to cruise, stay over at the Epcot resorts, visit AKL, take advantage of OKW cheap points and huge rooms - like a lot of DVC members. BLT may be harder to book at seven months than some other resorts, but I expect it will be easier than some others - if you are happy with any view.

 

[DVC Mike]

The theory is that no matter where you own, you can stay at any of the resorts. When I asked the Cast Member about this, he said that unless it's during peak season/and or you want BLT, there shouldn't be a problem booking what you want 7 months out. If this is TRUE...then why not buy the cheapest points...like at VB.

So is it fairly easy to book other places at the 7 month window like they say it is?

I wouldn't buy at a resort yoo don't plan on staying at on a regular basis. Buying VB to stay primarily at WDW is not a good decision, IMO. There are a lot of factors to consider when purchasing your home resort. For example, see the Choosing Your Home Resort thread. Make sure you consider them all so you make an informed decision.