Which resort to buy direct for sleep around points

[Sandisw]

Exactly! That's my point! You bought SSR because they were the best value at the time you bought them. That's not opinion, that's math.

When I say "no preference," I mean "the preference didn't play a part in what you chose to buy," not what you choose to book once you've already bought. You use your SSR points at RIV and VGF. If you had AKV points you'd use them at RIV and VGF. If you had BLT points you'd use them at RIV and VGF. Then why did you buy SSR instead of AKV or BLT? Not because you prefer SSR over AKV and BLT. Because of math.

Actually, I did prefer them over AKV and had plenty of BLT points. We chose SSR for retirement. It’s our 3rd favorite. I even sold some BLT and VGF at the time so I could buy the 500. OKW was less at the time but didn’t want that resort so we didn’t take the cheapest.

The price was certainly a factor, no question, but there were no resale restrictions then. Had RIV existed, I would have never bought those and bought direct instead.

I just think there are degrees of SAPs…and OP seems interested in direct ones as a possibility.

 

[BeachClub2014]

You're being pedantic. When @Sandisw said some people have "no preference," clearly she meant WITHIN Walt Disney World. Obviously nobody is indifferent when it comes to Bay Lake Tower versus Aulani or Hilton Head.

No need to resort to name calling.

 

[havoc315]

Yes if you're very picky about room type and dates that's true. If you were saying "I'd like a week at Aulani this summer but I'm not worried about dates and I'm flexible on room and view," you'd be fine at 7 months.

Other than retirees, I don’t know anyone with that type of flexibility.
But that’s why different people use DVC differently.

And, except for some scattered days in ocean view, I wouldn’t have been able to book a 2 BR lock-off for any stretch in the month of July at 7-months.

To me, if I wanted to travel without thought to dates or room type, there are better ways to get last minute travel bargains, etc. To me, the value of DVC is being able to book the date and rooms I want.

 

[havoc315]

I don't like the analyses that assume I'm going to enjoy a vacation at the Poly just as much when I'm 80 as I will when I'm 40 or even 60. I agree that the 2042 resorts are too short to get a ton of value, bit I start discounting pretty heavily when we're talking 2060 and beyond.

But you can sell your Poly points in 20 years. You can’t sell your 2042 points in 20 years. So not about enjoying vacation — it’s merely about math $$$

 

[havoc315]

Right... But those aren't sleep-around points.

Paying a premium to suit your preferences is a judgment that each person has to make for themselves. Paying a premium when *you don't have a preference,* which is what SAP means in the first place, is not a matter of opinion or judgment. It CAN be "right or wrong."

Buying Grand Cal to primarily use at Old Key West isn't a matter of opinion. It's objectively a waste of money.

SAP, to me, does not mean “absolutely no preference.” If you have absolutely no preference, save money and book off-site or POP.
SAP Just means you are extremely flexible. You likely still prefer some resorts over others. It’s not “no preference.” It may still be, “I hope to get XXX, but if I can’t get that, I’d still be happy with YYY, and I won’t be upset if I need to just take ZZZ”
It’s saying, “I’m going to take dozens/hundreds of trips, I like all the resorts, and I’m flexible as to which I stay in, when. I know XXX is hard to book at 7 months, but I’ll waitlist it and hope to get to try it one of these days.”

Many SAP owners may ultimately want to stay in every DVC. In which case, buying direct is hugely important. If you want the ability to try out Riviera, Disneyland tower, and whatever else the future holds.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

Our SAP are at OKW (original contact from my childhood), AK, and VGF most recently. BC points are only fro BC. None are the cheapest options but all are places we would be willing to stay in. I wish we had CCV and Poly 2 as well. Maybe someday on the former, definitely on the latter. My mom has no interest in selling anywhere because we will use 11m priority on all at some point Except OKW but she is keeping that for nostalgic reasons.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

SAP, to me, does not mean “absolutely no preference.” If you have absolutely no preference, save money and book off-site or POP.
SAP Just means you are extremely flexible. You likely still prefer some resorts over others. It’s not “no preference.” It may still be, “I hope to get XXX, but if I can’t get that, I’d still be happy with YYY, and I won’t be upset if I need to just take ZZZ”
It’s saying, “I’m going to take dozens/hundreds of trips, I like all the resorts, and I’m flexible as to which I stay in, when. I know XXX is hard to book at 7 months, but I’ll waitlist it and hope to get to try it one of these days.”

You were talking about an Aulani reservation that you couldn't possibly get if you only had the 7 month window. That, by definition, is not SAP.

Many SAP owners may ultimately want to stay in every DVC. In which case, buying direct is hugely important. If you want the ability to try out Riviera, Disneyland tower, and whatever else the future holds.

Riviera, yes.

VDH is pure speculation. "Whatever else the future holds" is pure speculation.

 

[havoc315]

You were talking about an Aulani reservation that you couldn't possibly get if you only had the 7 month window. That, by definition, is not SAP.

My point is, under current conditions, it’s more important than ever to buy where you want to stay. Because unless you have EXTREME flexibility, willing to take any available room during the slowest of off seasons, there isn’t much value in “sleep around points.”
And if you do have that type of flexibility, then at least direct unlocks all resorts.

Riviera, yes.

VDH is pure speculation. "Whatever else the future holds" is pure speculation.

There are degrees of speculation. It’s a pretty safe bet that direct points will be valid at VDH, and it’s uncertain (even unlikely) that resale points will be valid at VDH.

 

[CarolMN]

My point is, under current conditions, it’s more important than ever to buy where you want to stay. Because unless you have EXTREME flexibility, willing to take any available room during the slowest of off seasons, there isn’t much value in “sleep around points.”
And if you do have that type of flexibility, then at least direct unlocks all resorts.

I agree - if you are talking about studios (or lock-off 2 bedrooms). However, there are usually still several choices available at 7 months for 1 bedrooms and to a lesser degree, dedicated 2 bedrooms. This is especially true for the summer months, with the exception of the July 4 Holiday.

From reading the posts, it seems many of those looking for SAP, are doing so to stay in 1 bedrooms. YMMV.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

From reading the posts, it seems many of those looking for SAP, are doing so to stay in 1 bedrooms. YMMV.

1 bedrooms and premium view categories.

 

[havoc315]

I agree - if you are talking about studios (or lock-off 2 bedrooms). However, there are usually still several choices available at 7 months for 1 bedrooms and to a lesser degree, dedicated 2 bedrooms. This is especially true for the summer months, with the exception of the July 4 Holiday.

From reading the posts, it seems many of those looking for SAP, are doing so to stay in 1 bedrooms. YMMV.

That is likely true. Though it really makes me question the supposed savings and value of SAP..
Preferred view 1-bedrooms are not great point/$$$ values. In fact, in many cases, booking direct with cash through WDW may be more economical than using points for preferred view one bedrooms.

Granted, if that's the type of room you truly want -- You would book preferred view 1-bedrooms even if you had a choice of all room types, then you are likely getting some savings and value out of SAP.

But if you're booking preferred 1 bedrooms out of necessity, when you would rather have a studio or standard 1 bedroom, you're very quickly erasing the savings of buying SAP.

As to availability in the current climate, I just checked 7 months from today.. early December..
SSR -- 1 bedrooms only.
And that's it. NO other WDW resort has any availability 7 months from today.
Also looked at 6 months from now, a week in early November -- also no availability outside of SSR.

I do feel like, pre-Covid, you had a fair number of SAP options, most of the year. But since Covid, SAP options are very very limited. Sure, might be a bit better in the summer months. But most of the year, it's really really limited.

 

[Sandisw]

You were talking about an Aulani reservation that you couldn't possibly get if you only had the 7 month window. That, by definition, is not SAP.


Riviera, yes.

VDH is pure speculation. "Whatever else the future holds" is pure speculation.

Current rules restrict resale from future resorts. That is not speculation. Buying today means its something to consider becuase unless DVD changes those rules, you are locked out of future resorts

With VDH and Poly tower right around the corner and having no further information to contradict that, it’s a possibility today those will be restricted. Guaranteed? No

If someone buying SAPs wants to hedge their bets to have a chance at those two as part of where they can use the SAPs, then buying direct makes good sense.

As I said, selling and buying future is not as simple as it sounds and there is no guarantee you won’t lose money on the deal.

So, until we see a change, direct points have a benefit to them, even for SAP.

ETA: Of course, direct doesn’t make sense to everyone but neither does resale.

 

[Nappy1380]

Truth be told, I've never really understood the premise of "sleep around points." Why buy points at a resort you really don't want to stay? Especially if the whole point of those points is to compete for 7-month availability at another resort. What am I missing here?

We bought SSR resale with the full intention of SAP while also being just as happy staying at SSR if we couldn't book elsewhere. After 3 trips, we've yet to stay at SSR. Also with buying SAP points, we bought enough points to stay in a 1BR/2BR pretty much anywhere. Additionally, getting a 2054 contract for less than a 2042 contract was equally as attractive.

 

[CarolMN]

As to availability in the current climate, I just checked 7 months from today.. early December..
SSR -- 1 bedrooms only.
And that's it. NO other WDW resort has any availability 7 months from today.
Also looked at 6 months from now, a week in early November -- also no availability outside of SSR.

Agree, but that is the most difficult time of the year to book at 7 months, and has been true for some time, pre-Covid included. .

 

[redboat45]

If you really want to go direct then I'd do GFV. They seem like the best direct deal right now that won't have resale restrictions if you decide to sell in the future.

 

[RoseGold]

My point is, under current conditions, it’s more important than ever to buy where you want to stay. Because unless you have EXTREME flexibility, willing to take any available room during the slowest of off seasons, there isn’t much value in “sleep around points.”

That's not true at all. My next two trips are all booked with SAP (and the new VGF wing). You can do a lot with SAP.

7 months from now is the holidays, so definitely peak. If you get up and book it tomorrow, maybe you can get the BC 2BR, the VGF studio, or the Jambo 1BR value available. I stayed at BR peak holiday with SAP, AKL club level, and BC every trip. I mean, sure, it's a pain and a gamble. That's part of the fun for me.

 

[bakerworld]

Really this is so subjective. We've only joined DVC direct and our first direct venture was the 'deal' at the time. Our next contract was where we thought we'd always want to stay. Our last contracts are where we want to stay now, which indicates that 2nd contracts has since developed into SAP along with the 1st contract. We make it work. We're not that picky plus we do have the contract for where we like to stay the most... currently - LOL.

 

[havoc315]

7 months from now is the holidays, so definitely peak.

7 months from now is early December, which is generally considered off season at WDW. For cash rooms, it's a rather low rate. (For example -- Rack rate for standard studio at Riviera would be $771, just slightly higher than the summer rate of $713, and way below the Spring rate of $992.
Honestly, if we are calling early December "peak", then 50%+ of the year at WDW is "peak."

Basically, "off peak" is only May through October, with the rest of the year at early-December or worse.

 

[CarolMN]

The first two weeks of December are the quickest to sell out for points. Peak times for the theme parks are not the same as the peak times for booking DVC villas.

 

[havoc315]

The first two weeks of December are the quickest to sell out for points. Peak times for the theme parks are not the same as the peak times for booking DVC villas.

That's totally true.
But for the last year, I've seen extremely thin availability at the 7 month mark for most of the year. I booked a trip for September at the 7 month mark, the only studios available were SSR, OKW and AKV. (Yes, I know September is also popular for DVC.... but getting closer to the point where there is almost no time of year that isn't popular. You can get online at exactly 7am at the 7 month mark, possibly get lucky sometimes if you click fast. But availability has been very very limited for most of the year at the 7 month mark. It's not just early December.

Pre-Covid, I would see Poly studios often available at 7 months, now I rarely see them. I haven't seen a single CCV studio available at 7 months since Covid. At my home resort Riviera, I have very very rarely seen a studio available at 7 months. etc.