Who's buying @the Grand California Villas, and how much?

[kerickson]

With all this talk about the new Kingdom Towers, I'm getting excited about the upcoming sales of the new GCVs. So let's see how a West Coast DVC stacks up?

I've split it up by purchases eligible for GCV Founding Members program(purchased 160+ points for SSR/AKV via DL DVC office) vs those purchased once available to DVC membership/general public.

 

[ACDSNY]

Count me in...100 - 200 points. Waiting to see point chart before I decide how many.

 

[toocherie]

Specifically bought my SSR interest so I could get my 160 points at GCV . . . .

 

[ToodlesRN]

Just joined DVC last night!
got the founding member status since I bought through a Guide at DL, we plan anywhere from 160 on up depending on price and monthly dues.

 

[kerickson]

51-75 : right now due to finances, we'll probably only purchase 50ish points as part of the Founding Member program. Enough to book a 3 or 4 night visit at the 11mo mark every 3 years. If it proves difficult to book at the 7mo mark with my SSR points, I may add on more and/or sell my SSR. Also looking ahead to Hawaii one day...that one may be easier to book at the 7mo mark given there's never a bad time to visit Hawaii...

 

[squidmo]

Count me in...100 - 200 points. Waiting to see point chart before I decide how many.

Yep, this is exactly where we are at too.

 

[robinb]

None for me. I'm spending my money on KTV.

 

[lugnut33]

I really considered it until I did a rough guess (I'm probably wrong) on what I think i will take points-wise for a week. Then I thought different.

 

[Dom262]

Well, we took the DVC Dream Suite Tour on Saturday and found out some disheartening news. DVC is going to offer the GCV contracts to those that actually bought at the DVC office in CA first. oh and by the way, we were told by the Mgr on Sat that to be considered to the first right, you have to buy the minimum of 110 points into AKV or SSR.

With only 900,000ish points available at this small resort, there is a serious chance that only those that bought in CA will be able to buy into this new resort. This will (may) leave the members that bought in FL (including those that live in CA who had no other option to buy but in FL prior to opening sales up in CA). Good luck to the general public....

The reason that was given was that those that bought in the CA office only did so on faith that a resort would soon be built in CA. It is only because of this faith that these members will get the first rights on this new property. For those that do not know, new properties are offered to all DVC memebers first, prior to going to the general public.

My question is, what about those of us that live in CA and bought in FL (Because that is the only place we could buy at the time) with the hopes of being able to buy into a DVC property in CA? We already have 3 contracts in FL (One at BCV and 2 at SSR). We do not need another contract in Fl just so we can buy into GCV.

I believe this is setting a scarey precidence for DVC. Everytime they open a smaller property in the future they will looks to exclude certain groups of people. What about the smaller resort in Hawaii that is being built? Who will they exclude from the opportunity to purchase there?

On another note, what about those that have built friendships with our current DVC agents? Is it fair that Disney mandate we buy from someone else, so we can have the opportunity to buy into GCV? What about the agents in FL that have current customers calling them weekly, waiting to buy in CA? Is Disney really going to take those sales away from them?

Hopefully Disney will see their error and correct this problem.

 

[amyup]

I'm becoming a member this week again, and plan on purchasing somewhere between 50-75 points at GCV.


Amy

 

[DISNEY FIX]

Awaiting KTV.

 

[toocherie]

Hopefully Disney will see their error and correct this problem.

I don't believe that Disney can change its current plans for how it will be selling GCV since it has already closed on several thousand contracts that granted "Founding Member" status and it cannot rescind those rights at this time. (and yes, I am one of them). It would be a breach of contract for them to change how they are going to sell points at this time. As I have posted before--I don't think the general public will ever see points for this initial development--and there will be limited availability for non-Founding Member DVC owners (supply and demand)--however, I also think when it sells out quickly DVC will be looking to either expand Grand Californian DVC or find another location close by to build additional units. The demand I believe is there in California--it's a question of whether there is land available to satisfy that demand.

By the way--I was told the minimum buy-in to get Founding Member status was 160 points-not 110.

 

[drag n' fly]

Well, we took the DVC Dream Suite Tour on Saturday and found out some disheartening news. DVC is going to offer the GCV contracts to those that actually bought at the DVC office in CA first. oh and by the way, we were told by the Mgr on Sat that to be considered to the first right, you have to buy the minimum of 110 points into AKV or SSR.

With only 900,000ish points available at this small resort, there is a serious chance that only those that bought in CA will be able to buy into this new resort. This will (may) leave the members that bought in FL (including those that live in CA who had no other option to buy but in FL prior to opening sales up in CA). Good luck to the general public....

The reason that was given was that those that bought in the CA office only did so on faith that a resort would soon be built in CA. It is only because of this faith that these members will get the first rights on this new property. For those that do not know, new properties are offered to all DVC memebers first, prior to going to the general public.

My question is, what about those of us that live in CA and bought in FL (Because that is the only place we could buy at the time) with the hopes of being able to buy into a DVC property in CA? We already have 3 contracts in FL (One at BCV and 2 at SSR). We do not need another contract in Fl just so we can buy into GCV.

I believe this is setting a scarey precidence for DVC. Everytime they open a smaller property in the future they will looks to exclude certain groups of people. What about the smaller resort in Hawaii that is being built? Who will they exclude from the opportunity to purchase there?

On another note, what about those that have built friendships with our current DVC agents? Is it fair that Disney mandate we buy from someone else, so we can have the opportunity to buy into GCV? What about the agents in FL that have current customers calling them weekly, waiting to buy in CA? Is Disney really going to take those sales away from them?

Hopefully Disney will see their error and correct this problem.

I don't believe anyone is being excluded. Plenty of points to go around even though we bought in as a founding member we probably won't add on more than 50 points. We will use AKV as a winter/spring holiday and possibly GCV for a potential summer holiday. Did I luck out...not really it was an informed purchase based on good timing. I do feel California DVC residents should be given as much preference as founding members though as they would be using the resort just as much if not more.

 

[farscape]

Although I am now planning to wait for KTV for my next purchase, can anyone tell me what are the advantages to Founding Member vs Non-Founding Member status?

From reading the message boards, it seems that sometimes becoming a Founding Member means missing out on Developer purchase incentives. There also seems to be a minimum number of credits that must be purchased in order to qualify for Founding Member status.

Is becoming a Founding Member really worth it?

TIA

 

[nick262]

I do feel California DVC residents should be given as much preference as founding members though as they would be using the resort just as much if not more.

Thank you for the vote for CA members. However, I do not believe it will ever get to general DVC members. There is just too many DL DVC members. I was told that there are enough qualifying DVC members at DL that it could sell out with just Founding members. No offense to any that bought at DL, but I think this really stinks and really ticks me off. This send a message to those of us that have been members longer that we don't matter as customers. Never has DVC excluded any member from the member only purchase timeframe, and this is just the start of a slippery slope of granting perks to some members. To the person that said that there would be more properties in the future....They will not be GCH and will not be the same.

By the way--I was told the minimum buy-in to get Founding Member status was 160 points-not 110.

For DVC members that toured the Suite last Sat, it was lowered to 110 just for the weekend.

 

[toocherie]

Thank you for the vote for CA members. However, I do not believe it will ever get to general DVC members. There is just too many DL DVC members. I was told that there are enough qualifying DVC members at DL that it could sell out with just Founding members. No offense to any that bought at DL, but I think this really stinks and really ticks me off. This send a message to those of us that have been members longer that we don't matter as customers. Never has DVC excluded any member from the member only purchase timeframe, and this is just the start of a slippery slope of granting perks to some members. To the person that said that there would be more properties in the future....They will not be GCH and will not be the same.

Just curious--in the past--when they offered points at a new resort to DVC members first--was it on a first come, first serve basis or were there enough points at each resort to satisfy the existing members' needs so it was not an issue?

 

[nick262]

Just curious--in the past--when they offered points at a new resort to DVC members first--was it on a first come, first serve basis or were there enough points at each resort to satisfy the existing members' needs so it was not an issue?

Yes all of the resorts were offered to all DVC member on a first come first served basis. And they have all had several million points to offer so everyone had ample opporunity to take advantage of the sale. With the smaller amount at GCV (900K), it would only take 5,625 elegible DVC members to purchase their max of 160pts to sell GCV out before it got to the general DVC population of over 350K. I was told this weekend that there is more then 5,625 members that qualify. I was told that I would need to buy 110 ($13k+) at SSR or AKV to qualify. I already own BCV and SSR and only want to have GCV for the 11 month window. I do not need nor want the additonal 110 from SSR or AKV. And this was not general knowledge to anyone except those that purchased in DL. My Guide, who has been with Disney for many many years, did not even know of this. Had we known about this, we would have arrainged for one of our SSR contracts to be purchased through DL. We also bought with the "hope and faith" that there would eventually be a CA DVC resort, we were just unfortunate enough to purchase it 3 years too early and in the wrong state. I am sorry, but I do not believe this is fair at all.

 

[kikiq]

With the smaller amount at GCV (900K), it would only take 5,625 elegible DVC members to purchase their max of 160pts to sell GCV out before it got to the general DVC population of over 350K. I was told this weekend that there is more then 5,625 members that qualify. I was told that I would need to buy 110 ($13k+) at SSR or AKV to qualify.

Do you feel that all 5,625 DVC members will want to buy 160 points? We only live 30 minutes from DLR and only just recently decided to buy 50-75 points depending on the point structure. AND we do NOT have founding member status even though we just bought at DL last year. We are willing to wait and see how much the points costs, what the MF will be, and how the points work out for the time of the year we would want to stay onsite.

 

[ACDSNY]

I was told that I would need to buy 110 ($13k+) at SSR or AKV to qualify. I already own BCV and SSR and only want to have GCV for the 11 month window. I do not need nor want the additonal 110 from SSR or AKV. Had we known about this, we would have arrainged for one of our SSR contracts to be purchased through DL. We also bought with the "hope and faith" that there would eventually be a CA DVC resort, we were just unfortunate enough to purchase it 3 years too early and in the wrong state. I am sorry, but I do not believe this is fair at all.

We're in the same boat. Financially it's hard to justify purchasing 110 more points at a higher price and selling an equal amount just to be able to purchase GC. Is it worth it for $2,100? We decided to wait and take our chances. I hope we don't regret it.

 

[nunzia]

I'm hoping that 3-4 nights in a studio at low season would be about 50-70 points, so that's what I'm planning for. I just see no point in buying 160 points where I won't go all that often to get founding status...and I hope there are points left for me to do my add on, but no way can I justify 160 in Florida plus 70 at GCV..If I miss out I'll just have to be happy to go as a 'normal' guest and wait for resales