Would/Will be a new DVC Buyer

[DanielleC]

So, I'm considering a DVC purchase. I need some opinions and thoughts. First, a little bit about me.

• I am a single person. It's rare that I go with anyone else and even then, no one stays in my room. I do not, nor will I ever "need" a Villa, 2 BR or even a 1 BR.
• I live about 90 min from Disney.
• I have gone more times than I can count.
• I have an annual pass. I've had an annual pass every year since 1993.
• I have a Chase Disney VISA card.
• I go to Disney about 18 times a year. I say 18 because I usually go once a month, sometimes two.
• I rarely stay more than 2 nights at a time. Last "long" trip for me was Christmas 2023 and that was 5 nights. This year I'll be going Labor Day weekend for D23, staying 4 nights (Thurs - Sunday).
• I have gone one pretty much every attraction or ride that I want. If there is a long line, I can go next time (or the next after that)
• Since I have been there for every night time event (MNSSHP, MVMCP, JN) I don't really care about anything for those. I actually went the first year for MVMCP and it cost $15. I also don't care much about extra hours for DVC members.
• I tend to make my reservations for the times I visit about 2 weeks out from the trip. If I can't get a room then I just don't go that weekend or just go for the day. So the 11 month/7 month thing doesn't make this a deal breaker. Nor does the contract expiration though either OKW 2057 or SS 2054 would be more desirable but not necessary.
• I have stayed at every existing resort except the Cabins at Ft Wilderness. I've stayed at the campgrounds once though.

Everything I see and sense is that resale is for me. It seems that with the price of direct purchase being about twice as much as resale, resale is a better deal. I don't want/need the perks. And I get the discounts using my Disney Visa or Annual Pass.

So, am I off base with my logic or is resale for me?

 

[matt and beth]

I think the 2 weeks out is the deal breaker for you. Availability is generally pretty poor.

 

[atthebeachclub]

I agree with @matt and beth : this is not a good idea for you. Nothing will be available to book 2 weeks out most of the time. Even Saratoga Springs and Old Key West are filled up then. If you could book five months out, I would say “maybe.” But two weeks? Definitely don’t do it. You will be disappointed.

 

[Mommb]

What would be your rationale for buying DVC? If you are not interested in the perks and discounts, would need to take whatever resort (if any) is still available a few weeks in advance, and would never need more than a studio, what is the benefit of a DVC room rather than a value resort or an off-site hotel?

If you have a reason to stay in DVC resorts, then yes buying resale would be much less expensive than buying direct.

 

[Sandisw]

IMO, you will become very frustrated with DVC with trying to book regularly weeks in advance, especially if you want studios.

While things can show up, DVC works for those who do book far in advance.

 

[VGCgroupie]

Resale if you bump up your timeline to at least 90 days out and are okay with 1 bedrooms at times. 2 weeks out can happen but its not a guarantee, but if you can just go whenever you likely wont have a problem using your points.

 

[juliebee]

I think this link should work. It's the "last minute availability" list from DVC. I don't know how frequently this is updated, so actual availability could be different. You will see that studio availability is low. DVC is really meant more for planning ahead, but with living so close and if you are flexible and don't just go on weekends, maybe it could work for you? Definitely sounds like resale is your best option and whichever WDW resort has the cheapest points because you aren't planning to use the priority home resort booking window. https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/vacation-planning/resort-availability-stays

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I think this link should work. It's the "last minute availability" list from DVC. I don't know how frequently this is updated, so actual availability could be different. You will see that studio availability is low. DVC is really meant more for planning ahead, but with living so close and if you are flexible and don't just go on weekends, maybe it could work for you? Definitely sounds like resale is your best option and whichever WDW resort has the cheapest points because you aren't planning to use the priority home resort booking window. https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/vacation-planning/resort-availability-stays

The booking tool seems to be completely down at the moment, but the availability for early Aug on the chart looks a bit better than what I saw when browsing earlier today.

I would not recommend buying in if you can't routinely book at least 20 weeks out or aren't willing to be constantly searching between 8 and 4 weeks (when people drop their extra days to avoid holding points). Even still, I assume you'll be spending a lot of time at OKW and SSR (but maybe that's ok for you). I just think that a lot of the scattered last minute availability ends up being the larger rooms, and it's harder to make that math work versus staying at a moderate or even renting from an owner.

 

[jolynne28]

We live 2 hrs away and go regularly as well, we own at 3 resorts, all resale. Sometimes booking last minute works just fine, but in general I do plan our visits well in advance, especially the ones that happen during peak times. If you can't commit to booking early for the majority of your visits I don't think you'll like DVC. The stalking you would have to do to find something late in the game will drive you crazy and take way too much of your time. It's a great product, there's just a lot of nuance to it that you have to commit to learning. Based on what you wrote, you seem to enjoy the spontaneity of picking up and going whenever the urge hits, and DVC isn't super great for that.

 

[cruisehopeful]

It sounds like you've stayed at most of the DVC properties. Have you been booking those through Disney? If you have, those are actually different inventory than what we can book as owners. You generally won't be able to find anything available in 2 weeks out, unless someone has an emergency and has to cancel their reservation. Finding cancellations involves checking the website multiple times per day. I wouldn't buy until you are able to schedule much further out.

 

[DanielleC]

So, I'm considering a DVC purchase. I need some opinions and thoughts. First, a little bit about me.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. Some things to think about...

 

[DanielleC]

Let me ask you all this. What is your average length of stay?

 

[VGCgroupie]

Let me ask you all this. What is your average length of stay?

WDW 4-5 nights. DLR 2 nights. Aulani 4-6 nights.

I live on the west coast

 

[cruisehopeful]

Let me ask you all this. What is your average length of stay?

1-4 nights.

 

[Girlstar30]

We like to do longer trips at WDW and shorter trips at DLR. 2 weeks twice a year in a one bedroom (sometimes two) at Disney World is what were doing and 2 days at vgc in a studio. We also want to do 5-7 night stays at aulani, hhi or vero beach in place of a disney world trip here and there.

I've been looking at studios and even at three months SSR was spotty and OKW did not have availability for the dates we needed. Def not for last minute trips.

We just bought so we had a surplus of points to accomplish this. Those points can really add up. We have 560 points and for what we are trying to do here we will probably need more in a couple of years, but maybe not. There will definitely be years we dont use them and travel elsewhere and will probably bank for our larger trips. We could easily bank and do a 2 bedroom for 3 weeks the next year on one of our twice a year trips.

I would buy resale based on what you're saying and if you have FOMO later, which you may because you are a Disney fan, you can always buy direct later. This is what we are doing, waiting for more favorable incentives if that ever happens. If not we are okay with not being direct as we are in the same situation as you. Dont need the perks.

With that being said since you've stayed at just about every resort if you have an interest in riv, cfw, vdh or probably future resorts you're going to need direct or rent out your points and book someone else's points to stay there or buy otu points and stay in a studio (with only one membership youll only get enough points for potentially one night and this option can go away at any time)

 

[cruisehopeful]

You can get an idea of availability by reading the threads on the Rent/Trade board. Not just reading the first posts, but read the whole string and you'll see what is open based on what people are asking for.

 

[jolynne28]

Let me ask you all this. What is your average length of stay?

We'll do a longer stay (6+nights) in the summer, then everything else is probably 2-4 nights, mostly 2 for long weekends.

 

[Wedgeout]

Let me ask you all this. What is your average length of stay?

I’ll say WDW average been 5. Lately been book ending cruises with 2-6 nights on each end. DLR usually 2-4. Aulani once so far, it was 8.

As a vacation savings plan, not planning months ahead may not be right for you, spending that much up front, then year after year paying those dues.

However once you do purchase, you will get excited about planning stays and events, going to resorts that once weren’t on the radar.

Definitely buy resale first if want to give this a go. Have fun picking your first home resort! Keep us posted.

 

[squeezeplay101]

4-5 nights usually is how long we go for. Less if taking a cruise in conjunction.

 

[Sandisw]

I think this link should work. It's the "last minute availability" list from DVC. I don't know how frequently this is updated, so actual availability could be different. You will see that studio availability is low. DVC is really meant more for planning ahead, but with living so close and if you are flexible and don't just go on weekends, maybe it could work for you? Definitely sounds like resale is your best option and whichever WDW resort has the cheapest points because you aren't planning to use the priority home resort booking window. https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/vacation-planning/resort-availability-stays

That is not real time and is frequently is not correct. Just to let you know.