# Disney Vacation Club (DVC) questions



## Jay MA (Sep 8, 2009)

I would greatly appreciate any help with the following DVC questions:

1) How many points do you really "need" to purchase (160 is the DVC minimum)?

2) Is the 50 year limit on ownership an issue?

3) What is the story on DVC's right of refusal on resales?  Is there a minimum sale price Disney will require in order not to exercise this right?

4) Does anyone have any experience with www.dvc-resales.com?

5) Any comments on buying Disney vs. Marriott?

6) Which DVC resort (Saratoga, Bay Lake, Animal Kingdom) is best to buy - value wise?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Jay MA


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## littlestar (Sep 8, 2009)

Value wise, resale at SSR is the best value currently for the money. Here's a thread from the Dis boards that shows recent ROFR experiences:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1960185&page=101

As far as how many points you really need to purchase. That depends on the season you want to travel in and what size unit you need. Here's a link to point charts:

http://www.tagrel.com/util/dvcChart.php?site=tag

If you need to travel during school vacations or holidays and you have a favorite DVC where you want to stay, then you need to own your points there to take advantage of the 11 month home resort booking window. If you can't plan until 7 months or less, then home resort base doesn't matter except for annual dues cost or length of contract. Some of the older DVC's - BCV, VWL, BWV, OKW, HH, Vero expire in 2042.

I've sold multiple contracts through the Timeshare Store. Their office in Orlando was great to work with. I've also bought one contract through them.

We own DVC and Marriott. I like the theming of the WDW DVC resorts and we only use our DVC points for Disney. I use the Marriott to travel everywhere else as I love Marriott's consistent quality and I know I can trust their brand to deliver a great vacation experience. 

The RTU (right to use) with DVC doesn't matter to me. I'll be long gone by then.


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## rickandcindy23 (Sep 8, 2009)

For point charts, this is a great site:
http://www.mouseowners.com/info/browsecategory.php?c=142

I think you should contact Seth Nock, a timeshare reseller that I talked to about Disney, and he was very aware of the ROFR levels.  I did a Google search found him: 

(212)677-7636 or email to seth@sellingtimeshares.net


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## littlestar (Sep 8, 2009)

Here's two other resale companies that I've heard good things about from other DVC members that have bought and sold with them:

http://www.dvcbyresale.com/

http://www.resalesdvc.com/Saratoga_Springs/page_2003427.html


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## brigechols (Sep 8, 2009)

The previous posters addressed your questions.  I want to point out another option which is to rent Disney points.  In my case, buying a Marriott timeshare resale was a long term solution to our vacation needs. I like the quality of Marriott as well as the locations.  The fact that Marriott is not exercising the ROFR is a plus :whoopie: I considered purchasing DVC but decided against it. Purchasing directly from Disney as well as resales is more expensive than what I have paid or will pay for a Marriott resale.  IMO, the real advantage of staying on Disney property is access to the parks before and after normal hours [we have finagled after hour passes b/c a member of our party is in the military so they provided everyone with a pass] .  Our children are too young to really benefit from this perk. Plus, we really enjoy the other amusement parks in Orlanda (Universal) and outside Anaheim (Knotts Berry Farm). For now, we are satisfied with staying offsite and will rent points when and if we have a strong desire to stay on-site.


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## luvsvacation22 (Sep 8, 2009)

Here is an article about Choosing your Home Resort, you might find interesting.

http://www.mouseowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23281

Good luck!

Dorene


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## lark (Sep 8, 2009)

Some thoughts on your questons are in blue below.  

Good luck.



Jay MA said:


> I would greatly appreciate any help with the following DVC questions:
> 
> 1) How many points do you really "need" to purchase (160 is the DVC minimum)?
> 
> ...


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## chalee94 (Sep 8, 2009)

1) How many points do you really "need" to purchase (160 is the DVC minimum)?

depends entirely on what you want to do.  i started with 40, which is very limiting.  i'll most likely add more pts within a year or so.

2) Is the 50 year limit on ownership an issue?

not for me.  but opinions differ.

3) What is the story on DVC's right of refusal on resales?  Is there a minimum sale price Disney will require in order not to exercise this right?

yep.  it varies by resort.

4) Does anyone have any experience with www.dvc-resales.com?

i had a great experience buying from them.  i'd recommend them.

5) Any comments on buying Disney vs. Marriott?

i would agree that DVC is best used AT DVC resorts. 

6) Which DVC resort (Saratoga, Bay Lake, Animal Kingdom) is best to buy - value wise?

SSR is the best value...unless you'd hate actually staying at SSR.


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## JonathanIT (Sep 9, 2009)

Jay MA said:


> I would greatly appreciate any help with the following DVC questions:
> 
> 5) Any comments on buying Disney vs. Marriott?


I would reiterate the other comments about DVC, that it's really only for those that are seriously interested in regular stays on Disney properties.  But otherwise, I would say that a more proper comparison would be with HGVC.  Hilton is on a "points" based system like DVC.  Marriott is an "old school" weeks/exchange timeshare system.  I would never consider a weeks system, the flexibility of points is everything!

And I LOVE my HGVC ownership.


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## tlwmkw (Sep 9, 2009)

If you buy DVC re-sale do you lose any perks?  Are you treated just like any other owner or are you a second class citizen?  This is a big issue with Marriott's because you don't get to exchange for the Marriott Reward Points if you buy re-sale- there is always a huge debate on the Marriott board as to whether you should worry about this or not.

I have noticed more postings saying that you should buy the actual DVC resort that you would like to stay in because as DVC has built some newer, very large resorts (SSR for example) it has become harder to trade into some of the other resorts.  I would love to own some DVC points but can't afford them in todays economy.


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## littlestar (Sep 9, 2009)

DVC doesn't treat you any different when you buy resale.  

I like the combination of the Marriott weeks system with DVC points. Usually we are flying to a destination and I want at least a week if I'm spending the money for flights. We often do a week's stay at Marriott with 3 days DVC. We're flying in on a Wednesday in March and staying three nights in Saratoga's treehouses and then checking into a Marriott 3 bedroom for a Saturday to Saturday 7 night stay.


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## chalee94 (Sep 9, 2009)

If you buy DVC re-sale do you lose any perks?  

nope.  DVC treats you exactly the same.

(a few DVCers do feel like 2nd class citizens since they miss out on "free dining" and 7-for-the-price-of-4 deals that disney has been running for cash guests - but that has nothing to do with resale/direct.)

I have noticed more postings saying that you should buy the actual DVC resort that you would like to stay in because as DVC has built some newer, very large resorts (SSR for example) it has become harder to trade into some of the other resorts.  

again, if you don't want to stay at SSR, don't buy there.  many times other resorts will have availability at 7 months out...but if you feel "stuck" at SSR and don't enjoy staying there, then DVC will seem like a waste of money.  

"buy where you want to stay" is good advice, but "buy where you don't mind staying" can work for a lot of people as well.  (and this all assumes you can book more than 7 months out - after that "points are points.")


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## JonathanIT (Sep 9, 2009)

littlestar said:


> I like the combination of the Marriott weeks system with DVC points. Usually we are flying to a destination and I want at least a week if I'm spending the money for flights. We often do a week's stay at Marriott with 3 days DVC. We're flying in on a Wednesday in March and staying three nights in Saratoga's treehouses and then checking into a Marriott 3 bedroom for a Saturday to Saturday 7 night stay.


I'm doing kind of the opposite for a DVC stay next June. We're staying at a 2BR at BWV for 7 nights, starting on a Friday.  I'm probably going to fly in a few days early and stay at one of the HGVC properties for a couple nights before we check-in to the BWV.  Probably the new Parc Soleil resort, it's really great.


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## littlestar (Sep 9, 2009)

JonathanIT said:


> I'm doing kind of the opposite for a DVC stay next June. We're staying at a 2BR at BWV for 7 nights, starting on a Friday.  I'm probably going to fly in a few days early and stay at one of the HGVC properties for a couple nights before we check-in to the BWV.  Probably the new Parc Soleil resort, it's really great.



That's kind of what I'm doing only you're using Hilton points to extend a 7 night DVC exchange. I'm using DVC points to extend a 7 night Marriott exchange - I used a 1 bedroom Marriott deposit and was able to trade through II into a 3 bedroom Marriott Grande Vista spring break week (works for me). That's why I like trading weeks - I'm usually able to upgrade in size (especially when I'm using a holiday week for trade bait.   I can't get those kind of upgrades in a point system.)


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## longtimer (Sep 9, 2009)

I checked out the message board regarding the most recent ROFRs. It gives a good idea of realistic prices to pay for resale points - thanks!
Quick question though: What happens when Disney exercises the ROFR? Does that mean they are going to buy it back from you or that you simply can't sell it? (that really isn't fair) What if you wanted to give it away to someone?


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## littlestar (Sep 9, 2009)

longtimer said:


> I checked out the message board regarding the most recent ROFRs. It gives a good idea of realistic prices to pay for resale points - thanks!
> Quick question though: What happens when Disney exercises the ROFR? Does that mean they are going to buy it back from you or that you simply can't sell it? (that really isn't fair) What if you wanted to give it away to someone?



When Disney exercises ROFR they buy it from the seller/owner. The buyer gets back any deposit they put down and they have to move on to the next contract and cross their fingers.  

We actually gave some DVC points to my parents. Disney waived the ROFR very quickly for us since it was a gift to mom and dad (between family).


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## mecllap (Sep 9, 2009)

Re Q. 1 -- how many points you need.  It depends also on how often you plan to go to WDW (or DLR).  I started with enough to get a one-bedroom every other year at a time when we would likely be able to go (130 works for me now).  Of course, I've already been looking at add-ons, and thinking about that 11-month window for specific resorts (I'd kind of like to have some Hilton Head points because it's a handy half-way point for me -- higher MFs tho).  Some people get less, and only go every 3 years (with banking and borrowing).  Recently there was an opportunity to get a studio at HHI for $66/night as a DVC member -- which I'm doing for a couple of nights in Nov.  If you only get the minimum 25 points resale, you qualify for those occasional deals (You have to get on a list to be able to get small resale contracts, tho -- they get snapped up immediately by other owners [some of whom get them in order to rent them out, I suspect]).  Once you are an owner, you can buy small amounts through Disney when they have them also (but the point cost is higher).


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## icydog (Sep 13, 2009)

Jay MA said:


> I would greatly appreciate any help with the following DVC questions:
> 
> 1) How many points do you really "need" to purchase (160 is the DVC minimum)?
> 
> ...



*My Answers are in Blue Above. *I know I'll get killed by the SSR owners but he asked and I told him my perspective.


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## littlestar (Sep 13, 2009)

Vero's dues are high - over $2.00 a point more than SSR. And if you need Christmas, New Years, Easter, etc., at least by owning at SSR you can book at 11 months to be on property at WDW for a holiday. Also, SSR has 12 more years left on the contract - Vero ends in 2042. SSR in 2054.  

Now, if you want Vero and plan to stay in a beach cottage on a regular basis, you'd need to bite the bullet and pay the higher dues for the 11 month booking window there. I like Vero (especially the beach cottages).   But I also like SSR -especially the ability to book a 3 bedroom treehouse for equivalent 2 bedroom points.


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## icydog (Sep 13, 2009)

littlestar said:


> Vero's dues are high - over $2.00 a point more than SSR. And if you need Christmas, New Years, Easter, etc., at least by owning at SSR you can book at 11 months to be on property at WDW for a holiday. Also, SSR has 12 more years left on the contract - Vero ends in 2042. SSR in 2054.
> 
> Now, if you want Vero and plan to stay in a beach cottage on a regular basis, you'd need to bite the bullet and pay the higher dues for the 11 month booking window there. I like Vero (especially the beach cottages).   But I also like SSR -especially the ability to book a 3 bedroom treehouse for equivalent 2 bedroom points.



Yes the treehouses are a draw for me too. I want to try them. If you amortize the difference in cost over the life of a contract Vero wins hands down even with the higher MFs. Plus I have never, ever, had a problem getting into SSR with any DVC property I own. When all else fails you have SSR. If you want to go to WDW the first two weeks in Dec, the most popular time at DVC you will be closed out of everything but SSR and maybe OKW at 7 months. But my point is you can easily get into SSR at 7 months even at the busiest time of year at WDW using DVC points.


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## littlestar (Sep 13, 2009)

icydog said:


> Yes the treehouses are a draw for me too. I want to try them. If you amortize the difference in cost over the life of a contract Vero wins hands down even with the higher MFs. Plus I have never, ever, had a problem getting into SSR with any DVC property I own. When all else fails you have SSR. If you want to go to WDW the first two weeks in Dec, the most popular time at DVC you will be closed out of everything but SSR and maybe OKW at 7 months. But my point is you can easily get into SSR at 7 months even at the busiest time of year at WDW using DVC points.



I've had to go on the waitlist for SSR, believe it or not, to get all the days I needed. This was at about 2 months out, though. But still, I was surprised that I had to do it. When I first called, there were a couple of days at OKW and a couple at SSR. I figured with the size of SSR that I had the better chance of my waitlist hitting there so I went with SSR and it came through within about a week and a half.


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## icydog (Sep 13, 2009)

Yes, at the last minute like that it is sometimes impossible to find anything at all. I think Disney rents them out if the units are empty at that point. I've also waitlisted SSR because I knew that if any resort would come through that would be the one.


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## chriskre (Sep 14, 2009)

I have heard of contracts at OKW passing ROFR at $52 a point.  So at $52 a point you can't beat that.  I actually like OKW alot.  It's a great resort.  Huge rooms, beautiful gardens and water views and a very nice old Florida theme.
I own at SSR and have not had much trouble getting into Beach Club, Boardwalk, SSR, Vero and OKW.  Am going to AKL Kidani in October and had no trouble booking at all.  Maybe because I'm not going during school schedule but I did get 2 studios at Vero in July without much of a problem for a long weekend and I did it all with SSR points with only a months notice.  You learn to work the system and combine ressies and waitlist to get what you want. If you try to book exactly 1 week at a time you might have trouble but if you combine ressies I have been successful at getting what I want or close to what I want.


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## Twinkstarr (Sep 14, 2009)

chriskre said:


> I have heard of contracts at OKW passing ROFR at $52 a point.  So at $52 a point you can't beat that.  I actually like OKW alot.  It's a great resort.  Huge rooms, beautiful gardens and water views and a very nice old Florida theme.
> I own at SSR and have not had much trouble getting into Beach Club, Boardwalk, SSR, Vero and OKW.  Am going to AKL Kidani in October and had no trouble booking at all.  Maybe because I'm not going during school schedule but I did get 2 studios at Vero in July without much of a problem for a long weekend and I did it all with SSR points with only a months notice.  You learn to work the system and combine ressies and waitlist to get what you want. If you try to book exactly 1 week at a time you might have trouble but if you combine ressies I have been successful at getting what I want or close to what I want.



I'm a SSR and VB owner also, have had no problem at the 7 month mark getting into BWV(boardwalk view ), BCV and VWL. I own VB for the 11 month window for Easter and possibly getting a BC one of these days. 


I called at the end of July, decided to do a solo trip for F&W. Looking for a studio. Of course OKW and SSR were wide open for the full month of October.

The week I wanted to go, could have gotten a studio at BWV or VWL. If I would have wanted the previous week could have gotten the Holy Grail of F&W, BCV!  

If I wanted to have my trip over at least one weekend night and  I could have gotten BLT or AKV!  

In the end went with VWL, since going solo I wanted one of the "Hotel style" DVC's and I haven't been to VWL in 2yrs.


This was my first time calling at that late in the game, I'm usually on the phone at 9am at 11 or 7 months. Rather surprised.


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## tomandrobin (Sep 14, 2009)

I have booked all of the resorts withing the 5-7 month booking window. Including getting 4 BCV studios for the Food and Wine Festival this year, all for the same four days.


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## chriskre (Sep 14, 2009)

tomandrobin said:


> I have booked all of the resorts withing the 5-7 month booking window. Including getting 4 BCV studios for the Food and Wine Festival this year, all for the same four days.



Wow.  People must be staying home this year. I guess the recession has hit DVC members too.  That's an awesome snag.  See you at F & W.


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## Jay MA (Sep 18, 2009)

*Thanks*

Thanks to everyone for the great advice, it has been very helpful.

Once point I am unclear on (and I've tried to search the site) is how do you rent out your DVC points?  Is there a website that specializes in that or is craigslist apporpriate?  How much can you expect and can you even make a profit?


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## littlestar (Sep 18, 2009)

Jay MA said:


> Thanks to everyone for the great advice, it has been very helpful.
> 
> Once point I am unclear on (and I've tried to search the site) is how do you rent out your DVC points?  Is there a website that specializes in that or is craigslist apporpriate?  How much can you expect and can you even make a profit?



The most active rental sites that I know of are these two:

www.mouseowners.com
www.disboards.com

The going rate seems to be $10.00 to $12.00 a point. I've never rented my points out, but I have rented from other members and had points transferred into my account when I was short points.


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## tomandrobin (Sep 18, 2009)

Jay MA said:


> Once point I am unclear on (and I've tried to search the site) is how do you rent out your DVC points?  Is there a website that specializes in that or is craigslist apporpriate?  How much can you expect and can you even make a profit?



All depends....but if you rent $12 per point, minus your maintenance fees - you are looking at $7.50-$6.50 per point.


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