DVC wannabe, maybe?

[RCAerobat]

Hello, my family and I have always been big fans of going to Disney and so we are considering purchasing a resale contract. The places I would be most interested in staying would be the Polynesian, animal kingdom, Vero Beach, and Hawaii. From what I have seen, I want to stay away from Vero Beach and Hilton Head contracts just because of the maintenance fees. Here are a few questions I have.

1. Which resort would you buy your points from? Old Key West and Saratoga Springs seem to be some of the less costly ones with reasonable maintenance fees.

2. in DVC, can you have more than one resort as a home? What I’m getting at as I remember staying at the Polynesian as a kid would love to stay there again, but I don’t really wanna pay the price per point to buy there. So, could I buy Key West or Saratoga Springs for the bulk of my points and then buy a small contract of Polynesian points? Would I be able to have two home resorts or would they only count the one that I had more points with? I hope that makes sense. I was just thinking if I had a small amount of Polynesian points that I could book Polynesian stays a little further out.

3. How many points would you start with? I was thinking somewhere around 200 points would give a pretty nice weeklong vacation every year, at least at most resorts.

Thanks!

 

[bnoble]

Only the points homed at a particular resort can be used during the home window there. Unless you want Value rooms at AKV, the resort with the most valuable home booking window in your desired set might be Aulani.

 

[Dean]

I would look at SSR with that list in mind but also consider AKV. Keep in mind that getting anything high demand even 7 months out will be challenging. I personally would stay away from OKW unless you want to stay there consistently. The transition after 2042 makes me nervous. Adding Poly also could be a good choice for access but will be expensive. I'm not a big fan of using points for the non Disney areas as there are other good choices for HHI, VB & HI IMO and for VB & HHI, better choices. DVC in general is going to be expensive and will come with restrictions including that the newer resort will not be available to points from resale from the older resorts.

 

[ljmiii]

1. Which resort would you buy your points from? Old Key West and Saratoga Springs seem to be some of the less costly ones with reasonable maintenance fees.

OKW, SSR, and AKV are all good 'value' DVC choices...assuming you can find a 2057 OKW contract. Which you should choose depends on what you care about - OKW has the largest villas, SSR has Disney Springs, and AKV has animals.

That said, my first choice would be BLT. It has an easy walk to MK, great views, low dues, 2060 expiration, 'extra' bathroom in 1BR and 2BR villas, and great dining options in the Contemporary, the other monorail resorts, and Fort Wilderness. But VGF and Poly are also good choices.

Unfortunately, there are no good EPCOT/HS resort options. BCV and BWV are both great resorts...but expire in 2042. I would never buy at Riviera because of the resale restrictions...and in fact had to pivot from buying at Riviera.

I don't really know enough about Aulani to give advice...except that subsidized contracts (with lower MFs) are worth buying if you can find one. And that availability at 7 months is generally reasonable if you aren't limited to the US school vacation calendar and are flexible about view category.

2. in DVC, can you have more than one resort as a home?...

Yes...but you only get the 11 month booking window with the points at that resort. We have three 'home resorts' - BLT to visit MK, BWV to visit EPCOT and HS, and VGC to visit Disneyland. We owned at AKV for a time but kind of hated it.

3. How many points would you start with? I was thinking somewhere around 200 points would give a pretty nice weeklong vacation every year, at least at most resorts.

It depends. Do you expect to book studios, 1BRs, or 2BRs?

 

[RCAerobat]

We would most often want a studio or one bedroom.

So, based on what Ljmiii said, it sounds like my idea of having maybe 150 points that I could get cheaper and 50 points from the Polynesian would not really benefit me in getting accommodations at the 11 month window at the Polynesian as I would only be able to use the 50 points in booking that stay. Is that correct? If so, it just makes since to only get one contract.

Can you tell me what it was that you came to hate staying at AKV?

we have never actually stayed at a DVC property anywhere. My only experience has been staying at the resort hotels at Disney. We have walked through animal Kingdom and Polynesian and contemporary and always thought they looked pretty cool and nice. But, I have no knowledge of the DVC parts of these resorts.

thanks again.

 

[noreenkate]

The best DVC advice I received was buy where you want to stay- especially if you’re still tied to school schedules. Home resort rules make a difference when trying to book at certain resorts. But if you’re not looking for Aulani most years I would recommend going with something else.

The number of points is really a specific thing-. I suggest getting the least amount you think you need- learn from my mistakes here-
as your family grows you can always add on. I bring this up because I never expected my “family” to grow. When I joined it was me & my 2 boys. Studios were fine…What I never factored in was they would grow up - we are now a travel party of 6 the last few years and quickly outgrowing 2 bedrooms.

How many people do you travel with now?
Ages?

What type of rooms are you most interested in and will that same room hold your family in ten years, twenty?

 

[RCAerobat]

The best DVC advice I received was buy where you want to stay- especially if you’re still tied to school schedules. Home resort rules make a difference when trying to book at certain resorts. But if you’re not looking for Aulani most years I would recommend going with something else.

The number of points is really a specific thing-. I suggest getting the least amount you think you need- learn from my mistakes here-
as your family grows you can always add on. I bring this up because I never expected my “family” to grow. When I joined it was me & my 2 boys. Studios were fine…What I never factored in was they would grow up - we are now a travel party of 6 the last few years and quickly outgrowing 2 bedrooms.

How many people do you travel with now?
Ages?

What type of rooms are you most interested in and will that same room hold your family in ten years, twenty?

My wife and I will be traveling for sure. Kids are getting older (22,20) but then we may be adding their families as they grow.

I feel like I would enjoy staying at AKV just based on what I saw walking around the grounds of the resort.

 

[noreenkate]

My wife and I will be traveling for sure. Kids are getting older (22,20) but then we may be adding their families as they grow.

I feel like I would enjoy staying at AKV just based on what I saw walking around the grounds of the resort.

It’s definitely my least favorite resort and I would highly advise staying there once before buying in.

That said it’s also very likely that you would be able to get AKV without home resort priority - because it’s a larger resort- unless like me your like me and looking for Grand Villas.

Here is just a little nugget to keep in mind - SSR OKW & AVK are large resorts and are generally easier to get at the 7 month window…

 

[Dean]

My take on the where to buy is more buy where you don't mind staying rather than your preference. Buying for a higher end option planning to stay there only a fraction of the time is a bad plan IMO. For someone who does not have any timeshare or DVC experience, they should not buy until they have sufficient experience to KNOW it's a good plan at least for the next 10 years or so. I'd suggest renting privately for a couple of visits then deciding if it's for you. Studios are about the most difficult to book and 1 BR the easiest but also the poorest value due to the points structure. We like AKV a lot and also SSR. There are no DVC resorts we don't like but we feel there are better overall choices for non Disney locations. For many, staying off property is just as good. For my family and I, we enjoy both options but for Disney trips, we prefer to stay on property. Don't feel like you have to buy everything at one time either, there will always be options. And don't rush in with the idea it'll be more expensive later or thinking that next trip as a discount on the purchase, it's far better to make good long term choices IMO. I do think the 50 pts would work at Poly as you can aggregate 3 years worth of points though getting enough that 2 years of points would work is usually a better plan.

 

[AnnaS]

If you do buy two resorts - buy same UY. Easier to manage. But remember, you cannot combine both contracts to make a reservation when your 11 month window opens up. How often do you think you will visit? Banking/borrowing comes in when purchasing number of points you need if you don't buy enough.

Definitely start out/buy enough points at one resort first and experience/use it for a few years/trips before purchasing a second one. If you enjoy split stays or book within the 7 month booking window - go for it. But you won't always get what you want at this time - you will most likely always get AK, OKW and SSR - as long as you are happy, all good.

I agree - buy where you want to stay. Google/youtube videos to get a feel of the resorts. Hotel style/condo style. Everyone has their preference/theme/location, etc.

 

[TheHolleys87]

I agree with previous posts - especially that you need to stay in a DVC villa, preferably in a resort you’re interested in owning, before you make any purchases. You can book directly with Disney (and they’ve been offering some very nice discounts on DVC rooms lately), which allows you the same payment, change and cancellation policies as with any other Disney resort reservation, or you can rent from an owner but with more stringent restrictions i.e. pay all up front and no changes or cancellations allowed, due to the way DVC works for owners other than Disney.

I’ll also suggest that you review floor plans and guest capacities of the resorts you’re interested in. Some studios have three sleeping surfaces that sleep five, including a single Murphy bed that pulls down from under the TV, but in some resorts like BCV and BWV that single is bunk-size, whereas in others it’s a regular twin mattress. If your kids each prefer their own bed, that might be important. Another kicker is that some 1BR only sleep four while others sleep five!

Regarding AKV, it’s my second favorite resort after our home BWV. The most common complaint about AKV is that it feels distant and remote from everything except AK, and transportation is bus only. I’ll admit that by the end of the week we spent there without a car, we missed the options to boat or walk to two parks that we have from BWV! However, we usually have a car, and we love being able to park under the AKV-Kidani building near the elevator to our room. And that brings up another issue with AKV, the two buildings. The DVC villas in Jambo are all converted hotel rooms, and I won’t book a 1BR there because the bathroom is across a hallway from the bedroom, and anyone going from one to the other is clearly visible from the living room. Also, the one and only bathroom has only a tub-shower, and the rim to that tub is so wide that some people, like myself, have a great deal of trouble getting into and out of the tub. OTOH, the Kidani 1BR has a primary bath with both a tub and a walk-in shower, as well as a second full bathroom off of the living room. An AKV owner can book either building at 11 months regardless of which building their ownership is deeded to

To answer your specific questions:

1. I’d buy SSR in preference to OKW. The villas at OKW are the largest, but there are only 2 queen beds in the studios, very few of the buildings (all 3 stories) have elevators, and in many of the 1BR the only entry to the bathroom is through the bedroom. Both OKW and SSR have boats to Disney Springs, and you can walk to DS from both, but the walkway from OKW to DS isn’t usable after dark.

2. As above, only home resort points get the 11 month booking window, so to book Poly more than 7 months out you’ll need to own sufficient points there.

3. As far as how many points to buy, you need to look at the points charts for the specific resorts and calculate the cost for the villa size and dates you’re interested in. We bought enough points for a 2BR at BWV during Thanksgiving week, because that’s when we were most frequently visiting (and our travel pattern changed immediately after, which is another issue), but those points barely cover a week in a 1BR in January at Grand Floridian. If you’re visiting every other year, you can bank and borrow, but if you want to come every year, you’ll need that many points, and you might want to buy about 10% additional to hedge against reallocations. DVC management is required to rebalance the charts to adjust for demand, and they just finished a couple of years ago increasing costs for the high demand times from mid-September through Marathon Weekend in January and lowering point costs for the less in demand spring and summer months.

I’m sure your brain is tired now, so I’ll quit after suggesting you look at the official DVC site, DisneyVacationClub.com, if you haven’t already. Resort descriptions and floor plans are under Destinations, and points charts are under Plan Vacation. There are other unofficial sites too, and many of us here hang out on some of them as well. So keep asking questions, and we’ll be happy to answer!

 

[elaine]

We bought at the "sometimes" stay place (Villas Wilderness Lodge) to be able to get in for Christmas. We stayed there once and found ourselves always trading into AKV. We sold VWL and bought a larger contract for AKV-a bit more than SSR, but a place that we still love to stay 10 years later. We also like OKW/SSR for a change about 1/3 of the time. I booking AKV at 11 months to know I have a place. I then keep, cancel later or try to swap at 7 months.
Some tips before buying-

1. spend time looking at reviews and photos of DVC villas and the points charts
2. consider Use Year (UY), booking rules (4 months prior to UY), and your anticipated travel patterns (ex.-Dec UY in bad for late summer/fall travel)
3. smaller contracts usually sell for more-200 points would be the max I'd buy to start (always think exit plan)
4. buy OKW only if 2057, not 2042
5. buy where you like and you're fine to stay--it is MUCH harder to swap at 7 months than it used to be
6. read lots of DVC1 vs DVC2-make take on AKV vs OKW/SSR-do you like the "hotel" feel with WOW lobby and indoor corridors (AKV) or the more spread out condo feel (OKW/SSR), good access to DS (SSR/OKW-also better walking/running areas).

 

[RCAerobat]

We bought at the "sometimes" stay place (Villas Wilderness Lodge) to be able to get in for Christmas. We stayed there once and found ourselves always trading into AKV. We sold VWL and bought a larger contract for AKV-a bit more than SSR, but a place that we still love to stay 10 years later. We also like OKW/SSR for a change about 1/3 of the time. I booking AKV at 11 months to know I have a place. I then keep, cancel later or try to swap at 7 months.
Some tips before buying-

1. spend time looking at reviews and photos of DVC villas and the points charts
2. consider Use Year (UY), booking rules (4 months prior to UY), and your anticipated travel patterns (ex.-Dec UY in bad for late summer/fall travel)
3. smaller contracts usually sell for more-200 points would be the max I'd buy to start (always think exit plan)
4. buy OKW only if 2057, not 2042
5. buy where you like and you're fine to stay--it is MUCH harder to swap at 7 months than it used to be
6. read lots of DVC1 vs DVC2-make take on AKV vs OKW/SSR-do you like the "hotel" feel with WOW lobby and indoor corridors (AKV) or the more spread out condo feel (OKW/SSR), good access to DS (SSR/OKW-also better walking/running areas).

That answered one question I thought of and then forgot to ask. So, you can book your home at 11 months and then change at 7 months, correct? But, you say it’s kind of difficult to switch now due to availability?

thanks again.

 

[TheHolleys87]

That answered one question I thought of and then forgot to ask. So, you can book your home at 11 months and then change at 7 months, correct? But, you say it’s kind of difficult to switch now due to availability?

thanks again.

Correct. The more owners there are, the more competition for the "more desirable" resorts at 7 months. For example, studios at BCV and BWV are very much in demand during the fall (Food & Wine Festival, Jersey Week, Veterans Day, Wine & Dine Half Marathon), especially because they cost fewer points per night than the newer resorts. So buying SSR and planning to stay at BWV in the fall is not likely to be successful - if you want BWV in the fall, buy BWV, don't buy SSR unless you'll be happy to stay at SSR and just hope to stay at BWV once in a while!

Competition for AKV is much less than for the other DVC resorts, so you could buy SSR and have a good chance of swapping into AKV at 7 months (except for the Value and Concierge villas) any time of year.

Something else you need to be aware of are the resale restrictions. Points from any resale contract purchased now with a home resort that is NOT Riviera, Cabins at Ft. Wilderness, or Villas of Disneyland Hotel, cannot be used to stay at any of those three hotels. They can be used only at the resorts older than Riviera. Conversely, Riviera resale points can be used only at Riviera, not at any other DVC resort; CFW resale points can be used only at CFW; and VDH resale points can be used only at VDH. Resale Poly, SSR, or AKV points can be used at any DVC resort other than those three. That's not so important now, but in 2042 when OKW (part of it, at least), VB, HHI, BWV, BRV, and BCV all go poof! those resale points bought now won't be as useful as they are now.

 

[RCAerobat]

Points from any resale contract purchased now with a home resort that is NOT Riviera, Cabins at Ft. Wilderness, or Villas of Disneyland Hotel, cannot be used to stay at any of those three hotels. They can be used only at the resorts older than Riviera. Conversely, Riviera resale points can be used only at Riviera, not at any other DVC resort; CFW resale points can be used only at CFW; and VDH resale points can be used only at VDH. Resale Poly, SSR, or AKV points can be used at any DVC resort other than those three. That's not so important now, but in 2042 when OKW (part of it, at least), VB, HHI, BWV, BRV, and BCV all go poof! those resale points bought now won't be as useful as they are now.

I was aware of the newer resorts, but did not realize the old resorts would not be usable after 2042.

 

[elaine]

did not realize the old resorts would not be usable after 2042

The older resort (VB, HHI, BWV, BRV, BCV, and 2024 OKW) contracts all end in 2042. Then there's a 20+ year jump to SSR ending in 2042, AKV 2057, etc. OKW has a 2027 contract also. All resorts prior to Riviera can be used until their contract end date at all resorts built prior to Riviera. So, SSR can trade into AKV until 2042, etc. Plus, the new part of Polynesia is included in that bunch, as it was designated as part in the old Poly timeshare group. You might want to pop over to disboards.com--there are hundreds of posts to help a prospective resale buyer. Good luck!

 

[Dean]

I was aware of the newer resorts, but did not realize the old resorts would not be usable after 2042.

We don't know what will happen with the 2042 resorts or with OKW which is now 2057 for retail sales and 2042 for many resales (some are 57 as well). I wouldn't shy away from owning a 2042 resort due to ending if it's the right choice otherwise but do consider the value difference as part of the thought process. SSR is 2054 & AKV 2057.