We just bought DVC direct, OKW, our favorite resort, 2057 expiration

[rickandcindy23]

- not sure what SAP is- but I am personally pretty content with my decision for OKW as a home resort. When I was buying in the advice was buy where you want to stay, I think that still holds true Disney has changed the rules of the game multiple times over the years. As a family we prefer OKW over BLT, room sizes, points allocations and Olivia’s is why we prefer OKW over SSR-

Thats just us through and I am enjoying using the sightings board to trade back in while I can.

We love Olivia's!

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

- not sure what SAP is- but I am personally pretty content with my decision for OKW as a home resort. When I was buying in the advice was buy where you want to stay, I think that still holds true Disney has changed the rules of the game multiple times over the years. As a family we prefer OKW over BLT, room sizes, points allocations and Olivia’s is why we prefer OKW over SSR-

Thats just us through and I am enjoying using the sightings board to trade back in while I can.

SAP is sleep around points. I agree with buying where you want to stay if you want any kind of in-demand room sizes or seasons.

 

[elaine]

SAP is sleep around points. I agree with buying where you want to stay if you want any kind of in-demand room sizes or seasons.

We bought AKV to stay there and would be quiet happy if that's the only place we could stay. I know it's fairly easy to get AKV, but I like locking in things at 11 months. And, as an added benefit, I have had good success getting the low points value rooms. We do use them as SAP 25% of the time, as well.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

We bought AKV to stay there and would be quiet happy if that's the only place we could stay. I know it's fairly easy to get AKV, but I like locking in things at 11 months. And, as an added benefit, I have had good success getting the low points value rooms. We do use them as SAP 25% of the time, as well.

I have the blessing of wanting the least in-demand room type of all, 1-bedroom units. So I use my SAP to get those at times when I won’t be able to trade through II, like Fall and Christmas.

 

[noreenkate]

SAP is sleep around points.

ahh-

 

[chunkygal]

I know math isn't my strongest skill but as far as sleeping around within DVC properties I think at least for me OKW has made sense. Using my OKW points to secure Aulani, Grand Californian ect...those really aren't showing up in II. I have been using my OKW points the last 5 years or so to hit those resorts and trading to get in at WDW.

We love and own at

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

As many know, I drive WDW buses, and I love going to OKW! The music is "Yacht Rock", Reggae, and Jimmy Buffett. The resort is the best themed resort along the drive, Polynesian is a close second. Saratoga Springs (SSR) has one interesting feature: no palm trees.

TS

 

[rickandcindy23]

As many know, I drive WDW buses, and I love going to OKW! The music is "Yacht Rock", Reggae, and Jimmy Buffett. The resort is the best themed resort along the drive, Polynesian is a close second. Saratoga Springs (SSR) has one interesting feature: no palm trees.

TS

We were just at OKW for two weeks, and I thought of you every time we waited for and hopped on the bus. I didn't want to ask all of the bus drivers if they new a guy named Simpson.

OKW is our first DVC exchange stay and our first ownership. Our initial 250 points we bought resale are expiring in 2042. I will be too old to care, but the kids will want points well into the grandkids' ability to use them. As much as I don't like to refer to any timeshare as an "investment," I think of our Westin oceanfront and our DVC as investments. They maintain value like no other timeshares that we own.

 

[simpsontruckdriver]

We were just at OKW for two weeks, and I thought of you every time we waited for and hopped on the bus. I didn't want to ask all of the bus drivers if they new a guy named Simpson.

 

[SDawn]

We love OKW as well. We booked a 2 bedroom our last stay for the size, because we were bringing our son and his kids for the kids first trip. Loved the big balcony overlooking the golf course, all the room in the kitchen, a full sized table on the balcony. So relaxing and peaceful. DH is a golfer so as we ease into retirement and trips without kids, I can see us staying more at OKW and SSR. (Although we love Bonnet Creek too!)

 

[dioxide45]

@rickandcindy23 curious if you ended up following through on the purchase?

 

[rickandcindy23]

@rickandcindy23 curious if you ended up following through on the purchase?

Oh, yeah, those points are closed and in our account. But we also have to pay the fees on them, so there's that.

 

[iftravel]

Oh, yeah, those points are closed and in our account. But we also have to pay the fees on them, so there's that.

What are most useful perks for buying direct? I imagine if I do it, I would deed it to a trust so it’s just so easy to assign beneficiaries. Not sure if it’s doable and if Disney allows easy transfer of those perks (by changing the beneficiaries)

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

What are most useful perks for buying direct? I imagine if I do it, I would deed it to a trust so it’s just so easy to assign beneficiaries. Not sure if it’s doable and if Disney allows easy transfer of those perks (by changing the beneficiaries)

Access to restricted resorts (which are all the new builds including and after Riviera except the new Poly building and the new GF building) and ability to buy the in-state annual pass.

 

[rickandcindy23]

Using the DVC lounge is a perk. Sounds like another one is going in Magic Kingdom, but Disney is taking out the shooting gallery to provide a lounge.

I wonder what Country Bear Jamboree is going to be?

 

[elaine]

I have both perks (from 35 points dvc hhi purchase years ago) and no perks (resale). The biggest benefits are DVC AP, staying in the new resorts, and being able to go to Disney moonlight magic (which is a lottery and disboards reports quite a few do not get tickets). We use MM as a free park day, as one can enter 2 hours before event time. We've been on the DCL DVC members cruise, and, while great, I’d never buy direct for the cruise as the “regular” DCL cruise awesome enough for us.
DVC does sometimes offer some good deals, especially if you strategize use year to get extra (free) points for that year and there’s a “magical beginnings” offer to sell those extra points back to dvc.

 

[TheHolleys87]

Using the DVC lounge is a perk. Sounds like another one is going in Magic Kingdom, but Disney is taking out the shooting gallery to provide a lounge.

I wonder what Country Bear Jamboree is going to be?

Country Bear Musical Jamboree Opening Date | Disney Parks Blog

Find out when the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree opens at Magic Kingdom. Here's the date and details.

disneyparksblog.com

 

[iftravel]

I have both perks (from 35 points dvc hhi purchase years ago) and no perks (resale). The biggest benefits are DVC AP, staying in the new resorts, and being able to go to Disney moonlight magic (which is a lottery and disboards reports quite a few do not get tickets). We use MM as a free park day, as one can enter 2 hours before event time. We've been on the DCL DVC members cruise, and, while great, I’d never buy direct for the cruise as the “regular” DCL cruise awesome enough for us.
DVC does sometimes offer some good deals, especially if you strategize use year to get extra (free) points for that year and there’s a “magical beginnings” offer to sell those extra points back to dvc.

So there are no tiered perks? I am surprised / jealous of getting perks with only 35 points purchase. I guess now the minimum is 100 points. Never heard of a way to get extra points. Another perk buying direct?

 

[bnoble]

So there are no tiered perks?

Not yet.

 

[iftravel]

Not yet.

My resale points membership card shows only one perk: pool hopping. Not sure how big a deal it is.

 

[elaine]

Resale gets little to no perks-except a nice chunk of $ savings- a “perk” I can literally “take to the bank!”
I think it is now 150 direct purchase from dvc to get perks. We bought 35 as add on after we had a resale 10+ years ago. That “back door” direct loophole was closed many years ago.
Free points are if one buys with a use year month not yet occurring (buying in Sept with Oct Use Year)-I think this is how it works: 2023 Oct points are free, plus (maybe) prorated annual fee for 2024 points. There are many discussions on disboards.com about this strategy. In April, someone got their direct pricing to within $10 of resale. That’s not the norm.

 

[iftravel]

Resale gets little to no perks-except a nice chunk of $ savings- a “perk” I can literally “take to the bank!”
I think it is now 150 direct purchase from dvc to get perks. We bought 35 as add on after we had a resale 10+ years ago. That “back door” direct loophole was closed many years ago.
Free points are if one buys with a use year month not yet occurring (buying in Sept with Oct Use Year)-I think this is how it works: 2023 Oct points are free, plus (maybe) prorated annual fee for 2024 points. There are many discussions on disboards.com about this strategy. In April, someone got their direct pricing to within $10 of resale. That’s not the norm.

Yeah hope to see more “back doors” and “loopholes” in the future! Please all share!

 

[elaine]

Imho, loopholes-back doors all closed (forever). Disney direct pricing is not bad with incentives. And Resale has lots of inventory-I was even tempted to make some low ball offers. Good luck!

 

[iftravel]

Imho, loopholes-back doors all closed (forever). Disney direct pricing is not bad with incentives. And Resale has lots of inventory-I was even tempted to make some low ball offers. Good luck!

Yeah if it’s as close as $10 per point for 150 points, certainly! I guess I’m not there yet for 1000 points!!

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I’m actually quite sad I missed out on this OKW incentive. I’m going to WDW today and I’m going to stop by a booth and see if they still have any of it available. I”m resale only right now but would love to get some unrestricted points. The perks themselves are otherwise not worth it though in my opinion.