Lisa P.
Peaceful, Worshipful, Joyful
- Joined
- Aug 27, 1999
Rooms:
DVC - fairly "posh" and beautifully themed, excellent in-room amenities.
Wyn/FF - nice & comfortable, some less/some more "posh", usually no theme, most studios incl more kitchen amenities.
Villa sizes, sleeping capacity:
DVC - hotel/inn (4), studio (4), 1BR (4), 2BR (8), 3BR (12) - mostly standardized from resort to resort.
Wyn/FF - hotel/suite (2-4), studio (2-4), 1BR (2-6), 2BR (4-10), 3BR (8-12), 4BR for (10-12), vary by resort, many more options.
Locations:
DVC - WDW, Vero FL, HHI SC - best value to use points at the DVC locations.
Wyn/FF - vary between secluded/golf, waterfront & urban, with many, many choices - can be good value to trade out via RCI or II as well as stay at the Wyn/FF locations on points.
Convenience:
DVC - hands-down best for WDW w/freq "free" shuttles and easy driving (OKW/SSR, longer walk to car at others) - free parking at parks, beachfront in FL, 1 mile to beach in SC (HHI).
Wyn/FF - limited "free" shuttles to WDW (BC), easy driving (BC) - pay parking, several miles drive from other area Wyn/FF resorts, beachfront in FL and SC (1 block at some), oceanview in HI and CA.
Resort pool amenities:
DVC - themed/unique, beautiful, heated-outdoors, w/pool slides, hot tubs & kiddie pools, one w/floating river, most have lifeguards, free use of lifevests, nearby food/beverages, plentiful seating.
Wyn/FF - most w/indoor pools, some are oridinary, hotel style pools with kiddie pools, some freeform, some w/hot tubs, rare theme, some heated, some seasonal, some w/floating river or slide, some w/float rentals, rarely lifevests, no lifeguards, some neaby food/beverages, all have plentiful seating, many w/indoor pools, building one w/indoor waterpark (Dells WI).
Comparing specifically DVC OKW and Wyn BC's pools:
DVC OKW - pool slide, food, hot tub, kiddie pool at main pool area plus 3 quiet pool areas.
Wyn BC - zero-entry pool, floating river, food, hot tubs, kiddie pool & water play at main pool area plus 1 quiet pool area (so far, still building).
Activities:
DVC - all ages, WDW access great, good concierge help for onsite activities, children's facilities, area tours offered at non-DVC locations.
Wyn/FF - all ages, good and improving program, some locations dictate more self-directed sightseeing, good concierge help for onsite and offsite activities, adult and children's facilities, carpet/mini-golf, area tours offered at all locations, most activities are more reasonably priced than similar at DVC (and many are free).
Resort staff:
DVC - plentiful, usually very friendly, helpful, often young (20s & 30s).
Wyn/FF - sl. fewer, usually friendly & helpful, similar to good hotels, IMHO, may be semi-retired in some locations.
Developer purchases: Comparable pricing overall.
Resale prices (enough points for summer 2BR):
DVC - held high by DVC, rather expensive for those who need 2BR & 3BR villas (OKW 296 pts = ~$22,500+).
Wyn/FF - excellent for families, more affordable for group and reunion travel (BC 224K = ~$5,000-$7,000).
2006 Fees on above sample purchase:
DVC - annual maint & taxes, inclusive (easiest for planning) = $1,255. Other DVC locations mostly carry higher maint fees and higher points needed for same prime 2BR stay.
Wyn/FF - annual maint = $923; annual taxes <$200; housekeeping and transaction included for weekly reservations; optional guest cert = $25. Other Wyn/FF locations may carry slightly higher maint fees or may carry up to 30% lower maint fees including taxes (outside FL) and most Wyn/FF locations require fewer points for same prime 2BR stay (154K-189K is most common).
Type of ownership:
DVC - "Right-To-Use" but called a "deeded leasehold" at DVC; expires at the end of the contract, <50 years.
Wyn/FF - most are deeded in perpetuity, never revert to the developer. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.
Reservation windows:
DVC - 11 mo. home resort, 7 mo. all DVC resorts.
Wyn/FF - 13 mo. home resort, 11 mo. reciprocal resort (if any), 10 mo. all Wyn/FF resorts.
Full week external trading:
DVC - selected ~200 II resorts, give up points for like size unit, use corporate membership with II, no individual membership perks, exchange fee $75(?) any destination.
Wyn/FF - any RCI or II resort (depending on your home resort's affiliation), give up lowest points necessary with enough trade power to confirm (upgrades possible, sometimes significant like studio=>2BR), individual exchange membership with full perks - paid out of maint fees for FF points owners, exchange fees based on RCI & II ($135-$165 domestic).
External short stays:
DVC points for non-timeshare vacations - easy to book w/o added fees, selected top individual hotels/B&Bs, pricy option subject to change.
Wyn/FF points for non-timeshare vacations - possible if ownership included PlusPartners option, easy to book, selected popular chain hotels (including Sheraton and soon, several Wyndham Resorts), pricy option subject to change, also includes air & car rental options.
DVC for Disney hotels - possible but pricy.
Wyn/FF for Disney hotels - only with PlusPartners, possible but pricy.
DVC for cruises - limited options, limited value.
Wyn/FF for cruises - extensive options, limited value.
Prime season reservation assistance:
DVC Christmas season lottery - discontinued, used to offer chance for booking this holiday at non-home resort.
Wyn/FF Rotating Priority List - all members may request prime season/holidays at non-home resorts and are placed on rotating list to call in early and reserve, no identical requests two years in a row.
High points owners' benefits:
DVC - no special perks.
Wyn/FF (VIP) - fewer fees for multiple usage, earlier booking window for certain number of reservations per year at non-home resort, daily newspaper delivery, early check-in, points discounts on short notice stays.
To sum it up, the biggest differences FOR US have been that:
The DVC resorts were more consistently deluxe, themed with pool slides, onsite locations at WDW and they are more expensive both for use and trade, with fewer options beyond WDW overall. It is strong for those who love the DVC resorts and will use them at least every other year. OTOH...
Wyn/FF requires the owner to be more selective to enjoy the deluxe resorts and offers many more, excellent destinations overall for varied travel, which we like and which enable us to choose from a wide array of resorts within a day's drive of our home in NC - all affordable FOR US. It is also expanding continually, with new resorts being built and acquired. We love the indoor pools at so many of the non-Orlando locations. With BC, plus 2 more resorts in Kissimmee and one more in Orlando, it's got WDW/Univ/SW covered for us while giving us more flexibility overall, for OUR travel needs. YMMV. Hope this helps!
DVC - fairly "posh" and beautifully themed, excellent in-room amenities.
Wyn/FF - nice & comfortable, some less/some more "posh", usually no theme, most studios incl more kitchen amenities.
Villa sizes, sleeping capacity:
DVC - hotel/inn (4), studio (4), 1BR (4), 2BR (8), 3BR (12) - mostly standardized from resort to resort.
Wyn/FF - hotel/suite (2-4), studio (2-4), 1BR (2-6), 2BR (4-10), 3BR (8-12), 4BR for (10-12), vary by resort, many more options.
Locations:
DVC - WDW, Vero FL, HHI SC - best value to use points at the DVC locations.
Wyn/FF - vary between secluded/golf, waterfront & urban, with many, many choices - can be good value to trade out via RCI or II as well as stay at the Wyn/FF locations on points.
Convenience:
DVC - hands-down best for WDW w/freq "free" shuttles and easy driving (OKW/SSR, longer walk to car at others) - free parking at parks, beachfront in FL, 1 mile to beach in SC (HHI).
Wyn/FF - limited "free" shuttles to WDW (BC), easy driving (BC) - pay parking, several miles drive from other area Wyn/FF resorts, beachfront in FL and SC (1 block at some), oceanview in HI and CA.
Resort pool amenities:
DVC - themed/unique, beautiful, heated-outdoors, w/pool slides, hot tubs & kiddie pools, one w/floating river, most have lifeguards, free use of lifevests, nearby food/beverages, plentiful seating.
Wyn/FF - most w/indoor pools, some are oridinary, hotel style pools with kiddie pools, some freeform, some w/hot tubs, rare theme, some heated, some seasonal, some w/floating river or slide, some w/float rentals, rarely lifevests, no lifeguards, some neaby food/beverages, all have plentiful seating, many w/indoor pools, building one w/indoor waterpark (Dells WI).
Comparing specifically DVC OKW and Wyn BC's pools:
DVC OKW - pool slide, food, hot tub, kiddie pool at main pool area plus 3 quiet pool areas.
Wyn BC - zero-entry pool, floating river, food, hot tubs, kiddie pool & water play at main pool area plus 1 quiet pool area (so far, still building).
Activities:
DVC - all ages, WDW access great, good concierge help for onsite activities, children's facilities, area tours offered at non-DVC locations.
Wyn/FF - all ages, good and improving program, some locations dictate more self-directed sightseeing, good concierge help for onsite and offsite activities, adult and children's facilities, carpet/mini-golf, area tours offered at all locations, most activities are more reasonably priced than similar at DVC (and many are free).
Resort staff:
DVC - plentiful, usually very friendly, helpful, often young (20s & 30s).
Wyn/FF - sl. fewer, usually friendly & helpful, similar to good hotels, IMHO, may be semi-retired in some locations.
Developer purchases: Comparable pricing overall.
Resale prices (enough points for summer 2BR):
DVC - held high by DVC, rather expensive for those who need 2BR & 3BR villas (OKW 296 pts = ~$22,500+).
Wyn/FF - excellent for families, more affordable for group and reunion travel (BC 224K = ~$5,000-$7,000).
2006 Fees on above sample purchase:
DVC - annual maint & taxes, inclusive (easiest for planning) = $1,255. Other DVC locations mostly carry higher maint fees and higher points needed for same prime 2BR stay.
Wyn/FF - annual maint = $923; annual taxes <$200; housekeeping and transaction included for weekly reservations; optional guest cert = $25. Other Wyn/FF locations may carry slightly higher maint fees or may carry up to 30% lower maint fees including taxes (outside FL) and most Wyn/FF locations require fewer points for same prime 2BR stay (154K-189K is most common).
Type of ownership:
DVC - "Right-To-Use" but called a "deeded leasehold" at DVC; expires at the end of the contract, <50 years.
Wyn/FF - most are deeded in perpetuity, never revert to the developer. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.
Reservation windows:
DVC - 11 mo. home resort, 7 mo. all DVC resorts.
Wyn/FF - 13 mo. home resort, 11 mo. reciprocal resort (if any), 10 mo. all Wyn/FF resorts.
Full week external trading:
DVC - selected ~200 II resorts, give up points for like size unit, use corporate membership with II, no individual membership perks, exchange fee $75(?) any destination.
Wyn/FF - any RCI or II resort (depending on your home resort's affiliation), give up lowest points necessary with enough trade power to confirm (upgrades possible, sometimes significant like studio=>2BR), individual exchange membership with full perks - paid out of maint fees for FF points owners, exchange fees based on RCI & II ($135-$165 domestic).
External short stays:
DVC points for non-timeshare vacations - easy to book w/o added fees, selected top individual hotels/B&Bs, pricy option subject to change.
Wyn/FF points for non-timeshare vacations - possible if ownership included PlusPartners option, easy to book, selected popular chain hotels (including Sheraton and soon, several Wyndham Resorts), pricy option subject to change, also includes air & car rental options.
DVC for Disney hotels - possible but pricy.
Wyn/FF for Disney hotels - only with PlusPartners, possible but pricy.
DVC for cruises - limited options, limited value.
Wyn/FF for cruises - extensive options, limited value.
Prime season reservation assistance:
DVC Christmas season lottery - discontinued, used to offer chance for booking this holiday at non-home resort.
Wyn/FF Rotating Priority List - all members may request prime season/holidays at non-home resorts and are placed on rotating list to call in early and reserve, no identical requests two years in a row.
High points owners' benefits:
DVC - no special perks.
Wyn/FF (VIP) - fewer fees for multiple usage, earlier booking window for certain number of reservations per year at non-home resort, daily newspaper delivery, early check-in, points discounts on short notice stays.
To sum it up, the biggest differences FOR US have been that:
The DVC resorts were more consistently deluxe, themed with pool slides, onsite locations at WDW and they are more expensive both for use and trade, with fewer options beyond WDW overall. It is strong for those who love the DVC resorts and will use them at least every other year. OTOH...
Wyn/FF requires the owner to be more selective to enjoy the deluxe resorts and offers many more, excellent destinations overall for varied travel, which we like and which enable us to choose from a wide array of resorts within a day's drive of our home in NC - all affordable FOR US. It is also expanding continually, with new resorts being built and acquired. We love the indoor pools at so many of the non-Orlando locations. With BC, plus 2 more resorts in Kissimmee and one more in Orlando, it's got WDW/Univ/SW covered for us while giving us more flexibility overall, for OUR travel needs. YMMV. Hope this helps!