How would you buy in?

[Pickles516]

Think about the 50-100 points per week you will need for that extra bathroom . I'm biased as I cant stand BLT anyway. The rooms and Building are ugly ; There is no Lobby ; the pool is way too small and the food is ehhh and the Bus service stinks. The Dues are cheap and you can Walk to MK. (only good things)

I do love the wilderness lodge vibe. I like the Contemporary in general, but have never stepped foot in the tower so idk

 

[CarolynFH]

150 points at Riviera may be an option. The first thing we did on our first family trip was have breakfast at Topolino’s, and wifey loved it so much she wants to kick off every trip that way. Maybe I could do 150 at Riviera and 150 resale at a monorail resort.

I’d be very cautious about that. How much will 150 points get you at RIV? Will it get you a full visit, or will you have to book part of your stay at 11 months and worry about booking the rest at 7 months? Or do you envision split stays? Some families like them, my family does not.

 

[Pickles516]

I’d be very cautious about that. How much will 150 points get you at RIV? Will it get you a full visit, or will you have to book part of your stay at 11 months and worry about booking the rest at 7 months? Or do you envision split stays? Some families like them, my family does not.

Valid points. I was envisioning a split stay in this scenario, though it may get old having to do a split stay every trip.

 

[DVC Doctor]

I would buy the minimal amount of points direct from Disney to get the benefits (150???) at BLT or even VGF or Poly (they have just studios and bungalows now, but if the tower is on the same association, they will offer all room sizes). If given one choice, I probably would buy BLT as the dues are low and the location is great.

Then I would add-on with the same resort and USE YEAR to keep things simple. Of course you can buy a different resort (SSR is a bargain) but then it dilutes your points so you may have to bank and borrow.

I prefer to keep things simple - one resort and one use year, and break up contracts to 100-150 or so chunks.

 

[Pickles516]

I would buy the minimal amount of points direct from Disney to get the benefits (150???) at BLT or even VGF or Poly (they have just studios and bungalows now, but if the tower is on the same association, they will offer all room sizes). If given one choice, I probably would buy BLT as the dues are low and the location is great.

Then I would add-on with the same resort and USE YEAR to keep things simple. Of course you can buy a different resort (SSR is a bargain) but then it dilutes your points so you may have to bank and borrow.

I prefer to keep things simple - one resort and one use year, and break up contracts to 100-150 or so chunks.

I’m hesitant to buy direct at resorts that aren’t actively being sold because I feel like I’m leaving money on the table by not buying the ones with incentives. This could be a short-sighted view on my part though. This is a lot of money for us.

 

[CarolynFH]

I’m hesitant to buy direct at resorts that aren’t actively being sold because I feel like I’m leaving money on the table by not buying the ones with incentives. This could be a short-sighted view on my part though. This is a lot of money for us.

Fortunately, you can invest the money and let it grow while we wait to find out about the Poly tower - villas, points charts, price - and the possible trust, which might further complicate the situation.

 

[Tatebeck]

I’m hesitant to buy direct at resorts that aren’t actively being sold

Definitely buy resale if you want one they aren't currently selling. The price difference is crazy.

it may get old having to do a split stay every trip.

If you do a rest day that can be the day you switch with the split stay. You can even do it on a park day if you want. Just "check out" of the first one, let them know you need your luggage moved to your next reservation, go to the park, then go to the second resort after the park day. Should have your luggage there and would be as seamless as a split stay can be.

Alternatively you can bank points from one contract to next year, and on the other contract borrow next years into this year. Then you can do a full stay at one resort. Then switch to the other resort the next year. Can do splits sometimes or full stays sometimes. Best of both worlds.

One last tip we have heard of and plan to use is to buy our direct add on contract just before our use year. They usually give you the current years points at the time of purchase which they let you bank, then in the next month or two you get the next year's points added. It's like double points the first year. Or if you do magical beginnings (where they buy the first year of points back from you) its ends up being a discount on the points price as Disney buys back the first year points but then you get a new set right after

 

[WildernessDodge]

I’d strongly suggest CCV resale based on your desired point totals, length of contract, dues, and budget.

One mistake we made when buying DVC is not comparing the differences in points per room at the different resorts. CCV has the cheapest point chart of any new resort added in the last 15+ years. Dues are very reasonable compared to most of DVC (and have trended below average since opening). The contract is good for another 40+ years.

If you’re going for two weeks or less annually, direct benefits will never pay for itself. (I know some here will disagree, but I’ve run the numbers every which way to try to justify the blue card…and it just doesn’t add up unless you’re exceeding that amount of time each and every year). Financially, you will save money by going resale (even considering annual pass discount, etc.)

 

[PrincessKL]

Even for going two weeks per year, if your schedule is flexible, it is possible to get four weeks out of one annual pass, which would make the blue card benefit worth more. For example, you can get the annual pass at the beginning of February for one year, and then go for two weeks. Then for the next week, go for two weeks at the end of January so that you can still use the same annual pass. Then buy a new annual pass in February for the next year and repeat.

 

[Tatebeck]

Even for going two weeks per year, if your schedule is flexible, it is possible to get four weeks out of one annual pass, which would make the blue card benefit worth more. For example, you can get the annual pass at the beginning of February for one year, and then go for two weeks. Then for the next week, go for two weeks at the end of January so that you can still use the same annual pass. Then buy a new annual pass in February for the next year and repeat.

But that only works perfectly every other year, and doesn't help as much if you do 3 or more shorter stays and not the 2 longer stays you mentioned. Also leaves very little room for flexibility. Managing points, banking, borrowing, and timing the trips I'm not sure I would want to be restricted like that

 

[PrincessKL]

But that only works perfectly every other year, and doesn't help as much if you do 3 or more shorter stays and not the 2 longer stays you mentioned. Also leaves very little room for flexibility. Managing points, banking, borrowing, and timing the trips I'm not sure I would want to be restricted like that

I agree. But I mentioned this because OP said they are school teacher, so it might be possible for them. Even for 3 shorter stays per year, it might still worth the annual pass for four relatively long stays in one year, and then buy regular tickets for two short stays. Just lots of numbers to compare to see if it makes sense for each individual.

 

[Pickles516]

I agree. But I mentioned this because OP said they are school teacher, so it might be possible for them. Even for 3 shorter stays per year, it might still worth the annual pass for four relatively long stays in one year, and then buy regular tickets for two short stays. Just lots of numbers to compare to see if it makes sense for each individual.

One one hand(time), this could work because I’m a school teacher, but on the other hand(money) this could not work because I’m a school teacher lol

 

[PrincessKL]

One one hand(time), this could work because I’m a school teacher, but on the other hand(money) this could not work because I’m a school teacher lol

I hear you! Maybe it would be good to buy 150-200 resale points to start. Try it out and then decide if you want to buy direct or resale for another 150 points.

We had a resale BLT first, but after two years, we realized that we really wanted the blue card. So we eventually got a new direct contract while the sales are good and sold our BLT one.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Any chance that you and your spouse can have someone watch the kids for a weekend so that you and your spouse can rent points at the resort you think will be your choice and then visit as many of the other resorts as you can while you are there?

 

[PolyRob]

Actually the Annual Passes only make sense if you are actually going 2 or more weeks a year. By separating a week stay into 3 weekends is no savings at all . As a matter of fact you will be overpaying for your passes. You will only qualify for a Sorcerer AP as a Direct member .

This AP math does not seem correct. You do not need to visit WDW 14 days+ to save compared to a Sorcerer Pass. OP stated they are a school teacher. Look at one 7-day hopper during spring break. 3/16 would be $838.55 before tax. A Sorcerer Pass is $999. Add one more day at any point in the year and you've already passed the breakeven point. Multiple weekend trips depending on season should also still save some money if comparing to a hopper. Once you hit multiple trips (which I have been guilty of as a DVC member) the discounted passes can help.

@Pickles516 if you want a blend of direct and resale points and already have Poly on your short list it may make the most sense to get resale and direct there when the Tower goes on sale. Poly deluxe studios are not my personal favorite, but you have a great chance at getting two connecting studios if you want that and based on recent information it appears at this time DVC intends to add the Tower to the same association. The little pieces we have seen online of floor plans also show the additional bathroom in a 1-bedroom like BLT and AKV Kidani village. I would personally wait until we see filings before committing to a resale contract there, but this would be the best of both worlds IMO.

If you only want resale or want to save some money and buy direct later I would jump on BLT resale. Some contracts are passing in the $115 - $125 range based on the ROFR thread and dues are some of the lowest across all of DVC. It's also great for larger families and has a friendly point chart for large accommodations. Sure the rooms look tired, but it's getting a full refurb 2024-2025.

 

[Chili327]

How old are the kids? Any 18 or older? I ask because each villa must have at least one person age 18+ registered in it, so you’d need to think about sleeping arrangements if you book 2 studios for your family of six. Poly is the only DVC (currently, anyway) with connecting studios.

The next question I have is whether you’ve looked at the points charts for the resorts you’re considering. If not, you can find them here: https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/vacation-planning/points-charts/. You should be aware of how many points you’ll need for the trips you envision, since points costs vary based on resort, villa size, and season of the year.

I think the suggestion to buy 150 direct for DVC-Y is a good one, but also to buy some resale points first to establish your UY and then get the member price for your direct points.

150 points at Riviera may be an option. The first thing we did on our first family trip was have breakfast at Topolino’s, and wifey loved it so much she wants to kick off every trip that way. Maybe I could do 150 at Riviera and 150 resale at a monorail resort.

I would buy the minimal amount of points direct from Disney to get the benefits (150???) at BLT or even VGF or Poly (they have just studios and bungalows now, but if the tower is on the same association, they will offer all room sizes). If given one choice, I probably would buy BLT as the dues are low and the location is great.

Then I would add-on with the same resort and USE YEAR to keep things simple. Of course you can buy a different resort (SSR is a bargain) but then it dilutes your points so you may have to bank and borrow.

I prefer to keep things simple - one resort and one use year, and break up contracts to 100-150 or so chunks.

I’d strongly suggest CCV resale based on your desired point totals, length of contract, dues, and budget.

One mistake we made when buying DVC is not comparing the differences in points per room at the different resorts. CCV has the cheapest point chart of any new resort added in the last 15+ years. Dues are very reasonable compared to most of DVC (and have trended below average since opening). The contract is good for another 40+ years.

If you’re going for two weeks or less annually, direct benefits will never pay for itself. (I know some here will disagree, but I’ve run the numbers every which way to try to justify the blue card…and it just doesn’t add up unless you’re exceeding that amount of time each and every year). Financially, you will save money by going resale (even considering annual pass discount, etc.)

I hear you! Maybe it would be good to buy 150-200 resale points to start. Try it out and then decide if you want to buy direct or resale for another 150 points.

We had a resale BLT first, but after two years, we realized that we really wanted the blue card. So we eventually got a new direct contract while the sales are good and sold our BLT one.

Any chance that you and your spouse can have someone watch the kids for a weekend so that you and your spouse can rent points at the resort you think will be your choice and then visit as many of the other resorts as you can while you are there?

All Good advice!!

I quoted too many posts to point out why, but I just wanted to say i agree with all of these.

Don’ts
Don’t rush in
Don’t buy 300+ in one contract
Don’t buy riviera unless you love it
Don’t buy direct unless you really want the benefits.

Do’s
Do buy smaller contracts
Do buy same use year (as a teacher I’d guess March, April or maybe June?)
Do buy resale first (if not all)
BLT and CCV are best value (dues are the most expensive part) maybe buy 150 resale at one then buy 150 direct at the other or wait for Poly2 (not sure you need to wait if you don’t need the benefits)

Don’t stress, or rush into it, just do all the research and then do it again until you’re comfortable with the decision. It’s decades of fun to look forward to.

 

[mamaofsix]

We were in a similar position to you a year ago. We chose to buy all direct at an actively selling resort because:

1) Incentives were awesome
2) We have a large family and the discount on food and merch alone paid for the difference between direct and resale
3) We did not want to be locked out of future resorts by having some or all resale points
4) Did not want the headache of split stays or mixing direct and resale resort points at 7 months.

We chose to break it into 2 smaller direct contracts.

If I were you, I'd wait until the Poly tower opened and buy all my points direct there. You wouldn't have to stay there every time if the point chart is high. The annual dues are not bad. Booking somewhere else (including Riviera) at 7 months will be much easier if you don't have resale points.

It's up to you, but in the end I find 1 resort, 1 use year, 1 type of contract (in this case, direct), much less hassle and headache.

 

[mamaofsix]

We were in a similar position to you a year ago. We chose to buy all direct at an actively selling resort because:

1) Incentives were awesome
2) We have a large family and the discount on food and merch alone paid for the difference between direct and resale
3) We did not want to be locked out of future resorts by having some or all resale points
4) Did not want the headache of split stays or mixing direct and resale resort points at 7 months.

We chose to break it into 2 smaller direct contracts.

If I were you, I'd wait until the Poly tower opened and buy all my points direct there. You wouldn't have to stay there every time if the point chart is high. The annual dues are not bad. Booking somewhere else (including Riviera) at 7 months will be much easier if you don't have resale points.

It's up to you, but in the end I find 1 resort, 1 use year, 1 type of contract (in this case, direct), much less hassle and headache.

I should have added: Poly is likely to be selling for at least two years with the amount of points in the tower. You could buy one 150 point contract right away, then add on another direct Poly 150 points a year or two later with the same use year if that makes the finances easier.

 

[JPKanks]

All Good advice!!

I quoted too many posts to point out why, but I just wanted to say i agree with all of these.

Don’ts
Don’t rush in
Don’t buy 300+ in one contract
Don’t buy riviera unless you love it
Don’t buy direct unless you really want the benefits.

Do’s
Do buy smaller contracts
Do buy same use year (as a teacher I’d guess March, April or maybe June?)
Do buy resale first (if not all)
BLT and CCV are best value (dues are the most expensive part) maybe buy 150 resale at one then buy 150 direct at the other or wait for Poly2 (not sure you need to wait if you don’t need the benefits)

Don’t stress, or rush into it, just do all the research and then do it again until you’re comfortable with the decision. It’s decades of fun to look forward to.

Make sure you have your excel sheet open and are modeling out your dues, which is the bulk of the expense over the life of the contract. I saw you ask if Aulani dues are as bad as people say, which leads me to believe you have not looked into that yet. It's great you have the $50k now, but in five years, your annual dues could easily be around $3k per year. Calculating through the life of the contract, you'll be averaging over $5k annually for dues on average (300 points, figuring 4% increase in maintenance fees per year).

 

[Sandisw]

Actually the Annual Passes only make sense if you are actually going 2 or more weeks a year. By separating a week stay into 3 weekends is no savings at all . As a matter of fact you will be overpaying for your passes. You will only qualify for a Sorcerer AP as a Direct member .

My friends are paying $456 for a 3 day park hopper this January. Two of those trips a year and you are close to break even with Sorcerer.

So if one gets in shorter but more frequent trips, 3 is all it takes!!