Am I CRAZY?!

[princessophiali]

I have been doing a ton of research and something I thought was impossible (owning a DVC) may be becoming more of a reality. I have learned so much from this group, I just felt like I needed to throw this out here and see what y'all think...

I have been coming to DW for years and probably could have bought 3 DVCs with the money we have spent on vacations. That has always been in the back of my head and when I booked this years trip, I couldn't help but think, "What could I actually buy in to with the money I am spending?" So, I started doing some research. And here is what I am wondering if we should do...

When all is said and done, we will be spending at least $6500 on our vacation in November. So my idea is to purchase a resale for around 100 points and then do a direct purchase for around 75. I know I'll be spending more than the vacation money I mentioned, but in my head it just makes sense to use that money more wisely.

I'm gonna continue to do research, but I wanted to see if any of you had any thoughts/suggestions...maybe something I am missing? It thrills my heart to think this could actually happen!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You are thinking to cancel your November vacation to do this?

 

[princessophiali]

You are thinking to cancel your November vacation to do this?

yes

 

[_auroraborealis_]

yes

It is important to know that even buying direct, you won't get a points room for this November by any means.

In the future, if you travel in November, expect to book at 11 months and have limited/no options to switch at 7 from your home resort.

Don't buy Vero to stay at WDW, by the way.

 

[princessophiali]

Oh yes, I realize I'd have to wait and that is disappointing. We are all so excited to go.

So, I have seen that some people have thought about purchasing Vero, but you say no? Is it because of what may happen in the future with restrictions? Vero dues are surprisingly high.

 

[igrsod]

You know, that same sort of scenario happened to our family. If only we had bought in sooner quite often is said by all of us. We finally bit the bullet and bought 100 resale points at AKL last year, and have been thrilled ever since. We can see the savings we are getting with each vacation. We are now adding on more resale points at SSR because we love it so much and realize the value. I say go for it. AND... buy where you like to stay. With the way things are, for busy times of year etc (which seems to be most of the year lol), you are needing to book at 11 months at your home resort... sometimes you can switch at 7 months, sometimes you can't, so having a home that you like is very important. SO, I wouldn't buy at VB or HH or Aulani if you want to primarily stay at WDW. And be mindful of the actual price per point.. that's what I use to pick my contracts, not the listed price (that can be very deceiving).
Total Buy in Price / Total number of points in the contract over it's lifetime + maintenance fee per point.
Doing that it was very clear for the most part SSR and AKL make the most economical sense.

 

[CarolMN]

If you p!an to continue your annual trips, can & will book at 11 months, DVC may be a good value for you.

Of course you already know that DVC only covers lodging, so while that $6500 may get you a very good start towards your initial purchase, you'll still have annual dues & costs for transportation, tickets, food, etc. (Plus the pay off of the rest of your purchase).

My advice is to put the $6500 in a savings account while you complete your research. Make yourself a "Disney" budget if you haven't already to see if you can live with the extra expense. It's a big commitment compared to the annual trips. Good luck!

 

[princessophiali]

You know, that same sort of scenario happened to our family. If only we had bought in sooner quite often is said by all of us. We finally bit the bullet and bought 100 resale points at AKL last year, and have been thrilled ever since. We can see the savings we are getting with each vacation. We are now adding on more resale points at SSR because we love it so much and realize the value. I say go for it. AND... buy where you like to stay. With the way things are, for busy times of year etc (which seems to be most of the year lol), you are needing to book at 11 months at your home resort... sometimes you can switch at 7 months, sometimes you can't, so having a home that you like is very important. SO, I wouldn't buy at VB or HH or Aulani if you want to primarily stay at WDW. And be mindful of the actual price per point.. that's what I use to pick my contracts, not the listed price (that can be very deceiving).
Total Buy in Price / Total number of points in the contract over it's lifetime + maintenance fee per point.
Doing that it was very clear for the most part SSR and AKL make the most economical sense.

Thank you for this info! Makes a lot of sense. I have read that you don't get the perks if you buy resale. Has this been an issue for you?

 

[igrsod]

Thank you for this info! Makes a lot of sense. I have read that you don't get the perks if you buy resale. Has this been an issue for you?

Not at all. The only perk that is of REAL value is the discounted AP. But we did the math (my hubby is a numbers guy, can you tell?). It would take soooo many years to make up the difference between AP discount savings and resale vs. direct savings, that we have no desire to buy direct. None of the other "perks" have even come into play in our vacations. I don't feel like we are missing out on anything.

 

[princessophiali]

Not at all. The only perk that is of REAL value is the discounted AP. But we did the math (my hubby is a numbers guy, can you tell?). It would take soooo many years to make up the difference between AP discount savings and resale vs. direct savings, that we have no desire to buy direct. None of the other "perks" have even come into play in our vacations. I don't feel like we are missing out on anything.

Ok that sounds right too! From what I am seeing you can save quite a bit by purchasing a resale. Thanks so much for your input

 

[The Jackal]

Vero has high annual dues, but cheap points. Those points can be used at 11 months at Vero and 7 months at WDW resorts. So if you plan on traveling during a busy DVC time. Yes November is a busy time, you could be shut out of studio rooms. Or have to stay 1 day here 2 days there etc. If you own at a WDW resort you can book at 11 months and at 7 try to find another resort if you want. Generally if you plan on owning less than 10 years and not have the 11 month priority Vero can make some sense, but around year 8-10 they will cost you more then owning SSR. If it’s a small number of points the cost will not be much, just something to think about. Good luck.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Buy resale. If you can afford it and buy in the next couple weeks, you'll likely be closing early October if ROFR goes quickly and then you have to wait for DVC to create your account and deposit your points. It isn't too early to think about November 2020 as you should book at the 11 month mark, which will be January 2020. Buying multiple, smaller contracts has been a good strategy for us so you can start out with just enough for next year with banking/borrowing.

I would suggest thinking about "if money were no object" what resort would I buy first, second and so on and then see what your budget can buy at those resorts. You may not end up at your first choice, but you force yourself to think about how your family vacations, travel time between resorts and the parks you favor, amenities, etc.

Vero tends to get damage, especially the beach and dunes during rough weather and hurricanes. You are paying for insurance. VBR is gorgeous and we have owned it and enjoyed staying there, but we sold our contracts (made a nifty profit) and will pay cash to stay there in the future. Buy onsite at the resort you want to stay at - you'll hear that from almost everyone as it can be competitive even at 11 months depending on the time you are going, the size of the villa and the resort. It's too much money to be unhappy!

 

[Poly15]

We bought 120 points at the Poly in 2015 and its the best thing we ever done.

 

[CanadaDisney05]

Vero tends to get damage, especially the beach and dunes during rough weather and hurricanes. You are paying for insurance. VBR is gorgeous and we have owned it and enjoyed staying there, but we sold our contracts (made a nifty profit) and will pay cash to stay there in the future. Buy onsite at the resort you want to stay at - you'll hear that from almost everyone as it can be competitive even at 11 months depending on the time you are going, the size of the villa and the resort. It's too much money to be unhappy!

Don't mean to hijack this, but do you find availability to be difficult at Vero Beach? We plan on going in the summer for a few days every other year. Debating buying a small Vero contract. I can't seem to find the rack rates listed anywhere so not sure if it's just worth it to pay cash for these stays.

 

[E2ME2]

I have been doing a ton of research and something I thought was impossible (owning a DVC) may be becoming more of a reality. I have learned so much from this group, I just felt like I needed to throw this out here and see what y'all think...

I have been coming to DW for years and probably could have bought 3 DVCs with the money we have spent on vacations. That has always been in the back of my head and when I booked this years trip, I couldn't help but think, "What could I actually buy in to with the money I am spending?" So, I started doing some research. And here is what I am wondering if we should do...

When all is said and done, we will be spending at least $6500 on our vacation in November. So my idea is to purchase a resale for around 100 points and then do a direct purchase for around 75. I know I'll be spending more than the vacation money I mentioned, but in my head it just makes sense to use that money more wisely.

I'm gonna continue to do research, but I wanted to see if any of you had any thoughts/suggestions...maybe something I am missing? It thrills my heart to think this could actually happen!

It's never too late, if you think you will use it for the next 10 or more years. We, too, had racked up all of our Disney Trip Costs over the decades of raising our 2 children, and we would have saved on lodging, and enjoyed nicer digs. But, at 53 & 52, we were becoming grandparents, and it didn't take me long to do the math that justified us buying in at SSR. We have NO REGRETS! Based on my DVC math, we broke even 2 years ago, and next Jan we have booked a Grand-Villa for a week, for our whole crew of 9. (Can't imagine what the cash price would be on that) !
So I say GO FOR IT! I also recommend you continue to consult with all the experienced posters here on the boards; they have a wealth of information and experience! Good Luck!

 

[ThinkBelieveDream&Dare]

I agree with everything already said; plus bear in mind that if you know for sure which resort you want to buy into, smaller contracts usually cost more per point and sell quickly so you won't have much leeway to make a lowball offer.
Use year is also important if you vacation at the same time each year.
Good luck with whatever you decide @princessophiali

 

[crisi]

I'd skip the direct points - in almost 20 years of ownership we've taken advantage of the discount on annual passes for two tickets (that does make more sense if you go more often than we do), and gotten a few discounts on food or merchandise. My husband used the Epcot lounge to make a business call because he thought it might be "quieter" - and we did a MM event at AK that was barely worth the time we spent going. Perks can be pulled at any time and are basically there to drive direct purchases.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Don't mean to hijack this, but do you find availability to be difficult at Vero Beach? We plan on going in the summer for a few days every other year. Debating buying a small Vero contract. I can't seem to find the rack rates listed anywhere so not sure if it's just worth it to pay cash for these stays.

Vero is generally easy to book.

 

[CanadaDisney05]

I'd skip the direct points - in almost 20 years of ownership we've taken advantage of the discount on annual passes for two tickets (that does make more sense if you go more often than we do), and gotten a few discounts on food or merchandise. My husband used the Epcot lounge to make a business call because he thought it might be "quieter" - and we did a MM event at AK that was barely worth the time we spent going. Perks can be pulled at any time and are basically there to drive direct purchases.

I mentioned this on another thread today. As I'm going through the final steps of purchasing myself, I keep debating on the direct vs resale myself. I think this gets a bit underplayed here, so I will just put this out there.

If things stay the same (or get more strict), resale points can only be used at the original 14 resorts. At this point in time, this means that the only resort you would not be able to book at would be Riviera. For a lot of people, this is no big deal. However in a few years from now, it will also include Reflections. Then after that, who knows how many new resorts they will build that you will never be able to try. In 2042, 5 of those original 14 come off the board as well.

The "value" of flexibility to book at any of these new resorts over the duration of the contract is personal. For a lot of people, the "premium cost" of going direct vs resale is clearly not worth it. For others, it may be. Only you can decide how valuable that is. One thing to take into consideration is your age. Someone who is retired, or nearing retirement age may only using DVC for 10 - 15 more years. These considerations may not be as big of a deal. Someone like myself who is in my early thirties will likely be using DVC for the duration of the contract. The limited choice in the back half of the contract may be a bit of a bigger deal.

Remember, DVC is a long term commitment. You may own this contract for 30 - 50 years.

For my personal situation, I am considering getting 150 points direct at SSR. After that, if I were to do any add-ons it would probably likely only be resale.

 

[Bing Showei]

I'll agree with most of what @crisi posts on these boards (huge fan, boss), but I will say that my observation is that most people who talk about how there is little value in direct member perks are in the privileged position of being able to reject using them at will.

As a primarily post-2016 resale owner who had the opportunity to secure most perks by way of a 25-point contract very early on in ownership, I take a lot of the benefits for granted as well. However, with the benefit of recent history, I remember not wanting to feel like a second class citizen. It's nice to choose not to go to Moonlight Magic. It's nice to choose to skip the Epcot lounge. It's nice to choose not to buy something, despite being able to get it for 20% less. It's a different feeling when you're told those choices will being made for you. I fully appreciate that each individual perk absolutely can, and likely will, disappear at some point, but while the perk exists, that choice is taken away from the restricted resale owner.

The value of having that choice is subjective. But it is important to point out that most people who don't see significant value in the perks are people who have had the luxury to use or not use them at will, often after trying it first to see what all the hoopla is about. There is value to that freedom that is often downplayed by those who enjoy it. It's just a question of what that value is to you, personally.

NB: I'm speaking strictly to perks, not booking restrictions which would be an entirely different conversation.