Help me out with some ????s

[jrpersinger]

I am not sure if its lack or sleep or the fact that we are on Spring Break and its rained the entire time so I have been stuck in the house with my kids and all their friends, but my brain is mush! LOL

DH and I are planning on buying into the DVC this Summer. What I am trying to figure out is how many points we should buy if we wanted to stay atleast twice a year for 7 days, at holiday/peek season, in deluxe conceirge level. We are planning on baseing our purchase on the most expensive, even if we don't always use the most expensive. Also, we were trying to figure in points for the future. We would like to pay for this and not have to add any points for the next 10 years atleast.

Can anyone help me out? As I said, my brain is mush, so if what I wrote makes not sense let me know and I will try to explain better. ;)

[Mrs Bus Driver]

Okay a 2 br villa at AK for 1 week 590 pts. I got this from the timeshare store, 1 of the sponsors. Just click on the connection on the left side of the page, it is very user friendly. I use it all the time. And don't forget you can borrow and bank pts. You may only need to buy enough extra pts so that you could take a normal vacation for 2 years and then borrow/bank into conceirge level every 3rd year. Hope this helps :mickey:

[Tinkermom]

Not sure exactly what you are looking for by your post. Do you mean that you do not even want to stay in a DVC resort and only use your points to stay non-DVC concierge? The ONLY DVC resort with concierge is Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas and these are very difficult to get as there are only a handful so you would pretty much have to purchase at AKLV if you want the concierge. What size room do you need? Exactly what do you mean by holiday, only Christmas and Easter?

OK, I will give you the point costs for both DVC and non-DVC . First to stay at DVC's Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas in a CONCIERGE room is:

Highest Season (holiday - Easter and Christmas)
studio = 205 for a week
1 bdrm = 405 for a week
2bdrm = 549 for a week

Next Highest Season
studio = 155 for a week
1 bdrm = 313 for a week
2 bdrm = 423 for a week

Now to use your DVC points OUTSIDE of DVC to stay at other deluxe Disney resorts you will pay a good deal more per night. I will use the Polynesian only as an example as these costs are right in the middle of Yacht Club (lower) and Grand Floridan (highest). I will again give you just CONCIERGE since that is what you asked:

Highest Season (Holiday Easter and Christmas)
Polynesian = 90 points per WEEKNIGHT
158 points per WEEKEND NIGHT
TOTAL for WEEK = 766

Next Higest Season (March/April)

Polynesian = 79 points per wknight
142 points per weekend
TOTAL for week = 679

Based on the above point needs mulitplying times TWO since you said you want to stay twice a year for a week you would need...
846 - 1532 points

Now, points are I believe going for $110.00 per point so you are looking at spending about $90,000 for the least amount of points. I also think that DVC has a cap of 1000 points but I could be wrong about that.

We own 500 points total in 2 contracts and we go about 2 times a year staying 5-7 days in a 2 bedroom. We typically travel around spring break (March) and summer.

[Zone Stop]

5000 points is the maximum.

If you're looking at staying club level frequently, DVC might not be right for you, since the number of club level rooms is so small.

[j&j]

first what time of the year will you be going? because different tiimes of the year need different points/ then do you have enough money to join and pay the montly cost per year. 150 -points around $65 permonth. remember fri and sat nights the points are very high. if you can buy then you can always buy moree points later if needed.:mickey::mickey:

[jrpersinger]

I probably should have added more to my post. Told you my brain is mush! LOL

We are a family of 4. We typically go the last week of June but when we buy into the DVC we plan to go in the summer and during Christmas too. Occasionally, we may have more people with us. Anywhere from 2 - 8 extra.

We do plan to use the Villas. We are hoping to buy into Bay Lake Towers if they are still available. However, we would only be interesting in staying at Bay Lake Towers, Wilderness Lodge, Beach, Boardwalk and Treehouse Villas.

Reason I asked about the club level rooms is that the guy I spoke to from DVC said we may be able to strech our points (buy less or go more) if we stayed in a room on club level on one trip and Villa on the next. He also said we should look at purchasing more points since the point rate goes up every year. Well, I was looking around at the charts and couldn't find any point charts on rooms, just villas.

I am waiting to get my info, he said it should be here in a few days. I am sure I will have a ton of questions before we actually buy into DVC. I was just curious about the points. He explained it somewhat, but I was a bit confused.

He also told me most people start out with 150-300 points, but also said that may not cover what we want it for either. Which is when he suggested the above. I am thinking 500pt? Or is that to much.

Hope that makes a bit more sense.

[jrpersinger]

Also, we don't plan on using the bigger suites unless we have more people with us. We just don't need all that room when its just the 4 of us.

[ThanxForNoticin]

I'm also a bit confused by the 'club level' question and what this person was trying to tell you. The only club level, as previous posted, for DVC is AKL, and they have a total of 10 rooms on that level - very difficult to get. If you use your points to stay club level at a Disney resort (like Poly, GF, etc), you're going to burn up your points VERY fast - those rooms are not a good way to use your points.

One comment I want to share with you. It sounds like you hope/plan to stay at Disney during some very busy times (Christmas and summer). If you are planning to buy DVC to use Christmas week, you will want to buy the points where you are planning to stay. If you buy at BLT, you will want to make your Christmas reservations 11 months in advance like your ownership allows. That being said, the chances of you staying at the other resorts you listed (BC, SS-Treehouse Villas, WL, or BW) will be very slim during peak times, because you'll only be able to call about those rooms 7 months in advance. Most of the time, those rooms will have gone to people to own there.

I wish you luck in your decision. Based on what it sounds like you want to do - visit a couple times each year - I don't think 150 or even 300 points is going to be enough for you. You might actually need to look more seriously at 500 or more. I'm sure you'll ask a lot more questions when you meet seriously with your Disney rep. I hope it works out well for you! It's also not a complete crazy idea that you might wish to look at buying points at more than one resort - perhaps BLT and AKV for example. That would allow you a bit more flexibility for reserving rooms 11 months in advance during peak times.

[Maleficent's Dad]

Reason I asked about the club level rooms is that the guy I spoke to from DVC said we may be able to strech our points (buy less or go more) if we stayed in a room on club level on one trip and Villa on the next. He also said we should look at purchasing more points since the point rate goes up every year. Well, I was looking around at the charts and couldn't find any point charts on rooms, just villas.
While this sales' rep wasn't lying to you, he was certainly not giving you the whole picture either. Using your points in WDW at a "non-DVC" resort is usually not a good use of your points.

Here's what I mean.
If you go in June, "club level" would be as follows:
Poly would be 71 points per night Sun-Thurs, and 127 per night Fri-Sat!!!
Grand Flor would be 83 points per night Sun - Thurs, and 150 Fri & Sat. (*Keep in mind that you will also have to pay a booking fee for any non-DVC resort!*)

For that period in JUNE, you could get a two bedroom villa at BLT for less points!!! (Early June, 2BR villa runs 37 points per night Sun-Thurs and 66 points Fri & Sat for a Standard view!)

The idea of villas for large groups is a good one. But the idea of DVC for "non-DVC resorts" is not usually in your best interest financially. Disney makes out huge on those deals.

[jrpersinger]

See, thats what I mean. I felt like maybe some things were left off or I was getting mixed up. I never even mentioned staying at Club Level. I don't even remember if Club Level was around when I was growing up. And we didn't consider it when we decided to go back to Disney Resorts from SoG this year. Its just not something that would be a real advantage for us. But he brought it up, so I listened. The more I listened, the more I became confused.

We had never even considered DVC until this past trip. The kids wanted to play in the Monkey cage beside the DVC stand in MK and DH started talking to the DVC rep there. And it made sense, that if we planned to start vacationing more then once a year, that it would benefit us. Esp if we plan to go during Christmas.

I am really excited, but I want to have all my info together and prepared before we make the purchase. And I am concerned if I don't get first hand account that the DVC rep might over sale it and it really turn out its not right for us. KWIM.

[wendy*darling]

My opinion- forget the whole "Club Level" conversation. It just doesn't make sense.
In addition to paying MORE points per night- you are only getting a regular hotel room.
Once you stay in a DVC Villa- 1br or 2BR (or Grand Villa), you will be so spoiled and your family may never want to stay in a regular hotel room again!

Once you get your information, look at BLT's point charts.
A 1Br will sleep 4 people- 2 in the master bedroom (king bed) and 2 in the living room on a sofa bed.
How old are your kids now- and then think about as they grow older.
My boys are now 18 & 21. When we first bought DVC in 2001 they were 10 & 13 and didn't mind sharing the sofa bed. That's certainly not true now! We only stay in a 2br when they are with us. They each get their own queen bed and share a bathroom.

If you are planning ahead- and believe you really will be taking up to 12 people in the future- consider the points for a Grand Villa. OR if you do not all need to be in the same villa- look at what a 2br plus a studio would cost in points.

I doubt you need 1500 points right now.
If you can do one week in a studio with just the 4 of you during Christmas week- that's 240 pts at BLT with an MK view (or 183 with a standard view). In June that would be 183 (MK view) or 137(std).

So a studio vacation plan- which would be your "bare minimum" could cost as low as 320 points for 2 trips a year (late June & late Dec) to a BLT standard view.

More realistically, plan for a 1 br in December (466 pts MK view) and a 1 br in late June (361 pts) for a total of 827 pts every year.

Certainly you can start with less now and add on - through resale or Disney- as your needs grow. Or you can do a 1br on one trip and a studio on the next. The beauty of DVC is that you are NOT locked into a specific size villa or time of year you can vacation.

It's a hard decision, but one you'll enjoy for years to come!

[jrpersinger]

Thanks Everyone for your replies. They have been very helpful. I have a hard time sitting and talking on the phone, I am a busy body. So, long conversations over the phone don't always sink in. And this week my brain has been fried from a bazillion kids playing in my house, so my patience was even less then normal. So he probably explained more then I took in. But I am pretty positive he was trying to convince me to stay in the Club Level Rooms as a DVCer.

Our kiddos are 9 and 7. Both girls and we are already running into the sharing the bed issue. My oldest freaked when she found out she wouldn't have a fold out in the WL. She is so used to having it at SoG. So, we were trying to plan for the future with this purchase. And also, trying to cover our bases if we end up taking extra people with us. The last 3 years, we have been with either our family or friends. This is the least amount we have been with this year, at that is 6.

Ah... so many questions and things to figure out. I am so glad we don't plan on buying until atleast Aug! I would be in a panic trying to figure it all our right now.

[Mrs Bus Driver]

I haven't bought DVC yet either. Haven't even talked to a salesman. But I have spent a lot of time reading these boards. Now I know how many pts we will need and where we will buy them. Just reading these boards and asking question I have learned a lot and you should do the same. I don't blame a salesman for trying to make a buck, but buyer beware. Don't spend that kind of money without knowing what you are getting, you could buy a car with that much money or put a down payment on a house. :mickey:

[Maleficent's Dad]

One thing you should all examine carefully are the points' charts in order to determine how many you'd need to satisfy your vacation needs. Points charts can be found by clicking here (http://www.dvc-resales.com/), then going to the resort you are interested in!

And as previously stated by wendy*darling, once you get into a larger DVC villa, you will be forever spoiled by the DVC accomodations!

[jrpersinger]

DH and I talked last night as we *think* we are going to start out with 600 pt. Split between Bay Lake Towers and Boardwalk Villas.

Now here is my next question. Since the Disney rep told me they no longer have sales in the Boardwalk, would buying from one of the resales give me the same benefits as buying from Disney. As in making it a "Home" resort?

I haven't had alot of time to read over everything on here yet. I have only had a few moments here and there to check in. I did glance over the "why not to buy" thread tho. So forgive me if the questions I have asked are explained somewhere else.

[jrpersinger]

Oh and when you split your points between resorts, can you still use them together. Like say, we did 300/300. But one would require 400 to stay at and the other 200. Would that be okay?

[ThanxForNoticin]

I'm honestly not an expert on the 'resale' question, but since the person you'd be buying from purchased the points for BW, I have to think that would be your home resort for those 300 points, too.

As for your other question, let's say you have 300 points at BW and 300 at BLT. You certainly can use all 600 - at times! Let me explain.

When you own at a particular resort, you have the perk of being able to make your reservations at that resort up to 11 months in advance. You can also use your points to make reservations at any of the DVC locations up to 7 months in advance. So if you decide you want to stay at BW over Christmas and you call 11 months in advance, you can only use BW points to make that reservation. If you decide to stay at BLT in July and you call 11 months in advance, you can only use BLT points for that reservation.

If you are 7 months or less from your arrival date, you will be able to use any of your points at that time. I hope that's clear enough.

You should also keep in mind that you can bank and borrow points, too. So if you have 300 points at BW and you decide you're going to take another family along for Christas week (and you need 500 points to make that happen), you can bank/save points from this year and use them for a trip like that the following year. You can also borrow points from next year and pull them into your total points for this year.

After you go through some of this a couple times, it's not as complicated as it sounds. It's versatility like this that has helped us enjoy the DVC for 16 years now. Good luck with your decision. The only other thing I might recommend - listen to what wendy*darling was saying - perhaps it might be wiser to buy less now, learn how it works, see how it might meet your needs, and then add on later if you feel you don't have enough points. One thing I can tell you - we have never regretted buying our share in DVC. We have used it a great deal in many different ways.

[Maleficent's Dad]

Since the Disney rep told me they no longer have sales in the Boardwalk
Your sales' rep might say this, but it isn't true. You can indeed buy BWV points directly from Disney; you just might have to *insist* to your sales' rep that that is what you want. Eventually s/he will get the message and they will find the points.

Additionally, you can purchase BWV through resale. If you do so, however, you may have two different Use Year Dates - which could get confusing.

You can combine points, but your home resort is your home resort. So if you have 300 at BW, only those 300 (plus any banked/borrowed points) can be used at BW. The other 300 at BLT (or wherever) are home points to that resort.

As stated above, you might not have to buy all 600 immediately. Keep in mind that you can always add points on - an addictive pastime! And people often say it's a good idea in the event that you might one day have to sell points off - it's easier to sell off smaller contracts. (Not that I would know, but that is what I've read here!)

[FiggyFan]

Regarding multiple home resorts and multiple contracts, I have a few items for you to consider:

1) I find it easier to think of it this way: You don't have a home resort, your points do. ThanxForNoticin explained this pretty well.

2) I want to second Maleficent's Dad's post regarding multiple small contracts. In the event that you do someday decide to sell (or just scale down), you cannot split up a contract. If you have multiple small contracts, you can sell one of them and keep the others. I saw a listing on the Timeshare store (Intercot sponsor) for a 500 point contract at $86 each - a total of $43,000! If the original purchase had been 4 contracts of 200 + 100 + 100 + 100, these could be offered separately for $17,200 and $8,600 each, resulting in a much larger pool of interested purchasers, and probably a quicker sale.