DVC - how hard is it to book - feeling concerned

[Nicola2n]

Hi everyone! Let me fill you in. My husband and I are doing a lot of heavy research into DVC. We just got back from Disney and really loved the Riviera resort BUT - and this is a huge BUT - the restrictions on the resale (buyers only being able to stay at this resort) have us pretty much turned off of this resort. Of course we're not buying with the intention to sell, but lets face it, 50 years is a long time and who knows what can happen. i know if I was buying resale I wouldn't purchase riviera if it had me so limited. The question I have is if we buy at another resort as our home resort, how difficult is it to secure something other than at your home at the 7 month window? We generally travel in low season (January) and would need a room to fit 5. I've read the DVC availability charts, but I'd love to hear first hand. Of course the DVC direct agent has assured me that it will absolutely not be an issue in January, but I'm not truly buying that. We were looking at a resale through Disney so that we don't have the restriction of not being able to book at newer resorts etc. Thank you

 

[_auroraborealis_]

We generally travel in low season (January) and would need a room to fit 5. I've read the DVC availability charts, but I'd love to hear first hand.

If you're looking to book a 1BR in January after MLK Day, you will find options. You will have a much harder time finding studios that sleep 5 consistently. If your travel habits change, you will want to have a home resort with room options that work for your travel group that can be booked at 11 months. As you say - 50 years is a long time, and assuming January will be the time for even 22 years until the first DVC resorts begin to expire is a leap.

Buying through Disney, even a sold-out resort, is always a direct purchase. And each resort will retain its expiration date. The only resort with a 50-year contract is Riviera.

 

[LittleFishy101]

January can still be pretty busy. Even at 7 months there is very limited availability. It seemed like you may have known this but the guide was probably just trying to make a sale. The 11 month advantage is very important for buying where you want to stay because fill up faster and faster.

 

[Mommb]

We have not had trouble booking a 1-bedroom at Walt Disney World right at 7 months or within a week. We don't always get the resort we want, but we have been able to book at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Boulder Ridge, and Beach Club in the past few years. If you know the dates you want enough in advance, it's always best to book at your home resort between 7-11 months in advance, just to be sure you'll have a room somewhere. You can then switch to a different resort at 7 months.

We do not travel at the really busy periods (spring break, Thanksgiving, Christmas/New Years) though, so I'm not sure about availability at those times. Late January or early February should be OK.

 

[Sandisw]

I think it also matters what resorts you are hoping to trade into at 7 months,

January after marathon is an easier time to book. I was able to switch to Poly studio at 7 months, but it took a little waitlisting and stalking to achieve it.

Now, rooms at SSR, OKW and AKV were all there. But the near park resorts were spotty. Again, i was looking at studios only so not all fit 5.

If you pick a resort you are okay staying at if you can’t trade elsewhere, then you’ll be happy with your purchase,

I understand not wanting to buy RIV due to the selling restrictions, because as you mention, if you do sell, the buying pool will be smaller. We don’t know yet where it’s resale price will end up, but it does make it a different product and DVC is too expensive to buy a resort that has an aspect that you see as a negative.

Good luck!

 

[GoUgaDawgs]

We've only been members for 3 years or so, but I have yet to stay at my home resort (poly). And that's not because we don't love our home resort....I have loved my pre dvc cash stays there, but every time 7 months rolls around there is something open at another resort and I think to myself, well I can always stay at poly, I better switch to this other room since it will be hard to get in the future. We have only done studios so far, but have stayed at vgf, bcv, bwv, akv, and BLT. I like split stays so that may be part of how lucky I have been, but getting on at 8am 7 months out does seem to be the key. We travel at relatively high times for dvc including spring break and food and wine. I am really trying to keep my poly reservation for food and wine this year, but I wouldn't be surprised if I end up changing to Riviera and push that elusive home resort stay back even further.

I think you will be happy with the variety, especially since the online system makes the book home at 11 and switch at 7 swap relatively painless compared to the way it used to be.

 

[Nicola2n]

Thanks everyone. It’s very frustrating because ultimately riviera is I think where we want to be, but it’s very very hard to pull that trigger with the resale restrictions. What are the chances that they’ll reconsider that restriction? I can’t imagine it’s helping their sales that much.

 

[RealGinger]

I share some of your concerns about the resale restrictions, and while I wouldn’t be surprised if Disney eventually relaxes those, my other thought is this:
There will always be someone who wants to buy at a specific resort, regardless of the restrictions. (Related: There will also always be someone who wants a smaller number of points, regardless of resort.)

My husband and I bought into Riviera on our last trip, and our Welcome Home visit is coming up (6 weeks to go!). I’ll admit to a lot of second-guessing, but Riviera is ultimately where we want to be, and I’ve done the math on when we can go and how many trips it will take before we start coming out ahead (somewhere between 2037 and 2045, depending on increases in hotel costs and whether we add on like we’re thinking we might) and thus when we could start considering a sale if we really had to.

So I’m not concerned about being able to either use or resell at the Riviera. If I were, I wouldn’t have bought it. Hope that helps!

 

[Pek Chee Kian]

Polynesian Villas, Grand Floridian and Riviera are the only resorts that sleep 5 in the studio. Both PVB and GFV are expensive to buy resales. For me, I will wait for another year to buy Riviera resales at a much cheaper price

 

[zavandor]

Polynesian Villas, Grand Floridian and Riviera are the only resorts that sleep 5 in the studio. Both PVB and GFV are expensive to buy resales. For me, I will wait for another year to buy Riviera resales at a much cheaper price

Yes, truth is Riviera is not a bad place to be "stuck" at. It will always keep some resale value because of its convenience to 2 parks. How much value is difficult to predict.

I don't think they'll revert the resale restrictions.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Polynesian Villas, Grand Floridian and Riviera are the only resorts that sleep 5 in the studio. Both PVB and GFV are expensive to buy resales. For me, I will wait for another year to buy Riviera resales at a much cheaper price

BWV, BCV and VWL ( the original one, now Boulder Ridge) also sleep 5 in a studio.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I think the chances of removing resale restrictions at RIV approach zero.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I think the chances of removing resale restrictions at RIV approach zero.

I agree. In some ways it makes sense to me. Not that I would have imagined it would ever happen.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I agree. In some ways it makes sense to me.

There is no benefit to Disney to remove the restriction. The only benefit would be to resale purchasers later. The restrictions are not impacting sales in any way that seems to concern Disney or hurt the P&L.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

We are ones that always want to stay at VWL ( either BRV or CCV). That’s why we purchased a fix week there. So RIV May work for the OP if they buy a fixed week. At least they will always get a reservation.

 

[Nicola2n]

There is no benefit to Disney to remove the restriction. The only benefit would be to resale purchasers later. The restrictions are not impacting sales in any way that seems to concern Disney or hurt the P&L.

Yes, truth is Riviera is not a bad place to be "stuck" at. It will always keep some resale value because of its convenience to 2 parks. How much value is difficult to predict.

I don't think they'll revert the resale restrictions.

Maybe in this case we’re better off to wait and see if any come up resale via Disney directly in the next few years and that way not have the restrictions on usage.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Maybe in this case we’re better off to wait and see if any come up resale via Disney directly in the next few years and that way not have the restrictions on usage.

There is no such thing as resale via Disney direct.

 

[Nicola2n]

There is no such thing as resale via Disney direct.

Disney has a bunch of older properties that they sell. I was talking to my DVC guide yesterday and he told me all about it. Currently they have Saratoga, poly, boulder ridge, beach club and I think grand Floridian. They are offered at a lower price per point and don’t hold the restrictions that buying through a third party reseller do

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Disney has a bunch of older properties that they sell. I was talking to my DVC guide yesterday and he told me all about it. Currently they have Saratoga, poly, boulder ridge, beach club and I think grand Floridian. They are offered at a lower price per point and don’t hold the restrictions that buying through a third party reseller do

While that is true, that is not the same thing as a resale via Disney. They buy back contracts, break them up, repackage them, as sell as direct. A true resale contract is not broken up. The dollars per point do vary by resort.

 

[jlb727]

Disney has a bunch of older properties that they sell. I was talking to my DVC guide yesterday and he told me all about it. Currently they have Saratoga, poly, boulder ridge, beach club and I think grand Floridian. They are offered at a lower price per point and don’t hold the restrictions that buying through a third party reseller do

FYI - Beach Club, GFV and Poly are NOT being offered at a lower price per point than RIV if you buy direct. That's not correct. I have looked up direct prices and they are all in the $230-240 per point range. If you buy resale, they are under $200 per point. Yes, you would have restrictions on staying at RIV, though.