DVC Reality

As above there is off peak availability in studios.
The buy where you want to stay advice can be good advice, it can be poor advice. If you wish to sleep around the resorts very easily at most times other than peak, and even have decent choice at peak (I bought for the same reason) then think about buying twice the points and stay in 1 beds. 1 bed availibility at 7 months is a different ball game to studios.
Given you will be booking at 7 months, buy where you want to stay may be pointlessly spending more than you have to. You are like me- not buying to go back to the same place year after year, the attraction of the product is a different vacation each time.
I bought where I wouldn’t mind staying, Saratoga. In fact I like the resort very much. I’ll happily stay there when it’s refurbed which they have now commenced. My favourite resorts are the Crescent Lake ones, but I won’t buy with just 24 years left.
So I bought twice the points at SSR, and in fact this wasn’t a difficult decision because we much prefer 1 beds anyway.
Most times of year, you have the absolute pick of any resort to stay in, with 1 beds. And even most views, last summer I could have booked AKL value 2 weeks running. The tricky ones are BLT Standard, and perhaps theme park, maybe Boardwalk Standard (but I got that), AKL concierge and supposedly AKL value. But generally, take your pick at non peak times.
In peak times such as Xmas in 1 beds, as long as you book dead on 7 months, you will have some choice- always OKW, and AKL, and likely BRV, and BWV and even BCV. Possibly GFV too but I don’t pay much attention to that most of the time as it’s points intensive so I don’t book it.
This coming Xmas, 20-26 December, BCV in 1 beds was totally open as was BWV. So I booked BCV. From 26 December to 30 December I was going to book BRV or OKW (split stay on purpose) but BLT came up, so I booked there, I maybe got lucky with that as it was showing as booked when checking in the run up. 31 December was tighter all over. But hey, I am flexible, I like staying different resorts, and BLT I could have stayed in easily in quieter times.
If I ever score a studio on my travels and wanted one, I could rent out the excess points which would cover the dues across the entire contract for the year.
Skier Pete’s charts are brilliant and still accurate, but slightly pessimistic I’ve found on 1 beds. But look at them as they are the best data in this area available. Pete said the spotty rating I think means they are available but go quick.
Caveat to this, is that availibility has got more difficult to get at 7 months. It could change. But again this in my observation seems to have been with regards to studios, not 1 beds. As point cost increases, and points per night goes up, more and more people buy to book studios. I don’t see them chasing 1 beds with the same vigour or any real reason why they should be.
Bizarrely using this strategy, I have seen situations where say studios at VGF have been fully booked, and thus an owner who paid virtually the same to buy in as me cannot book his studio at 7 months, but me with twice the points can book a 1 bed at 7 months and stay in vastly superior accommodations to the owner there who paid the same and cannot get a studio.
This strategy obviously means paying double the dues but I’m quite happy to do that anyway for the vastly superior accommodation of the 1 bed over the studio.


Thanks so much for the thorough answer. That is a good perspective on 1 bedroom villas.
 
DVC is for the long term, and availability patterns can change fairly quickly in the short term. Your own travel patterns aren't likely to stay consistent over the long term either - for instance, January and February may be great now, but if you are young with young kids, might be difficult once the kids get older. If you are newly retired, it might be a great snowbird idea for the moment, but it might quickly be more desirable to take on a longer term condo rental during the snow months than just a week or two at Disney.

There are three things that change availability patterns - Disney changing visitation patterns by adding new events to draw guests, more DVC rooms being added which increases the seven month competition at the existing resorts, and the membership getting savvier (learning that they have to book early, recognizing that they can rent home resort points they aren't going to use through a broker easily and often with a premium, walking reservations) Buy where you won't mind ending up, and any time you get to stay somewhere else its a bonus. Think realistically about the numbers involved - i.e. a lot of BWV owners bought BW specifically for F&W, it isn't likely that a non-home resort owner will find a room available there in October- and the few rooms that are available are going to move quickly once the seven month window opens up - there are a few hundred rooms in total at BWV and a few hundred thousand members. Bigger resorts will have more availability to move into, one bedrooms tend to be open longer than studios. i.e. you can often switch into the large SSR or VAKL Kidani - but it can be hard to get into a studio at BCV or VGF at seven months during any time of the year.

If you can go into it with "I'm going to book at home, and then try and switch into BCV at seven months - and be delighted if I get the room - if not, I'll see what else is available and try again next year" you'll be much happier than if you go into it with "I must be able to get into BCV at seven months and if I don't, my vacation will be ruined." But maximum flexibility in booking will always be through cash. And what you are noticing - that CRO has rooms available that are not available to members - can really eat away at some people - some have real anger and dissatisfaction with the system over it - and will not change (those rooms - for the most part - are already booked via points - either Disney's own points from what they currently have in inventory, or member trade outs).
Thank you so much:) You guys are really knowledgeable, and kind to share what you know with me!
 
We are a family of two just DH and self. We closed in April 2008 and thru a handful of visits from 2008-2011 "broke even" with our investment...that is given we had used cash instead of points for those dates of travel. Our last vacation at Disney was Nov 2012. Since then we started our own company and not really taken any vacations as our time has been tied up. However we have used them for us, my parents and niece and nephews who now have their own children so they can travel and also enjoy the Disney magic. We never not used a single point during the years we did not "go to the parks".

As for Jan travel...we have never done so. However, we decided in late Feb 2019 to finally take a real vacation in between a business trip to the south this coming Jan, 2020...We will be there before/during/after MLK weekend - so crowd levels are obviously higher during several of those days. I did what any person who hasn't been to Disney in awhile does...hop on the boards and youtube for information. We had no problem immediately booking a studio at Boulder Creek and at the dvcmember site, almost all resorts were showing availability with all room types.

During the past week, we just passed our 7 month mark. As most recommend...be online at 8AM or on the phone at 9AM to insure you get what you want. We were and we did get into the resort we decided to stay at this time and easily changed into as 1BR. I was surprised how quickly availability changed at the resorts throughout that day. The first showing just a few of our days being available was Beach Club followed by Grand Floridian Villas.

Fast forward one week and now most resorts have only limited availability for those dates with Studios hardly available. However, if you do not mind staying at a couple different resorts to vary your stay, that can still be accomplished as they seem to have plenty of availability...just not for the length of time or days we plan to be there.

If you are able to afford it, I think it is a great way to "buy your hotel rooms" at today's prices for the next 20-40 years or so. And if you decide to not use them to go to the parks, they have lots of other options to be able to use them or go thru a retailer like David's to rent them off (doing so at least get's you your yearly maintenance fee's back)

Hope this helps!
This definitely helps! Thank you🙂
 
You guys are so awesome to help me out with this big decision. I think it is a good choice for my family to buy DVC at resale. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds like these contracts are holding their value (even increasing) for years. I don’t plan to, but it sounds like you could sell for close to what you bought for in the next 10 years, if you fell on hard times or just decided that the DVC isn’t for you.

I still am not sure where to buy. I have 3 boys who are 5, 3 and 10 months. For now, I would like to save money and book studios. We would probably spend most of our time out and about. I also LOVE the Polynesian, for both the atmosphere and its proximity to magic kingdom. I do see, however, in the future needing more space. My boys are all very tall, so that Murphy bed won’t work forever! I was thinking adjoining rooms at the Polynesian could work, or 1 bedrooms at the other resorts. There is potential to travel with 2 additional family members as well, in which case I would hope to find the least expensive 2 bed. I feel like 100 points could work here (because we travel every other year-ish and hope to use mostly studios initially), however there might be years where we need 300 points (for Aulani or 2 beds). We could buy and additional contract as our needs change too?

I also like BLT for its proximity the
MK as well. We would need 150 points or so, so this would be quite a bit more expensive (honestly more than I want to spend initially). I just think this resort could be awesome, and valuable in years to come.

Animal Kingdom is clearly the best value, as we could get 160 points, for the same price as 100 at the poly. I just question if we actually need a 1 bedroom yet. It would, however, give us much more flexibility when booking at other resorts it sounds like.

Do you think BLT and Poly are more likely to be refurbished more frequently in the future, due to their prime locations? I appreciate it! I have SO many questions😉.
 


You guys are so awesome to help me out with this big decision. I think it is a good choice for my family to buy DVC at resale. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds like these contracts are holding their value (even increasing) for years. I don’t plan to, but it sounds like you could sell for close to what you bought for in the next 10 years, if you fell on hard times or just decided that the DVC isn’t for you.

I still am not sure where to buy. I have 3 boys who are 5, 3 and 10 months. For now, I would like to save money and book studios. We would probably spend most of our time out and about. I also LOVE the Polynesian, for both the atmosphere and its proximity to magic kingdom. I do see, however, in the future needing more space. My boys are all very tall, so that Murphy bed won’t work forever! I was thinking adjoining rooms at the Polynesian could work, or 1 bedrooms at the other resorts. There is potential to travel with 2 additional family members as well, in which case I would hope to find the least expensive 2 bed. I feel like 100 points could work here (because we travel every other year-ish and hope to use mostly studios initially), however there might be years where we need 300 points (for Aulani or 2 beds). We could buy and additional contract as our needs change too?

I also like BLT for its proximity the
MK as well. We would need 150 points or so, so this would be quite a bit more expensive (honestly more than I want to spend initially). I just think this resort could be awesome, and valuable in years to come.

Animal Kingdom is clearly the best value, as we could get 160 points, for the same price as 100 at the poly. I just question if we actually need a 1 bedroom yet. It would, however, give us much more flexibility when booking at other resorts it sounds like.

Do you think BLT and Poly are more likely to be refurbished more frequently in the future, due to their prime locations? I appreciate it! I have SO many questions😉.

Refurb frequency is nothing to do with location. It is now set at 7 years soft goods, 14 hard goods I think.

Rememeber, if you get enough points for a 1 bed and want or can get a studio, you can rent those excess points to cover the dues. This is a painless process usually, a couple of emails to Davids and you have the money in Paypal sometimes very quickly- in my case it once took 6 hours.
 
You guys are so awesome to help me out with this big decision. I think it is a good choice for my family to buy DVC at resale. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds like these contracts are holding their value (even increasing) for years. I don’t plan to, but it sounds like you could sell for close to what you bought for in the next 10 years, if you fell on hard times or just decided that the DVC isn’t for you.

Maybe. Here is the big issue with that assumption. If the economy goes into recession (and we are overdue), you will have a problem. Lots of people will fall on hard times all at once. The value of DVC at resale will drop (in 2008 by about 50%), if you are one of the people who fall on hard times, you might get half of your purchase price - and prices may stay there for three years or more. Lots of people got real bargains on DVC in 2009 - and lots of people lost their shirts.

Here is the other problem - you have three kids and college is 12 years away or so for your oldest. I have two in college right now - its costing me $50k a year out of pocket after scholarships. My kids will NOT be graduating with a lot of student debt because I wanted to go on vacation when they were little - that isn't a trade that I thought was at all fair to them. YMMV, but do understand that that is one of the possible opportunity costs of regular Disney vacations for your boys.

The third problem is your concern about refurbishment. DVC units get used hard, and our dues pay for refurbishment. They are usually fairly worn down before they get refurbished - its one of the reasons why I hate it when people compare them to deluxe resorts - if I paid for a deluxe resort with torn curtains and door knobs missing from drawers, the drawers themselves off their rails (like many of the DVC units I've been in) I'd be upset. (Drawers seem to be our big thing - we've had so many non functional drawers over fifteen years). I will say it has gotten better, and we've never had a dirty room - just rooms where you couldn't use all the drawers or the towel rack was half off the wall or the curtains were ripped. To us, its a hotel room - a place to sleep.

The last thing you should do is imagine life with your boys five years from now, and ten years from now. DVC is for the long term - when they are 15, 13 and 10 you will find that its very hard to vacation with them - they cannot possibly miss baseball practice for a family vacation and stay on the team. That can start young (my son didn't play peewee football because - at six - the coach insisted that practice was more important that schoolwork, vacation, doing your chores around the house, or the Wednesday night people around here tend to spend at church - we don't spend Wednesday night at church - but homework is more important than football practice and I wanted no mixed messages about that). Disney is an awesome vacation when your kids are the ages your kids are now - and a lot of families find it continues to be great, but my son liked the beach better, and my daughter liked museums and international travel. We were fortunate, we did Disney every other year and still could afford to take the kids to Hawaii, Mexico, Europe, several cruises, California, Washington DC, and local trips - but we only had two college educations to save for and had two really high incomes and a fairly low cost of living.
 
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"Rack Rate" is a myth.

Then why could I only find rack rate rooms ten years ago when I was starting to plan my first Wdw trip?

And even with discounts, they aren’t THAT big lol.


The cost of this looks to be about 11-16,000 up front, which would be nearly half of my savings account

Does your savings account have other jobs? Is it an emergency fund as well! Or is that a separate chunk of change? Is it just sitting there waiting to do something?


We, too, prefer traveling in January or February. We own at AKV, Poly, and RIV. We bought Poly bc of switching at 7 months and falling in love...
We have switched successfully at 7 months and stayed in studios at GC, GF, SSR, Poly, BLT, BW, BR, and OKW. We have also book Aulani for friends at 7 months.

I have, too, but I never expect to be able to changenext minth you’ll find me trying to switch my rundisney Princess weekend around, and I’ve already mentally prepared myself for it not being possible.


Do you think it will be different for resale vs direct buys?

They have not yet made changes retroactively for resale buyers.

We financed. It was the only way we could buy in initially. For us it was worth the monthly payments and interest. Even with paying interest we see it as a great investment in our family and future vacation.

Same.

I still am not sure where to buy. I have 3 boys who are 5, 3 and 10 months. For now, I would like to save money and book studios.

Your family is going to physically outgrow studios fast. I’d either not start in studios or id remind myself with every booking you make that the time is coming where you’ll use more points.

I was thinking adjoining rooms at the Polynesian could work

Adjoining/connecting rooms are never guaranteed. I wouldn’t use that as a strategy.

DVC is for the long term - when they are 15, 13 and 10 you will find that its very hard to vacation with them - they cannot possibly miss baseball practice for a family vacation and stay on the team. That can start young

Yep. My son will barely travel to disney anymore because of his dance schedule. I might be able to force him to go out to Orlando next February, but it’s only because he saw some ballerinas having “spring” vacation this year during a time he thought absences weren’t allowed.
 


OK, you asked for reality. Trying to provide some?

1) DO NOT FINANCE. Have a good $30K in cash to buy in. RIGHT out of savings.
2) You will likely require about 6-10 years, depending on how often you visit, to hit "Break Even" - that point where you have won, over real DISCOUNTED room rates. "Rack Rate" is a myth.

If this did not make you think a bit? There is more...

3) BUY WHERE YOU WANT TO STAY. NO DVC is actually "sold out" Every location recovers points DAILY from ROFR & foreclosure. DW & I bought 300 points at BRV - DIRECT, in 2012, LONG after "sold out". We just had to wait a while :). About 3 months. Yes, we have BLUE CARDS.


4) SEE 3.... You WANT that 11 Month Home Resort window. Sorry - "you can book any DVC at 7 months" is pretty much crap. You will try - and everything will be gone. Try the Grand Californian at DL.... let us know how that works out for you :).

Us? DVC Owners, BRV, 2012 to present. We have already hit breakeven. We go 18 days per year. We LOVE our DVC. But really: This is generally a $30,000 (or plus) upfront CASH investment, out of your savings, in order to make it work. FINANCING will kill you, at greater than 10% per year interest. This deal is a MAJOR cash expense, and should be weighed against everything else :(.

Please be sure that everything ELSE (home, children's education, CC bills, retirement) is in place first?

And right out - VERY sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear. We have no Financial Interest in anything Disney - no stock, no bonds.... nothing.

All great advice above!! I’ve been a longtime beneficiary of my parents buying in at BC years ago. I grew up on Disney. It’s just me and my wife and no kids. But we love it and it’s the “beach house”. There are no questions we will always want to go back. I’ve got 150 CC points that I’m under contract for, cash is not a problem, and I am STILL wrestling if it’s the right thing to do!! Can I park that cash elsewhere? Invest it for dividends and appreciation. Could I earn enough to cover the cost of future vacations on my earnings and not cash.

Cash is KING. What do you think Disney does with the cash? Their either make insane interest at 10%+ (a great ROI) or they take the cash and re-invest in their business, generating higher future returns than renting rooms year after year. Essential they take our cash to grow their business faster. And they sell people. For the life of me I cannot understand how a family would buy a direct contract at $188/pt and then literally turn it around 2 years later at $145/pt. That’s a massive loss!

In turn we hit a break even point at around 10 years, give or take due rates and average room cost/inflation. However after that, we get 38 more years of pre-paid vacations WITH an asset value. While there will never be another BC, my parents only have 22 years left on their deed and they can sell their deeds now for a 35% premium to what they paid, after years of vacations.

I’ll end with this: if you have no better place to invest the cash and get a better return, you have enough in savings to cover 6 months of expenses, and you plan on using the deed for at least 10 years, and can afford the annual dues including annual increases, then go for it!

Otherwise, you may be better off building your assets and renting points from people between 12-15 pp. If going every other year, I think this may be the best bet until your assets are more secure.
 
As above there is off peak availability in studios.
The buy where you want to stay advice can be good advice, it can be poor advice. If you wish to sleep around the resorts very easily at most times other than peak, and even have decent choice at peak (I bought for the same reason) then think about buying twice the points and stay in 1 beds. 1 bed availibility at 7 months is a different ball game to studios.
Given you will be booking at 7 months, buy where you want to stay may be pointlessly spending more than you have to. You are like me- not buying to go back to the same place year after year, the attraction of the product is a different vacation each time.
I bought where I wouldn’t mind staying, Saratoga. In fact I like the resort very much. I’ll happily stay there when it’s refurbed which they have now commenced. My favourite resorts are the Crescent Lake ones, but I won’t buy with just 24 years left.
So I bought twice the points at SSR, and in fact this wasn’t a difficult decision because we much prefer 1 beds anyway.
Most times of year, you have the absolute pick of any resort to stay in, with 1 beds. And even most views, last summer I could have booked AKL value 2 weeks running. The tricky ones are BLT Standard, and perhaps theme park, maybe Boardwalk Standard (but I got that), AKL concierge and supposedly AKL value. But generally, take your pick at non peak times.
In peak times such as Xmas in 1 beds, as long as you book dead on 7 months, you will have some choice- always OKW, and AKL, and likely BRV, and BWV and even BCV. Possibly GFV too but I don’t pay much attention to that most of the time as it’s points intensive so I don’t book it.
This coming Xmas, 20-26 December, BCV in 1 beds was totally open as was BWV. So I booked BCV. From 26 December to 30 December I was going to book BRV or OKW (split stay on purpose) but BLT came up, so I booked there, I maybe got lucky with that as it was showing as booked when checking in the run up. 31 December was tighter all over. But hey, I am flexible, I like staying different resorts, and BLT I could have stayed in easily in quieter times.
If I ever score a studio on my travels and wanted one, I could rent out the excess points which would cover the dues across the entire contract for the year.
Skier Pete’s charts are brilliant and still accurate, but slightly pessimistic I’ve found on 1 beds. But look at them as they are the best data in this area available. Pete said the spotty rating I think means they are available but go quick.
Caveat to this, is that availibility has got more difficult to get at 7 months. It could change. But again this in my observation seems to have been with regards to studios, not 1 beds. As point cost increases, and points per night goes up, more and more people buy to book studios. I don’t see them chasing 1 beds with the same vigour or any real reason why they should be.
Bizarrely using this strategy, I have seen situations where say studios at VGF have been fully booked, and thus an owner who paid virtually the same to buy in as me cannot book his studio at 7 months, but me with twice the points can book a 1 bed at 7 months and stay in vastly superior accommodations to the owner there who paid the same and cannot get a studio.
This strategy obviously means paying double the dues but I’m quite happy to do that anyway for the vastly superior accommodation of the 1 bed over the studio.
This is excellent advice. I bought into SSR a few years back with 160 points. My next move is to buy another small contract that will put me in range for a weeks vacation each year in a 1 Bedroom.
 
You guys are so awesome to help me out with this big decision. I think it is a good choice for my family to buy DVC at resale. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it sounds like these contracts are holding their value (even increasing) for years. I don’t plan to, but it sounds like you could sell for close to what you bought for in the next 10 years, if you fell on hard times or just decided that the DVC isn’t for you.

I still am not sure where to buy. I have 3 boys who are 5, 3 and 10 months. For now, I would like to save money and book studios. We would probably spend most of our time out and about. I also LOVE the Polynesian, for both the atmosphere and its proximity to magic kingdom. I do see, however, in the future needing more space. My boys are all very tall, so that Murphy bed won’t work forever! I was thinking adjoining rooms at the Polynesian could work, or 1 bedrooms at the other resorts. There is potential to travel with 2 additional family members as well, in which case I would hope to find the least expensive 2 bed. I feel like 100 points could work here (because we travel every other year-ish and hope to use mostly studios initially), however there might be years where we need 300 points (for Aulani or 2 beds). We could buy and additional contract as our needs change too?

I also like BLT for its proximity the
MK as well. We would need 150 points or so, so this would be quite a bit more expensive (honestly more than I want to spend initially). I just think this resort could be awesome, and valuable in years to come.

Animal Kingdom is clearly the best value, as we could get 160 points, for the same price as 100 at the poly. I just question if we actually need a 1 bedroom yet. It would, however, give us much more flexibility when booking at other resorts it sounds like.

Do you think BLT and Poly are more likely to be refurbished more frequently in the future, due to their prime locations? I appreciate it! I have SO many questions😉.
The BLT studios are about the smallest studio with DVC. They are not set up for five people, so once your youngest turns three, you have grown out of BLT studios and need the one bedroom. We just booked three nights at BLT in January (one of the cheapest months of the year for DVC) and used 93 points. Once school starts for your three, you won't be looking at going in January, but probably summer or Easter or Christmas time. Those 31 points per night go up from 37 to 51 points per night in a one bedroom. When you talk about bringing along a few extra people and book the two bedroom, those times go for 48-70 points per night. You could get three nights with 150 points. These are based on Lakeview rooms and not standard because the standard go so quickly at eleven months out.

AKV won't permit five in a studio unless one is under the age of three. So, again, you have two more years with your baby for free. Then you have to move up to the one bedroom.
 
Our home is Hilton Head so if we want to stay at WDW we have to wait until 7 month. We have never NOT been able to secure a room -often at SSR since it is the largest. If it is just DH and I for a couple of nights, we look for studio. Anything longer, a 1 bedroom. If family is joining, a 2 bedroom. We have also traded out for Vero Beach, Aulani, Disneyland, and "outside" trades from New York to Arizona to San Diego to Asheville, NC and more that I can't remember. We find it quite flexible if you don't get into the "I've got to have THIS and nothing else" mentality.
 
Poly is such a lovely resort and really feels like you've traveled. Walk to TTC and go to epcot or walk to GF for amazing meals. Ohana. Kona, Dole Whips, Feature Pool, Trader Sams. I would but there anytime if there were more than studios (the bungalows are not worth consideration). The lay out with your boys is nice with the under bed storage and extra bath space. You will easily be able to rent those home points. BUT the cost for studios is much greater than many other properties which is something to factor. 160 AKL pts has more buying power at 7 mos if you're flexible than than 100 at 11-7 months.
Inventory at 7 has def gotten tougher in the last few years all around especially for studios and will get worse with renting, restrictions and new resorts coming online who will certainly have an interest in trading into poly- its and iconic property. There is also a long time left on the contract.

Your alternative AKL also will be a highly sought rental if you needed and your kids will love it for the next 8-10 years. Animals!!! We love the resort decor and the restaurants, JIKO & Boma!! but don't love at all the location. We found the rooms quite dark (poly also) and it was just too far from the things we wanted to do. Our Lyft bill was substantial so its not without its own quirks.

Have you stayed at both? Personally, I'd lean towards the 160 points because it will give you so much more flexibility. being able to book 1 beds at 7 mos makes a huge difference in swithcing out.

How about BWV? Not a long contract but points and charts are affordable and it just had a refresh. We recently stayed there and LOVED it. The location is amazing. Great restaurants and activities and a walk to Epcot and DS. My kids are now 8 & 10 and it really hit all their spots. I've looked at contracts to add it as a home but went with VGC for now because of that precious owners' window and "buy where you wanna stay". It really should be 75% of your decision.

Good luck. You're gonna love it!!
 
Animal Kingdom is clearly the best value, as we could get 160 points, for the same price as 100 at the poly. I just question if we actually need a 1 bedroom yet. It would, however, give us much more flexibility when booking at other resorts it sounds like.

I zeroed in on this statement because you think it is the best value. I think, once you stay in the one bedroom you won't want to stay in a studio again, especially in 2 years when the boys don't stop running around in circles. The 1 bd has a kitchen, which will save a ton of money even if you don't use it for all your meals. There is a washer and dryer in the unit which is very handy. The extra space of an additional room will be welcome in a few years. Those boys will only get bigger, a studio will feel very cramped very soon.

Plan for the future, what will your circumstances be like in 5, 10 , 15 years? Don't expect to make money, DVC is not an investment, it's a pre paid vacation.

You should be able to trade into Poly if you have flexible dates.
 
I zeroed in on this statement because you think it is the best value. I think, once you stay in the one bedroom you won't want to stay in a studio again, especially in 2 years when the boys don't stop running around in circles. The 1 bd has a kitchen, which will save a ton of money even if you don't use it for all your meals. There is a washer and dryer in the unit which is very handy. The extra space of an additional room will be welcome in a few years. Those boys will only get bigger, a studio will feel very cramped very soon.

Plan for the future, what will your circumstances be like in 5, 10 , 15 years? Don't expect to make money, DVC is not an investment, it's a pre paid vacation.

You should be able to trade into Poly if you have flexible dates.

Thanks!
 
I am looking at DVC and am renting points for a 1BR AKL in January. My big fear is that once I have stayed in that 1BR, staying in the Value resorts will no longer have appeal, and even staying in the better studios will only feel "OK".
I am waiting to see how I feel after our January stay If we come home planning our next stay I will likely buy into AKL, BLT or SSR. I live on the west coast and am thinking I might need about 180pts so I could have "Studios at Aulaini one year, 1BR at WDW the next". I am
 
I am looking at DVC and am renting points for a 1BR AKL in January. My big fear is that once I have stayed in that 1BR, staying in the Value resorts will no longer have appeal, and even staying in the better studios will only feel "OK".
I am waiting to see how I feel after our January stay If we come home planning our next stay I will likely buy into AKL, BLT or SSR. I live on the west coast and am thinking I might need about 180pts so I could have "Studios at Aulaini one year, 1BR at WDW the next". I am
Be sure to plan Aulani assuming Ocean View, and beware of the high seasons at AUL - June is big, as is holiday.
 
I am looking at DVC and am renting points for a 1BR AKL in January. My big fear is that once I have stayed in that 1BR, staying in the Value resorts will no longer have appeal, and even staying in the better studios will only feel "OK".

Expect this to occur. After staying at deluxe resorts, you'll never want to go back to all sports (,stars, music, pop) again. A few years ago, my wife and I did a one night stay in all music, and couldn't believe we once found the accommodations there "acceptable".
 
The cost of this looks to be about 11-16,000 up front, which would be nearly half of my savings account. Does anyone see any red flags with this plan?
I see a HUGE red flag when you have 3 young children and about $30,000 in savings. Yes, that is a good savings account, but dropping that in half is the concern I'd have. Braces, college, cars, etc all add up fast in life. If your cars are all paid off and your are planning for college and retirement then maybe. How fast can you save up the $16,000 to buy DVC?

I am not a huge Dave Ramsey fan, for several reasons, but he does really teach a lot of good financial skills and savings is one of the biggest things. I would check him out. But if you want this, keep your savings and save for this once you have the cash saved up then consider it. But I'd say pay off your house first then you can really enjoy it.

Do you have retirement accounts or other investments on top of that savings account? Personally I would not put 50% of *all* my money into DVC.
This advice is so so so important, I hope you pause to really think about what you are doing. Once you purchase that money is locked up, gone. Yes, you can get a vacation with it, but it's really no longer an asset or at a minimum no longer a liquid asset.
 
We financed half of our contract and paid it off early. Sounds like you have the cash. Just make sure you purchase where you don’t mind staying.

What resorts are you considering?
 
If you are retired or have a flexible work schedule like I do , it is possible to buy a cheaper resort and stay in just about every other resort. I have done it by checking the availability and then booking a time when my chosen resort is open, not trying to get a specific time. I will try all the new resorts by letting them tell when I can come . I don't have patience for wait lists so when I plan everything needs to be secure before airfare. if you are married to a certain time frame then you are frankly at the mercy of luck. I'm not lucky so for me I only try other resorts when they scream vacancy and airfare is not bad.
 

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