Tell me about things that have gone wrong with DVC for you

[_auroraborealis_]

If you travel in December, buy where you want to stay. Those dates, you are going to have issues even getting 1BR at 7 months at a number of resorts. The first two weeks of December are the highest demand weeks of the year for DVC.

 

[mum of two pirates]

If you travel in December, buy where you want to stay. Those dates, you are going to have issues even getting 1BR at 7 months at a number of resorts. The first two weeks of December are the highest demand weeks of the year for DVC.[/QUOTE


Is it just harder to get because the points are lower?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

first week of December is legitimately the most popular week of the year. Studios are generally gone before 7 months, as are many 1BRs. DVC Members come for the annual meeting, Christmas decor, mild weather and low points. Certain units are hard to get even at exactly 11 months.

 

[crisi]

first week of December is legitimately the most popular week of the year. Studios are generally gone before 7 months, as are many 1BRs. DVC Members come for the annual meeting, Christmas decor, mild weather and low points. Certain units are hard to get even at exactly 11 months.

We DVCers really like low crowds, point bargains, and good weather. That puts that last quarter of the year into heavy play - even without Food and Wine or the annual meeting. Spring has less appeal, the weather is the same, but the staggering of Spring Break brings college age crowds in all season (Fall has gotten really crowded, but with the exception of a few events, its an older crowd or people with families - not teenagers and young adults), and the points are higher. January and February are cold. And Summer is hot.

 

[mum of two pirates]

Wow thanks for all the info you guys, so after reading everything I think what I might end up doing is just buying in at animal Kingdom for 25 points and then either Baylake or the Polynesian for 50 and bank and barrow them then use them every three years to stay one week back to back at each place if I can get them both at 11 months out for stays the first two weeks in December. So then I want my use year to be October since there is no November and that way if sometime I couldn't go in December I could go on spring break at the beginning April and if I had to cancel I can still bank my points as I'd have enough time is that the way it works. Do I have it right? Also if I couldn't get something at the poly at 11 months could I wait tell the 7 month and then use my poly points to get something somewhere else or another week at AK? thanks guys

 

[Wakey]

So sorry for the confusion

Yes, I was trying to emphasize the difference. As a studio person myself, I have been amazed at the increase in booking challenges over the past couple of years... enough that I am adjusting my holdings to get that 11 month booking window at my resort of choice again.

For us vets, the difference is obvious but I think newbies need the emphasis... of course one possible solution would be to buy enough points for the 1 bedrooms!

Fully agree- If you go Jan to beginning of September, and wish to resort hop, buying a resale at a cheaper resort such as SSR and enough points for a 1 bed gives you many more options than say buying enough points for a studio at Copper Creek at full whack. During this period, avoiding holidays etc, the only 1 beds you struggle with are AKV club level and value, and BLT standard, every other 1 bed at every other resort is open and you can even sometimes get the odd night (s) in these categories.

 

[CraigInPA]

January and February are cold. And Summer is hot.

Depends where you're from. Up here in the frozen north, January and February in Florida are "warm" for us. Actual Summer in Florida is, for us, like standing in a blast furnace, completely unbearable for even a few minutes. Going regularly in February, it's gotten so that my wife and I dread returning home to the ice and snow.

 

[zavandor]

We DVCers really like low crowds, point bargains, and good weather.

Crowd wise, October is the new June. It has been a trend of the latest 2-3 years, but October is now busier than most of the summer months in the whole WDW, not just DVC. MK opens often at 8:00 insteadf of the usual 9:00. I guess the best kept Disney secret (how lovely is the fall) is now public domain.

 

[kniquy]

every three years to stay one week

This is a little red flag, reason being is that if you intend on every 3 years you run the risk of a trip being cancelled and then losing the points. DVC makes the most sense when you go at least every other year, yearly or even more frequently. If you are looking at every 3 years then you are better renting than paying yearly MF's. Just something to consider. There are probably more reasons not to buy in this situation than there are in favor of buying.

DVC is very complex system to understand so it is best to buy at one resort first and then as you experience the system and become more knowledgeable then you can addon at another resort. There is a lot to know and learn about banking/borrowing/canceling/transfers that until you are in it you really don't fully understand. Even those of us in it still have many questions.

You are in the right place -- ask many questions, really look at your options, finances and scour points charts. The best resource for an easy at a glance points calculator is davids dvc -- you can enter your trip dates and see the points needed for all resorts and room types. This way you can play with the number of different time frames to see how many points you will need. Even once you figure out the points you would need you want to add 10% incase they do a re-allocation of points -- it can happen and it can either increase or decrease rooms or seasons points needed.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Wow thanks for all the info you guys, so after reading everything I think what I might end up doing is just buying in at animal Kingdom for 25 points and then either Baylake or the Polynesian for 50 and bank and barrow them then use them every three years to stay one week back to back at each place if I can get them both at 11 months out for stays the first two weeks in December. So then I want my use year to be October since there is no November and that way if sometime I couldn't go in December I could go on spring break at the beginning April and if I had to cancel I can still bank my points as I'd have enough time is that the way it works. Do I have it right? Also if I couldn't get something at the poly at 11 months could I wait tell the 7 month and then use my poly points to get something somewhere else or another week at AK? thanks guys

The thing about using a contract every 3 years is that unless you have exactly the number of points required for a room you will have stranded points. And even if you had the exact number there is no guarantee that DVC wouldn't do a reallocation and change the point requirements for the room or time you go which would throw off your every 3 year plan. It is easier to work banking or borrowing contracts every other year or you need to plan to use contracts together every 3rd year to not end up with stranded points.

 

[disneynutz]

The availability has been discussed above, I want to touch on other issues. DVC has website issues, they have for years, some improvement and changes but still some issues. Nothing worse than trying to book your hard to get reservation online and the site crashes. Calling MS can be crap shoot, sometimes they answer right away, other times it ca be a 40 minute wait. Another issue is that many of the perks and extras are paid for by DVD marketing, they can stop at anytime, they can stop or change if the management changes and Disney does change management. The next person may have a completely different way of doing business. They change the required points to stay at some resorts, when they raise one area, they have to lower somewhere else. That could be good or bad. When we stay at SSR we always stay at Congress Park, they raised the required points to stay there.

Bill

 

[bwvBound]

The availability has been discussed above, I want to touch on other issues. DVC has website issues, they have for years, some improvement and changes but still some issues. Nothing worse than trying to book your hard to get reservation online and the site crashes. Calling MS can be crap shoot, sometimes they answer right away, other times it ca be a 40 minute wait.

Hear, hear! (Agreed!)

 

[crisi]

Depends where you're from. Up here in the frozen north, January and February in Florida are "warm" for us. Actual Summer in Florida is, for us, like standing in a blast furnace, completely unbearable for even a few minutes. Going regularly in February, it's gotten so that my wife and I dread returning home to the ice and snow.

I'm from Minnesota, and Florida can still be cold in January. We've had Januarys where its warmer in Minneapolis than it is in Orlando

 

[crisi]

Crowd wise, October is the new June. It has been a trend of the latest 2-3 years, but October is now busier than most of the summer months in the whole WDW, not just DVC. MK opens often at 8:00 insteadf of the usual 9:00. I guess the best kept Disney secret (how lovely is the fall) is now public domain.

Yep, it is. I'd put it at longer than three years, but its still not the mess of Spring Break, Thanksgiving or Christmas. (June was never that crowded...early June was my original time - end of June moving into July got crowded - then through July - with it tapering off in August)

 

[lovin'fl]

We bought multiple contracts over the years, since 2006. We have two UY and really wish we had just one. It would be easier to manage and book with. Especially when we are in borrowing mode and can't transfer between contracts. Plus you can't book online with transfer points. Just makes things a touch complicated at times.

We have had some difficulties booking what we want. But we like to stay at all the resorts so it isn't a huge issue. My DH is of the philosophy that you buy the most points you can for as low a cost as possible. I am more of the 'buy where you want to stay' philosophy. So we bought OKW and HHI to appease him. Not only was HHI a cheap buy in, but it was also the good to own there if we wanted to book there in the summer months. But then we fell in love with Epcot and then fell in love with F&W so DH saw my side of things and agreed to the need to buy there. His thoughts on buying the most points is so that we can book whatever size unit we want or whatever size is available and in any season we want and as many trips as we want...we'd have more points to throw around. But, if it were up to me, I would own at resorts where it is tough to book (so I would trade out the OKW for CCV for Xmas time trips.... Would keep HHI and BWV).

 

[b2k1121]

Not a problem really, but I bought enough points assuming we would go once per year for a week and have enough points leftover to rent out to more than cover the dues. So far have used up 2+ years of points planning multiple trips and don't see when we will have leftover to rent out.

 

[mum of two pirates]

Thanks guys, anouther question. Gasp. How does rci work? Do you book a week then put it? I saw in the book they sent me you can trade it in rci. My 18yo son scuba dives and have gone on a few 10-14 trips. I know he'll be doing it for a long time and I was wondering if I ever wanted to put it in there how it works. Thanks so much for everything.

 

[kboo]

Thanks guys, anouther question. Gasp. How does rci work? Do you book a week then put it? I saw in the book they sent me you can trade it in rci. My 18yo son scuba dives and have gone on a few 10-14 trips. I know he'll be doing it for a long time and I was wondering if I ever wanted to put it in there how it works. Thanks so much for everything.

I have never used DVC for RCI, but my family has owned RCI for over 30 years and DH and I are avid divers (until we had kids) and have gone on dive trips all over the world. Generally on the diving trips, we have found lodging on our own because in most places it is just as easy (easier, because you aren't locked in to anything until you book, and you can book on fairly short notice) to find private apartment rentals for a very good price. When my mom was booking RCI for Hawaii, to get the best ones on the beach, she was usually planning 2 years in advance. I don't think using DVC points is a good value.

(Actually the best value if you don't mind more spartan lodging is a Club Med that has diving on site. Non divers have lots to do, and the divers get one dive a day included in the cost of the trip. We did that many years ago in Martinique and it was lovely. But it is much more rustic! Some of the other all-inclusives also offer diving from the resort for an added cost, which might be good if only your son dives but the rest of your family would like to do something else. In Hawaii and the Caribbean, the dive operators will pick you up at your hotel or condo or you can drive a short distance away - where you're staying has little to do with the diving, and it's not worth the $$ to associate the 2.)

 

[Cyberc1978]

I have never used DVC for RCI, but my family has owned RCI for over 30 years and DH and I are avid divers (until we had kids) and have gone on dive trips all over the world. Generally on the diving trips, we have found lodging on our own because in most places it is just as easy (easier, because you aren't locked in to anything until you book, and you can book on fairly short notice) to find private apartment rentals for a very good price. When my mom was booking RCI for Hawaii, to get the best ones on the beach, she was usually planning 2 years in advance. I don't think using DVC points is a good value.

I agree, using your DVC points in RCI should be the very last option. If you have expiring points which you for whatever reason can’t rent then you can extend the life of them by depositing them into RCI.

 

[bwvBound]

Thanks guys, anouther question. Gasp. How does rci work? Do you book a week then put it?

There are multiple ways to use DVC through RCI. Here are a few that I know of:

• Confirm First, Exchange. In this method, you do not give RCI any DVC points until you confirm a reservation at your desired RCI destination. You may search RCI's inventory online or over the phone with DVC Member Services. The number of DVC points required to book the RCI destination will be clearly displayed (online) or told to you (verbally over the phone) before accepting the booking and will follow a grid of standard exchange values based on the RCI destination's unit size, season, resort rating, etc.
• Deposit First, Exchange. This method is generally used to extend the lifetime of expiring points by 'banking' (depositing) them with RCI. Once banked with RCI, the points cannot be pulled back to your DVC account. The points you bank with RCI may then be used for searching RCI's inventory online or over the phone through DVC Member Services.
• Rental weeks. DVC membership recently included access to RCI's rental weeks, including last-minute discounted intervals, to be booked on cash without consuming your DVC points. You may search and book RCI's Rental Inventory online (or over the phone, maybe??).